Every so often a guest on the SHFT Pod... the Gold Coast podcast for founders, leaders and builders... makes a career leap so sharp it stops you mid-sip. Mark Curry's is one of them: from the top of corporate law to the front of Australia's functional drinks movement.
On episode 14 of the SHFT Pod, Erin sat down with Mark — founder of Savvy — to unpack what he calls the nootropic shift, and the lessons behind walking away from a “safe” career to build something he actually believed in.
From courtrooms to functional drinks
Mark started out as a commercial lawyer at one of Australia's largest firms. On paper it was the dream — in reality it was long hours, a culture that wore him down, and a growing gap between legal theory and how things actually worked. Burnout did what burnout does, and it pushed him to question everything. That questioning sent him down a rabbit hole of biohacking, nootropics and the science of performance — and he never really came back out.
The lesson: test first, then back yourself
The throughline of the conversation is one every founder eventually faces: at some point you have to back the idea you believe in, even when the safe option is still sitting right there. Mark didn't blow everything up overnight — he tested, learned and leaned in as his conviction grew. It's a reminder that reinvention isn't reckless; done well, it's deliberate. The hardest part is often just giving yourself permission to start.
What Savvy actually is
That conviction became Savvy — a range of functional, nootropic-powered drinks, coffee, bars and greens built for calm, energy and focus without the jitters or the crash. Made with nutritionists and backed by a money-back guarantee, it's grown into one of Australia's most-awarded nutrition brands. There's a purpose layer, too: a share of every order goes towards Australian mental-health initiatives like Beyond Blue and the Black Dog Institute — fitting for a brand born out of burnout.
More from the Gold Coast podcast for founders
Mark's story is exactly the kind of honest, founder-to-founder conversation SHFT was built for. The SHFT Pod drops new episodes regularly with the leaders and builders behind some of the country's most interesting businesses. Watch or listen to Mark Curry's full episode, browse the guests, and if nootropic drinks sound like your kind of upgrade, take a look at Savvy.
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