Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg

Beverley Mirolo OAM is the chairman of the Leukaemia Foundation Australia and she’s participating this year in the world’s greatest shave.  Bev’s got an incredible story - she grew up in country Queensland, trained as a nurse from the age of sixteen and is still a RN now in her 70s.  Through her work she had first-hand exposure to the challenges faced by people living with blood cancers. She started working at the Royal Brisbane Hospital in 1980 where she played a major role in the planning and development of the Leukaemia Foundation Bone Marrow Transplant Unit there.  Beverley has dedicated her life to helping and caring for people living with these diseases, elevating through her career to be the CEO Haematology Oncology Clinics of Australasia before she retired. And then in a strange twist - was diagnosed with a blood cancer herself.  Her story is incredibly moving, and I hope it moves you do support her doing the 20th anniversary of the World’s Greatest Shave - you can support her http://osh.is/worldsgreatestshave  I hope you enjoy this conversation with the wonderful Beverly Mirolo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yumi Stynes is a Radio & TV Presenter, Podcaster, Photographer and writer from Sydney, Australia. You can find her on twitter and instagram @yumichild.  She and I have known each other for 18 years now, and I get a bit teary at the end of this one when I start telling her how happy I am that she’s still in my life.  Yumi and I got together at the house where she lives with her wonderful family, to talk about her new book.  Look, there’s a lot of swearing in this episode - but we’re all grownups, and my download stats show me that you’re probably listening to this alone, with headphones. So no-one need to know why you’re giggling when she uses the C-word.  So now you’ve been warned, let’s talk about Yumi’s new book. It’s called  Zero Fucks Cooking.  Best Food, Least Effort.  Anyone that heard Yumi’s brilliant podcast “Ladies We Need To Talk” will know that Yumi is a powerhouse when it comes to keeping her family running.  And anyone that knows her knows that she lives a life of Zero Fucks. The cookbook is wonderful. And for me, it’s just the front door into how this incredible woman has created a life that is full of joy, laughter, children, happiness and a career to be proud of.  Yumi’s book is out on March 1st, buy it where you buy books.  If you’ve never bought a cookbook - this book is for you.  If you are intimidated by TV cooking and think you can’t do that so I won’t even try? This book is for you.  If you’d like to live a life where you give zero fucks?  Get on board.  So, throw a Zucchini on the barbie and enjoy a glorious hour around the dinner table in the home of Yumi Stynes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lucy Durack is a singer and actress from Australia who came to prominence as Glinda the good witch in the Australian production of Wicked. Lucy's method for creating the life she desired is astonishing.  You can follow Lucy on Twitter @lucydurack (https://twitter.com/lucydurack)  Her story of how she manifested her dream role, how she stayed ready for when the opportunity came her way - is incredibly inspiring.  I can't wait for you to hear this.  You can see Lucy perform in Wizard Of Oz, which just wrapped its run in Sydney but is heading to Adelaide and Melbourne in the coming months.  I won't lie - there's some nerdy musical theatre stuff on the way, but that's ok. I'll not apologise for loving musicals. I feel they're a wonderful form of storytelling that transcend the generations.  ​So take a big breath in, let a big breath out - and prepare to bask in the glow of the radiant energy of the fabulous Lucy Durack. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hilary Innes is an Executive Producer at Network Ten, and she oversees the shows that I work on, including Bachelor, Bachelorette and the soon to be seen Bachelor in Paradise.  Hilary is a legend of the Australian TV industry, and we talk all about her time working closely with Ray Martin during the heady days of the Midday Show on 9 - and yes, the famous Normie Rowe/Ron Casey punch-out segment was one she produced and she tells the whole story in this conversation.  Hilary went on to be the Head of Entertainment at Nine, and from there left the network to become Head of Entertainment at ITV studios Australia, a production company that makes such massive shows as I’m a Celebrity, and The Voice - so she went from making a bunch of huge shows from different production companies to making a bunch of huge shows for different networks.   Coming back into the broadcast side of things, Hilary is now an Executive Producer at Network Ten - where she oversees and steers from the Network side of things various shows in their line up, including the ones I work on.  Full disclosure, I adore working with Hilary and you can tell that as we speak.   She has such an incredible depth of knowledge and experience and her career is truly remarkable both in the legacy of the shows she’s made and the time she’s been a major influence in Australian Television. Hilary also has a magnificent sense of style, and my team I work with on Bachelor are always commenting about how incredible her jacket is, or my goodness look at that scarf. She’s brilliant.  When we recorded this we’d just wrapped up Bachelor in Paradise, so she and I do talk about that a bit, and as you can tell - we’re both very excited by it.  There is another side to Hilary which I am very grateful she opened up about. At the same time as having a career that anyone would envy, at home Hilary is dealing with her partner of over 20yrs slowly succumbing to Multi-System Atrophy, a degenerative neurological disease that is fatal and has no cure.    Listening to the way Hilary talks about their relationship, even in the face of this extraordinary challenge, will move you beyond measure. I’m so grateful Hilary came to my apartment back in December so that we could talk.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Peter FitzSimons Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Jan Fran. Find her on twitter @Jan__Fran . Jan is the co-host of the nightly SBS news show “The Feed”. She’s an incredibly skilled journalist and documentary producer who’s covered stories in places you’d be to frightened even fly over.Her recent work is available to see online at https://www.sbs.com.au including her documentary “America’s first climate change refugees” which we talk about at length in this conversation. Jan speaks three languages, but because I only speak one we did this podcast in English. Her story is inspirational, and it made me happy - because as the world careens to ever more critical problems that will only be solved with a global decision making process, Jan will be there to help us make sense of whatever is going on. This conversation does cover some pretty grim subject matter, so when you hear us talking about her time working in Africa if you’re feeling a bit sensitive to stories of kids in hardship you can skip forward about ten minutes and you’ll be safely on the other side. This is a long one, but it’s worth ever moment. Please enjoy this rigorous and fun conversation with the incredibly talented Jan Fran. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maz Compton is a well-known broadcaster from Sydney who for years was all over the TV when she worked on MTV, and later all over the radio, culminating in her Stint on the high-profile breakfast shift on 2Day FM in Sydney.  That life is mostly behind her now, however she did write a book about her experiences which you can at https://www.mazcompton.net or on Amazon.  Maz is a great chat, an inspiring woman, and I’m so grateful she came by the apartment to chat on a lovely Sydney afternoon.  Ladies and gentlemen, Maz Compton.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Mathison is an Australian TV Presenter, writer, father, activist and now politician.  James and I worked together for many years on Australian Idol, and before that we worked together on Channel [v]. I’ve known Jim since 2000 and he’s still one of the most clever people I’ve ever met.  He’ll read a paper cover to cover every day, read a book a week, and still find time to be a brilliant father to his two wonderful girls.  James came around and we shot the breeze at my old place back in Bondi about 18 months ago, so this chat is a little dated but it’s worth listening to because this guy has a brain the size of a planet and he has this ability to calm me down about things I get fired up about.  Y’see when I’m still mad that the Polar Bears are dying and we’re still burning coal, Jimmy is calm and considerate and thinking about alternatives that both sides of the political spectrum can get behind.  You can let him know you heard him here on Twitter @jamesmathison (https://twitter.com/jamesmathison)  He’s a very smart man, and a very funny man, and I’m sure you’ll love this conversation with James Mathison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is Adam Richard.  He’s a standup comedian, writer, TV Guy and all ‘round wonderful human.  We recorded this before Australia enthusiastically voted YES to marriage equality, so you’ll notice that there might be a bit of chat in there about the plebiscite - but I wanted to leave it in as a memory of what we as a country went through.  Find Adam on Twitter at @adamrichard (https://twitter.com/adamrichard) and let him know you heard him here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest today is a giant amongst men. He’s a man by the name of Quentin Kenihan. @qkenihan on Twitter. We’ve known each other about fifteen years, and I’m glad he’s a mate. He was born with brittle bone disease, which basically means if you hug him too tight, you’ll break him. The last time he told me, he’d counted 662 broken bones in his life. That number has probably eclipsed that number by now. Quentin has been told by too many doctors to count that “this could be it” and “you might not make it”, and yet - his drive, persistence and passion for life keep going and his perspective where we can all learn from gets higher and higher. Quentin’s been in a wheelchair his whole life - and he lives in Adelaide with his excellent dog Patchy. Find him at https://twitter.com/qkenihan and https://www.instagram.com/qkenihan/, let him know you heard him here. I’m glad you’re here. Merry Xmas. Enjoy getting to know Quentin Kenihan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Raine is the founder and CEO on the not-for-profit “Hello Sunday Morning” you can find him on Twitter by following @ckraine.  And if you like, you can download that app daybreak. Downloaded from wherever you download me.  Hello Sunday morning is all about creating a healthy relationship to alcohol. So when is conversation Chris and I talk a lot about his journey with alcohol, I talk about my journey with alcohol-most of the story you may have heard before but if you’re new it'll be the first time.  This conversation maybe confronting. All I ask is that you listen. If you feel afterwards inspired to approach your next drink differently-good for you. If you don't, also good for you. I thoroughly recommend checking out their website https://www.hellosundaymorning.org/ and just spending some time, exploring various questions they have to ask. You may go there because you're concerned about someone else-well there is support there for you as well.  I'm really grateful Chris came around, he's doing very important work in our community. I'm one of these people as I told you before that can't have one drink because then I'll have 100. You might be lucky, you might be able to only have a few and then stop. Or you might be somewhere between. Whatever your relationship is to alcohol, I'm grateful you're here and I'm really grateful you listening to this.  Enjoy this conversation with Chris Raine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nigel Marsh is an Author, Speaker, Body Image activist and the powerhouse behind “The Sydney Skinny” which is one of the largest organised skinny dips in the world, in an effort to promote body positivity and a healthier relationship with your self.Nigel wrote the best selling book “Fat, Forty and Fired”, and has a brilliant outlook on life that will challenge whatever amount of comfort you have in your comfort zone, causing you to look at what it is you’re doing with your day, or even your life. He’s a very good salesman because after this chat, I signed up to his swim - even though I’m utterly terrified of being naked in public, even just shirtless in public - but if you sign up to the Sydney skinny, you’ll find me there. http://thesydneyskinny.com.auNigel has a brilliant Ted talk which is about work/life balance which I thoroughly recommend, link is https://www.ted.com/talks/nigel_marsh_how_to_make_work_life_balance_work.We get deep on this one, and we even get into the talk about drinking - as Nigel and I both share the fact that we don’t drink.This chat might challenge you - might challenge how you look at your work, your life, your body and maybe even your drinking.That’s a lot to pack into a conversation - so let’s get to it.Wherever you are right now, at home, at the gym, driving, in a plane, hiking, walking, running, gardening, kayaking, or any other kind of thing that you’re doing - thanks for having me, and enjoy this conversation with Nigel Marsh. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Humphries is a comedian, writer, multi-linguist and satirist from Australia who currently bringing the funny every night on the SBS News Show “The Feed”. He’s the blonde guy, the funny one. On November 24th Mark and his writing partner put out an end-of year special which you can catch on SBS On Demand, it’s called “Privatise Now” - https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/1092676163844/Privatise-Now-The-Feed-End-of-Year Mark is a super-interesting man, a man who’s created his own work out of thin air, in a way that I do love to hear about on this show. If you like what you hear, let him know - @markhumphries on Twitter. Wherever you are, thanks for being here. Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joel Pilgrim (https://www.twitter.com/joelspilgrim) is the Founder and CEO of the Waves of Wellness Foundation. He also works closely with One Wave is All it Takes, who have featured on this show before.Joel is a surfer who has a passion for helping others, particularly in the mental health space. He’s worked as an occupational therapist for mental health patients transitioning back to life after hospitalisation and now runs a program called Waves of Wellness - Joel and his team are pioneering evidence-based surf therapy intervention in mental health.I’ll let him tell you the rest of the story, but it is a good one.Glad I can have him on the show today, and I’m glad you’re here for it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luke Ford is an Australian actor best known for his roles in Animal Kingdom, Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, The Black Balloon and most recently What if it works?You can find him on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lukeford__/We met at the premiere of What If It Works his latest film, which is an exploration into a love story between two young folks living with very different brains. Luke plays a man with severe OCD and he falls for a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder. Both mental illnesses are shown on screen with great respect and represented in a way that even someone who has never known what either look like might be able to appreciate how difficult life can be for those living with it, and those who care about those living with it.Luke is a strapping young lad, tall, broad and handsome, has a grin that lit up my kitchen and has some pretty raucous stories to tell about life as an actor.He’s a great human and someone who’s had a powerful arc across his career already, which he’ll describe as we talk.Luke did show up with a mate of his which was handy because my dog Frankie just went nuts for him, however in the middle of a heavy story Frank decided to start humping his humpy pillow so sorry in advance for that - but it’s all a part of coming up to our flat for a chat.I’m not alone in having a humpy dog.So whatever you’re doing right now, on the bus, the train, the plane, in the car, on your bike, in a hammock, up a mountain - wherever you’ve chosen to listen to this right now, thanks for being here and enjoy this conversation with Luke Ford. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Barry DuBois is a carpenter, builder, developer, philanthropist and TV Renovation guru from Sydney, Australia.He is probably best known to Aussie audiences as the man who re-makes people’s homes on “The Living Room” which is on Network Ten on Friday nights.Two weeks before he and I had the conversation you’ll hear today, Barry announced to Australia that the cancer he’d beaten a few years ago was back, and aggressively so.Barry was kind enough to come around to our small apartment in Bronte to share his story.Barry is an incredibly inspirational man. You’ll hear his positive vibe coming through your speakers, and if you’re anything like me you’ll do your best to soak up the wisdom of this incredibly successful man who is independently wealthy, who retired at 45, who is a loving husband and father, who is dedicated to helping others and is utterly determined to beat the challenge of his illness.You can find Barry on Instagram @Baz_dubois where he is very active and engages with people all the time. Let him know you heard him here if you’re there.Enjoy this chat with Barry Du Bois. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Munro is an Australian journalist and author, who rose to prominence as a part of the early line-up of the then groundbreaking TV Show 60 minutes.He went on to host the nightly magazine show “A Current Affair”, which broke some of the biggest stories of its time, before editorially turning a corner that lead him to split from the show - which he talks about in this conversation.Mike’s latest project is called “Lawless” - The Real Bushrangers, you can see it in Australia on Foxtel and NZ on Sky.He takes a forensic archaeology team back to the sites of famous last-stands of Australian bushrangers - that’s a highwayman if you’re in the US or UK. They discover some incredible things still to this day, and unpack what Australia’s romanticism of Bushrangers is. Mike himself is a direct descendent of the last bushranger hanged in Australia.A quick trigger warning, we discuss alcoholism and domestic violence as a part of Mike’s personal story - so if you want to avoid that today, just skip to about ten minutes in from the start of the interview and you should be fine.If you want to avoid the chat altogether that’s also ok, I’ll see you next week.Enjoy this conversation with Mike Munro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alicia Malone is an author, film critic and friend who lives in Los Angeles California. She and I crossed paths a few times in our careers and grew to become quite close during my time in L.A. Difference is, she managed to stay afloat while I had to come back to Sydney.Alicia’s career path reads like a blueprint for success.When people ask me about getting into the industry, Alicia’s tireless work ethic, undeniable drive and creative creation of her own work is an example to follow.Alicia’s latest book, “Backwards and in Heels” chronicling the path of women in film is out now on Amazon and wherever you buy books.You can follow her online @aliciamalone wherever such handles occur.It’s not often I interview my close friends on this show, but I’m so happy that I can have this chat with Alicia now - because her story is a story that reads like a how-to in creating the life you love to live.Enjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Benjamin Law is an Australian journalist, author, screenwriter, activist and speaker. He shot to fame when the semi-autobiographical TV series based on his best-selling book “The Family Law” became a massive hit. He’s recently written the latest “Quarterly Essay” which addresses the “Safe Schools” education debate in Australia and is an active campaigner for equality in Australia. Benjamin is a wonderfully smart and charming man, who brings a kind grace to the topic of a demographically changing face of Australia. When he speaks, people can be very reactionary - because the facts he speaks from can be uncomfortable to hear if you’ve never been challenged in your ways of thinking. Many people have a foregone conclusion as to the kind of man Benjamin Law is, but I’d invite them to look beyond the bile-filled Op-Ed articles of the conservative press and listen instead to the kind of man that Ben is. If you like this conversation, find him on twitter and tell him - he’s @mrbenjaminlawEnjoy the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Easkey Britton is a passionate ocean advocate from Donegal in the rugged North-West of Ireland.  Find her on Instagram at @easkeysurf, where you can follow her adventures around the world.She and I met in Amsterdam when I attended the THNK school of creative leadership.Easkey is the co-founder of Waves Of Freedom - which uses surfing as a creative medium for social change.Last time she was on this podcast she described in incredible detail her joy of teaching women and girls in Iran to surf on the Caspian Sea.Easkey is an inspirational public speaker, and her TED Talk “Just Add Surf” is a must-see.Easkey is a fascinating woman, who’s passion for the ocean and protecting the oceans and therefore all life on earth is something to behold.She’s just become a founding member of Ocean Collectiv - dedicated to building a model for sustainable ocean management around the world.Glad I’ve got Easkey on the show today and I really want you to hear this one because she’s doing some incredible work at the moment in the space of how contact with nature influences wellness.I’ll let her explain it more, but she’s got some important stuff to say about getting out of the house, putting the phone down and really looking at the world - as a way of making you feel better.I hope you enjoy this conversation I had over skype with Easkey Britton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sam Dastyari (@samdastyari) is an Australian Politician, he represents NSW in the Senate - and he’s a part of the Labor Party. He was only 30 when he won the seat and has made quite a name for himself in the four years that he’s been in office. A non-practicing muslim, Sam has drawn a lot of scrutiny from some people who can’t quite conceive of there actually being such a thing. I’ll let him explain it. Sam has quite a story, and in the comfort of my kitchen over a cup of tea he and I were able to talk at length. Now, politicians can talk - we all know that. But you’re going to hear the full flow of a very learned man as he verbosely crafts his points of view and outlooks on the world. This is less a string of soundbites put together and more like that Mars Volta album, the one with only one 45 minute track. Sam came around on a weekday afternoon in school holidays with his assistant, and his six-year old daughter on school holidays. Occasionally you’ll hear both either chime in, or us referring to both of them - but I think Andy my producer will cut most of that out. Sam came across to me as a straight up guy who genuinely cares about people, and genuinely cares about other humans. I hope you enjoy this florid conversation with Sam Dastyari. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maz Compton is a well-known broadcaster from Sydney who for years was all over the TV when she worked on MTV, and later all over the radio, culminating in her stint on the high-profile breakfast shift on 2Day FM in Sydney.  That life is mostly behind her now, however she did write a book about her experiences which we talk about here - but we also talk about what it was to have worked so hard to get the dream job and then have the dream job go away. You can find her book at mazcompton.net or on Amazon. Maz is a great chat, an inspiring woman, and I’m so grateful she came by the apartment to chat on a lovely Sydney afternoon. Ladies and gentlemen, Maz Compton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Fiona O’Loughlin is an Australian stand-up comedian and Author, find her on twitter @FionaOLoughlin_She came to my house one afternoon last week, with a documentary crew in tow - as she’s been filming the last few years of her life’s journey which will become a film before too long.Fiona has an incredible story. I will let her tell most of it, however it’s important to know how incredible her Comedy Career is, and what it means for someone of her profile to talk openly about the struggles she’s faced.In this conversation, Fiona and I talk really openly about sobriety, addiction, recovery and hope.If there’s anything in this chat that strikes a chord with you, don’t forget that there’s a lot of help right around the corner. In fact unless you’re in super-outback Australia, I’d hedge a bet that you can find a group of like-minded people who are willing and ready to help you in your very own suburb.I know this because I am someone who is in recovery who’s found help through a community of people that offered the help when I asked for it, and you don’t have to look very far to find that help when you’re ready to stop living the same day again and again.I can’t thank Fiona enough for coming on the show, and she’s the perfect guest for this, the 200th episode of the show.If you like what you hear, please let her know on twitter @fionaoloughlin_ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adele Vuko is one-third of the Australian all-female comedy team Skit Box.Find her on Instagram @adele_vukoShe’s one of the brilliant women behind the viral explosion that was “Activewear” and part of a growing scene of successful online film makers that are finding a way to pay their bills and feed their kids through creating what they’re passionate about.Skit Box have recently finished working on incredibly funny sketch  show available on Abc iView “Wham bam thank you ma’am”In this conversation we talk about her path into comedy, what it means to set and stick to a deadline, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who are moving in the same direction you are.Adele is mother to two kids, and her partner is Christian Van Vuuren, otherwise known as the bloke from Bondi Hipsters who doesn’t wear the glasses.They’re a power couple who are set to take over the comedy scene in Australia, and her particular story is an inspiration - particularly if you’re doing something with your day that doesn’t just make you want to leap out of bed with joy. Adele is here to fire you up with her story of how she changed her career and changed her life.If you like what you hear you can search Skit Box on YouTube or find them on Instagram @skit_box Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kim Portrate is the CEO of Think TV, an industry-led group promoting the use of television advertising in the marketing community. Find her on twitter @KimPortrateShe and I worked together recently at a conference, doing a keynote on a bubble that many marketers live in.But Kim is so much more than that, she is a smart and funny person who has lived through the darker times of our industry with regards to equality, she even had a ‘hidden figures’ moment when it came to bathrooms at one of her workplaces.Kim’s story is for anyone struggling to achieve in a corporate environment, it's a story of triumph, of balancing a career and family, and living a life passionately in the direction of your choice.I sure hope you enjoy this conversation with Kim Portrate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sage Greenwood is the Managing Director of Wink Models, one of the biggest commercial and editorial modelling agencies in Australia. She has a very interesting story which I can’t wait for you to hear - it’s one you’ve heard before, especially when it comes to the behaviour of models living in cramped accommodation in Milan starving themselves for Fashion Week. However you may not have heard the one about the model with a double degree who goes on to pitch her dream gig at the CEO and finds her own career path in a life after modelling.It’s an inspiring story of creating your own luck and the value of connections, persistence and professionalism.Hold on, she’s a bundle of energy and has an infectious enthusiasm - which I hope rubs off on you as it rubbed off on me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brandon Webb is a former SEAL Sniper, who served with the US Navy Seals in Seal Team Three. He’s now a NY Times Best-Selling author, independent digital media mogul, dad, experimental aircraft pilot, and all-around interesting and inspiring man to speak to. You can find him on twitter at @BrandonTWebb .Brandon is no stranger to this podcast. He was a part of an epic two-parter back in episode 61&62. I highly recommend going back and listening to his story.To catch you up to speed, Brandon grew up in California and learned to love the water very early on. When school didn’t really work out for him, Brandon got a job on a dive boat, getting paid to lead scuba diving groups while he was still a teenager.Soon after, he found his way into the US Navy, and quickly became a highly skilled operator. Setting his sights on becoming a US Navy Seal, Brandon faced a lot of adversity as his skill level made him invaluable to have around, and his Commanding Officers reluctant to release him to try out for the SEAL program.Eventually, he made it - and out of a starting class of 200 was one of only 23 to graduate.Quickly finding his place as a sniper, Brandon served all over the world - including in Afghanistan in the very early weeks after 9/11, as part of the military force hunting Bin Laden.Brandon also redeveloped the sniper training program to enormous success, and worked hard to create a learning environment that taught more trainees more successfully than ever before.If you want the long version of that journey, with loads of excellent story telling from Brandon - start by listening to the earlier podcast he and I did, and then perhaps open up some of his excellent books - The Red Circle, Among Heroes, The Power of Thought, The Killing School & his latest book - Total Focus: How to make better decisions under pressure.His books are great reads - clearly written by a man who understands effective teaching techniques, and the power of a great story.Brandon is a gifted writer, and superb story teller - and I couldn’t be more grateful that he gave up an evening out in NY where he lives to spend an hour on a Skype call with me back in Sydney.If you like what you hear - follow Brandon on twitter @BrandonTWebb  and let him know you heard him here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mel Thomas is the founder of The KYUP! Project.You can find her on twitter @kyupprojectMel Thomas is a writer, speaker, media commentator and mother of two girls.She has more than 15 years martial arts experience in Hapkido, the Korean art of self-defence.Mel created KYUP! Project, a self-worth and self-protection program to break the cycle of violence against women and children.You see Mel was born into the cycle of violence, and that cycle continued within her as she grew up and became a young woman.In fact it was only a fortunate turn of events that broke that cycle which I will leave her to tell you about.Here’s the big trigger warning:We talk about domestic violence a lot in this conversation.If that’s tough for you to hear, I understand - maybe skip this week and we’ll see you next week.If you need help, in Australia please call 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732.If this conversation reframes an incident in your past as something more sinister than you’d initially labelled it, don’t hesitate to reach out and get help.We go deep on this one, it gets gritty for a while there’s a few tears, but we do turn the corner to leave you uplifted I promise. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Morgan Koegel is the CEO of OneGirl.org.auThey’re a non-profit that are on a mission to educate one million girls across Africa. They believe that every girl has a right to an education and work predominantly across Sierra Leone and Uganda.Morgan has had an interesting career that’s also included working in prisons in Victoria where she helped again with transforming lives through education.These two things alone are incredible reasons to hear Morgan’s story - however, there’s something else quite pertinent.Morgan is the adult child of a Same Sex Marriage.She has to Mums and we talk at length about her experience, what she felt as a child growing up and how she feels now.If you’re worried about how things might turn out for the children, if you’re concerned for the welfare of other people’s kids who aren’t born yet - have a listen to how Morgan describes her perspective on the situation.I hope it sheds some light on things for you.So draw a glass of clean and safe water from the tap, maybe even visit a flushing toilet during this podcast, and revel in the privilege that we have as living in a modern society as you listen to Morgan talk about how she’s trying to bring girls across the world opportunity that they otherwise might never have, and enjoy this chat with Morgan Koegel. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Donita Menon is the Grief and Bereavement coordinator at the Leukaemia Foundation Australia, her job is to talk both with people diagnosed, and with families before and after the death of a loved one.She has a brilliant story and I can’t wait for you to hear it.It is fortuitous that we spoke on this day, as we’d had the podcast scheduled in for months in advance - My Mum was in partial remission and was still living independently when we booked it in. But by the time we came around to recording this - as you may know mum has passed away.We didn’t have a therapy session - but what you’ll hear is a conversation about death, dying and living that is very real for both Donita and myself.Thanks for listening and enjoy this conversation with Donita Menon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Brendan Maclean is an Australian singer/songwriter/performer/unicorn who first came on this show about three years ago but suffered at the hands of the great file loss of 2015.He has been kind enough to return and boy do we have a lot to talk about.Brendan’s about to have a new EP come out in August 2017 and a new album in the works for early 2018 so a great time to have him on.Find him on twitter and Insta for more @macleanbrendan.This is a conversation for anyone who’s let fear hold them back from expressing themselves.And expressing himself is something Brendan does with exceptional ability.His live energy is something to behold - as is his recorded work which you can find at brendanmaclean.Bandcamp.com.A fair amount of this conversation revolves around the music video that Brendan put out in the last few months - the video for the song House Of Air.I must warn you with all the warnings I can warn you with.If you choose to go and watch this video yourself you will see rather graphic depictions of many sex acts between two men.You’ll see close up shots of genitals and you’ll even see penetration.If you want to see such a thing, it’s up to you to watch it - I’m not going to say watch it or don’t. But if you do - be aware that you’ll see what you think you’re going to see when you hire professional gay porn actors to make a film in the style of a visual accompaniment to a written thesis observing the habits and cultures of a subset of gay men.In this conversation you’ll hear me watch the video - which you can see at houseofair.info - and I try my best to give benign descriptions of what I’m seeing.But again - only watch this video if you’re interested in seeing something that freaked a lot of people out.I thought the video was great, it is so perfect, and really does what it sets out to do - I’m so happy that Brendan is the kind of guy to make this kind of film.I know I certainly am not brave enough to create art like that - and I’m thrilled he was in my house and able to talk about it with me.Having said that, Brendan got really raw about his adventures in the world of art and performing and it’s an honour that he chose to share these things with me.I urge you to support Brendan in any way you can - financially or through spreading the word about his work.We’re lucky to have him.Let him know you heard him on online - handle is @macleanbrendanPlease enjoy this conversation with Brendan Maclean. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bruce Jeffreys is an entrepreneur from Sydney Australia. He is a cofounder of two successful businesses - GoGet and Dresden optics.This is a brilliant conversation about creating a disruptive business, and the lessons learned from just bloody going ahead and starting while figuring it out as you go.It’s a great chat with a fascinating man - who’s heart is in a great place and aligns his businesses with his passion. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sophie Hardcastle is an artist, author and all-around adventurous soul from Sydney Australia.She shot to fame when she published her first book - Running Like China, a memoir of a life interrupted by madness.It chronicles her struggle with coming to terms with her own mental illness and life with a brain that operates differently than others.Her second book is a young adult novel called Breathing Underwater.Sophie is also an exceptionally talented artist, currently studying at Sydney College of Art - and she’s just been awarded a $100,000 scholarship to continue her studies for a year at Oxford University.She’s a remarkable, thoughtful, funny, and strikingly smart young woman and I’m so happy she came around to share her story with me this week.You can follow her on Instagram sophie_hardcastle, let her know you heard her on the show.A trigger warning up top - we do discuss self-harm in this episode so about twenty minutes after we start the interview you’ll hear us talking about the northern beaches - if you skip forward until you hear me talking about my hearing damage, you’ll have emerged safely on the other side.Come enjoy a cup of coffee around my beautiful Parker Table, in the super-comfy Eames chairs - with Sophie Hardcastle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nathan Cavaleri is an Australian musician, who you can follow at nathancavaleri.com or on Instagram at Nathan_Cavaleri.Nathan first came to the attention of Australia when he was still a kid - he had been diagnosed with leukaemia and the Starlight Foundation sent him over to the UK to Jam with the lead guitar player of the biggest band in the world at the time - Mark Knopfler from Dire Staits.Nathan was a prodigious guitar player, and the footage quickly captured the hearts of Australians - soon enough Nathan - this incredibly talented and charismatic ten year old - was on stage with some of the world’s greatest musicians. From Jimmy Barnes in Australia to Booker T & The MG’s, BB King - even Michael Jackson.Nathan was an absolute superstar - a household name.But what happened next is where the real story starts.As Nathan explains on his blog at Nathan Cavaleri.com he went through some dark times, and today he shares some of those dark times with me.I really can’t thank Nathan enough for this - I always feel it’s a great gift to us when someone opens up about their struggle, as it can help those struggling to know they’re not alone.So before we go any further if there’s anything you hear in this chat that resonates or makes you feel unstable, please don’t hesitate to call lifeline on 13 11 14.Ok, put the kettle on and enjoy an afternoon chat with wonderful human, incredible guitar player and fellow cavoodle owner - Nathan Cavaleri. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode is a best of, mixtape, audible burrito with the lot all focused on comedy. This podcast has hosted many great comedians, and here are just a few.Peter Helliar is an Australian comedian best known as the bloke on the end of the desk every night on the news program “The Project”. He’s also a producer, a director, a writer and an actor. I asked Pete about the first time he got an inkling that he might end up doing what he now does so well.Next up we have Alice Fraser - a comedian, writer, and ex-lawyer from Australia. She's also host of the wonderfully cerebral podcast "Tea With Alice" which I'm happy to have been a guest on. Alice has a very interesting story, a story about following what you believe in, finding your truth - and what monetary rewards balance against that truth or even the joy of that journey. We do get a little philosophical here, but not before discussing, in depth, the topic of swearing. This chat is best enjoyed out of the company of sensitive ears!Chas Licciardello is part of the incredibly successful Australian satire collective The Chaser. For over 15 years they've been calling out hypocrisy, lies and general bloviating by our public figures and making us either laugh or be outraged while they do it. Never one to shy from commitment to a joke, Chas has been arrested numerous times, received death threats and has even been assaulted in the street - all for the sake of satire. I asked him here whether his fearless approach to comedy has been tempered in any way since having kids.Tommy Little is a comedian, radio guy and TV host from Melbourne, Australia. You can catch him regularly in Australia on The Project on a Friday Night, on radio as the 'Tommy' half of 'Carrie and Tommy', and he's always touring around the nation doing standup. Here we discuss what he was like as a teenager, and what got him started in comedy.Our final snippet in this episode is from an exclusive podcast - this one only went out to Patreon subscribers to this podcast. It's with Adam Richard, an incredibly funny Australian comedian, TV guy, broadcaster and wonderful human. He's made a living out of being funny for a while now, and so we talk about the craft and the business of comedy.So please enjoy this compilation of great moments we've shared on the show with some of Australia's finest comedians. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode is another mix-tape of some great conversations I've had on the podcast. This time we're focusing on people who managed to turn the thing that they love into reality, and what it took to make that happen.First up is Ben St. Lawrence, an Australian middle-distance runner, a two-time Olympian and an all around interesting guy. Ben’s not the first Olympian I’ve had on the show, however his story - his particular triumph over adversity and refocus of his life is one worth hearing.After Ben we'll hear from Jane Lu, the founder and CEO of mammoth fashion startup Showpo.com. This is easily one of my favourites - because everyone loves a story of triumph. Of closing the door on something in order to open unknown other doors, leading to the life you really want to live.Next is Taylor Steele, one of the most iconic and prolific surf film makers of our time. Through his film Momentum, released in 1992 - a then twenty year old Taylor captured a new and dominating style of surfing that hadn’t really been seen before as he filmed young surfers that would go on to become household names in the surf world: Shane Dorian, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox and of course Kelly Slater.Finally is the amazing Dr Glen Richards. Glen is a vet, entrepreneurial mega-success and a shark on the Network Ten hit show Shark Tank. It's Dragon's Den in the UK and Shark Tank everywhere else. He grew Greencross from a single vet practice to an ASX-listed company with clinics and pet stores all over Australia.So please enjoy this mega-episode of the show, about the origin stories of great successes. May it give your day some uplift, and maybe even inspire you to create something amazing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode is a supercut, a compilation, a best of, a mix tape! It features some of the best moments of the show over the last year or two that share the theme of overcoming adversity.We start with the Hon. Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business in the seat of Algester in Queensland. Leeanne is the first Aboriginal Australian Woman to be elected into the Qld Parliament, a woman who grew up On Country in North Stradbroke Island and then in Woodridge housing commission on the southern fringes of Brisbane. She shares here how, as a kid, she made sense of her relatively low socioeconomic circumstances.We then move on to Deng Adut. In his recent book “Songs of a War Boy” Deng describes in chilling detail the life of a child soldier - which includes horrific first hand accounts of battle, torture, death, and the kind of barbaric brutality that only humans inflict on other humans. When he was twelve, he was rescued by his older brother and smuggled out of Sudan into Kenya where he met an Australian couple that helped him and his brother come here to start a new life - and that new life is what we talk about here.Carly Findlay is next; Carly is an appearance activist, blogger, and writer who was born with Ichthyosis. This basically causes her skin to renew itself at an incredibly fast rate, leaving her susceptible to dryness, inflammation, itchiness, and gives her a noticeably red complexion - which is also shiny because she has to constantly apply paraffin to her skin so as to alleviate the pain and discomfort.We then hear from Lola Berry, a nutritionist, author, blogger, speaker and advocate for happiness. She even wrote a book about happiness. She's a woman who has inspired hundreds of thousands of people all around the world to be kinder and more caring to themselves through food and nourishment - not just of their bodies but of themselves as a whole. A trigger warning at the top here. Sexual assault is a part of Lola's story and she talks about that today.I hope you get some value out of this special episode, dedicated to the challenge of overcoming adversity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eric Barker is a screenwriter, blogger and author from Los Angeles California.His successful blog is at bakadesuyo.com that’s also his Twitter handle @bakadesuyo.Eric reached out to me and asked if he could come on to talk about his latest book “Barking up the wrong tree” The surprising science behind why everything you know about success is (mostly) wrong.We spoke last week over Skype and he offered a real insight to a few nuggets of wisdom that will hopefully help you find success either in your own personal venture, your home life, your family life, or even your work for someone else’s business. Either way, his work seems rooted in finding happiness as a part of success - rather than collecting money as a goal of success.He’s a great guy and I’m stoked he had the time to chat with me.If you dig it make sure you reach out to him and tell him you heard him here. Enjoy this chat with Eric Barker. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bridie O'Donnell and I have known each other since our high school days. She has gone on to become a Doctor and a world record breaking professional cyclist.Bridie has some great things to say here about elite sport, becoming motivated and staying healthy.I'm grateful to be able to bring this conversation to you, because it's not someone I've just met, with me getting to know my subject as I interview them - this is me and someone I go way back with who happens to be a very interesting human being.If there's anything Dr Bridie says in this podcast that really motivates you, I'm sure she'd love to hear about it - you can catch her on Twitter at @bridie_od.Please enjoy this Skype conversation with the brilliant Dr Bridie O'Donnell.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Draper is an Australian photographer who’s work centers on capturing aquatic animals in their natural patterns of behavior.You can follow him on Instagram at @MattDraperPhotography.I wanted to chat to him not only because I love to scuba dive and I’m fascinated by the ocean and all in it - but also because he’s a man who’s figured out how to get paid to do what he loves to do.If there’s something that you’re incredibly passionate about, and you’d love to make it your career - listen to the path that Matt took to get to where he is.Listen to the steps he took, the back and forth from working to make money for equipment and travel to shoot, to finally taking the leap to going full time.His journey may not be on the same axis as yours, but I’m sure the arc of it will be inspiring.I loved talking to Matt, he’s a great human and he’s completely made me want to get the mask and snorkel on and get wet again.I’ll say this up top: Matt describes free diving experiences and breath-holding concepts that require a lot of training and are highly skilled things to do. Don’t attempt the kind of stuff he’s talking about.Don’t do what I did and hold your breath, then go down to ten metres like I describe here.Apparently that’s a dangerous and stupid thing to do.But do pull a mask and snorkel on, and do go and get wet, do go and have a look at the environment that encompasses more of this planet than the environment we live on and in.I hope you enjoy this conversation that I had over Skype with Matt Draper. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

@danilic is a writer, director, comedian and satirist from Australia who is currently the Executive Producer at Fusion in the US, he’s done a heap of work in Australia notably “A Rational Fear” and all his work on the ABC & SBS.He’s worked for Al Jazeera in the US as well and is a very smart and funny man in a new world of exciting digital broadcasting.He’s a returning guest on the show so we get straight into it, but if you’re interested in his background check out the first time he visited my house back in 2013 - we get into it a lot then.Dan and I spoke via Skype while he was in Canada sorting out some Visa issues, which we get in to as we go along - but I have to tell you, the bathrobe he was in looked like the best bathrobe in the world.If you like what you hear make sure you follow him on twitter @danilic and let him know.So come to my office in Bronte that was able to connect via Skype to the other side of the planet with the extraordinarily smart and funny Dan Ilic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jack Heath is the CEO of SANE Australia, where I am fortunate to sit as a director on their board. Jack started with a career in politics while the Labour government was in power here in Australia, and after a tragic incident where his cousin died by suicide - Jack started the Inspire foundation in 1997. Now known as Reach Out, It was the world’s first online mental health service for young people. After over a decade there, and successfully launching Reach Out in Ireland and in the US - Jack now is the CEO of SANE Australia, which works to help the nearly four million Australians affected by a complex mental illness. There’s been a great amount of work done in our community around awareness and destigmatization of Anxiety and Depression, and indeed we now live in a different world in regards to both of these illnesses. However, there’s nearly 700,000 Australians that live with a Complex Mental Illness diagnosis. This includes Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, and schizophrenia. This week in Australia it’s schizophrenia awareness week. Whatever you think about when you think about schizophrenia, I’m asking you to open your mind to be changed. Schizophrenia is not a death sentence, there is help and treatment available and indeed a rich and fulfilling life is still available. I guess the biggest misconception about schizophrenia is that a diagnosis means you’ll be a danger to yourself and others. In fact the latest research out of Sweden shows that the possibility of someone with schizophrenia being violent is far less likely that previously thought, which is a finding that allows both medical personnel and indeed law enforcement to focus their limited resources on the very few patients that do pose a risk to themselves and others. Now a trigger warning right up here at the top. Jack’s story involves talking about the death by suicide of his cousin, and Jack discloses incidents of sexual abuse that happened to him while he was still a child. Again if you need to speak to someone - please hit pause on this and call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263 Ok. This is a heavy conversation, but it’s an important conversation. You ready? OK. Come to my kitchen, sit at my vintage parker table in my super-comfy Eames dining chairs, and enjoy this cup of tea and a chat with CEO of SANE Australia Jack Heath. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taylor Steele is one of the most iconic and prolific surf film makers of our time. Find him on instagram @taylorsteele.Through his film Momentum, released in 1992 - a then twenty year old Taylor captured a new and dominating style of surfing that hadn’t really been seen before as he filmed young surfers that would go on to become household names in the surf world: Shane Dorian, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox and of course Kelly Slater.As a film, it documented a complete shift in style and propelled these surfers into absolute idol status among fans.Fast forward 25 years later, and Taylor has a new film out called Proximity featuring some of the surfers that he featured back in that first film.It comes out May 12th in Australia for a limited release and will then be released digitally - but I must urge you to catch it on the big screen.I’ve seen this film twice now, once on my desktop and once on the big screen and I have to say it’s easily the most beautiful surf film I’ve ever laid eyes on.If you’ve never surfed, or always wondered about what would drive someone to compete in the world of professional surfing or indeed dedicate their lives to traveling the world and seeking out the most rare and untouched waves they can find - this is a fantastic film.Pairing surfers from different generations together and sending them on journeys to the four corners of the globe in the midst of the four seasons of the year, Taylor has documented again what it means to surf, what it means to compete as a surfer, and what it means to put your life on the line in the search to ride in harmony nature itself.I can’t recommend this movie enough if you’ve always been curious about surfing - you could watch it and then consider yourself schooled about why people would do it.Taylor is a remarkable guy, by his own admission shy and quite specific, I can’t thank him enough for the hour that he gave me in his hotel room earlier this week.He even let me rearrange the furniture so that I could get a better position to suit the microphones.So come now to the tenth floor of the QT hotel on Market Street right in the middle of Sydney, a long way from where both of us were born - for a look into the mind of someone who has always lived a life he loves, a live of creating, and a life that plays a huge role in the surf industry today - because he essentially wrote the theme song to an entire generation of surfers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

​Dr Mark Cross (@DrMCross) is a psychiatrist, author, television presenter and fellow board member of SANE Australia.For many years he ran the youth ward at Campbelltown Hospital in Sydney, however he’s moved on from that to focus on other things.He’s best known in Australia for his SBS TV show “Changing Minds”, which worked to destigmatize community attitudes to mental illness - and he produced a book of the same name.Mark and I sit together on the board of SANE Australia which works to help more than 4 four million people in Australia who are affected by complex mental illness including OCD, borderline personality disorder, bipolar, PTSD, eating disorders and schizophrenia.I’m grateful to be a part of the board there, and relish working alongside Mark and other board members to help change attitudes in our society about complex mental illness, and help show that a diagnosis does not necessarily mean you’re a danger to yourself and others - and that a rich and full life is indeed still available for you.Mark has a fascinating story, and I’m grateful he took the time to speak with me and indeed to be so open with his story.Come and sit as Mark and I pick away at the last of the catering left after a board meeting, and enjoy a chat in a boardroom in Paddington Sydney on a blue autumn afternoon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mia Freedman is a publisher, author, podcaster, mother and all-around media-mogul.She started her career in the then highly-competitive Australian magazine industry, and soon became youngest-ever editor of Cosmopolitan magazine at the age of 24.In the middle of this career explosion she fell pregnant, and set a course for her the rest of her career which would see her balancing work, family, and the numerous attacks in the press that come with being a smart, outspoken and strong-willed woman in the public eye.Along with her husband, Mia runs the incredibly successful website Mamamia.com.au, which is a part of the Mamamia Women’s Network.This is the second time Mia’s been on the show, she came on back on Episode 30, and a lot has changed, which we do go into.Mia’s new book is called “Work Strife Balance” and is learnings from her experience of running a massive media company, being a public figure, and being a mother of three kids at the same time.Her book is out now and I thoroughly recommend you grabbing a copy, particularly if like me you’re drowning a little bit in all of the busyness that has somehow consumed our lives in the last few years.You can find Mia on twitter & instagram @miafreedman and do let her know if you hear anything that resonates with you here.Come now to a third floor converted warehouse in Sydney which bustles with the sound of about one hundred employees, while we chat in her purpose built podcast studio over a nice cup of black tea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Maloney is one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs, from a family of similarly excellent business people.His father built many different companies including an incredibly successful mining logistics company The Mac.However Mark is also successful in his own right - working as an investment banker in London before heading back to run The Mac before floating it on the stock exchange in 2007 and being a part of making his whole family multi-millionaires overnight.But Mark’s story isn’t all about the incredible amounts of hard work that he put in, nor about the giddy amount of success he achieved - it’s also about how having more money than he could spend failed to make him happy, and how he ultimately found that happiness.Mark has since branched out into other industries, including the fabulously successful Sumo Salad food franchise - which has kept me fed for many a flight around the wide brown land that’s for sure.I’m very grateful to Mark for coming over to my place to do this - he’s an imposing figure at well over six ft tall - and sat down for a frank an honest conversation at my kitchen table over a bit of dahl and a cup of tea. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Ware is a legendary international war correspondent originally from Brisbane, Australia.Through his career, Michael’s style has always been a first-person, front row seat to some of the most confronting and dangerous situations on this planet. From modern-day witch-hunting in Papua New Guinea, to profiles of deadly Mexican drug cartels, to going in to Afghanistan only weeks after 9/11 and being one of the few Western journalists to live full-time in Iraq during the war.He was the Bureau Chief for Time Magazine in Baghdad before switching over to television for CNN, also in Baghdad.Needless to say, Michael has seen the worst the world can dish up.And during this conversation, he openly gives first-hand accounts of some of the things he’s witnessed during war.This week you may have seen cruise missiles being launched from a US destroyer hundreds of kilometers from their targets in Syria. This is not the kind of war Michael has seen.He talks about the fog, the horror, the gore and the death he has seen.Not to sensationalize it - but to describe it, so that you and I may know what it is we’re asking for when our leaders decide to send troops into a country in our name.So here’s a warning right up top. This discussion goes to some dark places. I’ll say right now, if you have any difficulty hearing what Michael talks about, please do call lifeline in Australia on 13 11 14 - or whatever 24hr counseling line is in your part of the world.It’s a tough story to hear but it’s an important story to hear because if you’re listening to this, you won the genetic lottery. Whatever stars and planets aligned I don’t know - but you’re listening to this on an internet connected device somewhere in the world that is safe. And that is not how the majority of the world live.Michael’s struggles with his demons are well documented, and when I first met him on a rooftop in NYC back in 2012 - he was very open about his PTSD. It was pretty obvious from his body language that I don’t press him on what caused it, but I’m grateful that five years later he and I were finally able to talk.We met in a wonderful old hotel in Sydney, right in the middle of the city.He was in town to talk about his new documentary series Uncensored, where he embeds himself into some of the most risky groups of people on the planet. From militant pro-Russian biker gangs, to the hill tribes on PNG, to the much-hated paparazzi of L.A., Michael brings a first-hand account of what he sees.The show is in Australia on National Geographic and it’s bloody incredible.Do what you need to see it.We do talk about the first episode with the Russian Bikers, but don’t worry we won’t spoil it for you.This is a heavy chat, but it’s important for you to hear.I had a coffee beforehand, but you - like Michael, may need a drink as we go.So hold on - because this is me and one of Australia’s finest, Michael Ware. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hayden Cox is a revolutionary surfboard designer from Sydney Australia.About ten years ago, he disrupted the traditional way of making surfboards much to the chagrin of the incumbent players - and patented a completely new way of making surfboards, which also gave surfers completely new ways to ride those surfboards.Even if you don’t like the beach - just listen to Hayden’s inspiring journey of how he created his business when he was still in High School, followed his passion relentlessly and created something world-beating along the way.He’s a lovely human being, came to the house with his wife and business partner - Danielle and they even brought coffee which is always a way to my heart.Hayden’s got some brilliant business ideas, he thinks about business and the industry he’s in completely differently than many people I’ve met.His desire to shift the way his industry is focused is fascinating to listen to, and I’m sure you can apply his lessons to your own life no matter what the scale of the change you’re trying to make is.Hayden outlines a lot of what we talk about in his book “New Wave Vision” which is one of the best business books you’ll read if you’re interested in the new way the global economy is moving, or even if you just need a kick in the butt to get your own work moving along.Go get his book.Go ride one of his surfboards.Or just listen, this one’s a real gift.Come sit at my kitchen table on the Eames Chairs with Surfer, Shaper, business man and disrupting entrepreneur, Hayden Cox. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Lawrence is co-Founder of Garage EntertainmentThe world’s largest action adventure film & TV collection - with over 3000 films around surfing, snow sports, cycling, and anything else that involves humans, adventure and the defying of gravity and or the elements.Most notable is Michael’s landmark documentary film Bra Boys: Blood is Thicker than Water - a film narrated by Russell Crowe.He’s a passionate storyteller, businessman and visionary in the field of digital distribution.He’s got a great story to tell and I’m grateful he came over on a Thursday afternoon to tell it.Enjoy this cup of tea and a chat with Michael Lawrence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Zepps is a very talented Australian broadcaster based in West Hollywood in Los Angeles California.He’s done many things over his extensive career however his latest project “We the people live” is a podcast focused on making debate healthy again.In the last few years, you may have noticed online and elsewhere - especially in politics - that reasoned debate and discourse has vanished from the public space. Opposing viewpoints get shouted down from polarized positions, and utterly disregarded purely because they came out of the mouth of someone who identifies with a different part of the political spectrum as you.So Josh is trying to bring debate back, and often has viewpoints on his show that are confronting - however he moderates the conversation in such a way that despite my initial knee-jerk reaction to hearing these things, I’m able to see past that and into the deeper concept behind what the person is talking about.So right up front - right here - I will tell you this conversation will use words and phrases and cover concepts that we aren’t used to hearing.To talk about the problem with debate it’s important to talk about the different parts of why debate is broken.And part of that is restraining our initial reactions to hearing concepts and hypotheticals that aren’t entirely unimaginable but are still confronting to hear.You’ll know what I’m talking about when we get there.I highly recommend you check out Josh and find episodes he’s guested on other shows - particularly Joe Rogan’s incredible podcast where he often goes to dig deep into what is happening in the world at the moment.This is a heavy political conversation - but it’s one I feel is healthy to have, and I don’t even mind if you do this one in chunks - listen to five minutes of it, go check an episode of the Dollop - come back here and listen to five minutes more.You can find Josh on twitter @joshzepps.We recorded this over Skype so a big thanks to my podcast producer Andy Maher for chopping it together and making magic out of a dog’s breakfast of audio files. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.