In a year when more than 6,200 NSW businesses went insolvent, furniture maker Dean Boyd became one of them.

In this episode, Dean reflects on the journey of building Living Timber Co from $26 and a garage into a business delivering national projects, before the difficult decision to place the company into liquidation.

We explore what happens when passion meets rapid growth, rising interest rates and the quiet pressure many founders carry to do everything themselves. Dean speaks candidly about burnout, the warning signs he overlooked, and why he now views the experience as a failure without regrets, not something to be ashamed of, but something to learn from and move on from.

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verified for an OKX SMSF trading account. Deposit $5 and receive $500 worth of Bitcoin. Eligibility
requirements and T&amp;Cs apply. Book a 1-1 call with the OKX SMSF team today for guidance. Offer ends 31 March 2026.

In a year when more than 6,200 NSW businesses went insolvent, furniture maker Dean Boyd became one of them.
In this episode, Dean reflects on the journey of building Living Timber Co from $26 and a garage into a business delivering national projects, before the difficult decision to place the company into liquidation.
We explore what happens when passion meets rapid growth, rising interest rates and the quiet pressure many founders carry to do everything themselves. Dean speaks candidly about burnout, the warning signs he overlooked, and why he now views the experience as a failure without regrets, not something to be ashamed of, but something to learn from and move on from.
You can subscribe to the Mentored newsletter here: <a href="https://mentored.com.au/newsletter-sign-up">https://mentored.com.au/newsletter-sign-up</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/mentormarkbouris/">Join the Facebook Group.</a>
Follow Mark Bouris on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mark_bouris/">Instagram</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://au.linkedin.com/in/markbouris">LinkedIn</a>&nbsp;&amp;&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPX01K1JgNS5pyzUtwtCtsQ">YouTube</a>
Claim $500 Bitcoin with OKX SMSF. SMSF trustees: Successfully sign-up your SMSF and get verified for an OKX SMSF trading account. Deposit $5 and receive $500 worth of Bitcoin. Eligibility requirements and T&amp;amp;Cs apply. Book a 1-1 call with the OKX SMSF team today for guidance. Offer&nbsp;ends 31 March 2026.

Mark Bouris speaks to business owners and entrepreneurs, finding out what makes them tick and their plans for growth. Some business owners are on the way up and enjoying new success, others are at a turning point. Mark digs into their stories and finds out why they set out to create their own path, their challenges and where they go from here. Based on his own personal experiences and learnings, he also passes on his own guidance on how to take their business to the next level.

Mark Bouris speaks to business owners and entrepreneurs, finding out what makes them tick and their plans for growth. Some business owners are on the way up and enjoying new success, others are at a turning point. Mark digs into their stories and finds out why they set out to create their own path, their challenges and where they go from here. Based on his own personal experiences and learnings, he also passes on his own guidance on how to take their business to the next level.

Mark Bouris speaks to business owners and entrepreneurs, finding out what makes them tick and their plans for growth.  Some business owners are on the way up and enjoying new success, others are at a turning point.  Mark digs into...

The Mentor with Mark Bouris

6,200 NSW Businesses Went Insolvent in 2025: Lessons From When It Doesn’t Work Out with Dean Boyd (Episode #512)

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/71213f2b-99f0-4282-82d9-b3d0005d5dee/transcript