COPYWRITER 099: How to build a new app and source Australia’s top creative talents to write for it

In this episode, Lucy Durack, star of Wicked and Legally Blonde, and Elise McCann, star of Mamma Mia and Matilda, talk about how Hey Lemonade grew from two friends swapping pep talks into a motivational app featuring scripts written by some of Australia’s greatest creatives. This episode provides the inside story of how this app got built, funded, written and brought to life by two of Australia’s favourite actresses, each stepping out of their comfort zone to become tech entrepreneurs. We cover: How a moment during COVID sparked the original idea for Hey Lemonade. The writing room process for creating the scripts. Why writing, not technology, sits at the heart of the app. How they found and briefed Australia’s top creatives to write the pep talks. The challenges of writing for an app. The role of humour, empathy, and clarity in mental health writing. Navigating funding, partnerships, and growth whilst retaining the purpose and friendship that underpinned it. If you’re interested in writing purpose-driven content and building a tech product from scratch, this episode is for you. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nat Kringoudis is a one-woman media magnate, and her topic is women’s health and wellness. She’s got a podcast, a masterclass, a clinic, an online shop, a series of bestselling books, a popular blog, a slew of brand deals, and she helps thousands of women feel better about themselves. It’s a winning formula that has seen her win a stack of awards and become an influencer with real impact. Today I talk to Nat about how she built her content empire – the successes, the failures, the online love, the online hate, the court case, the stress and how she navigates it all and turns up smiling every day. For content creators, we also do a deep dive into the exact formulas, content plans and cadences she uses to manage her content empire. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you haven’t already tried the sneakers from Rollie Nation, you should. They are light as a cloud and as colourful as a piece of art. The founder is Vince Lebon, one of the most innovative entrepreneurs working in Australia right now. With over 20 years of experience and award-winning collaborations with brands like Adidas, Asics, and Foot Locker, Vince has got his finger on the marketing pulse as to what worked in the past, what’s working now and what will work in the future. He got his start selling shoes at the South Melbourne market, and now he’s one of the leading eCommerce brands in Australia. In this episode, we dive into email marketing, customer experience, content creation, brand building, automation, AI, loyalty, and even token-gated commerce – all through the lens of someone who’s been ahead of the curve for decades. What you’ll learn: How Vince turned his passion for shoes into a hugely profitable eCommerce brand. How he sold 3,000 shoes before a single one was made. How to gain a competitive edge by combining an eclectic range of skillsets. Email automation secrets: what Vince did years before others caught on. Why he believes the future of loyalty is blockchain and tokenised access. How he hires his team and tips on how you can hire the best people for you. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Via her popular weekly column for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, Kate Halfpenny is known for speaking her mind, having an opinion and sharing it with the public.   And now she’s written a book about her life, marriage, mental health – and the toll her husband’s drinking took on all of it.  You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll get to hear the inside story of how one column Kate wrote created a maelstrom of fury, which in turn led to the writing of her magnificent memoir Boogie Wonderland. Today I get to talk to Kate about how this book came about, how she dealt with online hate and how her decision to make a sea change from Melbourne's cosy hipster suburb of Collingwood to a sleepy ocean town led to a mid-life reckoning she neither expected nor wanted. What we cover: The surprising column that landed Kate a book deal. Why vulnerability is her greatest storytelling strength. How she handles online hate (including serious threats). Mental health strategies for navigating public backlash. The reality of writing about your own life and the people in it. Tips for pitching stories and landing a column in major publications. How AI is changing the writing business and what Kate’s doing about it. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you like to become an influencer? Would you like a step-by-step playbook for how to get that career up and running? If you’ve ever wanted to monetise your passions and turn your knowledge into profit, this is the episode for you. Kat Moses is the founder of MGMT, one of Australia’s leading influencer talent agencies. She manages many of the big names in Australia and knows what’s what and who’s who in the world of influencer marketing, influencer management, brand collabs and much more. I sat down with Kat to talk about all things influencers, but what I loved most about our chat was that she gave me a blow-by-blow summary of how I could become an influencer – and it’s a guide that you could use to do the same. In this episode, you’ll learn: How Kat transitioned from working for others to being the founder of her own agency. Why she moved to Los Angeles to grow the business. A day in the life of a successful influencer. How anyone can turn their knowledge into actionable insights people would pay for. What she looks for in an influencer and how to find representation. Why authenticity and consistency always beat follower count. How to create a compelling content plan. How creators can future-proof themselves in the face of AI, fatigue, and shifting platforms. The exact blueprint Kat uses to help new talent find their niche, grow fast, and get paid. Why influencer marketing is far from over, and where it’s heading next. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It seems like everyone has got a podcast right now, but few know how to turn their podcast into a content empire like Glen James. Glen started out life as a financial planner, and when he realised what impact he was making on people’s lives, he decided to scale up his business and use podcasting to reach more people. Podcasting is just one pillar in his content empire, but if you’re interested in learning how someone has turned their passion for a topic into a very profitable content business, this is the episode for you. You’ll learn: How Glen went from teen investing nerd to podcast founder and author How he monetises his podcast How he uses two clear guidelines to decide where he puts his time and energy How to ensure your podcast guests promote the podcast for you How to create magnificent lead magnets that work How to use the podcast to find new clients How to future-proof your content business.  Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Piterman is no stranger to pressure. As the only Australian to play both the Phantom in London’s West End and Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, he knows what it’s like to perform at elite levels and what it takes to keep showing up when your inner critic won’t sit down. Now also a coach, author, and podcast host, Josh shares how mindset, breathwork, meditation and self-awareness have transformed not only his performances but also his life. In this episode, we go deep into: The crossover between performers and high-performing leaders What really fuels imposter syndrome, and how to shift it Using breathwork and heart rate variability to handle fear and stress The difference between achievement and fulfilment Josh’s “6 Ps” of performance, and why play matters more than perfection Behind the Mask: Why Josh wrote his deeply personal memoir-meets-self-help guide Why vulnerability is the most underrated leadership tool Whether you're heading into a boardroom, onto a stage, or just trying to show up more authentically in life, this conversation is a masterclass in mindset. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Without a doubt, hiring staff is one of the hardest, yet arguably, the most important parts of building a business. Whether you’re hiring a Virtual Assistant to update your database or hiring a CEO to run your business, getting the right team together is critical. A few know better how to put a team together than Meahan Callaghan, the current Chief People and Culture Officer at Red Bubble (now known as Articore) and has held senior HR roles at Afterpay, Mecca, Seek and Foxtel. Meahan has hired and, let’s be honest, fired a lot of people, and she knows exactly how to find the right person for a role and build a winning culture. In this episode, we take a look at how one of the best in the business goes about hiring and firing people, what it’s like to work with some of the most famous founders in the country, and how to go about hiring the right people for your business. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if your side hobby could land you on the set of How to Train Your Dragon or in the same room as Timothée Chalamet? That’s the wild reality for Lachlan and Austin Macfarlane  – aka the Macfarlane Brothers –  two self-taught filmmakers whose short-form videos have clocked more than 500 million views online. Starting with a childhood curiosity and a second-hand camera, they’ve grown into full-time content creators, directors, and award-winning storytellers for global brands like Warner Bros., Netflix, and Universal Pictures. In this episode, they unpack the creative process behind their viral videos, how they turn 15 seconds into a storytelling masterclass, and what it really takes to build an audience that sticks around. Plus, they share what goes into landing brand deals, writing sponsored content that doesn’t suck, and why they’re aiming to direct feature films next. Whether you're a marketer, copywriter, or creator at heart—this one’s packed with practical gold. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve all heard about the TikTok video that goes viral for no apparent reason or the unsuspecting tradie who becomes an overnight sensation off the back of one post. Well, it turns out there’s a method to that madness, and the one with the keys to unlocking that method is Michelle Melky.   Michelle is the Global Creative Director of a marketing agency called Amplify. They represent the top influencers and broker the deals for them.   Michelle has created cutting-edge content for brands including Estee Lauder, Warner Bros. and Google. She also co-produced Love Songs, the world’s first narrative web series for TikTok. Her work has been nominated for a TikTok Ad Award, three Mumbrella Awards and in 2024, she was shortlisted for the B&T 30 Under 30 Awards. In this episode, we talk about what it means to be an influencer – or content creator, as Michelle prefers to call them. She gives us the low down on how to create that content, land a brand deal, find clients willing to pay you the big bucks and why you don’t need as many followers as you might think to start calling yourself an influencer. If you’ve ever wanted to monetise your knowledge about anything and learn how to negotiate and navigate the new media landscape, this is the episode for you. Read the show notes This podcast is brought to you by the Australian Writers' Centre. WritersCentre.com.au Join our community of copywriters at CopyClub.com.au.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.