Podcast
Straight Talk with Mark Bouris
Hosted by Mentored.com.au · EN
Too often, we avoid real conversations. Entrepreneur Mark Bouris sits down and gets to know people, understands what makes them tick, and shares the great and unusual things they’re doing. There’s no sugar coating. There’s no hiding behind fancy marketing slogans. Just an honest conversation.
57episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Alan Kohler: "This Is Who Controls the Economy", Elon Musk & the Signals of an Economic Crisis
2d ago00:49:50Tap to summarizeAlan Kohler has spent more than 50 years at the centre of Australian financial journalism — and few people alive have watched this country's booms, busts, and policy shifts with more clarity. In this conversation, Mark and Alan trace the arc of Australian capitalism from the Poseidon nickel boom of 1969 through to the rise of Elon Musk and the AI era. Alan draws striking parallels between the charismatic deal-makers of the 1980s — Bond, Elliott, Skase — and the story-sellers of today, and explains why irrational exuberance always takes longer to unravel than anyone expects. He also gives a frank assessment of what Australian housing policy has got wrong, why superannuation remains the country's greatest economic achievement, and what capital gains tax reform should actually look like. We speak about: • The Poseidon nickel boom and what it taught a 17-year-old copy boy about markets • Why every major financial boom has a charismatic figure selling an irresistible story • Elon Musk, SpaceX, and whether a loss-making $2 trillion company makes any sense • How Basel banking rules quietly turned Australian banks into mortgage lenders • The 1999 capital gains tax change that accidentally supercharged the housing market • Paul Keating, superannuation, and the policy Alan considers Australia's greatest achievement • Lang Hancock, iron ore, and what real Australian entrepreneurialism looks like Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Pro Boxer Liam Paro on Fighting for a World Title, Redemption & Dealing with Adversity
6d ago01:00:02Tap to summarizeLiam Paro is an Australia's leading professional boxer who is fighting for the IBF Welterweight World Title on June 24, and he's never been more ready. Exclusive to Main Event on Kayo Sports – next Wednesday on the 24th!Purchase the PPV here: https://kayosports.com.au/en-AU/welcome/ppv/paro-v-crocker?extcamp=parovcrockerorgsoc-soc-kyo-lnk-kayo-acq-mma-straighttalk&channel=straighttalk&campaign=parovcrocker The North Queensland kid who once slept in his car to chase his dream reveals what it really takes to become a world champion. Liam opens up about what an 11-kilogram weight cut actually does to your body, why moving up to welterweight may be the best decision of his career, and the brutal mental battle that takes place between the ropes that most fans never see. He also shares the heartbreaking story of losing his best mate in 2015, the promise he made as a 13-year-old sitting on his mum's kitchen bench, and why his late friend's initials have been stitched onto his trunks for every fight since. We also discuss: How sparring with Jeff Horn's camp before the Manny Pacquiao fight changed everything. The southpaw footwork battle most fans never notice. Why fitness wins fights at the elite level. What your corner is really saying between rounds when your back is against the wall. What's waiting for him on the other side of June 24. Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Michael Chammas: Building the NRL's PNG Team, Leaving Journalism & Taking Opportunities
2w ago01:07:20Tap to summarizeMichael Chammas is the general manager of rugby league's newest expansion team, the PNG Chiefs, in what could be the NRL's most ambitious venture ever. The former Sydney Morning Herald journalist traded his media career for the challenge of building Papua New Guinea's first NRL club from the ground up. Chammas reveals the complex recruitment strategies needed to convince players to relocate their families to PNG, the cultural significance of rugby league to the Pacific nation, and why the tax-free incentives are essential for success. He discusses his transition from breaking stories to making them, the logistical challenges of establishing pathways in a country with 850 languages and 1,000 tribes, and why this team represents more than just rugby league. Why Michael left his dream journalism job for an even bigger dream The family considerations behind relocating to Papua New Guinea How Jerome Luai's signing changed everything for the Chiefs The reality of living in the Airways resort compound Building rugby league pathways in a developing nation The tax-free salary cap debate and why it's necessary Papua New Guinea's passion for rugby league as its national sport Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Kellie Sloane: NSW Opposition Leader's Pitch to New South Wales
3w ago00:51:46Tap to summarizeIn this conversation with NSW Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane, she explains why she believes New South Wales has gone from the nation's top-performing economy to the bottom of the pack under Labor's watch. Kellie discusses her journey from country journalism to opposition leadership, her experience during the Bondi terror attack, and her strategy for defeating a first-term government. She also addresses federal-state tensions within Labor, the importance of assimilation in modern Australia, and why authenticity matters more than ever in contemporary politics. New South Wales economic decline under Labor government Federal-state tensions over GST and infrastructure funding The Bondi Junction terrorist attack response Assimilation versus multiculturalism debate Coalition relationship between Liberals and Nationals Presidential-style campaigning in state elections Young people's disillusionment with traditional politics Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Business Expert on the Budget, the Housing Crisis, and Intergenerational Inequality
4w ago00:50:03Tap to summarizeNaomi Simson is the founder of Red Balloon and co-founder of the Big Red Group. In this conversation, Naomi breaks down how she built a business that now delivers an experience every 16 seconds to small businesses across Australia and New Zealand. Simson also delivers her unfiltered assessment of the recent federal budget, arguing that too many changes implemented too quickly will cripple business confidence during an already challenging period of technological disruption.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Brain Expert: Why Dementia Is Australia's Number One Killer (Project 100)
May 2401:24:37Tap to summarizeAll content and media by Project 100 is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. ****Professor Matthew Kiernan is CEO of Neura Australia and one of the nation's leading neurologists tackling the growing dementia crisis. Kiernan explores why dementia is now Australia's number one cause of death, the modifiable risk factors that could prevent 45% of cases, and the groundbreaking monoclonal antibody treatments now available for Alzheimer's disease. Kiernan explains how the Western Pacific region carries 60% of the world's dementia burden and why researchers are racing to develop blood biomarkers that could detect brain diseases decades before symptoms appear. We also get into:• Why dementia has overtaken heart disease as Australia's leading killer • The role of vascular health in brain function and cognitive decline • Blood biomarkers coming within five years for early detection • Monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer's now available in Australia • The connection between contact sports, head injuries and neurodegeneration • How GLP-1 medications are showing promise for brain health • Sleep's critical role in clearing toxic proteins from the brain Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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The Federal Budget Reality Check with Economist Leith van Onselen
May 2000:55:47Tap to summarizeLeith van Onselen is one of Australia's most credible economists and a straight-talking critic of government policy. In this episode, we dissect the Albanese government's latest budget and its real impact on inflation, housing affordability, and living standards. Leith explains why this isn't tax reform but simply a tax grab, how immigration policy is driving the housing crisis, and why Australia's productivity growth ranks among the worst in the OECD. We explore the disconnect between headline GDP figures and per capita reality, the expansion of the government-funded sector, and what this means for future generations. We get into: • Why the budget won't help with inflation or interest rates • How immigration policy is crush-loading housing and infrastructure • The productivity crisis dragging down living standards • Government sector expansion crowding out private enterprise • Capital gains tax changes that could kill startup innovation • Bracket creep silently increasing everyone's tax burden • The 30% minimum CGT targeting self-funded retireesJoin my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Cooper Cronk on Craig Bellamy, NRL State Of Origin & the mindset to be great
May 1801:22:08Tap to summarizeCooper Cronk is one of rugby league's most cerebral players and a four-time premiership winner who transformed from a modest rugby union schoolboy into one of the game's greatest halfbacks.In this conversation, Cronk reveals the mental frameworks that drove his success, from Craig Bellamy's obsession with fundamentals at Melbourne Storm to his legendary 2018 grand final performance with a broken scapula. He discusses the coffee test that Bellamy uses for recruitment, how the spine positions require high football IQ, and why great players have time others don't. Cronk also opens up about his worst career moment in the 2016 grand final and how it taught him the lesson that secured his next three premierships.• Craig Bellamy's leadership philosophy and the coffee test for recruitment• Playing the 2018 grand final with a broken shoulder blade• The 2016 grand final disaster that changed his entire approach• Why Melbourne Storm's spine trio dominated for over a decade • Cameron Smith's unparalleled football intelligence• The fundamentals that separate elite performers from the rest• His transition into financial services and property investmentJoin my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletterSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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2026 Federal Budget Reaction with Economist Chris Richardson
May 1301:04:37Tap to summarizeChris Richardson is one of Australia’s most quoted economists and the founder of Rich Insight, bringing decades of expertise from his time at Deloitte Access Economics to decode complex fiscal policy. Chris and I might not agree on every aspect of this budget, but that is what makes this conversation worth having. In this analysis of Australia’s latest budget, Richardson reveals why our living standards have barely grown over the past decade while other OECD nations have surged ahead by 17%. He dissects the real economic effects of the budget on inflation, interest rates, and the Reserve Bank’s delicate balancing act. Richardson also exposes the “off-budget” spending that keeps billions in government expenditure hidden from public scrutiny and explains why housing affordability will not be solved by capital gains tax changes alone. Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://the-mentored-platform-pty-ltd.myklpages.com/l/WWJGc5See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Ellyse Perry: Australia's Greatest Dual-Sport Athlete on What Two Decades of Elite Sport Really Takes
May 1000:44:21Tap to summarizeEllyse Perry is arguably Australia's greatest dual-sport athlete, the only person to have represented Australia in both cricket and football at an international level. In this conversation, she reveals the mental framework behind scoring a Test double century, why she finds deeper meaning in team sport than individual achievement, and how a competitive childhood on Sydney's North Shore set the foundation for everything that followed. Perry also discusses the evolution of her training across two decades at the top, the growth of women's cricket, and the almost meditative headspace she finds batting in the nets - a window into how one of Australia's most enduring athletes thinks about performance, longevity, and what the game gives back. Join my exclusive Mentored+ community: https://mentored.com.au/become-a-member/ Subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: https://mentored.com.au/newsletter See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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