Episodes

Sustainable leadership starts from the inside out,Ella Zhang on inner operating systems, burnout recovery, and building capability through micro habits.Leadership capability is not built in annual programs or off-site workshops. It's built on the foundation of four inner operating systems: ment…

Portfolio careers for experienced professionals offer a strategic alternative to traditional employment in an era of AI disruption and corporate uncertainty. In this episode of the Wisepreneurs Podcast, Nigel Rawlins speaks with Ben Legg, former COO of Google Europe and co-founder of The Portfolio …

Building a consulting practice through relationships and conversations rather than marketing systems, based on patterns across 1,300 coaching engagements in 75 industries. Michael Zipursky, co-founder of Consulting Success, describes the three stages where independent consultants get stuck and why …

Dante St James has lived nine careers before most people settle into one. From psychiatric medicine to radio to digital marketing to cafes and menswear chains, he has built a portfolio of businesses from the ground up in Darwin. In this episode, he makes the case for the generalist — the profession…

Dr Miklós Pohl OAM is a 78-year-old plastic surgeon, violinist, violist, and founder of the Australian Doctor’s Orchestra. In this episode, he shares how music became his passport to connection across continents, from fleeing Hungary as a nine-year-old refugee to performing chamber music in New…

What happens to the 95% of leads that never convert? Australian carpenter turned AI specialist Darren Waldron built systems to find out. In this episode, Darren reveals how database reactivation and speed to lead automation are helping businesses recover revenue from contacts they'd written off as …

Melisa Liberman built a thriving consulting practice through an accidental start 13 years ago when her CEO asked her to stay on as a management consultant after she resigned. Now a coach for consultants, she reveals the systematic approach that helped her—and hundreds of clients—build sustainable b…

In her fourth appearance on Wisepreneurs, psychologist Meredith Fuller addresses a problem many experienced professionals face: contributing significant value while feeling completely invisible. Drawing from over 45 years counseling individuals who "don't quite fit," Meredith explains why refle…

Mark Trinham has spent over 30 years building a thriving full-time art practice without formal business training—creating large-scale public artworks, running a successful collaboration company, and maintaining creative independence. In this conversation, Mark reveals how he moved from illustration…

At 73, Jon Younger has navigated from Exxon executive to business builder to independent advisor. In this conversation, he explores what makes professional wisdom valuable when AI handles routine knowledge work, why traditional career stages no longer apply, and most importantly—what makes intellec…

Mayumi Kataoka is a certified forest therapy guide in Sydney who takes professionals on three-hour walks covering barely 1.2 kilometres. Her path from IT professional and martial arts instructor to nature photographer to forest therapy guide built the observational capacity she now brings to her pr…

Anna Burgess Yang built automation systems for her FinTech writing business that kept it running for two months while she recovered from brain tumour surgery. In this conversation she walks through the specific tools and workflows that made this possible, from Zapier automations to financial buffer…

What happens when a 74-year-old doctor with 50 years of experience discovers a biological system he never learned about in medical school? Dr. Michael Best's accidental entry into medicinal cannabis research during COVID led to an extraordinary late-career transformation. Now 80, he's writing a…

The Core RevelationIn this three-hour conversation, Robert Vlach, author of "The Freelance Way" and leader of Europe's largest freelance community, challenges conventional career advice for experienced professionals. Rather than competing through personal branding and social media, Vlach reveals …

This episode features investigative science writer Amy Alkon, author of Going Menopostal, who reveals the alarming gap between scientific evidence and standard medical practice in women’s health. Alkon argues that the medical system often fails women during perimenopause and menopause due to a lack…

In this episode of Wisepreneurs, host Nigel Rawlins sits down with renowned author and knowledge management expert Sönke Ahrens, to unpack how note-taking transforms experience into lasting insight. Drawing on his bestselling book How to Take Smart Notes, Ahrens outlines how the Zettelkasten me…

Ask Nigel Rawlins a question or send feedback, click the link to text me. This episode is a masterclass in career reinvention after 60. For professional women considering entrepreneurship, the path can seem filled with challenges, from overcoming age discrimination to navigating financial uncertain…

Career reinvention for women over 60 begins with your network and wisdom. In Wisepreneurs Podcast episode #71, Laetitia Vitaud, feminist and work-revolution thinker, shares how women can launch solo ventures using their 150 trusted relationships. “The most important asset to start a business is…

In this inspiring episode of the Wisepreneurs Podcast, Laurie Smale shares his remarkable journey of resilience and reinvention. From leaving school at 13 to working in a junkyard and an Italian glass factory, Laurie faced numerous challenges, including a deep fear of math and technology. With the …

Curating for the Curious: How Tomáš Baránek Picks Books That MatterJoin Tomáš Baránek, Czech publisher and technologist, as he shares why print books still matter in an AI-driven world. Discover how his curated nonfiction sparks deep learning, how AI supports—not replaces—creative work, and why c…

Retirement planning for professional women that addresses identity, purpose, and community rather than finances alone. What happens when a distinguished accounting professor decides there's more to life than academia? In this captivating conversation, 66-year-old Kim Watty reveals her remarkable jo…

In this episode of Thriving in the Age of AI, host Nigel Rawlins interviews digital innovation expert Filip Drimalka about the future of work in an AI-driven world. Filip, author of The Future of No Work, discusses how AI is reshaping knowledge work, automation, and productivity. He shares insi…

This episode of Wisepreneurs introduces Michal Novotný, a physiotherapist with over 25 years of experience transforming the careers of elite athletes and Hollywood stars. Michal explains how prevention, personalized health strategies, and holistic wellness can extend longevity, improve flexibility,…

In this episode of The Wisepreneurs Podcast, Anna Burgess Yang, a former FinTech executive turned freelance content writer and solopreneur, shares her journey of career reinvention. She discusses leveraging tools and automation to optimize workflows, building a personal brand to attract clients, an…