SKALE UP

About SKALE UP

The luxury industry podcast by former corporate executives turned entrepreneurs, Sophie Seymaux and Julie Kim. skaleaustralia.substack.com (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Sophie Seymaux and Julie Kim

Category

business · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 May 2025

Latest episode

22 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

28 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   22 Sept 2026

   Part 1: Australian Wines from a French Perspective with Julien Marteau, General Manager of Luxury Wine Brands at Brown Family Wine Group

   In this episode of Skale Up, hosts Julie Kim and Sophie Seymaux sit down with Julien Marteau, General Manager of Brown Family Wine Group and a wine marketing and sales leader with more than 20 years of experience across Europe, Asia and Oceania, to explore what it takes to build a luxury wine brand with patience and integrity. Born in the Loire Valley and trained in Champagne, Julien brings a career at Moët Hennessy and Pernod Ricard to a family-owned Tasmanian producer. He reflects on how time, terroir and an uncompromising standard of quality shape brands built to last, and what the Old World and the New have to teach each other. Listen to part 2 subscriber-only episode: https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/p/part-2-inside-julien-marteaus-cellar (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/p/part-2-inside-julien-marteaus-cellar) Inside the episode: • A life in wine: From the Loire Valley to the great Champagne houses, and the early pull towards sparkling that shaped a career. • Champagne to Tasmania: What changes, and what carries over, when centuries of heritage give way to a faster-moving New World producer. • Listening to the customer: How guest feedback reimagined the cellar door as a place for memorable, hands-on experiences. • Balance: A French work ethic meets an Australian view of flexibility, and why switching off matters. • Scaling without compromise: Why the right people and an unwavering standard of quality outweigh speed, in a category where nothing happens quickly. • Affordable luxury: Where fine Tasmanian sparkling sits as Champagne prices continue to climb. • The next frontier: The export opportunity Julien is watching beyond Australian shores. • The tables turn: Julien asks Julie and Sophie where luxury is heading in Australia, from a widening wealth gap to a more exclusive, more nuanced market. • In person wins: Why the digital era is now a baseline, and what tangible experiences mean for luxury and wine alike. • Luxury held to account: How more knowledgeable consumers are asking brands to prove their worth through craft, sourcing and authenticity. Why Listen? If you’re a founder or leader working in luxury, wine, hospitality or premium consumer goods, this episode offers a considered view on building brands that reward patience. Julien shows how craft, time and experience, rather than scale for its own sake, create lasting desirability, and why the most valuable luxury moments are the ones that can only be felt in person. Part one is just the start. Part two continues the conversation with a more off-the-record look at Julien’s world, available to subscribers. Connect with UsInstagram: @skale_australia (https://www.instagram.com/skale_australia/)LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/skale-australia (http://linkedin.com/company/skale-australia)Email: info@skaleaustralia.com (mailto:info@skaleaustralia.com)Website: www.skaleaustralia.com (http://www.skaleaustralia.com/) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skaleaustralia.substack.com/subscribe (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

2. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Part 1: Curating Culture with Bart Celestino, LoveWant Magazine Publisher & EIC

   In this episode of Skale Up, hosts Julie Kim and Sophie Seymaux sit down with Bart Celestino, Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of LoveWant Magazine, a niche Australian title that sits at the intersection of contemporary art, fashion imagery and photography From a graffiti magazine in the ‘80s to shaping one of Australia’s most distinctive fashion voices, Bart shares how curiosity, curation, and a refusal to chase trends have built a business around backing great ideas over hype. Part one is just the start. Part two continues the conversation with more off-the-record insight, available exclusively for subscribers from Friday, 11th September. Part two available here: https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/p/part-2-inside-lovewant-off-the-record (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/p/part-2-inside-lovewant-off-the-record) Inside the Episode: * Bart’s unconventional path into fashion media and how growing up far from any cultural centre became his greatest creative advantage * The story behind Damage, his hip-hop and graffiti magazine, and the move to New York that reshaped how he saw Australia’s place in the world * Why Bart refuses to chase trends, and what he backs instead * The philosophy behind Lovewant: building what didn’t exist rather than waiting for permission * What luxury brands actually want from media partners * The shift toward user-generated content, and why audiences (especially Gen Z) are choosing real people over polished campaigns * A Melbourne influencer’s rapid rise on Instagram, and what it reveals about style (@myfriendhannah__) * Bart’s contrarian take on scaling * A challenge to the modern obsession with “becoming an entrepreneur” * Where Bart sees the next frontier for Lovewant and the industry at large * The tables turn: Bart asks Julie and Sophie what most businesses still get wrong about growth Why Listen?If you’re a founder, creative, or working in media, fashion, or luxury, this episode is a masterclass in trusting ideas over trends. Bart makes the case that curation, point of view, and knowing what not to scale are the real drivers of lasting relevance: a timely reminder in an industry obsessed with growth for growth’s sake. Connect with UsInstagram: @skale_australia (https://www.instagram.com/skale_australia/)LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/skale-australia (http://linkedin.com/company/skale-australia)Email: info@skaleaustralia.com (mailto:info@skaleaustralia.com)Website: www.skaleaustralia.com (http://www.skaleaustralia.com) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skaleaustralia.substack.com/subscribe (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2)

3. 

   16 Jul 2026

   Season 2 Bonus Episode: Unreleased & Unfiltered

   In this episode of Skale Up, hosts Julie Kim and Sophie Seymaux open up the archive to share unreleased audio from across Season 2. Every conversation is recorded for around 45 minutes and edited down to 15, and a lot of insight ends up left on the studio floor. Here, they’ve pulled together some of the moments that were simply too good to cut — extended reflections from eight guests across career, authenticity, media, the art world, recruitment and where AI is taking luxury next. Inside the Episode: * 1:17: Jess Blanch (Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, RUSSH): an unconventional path into fashion and media, and the calling that kept her on it * 3:46: Shamini Rajarethnam (CEO, Rationale): what authenticity really means, and why showing up the same at work, with friends and at home matters * 5:00: David Meagher (Editor, Gourmet Traveler): the lessons in reader feedback from Wish Magazine and Gourmet Traveler, why no title can be everything to everyone, and the real nuance behind “pay to play” * 11:33: Amanda Shadforth (Artist & Creative Director): the shift from an online archive called Oracle Fox to her own name, and how a personal identity caught up with a growing brand * 14:45: Viola Raikhel (Global Arts Industry Leader): a candid look inside the art world and at buying and selling at auction, and why collectors benefit from independent advice * 18:05: Steve Grace (Co-founder, The Pillars): what founders and scale-ups get wrong about hiring and retention, and the feeling he’s building into The Pillars, Sydney’s private members’ club * 22:33: Michelle Reeves (CEO & Founder, Xillions) AI, digital co-creation and scaling scarcity, and what it means when creative directors become megaphones rather than makers * 26:16: Steve Philpotts (Managing Director, Experian ANZ Marketing Services): where AI is heading next for a global data and technology business, and what it unlocks for teams without a background in analytics Why Listen? This is a rare chance to hear the parts of Season 2 that are unreleased and unfiltered. If you’ve enjoyed getting to know this season’s guests, you won’t want to miss this one. Connect with Us: * Instagram: @skale_australia (https://www.instagram.com/skale_australia/) * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skale-australia/ * Email us: info@skaleaustralia.com * Website: www.skaleaustralia.com (https://www.skaleaustralia.com/) This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit skaleaustralia.substack.com (https://skaleaustralia.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Who has been a guest on SKALE UP

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Julie Kim
• Sophie Seymaux
• Tara Milton

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Spotify

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 16 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

32

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

Contact SKALE UP

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.