Épisodes

  • Industry Leaders EP24 with James Kelly

    Industry Leaders EP24 with James Kelly
    Oct 16 2026
    Episode SummaryHost Seton Walsh-Rose is joined by James Kelly, Co-Managing Partner at CHC (ClarkeHopkinsClarke) and leader of its national Seniors Living & Care team. James grew up just outside Geelong, spent almost a decade under pioneering architect Yvonne von Hartel, then joined CHC to help build its aged care practice, becoming a partner just after 30.Together they explore why CHC believes business isn’t just for business, from B Corp certification and measuring impact to how AI will reshape design fees and graduate training. James also makes the case for designing against ageism, and explains why older Australians are central to solving the housing crisis.Episode Chapters00:10 Welcome00:34 About CHC02:35 Early love of architecture03:05 Peck von Hartel and Yvonne von Hartel03:40 Joining CHC04:20 Partner after 3004:52 Co-managing partner05:20 Growing to 210 people06:45 You have to believe in something07:39 Medium-scale projects, long-term people08:22 Talent across states10:42 Giving back12:31 Measuring impact13:43 B Corp is not a stamp14:57 Purpose in the interview room15:54 AI and sustainability17:30 Cash is king18:32 Design rationalisation20:33 No ego in design21:50 Good passive design costs no more23:00 Design business in 203623:53 Where AI will change the fee24:51 Paper to CAD to BIM to AI25:59 Toilet partitions for five years27:08 Hiring for aptitude and values27:50 AI and the graduate QA problem28:16 Learning from peers29:12 From diamond to square30:37 Victoria’s resilience31:25 Sydney and feasibility32:29 State by state34:41 Lessons from the 1990s recession35:12 Choosing sectors you believe in36:27 Strategy isn’t set and forget38:57 Why seniors living39:37 Find what you’re passionate about40:05 Fighting ageism through design40:44 Ageing and the housing crisis44:31 An ageing nation45:44 Dementia and brain health46:40 A national conversation on ageing49:04 No single solution49:56 Intergenerational models51:04 Aged care front and centre52:42 Wrap-up53:07 Seton’s reflectionKey TakeawaysBusiness isn’t just for businessProve your purpose.Purpose attracts talent.Stability is a strategyLeave your ego at the door.Good design needn’t cost moreAI will move the fee forward.Graduates still learn from people.Sound Bites / Quotes:“Business is not just for business. You’re not here to make just money. You are here to actually do something better for the world.”— James Kelly, ~06:45Connect and Follow James KellyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandasheehan/Website: https://www.chc.com.au/people/james-kellyReferences & ResourcesPeckvonhartel: https://www.pvh.com.au/Yvonne von Hartel AM: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_von_HartelRobert Goodliffe: https://chc.com.au/people/robert-goodliffe-One Heart Foundation: https://oneheart.co/Run from Poverty with Dean Landy (Architecture & Design): https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/features/features-articles/run-from-poverty-take-to-the-track-with-architectEltham College: https://www.elthamcollege.vic.edu.au/Balibo House Trust: https://balibohouse.com/B Corp Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand (B Lab): https://bcorporation.com.au/Hassell: https://www.hassellstudio.com/news-event/hassell-celebrates-b-corp-certificationHammondCare: https://www.hammond.com.au/2023 Intergenerational Report: https://treasury.gov.au/publication/2023-intergenerational-reportRoyal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety: https://www.royalcommission.gov.au/aged-careSunSmart: https://www.sunsmart.com.au/LET’S BE Inspired📸 https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/📱https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast📸https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - https://be-inspired.net
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    54 min
  • Industry Leaders EP23 with Miranda Sheehan

    Industry Leaders EP23 with Miranda Sheehan
    Oct 9 2026
    Episode Overview:Miranda Sheehan has been at PDT Architects for close to thirty years, and the Brisbane firm itself has been going for eighty-eight — six generations of ownership, in a profession where most practices do not outlast their founders. She is one of three directors who deliberately chose not to appoint a managing director. She tells host Seton Walsh-Rose what buying equity at twenty-six actually cost her, why coming back from her third baby meant eight to ten years of digging the business out of trouble, and why she would not change any of it.Chapters:00:10 Welcome — Miranda and PDT Architects00:56 Everything apart from a brewery03:46 Why most firms decline and this one didn’t04:06 Six generations and the real origin story05:13 Thirty people to a hundred and forty07:02 Three directors, no managing director09:39 Three new Queensland bases11:29 Growing without getting too big12:03 Remote before it was normal14:03 Letting the team design the post-COVID model15:18 It all comes down to trust19:03 Succession runs from student to director21:06 Where the industry loses women22:25 Three boys and the juggle23:55 What would Ruth say?25:24 Resilience, guilt and not being your best self29:34 When PDT had no women but the receptionist32:32 The other side of equity33:45 Coming back from maternity leave into a crisis34:47 Six or seven years to get out of that spot39:43 Why women leave architecture and construction41:05 How shareholding actually works at PDT42:14 Shares are worth what someone will pay45:08 Making buy-in work for the next generation47:38 Queensland’s moment49:38 AI and “they think we draw pretty pictures”50:30 Clients arriving with a ChatGPT render53:16 Sketching again, an AI policy, a secure environment54:25 Monthly updates and the creative workshop57:03 An introvert on the networking circuit58:32 The forced football conversation1:01:08 Five to twelve meetings before a fee request1:03:51 Your network is your real value1:04:42 Good Hang, Utopia, and laughing at the industryKey Takeaways:Succession is the whole business, not the exit.Buy in for the business, not the payout.A shareholders agreement sets the rules, not the price.Recovery takes years, and effort doesn’t compress it.Flexibility is a trust question, not a policy question.Three directors, no managing director, equal pay.Sound Bites / Quotes:“It all comes down to trust. And if we’re hiring these people, we should be able to trust them. And if we can’t trust them, they shouldn’t be working for us anyway.” — Miranda Sheehan, ~15:18Connect and Follow Miranda SheehanLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirandasheehan/⁠Website: ⁠https://www.pdt.com.au/⁠References & Resources:Lange Powell — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lange_PowellTim O’Donnell— https://www.pdt.com.au/post/meet-our-in-house-heritage-architectIan Downing, PDT Architects — https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-downing-3b55a346/Indooroopilly Shopping Centre — https://pdt.com.au/projects-retail/indooroopilly-shopping-centreNAWIC— https://www.nawic.com.au/BVN — https://www.bvn.com.au/article/100-years-of-collective-creativityProperty Council of Australia — https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/Microsoft Copilot — https://copilot.microsoft.com/ChatGPT — https://chatgpt.com/Good Hang with Amy Poehler — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Good_Hang_with_Amy_PoehlerUtopia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopia_(Australian_TV_series)The IT Crowd — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_IT_CrowdLET’S BE Inspired📸 ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/⁠⁠📱⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast⁠⁠📸⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/⁠⁠🎧 ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7⁠⁠🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - ⁠⁠https://be-inspired.net
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    1 h et 7 min
  • Industry Leaders EP22 with Jess Noonan

    Industry Leaders EP22 with Jess Noonan
    Sep 4 2026
    Episode Summary:Jess Noonan never meant to be a town planner — she wanted to be a nurse, or an accountant. Twenty years on she is a Senior Principal at Tract, co-hosts the PlanningXChange podcast, and tells host Seton Walsh-Rose that Victoria's planning system has been reshaped in four or five years. Her verdict is mixed: rezoning land is not the same as building housing, and while roughly a dozen taxes erode feasibility, the homes do not follow the zoning.Chapters00:11 Episode introduction02:38 Not the usual planner origin story03:11 The thread her father spotted04:11 Planning began as a health problem05:13 From Bendigo to Melbourne05:32 Industry involvement as a social crutch05:54 A cadetship on census boundaries07:27 The colleague who opened the door07:47 Ten to fifteen years with the Institute08:26 Why getting involved matters09:18 Access to decision makers10:30 "What is a podcast?"10:52 Recording into the void12:22 One microphone on the corner of a table13:19 The path to Tract13:55 An industry that used to be static15:32 What the reform is trying to fix16:20 Bold policy, faster decisions16:45 Planning moves to centre stage17:24 Centralisation of power18:00 Code assessment arrives in Victoria19:23 Queensland's giant LGAs20:33 Pros and cons of a bigger LGA22:12 Population growth as the lever22:38 Economic development as an approval pathway25:13 Feasibility is still broken25:33 Roughly a dozen taxes26:22 Rezoning is not building26:42 You still have to get the finance28:24 Planning takes the blame29:10 What PlanningXChange became30:00 Biggest audience is now the US31:28 Planning is not boring32:23 A Master of Public Health32:48 The health cost of isolation34:35 Density and connection35:41 The US as testing ground39:38 States converging41:14 AI and the submission that vanished41:45 The human element in planning42:09 Advice for people coming through42:50 Supporters, not just mentors44:05 Keep educating yourself45:24 Good work nobody hears about45:47 Voice is not self-promotion46:32 You will not get it right47:07 Give it a go47:50 Almost no negative feedback48:59 Leaders who ask "are you sure?"50:35 The people at the edges52:06 Life in the trenches54:27 Closing thoughtsKey Takeaways⁠⁠⁠Town planning started as public healthCareers do not need a straight line into them.Getting involved early compoundsThe industry was static, and now it is notReform has moved decisions upwardSound Bites / Quotes:“Really the genesis of town planning comes from a health problem, you know, needing to segregate land use into different areas so that you didn't have disease.”— Jess Noonan, ~03:11Connect and Follow Jess NoonanLinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/noonanjessicaWebsite: https://tract.com.au/References & Resources:PlanningXChange — Jess's podcast, running since 2014: https://www.planningxchange.org/https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/planning-xchange/id949263443Planning Institute of Australia — https://www.planning.org.au/Townhouse and Low-Rise Code / Development Facilitation Program—https://www.planning.vic.gov.auVicSmart — Victoria's fast-track permit pathway: https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/guides/all-guides/vicsmart-permitsABS — https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/statistical-geography/australian-statistical-geography-standard-asgsAHURI —https://www.ahuri.edu.au/analysis/brief/what-build-rentJulianne Holt-Lunstad — https://www.julianneholtlunstad.com/15-cigarettesHolt-Lunstad, Smith & Layton (2010) https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000316LET’S BE Inspired📸 ⁠https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/⁠📱⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast⁠📸⁠https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/⁠🎧 ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7⁠🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - ⁠https://be-inspired.net
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    55 min
  • Industry Leaders EP21 with Ceilidh Higgins

    Industry Leaders EP21 with Ceilidh Higgins
    Aug 28 2026
    Episode SummaryCBRE workplace strategist Ceilidh Higgins joins host Seton Walsh-Rose on the BE Inspired Podcast to explain why office design stalled around 2010, what AI and voice will change, and the team space everyone is missing. Chapters⁠:00:11 Episode introduction00:45 Meet Ceilidh Higgins01:30 Why designers' own offices mislead them02:09 Starting out at GHD03:15 The gap in understanding04:50 The most underutilised spaces in corporate offices05:18 Placement, not concept06:00 Noise, neurodiversity and preference07:47 The office is a twentieth-century invention08:43 Desk evolution — and where it stopped10:55 Workflows that never caught up11:17 When going to meetings becomes the job12:24 The jump room and the three-person meeting13:52 Workplaces change slower than AI16:58 Dispersed teams18:50 "Why come to the office to sit on Teams calls?"19:06 CBRE's approach20:36 Frontline versus corporate21:15 Autonomy, certainty and the brain24:14 AI's unproven productivity25:21 Where AI actually landed26:43 Small business is outpacing enterprise27:25 The team level is the unlock28:45 The one-person business31:55 Headcount forecasting has broken33:23 Absorbing growth instead of downsizing34:18 Space per head35:27 One desk per ten square metres36:48 Activity-based working versus hot desking38:04 Desk sharing ratios39:31 Working alone together40:54 The monitor problem41:46 CBRE Sydney43:24 Post-occupancy results44:11 A connection strategy45:03 The Midnight Lunch45:52 What if we stop typing?46:31 The last hardware tether48:42 Technology cycles versus leases50:24 Running a $60m refurb from an iPad50:59 Humans are the slowest to change53:48 What doesn't change54:17 An AI-enabled team space55:41 Isolation, equity and life stage57:19 What the built environment still needs58:27 Culture is deliberate, or it happens59:05 Intentionality over osmosis1:01:31 Editing AI until it finds your voice1:01:42 When the job becomes QA1:02:38 Who Ceilidh reads1:03:18 CoreNet Australia1:04:04 Closing thoughtsKey Takeaways:Office design stalled around 2010.Collaboration space usually fails on placement.Meetings got bigger and emptier at the same time.Activity-based working is not hot desking.Density backfires.The missing space is the team space.Sound Bites / Quotes:“Not in the workplaces, but in the world of AI. Workplaces are much slower to change.”— Ceilidh Higgins, ~13:52Connect and Follow Ceilidh HigginsLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceilidhhiggins/⁠Website: ⁠https://www.cbre.com.au/⁠References & ResourcesThe Midnight Lunch — https://themidnightlunch.com/CoreNet Global Australia — https://www.corenetaustralia.org/XY Sense — https://xysense.com/Revizto — https://revizto.com/Autodesk Construction Cloud — https://construction.autodesk.com/Wispr Flow — https://wisprflow.ai/Frank Lloyd Wright's Johnson Wax Administration Building and its Great Workroom: https://www.scjohnson.com/en/news-stories/blog/administration-buildingFrank Lloyd Wright Foundation: https://franklloydwright.org/Net Promoter Score — https://www.netpromoter.com/know/Phil Kirschner — The Workline: https://walktheworkline.com/Brian Elliott — co-founder of Future Forum, Work Forward: https://theworkforward.substack.com/Nick Bloom — https://nbloom.people.stanford.edu/WFH Research — https://wfhresearch.com/Bruce Daisley — Eat Sleep Work Repeat: https://eatsleepworkrepeat.com/LET’S BE Inspired📸 https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/📱https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast📸https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - https://be-inspired.net
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    1 h et 5 min
  • Industry Leaders EP20 with Sarah Buckeridge

    Industry Leaders EP20 with Sarah Buckeridge
    Aug 21 2026
    Episode SummaryIn this episode of the BE Inspired Podcast, Industry Leaders Series, Sarah Buckeridge Co-Managing Principal of Hayball tells host Seton Walsh-Rose that she stayed for a simple reason: the firm kept growing and changing, and it kept making room for her as she changed too.Chapters00:11 Episode introduction00:39 Meet Sarah Buckeridge00:55 Hayball at 43 years01:05 The project pillars01:47 A career that started elsewhere02:13 Graduating into a recession02:40 Two and a half years in Singapore03:54 Coming home to Hayball04:20 Why she stayed04:58 Culture as reputation05:14 Three children, one firm06:09 Female representation, then and now06:26 Promoted on maternity leave07:13 The data nobody expects08:31 Champions of Change and Parlour09:15 WGEA reporting as a discipline09:49 500 Women in Property10:13 The Grow mentoring program10:41 Careers are not linear11:17 Being vocal about what you want11:48 Non-traditional pathways12:44 Building a team like a puzzle13:53 Losing people mid-career14:54 Passion projects pay back16:28 Live and learn — cross-pollination17:25 Specialists are welcome too17:45 The employee share scheme19:04 Targets and gender equity19:42 Why shares beat bonuses20:28 Value beyond business development21:05 Ownership beyond the architects21:39 Three markets, one country22:29 The one-Hayball model24:10 Exporting sector expertise25:21 Remote-first, cost and caliber26:57 When clients want people in the room28:44 The generation that has not seen a downturn30:32 Structured graduate mentoring31:38 How to frame an application33:11 Where is this all heading?33:32 AI: still in the testing phase34:28 Front-loading the data work35:16 A version-one AI policy35:45 Materials, climate and place36:39 Top-down and ground-up38:00 Social value as an umbrella39:17 Client buy-in41:08 Why it attracts talent41:37 A lesson from the UK42:33 Recommendation: ParlourKey Takeaways⁠⁠⁠People stay where the organisation keeps changingCareer breaks redefine a path rather than end it.Promote people while they are on leave.If you do not measure it, you cannot understand it.Non-linear is not lesser.Keep connection points open during leave.Sound Bites / Quotes:“If it hadn’t been a place that was growing and changing, then I don’t think I would still be here.”— Sarah Buckeridge, ~04:20Connect and Follow Sarah BuckeridgeLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-buckeridge-lfraia-76723436/⁠Website: ⁠https://www.hayball.com.au/⁠References & ResourcesGray Puksand — https://www.graypuksand.com.au/Champions of Change Coalition — Architects group: https://championsofchangecoalition.org/groups/champions-of-change-architects/Parlour — gender, equity, architecture: https://archiparlour.org/Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA): https://www.wgea.gov.au/Property Council of Australia — 500 Women in Property program: https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/events-learning/events-learning-overview/programs/500-women-in-propertyNAWIC — National Association of Women in Construction (Australia); CEO Cathryn Greville, referenced by Seton: https://www.nawic.com.au/Cathryn Greville, CEO, NAWIC (LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/in/cathryngreville/Australian Institute of Architects — https://www.architecture.com.au/Kerry Hill Architects — the design ilk of Sarah’s Singapore years: https://architectureau.com/organisations/kerry-hill-architects/Parlour Guides to Equitable Practice — https://parlour.org.au/parlour-guides/LET’S BE Inspired📸 https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/📱https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast📸https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - https://be-inspired.net
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    44 min
  • Industry Leaders EP19 with Dua Green

    Industry Leaders EP19 with Dua Green
    Aug 14 2026
    Episode SummarySeton Walsh-Rose sits down with Dua Green, CEO of AJC (Allen Jack + Cottier) — a Sydney architecture practice of around eighty people, celebrating 70 years and recently recognised with the NSW Enduring Architecture Award. The two first met at the Australian Design Review 30UNDER30 leadership retreat in Bali, and Dua’s story is anything but a straight line: from a Lego-obsessed childhood and an architect father, to Newcastle, London, silversmithing, tutoring, a buyer’s-agent licence and a stint on the client side — before returning to the practice she now leads.Chapters:00:11 Welcome & Introduction00:46 What AJC Is01:55 70 Years & an Enduring Award02:38 Sydney-Based, ~80 People02:55 Why Architecture?04:13 Thinking Three-Dimensionally04:39 What Architecture Really Is05:33 Big Picture vs Detail06:43 Why Teams Balance Skills08:15 Keeping the Design Culture09:20 Newcastle & Problem-Based Learning09:46 Residential Work, then London11:56 London Projects13:03 Returning to AJC14:33 Kids, Part-Time & Trying Things15:04 Silversmithing16:11 Design Tutoring at Sydney17:06 The Load of Working Parenthood18:59 A Buyer’s-Agent Detour20:30 The Client Side21:46 Missing Design22:02 Architects & Self-Actualisation24:41 Small Decisions That Matter26:08 Back to AJC29:48 Learning to Let Go30:25 The Evolution of a Career32:09 Building a Team Like a Puzzle33:08 AI as Opportunity34:15 The Graduate Skills Question36:27 What Won’t Change38:46 Reflections & CloseKey Takeaways:Know what architecture really isThe consummate architect holds both scalesNo one person designs a buildingMake development a continuous conversationA non-linear career is a strengthKeep a faster creative outletPart-time works with great communicationLeadership means learning to let goUse AI to free the designRelationships and trust won’t changeSound Bites / Quotes:““It’s really important to take the time to understand what architecture actually is as a career — the legislation, responsibility and risk.”— Dua Green, ~04:39“If you get the right team together, you balance those skills — and the energy that comes out of that can be so rewarding.”— Dua Green, ~06:43“Rather than waiting a year for a performance review, try and make it more of a continuous conversation.”— Dua Green, ~08:50Connect and Follow Dua GreenLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dua-greenWebsite: http://www.architectsajc.comReferences & Resources:Dua Green — AJC profile: https://architectsajc.com/person/dua-green/AJC (Allen Jack + Cottier) — Sydney architecture practice: https://architectsajc.com/AJC announces Dua Green as CEO (July 2025): https://architectsajc.com/ajc-announces-dua-green-as-chief-executive-officer-with-michael-heenan-continuing-as-chair-of-the-board-and-design-lead/AJC wins second consecutive NSW Enduring Architecture Award: https://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/ajc-architects-win-second-consecutive-nsw-enduring-architecture-award/Australian Design Review 30UNDER30 — where Dua and Seton met (Bali retreat): https://www.australiandesignreview.com/30under30/about-the-program/James Turrell — the light artist whose window lighting AJC integrated in a London gallery: https://jamesturrell.comUniversity of Newcastle — where Dua studied architecture: https://www.newcastle.edu.auThe University of Sydney — where Dua tutored design: https://www.sydney.edu.auLoom — the async video tool Seton recommends for remote and part-time teams: https://www.loom.comLET’S BE Inspired📸 https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/📱https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast📸https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - https://be-inspired.net
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    39 min
  • Industry Leaders EP18 with Julie Ockerby

    Industry Leaders EP18 with Julie Ockerby
    Aug 7 2026
    Episode Summary:Seton Walsh-Rose sits down with Julie Ockerby, Director of Client Relationships & Design at WMK Architecture and the founder of Meli Studio — one of Australia's early innovators in aged care, retirement and healthcare interior design. Julie's path is anything but linear: a few intense years as a registered nurse, then marketing roles at Qantas and Design Hotels across APAC, before a personal experience finding aged care for her father drew her into design.Chapters:00:05 Welcome & Introduction00:26 Condensing a Non-Linear Story00:48 Starting Out as a Nurse02:06 What Nursing Taught Her03:29 The Turn into Marketing04:42 Qantas & Design Hotels APAC05:20 Marketing Is Curiosity05:57 Unconventional Hoteliers09:01 Olympics, 9/11 & Change10:03 A Personal Catalyst10:44 A New Mum Needing Flexibility11:29 Founding Meli Studio11:48 Reinventing Aged Care12:44 Creating a Fabric Line15:03 Materials Matter15:32 Designing for Community16:22 Living Should Continue18:27 Merging Meli with WMK19:27 Three Choices20:07 Why It Was Smooth20:30 Like a Marriage21:36 Women Leaving the Industry24:07 What Mattered Most25:25 A Strategic Partnership27:52 AI & the Investment Question28:24 AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement29:44 The 'Canary' Industry31:42 Aged Care After the Royal Commission34:33 Designers Need Business Acumen36:37 You're the Expert38:53 It's Okay to Make a Profit40:42 Books & People's Stories43:04 Failure Was Never an OptionKey Takeaways:Non-linear careers are a strengthGreat marketing taps into curiosityThe best ideas often come from personal painAged care should feel like a homeDesign down to the materialsA merger is a marriageCulture and DI outweigh the dealAI is a tool, not a replacementDesigners must understand the businessEvery good design needs a storySound Bites / Quotes:“The core of marketing for me is to tweak on people's curiosities. If people are curious, they want to know why.”— Julie Ockerby, ~05:40“That living continues, and it should — and if for nothing else, it should be aspirational.”— Julie Ockerby, ~16:48“If we wanted to replace you as a person, we wouldn't have hired you for your talents. Use it as a tool — it doesn't replace you as the artist.”— Julie Ockerby, ~29:03Connect and Follow Julie OckerbyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-ockerby-a587285/Website: https://wmkarchitecture.comReferences & Resources:Julie Ockerby — WMK Architecture profile: https://wmkarchitecture.com/people/key-staff/julie-ockerby/WMK Architecture: https://wmkarchitecture.comMeli Studio — aged care, retirement, healthcare & hospitality interior design (founded by Julie): https://www.melistudio.com.auWMK joins with Meli Studio — merger announcement (effective 1 September 2025): https://wmkarchitecture.com/blog/wmk-joins-with-meli-studio/Design Hotels — the boutique hotel collection Julie marketed across APAC (now part of Marriott): https://www.designhotels.comClaus Sendlinger — founder of Design Hotels: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claus_SendlingerQantas — an earlier stop in Julie's marketing career: https://www.qantas.comNAWIC — National Association of Women in Construction (referenced on women in the industry): https://www.nawic.com.auAged Care Royal Commission — the reforms that reshaped the sector: https://www.royalcommission.gov.au/aged-careLET’S BE Inspired:📸 https://www.facebook.com/beinspiredcommunity/📱https://www.linkedin.com/company/beinspiredpodcast📸https://www.instagram.com/beconnected_podcast/🎧 https://open.spotify.com/show/5DbuoR8Ztq3sGYa5rrKzq7🔗https://www.youtube.com/@BEInspiredPodcast🎵 https://www.tiktok.com/@beconnectedpodcast🌍My website - https://be-inspired.net
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    44 min
  • Industry Leaders EP17 with Richard Austin

    Industry Leaders EP17 with Richard Austin
    Jul 31 2026

    Episode Overview:

    Seton Walsh-Rose sits down with Richard Austin, CEO of Omnii — Australia's largest fire engineering and fire protection consultancy, working across health, rail, defence, education and major projects from Cross River Rail to Darling Harbour. Richard's path is anything but linear: hospitality, travel, media, financial services and shared-service procurement before the built environment. He's also a keen cyclist and co-founder of the apparel business Third Wheel Cycling.

    Episode Chapters

    • 00:10 Welcome & Introduction
    • 00:36 What Omnii Is
    • 01:10 Why Fire Matters
    • 04:11 A Varied History
    • 05:00 The Universal Fundamentals
    • 05:30 Create the Environment
    • 06:50 Strategy vs Execution
    • 08:08 Third Wheel Cycling
    • 09:55 Community Over Margin
    • 12:39 Reading the Markets
    • 13:27 Victoria’s ‘Green Shoots’
    • 15:20 Queensland & 2032
    • 16:27 Migration & Skills
    • 17:11 Tax, GDP & Business
    • 20:07 An Industry of Small Businesses
    • 23:09 AI as Automation
    • 23:57 AI Agents in Practice
    • 26:52 The Human in the Loop
    • 27:23 Robotics Is Coming Fast
    • 29:27 What AI Can’t Replace
    • 30:26 Shrinking Time Horizons
    • 32:36 Skills for the Future
    • 33:08 Pick Up the Phone
    • 34:31 Learning by Osmosis
    • 37:38 Routine & Recommendations
    • 41:02 Reflections & Close

    Key Takeaways:

    • The fundamentals are universal
    • A CEO doesn’t need to be the technical expert
    • Tools, training, then time
    • Strategy is worthless in a bottom drawer
    • Fire engineering is life safety
    • Build for community, not just margin
    • The gloom isn’t universal
    • AI is an extension, not a replacement
    • Autonomous tech is here — legislation is the lag
    • Human connection is the skill AI can’t replace


    Sound Bites / Quotes:
    “There are nuances to every sector — but the underlying fundamentals are the same: people, process, systems, structure, culture.”
    — Richard Austin, ~05:00

    “As leaders, we have a responsibility to give everyone the tools they need to be successful, train them to use them, and then give them the time to use them effectively.”
    — Richard Austin, ~05:30

    “It’s not the shiny, sexy element of a building — it’s about life safety. Creating an environment so if something bad happens, people can get out safely.”
    — Richard Austin, ~02:03

    Connect and Follow Richard Austin
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardwaustin
    Website: https://omnii.com.au/

    References & Resources

    • Omnii — fire engineering & fire protection (founded 2005, Milton QLD): https://omnii.com.au
    • Omnii CEO appointment announcement: https://omnii.com.au/omnii-announces-appointment-of-new-ceo-richard-austin/
    • Third Wheel Cycling — Richard’s co-founded cycling apparel business: https://www.thirdwheelcycling.com
      -Cross River Rail (Brisbane) — one of the projects Omnii works on: https://crossriverrail.qld.gov.au
    • National Construction Code (NCC) — the standard fire designs must comply with: https://ncc.abcb.gov.au
    • Daniel Priestley — entrepreneur cited on business and entrepreneurship: https://www.danielpriestley.com
    • The Diary of a CEO (Steven Bartlett) — a regular listen for Richard: https://thediaryofaceo.com
    • Mark Boris — ‘Mentored’ podcast, referenced on the federal budget: https://mentored.com.au
    • Drive — Daniel Pink (a book raised in the conversation): https://www.danpink.com/books/drive/

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