The ability to survive AND thrive for multiple years in business is a skill. And not many people have that skill and knowledge to do so, let alone for 20+ years! That's why we invited one of our friends at The Entourage, Heaven Leigh, the Owner of Australia's first and largest vegan yum cha restaurant, Bodhi Restaurant Bar to share with you her experience and lessons. &nbsp; Heaven took over the family business at its relaunch over 20 years ago and has been through multiple recessions and a near bankruptcy, coming out the other side stronger than ever. With a wealth of business and personal lessons from her business journey, she was able to utilise them to ride out the recent lockdowns successfully. &nbsp; Whether you're in the hospitality industry or not, these 8 tips Heaven shares with us are fundamental to ANY business owner surviving and thriving long-term, especially as things are opening back up and demand starts to soar. So, prepare yourself for the oncoming wave of opportunity in all industries by sitting down and taking the time to listen carefully to this episode of The Make It Happen Show today. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:40 - How the hospitality sector took a hit and bounced back from COVID-19 3:39 - The importance of creating a proper structure for your business 4:13 - How to lessen the margin of loss in your business and finances 5:02 - When and why you should consider hibernating your business 7:26 - How to maintain staff retention and loyalty through turbulent times in business 9:44 - What you need to do to upgrade your marketing strategies 10:16 - The importance of female leadership 11:46 - The guidance purpose and intention provides 13:50 - Effective personal habits that got Heaven through more than 20 years of business

84. You Make It Happen: 8 Fundamentals To Surviving 20 Years In Hospitality And Business (with Heaven Leigh, Bodhi Restaurant Bar)

As social media channels get more and more saturated, it's so important for the growth of your business that your brand stands out to the right people at the right time. But social media marketing and branding is a big beast to tackle by yourself, which is why we've invited one of Australia's leading entrepreneurs, Jess Hatzis, to share with you her tips on how she and her co-founders have gained a following of over 1 million people across their channels with cult skincare brand frank body and branding agency Willow & Blake.  Covering exactly how she gained a cult following by doing things differently to the competition, to how you can better talk to and understand your customers, to the #1 thing that was the biggest learning curve for her but is now the bread and butter of her marketing strategy, this is one episode you don't want to miss if you're ready to take your marketing to the next level in 2022. These are the core keys to building a strong brand and marketing strategy, so take notes, and get ready to apply them to your business. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:24 - How Jess Hatzis co-founded frank body and Willow & Blake 2:05 - How the concept of talking 'to customers' instead of 'at customers' put frank body in the forefront of the beauty industry 3:55 - How frank body used social media to promote consumer relatability, and how this helped the brand appeal to more customers 6:16 - The foundations of powerful branding 8:48 - Working reactively vs working pro-actively 10:17 - The heartbeat of every branding, and its importance in business growth 10:50 -The dynamic change setting KPIs can contribute to business growth and self-development as entrepreneurs

91. You Make It Happen: How To Grow Your Brand To Over 1 Million Followers (with Jess Hatzis, frank body and Willow & Blake)

Ever wondered how some companies are able to accurately predict what you might like, when you might want to buy something, and how to speak to you in a way that will get you to purchase? They're utilising something called customer data to better understand how they can improve your shopping experience every single time. And while in the past, this has only been done by the big businesses, if you too want to replicate this power to your business, then you'll want to listen to this episode of The Make It Happen Show. &nbsp; Featuring Aaron Wallis, the Founder and CTO of Lexer, a fast-growing customer data platform that's helped the likes of The Iconic, Westfield, Optus and Billabong, he shares with us some of the top ways his company is helping businesses like yours build incredible customer experiences and service. And though Lexer seems like a big tech company with over $40 million raised over the past few years and team members around the world, Aaron's journey was never a steady one. Listen on to see how he's made it happen, and how Lexer can help you make it happen too. &nbsp; Timestamps:  1:30 - Lexer's business ideation process, and the market gap they are trying to fill 3:26 - Why customer data is currently widely available only to large corporations 5:21 - The role of customer data in uplifting customer experience and communication 7:40 - How Lexer takes customer data to help smaller business understand their customers better 12:17 - Why this period is the best time for brands to be diving into data science and customer behaviour 15:13 - Lexer's business journey in the past decade 18:25 - Lexer's next business development plans 20:09 - How Lexer is pivoting to product-led growth, and how they're breaking barriers in data science within small businesses 23:02 - Aaron Wallis' journey as a founder 26:42 - The one area more business owners should spend more of their time in (outside business strategies) 34:24 - Why businesses shouldn't approach problems technology-first

92. Aaron Wallis, Lexer // Over $40 Million Raised To Grow The Business That Will Take Your Customer Experience & Service To The Next Level

Are you looking to take your content marketing to the next level in 2022? This episode of The Make It Happen Show is tailored directly to help you make that happen. Led by Facebook Community Trainer and Founder of Website Love, Heather Porter, and taken from one of our exclusive Member-only workshops, in this ep, you'll be guided on exactly how to find out what content your audience wants to hear to engage with you, and how you can turn those ideas into content. Get ready to be taken through one of the best ways you can learn how to make content marketing your business' forte in this short implementable episode today. Check it out. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:58 - Why content alone isn't enough to grow your social media following 2:30 - The value of 'intention' when creating a content strategy 3:25 - How your sales can contribute to your content ideation 4:15 - How to use keyword research to lead you to creating content that resonates 7:00 - Identifying pillar pieces, and how to maximise your content 12:32 - How to create multiple pieces of quality content 16:57 - The mindset you need when creating impactful content

93. You Make It Happen: Your #1 Guide To Creating Consistent, Quality Content Your Audience Will Love (with Heather Porter, Website Love)

Can you imagine being 2 years into your business journey and your business is earning no money? You're working 6, nearly 7 days a week with no pay, you have a mortgage to pay, AND you have a newborn baby too? That's exactly where this week's guest on The Make It Happen Show Sunil Kumar found himself in 2013 with his company Reliance Real Estate in Melbourne. &nbsp; Five years later in 2018, the business had grown rapidly, opened multiple locations, and was named AFR's #1 Fastest Growing Real Estate Company. And now, Reliance is at nearly 150 people and 10 offices, the recipient of multiple awards, and Sunil is an author of two books. How exactly did he turn what seemed like a failing business with no lifeline or support around into one of the biggest successes in the country? &nbsp; If you've been hitting a wall, struggling with the growth of your business, then you need to listen to this episode. Sharing some of the keys to his incredible success from his book 'From The Ground Up: 7 Principles For Building A Business Fast' with us on this episode, this is a true testament to the ability that entrepreneurs have within themselves. If Sunil can do it, so can you. Find out how in this podcast episode today. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:23 - The toughest challenges real estate businesses have faced the past 3 years 2:50 - What you need to reconsider when your business is losing money 6:20 - The importance of never losing sight of the basics and fundamentals of the business 11:26 - The key principles in growing and building a culture around a team 14:58 - The value of being in a community of like-minded entrepreneurs with been-there-done-that experience 21:09 - Sunil shares his journey as an immigrant entrepreneur, and the milestones that led him to his success 28:55 - Why you shouldn't take everything personally through your journey in your business 32:03 - Why every entrepreneur needs to learn to prospect—and how it differs from closing 33:37 - The powerful mindset of "action cures fear"

94. Sunil Kumar, Reliance Real Estate // The Immigrant Entrepreneur Who Led A Failing Business Into Becoming AFR's #1 Fastest Growing Real Estate Company In 5 Years

Did you know that the Boost Juice empire started by now Celebrity Apprentice Advisor and Shark on Shark Tank Australia, Janine Allis, was started on her kitchen table? She grew the business in the early days with next to no money on marketing but was able to take the brand to $350M+ in revenue and over 1 million followers across social media. How was she able to make that happen in a way that cemented her knowledge and experience as an industry leader despite her humble beginnings? &nbsp; Find out her exact strategies to making it happen and taking Boost Juice to the success it's had in the past 2 decades on this episode of The Make It Happen Show. Listen to see what our Founder and 5x AFR Young Rich Lister, Jack Delosa, asks her in this special ep talking about the digital evolution post-COVID, and how you too can follow Janine's footsteps with your business in 2022. Don't miss this one! &nbsp; Timestamps: 2:00 - The key strategies that catapulted Boost Juice's brand awareness (before the social media era) 4:00 - How Boost Juice translated their existing brand equity to meaningful digital strategy 6:36 - Janine's top pieces of advice on how to nurture and foster relationships with customers 9:16 - How bricks and mortar businesses can slowly transition into the digital landscape 11:03 - Businesses' next best steps as society adapts to the "new normal" 12:40 - Janine's biggest learnings on handling a business through a pandemic 14:05 - What business owners need to take into consideration before franchising their business

96. Janine Allis, Boost Juice // The Marketing & Customer-Led Strategies That Built Boost Juice From $0 Into A The $350M+ Empire

Running a small business can be incredibly exciting. But at The Entourage, we know just how difficult it can get as well. If you've recently been feeling as if you've been working quite long and stressful hours, felt as if you haven't been doing the things you love, haven't had the time for family or friends, or even had time for yourself, then this is a sign to please take a break, listen to this episode, and see just how you can better take care of your mental health in 2022. &nbsp; Led by Tim Hoopmann, mentor, coach, and speaker at Beyond Blue, a national organisation that raises awareness on anxiety and depression, who will guide you through in this important episode of The Make It Happen Show exactly how a business owner like yourself can get the help you might need. Sharing from his own experience as a past business owner, learn how you can develop your own mental health toolbox that will help you through not just the good times but also the challenging times as well. &nbsp; Take this time to learn how you can put in practices that will help you and your business long-term. And don't forget to be kind to yourself in the process too. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:30 - How Beyond Blue is helping entrepreneurs with their mental health struggles 2:48 - The psychological distress entrepreneurs face day-to-day 4:31 - The importance of prioritising mental health, and the boundaries entrepreneurs can practice to achieve this 6:57 - Daily habits that can help reduce anxiety 9:24 - The power of consistency on an entrepreneur's journey to bettering their mental health 11:09 - Beyond Blue's latest program that is dedicated to helping entrepreneurs with mental health struggles

97. You Make It Happen: The Keys To Looking After Your Mental Health As A Business Owner (with Tim Hoopmann, Beyond Blue)

Ever wanted to know what it really takes to build a business that's innovative, forward-thinking, and ahead of the competition by a mile away? Then you need to listen to the unconventional strategies that Tobi Pearce used to grow #1 health & fitness app company, Sweat, from selling e-books online into a $400M+ business on this episode of The Make It Happen Show. &nbsp; From the risky decisions you need to choose to make, to the mindset and thinking required for you to take your business to the next level and above your competitors', this episode will help you reset the traditional ways of how you might be thinking about business and lead you down the path to industry leader. This is a great segment from our most recent Unconvention event that you cannot miss out on. Check it out. &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:24 - How Tobi went from selling e-books to a multi-million dollar health & fitness app 3:56 - Why you need to be building the organisation of 'tomorrow' 7:07 - Is 'working on your business, not in it' just a farfetched dream for business owners? 9:17 - Why you need to be bringing experienced team members 14:59 - The mentoring and coaching Tobi needed to take his business to the next level 16:50 - #1 piece of advice to communicating effectively with your team 19:10 - The importance of constantly elevating the way that you think in business

98. Tobi Pearce, Sweat // From Selling E-Books To A $400M+ Fitness Empire: How To Build An Industry-Leading Global Company From The Ground Up

What do you think truly separates the successful businesses from the unsuccessful? Is it their knowledge? Is it their resources? Or is it something else entirely? This episode of The Make It Happen Show features one of our own in The Entourage, Grant Purcell, Senior Entrepreneur Development Manager, who's talked to and worked with hundreds of thousands of small to medium business owners over his entire career. &nbsp; Having spoken to and worked with probably more business owners than anyone in Australia, he's had the opportunity to get a deep understanding of exactly what separates those that are successful and those that aren't. And on this episode, he's sharing with you the top 5 things that makes the difference. If you want to live a successful life and grow a successful business (whatever that means to you), then this episode is not one to be missed. Check it out. &nbsp; Timestamps: 2:31 - How mindset plays a role in a business' success 4:03 - Why every business needs a mission and vision 6:56 - The different hats that every entrepreneur needs to know about, and how they should segregate their time per role 8:28 - Why it's important to get rid of the 'busy' mindset 9:55 - The value of learning from experts with been-there-done-that experience 12:23 - Why entrepreneurs need to understand their relationship with money, and how this contributes to financial freedom

99. You Make It Happen: The Top 5 Things That Really Separate The Successful Business Owners From The Unsuccessful (with Grant Purcell, The Entourage)

From becoming CEO of Zambrero at 23 years old with no business experience to now being a successful business owner and investor with troves of knowledge, this entrepreneur knows how to make it happen. Stuart Cook is the Founding Partner at TWIYO Capital, Co-Founder & Co-CEO of plant-based food concept Flave, and investor and friend of The Entourage who shares with us some of his favourite moments and lessons from his past 12 years in business on this episode of The Make It Happen Show. &nbsp; Moments like when the ATO called him saying he owed them $100,000+, to how he made the BRW Fast Lists while making no money, to launching a food & hospitality business in a global pandemic, Stuart shares all with our host, Tim, in our 100th and final episode of the season. &nbsp; If you want to know how someone with no experience grew a franchise from 2 to 200 or what will help a business scale quickly and sustainably from an investor and Founder's point of view, then this episode is for you. Don't miss out - this ep is filled with gold nuggets made to help you make it happen. And to listen to more, check out our old eps and stay tuned for an epic season 3... &nbsp; Timestamps: 1:49 - How Stuart Cook became a CEO at 23 3:27 - How to build a successful business with limited money 5:34 - Why you should learn from people who have failed 9:10 - The value of finding the right leadership type for every entrepreneur 11:06 - The elements of building a reliable board 15:00 - Traps every business owner should avoid 17:52 - The impact of surrounding oneself with like-minded people 25:33 - The importance of seeking 'wisdom' over 'intelligence' in business 28:13 - Why Stuart opened a hospitality business in the middle of a pandemic 37:24 - Why the most successful entrepreneurs are the most coachable

100. Stuart Cook, Flave & TWIYO Capital // From CEO At 23 To Co-Founder Of Two Successful Businesses — This Is How You Make It Happen

From the team at The Entourage, Australia's largest education specialist and community for entrepreneurs, comes a new weekly podcast series: The Make It Happen Show. 

The Entourage has generated over $2 billion in revenue for over 3500 Australian businesses - we know how to make it happen. But we're not about getting things done at any cost. 

So join Tim Morris, CEO at The Entourage, as he sits down some home-grown and international entrepreneurs to ask them one simple question: how did you make that happen? And with the help of our expert partners, and the incredible team here at The Entourage who have helped transform over 40,000 businesses, we'll walk you through how to implement some of the key principles that we uncover along the way.

So together, let’s commit to making it happen - for our teams, our businesses, and for ourselves.

Subscribe and listen to The Make It Happen Show wherever you get your podcasts.