In this episode of The Wisdom Of ... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Lindsay Davis, Founder & CEO of FemTech Association Asia, the region's first and largest femtech network representing 80+ companies across 10 countries. From her global expansion leadership at Quintessentially to building an ecosystem that didn't exist, Lindsay shares profound insights on courage, ecosystem orchestration, and what it takes to drive systemic change in women's health across vastly different cultures and markets.

Ready to systematically capture your leadership wisdom and turn it into scalable frameworks? Join Simon's exclusive Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and the mission to advance women's health in Asia

04:32 The career pivot from luxury brand expansion to femtech ecosystem building

12:18 Why women's health receives only 4% of global R&D funding

19:45 Building something that doesn't exist: October 2021 to 80+ companies across 10 countries

28:36 The courage question - where resilience comes from

35:52 Having a high threshold for shame and being happy failing

42:28 The leadership lesson from someone who put aside their book

49:15 Orchestrating founders, investors, corporates, governments around a single mission

56:47 The UN ESCAP commission and defining transformational change

01:03:22 FemTech Connect Asia: Creating the region's first femtech conference

01:11:08 The suffragette movement insight and being part of the continuum

Lindsay Davis started her career in multicultural advertising in the USA, then was recruited by the world’s leading luxury lifestyle management brand, Quintessentially in the UK, to lead global expansion into 25 countries and oversee 60 offices worldwide, with secondments in NYC, China and Qatar. Davis was honoured on the Luxury Daily list of “Luxury Women in Watch” because of her global impact in the luxury sector. As the Founder & CEO of Singapore-based One Bee Consulting, Davis works with brands to develop and elevate loyalty solutions, customer experience and brand affinity through product development, content and programming, PR, community engagement and strategic partnerships.

With a vision of available, accessible and affordable healthcare for all women in Asia, Davis founded FemTech Association Asia in October 2021 as the region’s first and largest industry network for founders, professionals, and investors with the core focus on improving women’s health through technology solutions. The organisation represents 80+ companies across 10 countries in Asia. FemTech Asia was a Finalist in the GIOF – 2022 Business Inclusivity Awards and is a member of the UNFPA Equity 2030 Alliance and a Founding Member of the Milken Institute Women’s Health Network.

In 2023-24, Davis was commissioned by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) as a thought leader and researcher to define what is required to drive transformational and catalytic change in femtech in Southeast Asia. Davis is a contributor for the Milken Institute and sits on the Advisory Board for Women in Global Health – Singapore and Ovy Health in Indonesia.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsay-davis-2584812/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femtechasia/

Website: www.femtechassociation.com

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Diana Williams, Founder and Chair of the Board at Fernwood Fitness, Australia's pioneering women-only health and fitness franchise. Diana shares profound insights on building businesses without business plans, franchising with purpose, and why 98% of what we worry about never happens. Discover how a stay-at-home mum with no industry experience created an entirely new category and became the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame.

Ready to systematically capture and codify your own business wisdom?

Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and how an abandoned classroom became a national franchise

05:18 The conviction that drove category creation in women's fitness

12:42 Why having no business plan sometimes works better than having one

18:52 From critical mess to critical mass - the early franchising chaos

25:36 The ownership solution - why franchisees brought what employees couldn't

33:44 Getting legal exemptions after creating the category, not before

40:08 Choosing succession from within - why Belinda was the right choice

41:00 The 98% rule - why most worries never materialise

52:57 Baby steps philosophy - putting brush strokes on the canvas

Diana Williams is the Founder and Chair of the Board of Fernwood Fitness, Australia's leading women-only health and fitness franchise. Over 36 years, she transformed a single makeshift gym in an abandoned school classroom in Bendigo into a national powerhouse with 73 clubs, 90,000 members, 2,200 employees, and $75M+ annual turnover.

Recognised as a category creator who changed the landscape of health and fitness for Australian women forever, Williams is the first woman inducted into the Franchise Council of Australia Hall of Fame. She has received numerous honors including the 2005 Telstra Australian Businesswoman of the Year and multiple Hall of Fame inductions.

In 2025, Diana transitioned from CEO to Chair, remaining actively involved in guiding the company's strategic direction.

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/diana-williams-b39b456

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dianawilliamsofficial/?hl=en

Fernwood Fitness: https://www.fernwoodfitness.com.au/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website:

Over the past 12 months, Simon Bowen has spoken with dozens of the world's most consequential leaders on The Wisdom Of... Show. This special compilation episode brings together ten profound moments of wisdom and leadership that continue to resonate as we close 2025 and step into 2026. From manipulation with good intent to AI as a new species, from emotional intelligence gaps that determine senior leadership success to fear as a preparation tool, these insights reveal what leadership looks like at the highest levels.

Ready to master the systematic approach to capturing and applying wisdom like this? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction: Celebrating a year of extraordinary leadership conversations

03:45 Jeff Dudan: Leadership as manipulation with good intent and the power of positive influence

09:22 Cameron Herold: Why scale is not an extension of vision and the context versus concept delegation trap

16:18 Akshay Nanavati: Fear as a preparation tool and acceptance of isness as freedom from suffering

23:54 Tamara Jackson: Being a light for others and the true meaning of authentic leadership

31:07 Catriona Wallace: AI as a new species and the existential opportunities ahead

38:45 Nick Halaris: Business as a constant force for good and the intention behind every transaction

45:19 Mike Desjardins: The emotional intelligence gap that separates senior leaders who succeed from those who plateau

52:38 Jim Garrison: Wisdom begins as rebellion and living in questions rather than answers

59:43 Isaac Balbin: Humans plus machines and the future of competitive advantage

67:15 Radek Sali: Insights on scaling businesses with wisdom and intention

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: https://thesimonbowen.com/

Get Simon Bowen's Personal Newsletter for Leaders, Thinkers, and Entrepreneurs!

Sign Up Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/newsletter.

Join Simon's Masterclass: Unlock your leadership potential with The Models Method. Learn to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact.

Watch it Now: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass.

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with The Hon. Victor Dominello, CEO of the Future Government Institute and Co-Founder of ServiceGen. As NSW's inaugural Minister for Customer Service and Digital, the first role of its kind anywhere in the world, Victor delivered landmark reforms that transformed fragmented government services into an internationally studied model of citizen-focused delivery. Discover the Trust Trinity framework that achieved 85% digital driver's licence adoption, how to build trust systematically in complex transformations, and why the moonshot approach beats incremental thinking every time.

Ready to master the systematic approach to capturing transformational wisdom?

Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and creating the world's first Ministry for Customer Service and Digital

07:15 The foundational principle: governments exist to serve people

15:42 The Trust Trinity framework. Digital Identity, Digital Credentials, Performance

24:18 Why 85% adoption is possible when trust is built systematically

32:55 From dozens of agencies to one website, one phone number, one account

41:30 The digital identity paradox. How control enhances privacy

49:12 Performance measurement as feedback loops for continuous improvement

57:08 COVID-19 response and the $1.4 billion Dine & Discover economic injection

01:05:44 Moonshot thinking versus incremental improvement

Victor Dominello is a globally recognised leader in public sector transformation and a pioneer of secure, citizen-centred digital identity. His guiding principle is simple. Governments exist to serve people, and in the digital age, that service must be trusted, seamless, and measurable.

As NSW's inaugural Minister for Customer Service and Digital, Victor delivered landmark reforms including one of the world's first fully digital driver's licences, with 85% adoption and 93% satisfaction, statewide QR check-ins, digital vaccine certificates, and the Dine & Discover programme which injected over $1.4 billion into local economies during COVID-19.

Over his 12 years in cabinet, Victor held portfolios in Digital Government, Innovation, Finance, and Aboriginal Affairs. He drove transformative initiatives such as the creation of the Department of Customer Service, Service NSW, and the $2.1B Digital Restart Fund.

Today, as CEO of the Future Government Institute, Victor advises governments, the World Bank, and major organisations on modernising services and embedding trust. He is also Chair of the Services Australia Independent Advisory Board, Senior Advisor to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, and a Director of the Tech Council of Australia.

Victor has been recognised in The Australian's Top 100 Innovators and in Okta's Identity 25 list of global visionaries, with his image featured on the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victordominello

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victordominello

Twitter: https://x.com/VictorDominello

Future Government Institute:...

In this episode of 'The Wisdom Of' Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Jack Gance, Chairman and Co-Founder of Chemist Warehouse. From opening his first pharmacy in 1972 to creating a multi-billion-dollar retail giant with over 600 stores, Jack shares his customer-first philosophy that transformed Australian retail. Discover his insights on maintaining culture through scale, the power of founder unanimity, the delicate balance between online and in-store experiences, and why true customer focus means imagining yourself on the receiving end of every interaction your business creates.

Ready to elevate your leadership approach? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method. Learn how to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and Jack's extensive background in pharmacy retail

05:18 Customer value as a driving force rather than disruption

12:36 How Chemist Warehouse expands markets rather than stealing share

18:52 Supplier relationships and creating win-win partnerships

25:44 Maintaining consistent culture across 600+ stores

33:29 The power of unanimous decision-making among founders

38:22 Why testing small before scaling saved millions in mistakes

45:36 The surprising economics of online vs. in-store retail

52:12 The future of retail: technology vs. human connection

58:43 The ultimate customer experience test and legacy building

Jack Gance opened his first pharmacy store in 1972, developing a successful distribution business through pharmacy before creating iconic Australian brands including Le Specs, Le Tan, Australis, and Colours of Australia. After building the largest pharmacy distributor business in Australia (which he sold in 1991), Jack completed an MBA at Monash and NYU Stern School of Business before returning to revolutionize the pharmacy industry.

By 1993, Jack was running 35 stores through the My Chemist Pharmacy chain, which grew to 50 stores by 2000. He then created Chemist Warehouse, which became a major industry disruptor, commanding over 50% market share front of store and around 20% of all prescriptions written in Australia.

Recently, Chemist Warehouse joined with Sigma Healthcare to create a $32 billion retail and pharmaceutical distribution powerhouse. Throughout his career, Jack has remained focused on his founding philosophy: "We are building this for our kids and grandkids, ensuring that we pass down a substantial, sustainable and successful business."

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-gance-96a38418/

Website: https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website:...

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Bryan Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity, one of America's largest insurance and wealth management firms. From his upbringing in a small-town Texas funeral home to building a company that serves millions of families, Bryan shares profound insights on why technology without humanity creates nothing worth remembering, how small-town values scale to billion-dollar operations, and why the myth of being "self-made" is the biggest lie in business. Discover how legacy is operational, not aspirational, and why AI represents the greatest opportunity to amplify human connection at scale.

Ready to systematise wisdom into frameworks that scale your business? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and the founding principles from a Texas funeral home

08:22 Why naming your company "Integrity" holds you accountable every day

15:47 The myth of self-made entrepreneurs and the power of inherited principles

23:18 How do you meet with every family? The scaling paradox of human connection

31:52 Small-town values in billion-dollar operations: big business done the small-town way

39:26 The delegation trap: concepts without context and why scale breaks

47:15 AI as human amplifier: the opportunity everyone is missing

55:38 The trust breach: when automation replaces people instead of amplifying them

01:02:43 Legacy Safeguard and why everyone needs to be remembered

01:09:17 Recording his parents' story nine days before his father passed

01:15:32 The Integrity Foundation and legacy in action

01:19:25 Final wisdom: lean into your parents' lives before it's too late

Bryan Adams is the Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity, leading the day-to-day operations of one of America's largest insurance and wealth management firms. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Integrity.

Bryan is the Founder of Legacy Safeguard, LLC, a company dedicated to helping members leave a lasting legacy and be remembered long after they're gone. He's considered one of the nation's leading experts in the Senior Market and speaks frequently across the country about the importance of helping families on one of the most difficult days of their lives.

Prior to founding Integrity, Bryan was Vice President of Corporate Development at Directors Investment Group, Inc., where he became the youngest Vice President in the company's history. He has a degree in Business Administration from Texas Tech University. Bryan and his family live in Highland Village, Texas.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-w-adams-2794b8159/

Integrity: http://integrity.com/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognising that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website:

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Dr. Isaac Balbin, a technologist, entrepreneur, and educational visionary who holds a PhD in electrical engineering and has expertise across 15+ technology domains, including blockchain, AI, quantum computing, and cannabis science.

As founder of GLIDE (Generating Lifelong Interest in Deeper Education) and Executive Director of Green Gold Trading, Isaac bridges the gap between brilliant technology and solutions that actually serve people. Discover why collective intelligence matters more than individual genius, how learning while moving transforms education, why decentralising trust through technology serves humanity, and how to teach critical thinking in a post-truth world.

Ready to master the systematic approach to extracting and applying educational and technology wisdom? Join Simon's exclusive Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and "It's never been a better time to be alive"

02:26 The biggest issues in education: restrictiveness and disincentives to innovate

12:55 Living in a post-truth world: when nothing is true, everything is true

15:24 Technology's rhythm and cadence throughout human history

16:38 Educating people in scientific domains to enable intelligent discussions

17:58 Collective intelligence as humanity's most powerful tool

19:27 Teaching the scientific method through the "How do you know?" question

20:34 Decentralising trust through blockchain and distributed systems

23:28 The GLIDE Method: decentralising education and letting teachers innovate

24:49 Learning while moving: why Confucius and ancient Greeks walked while teaching

34:20 Generating Lifelong Interest in Deeper Education (GLIDE acronym explained)

43:04 Healthcare advocacy and the role of technology in patient outcomes

51:13 AI enabling entrepreneurs: testing billion-dollar ideas with AI tech teams

1:00:51 Using technology while leaving people with their personal agency

1:02:05 Three quick questions: time travel, Einstein's mind, and lessons from setbacks

Dr. Isaac Balbin is a technologist, entrepreneur, thought leader, and speaker with a vision for how technology can shape our future. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering, where he published articles, won awards, and published patents. The setback of seeing his academic technology stall before commercialisation became a catalyst. As he moved into entrepreneurship, he encountered blockchain technology, recognising its potential long before it entered the mainstream conversation.

Isaac has become a thought leader and expert across 15+ domains, including blockchain, AI, cannabis science, RFID, IoT, quantum technologies, and many more. He is the founder and CEO of GLIDE, a revolutionary educational paradigm that combines "learning while moving" with practical, real-life information, student self-awareness, and societal consciousness. He serves as Executive Director of Green Gold Trading, applying science and technology to advance evidence-based healthcare through cannabinoid therapeutics.

Isaac's mission is to share what he knows and envisions with the world, so that no one is left behind as technology accelerates.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-isaac-balbin/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbalbin11/

GLIDE:

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Mike Desjardins, CEO of ViRTUS, a leadership expert who has spent more than two decades helping leaders transform not just their businesses, but their people. Mike challenges what we think leadership really is, revealing why emotional intelligence is not a soft skill, but the concrete foundation for every result that truly matters in business. Discover the Leadership Triangle (IQ + EQ + AQ), why "the me has overtaken the we" threatens our collective future, and how curiosity becomes the most powerful tool a leader possesses.

Ready to master the systematic approach to extracting and applying leadership wisdom? Join Simon's exclusive Masterclass on The Models Method: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and "As go the leaders, so goes the world"

05:11 The first-time leader trap: why personal excellence doesn't equal leadership success

08:47 Why you manage processes but lead people

17:18 Teaching EQ practically across industries

24:32 The five components of emotional intelligence and building them in children

34:42 Adaptability Quotient (AQ) and operating with resilience in VUCA environments

37:20 Why subject matter expertise is just table stakes

42:43 The erosion of truth in leadership and untruth by omission

45:04 Expanding emotional vocabulary and the wheel of emotions

47:15 How curiosity builds instant connection

48:11 The $330,000 deal closed in 5 minutes after 55 minutes of genuine connection

54:15 Play and curiosity as the pathway to AI fluency

59:40 From fragmentation to collaboration: "The me has overtaken the we"

Mike Desjardins is CEO at ViRTUS, where he drives strategy, growth, and vision. With a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC's Sauder School of Business, a CPHR designation, and over two decades of experience transforming businesses, Mike is a master in strategy and leadership development.

From entrepreneurial businesses to large public companies and public-sector organisations, Mike focuses on driving return on investment in every client engagement. He is passionate about leveraging his team to co-create ViRTUS's future vision and using ViRTUS as his vehicle to empower leaders both within the company and among their clients.

Mike has been a member of the Entrepreneurs' Organisation (EO) since 2002 and served as President of the Vancouver Chapter. He received the Business in Vancouver Top 40 Under 40 Award in 2006 and served on the Board of Directors for CPHR BC from 2010-2016.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedesjardins/

Website: https://www.virtusinc.com/

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/1i7yNzzuOnFa3CRf0Oynsf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/virtus.inc/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organisations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organisations.

LinkedIn: