Michelle Akhidenor is a very busy woman. The founder & CEO of The Peers Project recently launched her business in the US — a dream she’s had since she was a child.
“My entrepreneurial and podcast journey actually started right here in New York City,” Akhidenor told Women’s Agenda.
“New York has always been my dream. I was 23-years-old, I’d just quit my job in corporate finance and I decided to head to the city to start a podcast…very bold of me, I know.”
In 2017, podcasting was on the rise in the Big Apple. According to Akhidenor though, it was “somewhat non-existent and still up-and-coming back home in Australia.”
“I had a deep desire to start a show where I interview young people, my peers, who were going against the grain and starting their own businesses,” she said. “I had no experience in media. No idea how to even start a podcast. No network in New York. And not a whole lot of cash.”
What she had was determination. Iron-clad courage. She was determined to figure “this podcasting and business thing” out.
Today, Akhidenor operates Australia’s first and only BIPOC-led, women-owned podcast agency. The Melbourne-raised entrepreneur returned to New York in December to launch her podcast company, The Peers Project — because, as she tell us, “New York was where it all began.”
The Peers Project has now expand into the US market, servicing brands across both the East and West coasts. So far, they have produced chart-topping podcasts for global brands including Indeed.com, Shopify and Alibaba.
“I’d always been my dream since those early days to return back to the city and run my company here,” Akhidenor said.
“I was passionate about building relationships and learning from young people, my peers, who were pursuing what they were most passionate about and starting businesses. It was this desire to learn how I could maybe, one day, start a business of my own, that drove me to want to start a podcast and create a platform to interview “my peers”.
“That’s what led me to get into podcasting. I found the people who knew how to do it and learnt from them.”
Akhidenor is a firm believer that if you don’t know how to do something, find someone who knows how to do it.
“You don’t need to know everything,” she said. “You just have to be resourceful and find the right people who can help. That’s why I so strongly believe in building authentic relationships and crafting a network of people who you can call on, who genuinely care about you and can provide support (and visa versa). It’s true what they say — your network truly is your net worth.”
Akhidenor sat down for a Q & A with Women’s Agenda to share her thoughts on her business, being a POC founder, and her big move to NYC.
What’s the hardest thing about living in NYC?
There’s a lot going on, all of the time and it can easily become overwhelming. It’s that “hustle and bustle” and “energy of the city” that I love so much but can also be challenging at times. Also, living in NYC is not cheap – in fact, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the world. Being able to afford rent in Manhattan is an accomplishment in itself. This feeling of striving to do better and be better, in order to just live here, to me is inspiring.
What’s the best thing?
The fact that in New York City you can truly be whoever you want to be. There are no limits. Nothing’s too far-fetched. Dreams ARE real. And there’s this feeling of being surrounded by likeminded people who are doing extraordinary things. It’s called the “City of Dreams” for a reason.
You were in LA earlier this month for two days. What were you doing there?
I was meeting with The Peers Project investor – Sam Mahmood, Co-founder of S&P Ventures! Sam is my mentor out here in the U.S. and recently invested in The Peers Project to support our launch into the U.S. market.
Last week, Sam and I recorded a podcast together in Hollywood about his own journey as a young entrepreneur and investor, what it’s like for us both as children of immigrants in business and of course, a behind-the-scenes deep dive into our new investment partnership.
Who are your heroes when it comes to business?
My Dad. Born in Nigeria, my Dad fought his way through life and worked hard to make something of himself so that he could best provide for his family. As a person of colour and an Australian immigrant, along with my Mum, over the last forty years Dad has built a successful property development company in Melbourne. A prominent industry leader with a heart of gold, I couldn’t think of anyone who I find more inspiring and who I look up to the most when it comes to business.
What is your business mantra?
“Tomorrow is another day.”My Dad used to say this every night at the dinner table after what I can only imagine was a big day at work for him. It has stuck with me throughout the years and become the motto that I repeat to myself after a hard day of working on building my business. It reminds me that we don’t have to achieve it all within one day, one month or even one year. Success takes time and there’s always tomorrow.
How do you de-stress?
I do Hot Yoga. I run.I go for long walks.I hang out with my people. I go for long lunches (in NYC the food scene is extraordinary). I binge watch the Real Housewives of New York City. Yep, ironic! I just love these ambitious, over-the-top, overly confident, fabulous women… They remind me that I’m never too much, that I can have it all and that it’s okay to just be you (even if that means not always being liked!).
What are two books that have influenced you?
Because I’m a business nerd… of course my top pick has to be possibly the most important business/financial book out there – Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki. I read this book for the first time in my first year in business in 2018 and it spoke to me on so many levels. The way Robert articulates what it means to be a business owner and the shift in mindset that’s required in order to succeed on this journey, is so pivotal and spot on.
Anyone looking to run their own business has to make that shift from “employee” to “business owner” mindset and it isn’t easy – it’s almost like unlearning everything you’ve ever been told when it comes to life & finance. It’s a shift that I struggled with in the early years and I’m so grateful to have had this book to go back to and learn from time and time again as I made the transition.
I am so lucky to have the brilliant Kemi Nekvapil as my coach this year. Her extraordinary book POWER really hit home for me… As a biracial woman growing up in Australia in the 90s/early 2000s, I identified so much with her personal experience growing up as a black woman in a predominantly white society in the UK. Her lessons on owning your power and what it means to embrace who we are as women, have allowed me to grow in ways I didn’t think possible.
You’ve given talks on a range of topics, including “Make Power Moves, Get Paid”, “WOC in Business”, “Women In Business”, “Social Media Entrepreneurs.” What are the common threads in your talks?
In every talk I give, I want people – especially young women and women of colour, to strive to be more and become more than they think is possible. I love the following quote from Brianna Wiest, author of The Mountain Is You: “I hope you allow your life to be bigger than you ever thought it could be. I hope you listen to the little calling in your heart that knows what’s really true, even if your mind doesn’t yet understand how it might be possible.I hope you will consider that maybe there’s more available to you than you even know to ask for.”
“Most of all, I hope you let yourself do more, be more and become more than you ever could have imagined.” This is the message is always hope to leave audiences.
Your show, PEERS, often asks guests to describe their life as BIPOC in business. Let me turn that question to you- how have you found it?
For me, as a person of colour in business I’ve found it both challenging and rewarding. As people of colour, we have to work twice as hard to be seen, to be recognised, to be taken seriously and to be successful. There’s a level of hustle that’s required in order to “make it”. But it’s that same hustle that we have that inspires me and that I use to my advantage.
Being “different” means that you stand out. Being “different” means that you can position yourself as unique.Being “different” means that you can have a competitive edge. For me, I’ve always tried to use the fact that I’m “different” to my advantage. There’s a reason I branded my company The Peers Project as “Australia’s first and only BIPOC-led, women-owned podcast agency” which is what we are.
Inside of shying away from the fact that I’m a person of colour in business AND a woman, I have made it the thing that makes us special. And I believe that’s the most powerful thing that we can do as people of colour in business.
Are you originally from Melbourne?
I’m from Melbourne but spent the last two years living in Sydney before I moved to New York last year.
My childhood was truly amazing. I feel very grateful to have been afforded so many extraordinary opportunities growing up from attending private Girls’ Grammar school from the age of 5 to learning foreign languages – Chinese (Mandarin) & French – and having the opportunity to study/live overseas in both Shanghai and Paris. I have two sisters (I’m the middle child) who I’m very close with and who are both boss women in their own right. We’re a tight-knit family and I’m very grateful for this and for my family’s extraordinary support.
My mum is the most badass woman I know and along with my dad, my parents have supported me in each and every endeavour I’ve undertaken – and of course, have been a great support as I’ve followed in their footsteps and started my own business.
How did you find your team in New York? What do you look for when you interview people?
The majority of my team is actually in Australia with The Peers Project being a remote-first company working to produce podcasts for brands worldwide. But yes, we also have team members scattered across the globe including here in NYC!
I look for people with passion, professionalism and deep expertise. It’s really that simple.
How do you find the wonderful BIPOC founders/entrepreneurs you get on your podcast, PEERS?
As you can probably tell by now, I’m a hustler and a people person. The majority of my BIPOC founder/entrepreneur podcast guests are Forbes 30 Under 30 Listers – so I find them from the list and then connect with them on LinkedIn and reach out that way.
LinkedIn is truly my favourite social media platform and has been the #1 tool I’ve used to grow my network, my podcast AND my business.
What have you learned from talking to so many incredible BIPOC founders/entrepreneurs that’s surprised you?
You don’t have to have it all figured out. [Other people] don’t have it all figured out. They’re just figuring it out as they go along. This absolutely surprised me. As I mentioned, the majority of my guests are award-winning entrepreneurs/ Forbes 30 Under 30 Listers and before I was fortunate enough to be featured on this list, I thought that they must have had it all figured out. But truth is, we don’t!
Entrepreneurship is unpredictable, it requires making a lot of calculated risks and really just betting on yourself more than anything. You don’t have to have it all figured out and you probably never will – but it’s about not getting discouraged and staying in the game even when you’re not seeing desired results.
Where do you hope to be in five years’ time?
In five years’ time I’ll be 35 years old and hopefully, have grown The Peers Project into the wildly successful company that I know it has the potential to be. For me that looks like having a team of 30, making podcasts for progressive brands that fulfil our mission of raising diverse voices and stories. We’d remain a remote-first company with our HQ here in New York and a global client-base across Australia, U.S. and by that stage, UK and Singapore as well.
Personally, I’d hope to be married to my person and be living a life that I’m incredibly proud of filled with lots of travel, and who knows, maybe even have a baby on the way (just to make things ever more complicated ha!).
My dream is to have it all and as women, I believe it is possible – all in divine timing!