In this episode of The Glass Ceiling, Marissa Hankinson speaks with Matthew Dew, State Manager of SMAART Recruitment in South Australia.

Matt brings a refreshing lens to recruitment. His background spans tech, retail and financial services, but it’s his people-first mindset that stands out. He believes hiring should be about alignment, values and long-term fit, not just checking boxes on a CV.

We explore what businesses often get wrong about recruitment, why culture fit really matters, and how leadership needs to evolve if teams are going to thrive. From high-performing contact centres to industry advisory boards, Matt shares real stories and sharp insight from the hiring front line.

This is a conversation for anyone who manages people, wants to hire better, or is rethinking how we build stronger teams.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #MatthewDew #SMAARTRecruitment #PeopleFirstLeadership #CultureFitMatters #HiringWithHeart #ModernRecruitment #LeadershipStrategy #BusinessCulture #WavebreakerProductions #ValuesBasedHiring #TeamPerformance

In this episode of The Glass Ceiling, Marissa Hankinson is joined by Tyson Gundersen, CEO of With Bureau and national finalist in the Emerging category of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2026.

With Bureau is not your typical design company. What started in Adelaide has now expanded into New York, Singapore, Sydney and London, reshaping how the world thinks about modular workspaces. Tyson shares how a product-led vision and strategic partnerships have powered their global growth.

With a mindset shaped by family business roots, Tyson talks openly about what it takes to scale without losing your values, how to lead through uncertainty, and why the best ideas are often the ones that push you out of your comfort zone.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #TysonGundersen #EYEntrepreneurOfTheYear #EmergingEntrepreneur #NationalFinalist #WithBureau #GlobalFromAdelaide #AustralianInnovation #DesignLeadership #WorkspaceDesign #LeadershipJourney #ProductLedGrowth #WavebreakerProductions #BoldLeadership #EntrepreneurshipInAction

What do fruit blocks, ad agencies and strategy rooms have in common? Rod Buchecker.

In this episode, Marissa Hankinson speaks with Rod about his journey from growing up in the Riverland to shaping leadership across Australia. With a career that began on a weighbridge at 17 and moved through the fast-paced world of Clemenger and BBDO, Rod shares how asking the right questions became his sharpest leadership tool.

Now a brand strategist, mentor and the chair of CE30 for The Executive Connection, Rod is known for helping people cut through complexity, reconnect with purpose and lead with more clarity. He reflects on his early years in business, the impact of his father’s death, and why leadership without reflection is just noise.

It’s a thoughtful, energising conversation from someone who knows how to hold space for real insight.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #RodBuchecker #LeadershipClarity #AustralianLeaders #StrategyCoach #BrandStrategist #ExecutiveMentor #WavebreakerProductions #CareerJourney #LeadWithPurpose

What do you do with a $134 French martini fail and a bottle of Chambord you’ll never use again? If you’re Jesse Cordoma, you build a business around it.

In this episode, Marissa Hankinson chats to South Australia’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year about his inventive journey from cocktail disaster to launching Cusion — a sleek, pod-based drinks system designed to deliver bar-quality cocktails at the push of a button.

Jesse shares how the idea struck during his uni days, how COVID stalled early progress, and why returning to his career in engineering turned out to be the best detour. He also lifts the lid on patents, prototypes, and the unglamorous realities of bringing a product to market. Oh, and there’s a cameo from a slightly smashed pod dispenser at the Adelaide 500.

A lighthearted, insightful chat with a founder who’s as sharp with logistics as he is with a cocktail pun.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #JesseCordoma #CusionCocktails #YoungEntrepreneur #StartupStory #MadeInSA #DrinkTech #InnovationInAction #WavebreakerProductions #PodcastAustralia

Bram Lagrou didn’t move to Australia for business. He moved for love and found himself rebuilding his career from scratch. What followed was a bold leap into entrepreneurship, drawing on decades of international sales and coaching experience to help leaders connect, grow and lead from within.

In this episode, Marissa Hankinson chats to the Belgian-born psychologist, strategist and founder of Lagrou Partners about making brave decisions, building a values-led business, and why personal development should never be optional. From mentoring under global names like Brian Tracy and Dr John Demartini to his no-plan entry into Australian entrepreneurship, Bram shares what it really takes to grow in life and leadership.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #BramLagrou #LeadershipPsychology #EntrepreneurshipStory #ImmigrantFounder #HighPerformanceMindset #PersonalDevelopment #WavebreakerProductions #ReinventYourself #AustralianPodcasts

When Jane Pappin left her hospital shift one night, she didn’t just walk out the door. She walked straight into entrepreneurship and never looked back.

With over 35 years of nursing experience, Jane saw first-hand the gaps in post-discharge care and decided to do something about it. No side hustle. No safety net. Just a belief that she could create a better model.

In this episode, Marissa Hankinson sits down with the founder of Pop-Up Health to unpack the bold beginnings of the business, why aged care is everyone’s responsibility, and how Jane scaled a family-run operation to support hundreds of South Australians and eventually join the national Lumiere Care Network.

A no-nonsense conversation about purpose-led leadership, risk-taking, and backing yourself in an uncertain system.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #JanePappin #PopUpHealth #HealthcareInnovation #AgedCareAustralia #LeadershipInNursing #WomenInBusiness #WavebreakerProductions #PurposeDrivenLeadership #StartupStories

Danielle Colley didn’t follow a traditional path. She left high school, went to drama school, and built a life from a series of reinventions — actor, audio producer, TV producer, journalist, and now confidence coach. But what stayed constant? Her ability to back herself, even when it felt terrifying.

In this episode, Danielle shares her raw and relatable story of rebuilding from scratch — raising two young kids alone, navigating burnout, and using a personal blog to kickstart her career in wellbeing journalism. Now a sought-after coach and author, she’s helping people and organisations redefine success, confidence and the culture we build around achievement.

A funny, thoughtful and deeply human conversation about backing yourself, letting go of hustle culture, and making choices that actually feel good.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #DanielleColley #ConfidenceCoach #BurnoutRecovery #RedefiningSuccess #WomenInLeadership #AuthenticLiving #WavebreakerProductions #LifeAfterBurnout #SelfWorthMatters

Nick Simpson’s business story starts in a citrus orchard and weaves through everything from beef filtration to landscape gardening, injury recovery and now pet nutrition.

In this episode, Marissa Hankinson speaks to the founder of Port Lincoln Pet Treats about growing up in a Riverland repatriation scheme, launching his first business after school, and the messy, nonlinear path to building something that sticks.

Nick opens up about the back injury that changed his career trajectory, the collapse of a key supplier that could have ended everything, and the road trip that sparked a new joint venture. The result? A fast-growing brand that now exports premium seafood-based treats to Asia and beyond.

A frank and uplifting conversation about resilience, reinvention and building businesses without buzzwords.

Produced by Wavebreaker Productions.

#TheGlassCeilingPodcast #NickSimpson #PortLincolnPetTreats #StartupJourney #SouthAustralianBusiness #FounderStory #ResilientLeadership #RegionalInnovation #WavebreakerProductions #BootstrappedBusiness