20 Questions with Kalman Polak

I feel successful when the people I lead are successful. If I have helped them to develop and grow, if I have offered them an exciting future they want to work towards and created a business they want to get behind, then I feel successful.  At Ozsale I want create a culture that fosters growth and propels people to sucess.

I’ll stick to online retailers with marketplaces; I struggle with the lack of curation from overseas sellers on some of our major marketplaces when it comes to products you can purchase locally at better prices. It creates a tyranny of choice and customer confusion and contributes to delayed shipping times. There is nothing wrong with adding overseas sellers to your marketplaces provided they offer a real alternative. I think supporting the local seller market is paramount for the success of Australian marketplaces.

Waaaay back in 2009 I was all over eBay, decorating my bachelor pad with second-hand furniture.

I started working alongside my parents at the Victoria Market every weekend from the age of 8 or 9. I would set up the racking with women’s apparel, get my bum bag ready and start selling. 

School didn’t really play to my strengths but I enjoyed Business Studies and Sport. I would have to say most of my education in business really happened on the job. I was a keen observer of the inner workings of business and thrived in real-life situations. 

Tough question. I feel like I want to say Pulp Fiction, but there are so many others. I’ll add Napoleon Dynamite for the laughs, and Cider House Rules for the sobs.

Eating Danishes and fancy pastries. 

That I’m older than my brother, Guy Polak. Drives me crazy.

It depends on what’s trending. Currently it would be Sofi Tukker, ‘Purple Hat’, but an all-time favourite would be INXS, ‘Need you tonight’.

Anything that comes out of Larry David’s mouth.

It depends on who you ask, but my friends would say, ‘annoying, loyal and funny,’ if you asked my colleagues, I think they would say, ‘approachable, dedicated and tactical.’ 

It’s one that I can’t control, but I’d love to see my beloved St Kilda Football Club win a Premiership. I’d climb Mount Everest after that!

In 2006 I went backpacking across Southeast Asia and Europe – probably the furthest country would have been Czech Republic 

I don’t believe I ever take ‘risks’ really. I am calculated in my decision-making and use experience and information to guide me. But I do make decisions quickly and move fast to put plans into action.

I can play the drums. I can also use my hands or feet to hit any target with a ball.

I have the most beautiful medium sized Groodle (Golden Retriever/Poddle), Bamba. 

I used to run late, but I fixed that problem. It’s far less stressful to be ahead of where you need to be, than behind it.

I would love to be able to separate work and life a bit better.

An ideal gap year would be to travel as a family and enable my kids to experience different cultures. I would love to take them to Italy and Japan. We would do everything those countries have to offer and live it up!

20.If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

Larry David. 

You can find Kalman at MySale 

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