Company

This is a little bit of a having your cake and eating it too kinda story. Today's guest is an impressive example of a women who's managed to run a world-class business in the city while remaining strongly involved in the evolution of her family farm. Ali Lord is the CEO of Headbox Australia, an innovative digital events company that she runs by going between her family farm in remote north QLD and head office in Sydney. I've been wanting to speak with Ali since I heard her parents Artie and Casey Lord speak about succession planning at the Rabobank Tent at Beef Week. Really, really impressive stuff. And Ali, our guest today- their daughter - is the proof in the pudding. CEO of her own company (which has not a lot to do with ag) and a silent partner, family stakeholder of the farm with a fiance who's a manager there. This interview has a bit of everything - it's defs got a girl boss vibe and there's talk about succession planning, productvity hacks, travel tips, podcast recommendations, how to run a good business, childhood influences, gardening and even Elon Musk. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia.

One of the worlds biggest supermodels, arguably the world biggest supermodel, Gigi Hadid has commissioned an art work from a young artist who lives in Trangie in Central West NSW Lottie Rae works from a shipping container at hoe home in Trangie where she live with her husband and two boys. Last year she ditched her coffee shop and homewares shop in town to become a full time artist- and thank god she did otherwise we would not have this story to tell. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia.

We're all scouring the socials, the internet and the shops for 'gifts' right now - pressie giving season is here! When I think about rural and regional businesses that make great presents - Whitney Spicer immediately comes to mind. She an artist, who now also makes 'products' - scarves, tea towels, hats, shirts - from her small farm farm at Manildra near Orange in NSW where she lives with her husband and three young boys. She's been clever in growing her brand awareness through collaborations. And is now looking forward to making wholesaling another pillar of her business. If you're interested in collaborations, branded products and the world of wholesaling this is a great chat to get your ears around Find Whitney and her products @whitneyspicer on Instagram or get shopping at whitneyspicer.com This is a Manson podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. We have heaps more interesting stories like this at mansonpodcasting.com And if you want to invest in one of our 'products' you can become a paid subscriber to our newsletter for $99 a year or $8 month - sign up on the website.

For the last six and a half years Millwoods shoes owned by Jane Robertson has exponentially grown. From just one type of shoe in 2019 to 37 different styles and colours of shoes 5 years later. Business has grown 20% year on year at least and her shoes have been stocked in hundreds of stores all over Australia and New Zealand. This conversation is a raw account of what a beast retail business can become when you're experiencing high growth. Jane says all this 'getting bigger' might look great from the outside but it’s been so hard - waaaaay harder than she imagined and than many of you would be aware. And so, she talks you through the in's and out's she's tried to keep up - financially: there's never much profit and banks don't want to lend you money and then there's the personal toll: which nearly sent Jane over the edge on 2024. But we do start on a great note - talking about her fave part of the business, the shed, 50 metres from her house which has been totally converted to become her own Millwood Warehouse on her farm at Coolamon, a little town in NSW’s Riverina.