Remarkable Regional Businesses – Episode 26

Guest: Shannon Lemanski Business Name: Aqua Ubique Website: https://aquaubique.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-lemanski/

Topics Covered

/ Turning Air into Water: The Aqua Ubique Story

Shannon introduces the core concept behind Aqua Ubique: a water cooler that doesn’t require plumbing or bottles, but instead generates clean, mineral-rich drinking water from air. He explains the proprietary filtration and mineralisation process, and how it delivers premium water without harmful chemicals or microplastics.

/ From Army Officer to Startup Founder

A deeply personal origin story traces back to Shannon’s time in the Australian Army. His experience managing drinking water logistics during overseas deployments — and witnessing local communities scavenging plastic bottles for clean water — planted the seeds for a socially driven enterprise.

/ Tackling Australia’s Hidden Water Crisis

Shannon sheds light on the staggering reality that over 8% of Australians, especially in remote or Indigenous communities, lack access to safe drinking water. He shares shocking examples from places like Cherbourg, where children drink cola instead of formula due to water mistrust.

/ Engineering with Empathy: The Product Design

The machines are designed to operate reliably in diverse Australian climates, from humid offices to drier regions like Bendigo. Shannon emphasises user-friendliness, minimal maintenance and data transparency as key differentiators from offshore alternatives.

/ A Social Enterprise Model That Scales

Aqua Ubique operates on a “buy five, give one” model: for every five office units sold, one machine is deployed to a remote community. This approach solves both a commercial and social problem, making every customer part of the impact story.

/ Positioning for Purpose and Profit

Shannon explains why social good isn’t enough — products must also be more affordable, more effective and deliver better value. His pricing model saves businesses money while cutting plastic waste and emissions.

/ Strategic Thinking: Military Roots, Business Execution

Using military planning tools like SMEAC and mission appreciation, Shannon approached the startup like a tactical operation. His first business plan was literally sketched using army formats to map competitors, allies and customer segments.

/ Winning Without Paid Marketing

Despite zero marketing spend, Shannon has achieved rapid sales growth through highly targeted outreach, local networking and word-of-mouth. He pinpoints small to mid-sized businesses with high bottled water usage and services them within 90 minutes to ensure quality support.

/ Offers So Good They Convert Themselves

Shannon describes the slam-dunk offer inspired by Alex Hormozi: 90-day risk-free trial, full refund plus $100 for wasted time. The results? Zero returns and sky-high conversion rates.

/ Leadership, Legacy and Staying Values-Driven

As a father and former officer, Shannon reflects on humility, servant leadership, and building a business that aligns with deeply held values. He rejects commodification in favour of relational business that customers are proud to support.

/ Vision for the Future

With strong early traction and national banks courting Aqua Ubique to support ESG goals, Shannon aims to scale nationwide, and ultimately, globally. His mission is clear: deliver 1 million litres of clean water into communities by 2030.

References

Alex Hormozi – How to Turn Trash into Cash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaiLcj6tzBQ

Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council Water Crisis – https://nit.com.au/08-10-2024/14116/queesland-government-announce-26million-to-tackle-cherbourgs-long-running-water-crisis

Silicon Coast – Sunshine Coast innovation ecosystem https://www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/business/regional-innovation/the-ecosystem

Remarkable Regional Businesses – Episode 25

Guest: Tom Isaacs Business Name: PRD Bendigo Website: https://www.prd.com.au/bendigo/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/tom-isaacs-45b69397/

/ Building PRD Bendigo from the Ground Up Tom shares the journey of growing PRD Bendigo from zero market presence to one of the leading real estate agencies in the region. He reflects on the early days, unexpected opportunities, and how initial “dumb luck” evolved into strategic business decisions.

/ Reimagining Real Estate Business Models This episode unpacks how Tom departed from the traditional real estate model to build a fully resourced, department-led structure. From media to sales to admin, each arm of the business supports growth and enables team specialisation.

/ Creating Career Pathways and a Scalable Team Tom explains how PRD fosters long-term careers by developing internal pathways - from support roles to independent agents or management tracks. The team culture is built on clarity, mentorship and flexibility.

/ The Power of Culture Captains A standout initiative, “culture captains,” empowers team members to uphold values and call out misalignment, creating peer-led accountability. Tom discusses how this simple framework transformed team dynamics and strengthened internal cohesion.

/ Investing in People and Personal Goals Rather than traditional KPIs, PRD’s leadership begins with personal aspirations. Whether it’s buying a home or starting a family, team reviews are structured around what matters most to each employee.

/ Embedding Community into the Business Model Tom shares the origin and structure of the PRD Community First Fund - a quarterly initiative where staff contributions are matched by the business to support underfunded community organisations. Past recipients include Sunshine Bendigo and Southern Cross Kids Camp.

/ Changing Public Perceptions of Real Estate Tom and host Caleb discuss the negative stereotypes around real estate agents and how PRD is helping shift that narrative through service-first mindsets, trust-building and long-term community commitment.

/ Leadership Lessons and Evolving Roles From hands-on sales to full-time leadership, Tom reflects on stepping out of the frontline, especially during COVID, and how that transition demanded new approaches to empathy, vision and business planning.

PRD Bendigo – https://www.prd.com.au/bendigo/ Sunshine Bendigo – https://www.sunshinebendigo.org.au Southern Cross Kids’ Camp – https://www.sckc.org.au Simon Sinek – https://simonsinek.com

Remarkable Regional Businesses – Episode 24

Guest: Ben Amos Business Name: Innovate Media Websites: https://innovatemedia.com.au/ LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beninnovate

/ From Videographer to Strategist Ben Amos shares his journey from traditional video production to becoming a pioneer in video strategy. He discusses the realisation that delivering high-quality videos without strategic input often fails to deliver real value to clients.

/ Why Video Needs Strategy Ben and host Caleb discuss the importance of video strategy in business - how it connects business goals with audience needs, customer journeys, and platform-specific execution. They break down what it means to move from “video for video’s sake” to intentional, goal-oriented video content.

/ Innovate Media and Regional Roots Ben gives an overview of his agency, Innovate Media, based on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. He talks about the unique opportunities and challenges of running a regional business and how regional agencies can still lead globally in innovation and thought leadership.

/ The Rise of the Video Strategist The role of a video strategist is dissected - part producer, part marketer. Ben emphasises the importance of helping clients choose the right video for the right audience at the right time and measuring results meaningfully.

/ Educating Through Content and Podcasting Ben reflects on launching the Engage Video Marketing Podcast as a way to “learn out loud.” Now with over 300 episodes, the podcast has grown into a platform that attracts clients, builds authority and deepens his industry relationships.

/ Launching an Online Brand and Book Beyond his agency, Ben talks about building a personal brand through content, courses, and coaching—culminating in the release of his book Engage. He outlines how this thought leadership initiative has fueled both personal and business growth.

/ Resilience and Revenue in a Challenging Year Ben explains how 2024 began with uncertainty but ended with Innovate Media’s strongest year in revenue. He attributes this success to long-term client relationships, consistent value-driven communication and strategic selling.

/ Business Lessons and Leadership Growth Ben shares key lessons from over 16 years in business, including learning to manage time and ideas, building protective routines around work-life balance and developing a mission-first mindset with clients and his team.

/ Lead with Value, Always The episode emphasises the power of leading with education, not sales. Ben advocates for a business approach rooted in generosity, strategic listening and building genuine trust - especially when selling creative or consulting services.

Engage the Book – https://engagevideomarketing.thrivecart.com/engage-book/ Engage Video Marketing Podcast – https://engagevideomarketing.com/podcast/ Riverside.fm – https://riverside.fm/ Smart Passive Income Podcast – https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/spi/ Loom – https://www.loom.com/