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Straight Talk with Mark Bouris
#149 Andrew Hamilton’s Redemption: From Magic Mushroom Kingpin to Comedy Star
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Andrew Hamilton is an Australian comedian who made a remarkable transformation from former mushroom kingpin to a rising star in the comedy scene.
Andrew Hamilton thought he had life figured out: a beautiful fiancée, a successful career in PR, his popular pizza restaurant Brooklyn Crispy, two beloved dogs, and a thriving side business supplying magic mushrooms and LSD to eager Sydneysiders. But everything came crashing down one night when the police raided his Surry Hills home. After serving time in prison, Andrew emerged a changed man, determined to rebuild his life. Channeling his experiences, he found his true calling in comedy, using humour as a way to process his past and create a fresh start.
We discussed Andrew’s privileged upbringing, his struggle with addiction, his successful career in PR, and his time in prison. Along the way, he shared outrageous and often hilarious stories that captured both the highs of success and the lows of hitting rock bottom. We also discussed his new book and his future works in comedy.
Purchase Andrew's new book 'The Profound Benefits of a Stint in Prison' here.
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#160 The Legend of Harry Triguboff: How the Property Billionaire built his empire
01:26:52|Harry Triguboff is one of Australia’s most iconic entrepreneurs. His journey is truly remarkable, being born in China, and arriving in Australia as a teenager to live without his parents. From there, he built Meriton into the nation’s largest property development company and became a self-made billionaire.High-Rise Harry doesn’t hold back. He shares his unfiltered views on Australia’s political climate, takes on the housing crisis, and offers priceless insights into what it takes to succeed.Harry's new authorised biography is available for pre-order here: https://www.booktopia.com.au/high-rise-harry-harry-triguboff/book/9781760797881.htmlFollow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#159 Mia Freedman: A candid conversation with the creative force behind Mamamia
01:22:56|Mia Freedman is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Mamamia, Australia’s largest women’s media company. Mamamia engages over 6.5 million women monthly and hosts the world’s largest women’s podcast network, with 173 million listens across 46 shows. Mia is an author of 4 books and was the youngest ever editor of Cosmopolitan magazine at 25-years-old. We had an open and honest conversation about our experiences of being parents and grandparents, Mia’s early career in media, the journey of building Mamamia, the growing influence of podcasts on political elections, living with ADHD, and much more.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#158 Cam Smith's New Chapter: Aussie Golf icon on Illustrious Career, LIV Move & Married Life
01:10:27|Cameron Smith is an Aussie golf superstar, best known for his 2022 Open Championship victory at St. Andrews and now making waves as the leader of the Ripper GC team following his switch to LIV Golf.We spoke about his early days growing up in Brisbane, the influence his parents had on shaping his career, the evolution of his golf game, the big move to LIV, leading the Ripper GC team, future ambitions, his recent marriage and much more.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#157 Joseph Sua'ali'i: Inside the rise of the Wallabies Superstar
01:11:26|Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is Australia’s latest and biggest Rugby Union signing. At just 21, he’s already played over three seasons with the Sydney Roosters before making the high-profile switch back to rugby.In this episode, we dive into Joseph’s life story, his journey through the NRL, his infamous Origin game, the much-debated move to rugby union, his ambitions with the Wallabies, and much more.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#156 BREAKING: Ex-Wallabies Captain Rocky Elsom Speaks Out on His International Arrest Warrant
01:07:12|Rocky Elsom is a former Wallabies captain with 70 international caps to his name. Rocky was handed a five-year prison sentence by a French court in October 2024 on charges of forgery and misusing funds during his time as president with French Rugby Union club Narbonne. This conviction triggered an international arrest warrant, but Rocky, who strongly denies these allegations, remains on the run, claiming he never got the fair shake to defend himself and plans to appeal.I spoke with Rocky while he was evading French and Irish authorities. Our conversation explored his conviction, the origins of this controversy, how his dealing with the case and what the future might hold for him.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#155 Joe Aston Unfiltered: The Chairman’s Lounge, Qantas Selling Australia Out, & The Journey to Sobriety
01:32:36|Joe Aston is an influential Australian journalist, widely recognised as the editor and writer behind the Financial Review's "Rear Window" column for 12 years.Joe’s latest book, The Chairman’s Lounge, has sparked a media storm, and we dived into why he thinks Qantas “sold us out.” We talked about his relentless dedication to journalism and took a closer look at the man behind the stories. Don't miss this one.Purchase Joe's new book,The Chairman's Lounge, here: https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/books/The-Chairmans-Lounge/Joe-Aston/9781761429767Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#154 Former Treasurer Joe Hockey on Trump vs. Harris, China & Australia’s Political Future
01:03:09|Joe Hockey is a distinguished Australian politician, diplomat, and businessman, best known for serving as Treasurer from 2013 to 2015 under Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Following his time in Canberra, he represented Australia as Ambassador to the United States from 2016 to 2020. Today, he is the founder of Bondi Partners, an advisory and investment firm operating at the pivotal intersection of policy, politics, and the private sector.We dived into next week's U.S. election, his one-on-one experiences with Trump and the potential impact of a Trump or Harris presidency on the global stage. Plus, we break down COVID’s ripple effects, his relationship with Kevin Rudd, Australia’s political landscape, our relationship with China and much more.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#153: Sexologist Chantelle Otten breaks down sex myths, the impact of porn & common mistakes
01:16:08|Chantelle Otten is an award-winning sexologist who specialises in helping individuals and couples improve their sexual health and relationships. We covered all the big topics around sex – from debunking myths to the importance of sexual health, what men often get wrong, the impacts of porn, Chantelle’s work as a sexologist and much more. This is one you don’t want to miss.Season 2 of the Audible Original Series Sex Therapy: Sessions with Chantelle Otten is out now. Listen for free at audible.com.au/sextherapyFollow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.
#152 Zara Seidler: The Daily Aus co-founder on modern news, power & the generation wars
01:02:18|Zara Seidler is the co-founder of The Daily Aus, Australia’s largest youth news platform, known for simplifying complex current affairs and making them digestible and suitable for younger audiences.Before committing fully to The Daily Aus, Zara gained experience in politics, lobbying, and journalism. Today, the platform has become the go-to news source for young Australians. Our conversation covered a range of topics, including the origins of The Daily Aus, generational divides, the shifting media landscape, the Murdoch family's influence, addressing controversial issues like the Israel-Palestine conflict, the upcoming US and Australian elections and much more.Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter & YouTube. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.