The Business RoundUp with Melissa Bill

Australia is one of the world’s great resource economies yet imports many of its building supplies. James Sackl, founder of Terraform Technologies and Wallace Biotechnologies, shares insight into how this same economic disconnect is visible in Australia’s housing industry.
In this conversation, James explains why simply reducing construction labor won’t solve housing affordability, how Australia could rethink the way homes are manufactured and assembled, and why a house that takes months to build could potentially be assembled in around eight days.
We explore what happens when you treat housing less like a traditional construction project and more like a manufacturing system, from raw Australian materials and domestic value creation to modular assembly, supply chains, and capital allocation.
Topics include:
Why Australia exports raw materials but captures relatively little of the downstream value
The hidden economics of the materials that go into a home
Why cutting construction labor alone won't solve housing affordability
How homes could be manufactured and assembled dramatically faster
What it really takes to build a house in around eight days
Whether the future of housing requires redefining what a "house" is
Where Australia has the biggest opportunities to create high-value products domestically
The potential economic impact of rebuilding Australia's manufacturing capabilities
Lessons in capital allocation from building Terraform Technologies and Wallace Biotechnologies
Join us as we discuss the broader economic opportunity of Australia turning more of its own resources into high-value products, and the lessons learned when it comes to allocating capital from building two very different companies.

What can flying an AH-1 Cobra and leading Marines teach us about making better decisions, building high-performing teams, and staying steady when everything goes sideways?
In this conversation, Ryan A. Cherry, author of READBACK: A Marine Aviator’s Manual for Navigating Life’s Hardest Lessons, shares the leadership lessons he learned through military aviation, failure, uncertainty, and high-stakes decision-making.
Cherry discusses how leaders can make sound decisions without having all the information, give people autonomy while knowing when to step in, recognize the strengths and weaknesses of their teams, and develop the ability to see situations from a competitor’s perspective. He also reflects candidly on his own mistakes and explains why maintaining an “even keel” may be one of the most important leadership skills of all. Plus discusses:
Leadership under pressure: Lessons from flying AH-1 Cobras and leading Marines when decisions had to be made without all the answers.
Learning from failure: How mistakes, doubt, and setbacks shaped Ryan A. Cherry’s approach to leadership.
Empowering teams: Finding the balance between giving people autonomy, recognizing their strengths, and knowing when to step in.
From cockpit to C-suite: The military leadership principles that translate surprisingly well to business and executive leadership.
Whether you an executive or rising up the ranks, Cherry brings lessons from the cockpit into the boardroom and beyond. This interview offers practical insights for anyone responsible for leading others, navigating uncertainty, or simply trying to make better decisions when the stakes are high.

Most workplace dysfunction isn’t caused by a lack of talent, strategy, or ambition, it’s caused by conversations that never happen.
In this episode, we sit down with Kerry Siggins, CEO of Stone Age, Inc. and author of Talk With Trust: How To Own Feedback, Spark Growth, And Build Stronger Teams, to explore how leaders can communicate more effectively, build trust, and create healthier, more productive workplace cultures.
Kerry shares insight into the communication mistakes leaders commonly make, why trust is built through honest and intentional conversations, and how leaders can approach difficult feedback without damaging relationships. She also introduces her SHARES model, a practical framework for navigating challenging conversations by clarifying your ideal outcome, preparing your facts and feelings, articulating your experience, engaging in reflection and dialogue, establishing a path forward, and staying emotionally grounded.
Key Topics
Why conversations that never happen can create workplace dysfunction
Common communication mistakes leaders make
How effective communication builds trust
Giving and receiving feedback in a productive way
Kerry Siggins’ SHARES model for stronger conversations
How leaders can stay emotionally grounded during difficult discussions
Turning feedback into growth and stronger teams
Whether you’re leading a team, managing conflict, or simply looking to become a better communicator, this conversation offers practical strategies for turning difficult conversations into opportunities for growth.

In this episode, we sit down with David Munson, President of Get Real Alliance, to explore a different approach to the climate conversation, one centered on restoring the health and resilience of the land.
David discusses why he believes climate solutions don't necessarily require eliminating oil and natural gas, and how regenerative land management can work alongside traditional energy use to reduce atmospheric carbon and potentially make the Earth carbon negative.
We dive into the critical role of healthy topsoil in addressing climate change, food security, and ecosystem restoration, as well as the growing threat of ecological deserts and degraded landscapes. David shares regenerative practices that farmers, communities, and policymakers can use to restore ecosystems and build healthier, more productive land.
The conversation also explores the power of marine wetlands and coastal ecosystems to capture carbon, support biodiversity, and protect communities from environmental threats.
In this episode, we discuss:
Regenerative land management and carbon removal
The relationship between energy use and environmental restoration
Why healthy topsoil matters for the future of food and the planet
Restoring degraded landscapes and preventing ecological deserts
The climate and biodiversity benefits of marine wetlands
Practical actions communities and individuals can take today
How regenerative solutions can reshape the climate conversation
Join us as we explore practical steps for individuals, businesses, and local governments who want to contribute to meaningful environmental change without getting overwhelmed by the polarized climate debate.

Elite athletes spend their careers pushing the limits of human performance, but injuries can abruptly end a season, derail a career, or permanently change an athlete’s trajectory. What if we could identify the warning signs before the damage is done?
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Chirag Patel, sports medicine innovator and Founder & CEO of BAiO, to explore how artificial intelligence and real-time biomarker intelligence are changing the way athletes understand injury risk, recovery, and longevity.
Dr. Patel discusses the enormous impact of injuries across professional sports, where season-ending injuries can cost top teams nearly $500 million annually, and why traditional approaches often depend on subjective assessments and population-level data rather than individualized, predictive signals.
He explains how BAiO’s AI-powered longevity platform uses real-time biomarker data and a personalization model to generate individualized insights and recommendations, moving beyond broad datasets and averages to understand what is happening with each athlete in real time.
We’ll explore:
Why injuries remain one of the biggest threats to elite athletic careers
How AI-driven biomarker monitoring can help predict injury risk and optimize recovery
How BAiO is being used by organizations in the sports world
Why personalized intelligence can be more meaningful than population averages
How teams can move from reactive injury management to proactive performance management
The potential for biomarker intelligence to extend athletic careers
And how the same science and technology being developed for professional athletes could soon become available to everyday consumers
This is a conversation about the next generation of sports medicine and a future where technology doesn't just help athletes recover from injury but helps them see it coming before it happens. 
For early access, visit their website at: Baio

What does it take to turn a family farm into a thriving local brand?
In this episode, we sit down with Bo McMahon, Co-Founder and CEO of Southern Fresh Farms, to talk about the journey from family business to a recognized name in the local food community.
Bo shares the lessons he’s learned along the way, including how to honor family traditions while adapting to changing customer expectations and an evolving food industry. We also explore what “farm fresh” really means today, why keeping food local matters, and how growing consumer interest in knowing where their food comes from is shaping the way Southern Fresh Farms connects with its customers.
We also discuss the challenges facing local businesses, what it takes to compete in today’s market, advice for entrepreneurs building family-run businesses, and what Bo is most excited about as Southern Fresh Farms looks toward the next five to ten years.
In this episode:
Building a family business into a recognized local brand
Balancing tradition with innovation
Why local food and local businesses matter
The changing expectations of today’s consumers
Lessons in entrepreneurship and leadership
The future of Southern Fresh Farms and their new homeschool program for 2026-2027.
If you enjoyed this conversation with Bo McMahon, be sure to listen to more episodes of the show for conversations with inspiring entrepreneurs, community leaders, and business owners. 

Sònia Victoria "Vikki" Werner is an actress, entrepreneur, and founder of Lighthouse Ladies. She has worked across film, television, and voiceover, appearing in projects for Netflix, HBO Max, Buzzfeed, BET, and is recognized for her improvisational skills, having performed with notable collaborators such as Jennifer Lopez and Brett Goldstein.
In this episode, Sònia shares her journey from acting to building a business, offering an inside look at the changing entertainment industry and the evolving opportunities for creatives. She discusses why developing business skills can be a powerful advantage for artists, how to navigate an industry in transition, and what it takes to build a sustainable, fulfilling creative career.
Talking Points:
Sònia's journey from acting to founding Lighthouse Ladies
The changing landscape of the entertainment industry
Why creatives benefit from developing strong business skills
Turning creative experience into entrepreneurial opportunities
Building a sustainable career beyond traditional acting roles
The importance of adaptability and embracing new opportunities
Advice for actors and creatives looking to take greater control of their careers
Tune in to hear Sònia's inspiring journey and practical insights on building a creative career with an entrepreneurial mindset, and don’t forget to subscribe for more conversations with inspiring creatives and industry leaders.

AI agents are rapidly becoming the new front line of customer engagement. From retailers like Walmart, Wayfair, and Amazon to thousands of businesses building AI-powered assistants, companies are racing to redefine how customers interact with digital brands.
But are these AI agents actually delivering better experiences or creating new frustrations?
In this episode, we sit down with Keith Zubchevich, President and CEO of Conviva, to explore what separates effective AI-powered customer experiences from disappointing ones. Keith discusses what business leaders need to consider as they adopt AI agents, why customer experience should remain the priority, and whether today's technology is truly ready to meet consumer expectations.
We also examine Conviva's latest research, which found that AI agents can take more than 2.5 minutes to gather basic context before they can even begin answering a customer's question.
In this episode, we discuss:
How leading digital brands are using AI agents to engage customers.
The opportunities and pitfalls of AI-powered customer experiences.
What executives should consider before deploying AI at scale.
Whether today's AI agent platforms can truly deliver exceptional customer service.
Insights from Conviva's latest data on AI agent performance and customer expectations.
Listen in to see what this reveals about the current state of AI-powered customer service, and what needs to change before businesses can fully realize the promise of intelligent agents.