
Advertise on podcast: The Inner Chief
Rating
5from
This podcast has
484 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
Greg LaytonExplicit
No
Date created
2017/06/07
Latest episode
2026/09/22
Average duration
28 min.
Release period
12 days
Description
The Inner Chief is a leadership podcast for managers and leaders who want to accelerate their career and build high performing teams. Every episode is dedicated to helping leaders rise above the pressure of work to establish a more meaningful career and life. Through a series of CEO interviews and minisodes, listeners are guided through practical leadership strategies, executive performance habits, career tips and business advice. https://www.chiefmaker.com/connect
Unlock The Inner Chief podcast Email contact info,
Listeners & Audience details
Email contact information
Direct podcast contact details

Listeners
Audience numbers & engagement insights

Audience details
Podcast Insights

Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from The Inner Chief podcast
#395 The 4 Rs of M&A transactions, guiding high-stakes negotiations, and post-deal integration success, with Natasha Mandie, Founder & CEO of EM Advisory
2026/09/22
"Understand there's no zero-risk option in a transaction, but there is a lot of upside, particularly if you can get everyone aligned."
In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Natasha Mandie, Founder & CEO of EM Advisory, on the 4 Rs of M&A transactions, guiding high-stakes negotiations, and post-deal integration success.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/395 👂
INFLUENCE DIFFICULT STAKEHOLDERS USING THIS STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE: chiefmaker.com/stakeholders
Natasha is the CEO of EM Advisory, an independent corporate advisory firm working with Founders, CEOs and Boards at critical moments of capital, succession, growth and transaction decision-making.
With almost 30 years' experience across capital markets, governance, M&A and strategic growth, she has advised on more than 250 transactions spanning growth capital, strategic partnerships and founder exits across Australia and New Zealand.
Her work typically sits in the $20 million to $200 million transaction range, where leaders need more than a process; they need judgement, structure, narrative, negotiation support and the confidence to make hard calls.
Natasha is known for her clear, evidence-based advice and for telling clients when to raise, sell, hold, restructure, walk away or change the story before value is lost.
In this M&A Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ How the Four Rs can guide better M&A deal making and reduce transaction risk.
✅ Why guardrails, rapport and the power of saying no matter in high-stakes negotiations.
✅ How people, culture and incentives can determine whether post-deal integration succeeds or fails, and
✅ Why founders and corporate executives experience M&A differently, and how that shapes negotiation behaviour.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Natasha Mandie You can connect with Natasha via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Getting Naked - by Patrick Lencioni
Similar Episodes on Mergers & Acquisitions James Schofield, Founder of Insight Investor Relations, on Pitching your business, raising capital and winning investor trust
Ant Moorhouse, Co-Founder and CEO of EarthTech, on Purpose-driven leadership, and changing the planet by harnessing technology and capitalism
Ben Simon, Partner at Rose Partners, on Diffusing heated negotiations, identifying red flags during a deal, and managing founders
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#394 GTFG (Get the F*n Gold): Five Principles for focus, alignment and nailing goals [Minisode]
2026/09/15
" Simplicity scales, complexity fails."
Chief, in today's Minisode I walk you through strategic focus for maximum performance impact, and why you should align your team to go in search of your 'gold'.
There are times in business when the sheer number of things you could do becomes the biggest barrier to doing what actually matters. Projects multiply. Priorities compete. Every department has initiatives that seem important.
Before long, an organisation can be incredibly busy while making very little progress on the outcome that matters most.
That is where GTFG comes in.
It is a mindset I first developed while working on a turnaround at an African gold mine in 2013. But the lesson applies to almost any executive team, business or organisation.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/394 👂
ARE YOU PRIORITISING CORE BUSINESS? Or are you wasting time and effort on non-core activities? Identify where your team should be spending all their time. chiefmaker.com/focus
In this Minisode, I'll break down for you:
✅ How to define your gold and align the team around one shared outcome
✅ Why simplicity, ruthless prioritisation and removing distraction improve execution, and
✅ How ownership, collaboration and the right people create high-performance teams.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#393 Leading at the right level (and why it's actually three levels) [Minisode]
2026/08/25
"To be highly effective and be a true Chief, you actually have to work at three levels: your level, the level below you and the level above you."
Chief, in today's Minisode I walk you through the concept of leading at the right level, and why it's so crucial to building a track record that will supercharge your career progression.
One of the conversations I have regularly with Heads of Talent, Heads of HR and CEOs is whether someone is really operating at the level their role requires.
Understanding these levels will also help you build high-performance teams because you can become much clearer about what level of leader a particular role - and therefore the business - actually needs.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/393 👂
JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE MOST PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON THE MARKET (NPS: 91): chiefmaker.com/minimba
In this Minisode, I'll break down for you:
✅ How the 6 Levels of Leadership change your work, accountability and time horizon
✅ Why high-value leaders operate at their level, plus the levels above and below, and
✅ How to stop working in the weeds and build evidence of your leadership track record.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
Mini Chief: Running a powerful 360 feedback process, with Tracey Burton, Executive Director of Uniting [Best of Series]
2026/08/17
"The important thing about 360 feedback is to sit down with the people who gave you the feedback and be brave and transparent about what you learnt and what you'll do with it."
This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.
This Mini Chief episode features Tracey Burton, Executive Director of Uniting.
Her full episode is titled Experiential learning, 360 degree feedback and the future of the health industry.
You can find the full audio and show notes here:
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/391 👂
DISCOVER HOW THE CHIEF MAKER MINI MBA WILL DRIVE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN REAL-TIME. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
Tracey has been the Executive Director of Uniting NSW/ACT since April 2018.
She has more than 35 years' experience in the Australian health and community services sector including leadership roles at St John of God Health Care, Ramsay Healthcare and St Vincent's Health Australia.
In addition to her executive management roles, she has also served as a Board Director for aged care services, disability services in New Zealand and for a medical research foundation.
Tracey holds a Bachelor of Health Administration, an MBA, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has done an Executive program in Negotiation at Columbia University in New York.
In the full Best of Series Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Why being the smartest person in the room won't help you lead
✅ How to supplement formal education with experiential continuous learning
✅ The do's and don'ts of 360 feedback and why it is so powerful; and
✅ The future of the healthcare industry and how these now measure up 7 years after our initial interview.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Tracey Burton You can connect with Tracey via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Your Leadership Diamond - by Paul Mitchell
The Untethered Soul - by Michael Singer
Similar Episodes on feedback Paula Martin, Executive Director, Regional NSW and Visitor Economy at Business NSW, on Learning from everyone, adapting to shorter strategy cycles, and genuinely receiving feedback
Neil Craig, Former AFL Head Coach on High performance environments, your North Star and decision-making under pressure
Chief Maker Minisode Series on How to Give Feedback
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#392 The Executive's Guide to Organisational Value Creation and Protection [Minisode]
2026/08/12
" Value is not always profit; it's the outcome the organisation is designed, funded, trusted or judged to produce. And if your track record aligns to that, the more valuable you become."
Chief, in today's Minisode I run you through the various ways organisations create value for their various stakeholders.
In today's world, I believe that many have become distracted from the actual core role of being a Chief, which is to create value and to protect value, depending on the kind of organisation you work for.
Today, I walk you through the above and why understanding it is so important for your career momentum - whether as an owner, founder, leader, board member or shareholder.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/392 👂
EQUIP YOUR MIDDLE MANAGERS AND SENIOR LEADERS WITH THE TOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE AND RESULTS. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
In this Minisode, I'll break down for you:
✅ The key differences between Value Creation and Value Protection.
✅ The various types of value that a company creates and protects.
✅ Value drivers and measures in each organisation type, and how you can build your personal track record.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#391 Experiential learning, 360 degree feedback and the future of the health industry, with Tracey Burton, Executive Director of Uniting [Best of Series]
2026/07/30
"I was attempting to be the smartest person in the room, trying to add value to somebody else's work. It was not facilitating others' greatest contributions. In fact, it shuts people down."
In this Best of Series episode, we replay a chat I had in 2019 with Tracey Burton, Executive Director of Uniting, on experiential learning, 360 degree feedback and the future of the health industry.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/391 👂
DISCOVER HOW THE CHIEF MAKER MINI MBA WILL DRIVE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN REAL-TIME. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
Tracey has been the Executive Director of Uniting NSW/ACT since April 2018.
She has more than 35 years' experience in the Australian health and community services sector including leadership roles at St John of God Health Care, Ramsay Healthcare and St Vincent's Health Australia.
In addition to her executive management roles, she has also served as a Board Director for aged care services, disability services in New Zealand and for a medical research foundation.
Tracey holds a Bachelor of Health Administration, an MBA, is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has done an Executive program in Negotiation at Columbia University in New York.
In this Best of Series Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Why being the smartest person in the room won't help you lead
✅ How to supplement formal education with experiential continuous learning
✅ The do's and don'ts of 360 feedback and why it is so powerful; and
✅ The future of the healthcare industry and how these now measure up 7 years after our initial interview.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Tracey Burton You can connect with Tracey via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Your Leadership Diamond - by Paul Mitchell
The Untethered Soul - by Michael Singer
Similar Episodes on feedback Paula Martin, Executive Director, Regional NSW and Visitor Economy at Business NSW, on Learning from everyone, adapting to shorter strategy cycles, and genuinely receiving feedback
Neil Craig, Former AFL Head Coach on High performance environments, your North Star and decision-making under pressure
Chief Maker Minisode Series on How to Give Feedback
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
Mini Chief: The keys to a perfect night's sleep with sleep guru Dr Carmel Harrington [Best of Series]
2026/06/24
"When we sleep, a spinal fluid washes over our brain and gets rid of a peptide called beta-amyloid which is implicated in the Alzheimer dementia process. So if we're not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, we really do suffer the consequences later on."
This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.
This Mini Chief episode features Dr Carmel Harrington, an Executive Sleep Guru and Managing Director of Sleep for Health.
Her full episode is titled The myths and factors of sleep that drive optimal health, joy and performance.
You can find the full audio and show notes here:
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/389 👂
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK. Make sure you assess all your leaders using the same systemised approach with this performance assessment tool: chiefmaker.com/performance
Carmel is an internationally recognised sleep expert, having worked in the world of sleep for more than 20 years. She is the Managing Director of Sleep for Health and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Children's Hospital Westmead.
Following a career as a lawyer and educator, she obtained a PHD in Sleep Medicine from Sydney University and consults with companies and educational institutions both here and overseas on sleep health.
Amazed at the seemingly little importance given to sleep, she dove head-first into the emerging research that clearly demonstrated that sleeping well was a key component of optimal performance and health.
Carmel has also written two books, "The Sleep Diet" and "The complete guide to a good night's sleep".
In the full Sleep Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ The crazy myths we carry about sleep and how short-circuiting this vital human function does far more than just make us tired.
✅ The different kinds of sleep and the optimal number of hours we need each night.
✅ Polyphasic sleep, caffeine, alcohol, diet, and
✅ What to do when you can't sleep!
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Dr Carmel Harrington You can connect with Carmel via her website, sleepforhealth.com.au
Books and Resources The Sleep Diet - by Dr Carmel Harrington
The complete guide to a good night's sleep - by Dr Carmel Harrington
The 4-Hour Body - by Tim Ferriss
Similar Episodes on Sleep and Recovery The Sleep Doctor, Dr Michael Breus, on How to fix your sleep, achieving maximum performance outcomes, and the four chronotypes
Chief Maker Minisode on How elite Chiefs do recovery properly
Chief Maker Minisode on Top 3 tips for beating overwhelm and burnout
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#390 The Ultimate Guide to conducting Annual Performance Reviews like a true Chief [Minisode]
2026/06/16
"The best annual performance reviews are built all year long."
Chief, in today's Minisode I run you through how to run Annual Performance Reviews really well, so much so that they are enjoyable, collaborative and result in your people giving sustained extra effort and kicking goals for the company.
I know for many of you, these meetings and processes can be stressful and you might not like delivering them. And if that's the case, you might find that the person you're reviewing will definitely not like experiencing them!
Today, I walk you through the exact frameworks I use for his process and how you can lead with distinction and be the leader to your people that you always wanted to be.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/390 👂
HAVING SOMEONE'S CAREER PROGRESSION IN YOUR HANDS IS A PRIVILEGE. Are you taking this responsibility seriously? Find out how with our Performance Review guide: chiefmaker.com/performancereviews
In this Minisode, I'll break down for you:
✅ Your mindset and role as a leader and coach in annual performance reviews.
✅ Preparation and context to ensure you're ready for the meeting.
✅ The CLEAR framework that provides a strong meeting agenda for maximum impact.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
Mini Chief: Building human bridges in an AI world, with Nick Lissette, Founder & CEO of Blackpearl Group
2026/06/08
"Sales and marketing just seems to be like a lost skill so you have to learn to be the differentiator as the human bridge."
This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.
This Mini Chief episode features Nick Lissette, Founder & CEO of Blackpearl Group.
His full episode is titled Driving data into dollars, building human bridges in an AI world, and his "win or die" attitude.
You can find the full audio and show notes here:
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/388 👂
JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE MOST PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON THE MARKET (NPS: 91): chiefmaker.com/minimba
Nick is the Founder and CEO of Blackpearl Group, a global data and AI technology company based in Wellington, New Zealand.
With over 20 years in software, data and AI, he has built a career developing intelligent technology that drives measurable business growth.
Under Nick's leadership, Blackpearl has grown from a founder-funded startup to a publicly listed global company providing purpose-built AI-powered tools to small to medium enterprises, helping them find and convert customers without expensive ad dependence.
Nick is something of a serial entrepreneur, having founded an anti-spam SaaS service called Silver Cloud Mail in 2006, which he sold in 2012.
In the full AI Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Why AI speed only matters when it drives customer revenue outcomes.
✅ How to defend your business when code is no longer an obstacle.
✅ Why sales, marketing and human bridges still remain critical competitive advantages, and
✅ How executives can become AI-ready before AI takes their job.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Nick Lissette You can connect with Nick via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Creating Sustainable Advantage - by Jaynie Smith
Pitch Anything - by Oren Klaff
Similar Episodes on Artificial Intelligence Joel Pearson, Director of the Future Minds Lab, on Leading in uncertainty, Future-proofing for the AI revolution, and De-risking innovation
Angus Stevens, Co-Founder & CEO of Start Beyond, on Putting guardrails on innovation and creating useful technology for tangible real-world problems
Kath Blackham, CEO of The VERSA Group, on Extracting huge value from diversity and inclusion, the 4-day work week, and using tech for good
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#389 Reducing dementia risk, optimising sleep and unlocking health, joy and performance with Dr Carmel Harrington [Best of Series]
2026/06/02
"When we sleep, a spinal fluid washes over our brain and gets rid of a peptide called beta-amyloid which is implicated in the Alzheimer dementia process. So if we're not getting enough sleep on a regular basis, we really do suffer the consequences later on."
In this Best of Series episode, we replay a chat I had in 2019 with Executive Sleep Guru, Dr Carmel Harrington, on the myths and factors of sleep that drive optimal health, joy and performance.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/389 👂
PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK. Make sure you assess all your leaders using the same systemised approach with this performance assessment tool: chiefmaker.com/performance
Carmel is an internationally recognised sleep expert, having worked in the world of sleep for more than 20 years. She is the Managing Director of Sleep for Health and an Honorary Research Fellow at the Children's Hospital Westmead.
Following a career as a lawyer and educator, she obtained a PHD in Sleep Medicine from Sydney University and consults with companies and educational institutions both here and overseas on sleep health.
Amazed at the seemingly little importance given to sleep, she dove head-first into the emerging research that clearly demonstrated that sleeping well was a key component of optimal performance and health.
Carmel has also written two books, "The Sleep Diet" and "The complete guide to a good night's sleep".
In this Sleep Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ The crazy myths we carry about sleep and how short-circuiting this vital human function does far more than just make us tired.
✅ The different kinds of sleep and the optimal number of hours we need each night.
✅ Polyphasic sleep, caffeine, alcohol, diet, and
✅ What to do when you can't sleep!
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Dr Carmel Harrington You can connect with Carmel via her website, sleepforhealth.com.au
Books and Resources The Sleep Diet - by Dr Carmel Harrington
The complete guide to a good night's sleep - by Dr Carmel Harrington
The 4-Hour Body - by Tim Ferriss
Similar Episodes on Sleep and Recovery The Sleep Doctor, Dr Michael Breus, on How to fix your sleep, achieving maximum performance outcomes, and the four chronotypes
Chief Maker Minisode on How elite Chiefs do recovery properly
Chief Maker Minisode on Top 3 tips for beating overwhelm and burnout
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#388 Driving data into dollars, building human bridges in an AI world, and his "win or die" attitude, with Nick Lissette, Founder & CEO of Blackpearl Group
2026/05/19
"Is your customer winning from using your product? Are they making or saving money from you? If so, how much and how is that measurable to your product?"
In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to Nick Lissette, Founder & CEO of Blackpearl Group, on Driving data into dollars, building human bridges in an AI world, and his "win or die" attitude.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/388 👂
JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE MOST PRACTICAL LEADERSHIP & EXECUTIVE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON THE MARKET (NPS: 91): chiefmaker.com/minimba
Nick is the Founder and CEO of Blackpearl Group, a global data and AI technology company based in Wellington, New Zealand.
With over 20 years in software, data and AI, he has built a career developing intelligent technology that drives measurable business growth.
Under Nick's leadership, Blackpearl has grown from a founder-funded startup to a publicly listed global company providing purpose-built AI-powered tools to small to medium enterprises, helping them find and convert customers without expensive ad dependence.
Nick is something of a serial entrepreneur, having founded an anti-spam SaaS service called Silver Cloud Mail in 2006, which he sold in 2012.
In this AI Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Why AI speed only matters when it drives customer revenue outcomes.
✅ How to defend your business when code is no longer an obstacle.
✅ Why sales, marketing and human bridges still remain critical competitive advantages, and
✅ How executives can become AI-ready before AI takes their job
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with Nick Lissette You can connect with Nick via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Creating Sustainable Advantage - by Jaynie Smith
Pitch Anything - by Oren Klaff
Similar Episodes on Artificial Intelligence Joel Pearson, Director of the Future Minds Lab, on Leading in uncertainty, Future-proofing for the AI revolution, and De-risking innovation
Angus Stevens, Co-Founder & CEO of Start Beyond, on Putting guardrails on innovation and creating useful technology for tangible real-world problems
Kath Blackham, CEO of The VERSA Group, on Extracting huge value from diversity and inclusion, the 4-day work week, and using tech for good
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
Mini Chief: Building alliances with your enemies to get things done, with David Borger, Executive Director for Business Western Sydney and former NSW Politician
2026/05/17
"If you've got good relationships and you're building alliances around ideas and issues, you can get things done."
This is a special episode only available to our podcast subscribers, which we call The Mini Chief. These are short, sharp highlights from our fabulous guests, where you get a 5 to 10 minute snapshot from their full episode.
This Mini Chief episode features David Borger, Executive Director for Business Western Sydney and former NSW Politician.
His full episode is titled Building alliances with your enemies, finding your executive courage, and championing legacy projects.
You can find the full audio and show notes here:
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/386 👂
DISCOVER HOW THE CHIEF MAKER MINI MBA WILL DRIVE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN REAL-TIME. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
David is the Executive Director of Business Western Sydney, where he champions the growth, infrastructure and innovation precincts shaping one of Australia's most important regions.
A former Lord Mayor of Parramatta (the youngest ever at just 30), David has also been the State Member for Granville and Minister for Roads and Housing, and has has spent his career bringing people together around big ideas and getting things done.
He has served on a range of Boards across government, business, transport, culture and urban development, including NRMA and the Powerhouse Museum.
David is still as passionate as ever about ensuring that all communities are great places to live, regardless of where they are located.
In the full Relationship-building Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Building alliances around ideas, by communicating even with your enemies.
✅ Finding the courage to speak up when you first get elevated to a senior position.
✅ Advocating for large projects in small decision time windows, and
✅ Championing Western Sydney's infrastructure, innovation precincts and legacy projects.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with David Borger You can connect with David via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Freedom's Forge - by Arthur Herman
The New Geography of Jobs - by Enrico Moretti
Similar Episodes from Business NSW Paula Martin, Executive Director, Regional NSW and Visitor Economy, on Learning from everyone, adapting to shorter strategy cycles, and genuinely receiving feedback
Paul Nicolaou, the Executive Director of Business Sydney, on The 3Ps of building an insanely valuable network, daring to be different, and making people happy
Zaklina Craig, Executive Director – People, Culture & Workplace, on Optimising role design for peak performance, managing differences in confidence between men and women, and navigating the decision to fire someone
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#387 The 5 pillars of building a High Performance Team [Minisode]
2026/05/13
"This framework is the core of what we do at Chief Maker. We join leaders' intuitive abilities with a framework and a process they can follow and repeat and really make it their own."
Chief, in today's Minisode I run you through the High Performance Teams framework that is behind the Chief Maker MiniMBA Program we run every quarter for executives and other aspiring senior leaders.
Recently, in Episode 385, I spoke about the I AM GREAT method, which I believe is crucial to implement if you desire to lead a high-performing team.
Today, I walk you through the 5 pillars of the HPT framework so that you get a clear understanding of what separates good teams from great ones.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/387 👂
EQUIP YOUR MIDDLE MANAGERS AND SENIOR LEADERS WITH THE TOOLS TO DRIVE CHANGE AND RESULTS. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
In this Minisode, I'll break down for you:
✅ How and why I developed the High Performance Teams framework
✅ The 5 pillars: Mission, People, Culture, Tools, Execution, and
✅ How leaders can unite their intuition with a framework for repeatable implementation.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#386 Building alliances with your enemies, finding your executive courage, and championing legacy projects with David Borger, Executive Director for Business Western Sydney and former NSW Politician
2026/04/29
"I remember being a young bloke as Lord Mayor and I was almost reticent to ask my small team to do the job. I felt guilty. Over time I realised that delegating is actually giving people opportunities."
In this episode of The Inner Chief podcast, I speak to David Borger, Executive Director for Business Western Sydney and former NSW Politician, on Building alliances with your enemies, finding your executive courage, and championing legacy projects.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/386 👂
DISCOVER HOW THE CHIEF MAKER MINI MBA WILL DRIVE PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN REAL-TIME. JOIN THE WAITLIST: chiefmaker.com/minimba
David is the Executive Director of Business Western Sydney, where he champions the growth, infrastructure and innovation precincts shaping one of Australia's most important regions.
A former Lord Mayor of Parramatta (the youngest ever at just 30), David has also been the State Member for Granville and Minister for Roads and Housing, and has has spent his career bringing people together around big ideas and getting things done.
He has served on a range of Boards across government, business, transport, culture and urban development, including NRMA and the Powerhouse Museum.
David is still as passionate as ever about ensuring that all communities are great places to live, regardless of where they are located.
In this Masterclass, we talk about:
✅ Building alliances around ideas, by communicating even with your enemies.
✅ Finding the courage to speak up when you first get elevated to a senior position.
✅ Advocating for large projects in small decision time windows, and
✅ Championing Western Sydney's infrastructure, innovation precincts and legacy projects.
Stay epic,
Greg
Connecting with David Borger You can connect with David via LinkedIn.
Books and Resources Freedom's Forge - by Arthur Herman
The New Geography of Jobs - by Enrico Moretti
Similar Episodes from Business NSW Paula Martin, Executive Director, Regional NSW and Visitor Economy, on Learning from everyone, adapting to shorter strategy cycles, and genuinely receiving feedback
Paul Nicolaou, the Executive Director of Business Sydney, on The 3Ps of building an insanely valuable network, daring to be different, and making people happy
Zaklina Craig, Executive Director – People, Culture & Workplace, on Optimising role design for peak performance, managing differences in confidence between men and women, and navigating the decision to fire someone
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
#385 I AM GREAT: The exact framework you need for executive mastery [Minisode]
2026/04/15
"What I noticed was that a lot of the self-help material out there really just didn't give you a sense of how to build the high performance system in order to achieve excellence and flow."
Chief, in today's Minisode I am going to give you the background on how I developed the I AM GREAT framework for executive mastery, and how I've evolved it over time.
As a leadership and executive coach for nearly 20 years, I have witnessed the extremes of performance: what makes teams succeed beyond their capacity, and what causes them to fail spectacularly.
Over time, I've developed and iterated a framework which I believe is crucial to implement if you desire to lead a high-performing team.
Today, I give you the step-by-step actions you need to take in order to rise above the pack, inspire your people, and leave a legacy.
🎧👉 chiefmaker.com/385 👂
WANT TO BE A SOUGHT AFTER, IN-DEMAND EXECUTIVE? DISCOVER THE NEXT STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE TO BUILD TRUST, GAIN RESPECT AND ACCELERATE YOUR CAREER: chiefmaker.com/IAMGREAT
In this episode, I'll break down for you:
✅ Why I developed the GREAT Method for achieving excellence in your career
✅ The evolution to I AM GREAT and why this difference matters, and
✅ How this framework fits into building a High Performance Team.
Stay epic,
Greg
Follow Chief Maker 📝 Get my Finish Strong monthly newsletter with insanely valuable career tips
👍 Follow Chief Maker on LinkedIn or Instagram
📃 Grab one of the many FREE Leadership Resources
📈 Join the waitlist for the Chief Maker MiniMBA
🎓 Take one of the Chief Maker Academy courses
🍏 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Apple Podcasts
🎵 Subscribe for free to The Inner Chief podcast on Spotify
🎬 Subscribe for free to the Chief Maker YouTube channel
🤝 Connect with the Chief Maker
Podcast reviews
Read The Inner Chief podcast reviews
Chinacol 2021/02/19
Well worth the time
Fantastic podcast! They’re interesting & insightful. A well spent 45 minutes and genuinely look forward to the next each time.
jmoon80 2019/01/21
Inspirational
Such wonderful information and insights available! The fellow Aussie has legendary people interviewed and they have shared their experiences over tim...
Mitch Matthews-DREAM.THINK.DO. 2018/08/31
This is what it's about!
Greg brings hearfelt and hard-earned wisdom that leaders can apply at work and at home. He's real and authentic and creates the right environment for...
Khat NYC 2018/08/28
Love this series!
Just stumbled upon this podcast series and love it! Listen to it on my way to work daily as it is so motivating with great content.
DrewMc62 2018/08/26
I'm inspired AND learning from every episode!
I've owned my own business for 25+ years but I know there's always more to learn. Thanks to this podcast, Greg's genuine interview style and the will...
Jeff @ Read to Lead Podcast 2018/08/24
Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!
This is an amazing podcast for anyone looking to make an impact on the world. It's definitely one worth subscribing to. I get so much of it. The host,...
Aquafunkapus 2018/08/24
Much needed! Practical advice!
I needed to hear Greg’s advice on Imposter syndrome. He pointed out that we need to have a way to reset and recenter ourselves which I needed to do as...
ctrlfwd 2018/07/01
Fantastic podcast!
Fantastic podcast! Greg brings together an eclectic mix of C-level execs and entrepreneurs from Australia and abroad. Greg has a magnetic authenticity...
Christine_Smith-Melbourne 2018/05/25
An inspirational listen for anyone in leadership
The Inner Chief podcast is fantastic for anyone in leadership who would like a coach or mentor but haven’t yet found one. There is sound and practical...
Podcast sponsorship advertising
Start advertising on The Inner Chief relevant audience podcasts
You may also like to advertise on these Podcasts

4.7129372
10 to Life
Annie Elise

4.76753464
Criminology
Emash Digital & Mike Ferguson, Mike Morford

4.87515978
The Dr. John Delony Show
Ramsey Network

4.512623668
RedHanded
RedHanded

4.9247931451
Unashamed with the Robertson Family
Tread Lively

4.959892000
Legal AF by MeidasTouch
MeidasTouch Network

4.7292742000
The Michael Knowles Show
The Daily Wire

4.890631580
Fearless with Jason Whitlock
Blaze Podcast Network

4.7106622000
FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast
iHeartPodcasts

4.8104502000
Steve Deace Show
Blaze Podcast Network