In today’s episode of the Influence Unlocked, I catch up with the indomitable Maria Halasz. The multilingual former ASX-listed company CEO and leading venture capitalist board director is now CEO and co-founder of Stride Equity, Australia’s first venture capital backed equity crowdfunding platform. As an 18-year old, Hungarian-born Maria abandoned her medical studies following the sudden death of her beloved brother in an accident. Adventure – and Australia, where the siblings had dreamed of visiting together – called. Maria was granted political asylum and issued a one-way ticket to Perth, We ..read more

*Trigger Warning: this episode contains discussions about eating disorders and pregnancy loss It’s great to be back after a little time away from the podcast and what better time that to do things a little differently with me in the hot seat! In this episode, I’m interviewed by my long-time client and more importantly dear friend, the amazing, inspiring and unstoppable, Taryn Williams, an award-winning founder, brand ambassador, board director and business advisor. In this episode Taryn asks me about some of the most defining moments in my life, those that have shaped and impacted who I am tod ..read more

If there is anyone who understands the dance between brand strategy, the power of authentic storytelling and content production, and what audiences want, it’s my guest for this episode, Adam Bub. Head of Commercial Media at leading digital media and TV production company Pinstripe Media by day, social media influencer by night, and doer of cryptic crosswords in all the moments in between, Adam Bub has built an impressive 15-year career with major news sites including Nine Digital and Mamamia (interviewing the likes of Kim Kardashian, Hugh Jackman, Will Smith, and Demi Lovato) and crafted conte ..read more

I am thrilled to introduce one of our The PR Hub clients in this episode of the Influence Unlocked. Nicho Plowman is the co-founder of the world's #1 meditation app, Insight Timer, with 23 million active users worldwide and Vedic meditation teacher. Attracted from a young age to the excitement and adrenaline of doing business, Nicho worked with some amazing international organisations like ESPN and was the co-founder of a multimillion-dollar tech software company in his 30s.As he approached 40 he was living a life that on the surface that many people would dream of; a successful tech entrepren ..read more

At just 27 years old, representative Australian rugby union player Sera Naiqama’s star is well and truly on the rise. But don’t let her age fool you. We can learn so much from Sera’s effervescent outlook on life, her incredible work ethic, and her insatiable thirst for self-improvement Like most success stories, it hasn’t all been plain sailing. Growing up in comparative hardship in Sydney’s southern suburbs, and with parents whose marriage ended when she was very young, Sera is the first to admit that “society would say my life was meant to look a certain way.” Likewise her winding path to in ..read more

James Spenceley is arguably one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs turned venture capitalist, local politician and philanthropist. He is also someone Samantha and The PR Hub has had the pleasure of working with over the past six years.  The three time Young Rich lister and two time EY Entrepreneur of the Year winner is one of the youngest Australians to found and lead an ASX 100 company, Vocus Communications. He's Chair of publicly listed companies Airtasker and Swoop, along with being a Non-Executive Director of Kogan. In 2021 he decided to turn his hand to local politics and w ..read more

After leaving her corporate career as a tax adviser in banking & finance at PwC, Alina Gozin’a built a career as a globally in-demand portrait photographer and interdisciplinary artist with commissions spanning Sydney, Berlin, New York, and LA. She is known for some of the most iconic Australian Financial Review Magazine covers of notable figures such as Frank Lowy, Andrew Forrest, Judith Neilson, Scott Farquhar, Kevin Rudd and Canva cofounders Mel Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, to name a few. Over the years, her iconic photographic work evolved and expanded to include creative campaigns and a ..read more

My guest for Season 4, Episode 4 is the remarkable Jimmy Galvin; seasoned sports administrator, globally acclaimed house DJ, music label founder and event/festival producer, and now, cofounder and CEO of Raydel Aqua Rugby, Australia’s first floating rugby tournament. Described as the ‘Hong Kong Sevens meets the Monaco Grand Prix’, Aqua Rugby is making an almighty splash in Australia’s live entertainment scene at Manly Cove in November ‘22, the festival’s second season after its launch event earlier this year. The team have secured the backing of naming rights sponsor, Raydel, along with Destin ..read more

We’re back for Season 4 and our first episode is a beauty as we talk life, leadership, and the law with one of Australia’s most prominent female legal minds, Rebekah Giles. An accomplished litigator with specialist expertise in reputational risk and over 20 years’ top tier experience in Australia and the United Kingdom, Rebekah has a diverse portfolio of non-executive directorships in government, sport, and private enterprise. She’s an ambassador for the Fertility Research Clinic at the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation, a mother, and - miraculously - a survivor of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunam ..read more

After two years grounded, Australia's frequent flyers are itching to get back out there. None more so than The Points Whisperer Steve Hui, the founder of iFLYflat. If ever there was a go-to expert in getting bang for your travel buck, it's Steve, and his hopeful, passionate and ambitious outlook is just what business founders need to make it through the challenges of COVID – especially when you’re in the travel business. For Steve, ongoing Lockdowns were just another day in the office, after launching iFLYflat off the back off a redundancy during the GFC of 2012. This pivot to a new career was ..read more