scalr sagecast

Matt Woodard, scalr
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  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to the scalr sagecast - bite-sized wisdom for ambitious business minds.Every week, we bring you inspiring stories and hard-won wisdom from a different business leader so get ready to learn, grow and scale your success!The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a talent advisory headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

  1. 3d ago

    scalr sagecast - #68 - Peter Solway - Why Your First Sales Hire Has a 48% Chance of Failing.

    Send us Fan Mail Peter Solway set out to be a professional tennis player. When that didn't pan out, he found himself thrown into a sales role at a startup with no training, no playbook, and no idea what cold calling even was - so he just started dialling. Turns out he was good at it. That accidental start eventually led Pete to found Founder Sales Solution, built around a problem he kept seeing repeat itself: B2B founders doing between $500k and $5 million in revenue who were ready to make their first sales hire but had no idea how to set that person up to succeed. In Australia, 48% of first sales hires don't work out. Pete's mission is to fix that number. In this episode, Matt and Pete dig into exactly what it takes to get a first salesperson from zero to one. Pete walks through his four-step sales hire success framework, explains why giving a new salesperson the right "kindling" is often the difference between success and failure, and breaks down how to know when the timing is actually right to bring that role into your business. They also get into BANT - what it is, why it matters, and why it's still a solid starting point for any founder trying to build a repeatable sales process. If you're a founder still doing all the selling yourself and wondering what comes next, this one's essential listening. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #68 - Peter Solway - Why Your First Sales Hire Has a 48% Chance of Failing.

  2. Jul 14

    scalr sagecast - #67 - Holly Smith - Why One Hour a Day Beats Eight Hours of Busy

    Send us Fan Mail Holly Smith has been an entrepreneur since she was 18. During COVID, she built a multiple six-figure online coaching business from her mum's kitchen table -- and hasn't stopped since. In 2022, she published 30 Days to Happiness, a practical guide built around 30 habits designed to reconstruct how you experience your day. She's since founded The One Hour Workday, a program that has helped over 10,000 people reclaim 10 to 20 hours a week by focusing on what actually moves the needle. In this episode, Matt and Holly dig into why busy work feels productive but rarely is, and what it actually takes to change that. Holly breaks down the philosophy behind the One Hour Workday - one focused hour per day on revenue-generating activities, built around energy audits, Most Important Tasks, and the kind of discipline that creates real momentum rather than the illusion of it. They also get into micro habits versus bigger behavioural shifts, why task avoidance and shiny object syndrome are so common in founders, and how Holly went from fitness coaching to mental health to productivity - and why that journey makes complete sense when you hear her tell it. If you're a founder who ends every day feeling busy but not quite sure what you actually achieved, this one's for you. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #67 - Holly Smith - Why One Hour a Day Beats Eight Hours of Busy

  3. Jun 15

    scalr sagecast - #66 - Francis Yim - Why Your Customers Tell Your Story Better Than You Ever Could.

    Send us Fan Mail Francis Yim has spent over 23 years in video production - from creating trailers for Disney Channel Asia to producing organisational culture content for multinationals across Singapore and Australia - before founding Fantestimonial, a business built around one core belief: the testimonial video should be your first marketing video, not your last. In this episode, Matt and Francis explore what actually makes a testimonial land - and why most businesses are using them wrong. They cover the sliding doors moment that pointed Francis toward video instead of physics, how he's built creative processes that deliver content across 160 languages, and why authenticity beats production polish every time when it comes to driving a real emotional response. Francis breaks down why the best testimonials take a customer on a clear journey from problem to solution, how 'why' is the question that separates average from excellent, and why video is one of the most underused tools in employer brand and EVP work. They also get into the ROI case for quality video, how to use targeted testimonials as a strategic multiplier rather than a nice-to-have, and - somehow - why creamy chicken pasta says everything you need to know about building trust with an audience. If you're building a brand, hiring for your business, or just trying to connect more authentically with the people you want to reach, this one's worth your time. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #66 - Francis Yim - Why Your Customers Tell Your Story Better Than You Ever Could.

  4. Apr 27

    scalr sagecast - #65 - Mark Palmer - From Fighter Jets to Scaling Teams

    Send us Fan Mail Mark Palmer has had a career most people only dream about - working on aircraft across the globe, before landing at Shield AI as VP of Vision Systems, one of the most exciting defence tech companies operating today. In this episode, Matt and Mark explore what happens when two businesses with a genuine meeting of minds come together - and why the Shield acquisition of Sentient felt like a natural fit from day one. We cover a lot of ground in 30 minutes: what scaling businesses consistently get wrong, why culture becomes your most important asset the moment you start to grow, and how to hold onto and develop your best people through periods of rapid change. Mark also shares his take on autonomy as the future of work, what it actually takes to move into defence tech, and why Australia is rapidly becoming a serious global player in the space - without needing to rely on government funding to get there. If you're building a team, thinking about your next career move, or just fascinated by where defence tech is heading, this one's worth your time. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #65 - Mark Palmer - From Fighter Jets to Scaling Teams

  5. Mar 30

    scalr sagecast - #64 - Sam Young - Support in the Moments That Matter, Not After.

    Send us Fan Mail This week on scalr sagecast, I sat down with Sam Young, founder of SIID Labs. Sam is a counsellor and psychotherapist with frontline experience in mental health and addiction - and he’s using both professional and lived experience to build something different. SIID is a personalised, AI-powered micro-guidance companion designed to support people in the moments that matter most - those brief spikes of anxiety, overwhelm, rumination or task paralysis that can derail focus and momentum. Many people either can’t access mental health systems, don’t engage with them, or don’t get support when they actually need it. SIID is designed to bridge that gap. In this episode, we explore:  What “micro moments” are and why they’re so important  Why traditional support models often fail in real-time situations  How AI and wearable tech can enable proactive, pre-emptive support  The role of personalisation in improving outcomes  And how Sam’s lived experience has shaped the product and its intent A raw and honest conversation about mental health, technology, and building more human solutions. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #64 - Sam Young - Support in the Moments That Matter, Not After.

  6. Feb 23

    scalr sagecast - #63 - Vanessa Raath - Sourcing, AI and What’s Next for Talent.

    Send us Fan Mail Joining this week's scalr sagecast is Vanessa Raath - global sourcing expert, AI commentator and one of the most engaging speakers in the talent industry. V’s career journey spans South Africa, London and Thailand, with a decade in tech consulting before building her current business and becoming a recognised voice on sourcing, AI and innovation. In this episode, Matt and V explore: • V’s unconventional path into tech and sourcing. • Where TA and AI are truly converging. • Why sourcing capability is back in demand. • What stage we’re really at in the AI journey. It’s a high-energy, wide-ranging conversation packed with insight on the future of talent acquisition. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #63 - Vanessa Raath - Sourcing, AI and What’s Next for Talent.

  7. Jan 26

    scalr sagecast - #62 - Craig Harman - Unlocking the Power of Employee Networks

    Send us Fan Mail Craig Harman has spent years leading within agency recruitment - and along the way, he noticed a persistent, expensive problem: organisations underutilising the strongest networks they already have. In this episode, Craig shares why he built mployd, a platform focused on helping businesses create structured, effective referral programs that actually work. We explore: Why referral hiring is one of the most cost-effective channels availableHow poor or informal referral approaches end up wasting moneyWhat a strong referral culture looks like in practiceAnd simple ways leaders can get started without adding complexityA practical conversation for anyone responsible for hiring, cost control, or building stronger internal networks. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #62 - Craig Harman - Unlocking the Power of Employee Networks

  8. Jan 5

    scalr sagecast - #61 - Gemma Toogood - Fixing the Tech Talent Pipeline, One Pathway at a Time

    Send us Fan Mail Gemma Toogood’s career started in a place you’d never expect - as a broker for paparazzi photos - before a series of twists led her into entrepreneurship, then into tech, and now into building Neoma, a platform helping people and organisations navigate alternative pathways into the industry. In this episode, we unpack: Why Australia is on track to be 600,000 tech workers short by 2030Which roles are most exposed to AI disruptionThe huge upside of developing AI literacy at every levelWhy reskilling costs less than half of making someone redundantAnd what business leaders need to know about when (and how) to begin the skills transitionIt’s honest, sharp, and refreshingly human - an entertaining look at one of the biggest challenges facing businesses today. The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a recruitment and talent advisory business headquartered in Melbourne, Australia. Want to identify potential gaps in your current TA process? Take the free TA Readiness Scorecard or reach out to the team for a free 30-minute discussion.

    scalr sagecast - #61 - Gemma Toogood - Fixing the Tech Talent Pipeline, One Pathway at a Time
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About

Welcome to the scalr sagecast - bite-sized wisdom for ambitious business minds.Every week, we bring you inspiring stories and hard-won wisdom from a different business leader so get ready to learn, grow and scale your success!The scalr sagecast is proudly brought to you by scalr, a talent advisory headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Woodard, scalr
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    68
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 scalr sagecast
  • Show Website
    scalr sagecast