Shows
Live Inspired Podcast with John O'LearyThe Voices of SOUL ON FIRE: James McCracken (ep. 808)This week, The Voices of SOUL ON FIRE shines a spotlight on one of the youngest members of the cast: James McCracken. At just nine years old, James stepped into the unforgettable role of young John O’Leary in the upcoming film SOUL ON FIRE. Despite his age, this rising star brings remarkable heart and depth to the screen with talent nurtured with the encouragement of his family, including his mom Becca, who joins us for part of this conversation. Today, James shares what it was like stepping onto set with legends like John Corbett an...
2025-09-0448 min
Resilient HERoesResilient HERoes Podcast - Episode 15 - Staff Sergeant Alicia McCrackenSend us a textStaff Sergeant Alicia McCracken stands out as a remarkable police leader, known for her unwavering dedication and innovative approach to law enforcement. As a 14-year member of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), she has held a variety of roles in emergency management, training, peer support, and leadership. Staff Sergeant McCracken believes that every person can be an agent of change, which inspired her to join the policing profession. In her current role as a leader in the Emergency Management Unit, Staff Sergeant McCracken is directing the organizational implementation of disaster management s...
2025-07-0239 min
Oncology for the Inquisitive Mind167. ASCO 2025 - Upper GI and Hepatobiliary Cancer with Dr. James McCrackenToday, hosts Michael and Josh are joined by the wonderful Dr James McCracken to discuss highlights from ASCO 2025 in the areas of upper GI and hepatobiliary cancer. This episode focuses on two items that are (as Michael repetitively insists) "big ticket": MATTERHORN and Destiny-Gastric04. In addition, James gives his thoughts on studies that look at immunotherapy and novel neoadjuvant chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer, and a small study examining a perioperative approach to resectable biliary tract cancer.Studies discussed in the episode:MATTERHORNDestiny-Gastric04NeoIMPACTCASSANDRAGAIN
2025-06-3031 min
Build your own Business - Andrew FordS2 Episode 13. BYOB with Andrew Ford - James McCrackenIn this episode ofBuild Your Own Business (BYOB), I reconnect with my longtime friend and former colleague James McCracken, an expert mortgage broker coach. James shares his journey from corporate roles at Sensis and Hewlett-Packard to becoming a dedicated business coach helping mortgage brokers grow and scale their businesses.James and I talk about his transition into entrepreneurship, the challenges of starting his own business, and the key lessons he has learned along the way. He explains the importance of coaching not just for operational success but for personal and professional transformation. Through group-based coaching and one-on-one...
2025-02-1253 min
ctrl-alt-expletiveContracting Insights, with Marie WigmoreMichael has caved and got a new microphone, China are back in the news, and we've got a better joke than last time.
Michael is on the super stouts
Marie is doing dry "couple-of-days"
What's a plosion? Michael has over-researched micophones
Is Feng-Shui a load of nonsense? Or Real?
Marie rubbishes Mark's new years resolution
Who is Marie Wigmore?
Independent contractor for over 3 decades, currently engaged at BT
Jira-avoidance wizard
Graduate of the Youth Training Scheme, proud achiever of 5 O-Levels
Driving Licence holder
There will be a quiz at the end!
Quickfire questions
Inside...
2025-01-311h 27
ctrl-alt-expletiveData Lakehouse and Data Mesh, with James Balloch
What does James do?
Is Sky a big company?
What's your favourite file format to read from?
Favourite format of book to digest?
East London vs. West London
What even is Burns Night?
Deep fried battered scottish things
James is dropping tables like it's hot... in the first week
Big Topic
Data. Big Data. HUGE Data.
What's it like to leave after more than 10 years at one company? Why the change? Why not sooner?
News
Instagram hides search results for Democrats
UK digital driving licences
BT scraps EV charging scheme...
2025-01-241h 36
ctrl-alt-expletiveRecruitment, and starting a company, with Jean-Paul AshbyWe've got Jean-Paul Ashby, a.k.a. JP, a recruiter, director, entrepreneur, talking about all things recruitment, CVs, interviews, and more
Lenny Visits Wayde
Michael finishes the last Espresso Martini Mouse
JP sipps a duvel, not a duv-elle
We've got some quickfire questions for JP on all things recuitment.
Does github activity matter?
How many interviews is too many interviews?
What's your go-to interview question?
Big Topics
Recruitment
Michael and Mark get a CV review from the professional.
Comparison of job platforms, LinkedIn meets Otta
Most memorable interviews
Starting a new...
2024-12-201h 40
You alright pal?You alright pal? With James McCracken part 2Part 2 of James McCracken’s podcast we talk about fatherhood, coming out, and living with complex ptsd. James tells us the reason for seeking therapy, the issues arising from living with ptsd and using coping mechanisms.
We also chat about how supportive his ex partner Nat has been throughout his journey and how his little boy will always be the first and foremost person in making sure they can co parent to give him safety, stability and security as this was something James didn’t have as a child.
We also have a laugh about our own friendship and the bant...
2023-05-3138 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Successful Brokers Communicate with Clients (It Results in Conversions)There are many nice, polite, pleasant, and well-meaning brokers out there. But sometimes their communication style often doesn’t result in the number of conversions, income or lifestyle they want to achieve. Instead, because of their generous nature, they can be weighed down by carrying other people’s stress and occasionally have clients or staff walk all over them, which causes them to work harder, but not necessarily have more to show for it. In this episode of The Successful Adviser, I sit down with Sofie Chapman, a veteran finance and mortgage broker based out of Ade...
2022-01-2838 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCrackenThe Secret to Sustainable Progress in Your Mortgage BusinessWhen it comes to a broker’s subconscious or unconscious beliefs, the issue isn’t whether these beliefs are right or wrong. It’s their real-world impact that ultimately matters. Are those beliefs serving that broker’s personal and professional goals? Or are they getting in the way of their key objectives? In this episode of The Successful Adviser, I talk with Jane Slack-Smith, the founder of Your Property Success. And we discuss how brokers can identify and iron out the kinks in their belief system, build a more rewarding business and have a bigger impact on more peo...
2022-01-1441 min
Rick Lee James Podcast NetworkThe Wisdom Pyramid with Brett McCracken on Episode 412 of Voices In My Head with Rick Lee JamesWhat is the true source of wisdom?Today’s world has more and more information readily available, but less and less wisdom. Many people seek to acquire wisdom from easily accessible sources such as social media and popular culture but are often misled. How should Christians acquire wisdom in today’s media-saturated culture?Inspired by the concept of the food pyramid, Brett McCracken presents a biblical paradigm for wisdom in today’s distracted age, illustrating his argument through a “wisdom pyramid.” McCracken suggests a balanced, healthy diet of information from sources ranked in order of importance...
2021-03-1047 min
Rick Lee James Podcast NetworkEpisode 412 - Brett McCracken and The Wisdom PyramidWhat is the true source of wisdom?Today’s world has more and more information readily available, but less and less wisdom. Many people seek to acquire wisdom from easily accessible sources such as social media and popular culture but are often misled. How should Christians acquire wisdom in today’s media-saturated culture?Inspired by the concept of the food pyramid, Brett McCracken presents a biblical paradigm for wisdom in today’s distracted age, illustrating his argument through a “wisdom pyramid.” McCracken suggests a balanced...
2021-03-1047 min
Voices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)Episode 412 - Brett McCracken and The Wisdom Pyramid
What is the true source of wisdom?
Today’s world has more and more information readily available, but less and less wisdom. Many people seek to acquire wisdom from easily accessible sources such as social media and popular culture but are often misled. How should Christians acquire wisdom in today’s media-saturated culture?
Inspired by the concept of the food pyramid, Brett McCracken presents a biblical paradigm for wisdom in today’s distracted age, illustrating his argument through a “wisdom pyramid.” McCracken suggests a balanced, healthy diet of information from sources ranked in...
2021-03-1047 min
Third & James RecordsOli McCracken - Pretty PennyOli McCracken - Pretty Penny by Third & James Records
2021-01-0905 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Jeremy Harper Narrowed his Target Market to Write More DealsJeremy Harper’s journey in mortgage broking isn’t your typical one. Having established his business in Melbourne, Jeremy packed it up and took it to New York where he and his wife lived and worked for two years. While operating in the Big Apple, through a combination of opportunity and strategic insight Jeremy chose to niche down and build his knowledge and reputation for providing specialist lending solutions for ex-pats. Now back in Australia and operating out of Sydney, the bulk of the loans that Jeremy writes are for professional ex-pats who want a person...
2020-10-0830 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Richard Bootle Built the Largest Conveyancing Firm in AustraliaThe journey of Richard Bootle has certainly been an interesting one. Born in rural New South Wales, Richard went onto boarding school and university in Sydney before a stint at a large corporate law firm. It was during his time at the large law firm that Richard answered the calling to return to his family roots and operate a local law firm. But, what to do when there’s already a law firm already established in your local town? Buy them out. And it was with this acquisition strategy that LawLab has become the nation’s largest...
2020-10-0139 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Aaron Milburn is Championing The Broker CauseAs a long-time champion of the 3rd party channel, Aaron Milburn talks about his career, his love of helping brokers succeed, and his mission of educating consumers on their options so they never have to feel like there isn’t hope to solve their financial challenges. Having worked in a number of 3rd party roles including state manager @ Bank West, Citi, and St George, Aaron has found his home at Pepper. Knowing the value brokers bring to each client, Aaron continues to advocate for how brokers can make a profound and lasting difference at a ti...
2020-09-2332 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Andrew Larcombe Is Shifting From High Performer To High ContributorAfter a 14-year career at Westpac, Andrew Larcombe decided to join the ranks of the broking industry, and 23+ years on, he has seen just about everything and achieved an extraordinary amount. When loans were easier to write, Andrew broke the company 3-months in a row, where he set a record of 84 loans in a single month. Legend has it that record still exists to this day. With a knack for teaching, Andrew’s broking business has evolved over the years to incorporate a structured mentoring program given his passion for helping new-to-industry brokers. Mor...
2020-09-1737 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Jeremy Fisher Became The # 1 Broker In The CountryIn this candid and relieving interview Jeremy Fisher of 1st Street Financial, we cover a number of topics pertaining to personal success, business development, and contributing back to the community. You may know Jeremy as having been ranked # 1 broker in the MPA Top 100 list with a settlement volume of $320 million. But as Jeremy readily admits, that’s when organising a deal required less admin and lenders approved applications faster. With a healthy perspective on the industry, Jeremy understands acutely that though he may have written the most volume, there are brokers the country over who mig...
2020-09-1049 min
The Love, YEG Showe29: Kids Helping Kids - James Stuart[1:35] Who is B's Supporting Youth Foundation[4:25] Learning from kids[5:47] How did it all start[10:39] Who do they support[11:18] How many lunches do they give out[14:45] Where does the funding come from[18:35] How has COVID impacted their program[24:24] The future of the program[27:27] Back to school advice in the middle of a pandemic[36:32] How to help them feed more kids[40:19] Has the need changed since COVID [41:52] How does James want to be remembered?------"W...
2020-09-0252 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Robert Trewin has Grown His Award-winning BrokerageHailing from the small country town of Orbost, Robert Trewin has built a renowned and trusted reputation across Victoria’s East Gippsland as a mortgage broker of choice, and of latter years, the mortgage broking business of choice. With a background in lending, Rob made the leap at a time when only 20% of home loans originated from the broker channel. Armed with a fervent commitment to delivering service, solutions and value to the community, Rob hasn’t looked back. These days, Rob’s brokerage has won a host of awards for service, diversified income...
2020-08-2828 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Peter White is Furthering the Broking IndustryIn this candid, straightforward interview, Peter White, Managing Director of FBAA, talks about his legacy, how far the industry has come and what’s in store for the months and years ahead. It will come as no surprise that Peter, just like the brokers he represents, is extremely passionate about the industry and furthering the broker cause. This is absolutely evidenced through the continued lobbying done during the Royal Commission, and more recently, to ensure the Best Interests Duty enables brokers to continue delivering the advice and lending solutions that are fit for purpose. ...
2020-08-2641 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Richard Crabb is Bringing Regulation to an Industry Full of SharksAs someone who has been at the raw end of a property spruiker, I can say with absolute certainty that it does make a difference who consumers and investors get their advice from. Get it wrong, and you’re stuck with an expensive lemon. Get it right, and it can be a building block to creating financial security. In this episode, Richard Crabb, managing director of Aspire Property Network shares how their business model brings rigour, structure and professionalism to consumers to help them make objective, informed decisions around investing in property. After 15 years...
2020-08-1934 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Gerard Heffernan has built a Highly Respected ReputationAs a stalwart of the Canberra mortgage broking scene, Gerard Heffernan is well known and respected by clients and peers alike. Having joined forces with his brother Bernard in 2015, their business hasn’t looked back. And, like many a bespoke brokerage, Gerard and Bernie understand intimately the need to provide personalised service and advice according to the needs of every client. It’s with this premise that they have continued to grow their volumes year-on-year in what is clearly a forever changing and dynamic lending landscape. Seeing the need for additional admin support, thei...
2020-08-1236 min
The Adulting Well PodcastEpisode 20 with James TracyThis week we sit down with No Fascist USA author James Tracy. James is an author from the San Francisco Bay Area specializing in cities, hidden histories and social movements. He is the co-founder of the San Francisco Community Land Trust and is active with Jobs With Justice. Tracy also is an adjunct Instructor in the Labor & Community Studies Department of City College of San Francisco. https://jamestracybooks.org/
---
This episode is sponsored by
· Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/adultingwell/s...
2020-05-1256 min
The Adulting Well PodcastEpisode 17 with James Spooner This week we sit down with James Spooner. James owns and operates Monocle Tattoo. Being a vegan for over twenty years, he pioneered a vegan tattoo procedure in Los Angeles in order to be consistent with his politics and lifestyle. He describes himself as a pretty literal tattooer. “I’d be happy tattooing portraits, pictures of animals, and pretty ladies all day everyday”. One of his favorite things about tattooing is challenging clients to be more creative with their ideas. “You want a song lyric? Let’s illustrate the song instead! You want a bible ve...
2020-04-2054 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenBuilding a Great Team with Liz WilsonIn this interview with Liz Wilson, we focused the conversation far more on culture, people, leadership and systems. Like all mortgage brokers, Liz has needed to embrace the change of recent time so she and her team can remain relevant to their clients and continue to deliver outstanding levels of service. What interesting to hear is Liz’s mindset and openness to personal change, growth and thinking differently in order to achieve different outcomes. Not only does she embrace change, but moreover, Liz also engages her people in the process so there is buy-in...
2020-03-1236 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Cathy Brown Uses Offshore Talent to Grow her Broking BusinessWith a love of people, processes and numbers, though Cathy Brown started life as an accountant, she has found her calling as a mortgage broker. From the early days of smashing out long hours and driving all over town, Cathy has restructured her business to fit around her life all while leveraging processes, technology and an off-shore team to deliver exceptional client outcomes. Like many a broker, Cathy found it difficult to relinquish control but has found that with continual & effective communication, she can empower, upskill and support her team to take as much ownership...
2020-03-0530 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenIlse Strauss Shares How to be In Sync With Your PurposeIn today’s interview, you’re going to hear from Ilse Strauss, a leadership consultant and advisor for people who want to ensure there is alignment between their values and their business. In this interview, you’ll hear Ilse share specific insights into how having clarity of your value can and does make it easier to operate your business in a way that feels authentic for each person. The reason for asking Ilse to share light on this very important topic is because quite often, in the cut and thrust of getting deals done, it can be...
2020-02-2737 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Kelly Cameron Retired at Age 30 and Has Since Built a 7-Figure Loan BookSome brokers go quietly about their business, making an impact where it matters most - with the outcomes and relationships they have with clients. This is certainly true for Kelly Cameron, the entrepreneurial director of Get Real Finance. At age 30, Kelly sold her first brokerage and ‘retired’ from the workforce, though boredom, the need to be challenged and passion for making a difference soon brought her back to the finance industry. Having since established Get Real Finance, Kelly has since brought on a total of 8 other staff members to accommodate the continuing need to ser...
2020-02-2437 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenAaron Christie - David on the importance of business processes and how he grew Atelier Wealth to over $67 millionIn this interview, Aaron Christie-David pulls back the curtain on some of the business processes and optimisation techniques that are helping him and his team operate an efficient and productive brokerage that delivers a smooth lending experience for their astute clientele. As a marketer turned broker, Aaron has a keen eye for the small details that help influence consumer perception of him and his brand. For example, Aaron is masterful at communicating online and recognising and appreciating his clients and his team for the joint success experienced. It’s one of many subtle yet powerful posit...
2020-02-1340 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Otto Dargan went from a business of 1 to more than 150When Otto Dargan started his mortgage broking journey, he had a modest vision of having 3 staff members and to service a local client base. But, while trekking in Nepal, he broadened his horizons in more ways than one. With a more worldly view, he came back to Australia inspired about what else was possible. With the newfound energy, he started experimenting with his business, and though not all experiments worked out, he failed often enough and quick enough to let go of the bad ideas and follow through on the good ones. These d...
2020-02-0641 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Hannah Nguyen writes $86M and is Home For Dinner Time Every NightHearing Hannah Nguyen’s story will be aspirational for many - and rightly so. She is shooting the lights out with her volumes, though she is far from resting on her laurels. Currently writing around $86 M with a goal of $100M (and then $150M), Hannah and her team operate with precision and structure to enable deals to flow smoothly through their well-oiled machine without every task being reliant on Hannah’s personal effort. If you think of a surgical team, which has the prep-nurses, the surgeon and the post-operation support, that’s much like Hannah’s setup. ...
2019-12-0632 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenLuke Howes Shares How He Founded Bankstatements.com.auLuke Howes is the typical story of an ‘overnight success’ 15 years in the making. Better known as the founder of bankstatements.com.au, in our interview, Luke gives us the back story that brought us his fantastic innovation that now provides value for thousands of brokers and tens of thousands of clients alike. Immersed in the entrepreneurial world for the better part of his working life, Luke readily admits that bankstatements.com.au was born out of continually listening to the market, tweaking and refining tech solutions until they landed on something ‘big’ (aka a ‘unicorn’ in...
2019-11-2835 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenNathan Aird’s Unconventional Approach to Building a High-Performance BrokerageLike many a high performer, Nathan Aird is vividly clear on what’s important to him, and he is incredibly consistent in his approach to operating his brokerage so it can support his chosen lifestyle. And, these days, Nathan strictly operates a Monday-Friday brokerage. For some, the thought of not putting in some hours on the weekend or doing ‘home appointments’ might make them nervous, but in Nathan’s case, it’s doing him a world of good... By defining his boundaries and his values, it ensures that his time spent in the office is highly prod...
2019-11-2130 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Mark Stevenson Has Maintained Volumes In Trying ConditionsIn this refreshingly honest interview, you’ll hear Mark Stevenson talk about the tribulations and triumphs of operating a broking business. Mark is the Managing Director of Finance division of Bell Partners, a multifaceted professional services firm that aims to ‘put a ring’ around their clients so they can offer a suite of services to each client without needing to refer to people outside of the group. As looking from afar, you’d think Mark has and the team have ‘got it made’ with all the referrals they could garner in-house.
2019-11-1433 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenJake Biddle shares how He successfully transitioned from Banker to BrokerFrom banking to broking, Jake Biddle shares with us how he took 10 years of accumulated knowledge in the finance industry to setup Saint Finance. And, though he’s on Australia’s west coast, it was his passion for the Saint Kilda football club that was the impetus behind the name. Like most before him, though Jake initially relied on family & friends, he was able to reconnect with past clients and earn more referrals through the provision of outstanding service. After several months, his long-term friend and former boss Ch...
2019-11-0735 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenNathan Smith, The Podcasting Broker who is Rewriting Rules to Build a Unique Broking Brand.From car showroom to running his own show, Nathan Smith is an impressive individual. In this candid interview, Nathan takes us behind the scenes as to how he is building a respected, productive and high-value brokerage that is making a difference in more ways than one. And, Nathan is also the first finance guest I’ve interviewed who is also a host of his own podcast, How Gen Y Buy - which in and of itself is educating and empowering his target audience to get their foot into the property market.
2019-11-0135 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenJason Cuerel Shares His Non-sales Approach to Growing his VolumesIn this episode, we talk with Jason Cuerel, who shares his unusual journey to becoming a high performing loan writer. Early in his career, Jason did a financial analysis of annual reports before transitioning to a retail sales role. It was in that role where one of these customers offered him a position with a non-bank lender which marked the beginning of his journey into the finance industry. Jason and I discuss how occasionally, with the best of intentions, some brokers find themselves having ‘Analysis by Paralysis’ to find the right lending...
2019-10-2530 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Clinton Waters Became One Of The Top Mortgage Brokers In The Industry By Combining Relationships with TechnologyIn this interview, Clinton talks about how to get the job done to an exceptional standard and having a seamless delivery of service to the clients. We also talk about how vital it is to review your ‘why’ in doing all of the things you have been doing. Clint also shares how embracing technology has contributed to a more efficient loan process while also making it easier to build client relationships. Some of the tools in Clint’s lineup include his bespoke fact-find-form that feeds directly into Mercury, Zoom for online meetings an...
2019-10-1835 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Sam Carrello took his ‘Start-up’ Brokerage to a Top 100 performer in Year OneAt the surface, Sam Carrello comes across as a stereotypical Western Australian - laid back, friendly, happy with life. And, though Sam is all these things, he’s also an astute broker who is quickly making headway with his operation, Napoleon Finance. With broking experience accumulated over several years at some of Perth’s largest brokerages, Sam took a year’s hiatus from broking before returning with a vengeance. And, unlike most ‘start-up’ business, Sam was able to connect with former referral partners to reignite the relationship and quickly d...
2019-10-1028 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Sarah Thomson Operates one of the Highest Performing Brokerages in Normal Business HoursIn this interview, we tackle a taboo issue on having a great family and operating a successful business as a female in the Australian mortgage industry. Who says you can’t have both! And what better person to share their opinion than one of the most successful brokers in the country, and arguably, Australia’s leading female broker, Sarah Thomson. Sarah takes us behind the scenes into her business where she shares what has worked, what hasn’t and how she has built a reputation that well and truly precedes her - both wi...
2019-10-0436 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Alex Ralec practices ‘Quantity over Quality’ to become an Elite BrokerIn this interview, we talk about how Alex transitioned from being an accountant to a top mortgage broker that he is now. He started with absolutely no experience in the world of banking, but how did he get to where he is now? Read more. Alex, like many brokers from the Wizard Home Loans brand began his broking life without a trail income, not many referrals and their tactics for growing volumes were like a melting pot of strategies combined together. What Alex had in spades is a passion for serving cli...
2019-09-2537 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken115: Graeme Holm’s Unconventional Strategies To Attract, Retain And Grow His Client BaseIn this interview with Graeme Holm, you’ll hear him share a host of tactics that have helped him quickly build his brand and profile as a preeminent broker. With a mantra for ‘people first, profits last’, Graeme refers to his clients as joining the ‘family’, which is reflected in the service proposition and ongoing support his team provides to help clients improve their financial wellbeing. Having won a host of service awards, combined with various other lead generation and brand-building strategies, Infinity Group Australia is building a respected and trusted brand that is quickly becoming k...
2019-09-1840 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenGraeme Holm’s Unconventional Strategies to Attract, Retain and Grow His Client Base In this interview with Graeme Holm, you’ll hear him share a host of tactics that have helped him quickly build his brand and profile as a preeminent broker. With a mantra for ‘people first, profits last’, Graeme refers to his clients as joining the ‘family’, which is reflected in the service proposition and ongoing support his team provides to help clients improve their financial wellbeing. Having won a host of service awards, combined with various other lead generation and brand-building strategies, Infinity Group Australia is building a respected and trusted b...
2019-09-1701 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Paul Wright Transitioned from Broker to Business OwnerIf you’re an established, busy broker who is considering to hire or you have hired other people to help carry the load, you’ll enjoy this conversation with Paul Wright. Paul exemplifies many of the qualities we have come to see and expect of high performing brokers. Diligent, professional, builds trust, nurtures relationships and a strong commercial acumen are a handful of the qualities that come easily to mind. Equally, Paul has also made the transition into a successful business owner, where he’s established a loyal and...
2019-09-1129 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenFrom settling $141M to $0. How James Hasselle stopped writing loans to operate a high-performance business and reclaim his lifeTo say James Hasselle is an impressive individual is an understatement. From starting a ‘greenfields’ Mortgage Choice in Burleigh Heads over a decade ago, these days, James enjoys having 3-times the market share that a typical broker would earn from their own suburb. In real terms, this means they write a significant volume from local clientele due somewhat to their positioning in high-traffic areas, but also to investing into quality relationships with other local traders, and providing their clients a service experience that they can’t help but want to tell others about. For...
2019-08-3036 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Daniel Hustwaite writes $120M on the back of Trusted RelationshipsDaniel Hustwaite’s journey into becoming a broker was more by accident and good fortune than intention. Starting out as a carpenter, then moving mortgage collections to help people who were in arrears, Daniel’s capability saw him quickly grow his corporate career where he eventually supervised a call centre that helped brokers understand the status of their loan applications. At this point, someone whispered that he’d make a great broker, which was all the encouragement he needed. For 6 years Daniel learned the craft at a brokerage c...
2019-08-2838 min
Rick Lee James Podcast NetworkVoices In My Head Podcast Episode 333: Sing 2019 Special with Fernando Ortega, Sandra McCracken, and Many, Many More...Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 333: Sing 2019 Special with Fernando Ortega, Sandra McCracken, and Many, Many More... Sing! Is A Conference for Pastors, Leaders and Musicians on Encouraging and Reforming Congregational WorshipThese conversations were recorded live at the 2019 conference with these amazing guests:Fernando Ortega Sandra McCracken Matt Papa Davi...
2019-08-281h 31Voices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 333: Sing 2019 Special with Fernando Ortega, Sandra McCracken, and Many, Many More...Voices In My Head Podcast Episode 333: Sing 2019 Special with Fernando Ortega, Sandra McCracken, and Many, Many More...
Sing! Is A Conference for Pastors, Leaders and Musicians on Encouraging and Reforming Congregational Worship
These conversations were recorded live at the 2019 conference with these amazing guests:
Fernando Ortega
Sandra McCracken
Matt Papa
David Zimmer
Fred Heumann
Joshua Macleod and Instruments of Joy
2019-08-281h 31The Successful Adviser by James McCrackenThe Triple AAA Theory to Growing your Brokerage with Whitlam MalkounNowadays, as a veteran and consistent MPA Top 100 broker, Whiltlam Malkoun shares how some things have changed while some are still the same. As an Aussie broker, in the early days, the head-office leads proved a lifeline to help him get in front of more people - which in turn boosted his experience and his confidence. Over time, as Whitlam’s reputation grew, he found he went from being the hunter to the hunted. Or, as he says, he embraced the “AAA Theory”. Anyone, anywhere, anytime. It’s a simple yet powerful ph...
2019-08-2238 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Nathan Taddeo is writing less to grow the business more Occasionally, it’s easy to label high performing brokers as a ‘machine’ who just pump out the deals like a production line. In reality, like many high performers, Nathan Taddeo shares that his success is really a combination of many attributes brought together. And, this has evolved over time as the business has reinvented itself. From a ‘one stop finance shop’, they decided to divest their interests in accounting and financial planning and focus solely on the one thing they are great at and could build their re...
2019-08-2031 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow to run a great brokerage with Joel WyldHe might be Wyld by name, but when it comes to the lending solutions, Joel Wyld is anything but. As the founder of Peasy, Joel’s honesty in this interview is refreshing in that even though the team @ Peasy are committed to exceptional service standards, he readily admits there are still opportunities for improvement, which will bring about future growth. After transitioning out of AFG and into another broking business, Joel found the first 12 months tough going. With persistence and tenacity, he was able to scrape by, and eventually, build a more...
2019-08-1635 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenSean Soole Reveals how He grew his Brokerage Revenue QuicklyWith a passion of helping other people, Sean Soole took his brokerage from a small operation to quickly having several divisions across multiple disciplines - namely conveyancing, insurance and property investment. For the mortgage business, he grew this by acquiring trail books, putting on loan writers and building an efficient ‘back end’ to his business. And he got it down to a fine art - where his personal hands on time was only 30 to 40 minutes per file. And in determining the ‘risk to reward’ benefit of acquiring trail books, Sean factored what return...
2019-08-1339 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow Daniel Pym strategically Positioned Himself to Become a High PerformerIf you were judging Daniel Pym purely by office location, you’d think he’s got it made to be sitting in Australia’s highest performing Ray White office and writing up 7-figure deals to cardiologists, executives and other members of Sydney’s high-income community. But that would be a narrow assessment. The truth is that over 15+ years of broking, Daniel has made more mistakes than most, and had some experiences that you wouldn’t envy. But these experiences, good, bad and indifferent have moulded Daniel’s values, his service proposition, and his work ethic.
2019-08-0734 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenVictoria Coster shares how she built a national business almost by accidentWhen some people start their business, it’s to build a company that will outlast them. For others, like Victoria Coster, it was simply a means to support her young family. But what started out as a part-time venture run from a small office in Parramatta has grown into a highly regarded agency that’s now helping thousands of consumers fix their credit problems. This was achieved through key strategic decisions Victoria made. # 1. Articulate a “no result, no fee” value proposition similar to that offered by brokers to their clients. # 2. Build strong relati...
2019-08-0531 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken105: How Troy Chapman grew his business through joint venturesTroy Chapman is the founder of Country Wide Wealth, a boutique financial planning practice that has seen exceptional growth since it’s inception 10 years ago. As a business banker turned financial advisor, Troy Chapman recognised that to turn his practice into a business of substance would require more than just delivering outstanding service to clients. For that reason, he sought to approach local service professionals such as accountants to establish formal joint venture agreements that would help deliver ongoing value for clients and for both service firms. The n...
2019-07-3036 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenTanya Somerton shares how collaboration with brokers delivers better client outcomesTanya Somerton is on a mission to help people move onwards and upwards in their life during what is no doubt generally regarded as a less-than-ideal experience, divorce.
2019-07-2634 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken103: How Andrew Mirams writes $150M and still has a lifeEvery once in a while, a person comes along who sets standards for others can aspire to in terms of results and contribution. Andrew Mirams is such a person. A former banker, Andrew decided to take control of his own destiny by establishing a business where he could offer superior outcomes, services, and solutions to his clients. And though this mantra is the fundamental proposition of many brokers, in Andrew’s case, it’s delivered upon in every component of his business to such a level of refinement that clients can’t help but wa...
2019-07-2336 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken102: Brad Sewell shares how to own a niche and build a high-performance brokerageArguably, the most renowned agri-broking business in Australia is Robinson-Sewell Partners, which has experienced significant growth since its inception in October 2010. In this interview, co-founder Brad Sewell takes us behind-the-scenes where he shares several insights that have enabled them to build their preeminent reputation and run a highly profitable brokerage. Part of their strategy for success including reconciling their numbers, every month, without fail. Not just their appointments, submissions and settlements. They also review their operating expenses, total revenue and are heavily focused on their profit. As Brad explains, one part of producing h...
2019-07-1624 min
Third & James RecordsOli McCracken - Letter From A BoxcarOli McCracken - Letter From A Boxcar by Third & James Records
2019-06-1103 min
2018-11-3004 min
Third & James RecordsInside Third & James - Episode 4 - Oli McCrackenYour host Joshua Olsen sits down with Third & James Records artist Oli McCracken to discuss all things music related.
2017-12-3000 min
Two Shrinks Pod11 - What's it like working in oncology? with Dr James McCrackenPod 11 - Hunter talks to Dr James McCracken a medical oncologist about the unique aspects of working in oncology. James tells us how he got into medicine and then we discuss what it is like working in oncology and how both doctors and psychologists cope and manage with the stresses of working with cancer patients. The pod finishes off with a medical focused 'Things we came across' section. This pod should be of interest to anyone who wonders what the other side of the medical/psychological curtain looks like. Also - there is a slight sound issue that gets...
2017-07-2659 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken101: Deb Hutchings shares how she’s built a successful brokerage through referral partnersAs an industry veteran, there are few roles that Debbie Hutchings hasn’t been involved in. Formerly a banker with a broad range of experience, for the past 10 years, Debbie has been successfully operating her finance business in Brisbane’s sunny northern suburbs.
2017-06-1331 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken100: How Kirsty Dunphey Settled 123 Deals in Her First 12 MonthsIn her fist year, Kirsty settled 123 deals, which is no mean feat considering she didn’t have prior credit experience. That said, property and finance are familiar topics for Kirsty considering she was previously the director of a 50-staff real estate agency in Tasmania, and has been in and around property since age 15.
2017-05-0952 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken099: Marios Rokka Reveals How He Has Been a Top Performer for 10 Years RunningHaving known Marios Rokka for several years, he has become a stalwart of the Loan Market brand, and built a respected reputation with his colleagues, clients and referral partners.
2017-04-2445 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken098: How Daniel Niederberger grew his income and freedom by moving from self-employed to employing peopleBuilding out a broking business through people, where the delivery of the service isn’t contingent upon you writing loans provides the opportunity for greater scale and leverage by using other people’s time, effort and resources (and resourcefulness). It can also create more freedom.
2017-04-1135 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow’s Jason Back’s team write more than $750 million in settlement volumesJason Back isn’t your typical managing director, and the company he leads, Australian Lending and Investment Centre, is your typical brokerage. With volumes in excess of $750 million, it’s apparent they need to have different systems, processes, ways of thinking, strategizing and delivering to accommodate this volume.
2017-04-0449 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken096: Build your business with a flagship office with Jon LeeHaving known Jonathan Lee for several years now, this was a fun and enjoyable interview for me – as it’s always rewarding to see people move on and achieve outstanding goals in their career – particularly when the goals once seemed like little more than a pipe-dream.
2017-03-2141 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken095: Building a powerful personal brand with Andrew FordAndrew Ford, founder of Social Star and expert in helping people build powerful, influential and compelling personal brands, shares his knowledge in this episode around the importance for brokers to build a powerful personal brand that attract their ideal clients.
2017-03-1448 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken094: How to create ongoing deal flow with Louisa SangheraLouisa Sanghera, founder of Zippy Finance, has built a successful business on the back of creating a trusted reputation and a solid business strategy.
2017-03-0734 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken093: How to Get Your People To Perform The Way You Want – with Jason CunninghamJason Cunningham, co-founder of The Practice, shares his insights to how business owners can lead and support their staff to ensure stay with the company longer, perform better and deliver on the business’ promise to its clientele.
2017-02-2837 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCrackenHow to build a word of mouth business with MPA Top 100 writer, Holly BundyWith a background in hospitality, sales and customer service, when Holly Bundy made the transition across to lending and then into her own broking business, she leveraged her existing skills and left no stone unturned in terms of building her network, her reputation and her results.
2017-02-2134 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken091: How to get more done in a day with Lorraine PirihiLorraine Pirihi, aka ‘The Babyboomer Specialist’ is the founder of Relaunch Your Life, a consulting and coaching practice where she specializes in helping babyboomer finance professionals who are tired, worn out and over it to get their mojo back in business and in life.
2017-02-1438 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken090: Building community into your business with Mick McClureAs the managing director of Buyer’s Choice, Mick heads up the largest sub-aggregation group for PLAN Australia, and thought they have aggressive growth plans, they also have a focus around quality before quantity when it comes to recruiting new-to-industry brokers.
2017-02-0735 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken089: Building a reputation that precedes you with Dino PacellaArguably, Dino Pacella is the most renowned BDM in the finance industry. Over the past few years, through several strategic initiatives, Dino has built a highly reputable and trusted personal brand that often precedes him.
2017-01-3132 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken088: Utilising Outsourced Business Services with Andrew DuerdenAndrew Duerden is the founder of LWT Services, which, for the past 17 years, has been providing the commission payment processing software for most of the major aggregation groups – and now also provides outsourced professional services for brokers.
2017-01-2437 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken087: Building a high value saleable asset with Greg HockingGreg Hocking is by no means your average real estate agent. As co-founder of one Melbourne’s most iconic real estate brands, Hocking Stuart, he has built an envious personal and professional reputation and during this interview, Greg outlines several attributes that have enabled him to build two high value, saleable assets.
2017-01-1745 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken086: How to build a multi-award winning practice with Patrick CanionSome people are profound in results and humble by nature. Patrick Canion, CEO of ipac WA is one such person. An impressive person by anyone’s account, Patrick is the leader of one of Australia’s most awarded financial planning practices and he shares his life journey and how he has helped make a profound and positive impact on his clients, his team and his industry.
2016-06-1057 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken085: How Tony Hughes became the # 1 sales influencer in Asia PacificIf there was one episode you wanted to hear to show you how you can become a more influential and more recognised authority and person whom others seek out, then this episode with Tony Hughes of RSVP Selling is a must.
2016-05-161h 00
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken084: Build a personal brand that precedes you, with Winston MarshToday’s interview is with Winston Marsh, a pioneer of the Australian professional speaking circuit and a revered adviser who has built a reputation as a marketing and sales expert over his 40-year career.
2016-05-0954 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken083: Adam Posner shares how to make price irrelevantIn this interview we go behind the scenes with Adam Posner, founder and directory of Directivity, a boutique marketing agency where Adam enables clients make price irrelevant by helping them become more valuable their customers so their customers become more valuable to them.
2016-04-1854 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken082: How Andy Paul became a global sales influencerAs an author, blogger, podcaster, speaker and consultant, Andy Paul has helped thousands of companies and their salespeople to accelerate their sales.
2016-04-1156 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken081: How Pana Barbounis grew Pana Chocolate to 3,500 outlets in 24 countries in under 4 yearsTypically, I wouldn’t interview a chocolate manufacturer as part of The Successful Adviser series, though in researching Pana Barbounis, founder of Pana Chocolate, it was clear from the outset that he is doing more than just ‘making chocolate.’
2016-04-0447 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken080: How to maximise your productivity and create leverage – with Jeffrey SlayterIn this third of 3 interviews with Jeffrey Slayter, we take a look at how you can multiply your impact and effectiveness through enhancing productivity.
2016-03-2852 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken079: How to communicate with impact and persuasion – Patricia FrippIn this interview, we spend time with Hall of Fame keynote speaker Patricia Fripp. These days, Patricia Fripp is considered one of the world’s leading conference and keynote speakers – though it didn’t always start out like that.
2016-03-2053 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken078: How to start living your bucket list with Travis Bell, The Bucket List GuyToday's interview is with Travis Bell, The Bucket List Guy. As a self-appointed ʻBucket Listologistʼ, Trav has obsessively studied the Bucket List phenomenon & blended the worldʼs best Positive Psychology principals to create his own unique Bucket List Life Philosophy.
2016-03-0656 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken077: How to life a life of purpose and passion – with Rosemary McCallumRosemary McCallum is an impressive lady. Be it for overcoming a range of obstacles during her formative years, for completing a Ph.D in Metaphysics or for building a thriving coaching and training business, Rosemary is certainly making her mark.
2016-02-2958 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken076: How to build a community of raving fans – with Trevor YoungLearn how to build a community of raving fans from content marketing thought leader Trevor Young. Having established a highly successful blog, PR Warrior, Trevor is also an acclaimed author, a keynote speaker, consultant & advisor, mentor to aspiring thought leaders and a podcaster.
2016-02-2153 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken075: How Martin Martinez went from $50 million start-up to CEO of The BoardroomMartin is a successful serial entrepreneur, business mentor, professional speaker and author who’s started, grown and sold several companies over the years.
2016-02-141h 05
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken074: Margarett Hiatt shares how to build your practice by speaking with purposeToday’s guest on the show is Margarett Hiatt from Speaking With Purpose. Margarett works with executives, management and small business owners to become effective and impactful communicators.
2016-02-0559 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken073: How to build scale and efficiency to grow your bottom line - with Claire HarrisonClare Harrison is the founder and managing director of Harrison Human Resources, a boutique HR consulting firm based in Brisbane. In this interview, Clare shares how she has been able to double her revenue for each of the past 3 years.
2016-01-2648 minThe Successful Adviser by James McCracken072: Bruce Kaider on how to be the trusted adviser to high profile athletesIn this episode, you will hear from Bruce Kaider, director of OMGC, a sporting talent management company. Bruce is the player agent and trusted adviser to some of the highest profile athletes in the world, and he shares his business journey with us.
2016-01-2240 min
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken071: How to be an empowering leader that impacts, inspires and influences - with Jeffrey SlayterIn this second of three interviews with Jeffrey Slayter, he takes us behind the scenes of his thinking and strategies on leadership - and how he's aspiring to create a new breed of leaders.
2016-01-141h 00
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken070: How Maria Smith built a scalable training business – and was invited to present to The White HouseMaria Smith is the founder of Bounce Consulting, an agency firm that delivers training programs focused primarily on empowering people who are terminally unemployed or under-employed. In addition to this, Bounce Consulting also delivers a several programs for recruiters, RTO's and other stakeholders.
2016-01-071h 03
The Successful Adviser by James McCracken069: How to overcome personal setback to build an award winning, industry leading business – with Benjamin HarveyIn this episode, you’re going to hear from Benjamin Harvey, founder of Authentic Education, and one of Australia’s leading educators around helping people find their authentic message and turn it into highly successful 6, 7 and 8 figure businesses.
2015-12-211h 00Voices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)Podcast Episode 81: Brett McCracken and Gray Matters
This week on Voices In My Head we are joined once again by author Brett McCracken to discuss his new book Gray Matters.Gray matters is an important book deals with the line between legalism and liberty by diving into the way we consume and how that influences culture that we live in and our relationship to Christ and his church. Listen to the show, buy the book,and share it with a friend. It's well worth your time.
2013-09-0444 minVoices In My Head (The Rick Lee James Podcast)Episode #20: Brett Mccracken
Brett McCracken: Author of Hipster Christianity
My guest this week is author Brett McCracken. Brett is a Los Angeles-based writer and journalist. He is the author of Hipster Christianity: When Church & Cool Collide (Baker, 2010) and has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN.com, The Princeton Theological Review, Mediascape, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, Relevant, IMAGE Journal, Q Ideas and Conversantlife.com. He speaks and lectures frequently at universities, churches & conferences.
A graduate of Wheaton College and UCLA (M.A. in Cinema & Media Studies), Brett currently works as managing editor for Biola University’s Bi...
2012-05-1953 min
Rick Lee James Podcast NetworkEpisode #20: Brett MccrackenBrett McCracken: Author of Hipster ChristianityMy guest this week is author Brett McCracken. Brett is a Los Angeles-based writer and journalist. He is the author of Hipster Christianity: When Church & Cool Collide (Baker, 2010) and has written for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN.com, The Princeton Theological Review, Mediascape, Books & Culture, Christianity Today, Relevant, IMAGE Journal, Q Ideas and Conversantlife.com. He speaks and lectures frequently at universities, churches & conferences.A graduate of Wheaton College and UCLA (M.A. in Cinema & Media Studies), Brett currently works...
2012-05-1953 min