Every person has a story they've never told in public.
Not the polished version from a panel. Not the LinkedIn post. The real one. The decision made at the wrong moment, the feedback that stung, the habit that held everything together when nothing else did.
At Eclat, we've had the privilege of sitting alongside some of Melbourne's most interesting people for the past three years. In our spaces, over coffee, between meetings. We've heard things that deserved a wider audience.
This is us finally giving them one.
The Sounds of Eclat is a conversation series hosted by Nick Maxwell and Lauren Blackwood. Each episode, we sit down with a founder, leader, athlete, creative, or operator and ask them to think out loud about what it actually takes to build something that lasts. Not the highlight reel. The substance underneath it.
What you won't find here: hype, jargon, or easy answers.
What you will find: people who've made hard decisions, learned from the wrong ones, and kept going anyway. Each one candid about the part of the journey that rarely makes the press release.
This is The Sounds of Eclat.
Ep.8 Playing for More Than the Pay: Three Sports, Two Countries and Learning to Slow Down
Collingwood AFLW player Sarah Rowe has represented Ireland in Gaelic football and played national soccer for Melbourne Victory and the Central Coast Mariners. She joins Nick and Lauren to share her journey, starting with the legend of the “Mayo curse” and what it means to grow up playing for your community in an amateur sport.
She talks about the 2017 email that introduced her to AFLW, what won her over at Collingwood, and how hard it was to move countries and learn a new game in 12 weeks. Along the way she shares what tough feedback has taught her (“you’re not bigger than the team”) and how journaling, sports psychology and life coaching helped her through lonely stretches far from family.
Sarah also gives her view on where women’s sport sits in Australia, what life after footy might look like, and her first real six-month break after back-to-back seasons left her burnt out. It was uncomfortable at first, but it took her through Switzerland and New York.
25 Oct 2026
Ep.7 There’s No Straight Line to Success
Panos, founder of Pana Organic, joins Nick and Lauren to trace the unlikely path that led him to chocolate, from cafés, restaurants and airport catering to an idea sparked by watching the film Chocolat.
He shares the early missteps, the lessons that came with growing a business and why he chose to see competitors as collaborators in building the organic chocolate category. Panos also opens up about the harder side of growth, including realising not everyone can come on the journey with you, balancing relentless work with family life and learning when to stay the course and when to pivot.
A candid conversation about building a business without a perfect roadmap and the persistence it takes to keep going.
18 Oct 2026
Ep.6 When Relentless Stops Working
After more than 20 years and 18 different roles within one multinational beauty business, Aurelie De Cremiers knows a thing or two about leadership.
She joins Nick and Lauren to reflect on a career spanning France, Australia and New Zealand, including the challenge of turning around a struggling business and discovering that its biggest problems weren’t strategic, but cultural.
Aurélie shares why trust is fundamental to a successful team, the difficult feedback that changed her leadership style and why getting results means little if you can’t bring people with you. Now an advisor and board director, she also talks about backing your instincts, navigating cultural differences and why leadership accounts for so much of a business’s success.
Contact Sounds of Eclat
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
