What do you do when you've built a successful business in a niche that most people don't even know exists? Oliver Lonergan went from selling lollies in primary school to running Professional Picture Hanging—a 12-person operation spanning Australia's east coast and London, with major contracts including Crown Sydney and luxury hotels. At just years out of school, he's facing the classic scale-up challenge: how do you grow from 1 million to 5 million without losing what makes you special?

In this episode, Naomi tackles Oliver's tough questions: building a memorable brand in an "invisible" industry, navigating the leadership shifts required for multi-location growth, and whether to plan for acquisition now or later. From AI-powered scheduling to strategic partnerships and the power of a well-branded van, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for any service-based business looking to scale. Plus, discover why being someone's first customer sometimes comes back to you in the best way possible.

NaomiSimson.com
www.professionalpicturehanging.com.au 

What do you do when you've built a successful business in a niche that most people don't even know exists? Oliver Lonergan went from selling lollies in primary school to running Professional Picture Hanging&mdash;a 12-person operation spanning Australia's east coast and London, with major contracts including Crown Sydney and luxury hotels. At just years out of school, he's facing the classic scale-up challenge: how do you grow from 1 million to 5 million without losing what makes you special?
In this episode, Naomi tackles Oliver's tough questions: building a memorable brand in an "invisible" industry, navigating the leadership shifts required for multi-location growth, and whether to plan for acquisition now or later. From AI-powered scheduling to strategic partnerships and the power of a well-branded van, this conversation is packed with actionable advice for any service-based business looking to scale. Plus, discover why being someone's first customer sometimes comes back to you in the best way possible.
<a href="http://naomisimson.com">NaomiSimson.com </a><a href="http://www.professionalpicturehanging.com.au/">www.professionalpicturehanging.com.au </a>

Handpicked with Naomi Simson is a short podcast delivered each Monday which is just like having a mentoring session with one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs.

In this podcast Naomi takes questions from business owners that might need help growing starting or saving their business.

Each guest is handpicked by Naomi as she shares stories, ideas and advice that might help them and anyone that has ever wanted to start a business.

Naomi Simson is an entrepreneur who founded RedBalloon in 2001. She has been blogging for a decade at NaomiSimson.com, is a professional speaker, author of Live What You Love & Ready To Soar, and a “Shark” on business reality show Shark Tank Australia.

Handpicked with Naomi Simson is a short podcast delivered each Monday which is just like having a mentoring session with one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs.

Handpicked with Naomi Simson

From Lollies to London: Building a Million-Dollar Art Hanging Empire

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/d2624dd9-ee5e-4ca9-b86e-b36900420d20/transcript

Six kids under six. C-suite roles at Australia's biggest retail brands. A law degree completed just to prove her brothers wrong.

Amy Louise doesn't do things halfway.

From shop floor to boardrooms. Amy's built her career scaling iconic Australian retailers while raising six children in what can only be described as controlled chaos.

But here's what she wants to know: Is burnout really a badge of honour? Or are we all deceiving to ourselves?

Amy asks the questions retail leaders are wrestling with right now—and the answers aren't what you'd expect. How do you move from corporate to founder to investor? What should you outsource when you're trying to do it all? And what does Naomi look for in leaders she backs?

Naomi shares the conversation that made her realise she needed help, why she and her husband make a plan each year, and the moment she knew her angel investing days were over.

Plus: the untapped opportunity in Australian retail over the next few years. It's not what most retailers think—and it can't be put in a box.

This episode is for anyone juggling impossible loads, wondering if there's a smarter way to do it all, or questioning what the next chapter looks like when you've already achieved what you set out to do.

Six kids under six. C-suite roles at Australia's biggest retail brands. A law degree completed just to prove her brothers wrong.
Amy Louise doesn't do things halfway.
From shop floor to boardrooms. Amy's built her career scaling iconic Australian retailers while raising six children in what can only be described as controlled chaos.
But here's what she wants to know: Is burnout really a badge of honour? Or are we all deceiving to ourselves?
Amy asks the questions retail leaders are wrestling with right now&mdash;and the answers aren't what you'd expect. How do you move from corporate to founder to investor? What should you outsource when you're trying to do it all? And what does Naomi look for in leaders she backs?
Naomi shares the conversation that made her realise she needed help, why she and her husband make a plan each year, and the moment she knew her angel investing days were over.
Plus: the untapped opportunity in Australian retail over the next few years. It's not what most retailers think&mdash;and it can't be put in a box.
This episode is for anyone juggling impossible loads, wondering if there's a smarter way to do it all, or questioning what the next chapter looks like when you've already achieved what you set out to do.

Shop Floor to C-Suite

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/c82b717d-0c18-4b3e-9bfd-b369004e3ff6/transcript

Liam Forde ran a big business in London. His confession? "I turned into an asshole."

So he spent the next 26 years teaching people not to be like him—creating transformation experiences for leaders across 40 countries.

Now he's relocated to Australia for his grandkids—and he's starting completely fresh. No networks. No contacts. No idea where to begin in the Australian market.

His questions are brutally honest: Where do I even start? What networks matter? How do I build trust when nobody knows who I am?

And then the big one: What's keeping Australian leaders up at night right now?

Naomi doesn't hold back. She shares the phone call that changed everything for RedBalloon ("How do I know you're real?"), why she wears red every single day, and the networking mistake most people make when building a business.

Plus: the truth about burnout that went viral on LinkedIn, why leaders are struggling with a completely new set of pressures (AI, cybersecurity, remote teams), and the "tiger team" approach that's replacing traditional org structures.

And when Liam asks how to get partners to work harder for you than anyone else? Naomi reveals what she has seen work successfully.

This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like they're starting over—whether you're new to a market, rebuilding after a setback, or just trying to figure out where your people are.

Liam Forde ran a big business in London. His confession? "I turned into an asshole."
So he spent the next 26 years teaching people not to be like him&mdash;creating transformation experiences for leaders across 40 countries.
Now he's relocated to Australia for his grandkids&mdash;and he's starting completely fresh. No networks. No contacts. No idea where to begin in the Australian market.
His questions are brutally honest: Where do I even start? What networks matter? How do I build trust when nobody knows who I am?
And then the big one: What's keeping Australian leaders up at night right now?
Naomi doesn't hold back. She shares the phone call that changed everything for RedBalloon ("How do I know you're real?"), why she wears red every single day, and the networking mistake most people make when building a business.
Plus: the truth about burnout that went viral on LinkedIn, why leaders are struggling with a completely new set of pressures (AI, cybersecurity, remote teams), and the "tiger team" approach that's replacing traditional org structures.
And when Liam asks how to get partners to work harder for you than anyone else? Naomi reveals what she has seen work successfully.
This episode is for anyone who's ever felt like they're starting over&mdash;whether you're new to a market, rebuilding after a setback, or just trying to figure out where your people are.

Nasty Guy to Nice Guy

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/b6c6a27f-c358-40cd-b5ff-b369004acc8f/transcript

January 2020. New CEO. Six-month-old baby. Seven weeks later? COVID hits.

That's how Cara McLeod stepped into the CEO role at Mahlab—and somehow that chaos became the launchpad for international growth.

But here's the problem: Mahlab does bespoke strategy work. Everything is custom. Every project needs people. More growth = more headcount. The classic service business trap.

So how do you scale what on paper looks hard to scale?

Cara asks the questions keeping service business CEOs up at night: How do you stand out in a global marketplace when you're suddenly competing worldwide? Can you turn custom expertise into scalable products without losing your magic? And how do you test international markets—especially for their niche in member-based organisations—without taking your eye off the Australian ball?

Naomi doesn't hold back. She reveals the partnership model that took a  Shark Tank investment global fast. Plus: the warm referral strategies that crack international markets (spoiler: ditch the cold calling) and why tapping into global associations through your existing clients is pure gold.

If you're wrestling with taking custom work global, this episode is your playbook.

January 2020. New CEO. Six-month-old baby. Seven weeks later? COVID hits.
That's how Cara McLeod stepped into the CEO role at Mahlab&mdash;and somehow that chaos became the launchpad for international growth.
But here's the problem: Mahlab does bespoke strategy work. Everything is custom. Every project needs people. More growth = more headcount. The classic service business trap.
So how do you scale what on paper looks hard to scale?
Cara asks the questions keeping service business CEOs up at night: How do you stand out in a global marketplace when you're suddenly competing worldwide? Can you turn custom expertise into scalable products without losing your magic? And how do you test international markets&mdash;especially for their niche in member-based organisations&mdash;without taking your eye off the Australian ball?
Naomi doesn't hold back. She reveals the partnership model that took a&nbsp; Shark Tank investment global fast. Plus: the warm referral strategies that crack international markets (spoiler: ditch the cold calling) and why tapping into global associations through your existing clients is pure gold.
If you're wrestling with taking custom work global, this episode is your playbook.

When Custom Meets Scale - Global Aspirations Realised

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/d3c3fae0-c28c-4b37-8480-b3690042ede4/transcript

From Lollies to London: Building a Million-Dollar Art Hanging Empire

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