The Real Biz Life Chronicles

Hosted by Tracy Fryer

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145

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-AU

About the show

Unedited stories of Business, Branding and Life. Banish boring as Tracy Fryer and her guests take a ride on the rollercoaster of being a business owner - or of simply being human! Get ready to learn exactly what it takes to grow with distinction and show mediocrity the middle finger. In this podcast Tracy interview’s authentic business owners, who share their story of building a successful business, their strategies behind their success and leading the way. RAW. Honest. Unedited.

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June 12, 2026Episode 1451 hr 9 min

#145 Turn $1M Profit Into $4M - Ben Elliott

Send us Fan MailWhat if the moment your business is finally worth selling is the exact moment you stop wanting to?I have sat across from Ben Elliott as his client for a few years now, so I knew this conversation would be good. I did not expect it to quietly rearrange how I think about the whole point of building a business.Ben is the founder of KHT Accounting & Wealth, a Perth accounting and wealth firm with a team of 20 serving business owners across the country. He spent over 20 years inside one of the most misunderstood professions in business, and somewhere along the way he made a decision almost no one in his profession makes. He started giving the strategy away, teaching business owners on YouTube the things most accountants keep behind the boardroom door, and millions of people have seen it. But this episode is not really about accounting. It is about freedom, and the quiet trap so many of us walk into without noticing.We talk about why most owners get the order backwards, chasing less tax instead of more profit, and what shifts when you understand what your business is actually worth. We get into the number Ben says nearly every owner avoids looking at, and the very human reason why. And we sit with the paradox at the centre of it all, the one I keep thinking about: you start a business for freedom, and then build something that owns you instead.There is a moment where Ben describes a friend who cracked it, a man whose business truly runs without him, who got his time and his life back. That is the version most of us say we want. Ben's question is whether we are actually building toward it, or just building a more comfortable prison.What struck me most was how honest Ben was about the cost. The holidays he never switched off from, and what to do when the 2 AM thoughts plague you. For someone with such a calming energy, there is a lot going on under the surface, and I think a lot of you will see yourselves in it.If you have ever felt bound to the very thing that was supposed to set you free, start here.Mentioned in This Episode: 9:00 The number one thing people miss when they start a business 24:03 Why Ben would rather you paid a million dollars in tax 26:16 The reason you won't want to sell the business you built right 28:01 The single biggest mistake owners make with their numbers 31:34 The very human reason we avoid the bad months 55:07 The friend who built a business that runs without him About Ben: Ben Elliott helps Australian business owners make more profit, pay less tax and build long-term wealth. An accountant for over 20 years, he started, like many business owners, as a technician, before painfully learning the skills required to run a business. Today he leads a team of 20 at KHT Accounting & Wealth, his accounting and wealth management firm. He also shares his knowledge on YouTube, breaking down business structures, tax planning and wealth-building for owners who want the real strategy, not the jargon. Outside of work, Ben gives his time to a homeless charity through pro bono accounting services, spends his weekends on the sidelines of his kids' sport, and chases a good wave whenever he can.Connect with Ben: Website | YouTube | LinkedIn This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

June 5, 2026Episode 1441 hr 15 min

#144 Play Is the Secret Weapon of Great Leadership | Aden Date

Send us Fan MailWhy are smart people so stupid?It's the question Aden Date wanted me to ask him, and the answer reframes how I think about being a business owner.Aden is a Perth-based performing artist, consultant, trainer and business owner, and to his knowledge, the only person in Australia doing improvised theatre for a living. His clients are scientists, surgeons and exhausted executives — some of the most serious people in the country. He is the author of Funny Business and has spoken on the ABC about the importance of play in adulthood.In this conversation, we unpack what most leaders miss when they treat play as the opposite of productivity, why intelligence itself can become the thing keeping smart business owners stuck, and what it actually costs a business when its people stop being curious.If you've been telling yourself you'll rest after the next launch, this is the episode I'd want you to hear first. Mentioned in This Episode:09:27 The Drucker creativity study and what five-year-olds know that adults forget 27:41 The real cost of burnout, turnover and disengaged teams 30:43 Why psychological safety is the number one predictor of team performance 35:38 Why Netflix is the enemy of a well-lived life 40:34 Deep tissue listening and what to actually hear when your team brings you an idea 53:22 What Daoism understands about business that MBA programs miss 56:23 Why are smart people so stupid? About Aden:Aden Date is a Perth-based performing artist, consultant, trainer and business owner. He helps scientific, technical and clinical teams communicate and collaborate better using play-based learning, cognitive science, and progressive work design. He is the Founder and General Manager of Only the Human, a theatre company which uses improvised theatre training to help individuals be more present, playful, and adaptable. He has studied and performed improvised theatre in Canberra, New York, and Chicago.He is the author of Funny Business, a book about what improvised theatre teaches us about creative thinking, and has spoken about the importance of play in adulthood on the ABC.Aden's approach is grounded in the belief that work is more creative and impactful when we think of it like a game. He wants managers and leaders to shift from managing people to managing constraints so that employees can approach their work with autonomy, discernment and energy.Connect with Aden:Websites: onlythehuman.com | adendate.com | LinkedIn This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

May 28, 2026Episode 1431 hr 50 min

#143 How to Build a High-Performing Sales Team | David Mercado

Send us Fan MailWhat if the move that's quietly stalling your sales team is the one most founders are praised for making?I sat down with David Mercado, founder of Sales Geek Manchester, and what struck me most was how openly he challenged the things we've all come to accept as good business decisions. He's spent over twenty years building sales teams inside some of the most demanding organisations in the world, and somewhere along the way, he stopped accepting the playbook everyone else was using.David and I actually go back to Farrarmere Primary School in Johannesburg. We sat a few seats apart alphabetically, then life took us in opposite directions. He went to the UK with little more than a backpack and around two hundred pounds to his name. I landed in Perth. Decades passed, and when we reconnected, I was struck by who he had become. A former professional athlete, a founder, an ultramarathon runner who has run the Thirteen Valleys, the London Marathon, the Hybrid Games, Born Survivor, and is now training for the Lakeland 50. A father raising his son, Leo, with a quiet kind of intention that runs through everything he does.In this episode, we talk about why so many businesses get sales wrong, what really separates the teams that grow from those that stall, and the surprising parallels between endurance sports and running a business. We also get honest about something David has been navigating personally over the last year. The kind of recovery that happens when your nervous system finally tells you that pushing harder is no longer the answer.David talked about having a stack of undeniable proof that says you are who you say you are. As someone who works with business owners every day, I knew exactly what he meant. So much of what holds people back is as simple as imposter syndrome. This is a conversation about sales, leadership, and the kind of resilience that gets built one ordinary day at a time to reach extraordinary status.Mentioned in This Episode:07:21 Why David believes sport defined him and what's being lost in the way the next generation is raised 13:42 The failed sports career that quietly redirected everything 17:55 Arriving in the UK with a backpack and selling gas door to door in Edinburgh 31:01 The vacuum cleaner job and the early lessons about ethics in selling 40:47 Leaving corporate, and the moment David realised being a number wasn't going to be enough 46:23 How Sales Geek closes the gap small businesses can't fill on their own 50:48 Where most business owners go wrong with sales and why data matters more than gut feel 52:38 Why sales and marketing stopped talking to each other and what it costs the business 58:11 The mistake of trying to lift your weakest performer instead of doubling down on your strongest 1:03:11 What David believes makes someone extraordinary 1:24:21 The nervous system reset that changed how he trains, recovers, and shows up 1:43:46 The one thing every business owner needs to be aware of when it comes to their salesAbout DavidDavid Mercado is the founder of Sales Geek Manchester and a highly experienced Sales Director and Mentor with over twenty years of experience driving revenue growth and building high-performing teams. His background as a former professional athlete underpins a unique blend of elite-level discipline, strategic execution, and resilience that he brings into every business he supports. David specialises in helping SMEs scale through practical sales strategies, hands-on training, and strategic leadership development. Outside of business, he's a committed physical challenge athlete currently training for the Lakeland 50.Connect with DavidLinkedIn | Instagram | Sales Geek Manchester Instagram | WebsiteThis episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

May 22, 2026Episode 1421 hr 31 min

#142 How to Scale a Trade Business in Australia | Kane Tyler Smith

Send us Fan MailWhat if scaling your business to $30 million in eight years is the worst thing you could do for it?I sat down with Kane Tyler Smith, founder and CEO of Smartfix and Hypotential, and I have not stopped thinking about this conversation. Kane built one of Australia's largest residential multi-trade services companies from a single ute and $40,000 in year one. By 33, he was running a business turning over $30.7 million with 133 staff and a 4.7-star rating across 4,590 Google reviews.And in early 2025, it almost took everything from him.This episode is the conversation I wish someone had recorded and handed to me before I started my own business. Kane is open about the parts most founders never share. The decisions that nearly cost him his house. The four years he spent trying to fix a problem he should have cut sooner. The hiring mistakes that scaled with the company. And the one piece of advice Kane now gives every tradie he coaches.If you have ever felt the pressure of scaling a business while trying to stay sane, this episode is your roadmap.Mentioned In This Episode:05:25 The gap in the Australian trades industry that Kane spotted in 2018 and built a $30 million company around12:21 How to get more Google reviews for your trade business on autopilot15:00 The flyer trick most tradies miss that turns every job into a personal review request17:52 Customer service vs customer experience for trade businesses 20:10 How to close more quotes on the spot. Kane's same-day quoting process that lifts conversion rates without dropping price22:13 Branding for trade businesses, the story of Colin the Chameleon and why a mascot became one of Kane's strongest competitive advantages28:03 The single decision that scaled Smartfix from $40,000 to $30 million in eight years.32:51 How to know when to take a big risk in business 34:46 Why work life balance is bad advice for business owners 45:02 What to do when your business is losing $80,000 a week 49:47 How to make redundancies the right way52:09 The unteachable lessons every founder will eventually learn the hard way, and why Kane says some advice cannot be given, only lived1:07:11 How to hire the right tradies and stop hiring the wrong ones 1:16:58 The one piece of advice Kane gives every tradie scaling a business and why he says it changes everything1:23:01 Why staff retention beats marketing budget every time for sustainable trade business growthAbout Kane Tyler Smith:Kane Tyler Smith is the founder and CEO of Smartfix, one of Australia's largest residential multi-trade services companies. Kane's philosophy of exceptional customer experience, including same-day quotes and two-hour emergency turnaround times, has earned Smartfix a 4.7-star rating across 4,590 Google reviews. After navigating significant business challenges in 2025, including halving staff numbers to 66, Kane has emerged with a transformed, profitable business. At age 33, he's launching Hypotential, a business coaching venture, to share his wisdom and help other trades and services businesses to scale with clarity, care and precision.Connect with Kane: kanetylersmith.com | Smartfix | HypotentialThis episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.If you're ready to generate more leads and grow with confidence, book a free brand discovery call with Design Studio Perth here: designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

May 15, 2026Episode 1411 hr 16 min

#141 Business Insurance Explained: 3 Checks Every Owner Should Make | James Wilson

Send us Fan MailMost business owners think they're covered. They're not. And they usually find out at the worst possible moment.In this episode, I sat down with James Wilson, Managing Director of Delmont Insurance Group, to unpack the exact gaps that leave business owners exposed and the checks that close them before something goes wrong.Here's what you'll walk away with:The 3 things every business owner should check in their insurance this weekWhy the policy you bought five years ago is almost certainly wrong for the business you run todayHow to tell if your broker actually has your back, or just sold you a productThe pride trap that stops owners from asking for help until it's too lateThe shift James made in his own business after a mentor told him his 70-hour work week was not something to brag aboutIf you've been running the same policy for more than two years, this episode could save you tens of thousands of dollars and a lot of stress.Connect with James: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | FacebookThis episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. Listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

May 8, 2026Episode 1401 hr 23 min

#140 Glenn Beauchamp - 30 Years of Recruitment Secrets: How to Read People & Hire Better

Send us Fan MailThree decades in recruitment. Hundreds of deals. One conversation you won't forget.Glenn Beauchamp has spent nearly 30 years placing people in Perth's tech industry. In this episode, he reveals the nonverbal tells most people miss, the one travel question he asks every candidate that has nothing to do with holidays, and where hiring goes wrong before it even starts.If you've ever hired on good vibes and regretted it, Glenn breaks down the three things every business owner needs to get right, from role clarity to the counterfactual most people skip to the onboarding window that makes or breaks a new hire.He also opens up about imposter syndrome, why being nice has cost him, and what changed when he stopped trying to run his business alone.Mentioned in This Episode(11:09) Spotting talent before the rest of the market sees it (12:25) What you can read in someone's eyes if you know how to look (14:44) What really drives people, and why it isn't money (15:33) Why Perth's tech market is unlike anywhere else in the world (22:04) What we're losing in the AI and tech-driven world (30:53) The travel question Glenn asks every candidate and what it really reveals (59:23) Who takes care of the person who takes care of everyone Connect with GlennBeacham Group | LinkedIn | Email About Glenn Beauchamp Glenn is the Director of Beacham Group, a specialist technology recruitment and executive search firm based in Perth. Nearly 30 years into the industry, Glenn has become the trusted go-to for leaders of growing firms who need the right tech people in the right roles. Originally from Zimbabwe via the UK, he moved to Australia in 1987 and has built his career on a simple ambition, connecting genuine people who want to make a difference with the right employers to help make it happen.This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discoveryAbout Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

May 1, 2026Episode 1391 hr 17 min

#139 She Couldn't Read Out Loud in Class. Now She's Written Over 40 Books | Dr Karen Weaver

Send us Fan MailKaren Weaver was the girl who couldn't read out loud in class. Today she's authored over 40 books and built a million dollar publishing empire. In this episode, Karen opens up about navigating PTSD, nearly losing everything when her daughter got sick, and what it actually looks like to live inside a single life principle for an entire year. We talk about why so many people retreat right before the breakthrough, why every business owner should consider writing a signature book, and the seven master gifts that shaped how Karen leads, creates, and shows up in the world.This is one of those conversations that rings in your ears long after you’ve stopped listening. Mentioned in This Episode:(2:37) Where the love of story began (4:34) Emigrating to Australia 35 weeks pregnant (9:07) The girl who couldn't read out loud in class (11:46) Building a million dollar press and nearly losing it all (18:36) Using alignment as a compass (25:14) Why Karen doesn't do fear (31:06) Seven years living in seven master gifts (32:50) The year of forgiveness (44:28) Building a publishing empire from the ground up (51:36) Love or fear. That's the only choice (1:01:40) Why every business owner should write a signature bookConnect with Karen: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Moms Rising film | Most Resilient Business Owner Acceptance Speech | Hear Us Roar Acceptance Speech This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel — https://cuppacartel.com/To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Visit The Real Biz Life Chronicles and sign up our newsletters.📣If you’re ready to generate more leads and grow with confidence, book a free brand discovery call with Design Studio Perth here.About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

April 24, 2026Episode 1381 hr 7 min

#138 What Happens When You Upgrade The Lens You See Life Through | Laki Mafi

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when the way you've been seeing the world was never actually yours to begin with?I sat down with Laki Mafi for a conversation that went places I wasn't expecting. We talked about survival mode, about masks, about what it really means to hold space for someone. And there was a moment where Laki shared something that stopped me cold. He said that when you're not fed love on a silver spoon, you learn to lick it off a knife.Laki is a former military operator with multiple deployments to the Middle East. He moved to Perth with no plan and no safety net, and worked his way through the civil construction industry from operator to co-owner of AU Profiling. But the work Laki is most proud of happens off the tools. He coaches men, helping them regulate under pressure, break patterns of avoidance, and show up with clarity at work and at home.We went deep into childhood wounding, the masks men wear, why growth can intimidate the people closest to you, and what it really takes to hold space for someone without trying to fix them. Laki also shared his vision for the Disruption of Man Retreat, launching in Perth this August for men ready to break old patterns.About Laki MafiLaki Mafi is a former military operator, business owner, and performance coach. After multiple deployments to the Middle East, Laki transitioned out of the army and migrated to Perth, working his way through the civil construction industry from operator to co-owner of AU Profiling. Alongside running a construction company, Laki coaches men, helping them regulate under pressure, break patterns of avoidance, and lead with clarity. His work blends real-world leadership experience with breathwork, NLP, and hypnotherapy.Find Laki on Instagram: @laki_mafi Find Laki on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laki-mafiThis episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.The Real Biz Life Chronicles finally has a home of its own!Visit therealbizlifechronicles.com and sign up our newsletters.About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

April 17, 2026Episode 1371 hr 51 min

#137 The Business That Only Exists Because Everything Else Fell Apart | Vee Gunasegaran

Send us Fan MailIn this episode, I sat down with Vee Gunasegaran, co-founder and self-proclaimed Don of Cuppa Cartel, Perth’s premium workplace hospitality company. A former cabin crew member, Vee left Emirates and moved to Perth, stepping straight into what looked like a similar lifestyle. We talked about what it really looks like when a business falls apart, what it costs emotionally, and what it takes to rebuild when you have no safety net and every reason to stop.Vee and his wife Heidi moved to Perth from Dubai with a plan. They were setting up a medicinal cannabis company. They had the apartment in Applecross, the car, the lifestyle. And then it all unravelled. They lost their investment, their cash flow, and the future they had mapped out. Vee couldn't work while waiting for his partner visa. And that is where this story really begins.This one is a full, honest conversation about what it really takes to build something from the ground up with the person you love.About Vee GunasegaranVee is the co-founder and "The Don" of Cuppa Cartel. Alongside his wife and business partner Heidi, he has built a personalised coffee and valet services provider for corporate offices across Perth. Originally from Penang, Malaysia, Vee previously worked in avionics before joining Emirates, where his years as a cabin crew member and in performance management became the foundation for delivering a business class experience in every corporate space Cuppa Cartel serves.Connect with Vee: sales@cuppacartel.com | LinkedIn | Website This episode is proudly sponsored by Cuppa Cartel. To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at https://designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery/About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

April 10, 2026Episode 1361 hr 5 min

#136 Build Your Purpose, Don’t Find It | Vanessa Vershaw

Send us Fan MailWhat if everything you have been told about purpose is wrong?I sat down with Vanessa Vershaw, founder and managing director of Vanessa Vershaw Group, and what unfolded was one of the most honest conversations I have had on this show. Vanessa is an award-winning workplace psychologist, strategic advisor and high performance coach with over 20 years inside Fortune 100 companies, ASX-listed boardrooms and founder-led businesses across the world. She is also the author of three books, including Unreasonable Ambition and The Sisterhood Paradox.In this episode we explore what purpose actually is, and why most people never do the work to uncover it. We talk about ambition done consciously versus ambition that quietly destroys. About resilience forged through real experience. And Vanessa shares a story about her great grandmother and a man at a bus stop that I will carry with me for a long time.This one will meet you wherever you are.About Vanessa Vershaw: Vanessa Vershaw is the founder and managing director of Vanessa Vershaw Group, a global practice blending psychology, neuroscience and human performance. She is an award-winning workplace psychologist, strategic advisor and high performance coach with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 100 companies, ASX-listed boardrooms, government bodies and founder-led businesses worldwide. She is the author of three books and the creator of what she calls bold conscious evolution.Connect with Vanessa: Website: vanessavershaw.com Instagram: instagram.com/vanessavershawLinkedIn: au.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-vershawThis episode is proudly brought to you by Cuppa Cartel.To celebrate, our listeners and the Cuppa Familia can enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans using code TRBLC at checkout.Ready to build a brand that actually reflects who you are? Our Season 3 Brand Discovery offer is open now. Head to designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery or email info@therealbizlifechronicles.com About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is a branding powerhouse, speaker, and founder of Design Studio Perth and Trace Designs Bespoke. She’s dedicated to helping business owners and creatives build brands that truly reflect their values, passions, and long-term vision. As the host of The Real Biz Life Chronicles, Tracy brings raw, insightful conversations that push entrepreneurs to embrace bold growth, develop strategic branding, and lead with unapologetic confidence. Her approach is refreshingly real—blending deep expertise with a passion for authenticity, creative excellence, and business success.Connect with Tracy Fryer:LinkedIn InstagramTikTok The Real Biz Life Chronicles InstagramThe Real Biz Life Chronicles FacebookThe Real Biz Life Chronicles SpotifyBook Your Free Brand DiscoveryWant to leave a question for our next guest? Share it with us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com