Between Two Unicorns MHSOBA

Wayne Chow (Class of 1994) completed his undergraduate dental training in 1999 and joined the Australian Regular Army where he served as a specialist service officer domestically and overseas. He progressed as a clinical specialist and took up various health and governance roles, and later as the Head of Corps, Royal Australian Army Dental Corps. 
Wayne completed over 15 years in the military before returning to Melbourne with his family. He is now working in a busy private specialist practice and holds consultant appointments at various public hospitals, including The Royal Dental Hospital Melbourne and Monash Medical Centre. Wayne is actively involved with GM&B and is the convener of the Junior Leadership Program for MHS and The MacRobertson Girls High School.
In this episode, we talk about:
High School memories, especially walking past 4 Yarra Street The importance of finding good Mentors How mentors have helped Wayne at every point of his journey: picking what university course to study, when and how to make big career moves, how to turn weaknesses into strengths, and ideas for future career and personal growth Following a non-traditional path into a traditional profession Developing a broad range of skills, rather than getting stuck into a narrow specialisation Importance of making the helicopter view of the whole forest (metaphorically) rather than getting stuck looking just at the tree Volunteering with the Old Boys, specifically in the Junior Leadership Program run by the Green, Maroon & Black Patrons Club For any questions relating to the MHSOBA podcast, please contact Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au

Benji Wilson (Class of 2010) got into a US College in New York to play basketball, but soon dropped out and moved to Brazil with his five best friends. He started an online eCommerce store to support himself and learnt a lot of lessons in life and business along the way.  Since then, he has lived in 8 different countries In the last 8 years and scaled his businesses to over seven figures. In between this, he also managed time for an appearance on Australia Survivor: Champions VS Contenders.
In this episode, we speak about:
Memories from MHS, and the different approach of coming in as a Year 11 Resisting the myth of the silver bullet - how having the right attitude and work ethic is far more important than finding a shortcut Trade-offs between short-term happiness and long-term satisfaction, and getting an understanding of 'second order consequences' Starting online businesses when he was 14, selling Play Station Portable memory cards on eBay How to 'limit the downside' to make any big decisions far less risky Trying a lot of different approaches until you find something that works, knowing that most will fail Being ahead of the curve - early twitter influencer, early on Amazon self publishing, early on Fulfilment By Amazon, early on making online courses. Spotting the next trend and riding the wave, but also knowing when to get off and start looking for the next one. Picking the right network and the correct people to learn from, being analytical and skeptical when you see an online 'guru' trying to pitch you on the next get rich quick scheme Being a Contender on Australian Survivor Season 3 Check out some of Benji's online courses here: https://www.udemy.com/user/benjaminwilson/ 
For any questions relating to the MHSOBA podcast, please contact Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au

After a thirty year executive career in financial services, Charles Macek (MHS Class of 1964) has been a non-executive director and a consultant/adviser for the last twenty years. He has been privileged to have been associated with significant companies such as Telstra and Wesfarmers, with an AFL club as a director of Richmond, and chairman of several non for profits such as Earthwatch and the Centre for Eye Research Australia, as well as chairing the Financial Reporting Council when it made the decision to adopt International Financial Reporting Standards as the basis for accounting in Australia.
 
In this episode, we talk about:
Memories from Year 12 exams Various ‘tipping points’ you encounter in life that can have a big impact on the rest of your life How Melbourne High presents you with a wide range of opportunities, and how we should make the most of of everything we could try to do outside of the classroom What drink NOT to order in a job interview Career highlights, including being a part of Australia’s largest ever IPO and Australia’s biggest private takeover The definition of “success” Leaving a legacy  
For any questions relating to the MHSOBA podcast, please contact Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au

Ashton Pereira graduated MHS class of 2010. Following this, he went on to study a double Bachelor of Business Accounting & Finance at Monash University, spending one year studying at University of Buffalo, New York USA. Straight out of university, he went into a Graduate Program at Telstra in Melbourne and landed in a permanent role in the Telstra New Business division, but it didn't last very long...
Throughout his time at MHS, Ashton ran many side businesses - importing product and selling it on eBay, coding and selling websites to small businesses, social media management, and a book publishing company. Eventually, in 2017, he left his job at Telstra and together with his wife founded Bath Box, manufacturing and selling natural, handmade & cruelty-free bath and skin care products throughout Australia.
In this episode, we discuss:
- Ashton’s time at MHS
- Getting accepted into a prestigious graduate program after university
- Being made redundant in the early years of his career
- The side businesses he developed and the skills he built, before co-founding his current company Bath Box
 
Visit Bath Box Australia: https://www.bathbox.com.au/
For any questions relating to the MHSOBA podcast, please contact Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au 

John Tasioulas graduated from Melbourne High School in the Class of 1982. He is the inaugural Yeoh Professor of Politics, Philosophy and Law at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London and Director of the Yeoh Tiong Lay Centre for Politics, Philosophy, and Law.
He has degrees in Law and Philosophy from the University of Melbourne, and a D.Phil in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He previously taught at Oxford University for twelve years and was Quain Professor of Jurisprudence at University College London. He has held visiting posts at Chicago, Harvard, Oxford, and Melbourne and has acted as a consultant for the World Bank.
Tasioulas works in moral, legal and political philosophy. In recent years, he has written extensively on the philosophy of crime and punishment, international law, and human rights. The Cambridge Companion to the Philosophy of Law, which he edited, is being published next month.
In this episode, we discuss:
 - John's fondest memories from Melbourne High
 - His road to becoming a Rhodes Scholar
 - How philosophy can apply to every area of life
 - Advice for other Old Boys or current MHS students looking to make a difference in the world
 
For any questions relating to the MHSOBA podcast, please contact Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au

Welcome to the very first episode of the very first season of Between Two Unicorns, the Official Podcast of the Melbourne High School Old Boys Association.
This is the trailer for the first ever season of this podcast, where each week we’ll bring you a conversation Between Two Unicorns. 
Each episode is an interview with a legendary Melbourne High School Old Boy. We’ll unpack some of their fondest memories from Melbourne High, some lessons that have stuck with them from high school, then follow them along their career journey and pick out some advice that they would give to other Old Boys.
Right now, the current Covid-19 pandemic is having big impacts around the world. We're thinking of anyone who has been significantly impacted by this, either on a career level, a business level or a personal level. 
My name is Adam Ashton. A graduate of the Class of 2010, I floated the idea of an MHSOBA podcast at the end of 2019. I began powering ahead with interviews, until the coronavirus put the world on hold. I had five great conversations with five great Old Boys, and since there are no events happening at the moment, wanted to share these with you now.
This represents 'Season 1' of the MHSOBA podcast. Over the next 5 weeks, I'll be bringing you conversations from:
 - John Tasioulas (Class of 1982)
 - Ashton Pereira (2010)
 - Charles Macek (1964)
 - Benjamin Wilson (2010)
 - Wayne Chow (1994)
 
I hope you enjoy Season 1 of 'Between Two Unicorns' and that you learn a thing or two from some legendary Old Boys. 
 
If you want to get in touch, please email Adam Ashton at podcast@mhsoba.asn.au 
All the best to you and yours. The first two episodes are ready to listen to right now, with more coming each week.