Business Essentials

Hosted by SoundCartel

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Episodes

1343

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Business Essentials features interviews with business experts and industry leaders, providing up-to-date, insightful advice on wide-ranging topics, including winning sales strategies, HR issues, mental health and leadership. Hosted by Grace Jennings-Edquist, the goal is to encourage and inspire a new generation of Australian business owners and entrepreneurs to grow healthier, happier and more profitable businesses. Business Essentials is a podcast four decades in the making, from SoundCartel, the producers of the world's longest-running business audio magazine by the same name. Business Essentials is produced by the team at SoundCartel - Nick Schildberger, Grace Jennings-Edquist, Nicole Goodman and Mariah Stonehewer. Technical production by Pete Letts. Listen and follow in your favourite podcast app and make Business Essentials part of your routine for business success. Business Essentials www.bedaily.com.au Business Essentials is produced by SoundCartel www.soundcartel.com.au +61 3 9882 8333

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 23, 202628 min

Why career growth is driving staff turnover, and what really drives exceptional performance

What's really driving your best employees to leave – and what does it take to achieve exceptional performance? In this episode, Head of HR Solutions at people2people Suhini Wijayasinghe explains why career growth has overtaken salary as the biggest driver of staff turnover. Suhini also shares practical ways businesses can improve retention through better development, clearer expectations and meaningful career conversations. Then ultra-endurance athlete, entrepreneur and high-performance coach Jason Dunn argues that talent isn't what separates high performers. He explains why discipline, purpose and consistently doing the hard things matter far more. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 16, 202621 min

Business value in uncertain times, and why psychological safety pays off

How do you protect your business's value when costs keep rising and uncertainty shows no sign of easing – and why does psychological safety matter in your workplace? In this week's episode, business sales and acquisitions expert Simon Bedard explains how rising costs, inflation and economic uncertainty are reshaping business value. Simon – who is Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group, and author of new book Exit Like an Expert - also unpacks why many owners are absorbing costs instead of passing them on, and where to focus to build a stronger, more resilient business. Then senior psychologist and managing director at Barrington Centre, Rhonda Andrews, explores why psychological safety is far more than a compliance issue. She explains how creating a workplace where people feel safe to speak up can improve performance, innovation and retention – and why doing nothing is now the biggest risk of all. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 9, 202621 min

Is AI shifting work onto managers? Plus: why leaders need to provide optimism

Is your team's AI use actually making work easier – or just creating more work for your most experienced employees? In this episode, workplace writing expert Vikki Maver, founder of Communication Skills Academy and Refresh Marketing, explores the hidden costs of AI. She explains how poor governance can increase rework, shift responsibility onto managers and even undermine customer trust. Then executive coach Chris Power explains why optimism, direction and hope are essential in uncertain times – and how leaders can inspire confidence, build trust and unite teams without pretending to have all the answers. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

August 2, 202620 min

Preparing for the cashflow crunch, and why hard conversations can't wait

Is your business prepared for mounting cashflow pressures - and are the conversations you're avoiding making things worse? In this episode, commercial finance expert Nadine Connell, founder of Smart Business Plans, explains why many profitable businesses are being squeezed by changing cashflow timing. She also shares practical steps to strengthen financial resilience before small pressures become major problems. Then communication and human skills expert Leah Mether explores why leaders avoid difficult conversations, how misunderstandings about psychological safety can undermine accountability - and why addressing issues early is one of the kindest and most effective things a leader can do. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 26, 202620 min

Turning setbacks into progress, and leading through change with confidence

How can setbacks become stepping stones - and what does it take to lead a business through constant change? In this week’s episode, performance consultant, Better Life Lab founder and author Andrew Horsfield explains how to turn setbacks into progress by embracing productive struggle, gaining clarity and building habits that create lasting performance. Then executive coach and leadership team coach Chris Power - who is also founder of Power Projects - shares three leadership practices to help organisations stay competitive during times of disruption: refocusing the leader's role, realigning teams around trust and purpose, and readying the business for what's ahead. She shares practical tips to improve decision-making and lead with confidence through change. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 19, 202621 min

Handling conflict, building ownership and leading without micromanaging

How do you handle tough conversations without creating conflict - and build a team that takes ownership instead of waiting for instructions? In this week’s episode, communication and human skills expert Leah Mether shares practical strategies for navigating disagreement with empathy, curiosity and clarity - helping leaders resolve conflict before it escalates. Then leadership expert Kylie Paatsch – Founder of Kylie Paatsch Leadership and author of The Connect Effect - explains how to create a culture of accountability by giving people the confidence, clarity and trust to step up - without falling into the trap of micromanagement. She shares simple leadership habits that strengthen communication and empower your team to do their best work. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 12, 202625 min

How online entrepreneurs scale. Plus: the risks of ignoring psychological safety

What separates businesses that thrive from those that stall - and how can leaders build workplaces where people perform at their best? On this week’s episode, entrepreneur, speaker and author Bernadette Schwerdt shares lessons from Australia’s fastest-growing online brands and reveals what drives successful founders, drawing on her new book Secrets of the New Online Entrepreneurs . Then, senior psychologist and managing director at Barrington Centre, Rhonda Andrews, explains why psychological safety matters more than ever in workplaces - and offers practical ways leaders can build stronger, more productive teams. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

July 5, 202621 min

Crisis planning and the right to disconnect

How resilient is your business when crisis strikes - and are rigid workplace rules hurting flexibility? In this week’s episode, speaker and founder Bronwyn Reid explains why crises expose weak leadership and poor systems. She also shares several practical ways SMEs can prepare for disruption before it hits. Then, Ilona Charles, CEO and Co-Founder of HR Consulting Services, Shilo, discusses Australia’s “right to disconnect” laws – digging into why blanket after-hours bans can backfire, and how businesses can create clearer, more flexible expectations that work for both leaders and employees. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 28, 202620 min

Business grants, growth and the HR mistakes startups make

As business confidence weakens and growth slows; many SMEs are looking for new ways to fund expansion and stay competitive. In this episode, Kate Whitehead, MD of strategic grants and government funding advisory, Avant Group, explains what the 2026 Federal Budget means for business grants, innovation funding and where future government investment is likely to flow. Then, Ilona Charles, CEO and Co-Founder of HR consultancy Shilo explains why startups and scaleups so often run into people and culture problems as they grow. From hiring too quickly to promoting unprepared leaders, she shares the common mistakes businesses make early, and why they become much harder to fix later on. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

June 21, 202618 min

Why small businesses struggle with growth, productivity and engagement

When it comes to innovation and productivity, the challenge for the Australian government remains the inability to turn good ideas into long-term economic growth. In this episode, Kate Whitehead, MD of strategic grants and government funding advisory, Avant Group, explains what the proposed changes to the R&D Tax Incentive could mean for SMEs, innovation investment and Australia’s broader productivity problem. Then, leadership expert Kylie Paatsch explains why so many engagement strategies fail to deliver real performance. Her argument? The problem isn’t engagement; it’s lack of connection between leaders and teams. If you’re considering launching a podcast to grow your authority and client base, reach out to our team to learn how we can support you. Business Essentials is produced by soundcartel.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.