In this episode of 'The Wisdom Of... Show', host Simon Bowen speaks with Radek Sali, the visionary entrepreneur who transformed Swisse Wellness from a $15 million company into a $2.7 billion empire in under a decade. Now Chairman of Light Warrior Group, Radek shares his insights on conscious capitalism, the value of failure, and how to build businesses that serve both shareholders and humanity. Discover his revolutionary approach to scaling culture-first organizations and his philosophy of creating shared value through investment.

Ready to elevate your leadership approach? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Strategic Play Method. Learn how to navigate complex business challenges with clarity and purpose: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and Radek's remarkable journey from Swisse to Light Warrior

05:30 The transformative power of failure: Why setbacks are education, not defeat

12:45 Culture as competitive advantage: Building Australia's "Best Place to Work"

18:20 The billion-dollar mindset: How to scale without sacrificing your soul

25:15 Conscious capitalism in action: The Light Warrior Group philosophy

32:40 Creating shared value: Investment strategies that serve humanity

38:50 The 50% rule: Why half of Radek's time is dedicated to philanthropy

44:10 Environmental consciousness and business: The climate imperative

50:25 Future of wellness industry: Trends and opportunities ahead

56:40 Advice for aspiring conscious capitalists

Radek Sali is a visionary entrepreneur and conscious capitalist who revolutionized the health and wellness industry through his leadership of Swisse Wellness. Under his guidance, Swisse grew from a $15 million company with 30 employees to a $2.7 billion enterprise with over 7,000 employees, becoming Australia's largest global wellness company and the number one natural health brand in Australia and China.

After selling Swisse for $1.7 billion in 2015—one of Australia's largest private transactions—Radek founded Light Warrior Group with ex-Goldman Sachs banker Adam Gregory. Light Warrior is an investment firm committed to creating shared value by investing in businesses that are socially responsible and environmentally conscious.

Radek dedicates 50% of his time to not-for-profit work, serving as Chairman of Igniting Change and Founder of Lightfolk Foundation. He's also a Founding Member of the Climate Leaders Coalition and serves on the boards of multiple organizations focused on positive change.

In February 2024, Radek released "How to Build a Billion-Dollar Business," sharing his insights for aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders who want to create companies that matter.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/radeksali/

Light Warrior Group: https://lightwarrior.com/

Wanderlust: https://wanderlust.com.au/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderlustausnz/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn:

In this episode of The Wisdom Of… Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Shawn Nelson, founder and CEO of Lovesac, who has revolutionized the furniture industry through modular design and a "Designed for Life" philosophy. From starting in his mother's basement at age 20 to building a billion-dollar public company, Shawn shares profound insights on purposeful innovation, the responsibility of leadership, and creating products that evolve with human needs rather than forcing replacement cycles.

Ready to transform your innovation approach? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method. Learn how to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and Shawn's journey from basement startup to billion-dollar company

05:18 The "Designed for Life" philosophy and questioning industry assumptions

12:36 Modular thinking: How reconfigurable products reflect business strategy

18:52 Winning Richard Branson's "The Rebel Billionaire" and lessons in authentic leadership

25:44 Sustainability as business principle, not marketing initiative

33:29 The responsibility of innovation and serving deeper human needs

38:22 Building products that solve problems customers didn't know they had

45:36 Scaling purpose-driven companies without compromising core values

52:12 The future of ownership and consumer relationships

58:43 Creating lasting impact through evolutionary design thinking

Shawn Nelson is the founder and CEO of Lovesac, a direct-to-consumer specialty furniture brand that has fundamentally reimagined how furniture serves human lives. Founded in 1998 from his mother's basement, Lovesac has grown into one of the fastest-growing furniture companies in the United States, known for its patented Sactionals modular seating system.

Beyond business success, Shawn is recognized for his commitment to sustainability and the "Buy It For Life" movement. In 2005, he won Richard Branson's "The Rebel Billionaire" on Fox, demonstrating the entrepreneurial spirit that continues to drive his leadership approach.

With a Master's Degree in Strategic Design and Management, Shawn serves as a graduate-level instructor at Parsons, The New School for Design in New York City. His "Designed for Life" philosophy emphasizes sustainable products built to last a lifetime and designed to evolve with customer needs, providing long-term utility while reducing furniture waste.

Website: https://shawndnelson.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawndnelson/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawnOfLovesac/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnoflovesac/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/shawnydlovesac

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations,...

In this episode of The Wisdom Of... Show, host Simon Bowen speaks with Oliver Garside, Co-Founder and Director of Rounded App, a beautifully simple accounting and invoicing application built specifically for freelancers and sole traders. Oliver shares the profound insights gained from nearly a decade of serving an underserved market, achieving an extraordinary 99% customer satisfaction rating, and discovering the infinite creativity of the Australian freelance economy. Learn about first principles thinking, customer-centric design philosophy, and the wisdom of building for humans rather than systems.

Ready to elevate your leadership approach? Join Simon's exclusive masterclass on The Models Method. Learn how to articulate your unique value and create scalable impact: https://thesimonbowen.com/masterclass

00:00 Introduction and Oliver's journey from corporate redundancy to co-founding Rounded

05:30 The origin story: Meeting technical founders who built beautiful software but needed market strategy

12:45 First principles thinking: Building for end users, not their accountants

18:20 The philosophy behind "beautifully simple accounting" and challenging industry conventions

25:40 Market diversity: From sheep ultrasound specialists to yacht sail makers

32:15 Achieving 99% customer satisfaction through customer-centric design

38:50 Co-founder dynamics and navigating business tensions with ego aside

44:20 The freelance economy wisdom: Diversity of capability and confidence gaps

51:10 Mission beyond product: Stewardship of the freelancer community

57:30 Scaling challenges: Maintaining core genius while growing the business

Oliver Garside is the Co-Founder and Director of Rounded, a beautifully simple accounting and invoicing app built specifically for freelancers and sole traders. With a passion for empowering self-employed professionals, Oliver has played a pivotal role in creating a platform that takes the stress out of managing finances, making it easier for creatives, consultants, and contractors to focus on doing what they love.

With a background in marketing, customer experience, and startup growth, Oliver brings a user-first approach to everything he does. Under his leadership, Rounded has become one of Australia's most loved tools for solo business owners, achieving an exceptional 99% customer satisfaction rating through its commitment to simplicity, efficiency, and human-centric design.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivergarside/

Website: https://rounded.io

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roundedapp/

Simon has spent over two decades working with influential leaders across complex industries. His focus is on elevating thinking in organizations, recognizing that success is directly proportional to the quality of thinking and ideas within a business. Simon leads the renaissance of thinking through his work with global leaders and organizations.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonbowen-mm/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialsimonbowen/

Website: