Remarkable Regional Business

Phil McConachy, The Mill Castlemaine (Part Two)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 45 (Part Two) 
Guest: Phil McConachy 
Business Name: The Mill Castlemaine 
Website: https://millcastlemaine.com.au/
 
Don't let the humility fool you. Phil McConachy is a mastermind.
In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Phil McConachy from The Mill at Castlemaine. The conversation shifts from what The Mill is to how Phil got there, what shaped his thinking, and what it actually takes to build something that becomes a genuine asset to a regional town.
Phil talks through the years of farming and raising four sons in Castlemaine, how the skills from his earth moving days turned out to be exactly what he needed when he bought The Mill, and the philosophy behind everything from how he looks after tenants to how he supports the local community.
Topics Covered
/ What the earth moving business taught him
Problem solving, communication, and paying people well enough that they give blood when you need it.
/ Moving to Castlemaine and the farming years
How a compass on a map between two sets of parents led Phil and his family to Castlemaine in 1999, and what twenty years of farming and raising four boys taught him.
/ Community investment and why Phil doesn't see it as an exchange
From footy club sponsorships to indigenous organisations to the Botanical Gardens, how Phil thinks about giving back to the town the Mill calls home.
/ The flood mitigation system nobody asked him to build
Why Phil designed a full flood protection system for one of his buildings before he would morally rent it out.
/ The future of The Mill
What is being built right now, who is moving in, and what Phil hopes the site looks like in fifty years even if he won't be around to see it.
/ Business wisdom from a man who built something remarkable without a plan
Human resources as the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity. Communication as a craft. And why Phil always tells new tenants to dream big before they worry about what it costs.
Watch Part One to hear the full story of The Mill at Castlemaine, how it came to be, and the remarkable collection of businesses that call it home.
// Links
 https://millcastlemaine.com.au/

Phil McConachy, The Mill Castlemaine (Part One)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 45 (Part One) 
Guest: Phil McConachy 
Business Name: The Mill Castlemaine 
Website: https://millcastlemaine.com.au/
 
He had no grand vision. He put a sign on the fence saying places for lease and just waited to see who came.
In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with Phil McConachy, the owner and developer of The Mill at Castlemaine. Seven and a half hectares, nine thousand square metres of buildings and forty five tenants ranging from a world class cafe and brewery through to clothing makers, potters, knife makers and a vintage bazaar with over 118 stall holders. All built from a former woolen mill that started in 1875 and burnt down three times.
Phil is one of the most remarkable people Caleb has sat down with on this show. Phil was a house dad and farmer for twenty years who needed to get back into the community and use his skills for good. What he built in the process is one of the greatest and most loved regional commercial precincts in Victoria.
Topics Covered
/ What The Mill at Castlemaine actually is
A town within a town. How 45 tenants across food, health, education, trade and retail came together on a heritage site over eleven years.
/ The origin story of The Mill
How a multinational decided it no longer needed the site, and how Phil ended up with it after some negotiation and a bit of luck.
/ How Phil selects tenants
No grand plan. A sign on the fence, a gut feel, and a commitment to the planning scheme.
/ The Castlemaine Vintage Bazaar
How 118 stall holders operate within a simple square meterage and commission model, and what separates the ones doing really well from the ones just there for the social side.
/ Tenant success stories
From Shed Shaker Brewing to Wonder Pants to Caboose Chocolates, businesses that have grown on the site and what they have in common.
/ Phil's background before the Mill
Fitter and machinist at Ford at sixteen. Earth moving business owner at twenty five. Farmer and house dad for twenty years.
This is Part One of the conversation with Phil McConachy from The Mill at Castlemaine. Continue to Part Two to hear how Phil's earlier business life shaped everything that came after, what he has learned about running a place like this, and where The Mill is headed next.
// Links
https://millcastlemaine.com.au/

Derv McGowan, Anther Geelong Distillery (Part Two)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 44 (Part Two) 
Guest: Derv McGowan 
Business Name: Anther Geelong Distillery
Website: https://anther.com.au/
 
They lost 80% of their business overnight. Their response was to give away gin every week and go door to door delivering bottles to strangers.
In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Derv McGowan from Anther Distillery in Geelong. The conversation picks up at the moment COVID hit, when Anther was about to press go on building their own distillery and the bottom fell out of the industry they'd spent four years building a business in.
What came next is a story about resilience, diversification, and finding out what you actually know that other people will pay for.
Derv also shares two of the most remarkable product collaborations you'll hear about on this show, one with the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne for their 175th anniversary, and one with the Australian Gynecological Cancer Foundation that has educated thousands of people about cancer at a gin tasting.
Topics Covered
/ Surviving COVID as a small distillery
How government support, a rebuilt website, doorstep gin deliveries and a weekly cocktail competition kept Anther alive and connected to its community.
/ Building the distillery during a pandemic
How the generosity of the Hamilton family and their network of trades made it possible when nothing else was moving.
/ Diversifying beyond gin sales
Contract distilling, recipe development, agave spirits research and safety consulting, how Anther turned its accumulated knowledge into new revenue streams.
/ The current state of the gin industry
Why the post COVID recovery never fully arrived for boutique spirits, what is happening at retail level right now, and why Anther has pulled back to protect the brand while it waits for the market to turn.
/ Leadership lessons from building a business
Knowing yourself, knowing your business partner, and why fitting the right people to the right roles took longer than it should have.
/ The collaborations
Fluorescence with the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne and the gin that has raised awareness of gynecological cancers at thousands of tastings across the country.
Watch Part One to hear how Anther started, how gin is actually made, and what the golden years of the Australian gin boom really looked like from the inside.
// Links
https://www.anther.com.au/

Derv McGowan, Anther Geelong Distillery (Part One)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 44 (Part One) 
Guest: Derv McGowan 
Business Name: Anther Geelong Distillery
Website: https://anther.com.au/
 
She went from a six figure salary managing brands for a big liquor company to three days a week on a very low wage. And she'd do it all again.
In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with Derv McGowan, co-founder of Anther Distillery in Geelong. Anther is a small family run business started in 2016 by Derv and Sebastian Reaburn, when the gin industry in Victoria had fewer than ten distilleries. Today there are over six hundred nationally.
Derv had just finished a PhD in molecular microbiology. Sebastian had spent years working in bars and managing liquor brands. Neither of them were happy where they were. So they walked away from good careers, took a punt on a category nobody fully understood yet, and spent ten months developing their first gin from an eighteen hundreds gazette recipe because nobody was going to hand over theirs.
The conversation covers the full origin story, from the chance connection that led them to craft distilling, to winning best gin in category at the Australian Distilled Spirits Awards just two years in, to the moment Dan Murphy's came calling.
Topics Covered
/ What Anther Distillery is and where it sits in the market
A small family run gin distillery in the Federal Woolen Mills precinct in North Geelong, and what makes it different.
/ The origin story
How a PhD in molecular microbiology, a business partner steeped in the liquor industry, and a very beautiful copper still in a Collingwood bar changed everything.
/ How gin is actually made
Heads, hearts and tails, temperature control, reflux, botanicals and why bergamot nearly ended them.
/ Developing the first gin
Ten months of trial and error, an eighteen hundreds gazette recipe, and the scientific method applied to a cocktail bartender's instincts.
/ The gin boom of 2016
What it felt like to enter a market where the product sold itself and everyone wanted to be your friend.
/ Growing the brand through
Dan Murphy's How trophy wins opened doors, why being kind to staff made more difference than any marketing budget, and the spreadsheet that helped them focus their limited resources.
This is Part One of the conversation with Derv McGowan from Anther Distillery. Continue to Part Two to hear how COVID nearly ended everything, how they rebuilt smarter, and the remarkable collaborations that have defined the brand.
// Links
https://www.anther.com.au/

Valentina Coin, Via Technology (Part Two)

In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Valentina Coin from Via Technology. The conversation shifts from what Via Technology does to how Val got here, where her thinking came from, and what she has learned building a business alongside her husband from the ground up.
Val traces her journey from working in her aunt's villa in Italy at fourteen, through managing a group of hospitality venues on the Sunshine Coast, into a software startup building platforms for the disability industry, and finally into the advisory business she runs today. Along the way she shares the concept that changed how she thinks about growth, creativity and building anything worth building.
The conversation also goes deep into change management, why nobody wants to buy it, why everyone needs it, and how Val delivers it without her clients even realising it is happening.
Topics Covered
/ How Val built the knowledge and experience behind Via Technology
The journey from hospitality in Italy to software startups in Australia and what each chapter contributed.
/ Working in business with your life partner
What Val and her husband learned the hard way and why getting those lessons early was a gift.
/ The concept of liminal spaces and why boredom is a business tool
How creating emptiness and slowing down is often the fastest way to find clarity and speed up growth.
/ Change management in disguise
Why resistance to change is human nature, how to work with it rather than against it, and why co-creating solutions with the people who have to live them makes all the difference.
/ The Kubler Ross Curve applied to business
How the stages of grief can be used as a practical team tool when implementing new systems or technology.
/ Three pieces of business wisdom from Val
Slow down to speed up. Build a circle of trust. Lead with curiosity.
Watch Part One to hear how Via Technology works, the types of businesses it serves, and why most technology problems are not really technology problems at all.
// Links
https://viatechnology.com.au/

Valentina Coin, Via Technology (Part One)

Most businesses think they have a technology problem. Valentina Coin from Via Technology says the technology is usually the last thing that needs fixing.
In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with Valentina Coin, founder of Via Technology on the Sunshine Coast. Via Technology works with growing businesses to build what Val calls strategic business systems, combining people, process and technology to help organisations scale without things falling apart.
The conversation starts with what Via Technology actually does and why it is so difficult to explain. Val unpacks why so many businesses mistake a technology problem for what is really a people or process problem, and why solving all three together is the only way to create lasting change.
Val walks through real client examples, from a business with three weeks to migrate its entire operation off a decommissioned platform, to a couple who purchased a business with no systems and all the knowledge walking out the door with the previous owner.
Topics Covered
/ What Via Technology actually does and why it is hard to categorise
Why strategic business systems go far beyond software implementation.
/ The types of businesses Via Technology serves best
Why operational complexity, not industry, is the key indicator of a good fit.
/ Real client journeys
Three examples of how Via Technology has helped businesses at very different stages and with very different problems.
/ Choosing the right technology for the right stage of business
Why the software that serves you today will not be the software that serves you in five years, and how to plan for that.
/ The process Via Technology takes new clients through
How a self-assessment tool helps diagnose whether the real problem is people, process or technology before any solutions are proposed.
/ Why change management never sells but everyone needs it
How Val embeds change management invisibly throughout every engagement so clients get the outcome without knowing they needed it.
This is Part One of the conversation with Valentina Coin from Via Technology. Continue to Part Two to hear how Val built the business, where her thinking came from, and the three pieces of wisdom she would pass on to any business owner trying to grow.
// Links
https://viatechnology.com.au/

Kate and Todd Newman, Todd Newman Builders (Part Two)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 42 (Part Two) 
Guests: Kate & Todd Newman
Business Name: Todd Newman Builders
Website: https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/
The building industry has changed dramatically in the last few years.
Construction costs have increased, regulations have become more complex, and homeowners are navigating a far more challenging environment than they were a decade ago.
In Part Two of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the discussion with Kate and Todd Newman from Todd Newman Builders in Bendigo.
With more than two decades of experience building homes across regional Victoria, they break down the realities behind residential construction and the challenges facing both builders and homeowners today.
The discussion moves into the technical and practical side of building, including the impact of modern energy efficiency standards, the complexity of renovations, and the importance of planning early in the building journey.
Kate and Todd also explain how strong relationships with subcontractors and suppliers help maintain quality across every project.
Topics Covered
/ The rising cost of building homesHow materials, labour and market conditions have reshaped the economics of construction.
/ The growing complexity of building regulationsWhat new standards like seven-star energy ratings mean for home design and construction.
/ Renovations vs building newWhy renovating an existing home can often be more complicated than starting from scratch.
/ The importance of early planningWhy builders encourage clients to discuss budgets, land and design before committing to a project.
/ The role of subcontractors and trade relationshipsHow long-term partnerships with local trades help maintain consistency and quality.
Watch Part One to hear how Todd Newman Builders started, the lessons they learned from rapid growth, and why they ultimately chose to scale the business back to a sustainable size.
// Links
https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/
 

Kate and Todd Newman, Todd Newman Builders (Part One)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 42 (Part One) 
Guests: Kate & Todd Newman
Business Name: Todd Newman Builders
Website: https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/
Most people assume a successful business should always keep growing.
Kate and Todd Newman learned that growth can sometimes create more problems than it solves.
In Part One of this conversation on Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell sits down with the founders of Todd Newman Builders, a Bendigo-based residential building company that has been operating for more than twenty years.
The discussion begins with the early years of the business, when Todd and Kate started from a home office while raising young children and slowly built a reputation in the Bendigo building industry.
Along the way, an unexpected opportunity maintaining fuel stations across Australia created a commercial arm of the business that helped stabilise income while the residential side continued to grow locally.
The conversation also explores a major turning point for the company.
After winning Bendigo Business of the Year 2016, demand for their services surged. The business expanded rapidly, but the growth quickly stretched systems, staff and management capacity.
Kate and Todd share the lessons that came from that period and the decision that ultimately reshaped the business.
Topics Covered
/ How Todd Newman Builders started and grew in BendigoThe early years of building a reputation while running the business from home.
/ The unexpected commercial opportunityHow maintaining fuel stations across Australia helped stabilise the company financially.
/ Winning Bendigo Business of the Year 2016How the recognition triggered a sudden surge in demand.
/ When rapid growth becomes a problemWhy the business expanded faster than its systems could support.
/ The decision to scale the business backHow reducing the size of the operation ultimately created a stronger and more sustainable company.
This is Part One of the conversation with Kate and Todd Newman from Todd Newman Builders.
Continue to Part Two to hear their insights on the modern building industry, rising construction costs, and the realities homeowners should understand before starting a build or renovation.
// Links
https://www.toddnewmanbuilders.com.au/
 

Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche, Coulter Legal (Part Two)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 41 (Part Two) 
Guests: Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche
Business Name: Coulter Legal
Website: https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/
They rebuilt their whole office and the interesting part was not the design. It was why they refused to follow the open plan trend.
In Part Two of this episode of Remarkable Regional Business, Caleb Maxwell continues the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal. The discussion shifts inside the business to explore how leadership works, how the firm approaches workplace design, and how modern law firms are rethinking the client experience.
Bonnie and Stefan explain how the director group shares responsibility while still maintaining client work, why their new office design prioritises focus and confidentiality, and how changes to pricing and intake processes are helping reduce stress for clients.
Topics Covered
/ Leadership structure and shared responsibilityHow the four directors divide portfolios, manage governance, and make strategic decisions without becoming overwhelmed by operational detail.
/ Balancing leadership and client workWhy maintaining client involvement helps leaders stay connected to the realities of the business.
/ Designing a workplace that supports better work Why Coulter Legal chose private offices over full open plan, and how their new Geelong headquarters was shaped through staff input.
/ Modern client experience How relationship first intake and value based pricing reduce client stress and provide greater certainty.
/ What makes a great lawyer Why rapport, empathy, and the ability to ask better questions often matter more than technical expertise.
/ Personal brand and community connection How lawyers are encouraged to develop their own professional brand while staying deeply connected to the regional communities they serve.
This is Part Two of the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal.
If you have not listened to Part One yet, start there to hear the full story of how the firm grew to where it is today.
// Links
https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/

Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche, Coulter Legal (Part One)

Remarkable Regional Business – Episode 41 (Part One) 
Guests: Bonnie Phillips & Stefan Manche
Business Name: Coulter Legal
Website: https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/
So we were talking about why some firms grow and others fall apart… and honestly it usually comes down to one thing. Not strategy. Not marketing. Just whether they actually have the right people in the room.
In this episode of Remarkable Regional Business, host Caleb Maxwell sits down with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche from Coulter Legal in Geelong. With offices across Geelong, Torquay, Barwon Heads, and Melbourne, Coulter Legal has grown into a mid sized firm of more than eighty people while staying deeply connected to the communities it serves.
Bonnie and Stefan share how the firm has grown through major workforce change, including rapid expansion during COVID and the shift to hybrid work. They unpack what it takes to scale a professional services team without stretching people to the point where quality slips, and why hiring for culture is often more important than hiring for technical ability.
Topics Covered
/ Growing from Geelong to a multi office firm across Victoria How Coulter Legal expanded beyond its regional roots while maintaining strong community connections.
/ Hiring for cultural fit and capability Why recruitment is treated as high stakes, and how cultural alignment protects both team wellbeing and client outcomes.
/ Scaling a legal practice sustainably How the family and relationship law team grew from four lawyers to around thirty while maintaining service quality.
/ Building systems that support people and clients How resourcing, support staff, and pairing senior and junior lawyers helps manage workload and maintain standards.
/ Leading culture in a hybrid workplace How communication rhythms, team meetings, and intentional connection help maintain culture across multiple offices.
This is Part One of the conversation with Bonnie Phillips and Stefan Manche.
Go to Part Two next to hear how the firm approaches leadership, workplace design, and modern client experience.
// Links
https://www.coulterlegal.com.au/