Handpicked with Naomi Simson

Shop Floor to C-Suite

Handpicked with Naomi Simson

Show Notes

Six kids under six. C-suite roles at Australia's biggest retail brands. A law degree completed just to prove her brothers wrong. Amy Louise doesn't do things halfway. From shop floor to boardrooms. Amy's built her career scaling iconic Australian retailers while raising six children in what can only be described as controlled chaos. But here's what she wants to know: Is burnout really a badge of honour? Or are we all deceiving to ourselves? Amy asks the questions retail leaders are wrestling with right now—and the answers aren't what you'd expect. How do you move from corporate to founder to investor? What should you outsource when you're trying to do it all? And what does Naomi look for in leaders she backs? Naomi shares the conversation that made her realise she needed help, why she and her husband make a plan each year, and the moment she knew her angel investing days were over. Plus: the untapped opportunity in Australian retail over the next few years. It's not what most retailers think—and it can't be put in a box. This episode is for anyone juggling impossible loads, wondering if there's a smarter way to do it all, or questioning what the next chapter looks like when you've already achieved what you set out to do. https://www.naomisimson.com/podcast/shop-floor-to-c-suite See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More from Handpicked with Naomi Simson

Oct 18, 2026

Chris Loverseed makes dog gear by hand in Melbourne. He asked me whether people genuinely pay more for Australian made — and at what price they stop caring. My answer: the sticker won't save you. The story might. For more detail : www.naomisimson.com/podcast/made-in-australia-is-a-story-not-a-sticker-how-small-makers-compete-without-a-budget Thanks to Odoo for supporting this season of Handpicked. Odoo brings everything you need to run your business together in one easy-to-use, fully integrated platform, so you can spend less time juggling different tools and more time focusing on your business. Find out more here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 11, 2026

Go slow and steady, or raise money and turbocharge it? Lisa Taylor of Wicks Intimates asked me the question I get more than any other. My answer surprised her — before you look at your cap table, look at your cash flow. for more information www.naomisimson.com/podcast/how-to-fund-business-growth-three-options-before-you-raise-capital Thanks to Odoo for supporting this season of Handpicked. Odoo brings everything you need to run your business together in one easy-to-use, fully integrated platform, so you can spend less time juggling different tools and more time focusing on your business. Find out more here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 5, 2026

Mark Wege calls Orbital a 40-year-old startup. Founded by Ralph Sarich, now building drone engines in Perth and selling almost entirely offshore. His advice for anyone with a big idea: build for the global market from day one, because you cannot bolt it on later. For more information www.naomisimson.com/podcast/build-for-the-world-from-day-one Thanks to Odoo for supporting this season of Handpicked. Odoo brings everything you need to run your business together in one easy-to-use, fully integrated platform, so you can spend less time juggling different tools and more time focusing on your business. Find out more.”

Sep 28, 2026

Thanks to Odoo for supporting this season of Handpicked. Odoo brings everything you need to run your business together in one easy-to-use, fully integrated platform, so you can spend less time juggling different tools and more time focusing on your business. Find out more.”

Mar 15, 2026

When you're creating an entirely new category, you can't just sell—you have to educate. Kate Abrahams, founder of TrafficAI (a platform that predicts reputational risk events using workforce behavioral data), sits down with Naomi Simson to discuss the exhausting gap between building groundbreaking technology and getting customers to understand why they need it. Drawing on her experience launching RedBalloon when "experience gifting" wasn't a thing, Naomi shares battle-tested strategies for market development: how to look bigger than you are, turn customers into your sales force through case studies, and build authority when nobody knows your category exists. Kate and Naomi explore keeping tech teams energized during years of customer education, what investors actually need to hear about new categories, and how to cut through the AI hype to demonstrate real value. If you're building something genuinely new and struggling to reach customers who don't yet know they need you, this conversation offers practical frameworks for building customer reach and turning an interesting idea into a must-have solution. https://www.naomisimson.com/podcast/a-founders-guide-to-building-customer-reach Thank you to Deel.com for supporting Australian business owners through it's sponsorship of Handpicked Season 6 for more information about Anytime Pay click here See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See all episodes →