Wonder, AI & Better Travel Experiences | Sarah Pirie-Nally on Curiosity, Innovation and Designing a Better Life

Wonder, AI & Better Travel Experiences | Sarah Pirie-Nally on Curiosity, Innovation and Designing a Better Life

What if the biggest competitive advantage in business isn't AI, but curiosity? In this episode of Always Business Class, Steve Hui and Steve Pirie-Nally sit down with innovation strategist, author, speaker, and Wonder & Wonder founder Sarah Pirie-Nally to explore the intersection of technology, human behaviour, travel, and the power of wonder. Sarah shares lessons from her years leading innovation initiatives at Commonwealth Bank, her work helping organisations embrace emerging technologies, and why curiosity remains one of the most valuable skills in a rapidly changing world. The conversation explores how AI can become a genuine business advantage, why human-centred design matters more than ever, and how travel creates the pattern interrupts that lead to better ideas, stronger relationships, and happier lives. This is a conversation about innovation. About designing experiences people genuinely want. And about using technology to create more freedom, more creativity, and more meaningful travel experiences. Sarah Pirie-Nally Founder, Wonder & WonderAuthor, Speaker & AI Strategist Flights Club Membership https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/ [https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/] Accor Plus Explorer Membership https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-membership/ [https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-membership/] 00:00 Why Travel Activates Wonder 01:45 Meeting Sarah & The Origins of Wonder 04:10 Innovation, Curiosity & Better Questions06:45 From Corporate Innovation to AI Strategy 10:00 Why Businesses Need Wonder More Than Ever 12:05 AI Is Not Your Strategy 14:00 Understanding Human-Centred Design 17:05 Building Products People Actually Want 18:30 How Travel Changes The Way We Think 20:00 Pattern Interrupts & Everyday Wonder 23:00 AI, Customer Experience & Business Growth 26:10 Building Your Business Operating System 29:00 Creating A Second Brain For Teams 32:00 Using AI To Simplify Family Life 35:00 Buying Back Time With Technology 36:20 Why Travel Creates Better Humans 38:40 AI, Wonder & The Future Of Business

How to Fly Business Class on Everyday Spending

What if your groceries, fuel, Uber rides, takeaway coffees, and family expenses could fund your next holiday? In this episode of Always Business Class, the team sits down with travel and points expert Deena, founder of Committed to Collect, to unpack how everyday Australians can turn normal spending into free or heavily discounted travel experiences. After more than 30 years in the travel industry, including 25 years at Flight Centre, Deena shares the moment that completely changed how she viewed points, loyalty programs, and travel freedom. From redeeming more than $100,000 worth of flights in a single year to helping teenagers fly to Bali on points alone, this episode breaks down the psychology, systems, and practical strategies behind modern points collecting. If you've ever thought points were too complicated, only for big spenders, or just a “credit card game”, this conversation will completely shift your perspective. SponsorsFlights Club MembershipAccor Plus Explorer Membership In this episode: * How Deena redeemed over $102,000 worth of flights using everyday family spending * Why most Australians massively underuse their loyalty programs * The “Get Appy” method for simplifying point collection * Why points are not just for business travellers or high earners * How households can “triple stack” rewards across multiple systems * The emotional power of travel and family holidays * Why travel points can improve workplace wellbeing and reduce burnout * The difference between earning points and strategically using them * How teenagers are now flying internationally on points from normal spending habits * Why Dina believes holidays become “more affordable and more frequent” with points

Garage to Global: How Jane Lu Built Showpo and Why She Always Flies Business Class

What does it take to go from doing customs forms by hand at Australia Post to running a $100M+ global fashion brand? In this episode of Always Business Class, Steve Hui and Steve Pirie-Nally sit down with Jane Lu, founder of Showpo, to unpack the real story behind building a global brand from her parents' garage, why naivety is a founder's greatest asset, and how backing yourself is the only strategy that matters. They also get into delegation, content creation as a CEO, the aisle vs window seat debate, and why business class is the best investment a founder can make. We cover: * Why entrepreneurs need naivety to take the leap * How a trademark crisis nearly wiped out everything she built * Building Like Minded Bitches Drinking Wine to 180,000+ women * Why delegation changes everything * The aisle vs window seat debate, settled * What is still on the bucket list This is not just about travel. It is about building something you love and choosing to do it in style. Guest: Jane Lu Founder and CEO, Showpo Sponsors: Flights Club: https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/ [https://iflyflat.com.au/membership/] Accor Plus Explorer Membership: https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-members [https://www.accorplus.com/explorer-members]...

The Future of Travel: Why Subscription Is Taking Over | Henrik Berglind

What really makes a loyalty program work? It’s not just discounts.It’s not just points.And it’s definitely not just perks. In this episode of Always Business Class, we go behind the scenes of one of the most successful travel membership programs in the world. From rebuilding after COVID to scaling to 500,000 members, this conversation breaks down how loyalty, psychology, and experience design come together. We cover: * Why subscription is the future of travel * The psychology behind loyalty programs * How small group dining became a breakthrough feature * Why emotional connection beats transactional rewards * Lessons from relaunching a global program * How partnerships drive growth and retention * Why travel creates better ideas and better business outcomes * Practical travel hacks like choosing the best seat every time This is not just about travel. It’s about how great businesses build loyalty that lasts. Guest: Henrik Berglind - Accor Plus [https://au.linkedin.com/in/hberglind] Chapters 00:00 Business Class in the Sky & On the Ground 01:33 Behind the Loyalty Program Growth 02:56 30 Years in Hospitality 04:09 COVID & Industry Reset 05:33 Loyalty Program Relaunch 06:16 Winning Best Loyalty Relaunch 07:49 Real Value of Membership Benefits 08:46 Why Travel Sparks Better Ideas 09:40 The Power of Face-to-Face 11:14 Designing Dining Experiences 12:43 The “Small Group Dining” Breakthrough 12:58 Lessons from the Relaunch 14:22 Global Expansion of Benefits 15:02 Why Change Doesn’t Kill Businesses 17:03 Behavioural Science in Business 19:15 Boutique vs Large Hotel Experiences 20:27 From Discounts to Loyalty Culture 22:44 Building a Global Loyalty Ecosystem 26:17 Innovation & Scaling Challenges 27:22 48 Brands, One Ecosystem 28:35 Travel Habits & Seat Hacks 31:18 Subscription Model Explained 34:43 Reducing Decision Fatigue in Travel 36:23 The Future of Travel Curation 38:33 Partnerships & Experiences Strategy 41:58 Sales Channels & Growth 44:10 Key Benefits of Explorer Membership 46:27 Flights Club Explore Launch

From Everest to the South Pole: Peter Hillary on the World's Last Wild Places

What if the most powerful thing you could do for the planet… …was simply go there and witness it yourself?   What if exploration was never really about the summit?   In this episode of Always Business Class, Peter Hillary, explorer, mountaineer, and son of Sir Edmund Hillary, joins Steve Hui and Steve Pirie-Nally for a live fireside chat with over 400 Accor Plus Explorer members — and shares what 43 trips to Antarctica, a crossing to the South Pole, and a lifetime on the world's highest peaks have taught him about the only thing that actually matters.   Peter unpacks why the hardest part of any expedition is never the cold, the food, or the terrain. It is the psychological and emotional battle between your ears. And why that lesson applies just as much in business and in life.   He makes the case for why going to Antarctica is not a luxury. It is an act of stewardship. Because when people witness a place — really witness it — they want to protect it. And places that go unseen get exploited.   This is a conversation about what exploration really means. Not whether it has been done before. But whether you have done it. Because once you stand on that ice, something shifts. And you come back asking a different question. Not what can I get. But what can I do.   Guest Peter Hillary: Explorer, Mountaineer, Son of Sir Edmund Hillary Sponsors Flights Club Accor Plus Explorer Membership