This Could Be So Good

The Nudge Group
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  • Business
  • Biweekly

One’s a media guy turned accidental founder. The other’s a founder who stumbled into media. Together, Steve Grace and Larry Emdur bring a sharp, unscripted, and often hilarious take on what it really means to build a business. Filmed on site at The Pillars, the show pulls back the curtain on startup life; the wins, the setbacks, and the real cost of building from scratch.

Episodes

  1. Jun 10

    How a $200k App Redesign Taught Amal Wakim Her Biggest Startup Lesson

    Amal Wakim started EQU nine years ago with a really simple idea. She wanted to help people lose weight without forcing them to give up pizza, pasta, or a good glass of whiskey. Fast forward to today, and EQU is a massive health tech platform. But building it was not exactly a smooth ride. The journey came with a lot of tears, some incredibly expensive mistakes, and serious burnout. In this episode of This Could Be So Good, Amal joins Larry Emdur and Steve Grace to share what it really feels like to build a startup. She dispels the myth that business gets easier the longer you do it. She talks openly about the crushing weight of raising capital, the absolute heartbreak of a 10 million dollar funding round falling through at the last minute, and how incredibly lonely it gets when your co-founder leaves the company. Amal holds absolutely nothing back in this chat. She breaks down her most painful financial mistake, which involved dropping $200,000 on an app redesign that did absolutely nothing for her metrics. She also gets incredibly honest about crying on her bedroom floor, seeking out a psychologist, and learning the hard way that you have to separate your self-worth from your business if you want to survive the stress. If you want to know what it actually takes to build a company without all the corporate fluff, this conversation is exactly what you need to hear. Timestamps 00:00 The ultimate elevator pitch for enjoying pizza and losing weight 02:50 Why building a startup actually gets harder every single year 06:51 The 200k app redesign mistake that changed how EQU operates 11:54 The obsession of startup life and how it affects relationships 14:01 Why waiting 8 years to take on investors was a massive challenge 18:04 The absolute loneliness of dealing with a co-founder exit 23:40 Bouncing back after crying on the bedroom floor 26:49 Surviving a failed 10 million dollar funding round 36:03 The psychological battle of separating yourself from your business 48:28 Amal's final advice on surviving the startup grind

  2. May 27

    Why Selling Luxury Real Estate Is The Least Glamorous Work Out There

    Fast cars, tailored suits, and multi-million dollar commissions. That is the reality TV version of luxury property. Gavin Rubinstein is here to give you the brutal truth. In this episode of This Could Be So Good, Gavin sits down with Larry Emdur and Steve Grace to expose the unglamorous, grueling reality of building a real estate empire. He strips away the gloss of Luxe Listings Sydney to reveal exactly what it takes to survive an industry known for a massive burnout rate and constant rejection. Gavin opens up about the extreme discipline required to stay at the top. He details his 5 AM routines, his strict rule of honoring every single internal promise he makes to himself, and why he completely cuts out alcohol during his high-productivity months. He also breaks down why real estate agents are often ranked next to used car salesmen, the danger of the modern influencer mindset, and the raw truth of the ten-year grind required to succeed. Plus, he shares a revealing story about willingly taking a pay cut on a $9 million deal just to protect his client. Timestamps 00:00 - The daily routine and wardrobe of an empire builder 01:25 - Why physical fitness directly impacts mental resilience 04:37 - Confronting the used car salesman stereotype in real estate 08:05 - The brutal truth about the massive industry burnout rate 18:55 - Why your self-esteem is just the reputation you have with yourself 22:20 - The strict discipline of honoring the deals you make with yourself 26:08 - How unconditional support from his dad fueled his ambition 30:33 - Why he took a massive pay cut on a $9 million property deal 34:20 - The risk and reward of starring on Luxe Listings Sydney 41:10 - The terrifying delusion of the modern influencer generation 43:28 - Gavin's ultimate advice for outworking the competition and exceeding expectations

  3. May 8

    "Dad Was My Biggest Adversary" How Anthony Bell Built An Empire

    He walked away from a safe job at his father's firm. He survived years of intense legal sabotage from his own dad. He bought a broken, abandoned boat and somehow won the Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Meet Anthony Bell, the CEO and founder of Bell Partners. Anthony knows what it takes to survive the brutal early days of entrepreneurship and build a legacy on your own terms. In this incredibly raw and hilarious episode of This Could Be So Good, Anthony sits down with hosts Larry Emdur and Steve Grace to unpack the chaotic reality of building a massive advisory firm from scratch. Anthony strips away the corporate fluff to deliver pure, unfiltered business wisdom. He opens up about the brutal family dynamic that fuelled his early ambition, why the classic advice of "finding a business partner who is your exact opposite" is actually a trap that will destroy your company, and how he convinced Larry to sail into one of the world's most dangerous oceans on a rented boat. Plus, Anthony drops massive truth bombs for modern startups, explaining why budgeting for a loss is a guaranteed way to fail, and why taking action without a vision is an absolute nightmare. From fighting the tax office to dominating the high seas, this is entrepreneurship and mateship like you’ve never heard it before. Timestamps: 00:00 - The decision to leave his dad's firm to "make history" 04:06 - Why the traditional business partnership model is fundamentally flawed 08:23 - The dangerous trap of picking an "opposite" business partner 11:17 - How his own dad tried to actively sabotage his new startup 16:57 - The $100K traffic fence invention that absolutely nobody wanted 27:07 - Buying a cursed, broken boat for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race 28:05 - The terrifying Google search that almost stopped Larry Emdur from sailing 33:05 - The 100 cents on the dollar charity rule that changed everything 39:00 - The emotional day COVID-19 shut down the Bell Partners office 43:40 - Why taking action without a clear vision will turn into a nightmare 44:13 - The ultimate startup advice: Stop budgeting for a loss

  4. Apr 10

    How Two Guys With Zero Fashion Experience Built A Suit Empire

    Founded in 2012 by two 24-year-old graduates with zero fashion experience. A business plan sketched above a humble Sydney cafe. The brand that accidentally disrupted the entire menswear industry. Robin McGowan and James Wakefield knew exactly what they wanted: a great-fitting, custom made-to-measure suit that didn't break the bank. So, they decided to build it themselves. Now, the founders of InStitchu are bridging the gap between old-world tailoring traditions and the modern digital retail landscape—and they are delivering a masterclass on how absolute naivety can be your greatest competitive advantage. In this episode of This Could Be So Good, Robin and James sit down with Larry and Steve for a refreshing look at the grit, the grind, and the absurd reality of building a custom menswear brand from scratch. They strip away the polished corporate facade to reveal the brilliantly unconventional reality behind their success. They detail the delusion of thinking they would be "retired by 30," the disastrous first trip to China where they were picked up in a stretch limo but sent home in a beat-up cab, and how they hired a random university student off WeChat who became their lifelong sourcing agent. They also open up about growing to double-digit showrooms across Australia, surviving the COVID-19 retail apocalypse, and how they landed a massive partnership with the world's largest manufacturer by pitching them over sandwiches on a park bench. Timestamps: 00:00 - From a tiny cafe to a menswear empire 01:27 - The naive elevator pitch: "We will be retired by 30" 04:55 - The brutal reality of door-to-door suit sales 08:43 - Surviving the COVID-19 retail apocalypse 12:01 - Why having zero fashion experience was their greatest asset 12:22 - The disastrous first factory tour in China 13:26 - Finding their lifelong sourcing agent on a university campus 16:11 - Larry Emdur on why naivety breeds true innovation 20:44 - The intense pressure of taking on investor money 25:17 - How to co-found a business and actually stay friends 29:22 - Pitching the world's biggest manufacturer over park bench sandwiches 33:29 - Why you don't need a business degree to succeed 41:08 - The ultimate lesson: Perseverance and just going for it

  5. Mar 29

    How iFLYflat Unlocks The Hidden Billions In Airline Points

    Former Macquarie Bank finance guy. Master of the frequent flyer puzzle. The founder who deliberately stops his business from growing. Steve Hui knows exactly how to unlock the hidden value of the airline industry to fly at the front of the plane. Now, the founder of iFLYflat is cutting through the standard "scale at all costs" startup mentality to deliver a masterclass on building a highly profitable business strictly on your own terms. In this fascinating episode of This Could Be So Good, Steve sits down with hosts Larry Emdur and Steve Grace for a refreshing look at the "anti-hustle" entrepreneurship model and the true currency of credit card points. Steve strips away the traditional founder playbook to reveal the brilliantly unconventional reality behind his success. He details how handing out fake flight tickets to women at a bar landed his first major PR break, why raising his prices from $50 to $1,900 actually improved his business, and why he gleefully fires customers who are too hard to deal with. He also opens up about the psychological trap of giving your product away for free, and why deliberately capping his company's growth at 500 customers a year is the ultimate founder flex. From decoding airline reward systems to living like you’ve already sold your company, this is entrepreneurship like you’ve never heard it before. Timestamps: 00:00 - The original elevator pitch: "Fly business class for free" 02:17 - The A380 flight that changed his life forever 04:18 - The truth about credit cards and making points work for you 06:45 - The early loophole: Buying a $5,000 First Class ticket 08:03 - The Bar Strategy: How handing out fake tickets launched his PR 10:08 - Why people forgive small businesses for doing wacky marketing 16:42 - The absolute worst part of the job: Customers changing their minds 20:23 - Why increasing his fee from $50 to $1,900 lost him zero clients 23:43 - The power of firing high-maintenance customers 27:56 - How airlines actually make all their money (The Points Pyramid) 31:25 - The "Free" Trap: Why people only value what they pay for 38:46 - The Anti-Scale Strategy: Deliberately limiting growth to 500 customers 42:34 - Final advice: Live your life like you've already sold your business

  6. Mar 5

    Robert Herjavec: From Fleeing Communism To Shark Tank

    Refugee who escaped communism with $50 and a suitcase. Founder of a massive cybersecurity empire. Star investor on Shark Tank. Robert Herjavec knows exactly what it takes to build a business from absolutely nothing. Now, he is cutting through the startup fluff to deliver the brutal truth about what it actually takes to "make it." In this revealing episode of This Could Be So Good, Robert sits down with hosts Larry and Steve for a masterclass in grounded, ruthless entrepreneurship. Robert strips away the billionaire glamour to reveal the gritty reality behind his success, detailing how he was forced to sell his absolute dream car in 48 hours just to make payroll. He opens up about the three fatal mistakes that will instantly ruin an investor pitch, why hiring your friends is terrible advice, and why his father's old-school wisdom—"it's good to dream, but it's better to pay your rent"—is the ultimate reality check for modern founders. From escaping Yugoslavia in the dead of night to dominating the boardroom, this is entrepreneurship like you’ve never heard it before. Timestamps: 00:00 - The true definition of "making it" 02:55 - Do you need a mission? (Dreaming vs. Paying Bills) 05:42 - Escaping Yugoslavia with $50 and a suitcase 13:54 - Why complexity (like AI) is your best friend 16:10 - The universal founder fear: Running out of money 17:02 - Larry Emdur on taking massive risks at age 60 22:38 - Steve Grace on the absolute myth of corporate job security 28:22 - The hardest thing to build in business today 31:47 - The 3 things that will instantly ruin a Shark Tank pitch 34:33 - Why hiring your friends is a terrible idea 43:25 - Selling his dream car in 48 hours to make payroll 57:13 - Final advice: You cannot build a great business if you are a mess

  7. Feb 19

    Natalie Kyriacou: From Garage Sales To The United Nations

    Medal of the Order of Australia recipient. Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree. UN Young Champion of the Earth Finalist.Natalie Kyriacou has spent her life fighting for the planet's toughest causes. Now, she is proving that saving it doesn't have to be boring.In this hilarious episode of This Could Be So Good, Natalie sits down with hosts Larry and Steve for a conversation that Larry calls "my favorite guest of any podcast so far."Natalie reveals the gritty reality behind her accolades, detailing how she bootstrapped her first organization by selling her car and holding garage sales to raise money. She opens up about the "sperm-collecting helmets" required to save an endangered parrot, the time an orangutan stole her underwear in the jungles of Borneo, and the humiliating true story of how the Australian military lost a war to flightless birds.From high-stakes boardrooms to the bizarre frontlines of conservation, this is environmentalism like you’ve never heard it before.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro: Who is Natalie Kyriacou?02:13 - What Bonobos teach us about female leadership04:32 - Redefining power: Why aggression fails in nature08:53 - The Garage Sale Phase: Selling her car to fund a dream13:02 - The power of "not caring" in corporate spaces16:42 - Building a global app with zero coding knowledge21:05 - Steve Grace on why startups really fail (it's not money)26:47 - The Orangutan That Stole Her Underwear35:09 - Storytelling as the ultimate asset for change37:36 - The Helmet Story: Saving the Kakapo with rugby gear41:07 - The Great Emu War: How Australia lost to birds48:13 - The Business Case: Why insurance companies force climate action52:45 - Final advice: Why purpose is addictive

  8. Feb 3

    Special Forces to Startups: Ant Middleton’s Brutal Business Lessons

    TV personality. Special Forces soldier. Royal Marines Commando. Royal Engineer in the British Army. Best-selling author. Ant Middleton has conquered the world's toughest environments. Now, he is expanding his empire into a new kind of battlefield: Business. In the first official interview of This Could Be So Good, Ant sits down with hosts Larry Emdur and Steve Grace for a raw, unscripted conversation about the reality of building a brand from scratch. Ant reveals why he turned down a blank cheque to become the face of a sugary energy drink, choosing instead to build his own hydration company, R3SUP, with a team of scientists. He opens up about the "confidence ego" that serves you in the Special Forces but destroys you in the boardroom, and why doing business with friends is the fastest way to lose them both. From the battlefield to the balance sheet, this is Ant Middleton like you’ve never heard him before. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 01:45 - Ant Middleton’s Elevator Pitch for R3SUP 02:50 - The danger of doing business with friends & family 06:40 - Money does funny things to people 09:55 - Military Ego vs. Corporate Ego 11:30 - How Ant’s ego led to bad investments 15:15 - The "Control Freak" Trap: Why you must delegate 19:40 - Why startups really fail (It’s not usually money) 22:00 - Protecting your personal brand & equity 24:45 - Larry Emdur on launching Ben Buckler Whiskey at age 60 29:30 - Why Ant turned down a massive energy drink sponsorship 31:00 - Developing the R3SUP formula with scientists 37:50 - The power of storytelling in sales 40:40 - How Ant’s book "Zero Negativity" changed Larry’s mindset 44:20 - Ant’s "Superpower": Why he doesn't fear failure 49:10 - The meaning behind Ant’s tattoos 52:45 - Ant’s final advice for founders #ThisCouldBeSoGood #AntMiddleton #SASWhoDaresWins #BusinessPodcast #LarryEmdur #SteveGrace #Entrepreneurship #R3SUP #BenBucklerWhiskey #StartupLife

  9. Jan 29

    This Could Be So Good: Series Premiere (Larry Emdur & Steve Grace)

    One’s a media guy turned accidental founder. The other’s a founder who stumbled into media. Together, Steve Grace and Larry Emdur bring a sharp, unscripted, and often hilarious take on what it really means to build a business. Filmed on site at The Pillars, the show pulls back the curtain on startup life; the wins, the setbacks, and the real cost of building from scratch. In this series premiere, we set the stage for a massive Season 1. Larry opens up about launching his own whiskey brand, while Steve reveals why a career in startups taught him that storytelling is the only asset that actually matters. Coming up in Season 1, we’re sitting down with some of the biggest and most interesting names in business: Robert Herjavec: The Shark Tank heavyweight on the chaos of the early days.Ant Middleton: The SAS Australia chief on resilience and mental toughness.Amal Wakim: On disrupting the health industry and scaling a food empire.Gavin Rubenstein: Inside the discipline and drive of the Luxe Listings star.Natalie Kyriacou: From environmental activism to building a global impact brand.Steve Hui: The "iFlyFlat" founder on hacking the system to travel in luxury.Anthony Bell: The celebrity accountant and skipper on high-performance leadership.Robin McGowan & James Wakefield: The InStitchu founders on reinventing retail from a garage.#thiscouldbesogood #businesspodcast #startuplife #founderstories #larryemdur #stevegrace #benbucklerwhiskey #thenudgegroup

  • 9 Episodes

About

One’s a media guy turned accidental founder. The other’s a founder who stumbled into media. Together, Steve Grace and Larry Emdur bring a sharp, unscripted, and often hilarious take on what it really means to build a business. Filmed on site at The Pillars, the show pulls back the curtain on startup life; the wins, the setbacks, and the real cost of building from scratch.

Information

  • Creator
    The Nudge Group
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © The Nudge Group
  • Show Website
    This Could Be So Good