Welcome to Origin to Ambition Bytes, where we revisit our archives to bring you a concentrated dose of wisdom from our most impactful conversations.

This week, we're diving back into our fascinating chat with author and elite coach, Cody Royle. What if you could design your personal brand with the same precision as a tech product for 5 million daily users? And what if the secret to chasing massive goals was admitting you have a "screw loose"?

In this concentrated dose of wisdom, Cody explains how his background in UX design gave him a unique advantage, allowing him to "productize" himself and find his "smallest viable audience." He gets brutally honest about the difference between real coaching and what is often just "repackaged management," and shares the entrepreneurial mistake that caused him the most stress. This is a masterclass in strategic thinking, the mindset required for high achievement, and finding your unique path.

In This Byte Episode, We Cover:

The Critical Difference Between Real Coaching & "Repackaged Management": Why so much of what is called coaching in the corporate world misses the point entirely.

The Art of Productizing Yourself: How Cody used his experience in tech to separate "Cody Royle the person" from "Cody Royle the brand" to build a focused and effective business.

Finding Your "Smallest Viable Audience": The Seth Godin-inspired principle that helped him niche down from "coaches" to "elite-level head coaches" to serve a market he deeply understood.

The Founder's Blind Spot: Cody's biggest regret and the one area he neglected that created unnecessary stress and impacted the quality of his work.

The Power of an "Insurmountable" Goal: Why having a big, scary vision is essential for building the determination and stamina required to "stay in the game."

The "Screw Loose" Theory of Entrepreneurship: Cody's candid take on the unique, almost irrational mindset needed to chase the highest levels of success.

The Supportive Employer: The rare and powerful story of a corporate culture that actively encouraged his side hustle, restoring his faith in leadership.

The Ultimate Payoff: The profound, "magical" feeling of impacting the lives of people you've never even met through your work.

Memorable Quotes:

"To be an entrepreneur, I think there needs to be a screw loose."

"I think it's called coaching [in corporate], but it's still just management repackaged."

"I separated Cody Royle the person from Cody Royle the brand... and designed the business like we would a tech product."

"Success in what we are doing is most of it is staying in the game... you never know how close you really were to cracking what you were working on."

"To be able to impact people like that just through written word, I think is magic."

Resources Mentioned:

Cody Royle's Book: Second Set of Eyes

Website: codyroyle.com

Connect with the Host, Sean Dunne:

Website: dominiumcapital.com.au

Thank you for tuning in to Origin to Ambition!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. It helps us reach more aspiring entrepreneurs just like you.

Welcome to Origin to Ambition Bytes, where we revisit the archives to bring you a concentrated dose of wisdom from our most impactful conversations.

This week, we're diving back into our chat with the incredible Andy Gowers. If you've ever felt like you have a great business but no real way to track your progress, this episode is your playbook. Andy tackles one of the biggest weak spots in small business: the lack of measurability.

Drawing powerful parallels from his career in elite sport, he explains why every business needs a "scoreboard" and how to move from "wishy-washy" goals to concrete commitments. He provides a practical, step-by-step guide to setting up an accountability partnership and shares an unforgettable lesson on true commitment involving a chicken and a pig. Finally, he reveals the game-changing "E-Myth" principle that will forever change how you view the purpose of your business.

In This Byte Episode, We Cover:

The Problem with "Wishy-Washy" Goals: Andy's hilarious but effective method for turning a vague intention ("one day I'd like to...") into a committed action.

The Two Parts of Achievement: Why setting the goal is only half the battle, and how being held accountable is the critical second step.

A Practical Guide to Accountability: A breakdown of Andy's own weekly accountability partnership, including the cadence, commitments, and the role of the "drill sergeant."

The Scoreboard Principle: What business can learn from elite sport's use of a scoreboard, featuring the brilliant Pepsi vs. Coke wars example.

The Chicken vs. The Pig: An old coach’s unforgettable and humorous lesson on the profound difference between being involved and being truly committed.

The 'E-Myth' Epiphany: The single, game-changing reason to own a business, according to Michael Gerber, and how it reframes the difference between a business and a job.

Memorable Quotes:

"The only reason to own a business is so that you can sell it. If you can't sell your business, you don't own one. You own a job."

"The average human is built for comfort, not for success. You need other people to help you hold yourself to account."

"When you're next sitting down for your bacon and eggs, just have a think about who's more committed, the chicken or the pig. The pig's given his life. The chicken's just laid an egg. You guys have got to be committed."

"I think that's the most wishy-washy goal I've ever heard. 'One day in your lifetime you'd like to.' You're never gonna do it."

Resources Mentioned:

Andy Gowers' Website: andygowers.com

Book: The E-Myth by Michael Gerber

Connect with the Host, Sean Dunne:

Website: dominiumcapital.com.au

Thank you for tuning in to Origin to Ambition!

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen. It helps us reach more aspiring entrepreneurs just like you.

What if the most important question for your business's success was the one you couldn't answer? That was the reality for Peter Mercuri, a seasoned chartered accountant, when he was asked a simple question: "Why do you do what you do?" It took him two weeks to find the answer, and that process of discovery changed everything.

In this deeply honest and reflective conversation, Sean Dunne sits down with Peter to explore his 15-year journey as a founder. Peter shares the raw challenges of the early days—the naivety of a 27-year-old entrepreneur, the sacrifice of not taking a salary for four years, and how the "arrogance was smashed out of him" by the realities of building a business.

This episode is a masterclass in the foundational elements of a successful enterprise. Peter makes a powerful case for why creating a clear vision is not a "wishy-washy" cliché but the essential anchor for your business, and shares the profound lesson that a business plan is meaningless if you don't have a plan for your own life.

What we discussed:

[02:15] The "Forced" Entrepreneur: How a move back from the UK became the "push he needed" to start a business with his brother.

[04:30] The Brutal Realities of Starting Out: The arrogance of a young founder and the immense, unseen challenges of infrastructure and client acquisition.

[06:00] The Four-Year Grind: The personal sacrifice of not taking a salary from the business for the first four years to reinvest every dollar back into growth.

[09:30] The Cliché That Isn't: Why creating a clear "Why" and "Vision" is the most important—and most difficult—thing a founder can do.

[12:30] A powerful real-world example of a family business with four different visions for the future and why alignment is non-negotiable.

[15:00] The CO's Core Values: Being "Humbly Confident," "Authentically Fun," and building a business on relationships, not transactions.

[22:00] The Founder's Blind Spot: The critical importance of being coachable and learning not to be afraid to ask for help from the right people.

[26:00] The Most Overlooked Plan: Why every entrepreneur needs a personal plan for their own life, not just a business plan.

[28:30] Owning a Job vs. Owning a Business: The necessity of building your business to be "exit-ready," even if you never plan to sell.

[33:00] Peter's key advice for new founders: Don't wait for perfection, surround yourself with the right people, and understand your numbers.

Memorable Quotes:

"It probably took me two weeks to try and actually articulate that specific answer... If I had my time again, it would be to create your 'why,' create your vision, and stick to it."

"You kind of go into the office and you're like, 'Great, we're starting'... and there's so much infrastructure that needs to go into it... and then you've got to find the clients."

"Don't worry about the dollars. The dollars will come... People know when you've supported them and you're doing things for the right reason."

"What's the point of having a great business if on a personal level you haven't got a plan? There's no difference."

"One of my clients said it once, which was the best thing I've ever heard: 'The best part is, we'll grow old together.'"

Resources Mentioned:

The CO Accountants & Business Advisors: theco.com.au

Connect with Our Guest:

Connect with Peter Mercuri on LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/peter-mercuri-58a42613

Connect with the Host, Sean Dunne:

Website: https://dominiumcapital.com.au/

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/sean-dunne-76067429

Thank you for tuning in to Orig