The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast

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Latest episode

Dec 2025

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About the show

Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast. Hosted by Nathan Soti, our goal is a simple one – to help more businesses succeed! The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos360 Recruitment and produced by The Content Engine.

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23 recent

December 8, 2025Episode 121 hr 8 min

Ash Frenken — Rise, Collapse, Rebuild: A Founder’s Full Story

Ash Frenken shares the real, unfiltered journey of building and losing a high-growth PropTech startup.From raising millions and scaling to a 50-person team, to near-collapse during COVID and the painful decision to shut it down, Ash opens up about failure, resilience, ADHD, mental health, and learning to forgive himself.This is an honest conversation about ambition, burnout, rebuilding after loss, and the power of starting again. Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast, hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple - to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

November 12, 2025Episode 111 hr 3 min

Joseph Daoud — Founder of It’s Simple Finance: From One-Man Broker to a Broking Powerhouse, A Leap into Scale, Systems & Sacrifice

Joseph Daoud, Founder of It’s Simple Finance, shares the raw truth behind scaling from one-man broker to settling over $200 million. From sleepless nights to missing family moments, to battling fear and criticism, Joseph opens up about the real cost behind fast growth. He breaks down how he built repeatable systems, delegated properly, and learned to let go, so he could finally have the freedom to be present with his newborn son. A raw conversation on sacrifice, pressure, and why the success you want sits on the other side of discomfort. Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast,hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple - to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

October 8, 2025Episode 101 hr 5 min

Arjun Paliwal - Founder & CEO of InvestorKit: From Banking to a $25M Buyer's Agency, a Leap into Purpose and Growth

Arjun Paliwal, Founder of InvestorKit and one of Australia’s leading property experts, joins The Leap to share his journey from banking to building a $25M buyers agency.From leaving a secure corporate job to facing open-heart surgery and the loss of his mum, Arjun opens up about the defining moments that shaped his mindset, leadership, and purpose. He talks about the early mistakes that nearly stalled his business, how he learned to focus on what truly matters, and why success today means doing less — but doing it better.Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast,hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple - to help more businesses succeed. The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

September 9, 2025Episode 857 min

Peter Gatt – CEO of EMANDA: 9x Founder, 6x Exits of Multi-Million Dollar Businesses

Peter Gatt, CEO of EMANDA and nine-time founder with six exits, joins The Leap to share the highs, lows, and lessons from his 20+ years in business.From a tough upbringing in St Albans to building multi-million-dollar companies, Peter opens up about failure, cashflow struggles, self-doubt, and what it really takes to start again.He talks about the importance of thinking about your exit from day one, avoiding “busy work,” and why creativity will be the most valuable skill in an AI-driven future.

August 6, 2025Episode 71 hr 8 min

David Goodwin – From trauma to triumph: the unconventional journey behind Liberty Behavioural Services

David Goodwin shares his powerful journey from a traumaticchildhood and near-death experience in Africa, to building one of the fastest-growing, values-driven businesses in Australia’s NDIS sector.He talks about doing business differently, building something that actually helps people, and why purpose – not profit – has always been his driving force.Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast, hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple - to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

July 9, 2025Episode 61 hr 11 min

Adam Schwab – Co-Founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes: Building a billion-dollar global travel empire

What does it take to build a billion-dollar travel business from scratch? In this episode of The Leap, Adam Schwab, Co-Founder and CEO of Luxury Escapes, shares how he went from overworked junior lawyer to leading one of Australia’s fastest-growing travel companies. From flipping backpacker apartments to surviving the collapse of the daily deals industry, Adam’s journey is packed with bold decisions, early mistakes, and long-term wins.He opens up about the scrappy beginnings, the pressure of leading a team of 600+, and why being “long-term greedy” helped them thrive through COVID while competitors crumbled. Adam also breaks down how they’ve built real competitive moats through loyalty, exclusive partnerships, and an obsessive focus on customer experience.This episode is a masterclass in resilience, growth, and building a business that stands the test of time — without losing sight of your values.Tune in to hear the raw, behind-the-scenes story of how Luxury Escapes became a travel giant — and the lessons Adam learned along the way.

June 18, 2025Episode 51 hr 8 min

Tony Kofkin - from triathlete to leading financial services Founder

In this episode of The Leap, we sit down with Tony Kofkin, Managing Director of Kofkin Bond & Co, who shares with us how a career-ending knee injury became the unexpected turning point in building a successful financial services firm. From collecting insurance premiums as a kid, to landing $50M super funds, Tony’s journey is packed with grit, discipline, and reinvention.He opens up about scaling a 55-person business, the cost of delaying marketing, and why he’s now learning Mandarin to better serve clients. It’s a raw, honest look at what it really takes to build something that lasts.Tune in to hear Tony’s incredible story — and the lessons every business owner needs to hear.

May 22, 2025Episode 41 hr 6 min

Nick Stehr - Managing Director of HLS Healthcare: Scaling from a one-man operation to a national brand

Nick Stehr never planned to be a business owner, but when opportunity knocked, he bet on himself.In this episode of The Leap, Nick shares how he went from a teenage dad with no clear career path to leading HLS Healthcare, a national business in the assistive healthcare sector.He opens up about the sacrifices he and his wife Melissa made, the early struggles of funding growth, and the turning point that came from building strong networks and learning on the job. From buying a business with no safety net to scaling it through strategic hires and acquisitions, Nick drops honest insights on leadership, resilience, and building a business that lasts.Whether you’re just starting out or looking to grow, this episode is packed with practical wisdom and real talk. Tune in to hear Nick’s journey - raw, real, and full of lessons for anyone building something from the ground up.Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast,hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple - to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

April 22, 2025Episode 31 hr 8 min

Morgan Nelson – Founder of Dream Out Loud Institute: Breaking barriers and building an empire

From battling depression as a teenager to building one of Australia's top personal development brands, Morgan Nelson’s journey is anything but ordinary.He’s the founder of the Dream Out Loud Institute and host of the Dream Out Loud Podcast, helping people across the world create lives by design, not by default.In this episode, Morgan shares how he went from a broke apprentice carpenter to financially free in his early 20s, hosting Dreamfest and interviewing some of the biggest names in business.We dive into the mindset shifts that helped him break free from the “crab bucket” mentality, the power of changing your environment, and why messy, imperfect action beats waiting for the perfect moment. Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast,hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple—to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment andproduced by The Content Engine.

March 25, 2025Episode 21 hr 12 min

Jessica Buff – Founder of Bela Beauty College: Building a multi-million dollar beauty empire from scratch

Starting a business is never easy but for Jessica Buff, taking the leap led to something incredible.Jess started out in hairdressing, but everything changed when she discovered lashes. Fully booked and making solid money, she took a risk - turning her skills into an online course. It took off overnight, but success came with challenges. A business deal went south, payments got delayed, and the company she partnered with pulled the pin and copied her course.Jess’s journey proves that success isn’t about avoiding setbacks—it’s about how you bounce back. She rebuilt, scaled Bela Beauty College on her own terms, and now helps thousands of women do the same.Welcome to The Leap: A Business Journeys Podcast, hosted by Nathan Soti. Our goal is simple—to help more businesses succeed.The Leap is proudly supported by Ethos 360 Recruitment and produced by The Content Engine.