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Peter Freedman AM is the Founder and Chairman of RØDE and The Freedman Group. He received the Order of Australia (AM) in 2016.Founded in 1991 under his family’s business, RØDE is now a global leader in microphones and audio technology. Headquartered in Sydney, it exports to 118 countries.Hosted by Vidit Agarwal, Founder of Curiosity Center and The High Flyers Podcast.It’s now time to explore your curiosity.CLICK the links below to listen and enjoy now!
Show notes
Published 5th February, 2025.
Our guest this week in episode #192 is Peter Freedman, the Founder and Chairman of RØDE, the Australian microphone company that has become a global leader in audio—you’ve likely seen RØDE microphones everywhere. They manufacture in Sydney, exporting to 118 countries. But Peter’s journey to success was anything but smooth.
Born in Sweden, Peter moved to Australia at seven, losing his Swedish language after being bullied for being different. His father, a self-taught electronics expert, and his mother, the driving force of the family, shaped his determination from an early age.
His reflections on learning difficulties—and, as he puts it, "being invited to leave high school” without graduating—are fascinating, especially in light of his later success.
Peter and our host Vidit unpack how, at 16, he took over the family business when his father fell ill. In his early 20s, he was running a nightclub, making more in a night than most did in a year—until he was forced to walk away at gunpoint. Then came the 1987 crash, leaving him in over a million dollars of debt. He sold everything just to survive.
From that low point, Peter built RØDE from the ground up. He started selling mics with no formal training, no money, and no real plan—just relentless effort. He walked the streets of LA, pitching studios with a mic in his pocket, and landed a game-changing order of 100 units. That was the turning point.
In this episode, they also dive into:
- What it’s like growing up as an outsider and how it shaped his drive.
- How he climbed out of debt to build a global company—without outside investors.
- Why he still hates weekends and holidays and never switches off.
- Being a parent, and how he thinks about passing on his wealth to his kids.
- Challenges with transactional relationships.
- How he kept manufacturing in Sydney while competing with global giants.
Peter doesn’t sugarcoat anything. His story is raw, surprising, and full of lessons.
Vidit first met Peter backstage when they were both speaking at a Forbes event, and this was an interview he knew he had to do—given the global impact RØDE continues to have.
It’s time to explore your curiosity. Please enjoy!
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Timestamps
About us
The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world’s most relatable role models in business, tech, finance, government and sport in the US, Australia, Singapore, India and New Zealand.
Launched over 6.5+ years ago - our 275+ guests come from various industries around the world including:
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