Episodes

  • S02E14: The Menopause Conversation We Should’ve Had Years Ago | Dr Julia Rawlinson

    S02E14: The Menopause Conversation We Should’ve Had Years Ago | Dr Julia Rawlinson
    Jun 3 2026

    Menopause affects every woman, yet for many people, it’s still a conversation shrouded in confusion, silence, and a lack of information.

    In this episode of In the Trenches, Dr Julia Rawlinson joins the podcast to unpack the realities of perimenopause and menopause, the symptoms many women experience years before diagnosis, and why so many suffer in silence without realising what’s happening.

    Julia explains how menopause impacts far more than just hormones, affecting sleep, mood, cognition, bone health, relationships, confidence, and even women’s ability to stay in the workforce. The conversation also explores hormone replacement therapy (HRT), the misconceptions surrounding it, and the importance of evidence-based care and open discussion.

    What Dr Julia Rawlinson Covers:

    • The difference between perimenopause and menopause

    • Why symptoms can begin years before menopause

    • Brain fog, anxiety, sleep disruption, and mood changes

    • Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) explained

    • The controversy surrounding menopause research and HRT

    • The impact of menopause on work, relationships, and daily life

    • Bone health, exercise, and long-term wellbeing

    • Why better menopause education and awareness is needed

    Dr Julia Rawlinson is a GP, Emergency Medicine Certificate holder, and member of the Australasian Menopause Society. Drawing from both her medical expertise and lived experience as a mother of three, Julia brings a practical, compassionate, and evidence-based perspective to one of the most misunderstood health transitions women face.

    If you or someone close to you has ever wondered whether symptoms like exhaustion, irritability, anxiety, brain fog, or disrupted sleep could be connected to perimenopause or menopause, this conversation is an essential starting point.

    Powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers for forward-thinking Australian business owners. financeagency.com.au
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    33 mins
  • S02E13: What Great Leaders Never Walk Past | Building High-Performance Teams w/Stephen Connell

    S02E13: What Great Leaders Never Walk Past | Building High-Performance Teams w/Stephen Connell
    May 19 2026

    Leadership is tested in the everyday standards we set, the people we hire, and the culture we allow to grow.

    In this episode of In the Trenches, Stephen Connell, CEO of MAD3 Engineering, shares hard-earned lessons on leadership, accountability, workplace culture, and building high-performance teams.

    Stephen unpacks why “what you walk past, you accept” is more than a saying - it’s a leadership standard. From managing employees and hiring for values, to building trust, developing people, and creating a culture where teams take ownership, this conversation is packed with practical insight for leaders at every level.

    What Stephen Covers:

    • Building high-performance teams
    • Hiring for values, not just technical skill
    • Managing toxic employees before they damage culture
    • Leading by example and setting clear standards
    • Creating accountability across a business
    • Developing and retaining good people
    • The link between cash flow, communication, and leadership
    • Client satisfaction and delivering practical results
    • Leading an employee-owned engineering business
    • MAD3 Engineering’s values: Responsive, Reliable, Results

    If you care about leadership, team culture, accountability, business growth, or building a workplace where good people stay and perform, this episode is for you.

    Powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers for forward-thinking Australian business owners. financeagency.com.au

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    🔗https://linktr.ee/In_The_Trenches.pod

    🔗Connect with Hanif Ibrahim:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hanif-ibrahim-18175a9/

    🔗Connect with Stephen Connell:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-connell-mba-aicd-46954321/
    Website: https://mad3.com.au/
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • AI Legal Risk & IP in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Business Owners Must Know | with Juan Perez

    AI Legal Risk & IP in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: What Business Owners Must Know | with Juan Perez
    May 11 2026
    Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses create, protect, and lose intellectual property. Most business owners are operating blind to the legal risks — and the opportunity — that AI introduces into their operations right now. In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim welcomes back Juan Perez, IP lawyer and founder of Quest Legal, for a timely and deeply practical conversation about the intersection of AI, intellectual property, and business legal risk in 2026. Juan was on the show earlier to break down IP fundamentals. This time, the conversation goes to the frontier — because the frontier is where most businesses are getting exposed. What Juan covers: - Who owns the IP when your business uses AI to generate content, code, or designs? - What the courts are currently saying about AI-generated work and copyright - How AI tools can inadvertently ingest and reproduce your competitors' protected IP - The contract clauses every business should review if they're using AI tools - How to build an AI usage policy that protects your business and your clients - The specific risks in industries like marketing, legal, finance, and technology - What's coming in AI regulation — and how to position your business ahead of it - Practical steps to audit your AI exposure today The legal landscape around AI is being written right now. This conversation helps you understand what's at stake. Brought to you by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers helping businesses navigate complexity with the right financial foundation. financeagency.com.au #AILaw #IntellectualProperty #AIForBusiness #BusinessLaw #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #ArtificialIntelligence #IPLaw #TechLaw #Entrepreneurship #BusinessRisk
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Why Great Leaders Communicate Differently: The Real Science of Influence | with Alan Sherwood

    Why Great Leaders Communicate Differently: The Real Science of Influence | with Alan Sherwood
    Apr 28 2026
    Most leaders think they're communicating well. Their teams think otherwise. And that gap — invisible to the person at the top — is where trust erodes, performance suffers, and culture quietly breaks down. In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim sits down with Alan Sherwood for a sharp, evidence-informed conversation about why communication is the most underestimated skill in leadership — and what separates the leaders who genuinely connect and influence from those who simply talk. Alan brings both the science and the street-level reality of what happens when leaders fail to communicate with intentionality — and what changes when they finally do. What this episode covers: - The most common communication failures leaders make — and why they're invisible from the top - Why most leaders conflate information-sharing with genuine communication - How to communicate in ways that actually shift thinking and drive action - The role of listening — real listening — in leadership effectiveness - How to tailor your communication style for different people and situations - The connection between communication clarity and team performance - What the research actually says about what makes a leader trustworthy and credible - Practical frameworks any leader can apply immediately If you lead people — at any level — this conversation will change how you show up in every interaction. This episode is supported by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers helping business owners build stronger, more effective organisations. financeagency.com.au #Leadership #BusinessCommunication #LeadershipDevelopment #ExecutiveLeadership #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #TeamPerformance #Entrepreneurship #Influence #LeadershipSkills
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Regenerative Agriculture & The Future of Food: How One CEO Is Turning Waste Into Wealth | with Greg Watts

    Regenerative Agriculture & The Future of Food: How One CEO Is Turning Waste Into Wealth | with Greg Watts
    Apr 20 2026
    What if the answer to our farming crisis has been sitting in our waste all along? In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim sits down with Greg Watts, CEO of C-Wise, for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of environmental science, agricultural economics, and the kind of systems-level thinking that can genuinely change industries. Greg's company turns organic byproducts — things most people would call waste — into high-performance compost at scale. The result? Farmers who reduce their reliance on synthetic fertilisers, improve their soil health, and unlock better yields. What Greg unpacks: - How decades of modern agriculture have stripped carbon from our soils — and what that really means - Why synthetic fertilisers are a short-term fix with long-term consequences - The science and economics of compost as a genuine alternative - Why the age of biology is replacing the age of chemistry in farming - The commercial realities farmers are actually facing right now - How waste-to-resource business models are creating new economic opportunities - Why fixing our soils is ultimately about fixing our food system — and our future This is a conversation about business, science, and the systems that feed us — and what it will take to repair them. Powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers for forward-thinking business owners. financeagency.com.au #RegenerativeAgriculture #FutureOfFood #SustainableFarming #AgriBusiness #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #SoilHealth #CircularEconomy #EnvironmentalBusiness #Entrepreneurship
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    52 mins
  • Young Men in Crisis: Confidence, Social Skills & What's Really Going Wrong | with Mark Boulton

    Young Men in Crisis: Confidence, Social Skills & What's Really Going Wrong | with Mark Boulton
    Apr 6 2026
    Something is changing for young men — and the data, the conversations, and the front-line experience of people working with them points to a real and growing challenge. In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim sits down with Mark Boulton from Arakan Martial Art for an honest, nuanced conversation about the struggles many young men are facing today — from social isolation and gaming addiction to declining confidence, communication skills, and a loss of direction. Mark works closely with young people every day. What he sees — and what he believes is actually helping — is both sobering and instructive. What Mark covers: - Why many young men are struggling with confidence and basic social skills - The specific impact of isolation and digital environments on identity and self-worth - How gaming addiction and passive consumption are affecting development - Why discipline, physical challenge, and shared experience are powerful counterforces - The role of mentorship in developing capable, grounded young men - How martial arts and other structured disciplines create resilience and emotional control - What parents, employers, and community leaders can do differently This conversation goes beyond martial arts. It's about what it means to develop character — and why that work has never been more urgent. Powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers committed to supporting communities where business owners operate. financeagency.com.au #YoungMen #Masculinity #PersonalDevelopment #MartialArts #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #MentalHealthMen #Confidence #SocialSkills #Parenting
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Australia's Defence Industry Boom: The Massive Opportunity Business Owners Are Missing | with Fred Bkamdin

    Australia's Defence Industry Boom: The Massive Opportunity Business Owners Are Missing | with Fred Bkamdin
    Mar 26 2026
    Australia is entering one of the largest defence and shipbuilding booms in its history. And most business owners have no idea what it means for them. In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim sits down with Fred Bkamdin — National Business Growth Manager at Energy Power Systems Australia and President of the Australian Industry & Defence Network WA — to unpack one of the most significant economic stories unfolding in Australia right now. This isn't a conversation about military strategy. It's a conversation about economic opportunity, capability building, and how Australian businesses can position themselves to participate in a once-in-a-generation infrastructure and manufacturing investment. What Fred covers: - The scale of Australia's defence investment and how long the pipeline runs - Why this is a sustained economic shift, not a short-term government contract cycle - The urgent demand for skilled workers and specialist suppliers across the supply chain - How small and mid-sized businesses can enter the defence supply chain - The role of collaboration, trust, and quality certifications in winning defence contracts - What Australian businesses stand to gain from the shipbuilding program - Why the stakes in this industry create different commercial dynamics If you're a business owner in manufacturing, engineering, logistics, or professional services — this episode could open a door you didn't know existed. This episode is powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers helping businesses access the finance needed to pursue big opportunities. financeagency.com.au #AustraliaDefence #DefenceIndustry #ShipbuildingAustralia #BusinessOpportunity #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #ManufacturingAustralia #AUKUS #Entrepreneurship
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Australian Economy 2026: What's Really Happening and What It Means for Your Business | with Daniel Gradwell

    Australian Economy 2026: What's Really Happening and What It Means for Your Business | with Daniel Gradwell
    Mar 18 2026
    A year is a long time in economics. A lot has changed — and some things, frustratingly, haven't. In this episode of In The Trenches, Hanif Ibrahim welcomes back Daniel Gradwell — ANZ Economist and Associate Director of Property — for a return visit nearly 12 months after his debut on Episode 1. The timing is deliberate: a check-in, a recalibration, and a fresh read on where the Australian economy actually stands heading into 2026. Daniel doesn't deal in speculation or political spin. He deals in data, patterns, and the kind of grounded economic analysis that actually helps business owners make better decisions. What this episode covers: - What's changed in the Australian economy since their last conversation — and what hasn't - Interest rate movements: what actually happened vs. what was expected - Shifting market sentiment and what it means for business confidence - The property market update — are the predictions from 12 months ago holding? - Consumer spending behaviour and what it signals for business owners - The economic outlook for 2026 — where the real risks and opportunities sit - How business owners should be positioning themselves right now If you want clarity on what's real in the Australian economy, Daniel is one of the best people to hear it from. Powered by The Finance Agency — salary-paid finance brokers helping business owners navigate financial decisions with less noise and more expertise. financeagency.com.au #AustralianEconomy #EconomicOutlook2026 #InterestRates #BusinessFinance #BusinessPodcast #InTheTrenches #ANZ #PropertyMarket #Entrepreneurship
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    1 hr and 1 min