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.

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

Nasty Guy to Nice Guy

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

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