{"podcast":{"title":"What I learned in business (that didn't kill me!)","slug":"what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944","podcast_index_feed_id":7504944,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/68c8d9069445f7a95104183c","website_url":"https://shows.acast.com/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didnt-kill-me","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/cover/1757989586689-5ec7fadd-958d-4f32-b41a-87024b76e51a.jpeg","author":"James Stewart","episode_count":31,"summary":"Have you ever wondered why some businesses go broke and others are successful? Have you ever wondered why some leaders rise to the top in difficult situations? For 40 years I was a corporate undertaker. I buried businesses that failed and helped save those where there was still a pulse. I was parachuted into some of corporate Australia’s biggest financial crisis, insolvencies and turnaround environments. I have been in Board rooms, Court rooms and on shop floors when all seems lost (and sometimes it was). Over decades at the coal face of business (often in the most difficult circumstances), I have seen & heard stories that delighted and inspired me, as well as those which serve as a guide of the path not to take. I also spent years in leadership roles at Ferrier Hodgson and KPMG Australia where I sat on the Board and was the National Consumer and Retail leader. The purpose of What I learned about Business (that didn’t kill me!) is to share the stories behind some of the world's most interesting business situations, how they unfolded, how my guests dealt with them, and how those experiences changed them and the way they do business. I hope that my podcast entertains and engages lis…","last_synced_at":null,"page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944"},"episode":{"title":"Jim Sarantinos: Parramatta Eels. No easy try.","slug":"jim-sarantinos-parramatta-eels-no-easy-try","published_at":"2026-01-07T18:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/jim-sarantinos-parramatta-eels-no-easy-try","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944","url":"https://shows.acast.com/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didnt-kill-me/episodes/jim-sarantinos","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/68c8d9069445f7a95104183c/e/69252f9d365dc3dd9c4e684d/media.mp3","summary":"The Parramatta Eels are of Australia's Iconic sporting clubs. In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!) , James H Stewart sits down with Jim Sarantinos , CEO of the Parramatta Eels , one of the most passionately supported and closely scrutinised rugby league clubs in Australian sport. Before taking the reins at the Eels, Jim spent two decades at Ferrier Hodgson , helping navigate some of Australia’s most complex restructures — including Rick Damelian Group , Dick Smith Electronics , Topshop Australia , and Steinhoff Australia during its global financial challenges. But perhaps his most defining challenge came in 2016 , when the Eels faced one of the biggest governance crises in NRL history — board sackings, salary cap breaches, and a club community in turmoil. Working alongside Ferrier Hodgson legend Max Donnelly , Jim helped rebuild trust, governance and transparency — lessons that continue to shape the club today. His story is also deeply personal. In his early thirties, Jim was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma . Surviving that experience reshaped his outlook on life, leadership and what truly matters — lessons that echo across every part of this conversation. From crisis management to culture, and from chemotherapy to comeback, this is a conversation about resilience, accountability and the power of second chances — in business and in life. Highlights What corporate turnarounds can teach sporting organisations about leadership and accountability Inside the Eels’ 2016 governance crisis and the rebuild of its foundations How surviving cancer changed Jim’s leadership perspective The continuing challenge of turning potential into performance at a professional sporting club Connect For more episodes, visit jameshstewart.com Connect on Link…","meta_description":"The Parramatta Eels are of Australia's Iconic sporting clubs. In this episode of What I Learned in Business (That Didn’t Kill Me!) , James H Stewart sits…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2955,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/episodes/jim-sarantinos-parramatta-eels-no-easy-try/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/what-i-learned-in-business-that-didn-t-kill-me-7504944/jim-sarantinos-parramatta-eels-no-easy-try.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}