The Telltale Podcast

Last week on Telltale, our guest Peta Ellis implored us to think globally and think far bigger about our businesses from the outset. Here's a reminder of what she said. "Are we working on something that's big enough? Let's stop playing around with the small, fun, great app ideas ... But are they working on something that's going to fundamentally change an industry or fundamentally change or transform an organisation." Funnily enough, just to the north of Australia - a fairly short flight away - are 650 million people who see Australia as the home to aspirational, premium and covetable products and services. And they are hungry for them. This week on the Telltale Podcast, Nathan Harvey, who is the founder of business consultancy Game Plan Asia and the former CFO of Flight Centre India and Singapore, gets real about the huge opportunities South-East Asia has on offer for Australian businesses. He discusses how businesses should hit the ground running in the ASEAN nations, the cultural nuances that affect the little things businesses need to be aware of and, of course, the importance building an audience for your business in the most effective and simple way. Hint: It just might be while they are here visiting Australia. Which they are, in droves. This is the season 1 finale of Telltale. Let's play. Music by bensound.com

In startup land, thinking big is the only option. Your idea, that thing you may be about to dedicate your time, money, life and love to, has to solve a big problem, reach a global market and dominate, lest it be cast aside, forgotten or worse - never seen at all. But it can be a lonely journey, and the power of people and connecting to ideas and networks can mean the difference between failure and triumph. It's something Peta Ellis, the chief executive officer of startup co-working space River City Labs, has seen over and over again. In this episode of the Telltale podcast, Peta discusses why startups need to think big about their product, their market and the amount of disruption they need to cause to ensure a foothold in their industry becomes the foundation for something far bigger. Join me, Kurt Sanders and co-host Brittanie Dreghorn as we find out what makes River City Labs tick. Let's start the show.

Deciding to pivot your product can be a difficult decision but once you do, embracing the change can deliver on your business plans. It's something Edda Hamar knows well. On today’s episode of the Telltale podcast Edda Hamar, the founder of Undress Runways and clothes renting platform Undress, talks about how to build an audience, how sustainability can be a byproduct of great business ideas and about knowing when to pivot. In Edda's case, it was pivoting - or adding to - her business with a scaleable platform that leverages a niche audience. Edda discusses how she built an audience for her sustainable fashion show Undress Runways and how she has been able to leverage that audience (or not leverage them) in her clothes lending platform Undress.

No matter where you look the term "influencer marketing" is being tossed about with (sometimes reckless) abandon. But it doesn't always mean what you think it means, or do what you think it should. But if that's the case, were you using it correctly in the first place? This week on the Telltale podcast we speak with three of Brisbane's brightest influencer marketing minds: Mackayla Paul, the founder of influencer marketing business Social Stylings; Victoria Harrison, Managing Director and Co-Founder of influencer marketing agency The Exposure Co; and Danielle Lewis, Chief Executive and Co-Founder of influencer platform Scrunch. Our expert influencer marketing panel delves into what influencer marketing actually means for brands right now, and why the biggest audiences aren't always the best for brands wanting high engagement around their business objectives. We also take a look at the latest change to Instagram with its "Sponsored post" tag to be added to influencers' posts and whether it's something to be feared or embraced. Music courtesy of bensound.com.

You are the sum of the people who surround you, or so the saying goes, and it's as true in your personal life as it is in your business life. And there's nothing quite like live events to create a spark, a special connection that educates you, entertains you and redefines your philosophies on a much deeper level than a blog, an ad or even a podcast can manage. In this episode of the Telltale podcast, the founder and CEO of Interactive Minds, Louisa Dahl, talks about how marketers and small businesses can use events to provide huge value for audiences and how to put them along the path to converting into a client, or even a connection. Louisa discusses how Interactive Minds came to fruition, how the events grew from small gatherings in Brisbane to large congregations of digital marketers across several capital cities, and how topic-driven, educational content led to the digital marketing behemoth that is the Interactive Minds Digital Summit. She also delves into how data is driving decision making on a deeper level across marketing disciplines, and how businesses considering events can leverage it to make the right decisions about format, content and the numerous other factors that make a cracking live event.