Behind every business is a story.
The family behind Pilates Reformers Australia, an Australian family-owned Pilates equipment business, bring you the It’s Family Business Podcast. Join Adrian, Cheryl and Kirsten as they explore entrepreneurship, family, wellness and the realities of building a business together.
Featuring conversations with business owners, founders and industry leaders; discover the lessons, challenges and stories behind the brands and people creating something meaningful.
Should You Start a Business With Your Partner? Lessons From a Husband-and-Wife Team
When you run a business with your partner, how do you stop work from taking over your relationship—and your life?
In this episode of It’s Family Business, Cheryl sits down with Nadine and Cameron Mawson, the husband-and-wife team behind Training Ground (https://thetrainingground.com.au/) and Serenity Pilates & Saunas (https://serenitypilates.com.au/)
They share what happened when opening their doors turned into working seven days a week, doing everything themselves and having little energy left for life outside the business. From falling asleep at reception to learning when to hire help, their story offers honest lessons for anyone starting or running a business with their partner.
We explore:
Recognising burnout before working harder becomes counterproductive
Hiring staff and learning to delegate
Creating business systems your team actually follows
Choosing booking software and using automation to ease the workload
Managing cash flow without mistaking your bank balance for available money
Defining roles and deciding who has the final say
Setting boundaries so business conversations don’t follow you to bed
Staying connected to your purpose and building a community you care about
Whether you’re starting a small business, running a fitness facility, or navigating the challenges of working with your spouse, this conversation offers practical ideas for building a business together while making room for your relationship, wellbeing and life beyond work.
18 Sept 2026
Build It to Leave It: Preparing Your Business for a Successful Exit
Most business owners spend years thinking about how to start, grow and strengthen their business — but what about how they’ll eventually step away from it?
In this episode, Cheryl is joined by small business consultant and author Ingrid Thompson to explore why your exit strategy shouldn’t be an afterthought.
Whether selling your business is years away, already on your mind, or something you’ve never seriously considered, Ingrid explains why the decisions you make today can have a significant impact on what your business is ultimately worth — and whether there’s actually a business to sell when the time comes.
Cheryl and Ingrid unpack what makes a business valuable beyond its physical assets, from recurring revenue and client retention to profitability, systems, processes and a strong team. They also discuss one of the biggest challenges for service-based businesses: building a business that isn’t entirely dependent on the owner.
The conversation covers the signs it may be time to consider an exit, how businesses are valued, what needs to be in place before going to market, who you need on your advisory team, and how to navigate the often-sensitive process of communicating a sale or closure to employees and clients.
And if selling isn’t an option? Ingrid shares why closing a business doesn’t necessarily mean failure — sometimes it simply means that chapter has reached its natural end.
If you own a Pilates studio, health or wellbeing business, or any service-based business, this episode offers plenty to think about — whether your exit is two years away, ten years away, or not yet on your radar.
18 Aug 2026
Email Marketing for Small Businesses: The Strategy You’re Probably Neglecting.
Host Kirsten and guest Cheryl, an email marketing strategist, reveal essential strategies for small businesses to build a powerful email marketing program that drives sales and customer retention.
Who has been a guest on It’s Family Business
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Elise Burgess
Lizzie Renkert
Dale Neale
Kirsty Neale
Adrian
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
243
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
1.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
19
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
0
Contact It’s Family Business
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
