How I Made It

When Ben Young first pitched his idea for reusable coffee cups, his business strategy colleagues dismissed it.“The smartest guys in the room said it was silly; I was being an idiot because why would you have a reusable cup when [you] can just put the old one in the bin, not think about it anymore, and get on with [your] day,” recalls Young.But after seeing first hand the effects single-use plastics have on the environment while working at Cleanaway Waste Management, he knew he was on to something – and he kick-started Frank Green. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the founder to find out how he harnessed an environmental movement to build one of the country’s most well-known brands. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage. Further reading: Nicole Eckels’ multimillion-dollar idea was right under her nose The Glasshouse Fragrances CEO has grown her company into a $100 million global powerhouse, with products stocked in more than 10 countries. Bill Beament led a 1¢ company. Now it’s Australia’s biggest gold miner The West Australian who transformed Northern Star took home $60 million last year. Now, the Develop Global CEO is zeroing in on critical minerals.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bill Beament put himself on the map by transforming a fledgling explorer, Northern Star, into one of the world's biggest gold miners.After turning the 1¢ company into a multibillion-dollar giant, the West Australian decided to take a punt on a new solo venture.Now the founder and chief executive of mining exploration company Develop Global, the king of Kalgoorlie is turning his attention to critical minerals.On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams delves into the mining titan's playbook as he takes on copper, zinc and lithium. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage. Further reading: ‘I had $200’: Inside Aussie Bruna Papandrea’s meteoric Hollywood rise When the aspiring film producer moved to New York she was in her early 20s and had hardly anything to her name. ‘I owe you nothing’: Two unlikely partners and a $20b housing empire Craig Carracher knew student accommodation could be vastly improved – and a serious moneymaker. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When Craig Carracher first met his business partner, Stephen Gaitanos, he was somewhat reluctant to team up.“He was only a young fellow. He's 15 years younger than me, and he put his hand up and said, ‘I'd like to come across as your junior,'" Carracher recalls. “And I said, ‘Look, I'm not going to pay you for five years. I'm not sure I like you... I owe you nothing.'"  But Gaitanos was all in.  Twelve years since starting their joint venture, Scape – now part of the broader housing enterprise, The Living Company – the duo has dominated the student accommodation sector. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how this co-founder spotted a gap in the housing market to build a $20 billion empire. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage. Further reading: Alex Vynokur bet the house on ETFs. He won The aspiring entrepreneur knew the odds were stacked against his start-up, Betashares.  How this 26-year-old built a $100m robotics company Andromeda founder Grace Brown reveals how her hi-tech companion, Abi, has disrupted an industry.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The former lawyer walked away from a top-tier legal career to risk his house on an ETF venture. It’s now the country’s second-largest exchange-traded funds provider. "I was just totally convinced that you know I should just do it," says the Betashares founder. On the first episode of the new season of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams sits down with the chief executive to found out how he turned his start-up into an industry giant. This podcast was sponsored by Sinch Engage. Further reading: Luck, timing or hard work: What it takes to become a top entrepreneur What makes a business venture successful? Australia’s top business leaders reveal how they built their fortunes and what they learnt along the way. Four leaders who came to Australia with nothing, and made it to the top Australia may be imperfect, but for these bosses it was the land of opportunity. Record wave of ETFs flood the ASX, with more to come Firms are rushing to launch new funds on the ASX as retail investors demand access to the country’s top fund managers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.