Support Independent Creators and be Part of Something BIG (Ep#9)
Psst! In this special episode of Money Secrets, we’re taking you behind the scenes—sharing what’s happening with the podcast, what’s coming next, and revealing a major announcement!
Season 1 updates, how YOU can help make Season 2 happen, and an introduction to Ripple Festival. We’re shaking things up in 2025!
Listen to Episode 9
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Season 1 Updates: We’re in the final stages of production, and we’ll bring back some of our amazing guests to share how their money and businesses have evolved since their interviews.
Help Make Season 2 Happen: If you’re loving Money Secrets, the best way to support it is to share, rate, and review—or give us a shoutout on Instagram at @moneysecrets.podcast.
Introducing Ripple Festival: We’re shaking things up in 2025! Mia Fileman (Campaign Del Mar) and I are launching Ripple Festival, a two-day business event-meets-music festival on November 12-13, 2025, in Melbourne. Expect a mashup of business, creativity, music, and comedy—because small business owners deserve more than just another boring conference.
Support Independent Creators and be Part of Something BIG (Ep#9)
Money Secrets Podcast – Episode 9
Introduction
We've made a lot of progress as a society in many areas, but one thing that hasn’t changed enough is our relationship with money. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, we need to understand the secrets to making money in small business.
The more we talk about money — especially the secrets that usually stay behind closed doors or on the golf course — the more empowered we become. My mission is to get more money into the hands of good people, specifically business owners like you.
Because I believe small business can change the world. And to do that, we need to be making more money.
Acknowledgement of Country
This episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation. I’d like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on.
I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was, and always will be, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
Why Talking About Money Still Matters
Fi opens with a reminder that while society has progressed in many areas, money remains one of the least transparent systems.
Many of the “rules” of wealth creation still circulate privately — in exclusive rooms, networks, or industries where access is limited.
The mission of Money Secrets is to bring those conversations into the open.
Because when more people understand how money works in small business, more people — especially those historically excluded — can build sustainable, profitable businesses.
And profitable small businesses create real-world impact.
Building an Independent Podcast from Scratch
Launching a podcast might look polished from the outside, but most independent shows are funded entirely by the creator.
Money Secrets is no exception.
Fi shares that the podcast is:
Self-funded through her business, Peach Business Management
A long-held idea finally brought to life
Supported largely by word of mouth, reviews, and community sharing
Independent media doesn’t grow through algorithms alone — it grows through people who care enough to share it.
Ratings, reviews, and recommendations aren’t just vanity metrics.
They directly influence whether a project survives long enough to continue.
Season One Is Just the Beginning
Season One interviews were recorded over a year ago, meaning the stories listeners hear are snapshots in time.
Now, those same business owners are returning to share:
What has changed financially
Major wins or setbacks
New insights about money
How their businesses have evolved
Whether the interview process itself sparked change
This longitudinal perspective is rare — and incredibly valuable.
It highlights a key truth about business:
Progress doesn’t happen in a straight line.
The Power of Supporting Independent Creators
Independent projects rely on collective support, not corporate backing.
Fi encourages listeners to contribute in simple ways:
Share the podcast with friends
Leave ratings and reviews
Post about episodes on social media
Follow the show online
These actions may seem small, but they compound.
When enough people participate, they enable creators to continue producing meaningful work — work that might never exist within traditional commercial frameworks.
The Big Move: Ripple Festival
The most exciting announcement in this episode is the launch of Ripple Festival.
The idea came from a simple observation:
Business conferences often feel repetitive and uninspiring — the same speakers, the same topics, the same formats.
Meanwhile, music festivals feel energising, creative, and communal.
So the question became:
Why not combine them?
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Are you a female or LGBTQIA+ business owner who wants to make more money and create meaningful change? My 6-month program, Good Money Club, is designed to help you do exactly that.
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What Makes Ripple Festival Different
Ripple Festival is designed as a celebration of small business in all its forms — not just the polished, conventional version.
The event will bring together:
Small business owners
Musicians
Artists
Comedians
Creatives
Founders from diverse industries and backgrounds
Because in reality, all of these people are running businesses.
The goal is to reflect what small business actually looks like:
Diverse bodies and identities
Different levels of experience
Neurodivergent and neurotypical people
Able-bodied and disabled creators
Multiple industries sharing one space
Not a staged version of entrepreneurship — real life, amplified.
A High-Risk, High-Impact Investment
Ripple Festival is self-funded and bootstrapped.
Putting on a large-scale event carries significant financial risk, especially without corporate backing.
But the intention is equally large:
To create meaningful ripple effects across the small business ecosystem.
The festival aims to:
Invest in dozens of small business owners
Bring together hundreds of attendees
Foster collaboration across industries
Celebrate creativity alongside commerce
Deliver an experience that feels energising, not draining
In short, it’s a big swing — both financially and culturally.
Why Early Support Matters
Events like this depend heavily on early ticket sales.
Buying early isn’t just about securing a spot — it signals demand, reduces financial risk, and makes the event viable.
Fi emphasises that Ripple Festival represents a collective effort:
A chance for the community to back something ambitious that could reshape how small business events are designed.
Want to Be Part of the Ripple?
Ripple Festival takes place on 12–13 November 2025 at Grazeland in Melbourne — a venue known for food, atmosphere, and community.
The event promises:
A mix of learning, entertainment, and connection
Musicians, speakers, artists, and comedians sharing the stage
Food, coffee, and beverages included
A festival atmosphere rather than a traditional conference environment
Early bird tickets are available at ripplefestival.au.
How You Can Support Independent Work Right Now
If this podcast — or any independent project — has helped you, the most powerful way to give back is simple:
Share it.
Tell someone about it.
Recommend it to a colleague.
Post an episode that resonated with you.
Support doesn’t have to be dramatic to be meaningful.
Consistent small actions create large ripples over time.
Final Thoughts
Independent creators take risks so that new ideas can exist.
They build things without guaranteed audiences, revenue, or outcomes — trusting that their work will find the people who need it.
Money Secrets and Ripple Festival are both examples of that leap.
They exist because someone decided the world needed something different — and was willing to invest time, energy, and money to make it real.
Supporting those projects isn’t just about helping one creator.
It’s about shaping the kind of business world we want to live in.
Outro
Thank you for listening to Money Secrets. If you loved this episode, please subscribe, share it with a friend, or leave a review. Your support helps us get these conversations into the hands of more good people who deserve to thrive in business.
We’ve come so far as a society in many ways, but money is one of the areas where progress hasn’t been enough. If we want to tip the scales in favour of marginalised people, it starts with understanding the secret: money in small business.
In this podcast, Money Secrets, host Fiona (Fi) Johnston—Chartered Accountant, small business advocate, and impact enthusiast—dives into the conversations we need to have about money. The secrets that once stayed behind closed doors (or on the golf course) are finally out in the open.
Fi’s mission? To get more money into the hands of good people, like you. She believes small businesses have the power to change the world, and the key to making a bigger impact is to make—and manage—more money.
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Thank you to everyone involved for bringing this podcast together. We are excited to hear from you with any questions, feedback or suggestions for future episodes that you might have. Send a Direct Message to @peach.business
If you are excited for what’s to come, please like this episode, follow the podcast and share it with your friends. We are thrilled you're here.
Want to find out more about Good Money Club? It's for female and non-binary business owners ready to make more money and impact. Join us?
Check out my FREE Pricing Training you need to set your prices for profitability.
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This podcast episode was recorded on the lands of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation and I'd like to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners and custodians of this land and water that I live, work and play on. I'd like to pay respect to elders both past and present, and note that sovereignty has never been ceded. This always was and always will be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander land.
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