Brandon Dodoro and Katherine Tippett, founders of STEPZ, have been innovating the marine industry since 2017, driven by a passion for safety and accessibility on the water, and an emphasis on adventure. Their specialised boat trailer ladders make launching and retrieving vessels easier and safer for boating enthusiasts across Australia. However, as Australia's economy tightens, they're feeling the strain-like so many small business owners, fighting to stay afloat.

It’s not always a success story. Running a small business can be lonely, and despite being the backbone of this country, too often, business owners feel like their voices aren’t being heard. I know many of you tuning into The Mentor can relate.

My team and I have been paying attention, and one thing is clear—you want to hear from businesses beyond Sydney, not just the success stories, but especially those facing real challenges.

That’s why we’re launching The Small Business Callout under The Mentor channel—giving business owners across the country a voice. In between The Mentor episodes, we’ll hear what’s working, what’s not, and what real support from the government should look like. We want to hear from all industries—those struggling, those overlooked, and those who have something to say but haven’t had the platform to say it.

I’ll continue hosting The Mentor, but these callouts will drop between episodes. For our fourth episode, we have—Brandon Dodoro and Katherine Tippett.

Check out the STEPZ website here: https://stepzco.com/

If you want to be on Small Business Callout - Email: support@mentored.com.au

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