The You Project

Steve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance. He is the author of the new book Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and The Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is the co-author of Peak Performance, The Passion Paradox, and the author of The Science of Running. Collectively his books have sold more than half a million copies. In this episode we talk about a practical process for building resilience, the psychology of ageing, self-sabotage, listening to our body, how to have healthier self-talk, our compulsion for instant gratification and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Work for yourself or work for them? It’s a question many of us ask over the course of our working lives. I asked it early on and realised that employee-dom (not a word) wasn’t for me. It’s not bad (of course), just not optimal for me. Subsequently, I’ve been the boss of me for thirty-three years, employed hundreds of people, made a million f*ck-ups, had a million breakdowns and breakthroughs, re-invented myself numerous times, learned lots, forgotten lots, made money, lost money but most of all, I’ve enjoyed (and grown through) all of it. Even the sh*t. Building a business, brand, product and/or service is something people have been asking me about for decades. This podcast is a conversation about that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is God? Why are people leaving organised religion in droves? What is mysticism? What is the delusion of separation? Why are we terrified of death? What is enlightenment? Why would a loving God create hell? What are the four components of perennial wisdom? How is religion a ‘map’ and mysticism/spirituality a compass? How and why does a Rabbi (and Doctor of Religion) consider religion to be the problem and not the solution? As you can imagine (if you know me), I was super excited to talk with Rabbi Rami and he did not disappoint. When I chat with guests, I’m almost-always thinking about questions, topics and conversations that will be of most value and interest to my audience but sometimes, I’m selfish. Sometimes I open conversational doors that I know won’t be of interest to the entirety of my (typical) audience. This chat was that. I f*ckin’ loved it and many of you will too, but perhaps not all. *BIO: Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an author, teacher and speaker on the subjects of liberal Judaism and contemporary spirituality, he served for ten years as Adjunct Professor of Religion at Middle Tennessee State University and is an award–winning author of thirty-six books on religion and spirituality. He also received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, holds a Ph.D. in religion, was a rabbinic chaplain with the USAF for 3 years, a congregational rabbi for 20 and was a Professor of Religious Studies for 10. Okay, he’s been busy (lol). Enjoy. rabbirami.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is God? Why are people leaving organised religion in droves? What is mysticism? What is the delusion of separation? Why are we terrified of death? What is enlightenment? Why would a loving God create hell? What are the four components of perennial wisdom? How is religion a ‘map’ and mysticism/spirituality a compass? How and why does a Rabbi (and Doctor of Religion) consider religion to be the problem and not the solution? As you can imagine (if you know me), I was super excited to talk with Rabbi Rami and he did not disappoint. When I chat with guests, I’m almost-always thinking about questions, topics and conversations that will be of most value and interest to my audience but sometimes, I’m selfish. Sometimes I open conversational doors that I know won’t be of interest to the entirety of my (typical) audience. This chat was that. I f*ckin’ loved it and many of you will too, but perhaps not all. *BIO: Rabbi Rami Shapiro is an author, teacher and speaker on the subjects of liberal Judaism and contemporary spirituality, he served for ten years as Adjunct Professor of Religion at Middle Tennessee State University and is an award–winning author of thirty-six books on religion and spirituality. He also received rabbinical ordination from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, holds a Ph.D. in religion, was a rabbinic chaplain with the USAF for 3 years, a congregational rabbi for 20 and was a Professor of Religious Studies for 10. Okay, he’s been busy (lol). Enjoy. rabbirami.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know that your ‘IQ’ can vary through the day depending on variables like sleep, hydration, stress, fatigue, medication, alcohol and a bunch of other factors? Or that in different situations, the same person can display traits at different points along the introversion-extroversion scale? Or that wearing a ‘mask’ in public can be exhausting and ultimately disempowering because you’re always ‘playing a role’ (being the persona, not the person)? Well, our resident Neuropsychologist Dr. Hannah is back to unpack all this and more. Enjoy. @nobullpsychSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. John (“Jack”) Schafer is a retired FBI Special Agent who is currently employed as an Assistant Professor at Western Illinois University. Jack served as behavioural analyst assigned to the FBI's National Security Behavioural Analysis Program where he trained agents in the areas of lying, deception, manipulation, elicitation (like the friendly version of interrogation), advanced interviewing and broadly speaking, understanding the behaviour and psychology criminals, enemies of the state and spies. He also interviewed hundreds of suspects, known criminals and spies. His books include ‘The Truth Detector’ (2020): An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth and ‘The Like Switch’ (2015): An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over. Apart from the fact that he was profiling me the whole time, I loved our chat. And no, I’m almost definitely not a spy. Allegedly.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firstly (Dear Audience), thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for allowing us to do what we do, for keeping the TYP doors open, for supporting us and being part of a beautiful community, for putting up with my not-always-sophisticated manner and for generally being ace. Without you, I’m just a bloke on a mic talking into a virtual void. Anyway, for our 1000th episode, I thought I’d sit down for an hour and share some of my key thoughts, ideas, messages and realisations to come from our TYP journey so far. Three hours later, Melissa told me to stop talking. If you like my teach-y, coach-y, reflect-y, kick you in the nuts-y (type of) episodes, you’ll love this one. Thanks again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firstly (Dear Audience), thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for allowing us to do what we do, for keeping the TYP doors open, for supporting us and being part of a beautiful community, for putting up with my not-always-sophisticated manner and for generally being ace. Without you, I’m just a bloke on a mic talking into a virtual void. Anyway, for our 1000th episode, I thought I’d sit down for an hour and share some of my key thoughts, ideas, messages and realisations to come from our TYP journey so far. Three hours later, Melissa told me to stop talking. If you like my teach-y, coach-y, reflect-y, kick you in the nuts-y (type of) episodes, you’ll love this one. Thanks again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Firstly (Dear Audience), thankyou, thankyou, thankyou for allowing us to do what we do, for keeping the TYP doors open, for supporting us and being part of a beautiful community, for putting up with my not-always-sophisticated manner and for generally being ace. Without you, I’m just a bloke on a mic talking into a virtual void. Anyway, for our 1000th episode, I thought I’d sit down for an hour and share some of my key thoughts, ideas, messages and realisations to come from our TYP journey so far. Three hours later, Melissa told me to stop talking. If you like my teach-y, coach-y, reflect-y, kick you in the nuts-y (type of) episodes, you’ll love this one. Thanks again.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaemin Frazer is back at TYP and this time we talk about not being (feeling) enough, self-betrayal, getting in our own way, self-permission, insecurity, self-doubt and how to be kinder to ourselves. Jaemin makes great use of story and metaphor in the way he teaches and talks, meaning what-can-be complicated topics are easier to understand and relate to. He is the founder of The Insecurity Project and specialises in helping entrepreneurs, leaders, and business owners eradicate insecurity so they can show up to life unhindered by doubt, fear, and self-limiting beliefs. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

TYP Fave David Gillespie rolls back into the cyber-studio to wax lyrical about the human condition and this time around, we talk about the idea and practice of altruism, companies who pretend to care about the environment (and other causes) because it’s good for their brand, the pros and cons of working from home, the pursuit of happiness, good people behaving badly (toilet paper shortage anyone?), the ideal size of a ‘tribe’ (sociologically) and lots more. Enjoy. freeschool.org.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When I saw the title of Paul Taylor’s book, I was jealous. I wish I thought of it! Such a good title full of great insights, messages and science, all delivered in an easy-to-understand (and use) manner. This was a fun chat where we unpacked good stress vs. bad stress, why visceral fat is totally sh*t for you and subcutaneous (under your skin) not so much, how negative thinking can lead to disease, the space between stimulus and response, stressing about potential problems that don’t eventuate (the problem isn’t real but the anxiety is), why people choose to take supplements for longevity while also choosing not to exercise and finally, we chat about the original analysers of the mind and human behaviour; the stoics. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this two-part TYP extravaganza, Tiff fires a bunch of questions, thoughts and topics at me and nearly two hours later, I come up for air. Chatty AF. Among other things, we talk about the balancing act between protecting people’s feelings and creating safe spaces (etc.) and empowering (and training) the same people to be more resilient and capable under pressure. We also talk about stuff culture, stuff identity and stuff obsession, why and how we waste our potential, waiting for the catastrophe, why mediocrity can be a gift, a thing called meta-accuracy, the upside of failure, why we keep doing the thing that doesn’t work and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this two-part TYP extravaganza, Tiff fires a bunch of questions, thoughts and topics at me and nearly two hours later, I come up for air. Chatty AF. Among other things, we talk about the balancing act between protecting people’s feelings and creating safe spaces (etc.) and empowering (and training) the same people to be more resilient and capable under pressure. We also talk about stuff culture, stuff identity and stuff obsession, why and how we waste our potential, waiting for the catastrophe, why mediocrity can be a gift, a thing called meta-accuracy, the upside of failure, why we keep doing the thing that doesn’t work and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marc Brackett is a Professor at Yale University and the Founder and Director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence. For over 20 years, his research has focused on the role of emotions and emotional intelligence in learning, decision making, creativity, relationships, health and performance. He has published over 150 scholarly articles and received numerous awards. He consults regularly with corporations, such as Facebook, Microsoft, GE, Amazon, Pinterest, and Google on integrating the principles of emotional intelligence into employee training and product design. In this chat, we explore the relationship between emotions and physical health, emotional regulation, his introversion, the relationship between emotions and outcomes, reading other’s emotions, giving people ‘permission to feel’ and share those feelings, his amazing EQ program that’s now in over 4,500 schools around the world called RULER (the 5 underlying skills in EQ: recognising, understanding, labelling, expressing and regulating) and lots more. *His latest book is called: ‘Permission to Feel’. marcbrackett.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Weird Science’… an 1985 movie (remember Kelly LeBrock?) and also and accurate title for this chat. Patrick and Tor are back and this time we talk about the mental, emotional and social consequences of people staring at phones (and ignoring the people around them) in social situations, the potential role of artificial intelligence in hair regeneration, faecal transplants (poo therapy, of sorts), a new male contraceptive (ouch), a new technique for same sex conception for men, technology that lets us ‘speak’ to our dead relatives (kind of), a system that allows users to communicate with others remotely while embodying a humanoid robot (I was confused too), headlights that see around corners and mind-reading AI. Enjoy.EnterWrite to Tiffanee Cook See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Clickbait title? Not if it’s true! Tommy Jackett has been on TYP a bunch but we’ve never recorded a show exploring his back story or our friendship. Well, this episode is that. Among other things, we talk about his stripping career with ‘Aussie Spunks’ (thought I’d lead with that, LMAO), his desperation to leave school, his time as a breakfast radio host, personal trainer, landscaper and podcaster (over a thousand eps of The Daily Talk Show), and his subsequent creative (and commercial) journey into making cool videos with cool people. Enjoy. Tommy's YouTube Channelvidpod.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was an interesting and fun chat with an introvert who lives in a world (situation, business, career) requiring her to do ‘extrovert-y’ things, like talking on a podcast to thousands of people. Julie Stevanja told me she declines most podcast requests because they “absolutely exhaust her”. So interesting. Having said that, she was (is) ace. We went far and wide in this chat, touching on the challenges of being an introvert, our similar religious upbringings, the Law of Attraction (is it BS?), trying to ‘figure out’ spirituality, seeking external validation (the modern illness), social anxiety, the genius that exists beyond the mind, risk and stress, internal vs. external wealth, conscious consumption and more. Julie Stevanja is the co-founder of the women’s activewear brand, Stylerunner. Along with her twin sister Sali, in 2021, she launched ‘Her Black Book’ a Consumer app connecting retail brands with consumers who love to shop and it’s going off like a frog in a sock (my words), currently working with more than 700 amazing brands. Enjoy. *** With the biggest shopping moment of the year almost upon us, now is the perfect time to download Her Black Book - the one place shoppers can find all the best Black Friday Cyber Monday (BFCM) deals.On HBB, consumers can browse hundreds of irresistible discounts, deals and cashback offers from much-loved local labels to big household names with consumers able to shop everything from Fashion, Beauty, Travel and Wellness, to Kids, Home, Everyday and Him.Download Her Black Book for FREE now!iOS: https://apple.co/3wmNn6Z Android: https://bit.ly/3CUYNBtSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are the variables which influence (and dictate) whether you’re closer to the ‘zero’ or the ‘ten’ on the not-yet-created ‘Harper Work Satisfaction Scale’ (HWSS)? What role do things like culture, connection, job security, responsibilities, wage, travel time, feedback, leadership, feeling valued, respect and mental health play? Organisational Psychology Guru Anna Feringa is back at TYP Central and this time we go deep on the changing landscape and operational paradigm of the modern workplace. Enjoy. annaferinga.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At some stage of our journey, most of us are taught that intelligence is a thing that’s measured by completing a specific test, getting a ‘score’ and then being told ‘how smart’ we are. Or aren’t. What could go wrong? And while we all instinctively know that intelligence is a forest not a tree, nonetheless, our culture still seems to obsess about (and focus on), the IQ tree. Fortunately, things are (slowly) shifting but in my opinion, not fast enough. Creative genius. Emotional intelligence. Social intelligence. Mechanical genius. Practical intelligence. Street smarts. Situational awareness. Survival skills. The ability to adapt. Cognitive flexibility. High-level problem solving. The ability to thrive under pressure. Understanding non-verbal communication. Like I said; forest not tree. This is a conversation about that. And other stuff. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Drew Ramsey is a psychiatrist, author and farmer. He is one of psychiatry’s leading proponents of using dietary change to help balance moods, sharpen brain function and improve mental health. He is the author of four books concerning food and mental health (including the hilariously titled ‘50 Shades of Kale’) and his latest book is called ‘Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety’. This was a fascinating conversation where the Doc and I discussed the variables and relationships that exist around diet, lifestyle, brain function and mental health. Specifically, we chatted about the correlation between gut health and brain health and bibbidi-bobbidi-boo (insert magic wand emoji)… guess who’s now drinking kombucha! Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Alan Duffy is a Cosmologist, Astronomer and Astrophysicist working on dark matter, galaxy formation and cosmology. He’s also Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute and is a Professor at Swinburne University. Among other things, we spoke about the skill of explaining science to the masses in an understandable and interesting manner, why NASA recently crashed a perfectly-good spacecraft into an asteroid, what dark matter is (I still have no clue), the possibility of life on other planets (high, according to the Prof.), the collective noun for Geeks (actually made me laugh), the intersection of cosmology and religion, the Goldilocks Zone and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For this episode, Patrick stepped away from his tech desk and we spoke less about technology (not at all, in fact) and more about the psychology, biology, sociology and practicality of the human experience. We chatted about who we surround ourselves with, how to change the way we think, unconditional kindness, childhood table-tennis, my first ever self-help book and its impact on me, lucid dreaming, Meccano sets, moments that change us, emotional and behavioural tipping points, growing through discomfort and lots more. Enjoy. oksmartass.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Michael Shermer is the Founder of Skeptic magazine and the Executive Director of The Skeptics Society. He is the author of New York Times bestsellers Why People Believe Weird Things, The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, Heavens on Earth, Giving the Devil His Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist and his new book is called Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational. He has also delivered two popular TED talks, appeared on Oprah, The Colbert Report, 20/20, Dateline, Charlie Rose, Larry King Live, Joe Rogan (7 times) and now, in what is clearly the highlight of his career (lol), he finds his way to TYP-HQ. Dr. Shermer received his B.A. in psychology from Pepperdine University, M.A. in experimental psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and his Ph.D. in the history of science from Claremont Graduate University. He has been a college professor since 1979, also teaching at Occidental College, Glendale College, and Claremont Graduate University, where he taught a transdisciplinary course for Ph.D. students on Evolution, Economics, and the Brain. Enjoy. michaelshermer.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are potentially living in the most ‘knowing’ era ever. Well, at the very least, we (the masses) have access to more information (about everything) than any time in history. But what are we doing with all it all? I was recently on Tiff’s show (Roll with the Punches) and we spoke about the propensity many of us have to be good at the theory of personal growth (idea, information, intention, talk, plan, goals) but not-so-good at the execution (the work, effort, consistency, resilience, discomfort, adaptation). Knowledge is great but it’s not action. Just like owning a pair of runners is not running. Transformation lives in the application of the information; the doing, not just the knowing. This episode is a chat about that. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Janine Kwoh is an artist, creator, author and story-teller, whose partner died when they were both 28 and who subsequently, has spent the last six years trying to navigate, understand and deal with, grief. It seems like this might be a heavy chat, it isn’t. Janine is the owner / artist / one-person assembly line behind Kwohtations; an ever-evolving collection of greeting cards and gifts that reflect and celebrate a diversity of identities and life experiences. She is also the author of ‘Welcome to the Grief Club’; an illustrated book on grief for anyone who is grieving the death of a loved one. Janine started making cards in 2011 as a way to reflect on and honour the lives we actually lead, versus the ones we think we should. Kwohtations is essentially her life in greeting cards, in which she offers up her own truths about navigating love and loss, (re)defining family and success, and figuring out what it means to show up for ourself and others. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Kristin Neff, Ph.D. is a pioneer in the study of self-compassion, being the first person to operationally define and measure the construct almost twenty years ago and these days she is recognised as one of the world's most influential research psychologists. Kristin has written a best-seller, not surprisingly called Self-Compassion, is a sought-after Speaker and Educator and we had a great chat, covering all the ‘selfs’; self-compassion, self-sabotage, self-loathing, self-esteem, self-talk, self-sabotage and more. Enjoy. *Her new book is called ‘Fierce Self-Compassion’. self-compassion.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gregory Smith’s childhood was the stuff of nightmares. I won’t go too deep here but the snapshot is neglect, violence, abuse and misery. At 10, his mother left him at an orphanage, where the abuse continued, from 14 he was in and out of juvenile detention and by the time he reached his 20’s, he was an addict and alcoholic, living on the fringe of society, with significant mental health issues. For decades he was homeless and for an entire decade, he lived as a hermit in a tropical rain forest (without shelter) in total isolation. In his late forties, he emerged from the forest weighing 41kg (at 5’10”, 178 cm’s) and was at death’s door. From that point until now, Gregory has fully recovered, been clean and sober for more than twenty years, earned a PhD in Sociology (Dr. Gregory Smith), is a Senior Lecturer at Southern Cross University (on his way to being a Prof.), has written an amazing book, has done a TED Talk, been featured on numerous media outlets (including Australian Story) and his story is nothing short of incredible and inspirational. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I asked former international model Deborah Hutton if the window for my modelling career may have come and gone, and she informed me that, there was no window. Oh well, at least we cleared that up (lol). Deborah is fun. And talented. And driven. And creative. And super smart. And I enjoyed getting to know her (a little). In this organic conversational casserole, we spoke about being an international model at 16 (and the myriad of variables and challenges around that), strategic people vs. freestyle people, experiential learning, knowing who to trust, her three rules for success, identity, self-worth and looks, lifelong learning, her skin cancer journey, saying no to people, feeling ageless, passion projects and lots more. Enjoy. deborahhutton.comcanopybay.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I was recently on the ‘Simply Practically Human’ podcast with Mark LeBusque and as always, we waxed lyrical about all things mindset, behaviour, performance and self-awareness. It was fun. Enjoy. humanmanageracademy.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Melissa Wu jumps off stuff. Specifically, diving platforms and boards. She is a current member of the Australian Diving Team, competing in the women’s 10m individual and women’s 10m synchro events, she’s a 4x Olympian, Olympic Silver Medalist (Beijing 2008), Olympic Bronze Medalist (Tokyo 2020), has represented Australia at four Commonwealth Games and is the reigning Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist in the women's 10m individual platform event. Oh, she also owns a gym, has her own diving academy, has a clothing line, is a corporate speaker and did I mention she made her Australian team debut at thirteen at the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games, where she won a Silver Medal? Other than all that stuff, she’s a complete under-achiever. This chat inspired and exhausted me. Enjoy. @melissapaigewuSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Gillespie is one of Australia’s most prolific (and successful) Authors, he’s a Lawyer, a Champion of equal-opportunity education, a tireless Researcher and a TYP Regular (clearly, the crowning achievement of his career). Again, we open the psychopath door and this time we learn why they don’t experience fear, nerves or anxiety like a ‘normal’ (there’s a loaded term) person, why they keep going back to prison at a rate five times higher than their non-psychopathic fellow inmates, why potential punishment doesn’t perturb them, how they (ironically) live ‘in the moment’, the early (brutal) research into psychopathy and lots more. Enjoy. davidgillespie.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cancer is f*ked but Johnny Ruffo is not. He is a weapon. Funny. Talented. Resilient. Courageous. Realistic. Most of you know his back story as a singer, songwriter, actor and performer and some of you have heard about his terminal brain cancer diagnosis but this conversation opened a door that, according to Johnny, he had never walked through before in an interview; “I’ve never been this real or open” (to an audience) he shared as we wound up our chat. Yes, we spoke about his diagnosis (the fear, the anxiety and the physical and cognitive challenges) but more importantly, we talked sh*t, laughed, had fun, told stories and shared some important ideas and messages, that will resonate. FYI, I’ll let you know that there are a few pauses and gaps in the chat (which we have left in) and while Johnny’s brain is fine (intellectually), there are moments of cognitive delay and ‘word-searching’. For me, this was a truly bitter-sweet encounter; I’m sad for my new friend who’s struggling with this c**t of a disease but I’m so happy we got to meet and hang out. *His new book is called: ‘No Finish Line’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Andrew Dowling is the founder and CEO of @stitchdotnet and WipeOutLoneliness.org. He is an internationally-recognised social entrepreneur who has been featured in TIME Magazine, The New Yorker, Forbes, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Australian, Bloomberg TV, Sydney Morning Herald, and more. ‘Stich’ is all about community and companionship for anyone over 50 and it is the world’s largest companionship community created by members, for members. Andrew and I spoke about the loneliness epidemic and how it impacts physical, mental and emotional health, the role of social connection in healing and wellness, the dangers of retirement, developing tech for the over 50’s (whoever they are), making friends as we age, dealing with feedback, fish that nibble your feet (really) and lots more. Enjoy. stitch.netSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Russell Foster (from Oxford University, no less) is one of those rare breeds of high-level academic with an amazing ability to break down the super-sciencey stuff into TYP-Friendly, easy-to-understand-and-apply info and inspo. Yes, I used inspo. You’re welc. Stop it. This chat is in my all-time top 20 (out of almost a thousand eps). Among other things, we spoke about circadian rhythms (what they are and why they matter), the neuroscience of sleep, our biological clock vs. the clock on the wall, why alarm clocks are crap, the perils of night shift, poor sleep and dementia, sleep deprivation as torture, the relationship between sleep and cognitive function, biofeedback, why are heart attacks and strokes more prevalent between 6am and midday, how modernity and technology has made us ‘lose touch’ with our biological sat-nav, why we’re crap at sleep, why exposure to early morning light is important and lots (and I mean lots!) more. The Prof’s new book is called ‘Life Time: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep’. Life Time: The New Science of the Body Clock, and How It Can Revolutionize Your Sleep and HealthSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Don’t try to bulls**t Steve van Aperen; it won’t end well for you. Not gonna lie (pun intended), I was a little self-conscious and tried very hard to cut back on my lying for this episode. Steve is as an expert in the field of behavioural interviewing, reading body language and detecting deception. He has received extensive training from the world’s leading international investigative authorities (LAPD, FBI, US Secret Service) in how and why people deceive. He has conducted behavioural interviews on 81 homicide and 2 serial killer investigations and has been consulted by various police departments, intelligence agencies and governments. This was a brand-new topic for TYP and it (and Steve) was fascinating. Enjoy. stevevanaperen.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Would you eat lab-grown meat? How can a Doctor of Chinese Medicine diagnose a problem with your liver by looking into your eyes or a dodgy back by poking the soles of your feet? Should athletes be able to wear shoes that make them run faster if they all have access to the same shoes? Should TYP have its own Mardi Gras float with Patrick and I out front (Titanic style)? How does looking back at Earth from the darkness of space make astronauts (and space passengers) feel? Does being near your phone lower your IQ, even if you’re not using it? In this TYP instalment, Patrick, Tor and I unpacked this random selection of topics and much more. Enjoy. oksmartass.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is a chat with Doug Taylor, the boss of The Smith Family and he, and the organisation he leads, are good people, doing good things. The Smith Family has been working to improve the lives of children living in disadvantage for 100 years. They are Australia’s largest national education charity, supporting young Australians experiencing disadvantage to create better futures for themselves through the power of education. They currently support 58,000 students (directly), empowering them to break the cycle of disadvantage through targeted, long-term support for their education. They are an amazing organisation doing amazing things with the people most in need with their team of 800, along with 8,000 volunteers and 150,000 financial supporters. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The essence of Buddhism: (1) don’t be a dick (2) be kind to people (3) train your mind” – Charlie Morley (Buddhist Teacher). I didn’t want this episode to end. I loved the chat, loved Charlie and yes, I love my job. Charlie was a drug-taking, hard-living, wild young man who had a NDE (Near Death Experience) and who, through a series of twists and turns, became an internationally renowned Speaker, Lucid Dreaming Expert, best-selling Author (4 books, 15 languages), Teacher of Tibetan Buddhism, Mindfulness Coach and PTSD Expert, producing incredible results with military veterans. If you don’t enjoy this episode, I’ll refund your money. Lol. charliemorley.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Doctor Lillian has slid back into the TYP Studio and she’s in fine form. She’s always great but I think this chat was her MVP TYP performance so far (acronym anyone?). This time we got to sneak behind the Doctor door and learn a little more about Lillian the person. We spoke about how much clinicians can/should speak about their own experiences (self-disclosure) with patients (it’s surprising), process-driven therapy vs. informal connection and conversation, building rapport, how finding the right therapist can improve healing (and not because of the ‘treatment’ per se’), people being intimidated to go to a gym (seen it a million times), burnout (signs, symptoms, treatment) and lots more. Enjoy. drlilliannejad.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was one of those conversations that I’m probably too stupid to be in but I guess when you’re the host, it’s unavoidable. And while I didn’t contribute much, I did learn about code-makers and breakers and Dr. Craig was kind enough to run a one-on-one workshop for me called ‘Cryptography for Dummies’ (a.k.a. ‘keeping your online sh*t safe from baddies’). Dr. Craig Costello is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research in Redmond, Washington. He graduated with a PhD from Queensland University of Technology and is recognised as an Australian-American fulbright scholar at the University of California, Irvine. Craig was a postdoctoral fellow at both Technische Universiteit Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Microsoft Research in the USA.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Lachlan McIver is a medical doctor, writer, activist and musician, specialising in rural & remote medicine, tropical medicine and public health and in his spare time, he has completed a PhD in global health. Originally from far North Queensland, his travels have spanned almost one hundred countries, treating patients in some of the most isolated, volatile, resource-deprived communities on the planet, while grappling with complex health challenges such as climate change and antibiotic resistance. When Lachlan was sixteen he found his father dead on the side of a dirt road in North Queensland. He had suffered a sudden heart attack and died alone. It was this tragedy that motivated Lachlan to train as a doctor specialising in providing medical care for people living in remote, resource-deprived locations. Lachlan is an great bloke doing great things. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an interesting chat about the ever-present challenge of businesses wanting to make money, do some good in the world (for the planet and people) and let’s be honest, protect (or enhance) their brand along the way. It’s also about purpose and value driven people building commercial organisations with a primary focus of creating positive and sustainable impact in the world. I’m gonna be honest, until this conversation I didn’t totally understand what social enterprise looked like in practice or in the commercial landscape. In 2013, Kim founded ‘Thankful’, a social enterprise supported by more than 20 years of scientific research. Under her guidance, Thankful’s innovative model merges philanthropy and business to create a positive, sustainable, and scalable impact. She is committed to unifying influencers, thought leaders, brands and organisations to create the most significant impact for communities in Australia and beyond. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“What do you do?” “Oh, I design and build cities?” I thought being a podcaster, speaker and author was cool. Turns out, not a cool as I thought. We have so many ‘different kinds of smart’ on our show and I’m forever grateful that I get to meet and connect with such brilliant people. Lucinda Hartley is a globally recognised urban strategist, serial entrepreneur and sought-after keynote speaker on the topics of cities, technology and social change. Lucinda’s work over the past decade has focused on leading innovative strategies to improving the social life of cities, now implemented in more than 10 countries. She is best known as the cofounder of urban tech company Neighbourlytics. Her work has been featured by Google, Smart Company, Qantas and UN-Habitat. She was named as one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review and one of Melbourne's Top 100 most influential people by The Age. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Golinski is a much-loved Australian celebrity chef and on December 26, 2011, Matt's wife Rachel and his three daughters died when their Tewantin home was engulfed by fire in the early morning. Matt, who tried desperately to save his family, suffered severe burns to forty percent of his body, spent eight weeks in a coma, four months in hospital and has spent a decade healing and recovering, physically, mentally and emotionally. Despite Matt’s tragic story, this was a conversation largely about hope, family, the power of love and of course, food! Enjoy. mattgolinski.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You wouldn’t think a conversation about trauma could be uplifting, entertaining and even fun, but this chat with Dr. Sarah Woodhouse (trauma expert, research psychologist, author and coach) is all that and more because not only is she a high level academic with a great understanding of the science, but she’s also endured her own trauma journey and come out the other side with amazing compassion, insight, energy and humour. Among other things, we discuss eating disorders, bullying and sexual abuse (all part of Sarah’s story), post-traumatic growth, the trauma spectrum (there’s a range), vicarious trauma, what trauma does to our body, healing and recovery, what causes a trauma response, the stress-anxiety-trauma relationship and why swearers are smarter than non-swearers (it’s science Bro). Enjoy. sarahwoodhouse.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a fascinating conversation about human optimisation. Specifically, getting ‘better’ as we get older, challenging pre-existing norms and beliefs around physical potential for over forties, life-long learning, skill development, optimal cognitive performance at any age, self-limiting thinking, flow states, behavioural neuroscience and lots more. BIO: Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of fourteen books), including The Art of Impossible, The Future is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and has appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, Wall Street Journal, TIME, and the Harvard Business Review.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Major General Mick Ryan (recently retired) is a highly skilled leader and strategist with thirty-five years of experience as an officer in the Australian Army, having deployed in many countries and been in the middle of much conflict and combat. In this episode, the MG and I speak about preparing for competition and combat in war, sport and life, how to train people for the most brutal and violent of roles in the most extreme of circumstances, why failure can be more empowering and valuable than success, the growing number of women in the military, who makes the best soldiers and why, his new book (War Transformed) and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of TYP, Author, Coach and Business Bloke Jim Sheils and I speak about how some of us are simultaneously great at the career stuff but kinda-crap at the important stuff; you know.. family, life, communication, connection, parenting, health, happiness. As someone who went through a period of prioritising business and neglecting the important stuff, this was an insightful and meaningful chat for me. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two Tommy eps in two days. This time we discuss my internal struggle with posting tough-love whiteboard messages (on social media) that (1) I believe are relevant and potentially transformative (2) are often misinterpreted and (3) can simultaneously inspire, inform and polarise. We also talk about the idea of teaching our kids ‘how’ to think rather than ‘what’ to think, what anti-aging actually means, self-awareness and self-regulation around technology and lots more. Enjoy. vidpod.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.