You know that brutally honest mate who tells it like it is? That’s exactly what you’re getting in this unfiltered chat between HARWELL. founders Adam Powell and Harvey Rivers.

Join them as they dive into the gritty reality of building a startup business from scratch.

The lads also share their “hot takes” on the decisions that keep entrepreneurs up at night - from hiring and culture, to leadership and growth.

It's a real-time look at the challenges and contradictions every early-stage founder faces.

Key business questions covered:

✅Is company culture more important than salary when hiring top talent?

✅Should founders hire friends, or is that a recipe for disaster?

✅What is the most effective leadership style?

✅When should you fire fast, even if someone is performing on paper?

✅Is LinkedIn more powerful than your website when you're building your brand?

Adam & Harvey also reveal the cost of growth, how they handle toxic top performers, and why business leadership isn't about being the smartest person in the room.

They also explore:

👉The real ROI of team perks, culture-building retreats, and founder vulnerability

👉Why personal branding and authenticity matter more than polished websites

👉How values, identity, and lifestyle impact your ability to scale

👉The uncomfortable truth about replacing underperformers

👉How to scale a business without losing yourself in the process

Key Moments:

00:01:00 Hot Takes Introduction
00:02:20 Culture vs Salary
00:08:00 Company Culture Responsibility
00:12:00 ROI on Perks
00:16:00 Fire Fast Philosophy
00:20:40 Toxic Top Performers
00:22:20 Leadership and Likability
00:25:40 Founders Hiring Friends
00:30:00 Founder as Brand
00:34:00 LinkedIn vs Website
00:41:00 Rapid Fire Round
00:48:40 Business Hill to Die On

Whether you're a recruiter, consultant, startup founder, or just figuring out how to grow a business - this episode gives you a dose of truth and reality that you might need.

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👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

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Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Running a business in Australia and feeling out of your depth when it comes to finances? You’re not alone.

In this episode of Two Blokes One Business, we sit down with Mitch Calley from Wakefield Pacific Accounting & Business Advisory.

Mitch is a top-tier accountant helping small businesses scale with smart financial strategy.

This episode is packed with real-world business finance tips and opinions for founders, entrepreneurs, and directors.

Whether you're struggling with cash flow, confused about business structures, or finally making enough to consider tax planning - this conversation could save you serious money and headaches.

You’ll learn:

✅When and how to switch from sole trader to company or trust

✅The real reason most profitable businesses still run out of cash

✅How to use a self-managed super fund (SMSF) to invest in your business

✅Key financial reports every founder must understand

✅How to protect your personal assets as a business owner

✅When to hire vs. do it yourself (from bookkeeping to tax planning)

✅Smart strategies for paying yourself and managing tax like a pro

This is a deep dive into the financial foundations that separate successful founders from stressed ones.

Key Points

00:04:20 Sweet spot clients and service levels
00:06:40 High earner tax strategies for employees
00:09:00 Self-managed super fund
00:14:00 Employee to business owner mindset shift
00:19:20 Research before starting your business
00:24:40 Business structures 101
00:30:20 Cash flow management
00:36:20 Industry-specific metrics
00:43:40 When to outsource vs DIY approach
00:54:20 How and when to pay yourself
01:01:00 Common accounting myths debunked

If you're in business, making money, and want to scale profitably and sustainably, this episode is for you.

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Connect with Mitch Calley:

Whether you're a start-up or industry titan looking to scale - Mitch and the team at Wakefield Pacific can help you navigate and conquer your business landscape.

https://www.instagram.com/wakefieldpacific/
https://www.facebook.com/wakefieldpacific/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/wakefield-pacific-accounting-business-advisory
https://www.wakpac.au/

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*Disclaimer* The information in this episode is general in nature and does not constitute personal financial, legal, or tax advice. Always consult with a qualified professional to assess your individual circumstances and goals before making any financial decisions.

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Starting a business is hard enough - but what happens when you’re also trying to be a father, a supportive partner, and a business partner, all while clinging to your own sanity?

In this brutally honest episode of the Two Blokes One Business Podcast, Harvey Rivers takes off the entrepreneurial mask and reveals what really happens when your life is no longer just yours.

This is a raw and authentic look at balancing fatherhood and business, including how he built Harwell. while raising two daughters with his partner, Brit.

From the identity crisis of leaving professional football to the never-ending guilt loop of not being “enough” for everyone - Harvey lays bare the unfiltered reality of scaling a business and growing a recruitment agency while managing the pressure of family life.

You’ll discover:

✅The psychological shifts required to become a business founder and dad

✅How fatherhood improved Harvey’s leadership skills through forced empathy and perspective

✅The hard truths about business partnerships, including the unspoken contracts that protect friendships and why having true skin in the game is essential

✅His 4 AM morning routine and why exercise is critical to regulating the pressure of business and parenting

✅The “burn the boats” mentality of going all in on your startup and why that might be the only way to succeed

This conversation will resonate with any working dad, entrepreneur, or startup founder - who feels the impossible tension between building a legacy and showing up for their kids.

Key Moments:

00:02:40 Weekend Offender
00:05:20 Your Selfish Part Must Die
00:07:20 Fatherhood & Leadership
00:10:20 Identity Full Circle
00:14:00 People Pleasers
00:21:20 Exercise For Regulation
00:27:00 Can't Scale Back
00:35:20 Business Partnership Values
00:41:20 Growth Conversation Crossroads
00:48:20 Thinking Bigger
00:56:20 Business Partner Characteristics
00:59:20 Daughters Education

Hit play and discover the real cost of building something meaningful - whilst everyone you love depends on you to not screw it up.

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

In this episode of Two Blokes, One Business, Jack Henderson reveals the complete playbook he used to scale from working-class roots in Western Sydney - to becoming one of Australia’s best-known buyer’s agents…

And a leading voice in property investing and business growth.

What’s you’ll discover:

✅ How to start a business even if you’ve got nothing but grit

✅ Powerful property investment strategies in Australia

✅ Lifestyle inflation traps - and how to avoid losing it all

✅ Personal branding to stand out in any industry

✅ Mental toughness tips to scale your wealth sustainably

Jack also shared:

• How documenting authentic content transformed his personal brand

• The life lessons from running a 200-mile ultramarathon

• Hard truths about entrepreneurship

• The power of advisory boards and mentoring circles

• How to build a buyer’s agency that dominates the market

• The psychology of wealth building (and why most people fail)

Jack proves it’s possible to build wealth through real estate investing, stay true to your personality, and even turn your loudest flaws into your biggest business advantage.

Key Points

00:02:20 Construction Worker Origins
00:05:00 Property Investment Beginnings
00:08:20 Authenticity in Business
00:12:00 Million Dollar Growth Journey
00:17:40 Personal Development Challenges
00:24:40 Team Culture Building
00:27:00 Time Management Strategy
00:33:20 Personal Branding Power
00:42:00 Content Creation Systems
00:48:20 Advisory Board Impact
00:53:40 200 Mile Ultra Marathon
01:04:40 Business Building Fundamentals

Tune in now to learn Henderson's complete blueprint for building wealth without losing yourself.

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Connect with Jack Henderson

https://henderson.com.au/
https://www.instagram.com/jackchenderson/

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

We've watched too many talented professionals stay trapped in careers that cap their earning potential...

Whilst the $500 billion recruitment industry sits right there waiting for them to make the leap.

This episode dives deep into one of the most misunderstood yet lucrative career paths available today.

Our guest, Rhyley Hunter from Huntsman Recruitment, joins us to break down the strategic decisions that can make or break a recruitment business in 2025 and beyond.

We explore the critical choice between becoming a specialist niche recruiter versus staying generalist - and why your geographical location might actually determine which path makes sense.

We also discuss:

✅ How career switching from accounting, law, and engineering can allow you to leverage your existing expertise - and potentially double your income in year one

✅Why face-to-face relationships remain the ultimate competitive advantage in an AI-driven world

✅How smaller boutique agencies are positioned to capture billions in market share

Key Points

01:01:00 Industry Scale
01:01:20 AI Personal Branding Backlash
01:01:40 Human Intuition
01:03:15 Compensation Structures
01:05:30 Performance vs Experience
01:08:45 Authenticity Crisis
01:12:20 Ripple Effect Impact
01:16:10 Building Genuine Relationships

Ready to discover why recruitment might be the career change you never considered? Hit play and prepare to see this industry in a completely new light.

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👉Connect with Rhyley Hunter

https://huntsmanrecruiting.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhyley-hunter-96802b46/
https://www.instagram.com/huntsmanrecruiting/

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Many people talk about starting their own business, but very few actually do.

In this episode of Two Blokes, One Business, we explore the entrepreneurial mindset that separates dreamers from doers.

Our guest, Rhyley Hunter, founder of Huntsman Recruiting, unpacks his journey from facing sudden commission cuts to building a 10-year recruitment agency.

Rhyley shares the moment that pushed him to launch his own business, the harsh lessons learned in the early days, and why he believes the future of recruitment hinges on personal branding, authentic content, and AI-driven tools.

Tune in to discover:

✅How AI in recruitment is levelling the playing field for startups

✅Why a personal brand on LinkedIn is more powerful than a company name

✅How to overcome impostor syndrome in business

✅The strategic way to create high-impact content that converts

✅Why even the largest agencies are vulnerable to agile, solo operators

Whether you're looking to start a recruitment agency, grow your service-based business, or leverage automation tools - this episode is packed with real talk, tactical advice, and inspiration.

Key Points

00:09:20 Starting Huntsman Recruitment
00:11:40 The Uncle's Push Moment
00:15:20 The Fallback Plan
00:22:00 Personal Branding
00:27:00 The $70,000 Lawsuit
00:35:00 Content Creation Strategy
00:43:00 AI and Automation
00:47:20 AI Agents vs ChatGPT
00:53:00 The Future Recruitment Advantage
00:58:00 Industry Evolution

Ready to discover what separates successful entrepreneurs from dreamers? This episode reveals the mindset shifts and practical strategies that can transform your career and business trajectory.

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👉Connect with Rhyley Hunter

https://huntsmanrecruiting.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhyley-hunter-96802b46/
https://www.instagram.com/huntsmanrecruiting/

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Burnout is silently crippling 71% of entrepreneurs, business owners, and high achievers - but Dr. Mel Taitimu reveals the real keys to sustainable success without burning out.

In this powerful episode of Two Blokes One Business, leading clinical psychologist Dr. Mel Taitimu breaks down the true causes of entrepreneurial burnout, why the "hustle harder" mentality backfires, and how mental health for entrepreneurs needs a new approach.

Using her four-factor burnout model (bottom-up, top-down, outside-in, inside-out), Dr. Mel explains why so many founders, leaders, and high performers appear successful on the outside - while struggling with stress, overwhelm, and burnout symptoms internally.

The conversation dives deep into:

✅The science behind nervous system regulation

✅Why self-compassion in business outperforms toxic resilience

✅How mental health literacy for business owners protects against long-term burnout

✅Practical parasympathetic nervous system hacks you can apply daily

✅Why belonging, not balance, is the ultimate antidote to burnout recovery

Adam and Harvey open up about their own battles with perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the constant pressure to keep moving the goalposts - a common trap for founders and business owners in today's always-on culture.

Key Points

00:02:00 Why mental health literacy matters
00:08:20 Personal journey into psychology
00:13:20 High-achieving as childhood coping
00:19:00 Four-factor burnout model explained
00:26:40 External versus internal motivation
00:33:00 Self-compassion framework
00:46:00 Burnout statistics and symptoms
00:53:00 Parasympathetic nervous system tools
01:06:40 Recognising severe burnout signs
01:12:00 Belonging as burnout prevention
01:20:00 Mental hygiene daily practices

Ready to transform your relationship with success and build sustainable high performance?

This episode provides the roadmap for ambitious individuals who want to achieve without burning out.

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👉Connect with Dr. Mel Taitimu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmeltaitimu/
https://www.maiapsychology.com.au/

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/

Ever wonder why some people seem endlessly driven? It’s not magic - it’s mindset, identity, and structure.

In this episode of Two Blokes One Business, we break down the biggest myth in the motivation world - that highly motivated people were born that way.

You’ll discover why motivation isn’t about hyping yourself up - it’s about mastering your entrepreneur mindset, designing systems for consistency, and understanding your internal drivers to unlock true, long-lasting discipline.

Whether you're building a recruiting business like us, scaling a startup, or just trying to hit your personal development goals, this episode delivers a motivation strategy that actually works.

Forget fleeting motivation.

We’re sharing the 3-part framework that powers real, sustainable success:

✅ Identity and Internal Drivers: Learn how to discover your real "why," and stop chasing goals that don’t align with your values. This is where true goal setting begins.

✅ Structure Over Hype: We show how to create micro-goals and a results-focused process that supports consistent output - especially important for anyone building a business or scaling their career.

✅ The Mental Game: Gain the confidence to make changes even when those around you resist. Learn why discipline beats motivation and how to push through fear, self-doubt, and social pressure.

We also dive into real stories from our journey - from young professionals to business owners, how we scaled from the kitchen table to a multi-division team, and what kept us moving when motivation dipped.

Discover the psychology behind motivation, the impact of habit stacking, and practical ways to build self-discipline that actually sticks.

Key moments:

00:01:00 The motivation misconception
00:09:00 Identity drives everything
00:14:00 Finding your true values
00:19:00 Jimmy Carr's character wisdom
00:23:00 Values alignment matters
00:31:00 Structure over hype
00:36:00 Taking immediate action
00:43:00 Accountability power
00:48:00 Doing it when it's hard
00:55:00 Habit stacking strategy

Ready to stop relying on temporary energy spikes? Start building long-term success rooted in clarity, consistency, and self-awareness.

Listen now to learn our 3-part motivation framework that can transform how you approach any goal.

-

👉Connect with us

https://www.instagram.com/twoblokesonebusiness
https://www.linkedin.com/company/two-blokes-one-business-podcast

-

Adam Powell & Harvey Rivers are the founders of HARWELL.

HARWELL. are renowned in the recruiting space - specialising in finding top talent within the Construction, Accountancy & Finance & Labour Hire sectors. Along with eCommerce.

Their award-winning concierge approach is helping companies attract exceptional talent to their team.

👉Want help finding exceptional talent for your business?

Get in touch with Adam, Harvey, and the team at HARWELL. https://www.harwellconsulting.com.au/