Business and Property Development is an interview-based podcast in which leaders in the Australian property and development industries recount how they made their start and grew their businesses into the enterprises they are today.
The Business and Property Development podcast is hosted by FactorPM’s Managing Director, Harry Karadimas.
The Gallery

S1 - Ep1

S1 - Ep2

S1 - Ep3

S1 - Ep4

S1 - Ep5

S1 - Ep6

S1 - Ep7

S1 - Ep8

S1 - Ep9

S2 - Ep1

S2 - E2

S2 - E3

S2 - E4

S2 - E5

S2 - E6

S2 - E6

S2 - E8
All Episodes
Hello and welcome!
In this month's episode I have the pleasure of welcoming back my good friend and colleague Martin Leuenberger for the third and final episode in our mini-series on performance and potential coaching
If you’re new to this mini-series, I’d encourage you to revisit the last two episodes Marty and I have collaborated on to put some context around what we’ll be talking about in this conversation.
For those who are returning listeners, in this episode Marty and I discuss the latest coaching session we undertook, which focuses on the theme of courage as well as looking at the results of my re-benchmarked EMP and cortisol testing.
After a year under Marty’s guidance, we’ve both witnessed some significant shifts in the key data used to measure my personal and professional performance.
Tune in to find out more about how you too can use these techniques to push your performance potential to new heights.
Links:
Guest - Martin Leuenberger - ML Coaching
Host - Harry Karadimas - Factor PM
Bonus Content!
As part of the wrap of our mini series, Marty has generously shared a key document we talk about towards the end of the episode – The Valued Living Questionnaire. This document is a fantastic tool to prompt self-reflection, curiosity and intentional living. Please visit this link to find out more and download.
42min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month, my friend and colleague Martin Leuenberger joins me for part 2 of our mini series on performance and potential coaching.
In season 2, episode 7, I interviewed Marty, where he shared his remarkable journey from development management into performance coaching as well as the coaching that I would be undergoing with Marty’s guidance.
Today, we delve deeper into the coaching sessions I've experienced so far, exploring the data we've collected and my reflections on the invaluable benefits of being coached.
You’ll get a glimpse of how fundamental aspects like boundaries and self-talk profoundly impact our performance, resilience, and overall potential.
Happy Listening!
Links:
Guest - Martin Leuenberger, LinkedIn
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
http://www.pecuniaprojects.com.au
48min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month I’m thrilled to share a conversation I recorded with John Foong - Chief Revenue Officer at Domain Group.
In this conversation, John shares his career journey and experiences through some of the world's most innovative companies, including McKinsey, Google, Uber, and now Domain Group.
You’ll get a glimpse of how John's audacious mindset, adaptability, and focus on learning have enabled him to take on various leadership roles, emphasising the significance of building high-performance teams and making a positive impact in both for-profit and non-profit environments.
We also touch on the state of construction and development in Sydney as well as the way technology is impacting the real estate industry with a particular emphasis on how Domain Group enables people on both sides of the purchasing equation make more informed and astute decisions.
Happy Listening!
Links:
Guest - John Foong - Domain Group
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
49min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month I sit down to speak with Rebecca Angel, Founder and Managing Director of Level 6 Venture Management.
Level 6 is a boutique project management and advisory firm that partners with a range of high profile players in property and construction.
Rebecca, like myself, trained as an Architect but found her passion and purpose in business building and leadership within our industry.
She has an incredibly interesting international career journey working at Rafael Viñoly Architects and Westfields in London and also taking the plunge in starting her first business while overseas.
I wanted to speak with Rebecca not only because of the similarities in our training and current business models but also to learn more about her leadership insights and how she has gone about building Level 6.
Enjoy!
Links:
Guest - Rebecca Angel - Level 6 Venture Management
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
43min listen
Hello and welcome to Business and Property Development.
In this month’s episode I had the opportunity to collaborate on an episode with Jock Gammon - co-founder of Junglefy. Junglefy is a pioneering company that develops, builds and maintains nature-based solutions.
If you live in Sydney you’ll no doubt recognise the iconic One Central Park on Broadway - a residential tower that's draped in vertical gardens. That’s just one of the many possibilities and opportunities when it comes to nature-based solutions.
Unfortunately as of late last month Junglefy has chosen to wind down its operations. At a time when we desperately need to reconnect with nature, bring nature into our cities in a significant way and make bolder moves with the integration of landscaping into all typologies, this is very sad to see.
Despite the news we’re still sharing this conversation because of the relevance and significant value in what Jock has to say.
Within this episode you’ll get a glimpse of the knowledge and passion that Jock has for nature and nature-based solutions within our cities.
So without further ado please enjoy my conversation with Jock Gammon.
Links:
Guest - Jock Gammon - Junglefy
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
38min listen
This month’s episode features an amazing collaboration with Allen Sammut CEO and MD of Sammut Group.
If you're in the industry you’ll no doubt have heard of Sammut Group and the amazing developments they have delivered and have in the pipeline.
What you may not know is the rich family history and heritage that three generations of the Sammut family have been building and nurturing over the last 40 years.
I always marvel at how family businesses begin, evolve and successfully pass the baton on to the next generation who in turn add their touch and legacy. This was one of the primary reasons I wanted to speak with Allen to find out more about his stories and journey.
Suffice to say, given the success that Sammut Group has achieved, Allen is one of the most humble and modest business leaders I've had the privilege to speak with.
I wont say too much more as I’ll let Allen’s passion for both his company and his projects do the talking.
So with that in mind, settle in and enjoy a fantastic journey by an amazing individual.
Links:
Guest - Allen Sammut - Sammut Group
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 2 - 34min listen
This month’s episode features an amazing collaboration with Allen Sammut CEO and MD of Sammut Group.
If you're in the industry you’ll no doubt have heard of Sammut Group and the amazing developments they have delivered and have in the pipeline.
What you may not know is the rich family history and heritage that three generations of the Sammut family have been building and nurturing over the last 40 years.
I always marvel at how family businesses begin, evolve and successfully pass the baton on to the next generation who in turn add their touch and legacy. This was one of the primary reasons I wanted to speak with Allen to find out more about his stories and journey.
Suffice to say, given the success that Sammut Group has achieved, Allen is one of the most humble and modest business leaders I've had the privilege to speak with.
I wont say too much more as I’ll let Allen’s passion for both his company and his projects do the talking.
So with that in mind, settle in and enjoy a fantastic journey by an amazing individual.
Links:
Guest - Allen Sammut - Sammut Group
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 1 - 27min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month’s episode features Sarah Reilly - Founder and MD of Cred Consulting.
In property development circles, Cred are leaders in the fields of social planning, research and engagement. They play a pivotal role in advising government authorities and private developers how best to utilise their land to achieve optimum social outcomes.
We are all aware, particularly in Sydney, how bleak communities can become when planning frameworks are ill considered or site-based development approaches are the preferred or only viable method of delivery.
Aside from building out Cred’s experience in the field, Sarah has created a business that operates with extreme clarity in their purpose, values and mission.
Listen in to find out more about how Sarah has built Cred and her insights into why social planning should be front and centre in the initial planning phases of development projects.
Links:
Guest - Sarah Reilly - Cred Consulting
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 2 - 23min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month’s episode features Sarah Reilly - Founder and MD of Cred Consulting.
In property development circles, Cred are leaders in the fields of social planning, research and engagement. They play a pivotal role in advising government authorities and private developers how best to utilise their land to achieve optimum social outcomes.
We are all aware, particularly in Sydney, how bleak communities can become when planning frameworks are ill considered or site-based development approaches are the preferred or only viable method of delivery.
Aside from building out Cred’s experience in the field, Sarah has created a business that operates with extreme clarity in their purpose, values and mission.
Listen in to find out more about how Sarah has built Cred and her insights into why social planning should be front and centre in the initial planning phases of development projects.
Links:
Guest - Sarah Reilly - Cred Consulting
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 1 - 27min listen
Hello and welcome to Season 3, Episode 1.
This month I speak with Ludwina Dautovic - Founder of The Room Xchange - Australia’s first verified home sharing platform.
We live in a particularly interesting time when it comes to housing. There is significant divergence on both ends of the ownership spectrum. The cost of home ownership is on a rapid rise due to inflation and interest rate rises yet we also have a critical shortage of rental properties available.
In the middle of this issue lies The Room Xchange and has the potential to benefit both homeowners and tenants.
I wanted to speak with Ludwina to find out more about the value that The Room Xchange brings to the issue of housing and to better understand Ludwina’s journey in business and entrepreneurship.
She has an absolutely inspiring story to tell so settle in and enjoy.
Happy Listening!
Links:
Guest - Ludwina Dautovic - The Room Xchange
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 2 - 34min listen
Hello and welcome to Season 3, Episode 1.
This month I speak with Ludwina Dautovic - Founder of The Room Xchange - Australia’s first verified home sharing platform.
We live in a particularly interesting time when it comes to housing. There is significant divergence on both ends of the ownership spectrum. The cost of home ownership is on a rapid rise due to inflation and interest rate rises yet we also have a critical shortage of rental properties available.
In the middle of this issue lies The Room Xchange and has the potential to benefit both homeowners and tenants.
I wanted to speak with Ludwina to find out more about the value that The Room Xchange brings to the issue of housing and to better understand Ludwina’s journey in business and entrepreneurship.
She has an absolutely inspiring story to tell so settle in and enjoy.
Happy Listening!
Links:
Guest - Ludwina Dautovic - The Room Xchange
Host - Harry Karadimas - Pecunia Projects
Part 1 - 30min listen
Hello and welcome to episode 8 and the last one of season 2!
It's an absolute privilege to be wrapping up this year speaking to Baxter Gamble, co-founder of Development Finance Partners.
Baxter and I had a great chat about his journey as a young chap from Leeds, who landed in Brisbane with his family, made it down to Sydney and forged a formidable career building various finance businesses.
We also discuss some of the landmark Sydney developments he and his teams have helped get out of the ground and his business wisdom developed over an incredibly successful career.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 28min listen
Hello and welcome to episode 8 and the last one of season 2!
It's an absolute privilege to be wrapping up this year speaking to Baxter Gamble, co-founder of Development Finance Partners.
Baxter and I had a great chat about his journey as a young chap from Leeds, who landed in Brisbane with his family, made it down to Sydney and forged a formidable career building various finance businesses.
We also discuss some of the landmark Sydney developments he and his teams have helped get out of the ground and his business wisdom developed over an incredibly successful career.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 24min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month I get to share a fantastic conversation I recorded with my friend and industry colleague Martin Leuenberger.
Marty is a highly experienced development manager turned performance coach.
From starting an apprenticeship in viticulture, to working in development and construction for 15 years, Marty made a bold move at the end of 2020 to pursue a calling he realised he had both immense passion and talent for.
Through performance coaching, Marty now focuses on helping people unlock their potential on a range of personal and professional endeavours. So, how does he do this, what potential can you unlock, and what's involved in the process of working with a performance coach? This is one of the reasons why I wanted to record an episode with Marty in the first place.
As part of our conversation on performance coaching, Marty has also offered to coach me and put into practice the aspects of performance coaching we discuss in this episode. The idea here is that we get to share some of my results and progress so that you, in turn, can gain some insights into the effects that performance coaching can have on your potential.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 41min listen
Hello and welcome!
This month I get to share a fantastic conversation I recorded with my friend and industry colleague Martin Leuenberger.
Marty is a highly experienced development manager turned performance coach.
From starting an apprenticeship in viticulture, to working in development and construction for 15 years, Marty made a bold move at the end of 2020 to pursue a calling he realised he had both immense passion and talent for.
Through performance coaching, Marty now focuses on helping people unlock their potential on a range of personal and professional endeavours. So, how does he do this, what potential can you unlock, and what's involved in the process of working with a performance coach? This is one of the reasons why I wanted to record an episode with Marty in the first place.
As part of our conversation on performance coaching, Marty has also offered to coach me and put into practice the aspects of performance coaching we discuss in this episode. The idea here is that we get to share some of my results and progress so that you, in turn, can gain some insights into the effects that performance coaching can have on your potential.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 42min listen
This month we delve into a niche property development sector - hospitality.
Joining me for this episode is Scott Brown who is the co-founder of House Made Hospitality.
In this conversation we cover Scott’s stories and experiences building two amazing hospitality brands - Hip Group in New Zealand and House Made Hospitality in Sydney.
His venues are synonymous with the utmost in quality of both the food and beverage they serve, the service they provide and the design of their spaces.
So, what does it take to not only develop the real estate, but also build the business behind the venue?
Well thats exactly what Scott and I get into in our conversation.
We hope you enjoy it!
Part 2 - 27min listen
This month we delve into a niche property development sector - hospitality.
Joining me for this episode is Scott Brown who is the co-founder of House Made Hospitality.
In this conversation we cover Scott’s stories and experiences building two amazing hospitality brands - Hip Group in New Zealand and House Made Hospitality in Sydney.
His venues are synonymous with the utmost in quality of both the food and beverage they serve, the service they provide and the design of their spaces.
So, what does it take to not only develop the real estate, but also build the business behind the venue?
Well thats exactly what Scott and I get into in our conversation.
We hope you enjoy it!
Part 1 - 34min listen
This month I have the privilege of sharing with you a conversation I had with a veteran of property development marketing and branding, Mark Stewart.
Mark, along with his co-director Pete have been building and running creative agency Rare for the past twenty five years. Within that period they have been recognised as pioneers and out front leaders in the field of property-related marketing and branding.
I wanted to record a conversation with Mark because of the prolific nature of Rare’s work but also how Mark and Pete have navigated two and a half decades of business building with all the comes along with it.
True to the podcast’s theme, Mark shares some amazing stories about the early days and the actionable lessons that have carried the company to where it is today.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 28min listen
This month I have the privilege of sharing with you a conversation I had with a veteran of property development marketing and branding, Mark Stewart.
Mark, along with his co-director Pete have been building and running creative agency Rare for the past twenty five years. Within that period they have been recognised as pioneers and out front leaders in the field of property-related marketing and branding.
I wanted to record a conversation with Mark because of the prolific nature of Rare’s work but also how Mark and Pete have navigated two and a half decades of business building with all the comes along with it.
True to the podcast’s theme, Mark shares some amazing stories about the early days and the actionable lessons that have carried the company to where it is today.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 23min listen
This month I have the pleasure of sharing with you a fantastic conversation I had with a buddying podcaster, Tyrone Shum.
If you listen to podcasts about Australian property the chances are you’ll have come across his show, Property Investory.
Property Investory is rated the No.1 property investment podcast in Australia so it’s a real honour to have him as a guest.
We cover a lot of ground when it comes to Tyrone’s journey in business, investment, property development and of course podcasting.
Aside from his engaging entrepreneurial stories he also imparts his wisdom on how he manages to do it all in a day’s work.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 27min listen
This month I have the pleasure of sharing with you a fantastic conversation I had with a buddying podcaster, Tyrone Shum.
If you listen to podcasts about Australian property the chances are you’ll have come across his show, Property Investory.
Property Investory is rated the No.1 property investment podcast in Australia so it’s a real honour to have him as a guest.
We cover a lot of ground when it comes to Tyrone’s journey in business, investment, property development and of course podcasting.
Aside from his engaging entrepreneurial stories he also imparts his wisdom on how he manages to do it all in a day’s work.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 35min listen
This month I sat down with Eli Gescheit, founder and managing director of Navon planning.
Eli is in the discipline of Town Planning and a key consultant at the front end of a development’s life cycle.
Eli and I had a great chat about his career journey through both the public and private sectors leading to his eventual establishment of Navon.
We also get into some of the key layers of the NSW planning system and his thoughts on various planning topics.
Eli is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to planning issues and strategy and this is in no small part due to his breadth of experience consulting for both public and private stakeholders.
Happy Listening!
42min listen
This month Luke Rust joins me on the show where we discuss his entrepreneurial journey starting Outbound, an on-demand electric vehicle and technology company that is deployed within various property types.
From a property development point of view having on-demand EVs for the benefit of prospective purchasers or tenants is far-reaching. Think about all the possibilities like potentially not requiring as much of a basement or helping people get rid of their second car (or maybe even their only car) or having an on-demand EV service for the benefit of your hotel guests or office tenants to book and use when they need it. This is on top of the obvious environmental benefits like reduced traffic congestion and emissions and contributing to other indirect environmental projects that Outbound invests in through the usage of their service.
Definitely an episode not to be missed.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 31min listen
This month Luke Rust joins me on the show where we discuss his entrepreneurial journey starting Outbound, an on-demand electric vehicle and technology company that is deployed within various property types.
From a property development point of view having on-demand EVs for the benefit of prospective purchasers or tenants is far-reaching. Think about all the possibilities like potentially not requiring as much of a basement or helping people get rid of their second car (or maybe even their only car) or having an on-demand EV service for the benefit of your hotel guests or office tenants to book and use when they need it. This is on top of the obvious environmental benefits like reduced traffic congestion and emissions and contributing to other indirect environmental projects that Outbound invests in through the usage of their service.
Definitely an episode not to be missed.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 28min listen
We’re back for Season 2!
To kick things off I had the privilege of speaking with property developer Michael Grant.
Michael established Cornerstone in the mid 90s and has been responsible for the creation and delivery of some of Sydney’s most recognised mixed-use and adaptive re-use projects.
Developments like Rockpool, No1 Lacey, Cleveland & Co, Griffiths teas and Casba are just some of the magic additions Michael and his company have created in the Sydney urban landscape.
Cornerstone is known for architectural excellence. This in turn translates not only to significant price records being achieved but also for making material differences to the way people live, work and play in and around their buildings.
As you’ll come to see this is in no small part to Michael’s absolutely steadfast and dogged commitment to design and construction quality and excellence.
Michael’s story is an amazing mix of personal drive, business acumen, hard work and made luck.
Happy Listening!
Part 2 - 26min listen
We’re back for Season 2!
To kick things off I had the privilege of speaking with property developer Michael Grant.
Michael established Cornerstone in the mid 90s and has been responsible for the creation and delivery of some of Sydney’s most recognised mixed-use and adaptive re-use projects.
Developments like Rockpool, No1 Lacey, Cleveland & Co, Griffiths teas and Casba are just some of the magic additions Michael and his company have created in the Sydney urban landscape.
Cornerstone is known for architectural excellence. This in turn translates not only to significant price records being achieved but also for making material differences to the way people live, work and play in and around their buildings.
As you’ll come to see this is in no small part to Michael’s absolutely steadfast and dogged commitment to design and construction quality and excellence.
Michael’s story is an amazing mix of personal drive, business acumen, hard work and made luck.
Happy Listening!
Part 1 - 23min listen
For the final episode of Season One I sat down with James Hickey, Lifesize Plan’s CEO.
We had a fantastic conversation about the Lifesize Plans business and the value that it brings to the property development arena.
Lifesize Plans is a young property technology company that specialises in content projection. Using their proprietary technology they typically project floor plans at 1:1 scale to allow their customers to experience their own designs at “Lifesize” scale.
Given we all live, work and often play in some sort of three dimensional enclosure, the use case for their tech is immense. As you’ll come to hear, anybody from home owners designing their dream house, to architects, to builders, to developers, sales agents and everybody in between can benefit from using their tech to plan space at real scale.
James is also an extraordinary executive leader who has a demonstrated track record in scaling businesses both large and small. We discuss James’s journey in the construction industry, how he developed his leadership style and why Lifesize Plans is a perfect fit for his skill set and passion.
Part 2 - 36min listen
For the final episode of Season One I sat down with James Hickey, Lifesize Plan’s CEO.
We had a fantastic conversation about the Lifesize Plans business and the value that it brings to the property development arena.
Lifesize Plans is a young property technology company that specialises in content projection. Using their proprietary technology they typically project floor plans at 1:1 scale to allow their customers to experience their own designs at “Lifesize” scale.
Given we all live, work and often play in some sort of three dimensional enclosure, the use case for their tech is immense. As you’ll come to hear, anybody from home owners designing their dream house, to architects, to builders, to developers, sales agents and everybody in between can benefit from using their tech to plan space at real scale.
James is also an extraordinary executive leader who has a demonstrated track record in scaling businesses both large and small. We discuss James’s journey in the construction industry, how he developed his leadership style and why Lifesize Plans is a perfect fit for his skill set and passion.
Part 1 - 28min listen
This month we have the privilege of sharing our conversation with Brad Chan.
Brad is the CEO of Banna Property Group, a company which he founded to take the reins of his family's substantial commercial and retail investment portfolio that had been grown and passed down through three generations.
In this episode you’ll hear stories around a couple of key themes. The first is a fascinating story about building and refining a company that owns and manages a core portfolio of five shopping centres. The second are a series of stories revolving around a remarkable journey of development and discovery in business, leadership and personal growth.
Without doubt, Brad’s insights and experiences will make a profound contribution to the knowledge-base of anybody who seeks to improve their personal and business leadership qualities.
Part 2 - 24min listen
Hello and welcome!
Today, I have the pleasure of sharing a collaboration with Alison Mirams, former CEO and Executive Chair of Tier one construction company, Roberts Co.
Alison, is a distinguished leader with over three decades working in Australia’s largest and well known construction companies.
Her journey, marked by resilience and innovation, has not only left an indelible mark on the construction landscape but has significantly impacted discussions around women in construction and progressive construction and leadership practices.
Alison's rise into to a transformative figure in the construction industry is nothing short of inspiring.
In this episode, we delve into her unique approach to leadership, the challenges she overcame, and the pivotal role she played in reshaping the Australian construction narrative.
I hope you enjoy it.
Links:
Guest - Alison Mirams, Former CEO and Executive Chair - Roberts Co.
Host - Harry Karadimas - FactorPM
47min listen