Claire Markwick: Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Claire Markwick: Grow Yourself To Grow Your Business

Most business owners read their numbers like a history book. By the time the story is written, it is already too late to change the ending. In this episode of Internal Momentum, Ben sits down with Claire Markwick, a consulting CFO at OURCFO, to explore why the numbers most business owners rely on are pointed in the wrong direction, and what changes when you learn to read them forward instead of backward. Claire spent over twenty years in tax accounting before growing frustrated with work that only ever reported on what had already happened. She shares what it was like to lose her mojo for numbers, why she stepped away to study human behaviour, and how she came back with a different understanding of what her work is really for. Her point is simple and uncomfortable: your business cannot grow beyond you as a person. Ben and Claire explore the financial windscreen, why profit and the money in your bank account are not the same thing, and why so many owners feel stuck despite doing everything right. They move from the practical into the personal, covering certainty as a basic human need, the identity shift that has to happen as a business grows, and the reframing skill that separates the people who keep going from the people who stall. Ben opens up about the fifteen years he spent unable to read a profit and loss statement, and the ego that kept him busy and needed for far too long. Together they unpack why being called talented can feel like an insult, why the version of yourself you become on the way to the numbers matters more than the numbers, and why no one is coming to save you. If you have ever felt stuck in your business despite working harder than ever, this episode will change how you look at both your numbers and yourself. About the Guest Claire Markwick is a consulting CFO at OURCFO, a Perth-based outsourced financial consultancy helping ambitious small and medium businesses across Australia. Originally from the United Kingdom, she partners with business owners to turn their financial data into forward-looking strategy across profit, cash flow, and business valuation. She brings a deep interest in human behaviour and personal growth to the way she reads a set of numbers. Connect with Claire: Website: ourcfo.com.au LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clairemarkwick Instagram: @claire_markwick Chapters: 00:46 Introduction to Financial Insights 03:57 Understanding the Financial Windshield 06:57 The Impact of Forward-Looking Financials 11:47 The Importance of Certainty in Business 15:36 Profit vs. Cash Flow: Understanding the Difference 19:50 The Journey of Financial Literacy 29:32 Overcoming Mental Barriers in Business Growth 30:55 Embracing Challenges as Growth Opportunities 35:51 The Power of Reframing Perspectives 42:11 The Importance of Self-Reflection and Growth 46:52 The Role of Environment in Personal Development 51:57 Empowering Others Through Leadership 55:31 Taking the Leap into Entrepreneurship

Theo Venter: 22,000 Volts To The Heart

One small decision can take everything. And one brave second can give it back. In this episode of Internal Momentum, Ben sits down with Theo Venter, keynote speaker and the only known person to have survived a 22,000 volt electrical shock through the heart, to unpack the moment that ended his old life and the slow brutal rebuild of a new one. Theo shares what was running through his head on the morning of 13 February 2006, when he took his insulated gloves off 12 metres in the air to loosen one stubborn nut on a live power pole. The gut feeling that screamed at him to stop. The two and a half seconds hooked on the line. The first four days in hospital preparing to die and saying goodbye to his wife and three children, before the radiologist told him he was going to survive after all. Ben and Theo also walk through what came next. The 24 operations. The dark room he locked himself in after his friends saw what he had become. The five brave seconds he counted down before calling someone instead of taking his own life. The marriage breakdown. The two year fight to pick up a fork again. And the day he finally sat in the park with his kids and lived out the impossible dream that kept him going. The deeper conversation moves into ownership, ego, and the masks both men have worn. Theo describes the moment a mentor refused to let him keep blaming, excusing, and denying. Ben opens up about his own two marriage breakdowns and the slow realisation that his wife had been married to a performance, not to him. Together they explore why convenient choices are the ones that cost the most, and what it actually takes to come back from losing everything. If you have ever made a small choice you cannot take back, or felt yourself disappearing inside a version of you that is not really you, this episode will sit with you long after it ends. About the Guest Theo Venter is a Perth-based keynote speaker, two-time author, and the only known person to have survived a 22,000 volt electrical shock through the heart. Since 2010 he has spoken to hundreds of thousands of workers and leaders across Australia and internationally, sharing his story through the Just Another Day keynote built around the Six Bedrock Foundations and the Five Brave Seconds. He is the official RediMed Safety Ambassador and a recent over-50s World Champion in physique bodybuilding. Connect with Theo: Website: theoventer.com LinkedIn: Theo Venter Instagram and Facebook: Theo Venter Story Chapters: 00:39 The Shocking Incident 04:59 The Fight for Survival 09:07 Gratitude for Medical Care 12:20 Lessons from Near-Death 19:02 The Journey of Recovery 24:25 Embracing Uncertainty and Self-Discovery 27:13 The Journey of Self-Acceptance 31:40 Authenticity and Vulnerability in Relationships 37:11 Finding Joy in Ordinary Moments 42:13 Setting Goals and Overcoming Challenges

Paula Gowland: A Life With No Limits

A fall from a bed changed everything. Then the unravelling began. In this episode of Internal Momentum, Ben sits down with Paula Gowland, author, speaker and business culture consultant, to unpack what it actually takes to lose a part of yourself and rebuild who you are from the ground up. In June 2014, Paula slipped while hanging freshly washed curtains and broke her leg in four places. What followed was 758 days in hospital, the loss of her left leg above the knee, the loss of the family home, the loss of the family business, and three close brushes with death. She shares the morning she woke up without her leg, the day her seven-year-old stopped being able to visit, and the night she found her husband John passed out beside a lake after months of drinking his way through the grief. Ben and Paula explore what actually happens to a family when one person disappears into a hospital room for years. The communication breakdown between her and John. The friends who quietly drifted away because they did not know what to say. The strangers who walked into her hospital room in Sydney with food and conversation. The moment four months after she finally came home when she fell again, broke her remaining leg, and spent seventeen weeks in a wheelchair grieving everything she had been too focused on surviving to grieve before. They also dig into the identity work. What it meant to become the lady with one leg in shopping centres and at school gates. Why her car now carries the number plate that reads "legless". And why, after years of building a trauma coaching practice on the back of her story, she decided last year to retire that identity entirely and move into something completely different. If you have ever wondered how someone rebuilds a life after losing almost everything, this episode will give you an honest, unsentimental look at what that actually takes. About the Guest Paula Gowland is a Sunshine Coast author, speaker, and business culture consultant. After surviving 758 days in hospital and an above-knee amputation at 42, she rebuilt her life alongside her husband John, was named the Sunshine Coast Business Women's Network 2022 Sustainable Business Woman of the Year, and released her memoir Legless: One Woman's Journey from Trauma to Triumph in 2024. She now runs Leadership and Culture Co, helping business owners and leadership teams build cultures that hold up commercially. Connect with Paula: Website: paulagowland.com.au Instagram: @paulagowland LinkedIn: Paula Gowland Chapters 00:42 The Accident and Its Aftermath 07:00 Navigating Life in the Hospital 12:59 The Impact on Family Dynamics 16:50 Rebuilding Relationships and Life 20:45 Lessons Learned and Moving Forward 23:40 The Power of Community Support 24:33 Grieving and Finding Strength 26:31 Overcoming Physical Challenges 27:18 Navigating Dark Thoughts 29:31 Perception and Identity 33:23 Inspiring Others Through Adversity 34:24 Transitioning from Trauma to Empowerment 35:50 Building Business Culture 39:03 Key Concepts for Personal Growth 42:14 Living Life with No Limits

Dean Mousad: The Currency Of The Next World

Some people find purpose through clarity. Others find it by almost dying, more than once. In this episode of Internal Momentum, Ben sits down with Dean Mousad, social entrepreneur, counsellor, and co-founder of Brothers in Need and 5 Before 5 Solutions, to unpack what happens when a man who spent eight years numbing himself through drugs, alcohol, and gambling gets a second chance, and then a third, and then a fourth. Dean shares what life looked like before the transformation. The entertainment industry, the ego, the addictions, the overdose on his 24th birthday that became the turning point. He opens up about growing up in a dysfunctional family, wanting to be seen, and the childhood patterns that drove eight years of self-destruction before faith pulled him back. Ben and Dean explore the journey from self-centred to servant leader, the role Islam plays in shaping Dean's daily life and work, and the moment that changed everything: burying his grandmother with his own hands and realising that nothing material follows you into the ground. They talk about what it means to build five companies and three charities from a place of purpose rather than ego, and how Dean navigated a cancer diagnosis at 36 with the belief that seventy percent of it is mental, emotional, and spiritual. The conversation also moves into unexpected territory. Ben shares his own discomfort with faith, his fear of praying in case it works, and his struggle with control. Dean reframes perfectionism, ego, and the idea that religion requires you to be ready before you begin. If you have ever wondered what would be left of your life if you stripped away the money, the status, and the performance, this episode will sit with you for a long time. About the Guest Dean Mousad is a Sydney-based social entrepreneur, registered counsellor, and co-founder of Brothers in Need, a charity supporting people experiencing homelessness across New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria. He is also the co-founder of 5 Before 5 Solutions and Project Quran, and has spent over a decade building organisations grounded in personal growth, community service, and faith. Connect with Dean: Instagram: @5before5solutions Instagram: @brothers_in_need Website: 5before5solutions.com.au Website: brothersinneed.org.au Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dean Mousad's Journey 02:04 The Pre-Transformation Dean: A Life of Struggles 03:55 Understanding the Roots of Addiction 06:20 The Role of Faith in Transformation 11:50 Catalysts for Change: Key Moments in Faith 17:07 Continuous Growth: The Journey of Self-Improvement 22:50 Navigating Faith and Communication 28:15 Islam: Misconceptions and Understanding 31:18 Understanding Prophets and Their Role 32:11 The Quran: Unchanged and Timeless 34:13 The Journey of Faith and Curiosity 36:02 The Importance of Perspective in Faith 38:18 Sincerity in Seeking Truth 40:26 Navigating Control and Surrender 44:09 The Process of Growth and Perfection 48:16 Community Projects and Social Impact 51:56 Gratitude as a Practice and a Feeling 54:05 Acceptance and Navigating Life's Challenges

Dawna Campbell: The Energy Beneath Every Pattern

Some people chase more money their whole lives. Almost none of them stop to ask what the chase is really about. In this episode of Internal Momentum, Ben sits down with Dawna Campbell, known as the Mind Whisperer, to unpack what is really running the show beneath every financial, emotional, and physical pattern a person carries. Dawna shares the five years that broke her open. While managing half a billion dollars in assets, her marriage ended, her health collapsed, she spent 35 of 40 days in emergency rooms with no answers, and she survived a moment where she nearly lost her life. What she found underneath the wreckage was a single thread connecting all of it, and it became the foundation of the healing work she does today. Ben and Dawna explore the mirror between inner worth and outer reality, why the feeling of not being enough shows up in money, health, and relationships in exactly the same way, and how beliefs we inherited long before we could choose them quietly set the ceiling on what we allow ourselves to have. Ben opens up about his own belief that he had to earn his worth, and the three minute conversation where Dawna shifted it. They also get into the science and the scepticism. Why energy work still sits on the outskirts of mainstream medicine, the link Dawna draws between frequency and physical healing, and the four levels of belief that shape a life from daily experience all the way down to the DNA we are born with. If you have ever earned more and still felt like it was never enough, this episode will show you where that feeling actually lives and what it takes to change it. About the Guest Dawna Campbell, known as the Mind Whisperer, is an international author, speaker, and energy healer who spent over a decade researching subconscious patterns after her own health and finances collapsed. She is the creator of Thought Form Energy Healing and the author of the Abundant Soul series, and currently serves as Executive Vice President and Director of the Film Division at the Los Angeles Tribune. Her documentary Pillars of Power is due for release in 2026. Connect with Dawna: Website: bookdawna.com Instagram: @dawnacampbellofficial LinkedIn: Dawna Campbell Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dawna Campbell 01:23 Dawna's Journey Through Adversity 04:23 The Awakening: Discovering Inner Patterns 08:09 Energy Healing: Understanding Beliefs and Emotions 12:09 The Nature of Energy and Its Impact 14:38 Transformative Healing: From Physical to Emotional 17:49 Skepticism in Energy Healing 21:04 The Historical Context of Healing Practices 23:27 The Power of Beliefs and Perception 28:22 The Process of Healing and Energy Management 31:08 Navigating Energy and Personal Activation 31:29 Financial Background and Childhood Influences 34:32 The Connection Between Self-Worth and Financial Success 37:46 Health, Wealth, and Relationships: The Triad of Balance 40:42 Beliefs and Their Origins: Understanding Our Programming 49:49 From Energy Healer to Media Executive: A Journey of Transformation 54:52 Pillars of Power: The Hidden Secrets of Greatness