The Real Biz Life Chronicles

Send us Fan Mail Mackenzie Burgoyne - aka Coach Macka - has spent years proving the same thing on the trail and in business: you're capable of far more than you think, as long as you don't give up. He gave up an $80,000 income in his early 20s to email $10 Word-document workout plans from his bedroom. He climbed Kilimanjaro alone. He ran the 1,000km Bibbulmun Track from Albany to Perth in under nine days. Ask him what ties it all together, and he'll tell you it comes back to one idea he calls his "noble quest" - a purpose bigger than the day-to-day that keeps you moving when everything says stop. I met Macka a few years ago through BNI, and I've watched his business transform ever since. This is someone who lives what he preaches. I've seen him at the front of races, socks off, blisters showing, still going. So I wanted to get him in the studio to talk about how he actually did it. When Facebook banned his very first ad before he'd spent a cent, he never went back to paid. He built DUBBEL on organic community instead, and to this day hasn't spent a dollar on advertising while leads still come in every week. In this conversation, we get into why more training won't fix your fitness if the "other 23 hours" are a mess, how he builds trust by letting people see the failures, why he frames luck as the intersection of opportunity and preparation, and the admission that this relentlessly independent founder still can't quite bring himself to ask for help. We also go well off script, into being swept toward the ocean mid-run, delirium at kilometre 700, and the uncomfortable truth about "you're just privileged." His business is called DUBBEL, and the mission is simple: put a personal trainer in the pocket of every member. This episode shows you the mindset behind it. In this episode: 1:50 Giving up $80k to email $10 Word-doc workouts 5:13 The soccer dream that wasn’t meant to be 8:27 Rock bottom, and climbing Kilimanjaro alone 14:29 What DUBBEL does and the "noble quest" behind it 21:55 Why more training won't fix you: the other 23 hours 23:58 Building trust by letting people see the failures 28:08 Getting clients without paid ads 35:55 The Bibbulmun Track: swept out to sea and delirium at km 700 44:01 Luck, belief and asking for help About Coach Macka: Coach Macka is an elite endurance athlete and entrepreneur, and the founder of DUBBEL, a tailored health and fitness system designed to help anybody reach their goals by connecting regular people with elite athletes and exercise scientists. His mission is to inspire his community to pursue the best version of themselves, and he leads from the front: an accomplished long-distance runner, in 2025 he ran the 1,000km Bibbulmun Track from Albany to Perth in under nine days. He grew up in country WA dreaming of becoming a professional footballer, earned an athletic scholarship to play and study in the USA, and - when that dream didn't quite land - channelled the same grit into building a business that's now inseparable from the way he lives. Outside of DUBBEL, he's happiest running, spending time in nature with great people, and learning something new whenever he can. Connect with Coach Macka: Website Instagram LinkedIn With thanks: 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Most people meet a family lawyer on the worst day of their lives. Marcus Procopio would rather you met him before it. Commercial litigation, property, employment, wills, family law - he's seen it all. He worked for a national firm, then in-house, and in 2016 he opened a boutique practice with his own surname above the door. His name's on it, so everything he says, he says as himself. Last year Marcus gave six words of advice that got a bit of blowback: date people in your financial ballpark. Some people didn't love it. But he's not taking it back, and in this episode he explains exactly what he means, caveats and all. We get into why nobody actually understands "the system" until it's too late, the difference between prevention and cure, the divorce statistics that get worse with every remarriage, why you shouldn't invite the law into your private life on day one, what a homemaker of 30 years is really entitled to, and a 12-year property mistake that will make you check your own filing cabinet. Direct, precise, and genuinely on your side. This one's an education. In this episode: 4:53 The disclaimer a lawyer has to read before giving opinions in 2026 12:41 The real cost of not doing due diligence 18:22 How emotion overrides the logic you should be using 26:52 "Date people in your financial ballpark" - what it actually means 34:54 The divorce statistics: first, second and third marriages 50:34 The income gap, and what the higher earner isn't seeing 1:24:02 The homemaker myth: "he'll take everything" is nonsense 1:38:43 How not to fall into the will trap 1:44:19 The 12-year filing-cabinet mistake 1:55:39 The one thing to remember: slow yourself down About Marcus: Marcus Procopio is the Director and Public Notary at Procopio Legal, where more than two decades in the law have earned him a name for advice that's practical, affordable and focused on getting a result. His work spans a wide field — contracts, business and commercial matters, negotiation and dispute resolution, property and commercial acquisitions, and family law. Clients tend to remember two things about working with him: sharp, careful drafting, and a knack for cutting through complicated problems without leaving anyone confused. He says things plainly, so you always know where you stand, which is exactly what makes this conversation worth your time. Away from the office, Marcus looks after his fruit trees, plays a bit of guitar, spends time under the barbell, and keeps company with Lily, the firm's resident mascot. Connect with Marcus: Website LinkedIn With thanks: 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Big income, no plan. Andreas Kettemann returns to break down why a high salary doesn't make you wealthy A high income does not make you wealthy. Say it again for the doctors, the directors, the business owners - all the big earners secretly living from pay cheque to pay cheque. Andreas Kettemann is back, and this time the man behind our most downloaded audio episode isn't here to talk theory. He's here to tell you where wealth actually starts: the first decision, the order of moves, what he'd do if he was starting from zero. Since we last had him in the chair, Andreas has become a dad, grown 3D Wealth by adding two staff members, and bought a business property. But his message hasn't changed. Wealth isn't what you earn, it's what you decide, decision by decision, from wherever you're standing right now. In this one, we get into lifestyle creep and the brand new car that always comes first, what a broke high earner looks like up close, why "I'll catch up later" is the most expensive lie in personal finance, the five-year hole every business owner falls into - and the one boring habit Andreas wants every listener to start the second this episode ends. It might just be the nudge you needed. Grab a pen and a notebook for this one. In this episode: 7:21 Where a strong income actually disappears to 11:36 What a broke high earner looks like up close 13:40 Wearing different hats: paying yourself like an employee 16:22 The five-year pattern every new business runs through 30:41 Save first, spend what's left - the mindset shift 38:35 Spare cash at month end - where should it go? 41:38 Super: the giant investment nobody checks 50:01 The number one reason couples split 1:03:32 The 50/30 rule for high earners 1:09:15 The one move to make the second this episode ends About Andreas: Andreas is the founder of 3D Wealth , where he helps high-income professionals, medical specialists and business owners bring clarity and structure to the complicated stuff - superannuation, tax strategy, insurance and debt. A chartered accountant with a Master of Professional Accounting and qualifications across financial planning and mortgage broking, he was named 2025 Insight Investment Services Financial Adviser of the Year. His approach is holistic and built for the long haul: he'd rather be your partner for the next decade than your advisor for a single transaction, because that's what actually creates lasting results. Outside of work, Andreas is all about staying active, spending time with family and friends, and never being done learning. Connect with Andreas: Website LinkedIn Email With thanks: 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail He built Perth's largest trade business in 3 years with no experience. Here's the sales process he used. Dave Edwards has spent 40 years dissecting the moment a customer decides. He’s sold for global companies, led sales teams, built six businesses of his own, and learned more from his one failure than from any of the wins. Ask him what he’s taken from it all, and he’ll tell you that it all comes back to a single belief: it's never the product, it's the experience around it. I first met Dave over Zoom a few years ago, and after a coffee earlier this year I knew I had to get him on the show. This is a man who gave up the good life in the UK to move his family across the world and start again. He wanted to prove that his system for success works in any industry, and he decided to do it by going all in on the move everyone thought was crazy: starting a trade business at the age of 49, with soft hands and no experience. Three years later he sold it as the largest in Perth, with 147 five-star reviews. In this conversation, we get into why more leads won't fix a sales problem, the "messy middle" most business owners ignore, the tiny touch points that win or lose the sale, how to make customers feel safe instead of stupid, and why taking full responsibility for failure is one of the best gifts you can give yourself. We also go well off script, into ice baths, wing walking, men's mental health, and the power of gratitude. His business is called Touchpoint Sales Consulting, and the name is the whole philosophy: every small interaction either wins the customer or loses them. This episode shows you how to get them right. In this episode: 6:01 Falling into sales and discovering a gift 8:38 Why human connection matters more in the age of AI 13:37 Can you fix a sales problem with a marketing solution? 14:47 The one tiny tweak that flooded a client with enquiries 19:51 How to become a business that's easy to say yes to 25:03 Getting Google reviews while the customer's buzzing 36:31 Starting a trade business at 49 to prove the system works 40:33 Never make a customer feel stupid 49:07 Men's mental health and the art of getting uncomfortable 59:30 Six businesses, one failure, and taking responsibility About Dave: Dave is the founder of Touchpoint Sales Consulting , where he helps small business owners fix the sales process problems they often mistake for marketing problems. Using his "From Prospects to Profits" framework, he builds customer journeys rooted in trust, clarity, and ease. His philosophy is simple: be memorable, and make every customer interaction a positive touch point. With 40 years in sales, Dave has led teams for global companies and built six businesses of his own - most notably building and selling one of Perth's largest trade businesses in three years, just to prove his systems work in any industry. Outside of work, he's all about family, the ocean, exercise, music, and travel, and is a passionate advocate for self-care in men, vulnerability, and gratitude. Connect with Dave: Website Instagram LinkedIn With thanks: 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What if the person holding your business together is not the person who is in the spotlight? Mavic has been a part of every major decision Design Studio Perth has made for five years, and until this week, we had never met face to face. This episode was shot on the first day we’d ever met, at the picturesque Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay, and I asked her everything I never had the chance to over five years of working side by side. Mav is the Operations Manager at Design Studio Perth and The Real Biz Life Chronicles, the reason our team runs like a machine. But before DSP met Mav, we had to get through Covid. In this conversation, we get into what it actually takes to hand your business to someone else, why Mav believes resourcefulness beats technical skill every time, how AI is reshaping the virtual assistant role, and the exact signs a business owner should watch for when they know they need their own Mavic. Her title is operations manager, but really, Mav is a genius conductor of chaos, and I always say, “every business needs a Mav!” This episode explains why. In This Episode: 7:47 Choosing mental health over a career 14:17 Which skills make you a resource as a VA 18:07 If VA’s don’t learn AI 24:30 The biggest misconception about being a virtual assistant 39:28 The mindset to have before making a big decision 44:44 Delegation inspiration for controlling business owners About Mav: Mav is the Operations Manager at Design Studio Perth, where she helps keep the business running smoothly by overseeing operations, project management and systems. Working behind the scenes, she supports both clients and team members to create a seamless experience. After leaving a fifteen-year corporate career, she embraced a new path as a virtual assistant, learning an entirely new way of working before growing into her role as Operations Manager. Her journey is one of resilience, continuous learning, and discovering that some of the biggest business impacts happen behind the scenes. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with family, friends and her fur babies. Tools and resources mentioned: Google Sheets | Asana | Loom | ChatGPT Connect with Mav: LinkedIn With thanks: Recorded on location at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay, Philippines. Thank you to the team there for hosting us and for the stunning view of Taal Lake that frames this conversation. 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What if the way you have led for the past twenty years is about to stop working? I sat down with Marion Burchell, the Managing Director of Azolla, a Perth based management consulting firm that advises governments and organisations on operational excellence, change, leadership and systems. Marion spent twenty years in the public sector and a stint with one of the big four before backing herself and starting Azolla during COVID, the same month I started Design Studio Perth. What I love about Marion is that Azolla runs almost entirely on word of mouth. She says they have not needed to market in years, and once you hear how she thinks, you understand why. In this conversation, we talk about the thing every business owner is quietly wrestling with right now: the impact of AI on how we work and how we lead. Marion explains why this moment is so confronting for leaders, why so many organisations are preaching wellbeing while creating the exact conditions for burnout, and why the pause, actually stopping to breathe and think, might be the most valuable leadership skill of all. We also get into the difference between leadership and management, how to tell whether you are leading from ego or capability, and why saying no to the wrong clients protects everything you have built. What struck me most was Marion's view that for all our strategies and plans and processes, what we are really missing is the human factor. She describes real leadership as the deep work on yourself, the honest and awkward conversations, and the courage to hold on to your humanity in a world that keeps trying to sterilise it. It reframed how I think about my own role as my business grows. If you have ever felt the ground shifting under the way you lead, or wondered whether the next chapter of your business needs a different version of you, this is the conversation to sit with. Mentioned in This Episode: 6:11 Why the impact of AI is now the biggest conversation in every industry 10:17 The confronting question AI is forcing every leader to ask about their career 14:36 How organisations preach wellbeing while quietly fuelling burnout 17:54 The great pause, and why stopping to breathe might be your most valuable leadership skill 35:00 The two questions that reveal your real value as a business owner 48:07 Why saying no to the wrong clients protects your brand 54:37 Ego or capability: which leadership problem can actually be fixed 1:12:04 Why leadership and management are not the same thing, and what real leadership takes About Marion Burchell: Marion Burchell is the Managing Director of Azolla, a management consulting firm based in Perth that works with governments and organisations on operational excellence, change, leadership and systems. She has appeared on ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS and Telemundo, has authored or co-authored more than twenty publications, and her work on public participation in public policy development has been cited as best practice and adopted by international governments. Marion holds degrees in science and sociology and a certificate in public leadership from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and she sits on the faculty of the AGSM at UNSW Business School. Connect with Marion: theazollaeffect.com | marionburchell.com | LinkedIn | Email 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail The boring middle is where most goals quietly die, long after the excitement has gone. 1% Better is a first for the show. It is a four-part series across the year. Before each episode my running coach and I run the same 5k together on camera, then walk straight into the studio and hit record. The idea is to track my 5k getting faster and to show the part of a goal that usually gets edited out. Because the discipline it takes to train is the same discipline it takes to build a business. There is no one I would rather do this with than Kerrin Watson-Smith, founder of Chi-Me, a mental fitness framework that helps people train their mind the way they train their body. In 2010 she entered a full Ironman on three months of training, having never ridden in cleats or run a marathon, and finished first time out. She has also run the Comrades Marathon (86.9km) three times. We talk about why we train the body but expect the mind to just cope, why small steps beat grand resolutions, why stopping can be more disciplined than pushing through, the three word mantra that carried her through her first Ironman, and the year of training she lost to a torn calf two weeks out. If you are somewhere in the boring middle right now, start here. Mentioned in This Episode: 0:20 Why people quit on the boring middle, not the big goal 2:03 Why the discipline to train is the discipline to build a business 2:38 How a dog on a first run made Kerrin a coach and friend 14:03 Training the mind with the same intention as the body 16:01 When stopping beats pushing through 20:54 Small daily steps over grand resolutions 38:58 The three word mantra from her first Ironman 52:47 What a torn calf taught her about disappointment 59:12 Why the limits you place on yourself are hardest to beat About Kerrin: Kerrin Watson-Smith is the founder of Chi-Me, a mental fitness framework built around self-esteem, clarity of goals, social connection and wellness. A three time Comrades runner and Ironman finisher, she believes the mind should be trained with the same intention as the body. She lives, coaches and runs in Perth. Connect with Kerrin: Instagram @thatgirlwhoruns | Instagram @chi_me_australia | Facebook | inspire@chi-me.co.za This episode's sponsors: • Cuppa Cartel , the coffee fuelling our conversations. Enjoy a special rate on all coffee beans with code TRBLC at checkout. • MyGene , personalised genetic testing and healthspan programs. Use code REALBIZLIFE26 at checkout to get the Inform Me Plus program for the price of Inform Me, a free upgrade worth $403. • Chi-Me , Kerrin's mental fitness framework. • Design Studio Perth , the branding studio behind the show. • Beam Theory, dentist designed, enamel safe teeth whitening. • Project Rhino KZN , protecting rhino populations across KwaZulu-Natal. Discover your brand's potential with a free Brand Discovery session at designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What is your social media saying about your business before you ever get the chance to speak? I sat down with Sian Lindeque, the social media manager behind so much of what happens at Design Studio Perth, for a conversation I have wanted to record for a while. Sian runs our clients' social media, and after more than two years working alongside her, I can tell you her real job goes far beyond posting and captions. At its core, it is about trust. Her work is taking a business owner who is brilliant at what they do but invisible to the people who need to see them most, and making them seen. In this episode she is refreshingly honest about how much has shifted, especially now that AI has made it so easy to show up as a generic, forgettable brand. In this conversation, we unpack why so many owners freeze before they even begin, what someone actually decides in the first few seconds of finding your business online, and why posting every day without a strategy quietly works against you. Sian explains the difference between a business that just posts and one that genuinely builds trust, the metrics that matter far more than likes and followers, and how long it really takes before social media starts working. We also get into where all of this is heading as AI reshapes the feed. What struck me most was Sian's take on visibility as a cost. If you are not showing up online, she says, it is a bit like standing in your garden telling people you have a business. Your neighbours might hear you, but the people who actually need you never will. It reframed the whole thing for me. If you have ever felt invisible to the people who need you, or you know your social media could be doing far more than it is, this is the episode I would want you to hear now. Mentioned in This Episode: 2:00 How social media has shifted in the age of AI, and the generic brand trap 11:13 The real reason business owners do not show up 14:33 The garden analogy that reframes what being invisible online costs you 15:32 What someone decides about your business in the first few seconds 27:50 The number of times a person needs to see you before they reach out 39:03 The vanity metrics owners obsess over, and the data that actually matters 44:09 Where social media is heading in the next five years About Sian Lindeque: Sian Lindeque is the social media manager at Design Studio Perth, where she runs client accounts and social media management. She holds degrees in public relations and international relations, and found her way into social media in her final year of university running the personal pages of the businesswomen behind a well-known reality series. Outspoken, calm and dependable, she is known for saying the true thing in the room when everyone else stays quiet. Connect with Design Studio Perth: Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What if the smartest growth move you make this year is the work you decide not to take on? Tristan Peirce has spent more than twenty years designing gardens across Perth, and he does not build a single one of them. Landscapers and pool builders do that, and that is exactly how he wants it. Tristan is the founder and principal of Tristan Peirce Landscape Architects. After completing his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at UWA and spending eleven years at Tim Davies Landscaping as Principal Landscape Architect, he started his own studio in 2018 with a single belief: great outcomes come from collaboration, strong technical knowledge, and a shared commitment to design excellence. What I loved about this conversation is how honestly Tristan talks about the business side that so many creatives avoid. He describes the first year of his business in one word, and it is not the word you would put on a brochure. From there we get into why he made the deliberate choice to stay in his lane as a designer, how charging for his time quietly attracted the right clients, and why he is comfortable walking away from a project when the fit is wrong. In this conversation, we remove the shame attached to the discussions of budgets with clients, the tell-tale signs of client relationships that simply won’t work, the 80 percent rule he uses to stop himself agonising over things that do not need to be perfect, and what it really takes in those first three years on your own. We also talk about knowing your worth, growing a team on personality before skill, and why his Instagram became one of his most valuable business assets. There is a sense of calm that Tristan carries with him, and the quiet confidence that doing fewer things brilliantly beats doing everything adequately. He is blunt, happy to tell a client what they do not want to hear when the design calls for it, and clear that a business never stays still. As he puts it, it is like the shark that stops swimming. You have to keep moving to stay relevant. If you have ever felt the pull to say yes to everything, undercharge to keep the peace, or hold onto a client you know is the wrong fit, hit that play button and take a note out of Tristan Peirce’s playbook. Mentioned in This Episode: 9:28 The one-word answer to what year one really felt like 13:34 The conscious decision that protects the quality of every project 33:54 The kind of client who quietly brings you all the others 36:05 The blunt truth about fit that most owners will not say out loud 42:47 The moment the free consultations had to stop 49:07 What still surprises Tristan about his own business 52:37 The two words Tristan keeps coming back to 55:03 The 80 percent rule for anyone agonising over getting it perfect About Tristan Peirce: Tristan Peirce is the founder and principal of Tristan Peirce Landscape Architects, a dedicated residential landscape architecture practice in Perth. He completed his Bachelor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Western Australia in 2002, worked at Blackwell and Associates, then spent eleven years at Tim Davies Landscaping where he became Principal Landscape Architect on a run of award-winning projects. He founded his own studio in 2018. Today TPLA designs architecture-led pools, alfrescos, outdoor landscapes, sustainable planting and garden lighting, supported by a close-knit team. Connect with Tristan Peirce: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What would you confess if no one could ever trace it back to you? For 149 episodes, I sat across from someone and asked them to be honest with me. This time I asked them to be honest when no one was watching. We sent out one dark box. No name, no way to trace it back. Just a black screen, two questions, and a button labelled "submit anonymously." The two questions were simple. What are you pretending isn't true about your business or life right now? And what do you fear would happen if you stopped pretending? I thought we'd get a handful back, the polite kind of honest. What came back instead was 150 confessions, including my own, and they read like the thing you think about at 2am and have never said to a living soul. There is a reason confession has existed in almost every culture for thousands of years, and it isn't only spiritual. When you carry an unspoken truth, your nervous system carries it with you. In this episode I read these confessions aloud, one after another, and you will hear money kept quiet from the people closest to them, a calm that owners sell as the whole offer, the founder stories that turned out to be fiction, and the quiet loneliness of the chair nobody else sits in. What struck me most was how familiar they felt. I went in expecting confessions about cash flow and clients. So much of what came back was about identity, family, and the version of ourselves we perform to keep the whole thing standing. If you have ever held the mask in place a little too long, this is the episode I would want you to hear now.' Mentioned in This Episode: 1:37 Why confession is neurological, not just spiritual 3:42 The first confession, and the wife who still thinks he has it handled 6:02 The deposit cycle one owner has been walking for years 25:52 Winning by every measure and feeling nothing 44:10 The moment identity and business quietly become the same thing 1:19:11 The loneliness no one at the top is allowed to admit 1:39:48 Why the office became a hiding place from family 1:46:08 Hitting the target you would have killed for, and feeling nothing If any of these confessions sit close to home and you are struggling, please reach out to someone you trust or a professional support service. In Australia, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14. The confession box is now open. Leave yours anonymously here: https://therealbizlifechronicles.com/confessions-of-a-business-owner/ 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What if the riskiest thing you can do with AI is wait for it to settle down first? I sat down with Paul Claessen for another expert-led conversation. Paul opened by admitting something I did not expect from someone who lives and breathes this stuff. He thought AI was a threat to his own business and to many of his clients’ businesses, too. Where he landed by the end of our chat is the reason I wanted to share this episode. Paul is a business coach and a recurring guest on the show. His background is in software engineering, and he runs Ignite , built on three pillars he calls Connect, Velocity and Mastery, alongside his premium one-to-one coaching. I have worked with Paul for four and a half years now, and he has a way of telling me the hard truth I need to hear rather than the comfortable one I want. In this conversation, Paul tells us the lie that is costing business owners the most right now, the architect, engineer, plan, do framework that changes how you approach any AI task, and the story of the person who spent twelve months building something with AI before realising he had to start again from the ground up. Paul also names the thing almost nobody is talking about: how genuinely exhausting this work has become. We both laughed about the Claude hangover, mostly because we are both living it. What struck me most was where Paul took the conversation at the end. For all the talk about tools, models, and tasks going to zero, the thing he kept circling back to was people. How you serve them. How you look forward to a brighter future. That felt like the real point of the whole episode. If you have been quietly avoiding AI, or quietly drowning in it, hit play for clarity on how to move ahead. Mentioned in This Episode: 1:38 Paul admits he first saw AI as a threat to his business 7:56 The one-shot culture Paul is determined to destroy 14:34 The twelve-month build that had to be scrapped and rewritten 33:19 The architect, engineer, plan, do framework explained 1:03:49 The honest warning label, prepare to be fundamentally exhausted 1:11:04 Why the biggest risk in AI is ignoring it 1:13:39 The parts of a business Paul believes are going to zero 1:26:09 Why serving people matters more than the tool itself Tools and resources mentioned: Ignite | Claude | Canva | Plaud | Wispr Flow About Paul: Paul Claessen is a Perth-based business coach with a background in software engineering. He works with business owners on the bigger question of where their business is heading, helping them build freedom through the business rather than a more comfortable prison. He runs Ignite, his coaching program built on three pillars, Connect, Velocity and Mastery, alongside premium one-to-one coaching. A recurring guest on the show, Paul is known for telling owners the hard truth they need to hear rather than the comfortable one they want. Connect with Paul: Website | Ignite | Email | 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What if the one thing that made you a difficult employee is the same thing that made you a successful business owner? When I read Sue Pember’s introduction at the start of this episode, she got emotional, and once you hear her story, you’ll understand why. There is a version of Sue who spent decades believing she was a difficult employee. The diagnosis that arrived almost twenty years into her career reframed all of it. The thing Sue had quietly been good at the whole time, reading a room and thinking on her feet, turned out to be the engine behind everything she has built. Sue is the founder and managing director of AussieOS, the relocation and housing business she started in 2010, which has helped doctors, nurses, engineers and tradespeople from a dozen countries build a life in Australia. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, and that diagnosis became a turning point in how she understands the way she works, leads and runs a business. In this conversation, we discuss the grief that arrived alongside the clarity the diagnosis brought, and the two job descriptions every owner needs. What struck me most was how honest Sue was about the cost of always being in motion. She talks about her son pointing at every passing taxi and saying mum, because that was how often he watched her leave. She talks about what an eighty-five year old version of herself would be furious at her for missing. For someone who has achieved as much as she has, there is a lot of reflection here about what all of it is actually for. If you have ever felt like the way your brain works is something you need to apologise for, this is the episode I would want you to hear first. Mentioned in This Episode: 04:22 The sprint then catatonic rhythm of working with ADHD, and why pushing through does not work 08:45 The supermarket moment Sue first found out she had ADHD, trolley half full, taking an online quiz 10:36 The grief that arrived with the diagnosis, and the dark hole most people do not expect 22:59 Why Sue says she is a business owner because she has ADHD 30:11 The delusion almost every owner starts with about time 31:46 The two job descriptions every owner needs, and the one they keep hiding from 45:00 The $27,000 question the relocation industry will not ask out loud 1:01:17 What eighty-five year old Sue would be furious at her for not doing About Sue: Sue Pember is the founder and managing director of AussieOS, a relocation and destination services business she established in 2010. For more than sixteen years she has helped people moving to Australia find rental housing, choose schools and settle into a new country, working with everyone from trades and skilled workers to senior executives, and with organisations including Ramsay Healthcare and Regis Aged Care. She is also a qualified business coach, mentor and advisor who works with a small group of owners, many of whom also have ADHD. Business News 40under40 Awards winner, WA Today Female Entrepreneur of the Year and EY Entrepreneur finalist, Sue began her career in stage management after graduating from WAAPA and worked at the ABC before industry cuts changed her path. She was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, almost twenty years into her career. She lives in Perth with her husband Matt and their two children, Charlotte and Leo. Tools and resources mentioned: Life Wheel Exercise Example | Life Wheel LinkedIn Post Connect with Sue: Website | 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Does HR work for the employee or the employer? Elisia Coetzee answers that one in a way most people do not expect. She works for what is right. When a client asks her to bend the advice to suit what is convenient, she gives the same answer every time and is willing to walk away from the engagement rather than put her name to advice that is wrong. That same principle sits underneath the thing Elisia sees behind most business problems: avoidance. The behaviour an owner leaves because they hope it passes, the conversation pushed to next week because you’re too busy to deal with it. As Elisia puts it, inaction is also an action, usually one with a higher cost than the conversation it replaced. In this conversation, we unpack why a lack of role clarity turns into he-said, she-said conflict that escalates fast, the practical way to walk into a conversation you have been dreading without ambushing the person across from you, and why Elisia would rather lose the work than give advice she does not stand behind. If you have been avoiding something in your business longer than you would like to admit, this is the episode you need to hear now. Mentioned in This Episode: 02:55 The 20-year working relationship that broke down until two people couldn't speak on the phone 05:58 Why inaction is also an action, and the cost most owners never count 22:02 The "you can't hit the dog three days later" rule for dealing with things early 22:48 The first move before any conversation you have been dreading 25:24 The sitting-on-a-nail analogy for staying somewhere that no longer fits 48:20 Why Elisia walks away from clients who ask her to bend the advice 1:05:58 The Google review from a client who found Strategic HR by asking AI 1:18:19 The four-word advice that changed how Elisia runs her business About Elisia: Elisia Coetzee is a Human Resources and Industrial Relations specialist with over 26 years' experience. She holds an MBA and postgraduate qualifications in Human Resource Management and Industrial Sociology, and is a qualified mediator, workplace investigator and executive coach. Elisia has spent the past 13 years consulting across a broad range of industries, with work focused on practical workforce strategy, employee relations, compliance, restructures and leadership development. Guided by her core value of True Grit, she has a particular interest in supporting Aboriginal Corporations, Aboriginal-owned businesses and NDIS providers to build strong, sustainable and culturally aligned workplaces. Connect with Elisia: Website: strategichr.com.au LinkedIn | Instagram 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Samantha Elder started her business selling strapping tape. She ended up building something far more personal. Samantha is a physiotherapist and founder of Summit Wellness, a developing wellness practice in Mount Lawley focused on physiotherapy and clinical Pilates. She has worked across hospital systems in Australia, Japan and Singapore, and brings a deeply holistic approach to her work, one that looks beyond the injury to the whole person behind it. What set this conversation apart was not the clinical insight, though there is plenty of that. It was the moment Sam shared the pregnancy loss that broke her open and ultimately redirected both her life and her business. Watching her choose to rebuild rather than retreat reminded me why I started this podcast. We covered the excuses business owners use to avoid moving their bodies, why your pain is almost never just physical, what the biopsychosocial model actually means for how you show up every day, and what it looks like to reach the fork in the road and choose the harder, braver path. Exercise is medicine. In life and in business. This episode makes the case better than I ever could. Mentioned in This Episode: 02:48 The hospital moment that made Sam realise she had to leave the system 17:19 Why your pain might not be physical at all 25:16 The biopsychosocial model and what it changes about how we treat pain 30:40 The pregnancy loss that reshaped Sam's business and her life 38:07 The question Sam asked herself at the fork in the road 43:24 Walking to the letterbox and back, and why that was everything About Samantha Elder Samantha Elder is a physiotherapist and founder of Summit Wellness, a developing wellness practice in Mount Lawley, Perth, focused on physiotherapy and clinical Pilates. Summit Wellness began with a simple idea: helping athletes stay supported and injury-free. What started with selling strapping tape has grown into a practice built around helping people move better, stay healthy and avoid unnecessary setbacks. Sam has worked across hospital systems in Australia, Japan and Singapore, and brings a deeply holistic, whole-person approach to everything she does. Connect with Samantha: Website | Instagram 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Why 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What 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 sales About David David 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 David LinkedIn | Instagram | Sales Geek Manchester Instagram | 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 designstudioperth.com.au/brand-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail What 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 around 12:21 How to get more Google reviews for your trade business on autopilot 15:00 The flyer trick most tradies miss that turns every job into a personal review request 17:52 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 price 22:13 Branding for trade businesses, the story of Colin the Chameleon and why a mascot became one of Kane's strongest competitive advantages 28:03 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 way 52:09 The unteachable lessons every founder will eventually learn the hard way, and why Kane says some advice cannot be given, only lived 1:07:11 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 everything 1:23:01 Why staff retention beats marketing budget every time for sustainable trade business growth About 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 | Hypotential 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. 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-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Most 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 week Why the policy you bought five years ago is almost certainly wrong for the business you run today How to tell if your broker actually has your back, or just sold you a product The pride trap that stops owners from asking for help until it's too late The shift James made in his own business after a mentor told him his 70-hour work week was not something to brag about If 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 | Facebook This 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 the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com

Send us Fan Mail Three 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 Glenn Beacham 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-discovery About Tracy: Tracy Fryer is the Director of Design Studio Perth, a branding and marketing agency dedicated to helping clients grow with confidence through brand strategy, identity, websites and marketing. 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: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok | Design Studio Perth Follow The Real Biz Life Chronicles: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube Email us at info@therealbizlifchronicles.com