The Founders Fire

Dan Moussa - Thirdway Advisory
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Every founder has two stories, the one on the stage and the one over a whiskey. The Founder's Fire are the second ones. I sit down with founders to talk about the things we all go through, but no one talks about. The pressure, the doubt, the times they nearly gave up and how they turned it all around. If you're building something and want to hear what it actually takes, this is for you. Make sure you hit follow because I can guarantee you've never heard these stories before.

  1. 15h ago

    He Lost $1 Million at 36. It Changed How He Built Everything After - With Dan Copsey

    He lost more than $1 million at 36, walked away from the business, and later realised he hadn't properly dealt with any of it. Dan Copsey has built businesses across transport, marketing, recruitment, technology and investment. Today he co-runs TMSPC alongside his childhood best mate Alex, with interests spanning multiple companies, international teams and not-for-profit work. But the part of his story that shaped him most came before all of that. In this episode Dan is open about losing seven figures, the burnout that followed, why driving a forklift for three months became one of the best decisions he ever made, and the moment COVID brought his new business within 4% of shutting down. Along the way he talks about cash flow, co-founders, bad advice, resilience, giving back and why he's no longer trying to prove anyone else wrong. He's just trying to prove himself right. 0:00 Losing more than $1 million at 361:12 The portfolio of businesses he runs today5:15 Building a company with his childhood best mate9:15 From landscaping and civil infrastructure into business12:00 The acquisition that eventually cost them more than $1 million15:20 Why he didn't realise he was burnt out17:00 The best thing he did next: drive a forklift20:50 "I obviously wasn't coping. I just didn't know it."24:30 Starting again in a completely different industry29:00 Cash flow, payroll and the anxiety founders carry33:30 The COVID moment that nearly ended everything34:45 They would shut at 48%. They hit 44%.36:00 The business education you can't buy43:45 Why founders almost never celebrate the wins47:00 Why some business partnerships work and others don't50:05 "I'm not trying to prove anyone else wrong"51:30 Why he believes life is always on time53:00 From payroll to fighting a house fire in the same day55:00 Why giving back matters56:45 The advice he gives every founder about advisors Connect with Daniel at https://dancopsey.com/ See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

  2. Sep 9

    He Lost His Company, His Health and Almost His Life - With Declan Kluver

    Success looked incredible from the outside. Declan Kluver was building one of Australia's fastest-growing recruitment businesses. His company was growing rapidly, the media attention was building, and the future looked limitless. Behind the scenes, however, years of relentless pressure, chronic stress and undiagnosed bipolar disorder were taking a devastating toll. What followed changed his life forever. In one of the most honest conversations we've ever recorded on Founders Fire, Declan shares the reality of founder burnout, the warning signs he missed, losing the business that defined his identity, surviving a suicide attempt, and why he's now dedicating his life to helping other founders protect the one asset that matters more than any business: their health. In This Episode: 00:00 Why no business is worth sacrificing your health 02:40 The first businesses and the entrepreneurial spark 10:20 Building a recruitment agency from scratch 18:40 Creating Extra Recruiter and chasing a $100M vision 24:50 When success became overwhelming 26:30 Understanding bipolar disorder and manic episodes 31:20 Losing the company that became his identity 33:10 The warning signs before his suicide attempt 36:50 Learning to rebuild after surviving life-changing injuries 42:20 Why founder health needs to come before business success 47:50 The advice every founder needs to hear **Content Warning** This episode contains discussions of mental health, bipolar disorder and suicide. Please take care while listening. If this conversation raises concerns for you or someone you know, support is available. Australia • If you're in immediate danger or someone is at immediate risk, call 000. • Speak with your GP or a qualified mental health professional. • Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 • Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 • Black Dog Institute • Head to Health A government service that helps connect people with the most appropriate mental health support.

  3. Sep 2

    He Built the Perfect Exit. It Nearly Broke Him - With Ian Goodwin

    Every founder dreams of building a successful business and one day selling it. Ian Goodwin did exactly that. After founding Cludo, scaling it rapidly and navigating an acquisition during the uncertainty of COVID, Ian achieved what many founders spend their careers chasing. But what followed wasn't the finish line he expected. The pressure of earn-out targets, leading a team through constant change, and carrying the weight of everyone else's certainty eventually led to complete burnout. In this episode, Ian shares the reality behind selling a business, why acquisitions are far more emotionally complex than most founders realise, how COVID nearly derailed everything, and the moment he genuinely questioned whether he could keep going. It's an honest conversation about leadership, resilience, burnout and why success often comes with costs nobody prepares you for. You'll hear: 0:00 Why selling a business isn't the finish line most founders imagine 6:40 Growing up, competitive cycling and the first signs of entrepreneurship 15:55 Building Cludo and choosing co-founders with the exit already in mind 20:10 Winning the client that changed everything 24:20 Navigating acquisition conversations during COVID 29:10 Planning for the worst-case scenario as the world shut down3 5:15 Leading a business while privately fearing it could all collapse 42:20 What due diligence is really like from a founder's perspective 49:00 Why some employees weren't happy the business was sold 54:20 The hidden pressure of earn-out targets58:30 The burnout that almost made Ian walk away from everything 1:06:10 Why selling the business changed how he thought about work 1:10:50 The biggest lesson every founder should learn before starting a business See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

  4. Aug 26

    He Went Bankrupt at 21. Then Built One of Australia's Most Respected Coffee Brands. With Peter Wolff

    At 21, Peter Wolff was declared bankrupt after unknowingly signing a personal guarantee for his family's business. Years later, he walked away from Veneziano, the coffee company he co-founded, after a partnership that had turned toxic. Then, just eleven weeks after opening a new café in Brisbane, COVID hit. He’s had chefs walk out, he’s broken down in the kitchen, and spent the next nine months cooking every service himself. Today, Peter is the founder of Wolf Coffee Roasters, one of Australia's most respected specialty coffee businesses. Alongside his wife Penny, he's built a business that has trained nearly 15,000 coffee professionals around the world and helped shape Australia's modern coffee industry. In this episode Peter is refreshingly honest about bankruptcy, business partnerships, conflict, burnout and the fear of losing everything twice. He talks about why trust is the most valuable thing a founder can build, the role Penny has played in every chapter of the business, and why sometimes the only way through is one plate, one customer and one day at a time. You'll hear: 0:00 Four decades in coffee and the business Peter built 6:23 How Wolf Coffee Roasters started from scratch 15:03 Why he walked away from the company he co-founded 19:18 When a business partnership became toxic 22:01 What leaving a business really feels like 29:04 Building multiple businesses at the same time 36:55 The family bankruptcy that changed everything 41:00 The $68,000 debt he never knew he'd signed for 45:15 Opening a new café just weeks before COVID 50:10 The week every chef walked out52:29 Breaking down in the kitchen 54:07 Nine months cooking every service himself 57:08 The one lesson every founder should build their business around Connect with Peter: linkedin.com/in/peter-wolff-40475aba See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business, reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

  5. Aug 19

    We Grew 170% a Year… Then It Nearly Broke the Business with Jordan Gauder

    From the outside the business looked like it was booming ... but really he was $620,000 in debt and no one knew. Jordan Gauder built Gen Physio from a one-man in-home physio service on the Gold Coast into a national allied health company, growing around 170% a year for three years to more than $10 million in revenue. He had a strong team and a model that was ahead of its market. But the climb came with a reckoning. We talk about the bills he never knew he wasn't paying, the team that he needed around him, the $620,000 debt and why growing faster than his own skills nearly cost him everything he'd built. If you're scaling fast and it feels like it might be getting away from you, listen to this one. Follow so you don't miss the next. You'll Hear: 0:00 A one-man physio service that became a national business 8:05 Telling his dad he was quitting a stable job to go it alone 17:21 How raw talent scaled the business, and why it became a trap 22:09 Too busy to cope: the fear of turning clients away 34:39 The NDIS rollout that poured rocket fuel on the business 36:38 Ordering a $200k Range Rover with money that wasn't his 38:41 The one bill he didn't know he'd never been paying 48:51 Growing 170% a year, until the year it stopped 64:25 The hard calls: cutting roles he'd hired for growth that never came 69:12 Finding a $620,000 tax debt 72:02 Why the worst point became the best thing that happened This episode touches on burnout, bereavement and pressure at home. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Jordan over at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-gauder-2b50016a/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

  6. Aug 12

    His first ever client called to threaten a lawsuit. It made his whole business with David Aherne

    Every founder gets tested. Most don't get tested by the first client they ever land. David Ahearne runs Across the Ocean, a freight forwarding and customs business that moves shipments between factories and warehouses all over the world, from China, the UAE and the US into Australia, and exports Australian minerals across Southeast Asia. Eighteen years in, it's a serious operation with a team, a strong industry reputation, and the kind of blue-chip commercial accounts most forwarders spend careers chasing. He built all of it starting from nothing: no job, no contacts, and $500 he had to borrow for a website. And the road there is a run of people coming at him from all sides. A first client who rang up threatening to sue him before they'd ever met, a call that somehow became the relationship that got the whole thing off the ground. A business partner whose $5,000 buy-in cost $120,000 to undo. A software venture where his partners sabotaged his website and abused his staff while a rival on the other side of the world spread lies about him through the industry. In this episode he's honest about the loneliness of it, the times his back was fully against the wall, and why he kept choosing to come out swinging. If you're building something and feel like you're getting hit from every direction, this is the one. Follow so you don't miss the next. You’ll hear: 0:00 $500 he didn't have, borrowed for a website 16:13 One apartment, no cash, and a Google ad that started it all 19:23 His first ever client rang to threaten a lawsuit 22:42 How the man who threatened to sue him made the business 25:29 Turning up to close the deal in a $500 car that barely ran 31:17 The handshake that cost him $120,000 to undo 37:27 The one lesson he paid six figures to learn 43:21 A side venture that looked like the big one 51:15 Pitching to 250 rivals with his own reputation on the line52:31 When his own partners started sabotaging him 59:10 Attacked on two fronts at once, by people he'd helped 1:00:28 Fight or die: the moment he decided to swing back 1:08:00 The two things he'd tell any founder starting out --------- Connect with David - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-aherne-608b7153/ See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode

  7. Aug 5

    70% of his revenue vanished overnight. He rebuilt it from a locked-down apartment with Don Hett

    Don landed in Australia with $1,500 ... cleaning public toilets at 3:30am before uni and stacking shelves at night, sending money home for his brother's medical bills. He built that into Clean Kings, a national cleaning company with 650 staff, and four more businesses under his venture studio Six Silo. But 2020 took almost all of it at once COVID wiped out 70% of his revenue overnight, his fashion label was sinking, his marriage was falling apart across a closed border, and he lost his dog. In this episode he's open about the times that followed, the pressure to just quit and get a job, the trip to Peru that reset his sense of purpose, and the one thing every founder does that outsiders never see. He also explains the Pablo Escobar insight that let him scale Clean Kings. If you're building something and everything's hitting at once, this episode changes everything. You'll hear: 0:00 Five companies, and the grind nobody sees behind them4:04 $1,500, public toilets at 3:30am, and money sent home7:47 The moment he understood why his dad left to work in Saudi9:19 How a personality test at Bunnings sparked Clean Kings13:04 The Pablo Escobar model he used to scale the business15:28 2020: 70% of revenue gone overnight21:53 His marriage unravelling across a closed border27:50 The separation, the depression, and the man in the mirror30:03 Peru, and the reset that gave him his purpose43:00 Why he'd break the whole thing and rebuild it if he had to53:44 Change, confidence, clarity: the three Cs he lives by This episode discusses depression and personal loss. If it resonates, support is available in Australia through Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue at beyondblue.org.au. Connect with Don - https://www.linkedin.com/in/donhettofficial/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

  8. Jul 29

    He tripled the family business in a year, and then the unthinkable happened with Julian Grasso

    His dad told him to make his own brother redundant. He did it. They didn't speak for 18 months. Julian Grasso didn't inherit a business or get handed a stake. He walked out of a corporate 30-year plan, pitched his own parents to start something together, and turned one truck into a 35-truck waste and environmental services company, tripling it in the first year. But going into business with the people who raised you comes with a cost the family photos never show. In this episode he's open about running the company as his parents' boss, buying them out, the intervention where he had to ask them "am I your son or your business partner," and the brother he had to let go. He also shares the stuff that actually built the business: why he backs himself into industries he knows nothing about, and why everyone plans for failure but no one plans for success. If you're building something with family, or thinking about it, this is the one. 0:00 He pitched his own parents to start a business4:40 One truck to 35: how the business actually grew7:24 Why he chose his parents over a mate as co-founders10:26 The skill every founder needs: having the hard conversation13:33 Being your parents' business partner and their son at once16:04 Lockdown, a newborn, and moving back in with mum and dad20:39 Everyone plans for the business failing. No one plans for it succeeding22:11 The food truck, the pressure, and his brother getting caught in it25:19 Buying his own parents out of the company31:45 The midlife crisis at 25 that sent him to a psychologist40:53 The intervention: "am I your son or your business partner?"48:01 Where his brother and his parents stand now Connect with Julian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-grasso-2a102354/ --------- See behind the scenes over at https://www.instagram.com/danmoussa_thirdwayadvisory/ Or Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-moussa-thirdway/ And if you need help to find the hire that will completely change your business reach out over at https://www.thirdwayadvisory.com.au/ Hit follow wherever you're listening so you don't miss a single episode.

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About

Every founder has two stories, the one on the stage and the one over a whiskey. The Founder's Fire are the second ones. I sit down with founders to talk about the things we all go through, but no one talks about. The pressure, the doubt, the times they nearly gave up and how they turned it all around. If you're building something and want to hear what it actually takes, this is for you. Make sure you hit follow because I can guarantee you've never heard these stories before.

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Moussa - Thirdway Advisory
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    18
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Dan Moussa - Thirdway Advisory
  • Show Website
    The Founders Fire

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