Success stories are always favourites with podcast listeners, and this one is terrific. I’m talking with Samantha Bottegal of the PekoPeko Cafe group in Western Australia. She and her partner have grown their business from one to three cafes since they started in 2003, and they’ve made sure that growth has also meant having a better life style.

We talked about Samantha’s early experience with food in Japan, the enthusiasm for Japanese food in Australia, challenges in her first business and developing systems to manage sales, recruitment, communication and financial management. We also discussed the value of expert consulting advice, and how loyal staff will step up to manage a business for you - even when you take a holiday in the busiest month of the year!