Burnout is holding us back – Here’s how to beat it
Burnout has gone from a buzzword to a business risk. According to the latest Women’s Agenda Ambitions Report, 72% of women say they’ve experienced burnout in the past year. It’s no longer just a personal struggle—it’s a workplace crisis. So what’s driving this rising tide of exhaustion? Angela Priestley, co-founder of independent news platform Women’s Agenda, shares the findings of their 2025 report, exposing the pressures pushing employees to breaking point and what leaders can do to stop it. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. You can read the full 2025 Women’s Ambition Report here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Reaping the rewards – The promises and pitfalls of loyalty programs
That satisfying ding when you scan your rewards card. The little thrill of watching points accumulate. The smug satisfaction of using miles for a "free" flight. Sound familiar? We're all players in the massive loyalty program game—whether we're collecting coffee stamps, airline miles, or cashback percentages. But here's the million-point question: Who's really winning? Is that loyalty card in your wallet a golden ticket to genuine value, or are you just a willing participant in the most sophisticated customer retention scheme ever devised? Steve Hui, founder of iFLYflat, explains the psychology behind those irresistible point systems, the real mathematics of "free" rewards, and the critical difference between programs that genuinely reward customers versus those that incentivise loyalty more than deliver true benefit. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Disconnected – The hidden cost of workplace loneliness
Loneliness is quietly affecting workplace productivity more than many organisations realise. Despite being more digitally connected than ever before, many employees today report feeling isolated, unsupported, and burned out. This isn't just impacting individuals – it's costing businesses financially, and damaging workplace culture and team cohesion. From performative perks to genuine peer connection, clinical psychologist Dr Zac Seidler unpacks how tech and hybrid work blur boundaries, why men are especially lonely, and what’s missing in our approach to employee wellbeing. +++ Please note, this episode contains references to suicide and stillbirth. Please take care while listening. The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Listen to our episode on creating healthier workplaces with psychosocial safety expert Carlo Caponecchia here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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No plan, no problem – How Sibella Court designed her own career path
You don’t become a globally renowned designer by accident. But if you ask Sibella Court, one of Australia’s most sought-after stylists, she never had a master plan to make it big. From global brand campaigns to bestselling books and hit TV shows, Sibella built a design empire balancing great instincts, good relationships, and sound commercial judgement. Her approach to business is somewhat unconventional, but it is a masterclass in backing yourself, building a brand organically, and knowing when it’s time to move on. ++++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Listen to our episode about blending creativity and commerciality with Alexandra Smart here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The sharing economy – Can collaboration cure overconsumption?
Could collaborative consumption be the cure for our throwaway culture? Robert Chan, the managing director of car-sharing platform Turo, believes we're on the brink of an ownership revolution. “The average power drill is only on for 13 minutes of its life. You don't want (to buy) the power drill; you want (to fix) the hole in the wall. How do we get the benefit without having all the stuff is really what the sharing economy is trying to do.” From rideshares to designer handbags, power tools to luxury getaways, the sharing economy is rewriting the rules of how we consume. But as Robert explains, behind the success stories lie a complex web of challenges that can make or break these platforms. +++ The Business Of podcast is brought to you by the University of New South Wales Business School, produced with Deadset Studios. This episode is hosted by Dr Juliet Bourke, with insights from Professor Barney Tan. The transcript and show notes can be found on our website here. Listen to our episode with Roby Sharon-Zipser about how he started hipages, a digital marketplace that connects tradespeople to homeowners, here. Want to follow the latest research and news from UNSW Business School and AGSM @ UNSW Business School? Subscribe to our industry stories at BusinessThink and follow UNSW Business School and AGSM on LinkedIn. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which this show was made. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As the pace of organisational change speeds up, a new generation of leaders is emerging who see the world differently. They are finding ways to grapple with complexity and make an impact in an accelerating world. What can we learn from them? In The Business Of, a podcast from UNSW Business School, a diverse group of business leaders from the corporate, start-up, government, and for-purpose sectors share their lived experiences in building businesses that can ‘do well’ and ‘do good’.
Host Dr Juliet Bourke, a UNSW Professor of Practice in the School of Management and Governance, speaks with leaders from a range of industries unpacking the complexities of business of art, sports, AI, climate change and more.
Wherever business practices are shifting UNSW researchers and academics are there, and in The Business Of you also learn about the global forces, competing interests and new trends influencing everyday decisions.
Professor Barney Tan, the Senior Deputy Dean for Impact and Partnerships at the UNSW Business School, will help you make sense of all the moving parts through the latest research at the world’s top universities. He breaks down how that research equips leaders to make better decisions, build better teams and make a real impact.
If you’re curious about the way business works, The Business Of can introduce you to contemporary industry practices and take you inside the minds of leaders as they figure out what’s next.
Find out more -
https://www.unsw.edu.au/business/our-schools/agsm/about-us/the-business-of-podcast
https://www.businessthink.unsw.edu.au/
Australia