The You Project

This episode turned out to be a fun, fascinating and lengthy Q & A extravaganza (with listener questions), which is why it’s a three part-er. We explore a range of interesting and broadly relevant questions and topics, including addictive personalities, feeling helpless, quietening the inner critic, how we define ourselves, how to disagree politely, why people-pleasing doesn’t work, sleep science, working out post-fifty, finding your ‘why’, giving unwanted advice, what being ‘open-minded’ really means, trying to change others, dealing with toxic people and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode turned out to be a fun, fascinating and lengthy Q & A extravaganza (with listener questions), which is why it’s a three part-er. We explore a range of interesting and broadly relevant questions and topics, including addictive personalities, feeling helpless, quietening the inner critic, how we define ourselves, how to disagree politely, why people-pleasing doesn’t work, sleep science, working out post-fifty, finding your ‘why’, giving unwanted advice, what being ‘open-minded’ really means, trying to change others, dealing with toxic people and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark LeBusque from the ‘Simply, Practically Human’ podcast and I got together (with Melissa) and had a natter (that’s a Mary word) about all the stuff that can impact our overall health, which doesn’t get much of a mention. We put aside the typical ‘food, exercise and lifestyle’ conversation to focus on the potential health benefits of things like laughter, music, connection, purpose, goals, animals, hugs and nature and the health risks of things like loneliness, isolation, retirement and the feeling (or reality) of not being needed, valued, wanted and/or loved. Deep human connection can be therapeutic, healing, immune system boosting, mind altering (for the better) and anxiety reducing. This is an important topic. Enjoy.  The Simply Practically Human PodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In his best-selling book ‘Taming Toxic People: The Science of Identifying and Dealing with Psychopaths at Work & at Home’, David Gillespie goes deep into explaining the mind, brain and behaviour of psychopaths and how ‘Neurotypicals’ (hopefully you and me), can successfully navigate situations, circumstances and relationships (of all types) with them. This episode is a Q & A follow up to our previous chat (ep. 719) with David on the subject. Enjoy. davidgillespie.orgTaming Toxic PeopleThe Psychopath Inside (by James Fallon)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, this was an unexpectedly enjoyable, fun and entertaining conversation with a new friend. If you like learning with laughter, I think you’ll enjoy this. Dr Adam Fraser is a peak performance researcher who helps people strive to achieve better performance in everything they do. He has worked with elite athletes, sporting teams, special forces soldiers, business leaders and now (in the high point of his career), The You Project! Among other things, Adam and I chatted about stepping away from Zoom to talk with actual audiences, high performance without the collateral damage, managing negative thoughts and emotions, why struggle is important, the psychology of courage, being addicted to easy, his time working with the royal family in Kuwait, leadership and managing humans, imposter syndrome, the stories that hold us back, Kevin the Inner Critic and Brian the Blamer (it will make sense when you listen). Enjoy. dradamfraser.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Mark Febbraio is a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC, and the Head of the Cellular and Molecular Metabolism Laboratory within the Drug Discovery Program at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. And while that all sounds very fancy, he’s also a Mate of mine who was a regular on my radio show (The Science of Sport) for five years. It was good to catch up with the Prof. and we freestyled around a bunch of topics including, under and over-training, morning heart rate, challenging dogma in science, recovery, personalised nutrition and exercise prescription, double-blind placebo trials, dodgy science vs. good science, spontaneous healing, quick-fixes and miracle drugs that aren’t. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Mark Febbraio is a Senior Principal Research Fellow of the NHMRC, and the Head of the Cellular and Molecular Metabolism Laboratory within the Drug Discovery Program at Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University. And while that all sounds very fancy, he’s also a Mate of mine who was a regular on my radio show (The Science of Sport) for five years. It was good to catch up with the Prof. and we freestyled around a bunch of topics including, under and over-training, morning heart rate, challenging dogma in science, recovery, personalised nutrition and exercise prescription, double-blind placebo trials, dodgy science vs. good science, spontaneous healing, quick-fixes and miracle drugs that aren’t. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elise Elliott is smart, funny, cheeky, creative and despite meeting her for the first time for this chat, I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. Her twelve year-old daughter describes her (quite accurately) as a ‘kidult’, part child, part grown-up and her energy is infectious; kind of like a virus but healthier. Elise is a journalist, radio presenter and writer, who’s currently working as motoring writer (she’s a rev-head) and is a regular presenter on Melbourne’s 3AW. This was fun. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Monheit is the co-founder and strategy director of Hardhat; one of Australia’s most innovative creative agencies. Like me, Dan is fascinated with human behaviour, decision making, optimal learning, story-telling and more specifically, the science of selling stuff. This was another interesting chat with yet another inspirational human. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Auntie Edie (AKA Edith Martin) has been following, supporting and cheering me on for years. Workshops, seminars, camps, podcasts and social media posts; she’s been in the middle of it all. But, it wasn’t until recently when we sat down together for a first time coffee that I realised what a treasure she is. I was gifted a snapshot of eight decades of an amazing life and I thought, why be selfish with her? So this is her TYP debut. I will warn you, it’s not a typical TYP episode, so if you’re after a hard-hitting, fast-paced, high-energy quick fix of personal development, it ain’t for you. Having said that, I loved my time with Auntie Edie. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? The immediate answers seems like it might be ‘no’, but Scott and I both believe the answer can be, yes. We unpack that question and many more in this somewhat philosophical, spiritual and psychological discussion. Among other things, we chat about looking for approval, why work-life balance is a stupid concept, why culture eats strategy, Ikigai (give it a Google), the role of values, awareness v. consciousness, trying to understand non-mind things (spirituality) with the mind, things that make no sense and all the sense at the same time, intellectual arrogance and much more. About our guest… Scott Shute is a curious, interesting, deep-thinking bloke who’s worked in a range of interesting roles and situations (including Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn), while exploring the idea of creating success in both our internal and external worlds. I loved this chat.  scottshute.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of you know Bobby and I are Mates and, in some ways (for a range of reasons), to me he’s like a weird, loveable, super-smart little brother. To say his childhood was rough is like saying the ocean is a bit wet. In comparison, my upbringing was Disneyland and I had zero problems. While talking about Bobby’s journey is sometimes tough, what amazes me is his total lack of self-pity, bitterness and resentment and his ability to graciously share the insights, lessons and experiences to come from those years. Among other things, in this episode we discuss optimal cognitive function, his Tourette’s, reading hard copy vs screens, bias, unlearning, ADHD and learning, similarity seeking, discovering your learning style, what represented love for him, trusting people slowly, finding the light in the darkness and much more. Oh, and the reason for the title? Well, he’s from Brooklyn, his name is Bobby and he wears two shoes. Why else? theselfhelpantidote.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Esrock is a South African travel writer, best-selling author and international television personality, who totally loves what he does. Based in Vancouver, BC, Robin has written for major international publications, including the Chicago Tribune, the Guardian, Gulf News, South China Morning Post, Cape Town Argus, Sydney Morning Herald, Vancouver Sun, Dallas Morning News, and the Toronto Star. Robin was a regular columnist for The Globe and Mail, MSN, the Vancouver Sun and Outpost Magazine. He’s visited 112 countries, including a six month stint travelling across Australia writing The Great Australian Bucket List, has written a string of best-selling travel books and has filmed his TV series in 36 countries. This was a fascinating chat with a bloke whose passion, purpose and career are essentially, the same thing. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen Kapalos is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, recognised journalist and motivational speaker and facilitator. A recognised national news broadcaster, she has extensive experience across several media organisations, and in her time as a broadcaster worked for all three Australian commercial networks and both public broadcasters. In addition to her extensive career in media, Helen served a four-year term as Victoria’s principal Multicultural Commissioner, where she championed social justice reform for marginalised and disadvantaged communities. I’ve known Helen for more than a decade and back when I was doing my time on the Channel Ten morning show, she was the highly polished and professional news reader. This was a fun catch up with an old friend. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Paul Taylor and I get together to lose ourselves down the conversational rabbit hole on a podcast, sometimes we have a brief pre-show phone chat to throw around a few ideas and then we talk about none of it. Yet again, that was the case this time. As always, we explored the psychological, emotional, sociological, physical and practical variables of ‘being human’ but as for specifics, I can’t remember much because (1) I’m writing this a day later (2) we spoke for an hour and a half (ergo, the two parts) (3) I’m old AF and (4) we had a live audience of a hundred-plus people sitting in the TYP cyber-studio as we recorded, so there were a few (welcome) distractions along the way. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s good but you can decide. Enjoy.  mindbodybrain.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Paul Taylor and I get together to lose ourselves down the conversational rabbit hole on a podcast, sometimes we have a brief pre-show phone chat to throw around a few ideas and then we talk about none of it. Yet again, that was the case this time. As always, we explored the psychological, emotional, sociological, physical and practical variables of ‘being human’ but as for specifics, I can’t remember much because (1) I’m writing this a day later (2) we spoke for an hour and a half (ergo, the two parts) (3) I’m old AF and (4) we had a live audience of a hundred-plus people sitting in the TYP cyber-studio as we recorded, so there were a few (welcome) distractions along the way. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s good but you can decide. Enjoy.  mindbodybrain.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Harry Garside was the first Aussie to win an Olympic boxing medal in 33 years. He is also a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, 9-time national champion and you might remember his refreshing and atypical interviews at the Olympics, his creative training methods (including ballet and Army training), the nail polish he wore at the games to defy gender stereotypes and to support those who feel like they don’t belong and also, his open, honest and gentle nature (when he’s not punching blokes in the face). Some people turn on the ‘good bloke’ stuff when they’re being interviewed but Harry is a genuinely impressive young man. And to make me love him even more, I learned during our chat that he’s a TYP listener! Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Gillespie is a recovering corporate lawyer, co-founder of a successful software company, corporate consultant, father of six young children (I’m tired just thinking about it) and an internationally renowned author, who’s written more than a dozen books. He’s also a researcher, shit-stirrer and a regular contributor to TYP. One of his books is called ‘Taming Toxic People: The Science of Identifying and Dealing With Psychopaths At Work and At Home’, so for this episode, David and I opened the psychopath door. So to speak.  davidgillespie.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Tutt is an Aboriginal Australian mentor and STEM champion. He is the founder of DeadlyScience, an initiative that provides science books and early reading material to remote schools in Australia. He is also a speaker, researcher, author and the 2020 NSW Young Australian of the Year. Corey is a compassionate, driven and inspiring young man, who is wise beyond his years and I loved meeting and chatting with him. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Olympia Yarger is not what I expected. Sure, she’s creative, clever, smart and something of a pioneer, but what nobody told me was, she’s hilarious. This was an unexpected laugh-fest with the founder and CEO of Goterra, an insect farm based in Canberra. Olympia and I went head-to-head in some verbal jousting and I’m gonna be honest, I got smashed. Beyond the laughs, she is committed to changing the landscape of livestock feed and redefining how we look at sustainable waste management solutions. She is also focused on educating and developing opportunities to establish regionally based insect farms, by providing resources, mentoring and referral on the many ways insect farming can be successfully integrated into existing regional and agricultural ecosystems. An emerging industry, insect farming is a vehicle to manage waste streams and is a viable and sustainable protein for aquaculture, pork, poultry and pets. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Professor Barbara Oakley is the Teacher of Teachers, the Sensei of Students and a true Leader of Learning. Apart from having four degrees, including a Master’s and PhD, she was also a Captain in the US Army, served four years in Germany as a Signal Officer, she co-created and taught one of the world’s most popular courses (Learning How To Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects), worked as a translator (Russian-English) on Soviet trawlers in the Bering Sea, taught in China, worked as a radio operator at the South Pole Station in the Antarctic (where she met her husband), has written four best-selling books and is an absolute to delight to chat with. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Jenny Brockis is a Medical Practitioner, Board Certified Lifestyle Medicine Physician and expert in brain fitness, who has long been fascinated with the brain and human behaviour. Jenny explores the idea of cultivating mental agility, flexibility and adaptability required to meet the needs of the modern workplace and beyond. She is the author of three books, including the best-seller ‘Future Brain’, has had numerous articles published in print and on-line and is in demand as a brain health expert and commentator for radio and TV. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Netball is played in more than 80 countries, it is the biggest team sport in Australia (played by over 1.2 million men, women and children) and on this episode of TYP, I chat with one of the best players in the world, Geva Mentor, about life, sport, psychology, being part of a team, discrimination, being adaptable, optimising potential and high performance. Geva has represented England 153 times, is Captain of the Collingwood Netball Team in the Suncorp Super Netball competition (the Aussie national comp.), has played in three Commonwealth Games and three World Cups, winning six medals ranging from bronze to gold (most recently beating Australia to win the Comm. Games gold in 2018) and last week, I had the privilege of spending four hours with Geva and her team. BTW, the meaning behind the title will become apparent during the show. Enjoy.  @gevamentorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Daniel Ellenberg (PhD.) is back pushing my buttons, exploring my issues and going deep on the human experience. Specifically, we discuss vulnerability, why blokes (can) struggle to communicate and open up, the evolutionary programming of our brain, conformity, when and how to give feedback (and how not to), accepting compliments, diversity and inclusion and lots more. Enjoy. strengthwithheart.comrelationshipsthatwork.comrewireleadership.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Daniel Ellenberg (PhD.) is back pushing my buttons, exploring my issues and going deep on the human experience. Specifically, we discuss vulnerability, why blokes (can) struggle to communicate and open up, the evolutionary programming of our brain, conformity, when and how to give feedback (and how not to), accepting compliments, diversity and inclusion and lots more. Enjoy. strengthwithheart.comrelationshipsthatwork.comrewireleadership.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 23, Captain Matina Jewell found herself at sea in charge of one thousand (mostly male) soldiers, when her senior officer (a Major) took ill and two weeks after setting for on the ship foot the first time (and just having been promoted to Captain from Lieutenant), she was elevated to ‘acting Major’ (a role she never relinquished). Major Jewell was the first female in the Army to complete the physically demanding Navy Diver course, the only Australian (and only female) at the dangerous ‘PB Khiam’ UN patrol base at the border junction of Israel, Syria and Lebanon, she received nine military service medals, was a star graduate from the Australian Army’s prestigious Royal Military College Duntroon and had a distinguished military career, culminating with a coveted posting to serve as part the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in the Middle East. After full-scale war erupted between Israel and Lebanon, she was seriously injured (five fractured and crushed vertebrae plus nerve damage and other internal injuries) while commanding a UN convoy through war-torn Lebanon and had to be evacuated. Her injuries ended her military career and tragically, most of Matina’s colleagues – her ‘brothers’ – were tragically killed. Matina wrote about her experiences in her memoir ‘Caught in the Crossfire’, a frighteningly dramatic first-hand account of what really happens in modern warfare and the high price our soldiers pay for their country. Her story was featured in a two-part ABC Australian Story documentary. This woman is amazing. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tamara Barlette is a recently-retired Air Force fighter pilot with more than 3,000 total flight hours and over 1,500 hours of combat support time in both Iraq and Afghanistan supporting and protecting American and allied troops on the ground by providing real time reconnaissance and lethal support. In addition to the T-38, Lt. Colonel Barlette has flown the T-37 Tweet, the A-10 Warthog, the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper. She is also a graduate of the prestigious US Air Force Weapons School (Navy Top Gun equivalent) and apart from navigating the significant challenges that come with being an elite fighter pilot, Tammy also had to contend with being in the ‘one percent’ (of female fighter pilots). So many great lessons and insights in this conversation. My job is awesome. EnjoySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Educator, Philosopher, Deep Thinker and Fascinating Human, Louka Parry is back at TYP and this time we go deep on finding our best learning model, the anti-ageing benefits of life-long learning, unlearning, conscious and unconscious learning, self-limiting beliefs, the difference knowledge and intelligence, our addiction to comfort and convenience and lots more. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Robb Kelly has overcome homelessness, alcohol dependency, trauma, major depression, PTSD and a whirlwind of events to be the ‘Gordon Ramsay’ of the addiction treatment world. Before Robb succumbed to addiction and mental health issues, he played bass guitar at Abbey Studio with Queen, David Bowie and Elton John. He is an accomplished musician and the money he made helped him attend Oxford University to complete his Ph.D. in Psychology. Robb experienced a spiritual awakening while homeless for 15 months (after getting his Doctorate!) on the cold streets of Manchester. Robb, who started drinking at 9 says “I’m not here to save your feelings, I’m here to save your life”. Enjoy. robbkelly.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australian sisters Jess and Stef Dadon are fashion personalities, creative directors and environmentally-conscious entrepreneurs who created TWOOBS; a line of comfortable, fashion-forward, animal-friendly sandals that regularly sell out, are made using recycled materials saved from landfill and are delivered to customers satchel-free. The sisters have also created a recycling program where they take back old shoes, breathe new life into them and they are reincarnated as playground mats. To say these two are high-energy and chatty is like saying I swear a bit. About two-thirds of the way into our discussion, the sisters got a bit vulnerable, the energy changed, things slowed down a bit and we had an impromptu mentoring session with Uncle Harps. Was fun. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Dobson has been helping individuals, teams, companies and elite athletes explore, develop and maximise their potential for decades. Like someone else we know, he’s pretty direct, pretty laid back and has an ability to break down performance, success and human optimisation in a user-friendly manner. This ep. was a little bit like chatting with.. myself. *Note: I apologise in advanced because Mark had a few internet issues, so there are a few minor audio glitches (not too many). Enjoy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

So, it turns out that the very gentle, calm and compassionate Dr. Jodi Richardson is a complete menace when she steps on a basketball court. Dare I say, intimidating and according to one victim (who wouldn’t come back on court), scary. Never know, do ya? It’s the quiet ones. Fortunately, when she’s not shirt-fronting unsuspecting C-grade basketballers, she’s happy to inform, inspire and educate us around all-things psychology, human behaviour, performance and mental health. All silly-ness aside, this was a fun chat with one of our favourite guests. Enjoy.  drjodirichardson.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unna Goldsworthy is an Exercise Physiologist, Educator and friend, who has some weird special powers and an intuitive sense that I’ve only encountered a few times in my life. I love her mix of science, compassion, woo-woo and humour and the way she treats the whole person, not just the body. This was an interesting chat about neuroplasticity, brain training, the physiology of stress, solving problems, understanding the language of our body, healing the body vs. masking symptoms, why you should talk to yourself out loud, spontaneous healing and lots more.  @unna.movementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Gillespie is back at TYP Central and this time he’s raining on the Glycaemic Index parade (and a few other food-related parades) with his mix of common sense, research, scepticism and anti-establishment, non-conformist thinking. Enjoy.  David's Article: The Glycemic Index Has Passed Its Use-by DateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the winter Olympics draw nigh (Feb. 4 to Feb. 20), I thought it would be fun to chat with winter Olympian, friend and channel seven commentator, Steph Prem, about the lessons, skills, habits, discipline and thinking that can be transferred from succeeding in elite sport to succeeding in life. By the way, in her last event Steph broke her back (and a few other things) and endured five years of rehab, so she understands the reality of pain, inconvenience, shattered dreams, disappointment and starting from scratch. Enjoy.  stephprem.com.au@stephiepremSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode was pretty much me riffing about one of my favourite topics for an hour, with Tiff jumping in when I came up for air. Understanding how other people think is a highly-important but under-valued and under-considered ability and skill. It’s something I’m fascinated with (obsessed maybe) and something I’ve worked hard to understand and explore personally, professionally and academically. It’s important because, having an insight into how others think, means we have an insight into their version of reality. Their thoughts, ideas, stories, beliefs, biases, values and fears. Which means we know what they might do next. Or how they might feel about or react to, a certain stimulus (event, situation, statement, outcome). Which makes things like effective communication, connection, teamwork, leadership, problem solving and conflict resolution more likely. In the 80’s Stephen Covey famously wrote: “seek first to understand and then to be understood”. He was onto something. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lifting heavy things has been my therapy, my meditation and my happy place since I was fourteen. And while many think it’s all about biceps, delts and selfies, for me (and many others), lifting stuff is as much for my mind and emotions, as is it my body. Exercise Physiologist Russ Jarrett (M.Ex.Sci) is back and this time we talk about strength training for the masses. Any person with any body type, of any age, with any goals, any level of experience and in any physical condition. We talk about the multitude of ideologies, protocols, methods, resources, equipment and do our best to simplify what can be, a confusing conversation. Enjoy.  russelljarrett.com.au@russell_jarrett1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My mum (Mary) would say that Rob Caslick is doing God’s work. In 2010 Rob founded an organic soup kitchen in Sydney's Kings Cross and in 2016 he founded social enterprise Two Good Co, initially as a way to scale the soup kitchen. Two Good Co is a business which provides food, support and training to survivors of domestic violence. What started as “wheeling our barbecue about 300 metres” to grill up a shared feast for the area’s homeless and drug addicted, is now a national provider of food and lifestyle products to women’s shelters across the country. Rob is a good bloke, with a big heart, a big vision and I loved our chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As someone who has spent his adult life owning, working in and training in gyms, I am passionate about the welfare of, not only gym members and clients, but also the industry itself. In the last couple of years, the fitness industry (like many others) has been smashed. Mel Tempest is the CEO and the founder at Ignite Fitness Business Events, the host and founder of The Gym Owners Fitness Business Podcast and The Women’s Leaders Fitness Business Podcast. Mel organises fitness business events and roundtable events globally, runs a women’s educational platform, is a Keynote speaker, full-time fitness business ambassador and owns one of the most successful gyms in Victoria; Genesis Health and Fitness (Ballarat). Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The good Doc is back and this time we discuss the way that our mind (thoughts, self-talk, beliefs, faith, stories) interacts with our body and impacts our physical health. Put simply, what are the physiological consequences (good or bad) of our psychology. If negative thoughts can put a body into a negative state (stress hormones, immune suppression, elevated heart rate, BP, sympathetic nervous system), does that same mind have the potential to put the same body into a state of recovery, repair and healing? Enjoy.  drdenisefurness.com.auFacebook Group: Your Genes and Nutrition CommunitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Easkey Britton, Ph.D. is a five-time national surfing champion from County Donegal in Ireland with a Doctorate in Environment and Society. She is the first Irish woman to be nominated for the Billabong XXL big wave awards, she is also a researcher, author, artist and social activist, who has an amazing (and difficult to explain here) relationship with the ocean. Easkey began surfing at four, has missed very few days since and describes the ocean as her sanity, her therapy and her home. I always say this but yet again, I loved this chat, especially when Easkey answered one of my questions in Gaelic. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Steven Eskaf and Nicoletta Ceppellini are Fitness Educators, Trainers and Coaches (Steven is also an Osteopath) who are the head Coaches for one of Australia’s oldest and longest-running body transformation programs; the Max’s and Maxine’s Challenge. And before you panic, this is not a thinly disguised promo for Max’s and Maxine’s but rather, a broad and general conversation exploring the pros and cons, do’s and don’ts and the myriad of variables that impact and influence the outcomes of these types of programs. As with any other resource, transformation programs are certainly no magic pill but for some people, they can prove to be a valuable addition to their health and fitness journey. My personal opinion is that they can be a positive when they are (1) a catalyst for long-term positive behavioural change and/or (2) when they integrated periodically into an overall (big picture) health protocol. Used the wrong way (as quick-fix or rapid weight-loss plan), I’m not a fan. Enjoy.  maxchallenge.com.aumaxineschallenge.com.auCode: YOUPROJECT40See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark Beretta OAM is an Australian journalist, best known as a sports reporter on Seven Network program Sunrise. This was a fun episode with one of the most easy-going, authentic and likeable blokes on the telly. Among other things, we spoke about his upcoming gig at the winter Olympics (his 13th Olympics), his ten Australian water-skiing championships, his parenting challenges, embracing the hurt, tearing his quad off the bone while showing off (ouch), the toughest athletes (mentally), his inner bogan (V8 Supercars), being the hardest worker in the room and lots more. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After almost 700 episodes, this conversation goes straight to my top 10 and Kurt Fearnley is instantly one of my all-time favourite guests. Real, compassionate, inspirational, funny and mind-blowingly determined. Kurt is a three time Paralympic gold medalist and two time Commonwealth Games gold medalist. He has won over 40 marathons, including New York, Chicago and London in a career spanning more than 20 years. In 2009 Kurt crawled the Kokoda track (96kms) to raise awareness for men’s health, he was a member of the winning Sydney to Hobart yacht crew in 2012. He is New South Wales Australian of the Year for 2019, an accomplished corporate speaker, published Author (Pushing the Limits: Life, Marathons and Kokoda), host of Tiny Island podcast and host of 2020 ABCTV’s One Plus One. You will love him. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Erynn Christensen is a researcher, psychology graduate and fellow PhD. student at BrainPark, where I’m based (Monash University). Her current research is focussed on exploring whether or not our decision-making style (are we impulsive, risk-taking, tolerant of uncertainty, do our emotions drive our behaviour and are we are reward driven?) can predict our overall behaviour. Also, can our decision-making style predict how likely we are to develop habits and how good we might be at kicking those habits. This was Erynn’s first ever podcast and quite possibly, the best debutant we’ve ever had on TYP. Enjoy.  febfast.org.aubrainpark.com/projects/the-decision-making-study-in-association-with-febfastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Louka Parry is an award-winning Educator, Speaker, Facilitator and Adventurer with a powerful ability to communicate ideas with clarity. He works across the globe with changemakers, teams, schools and organisations speaking on leadership, wellbeing, innovation and the future of learning and work and we had a great chat. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Debbie Millman is a delight; super smart, awesome energy, engaging, creatively brilliant and despite her enormous success, totally grounded and authentic. I loved this chat. Graphic Design USA named her one of the most influential designers of our times. She is the president emeritus of AIGA, the professional association of designers in the US, and one of the five women to hold this position in the organisation’s 100-year history. Debbie co-founded the world’s first graduate program in branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 2010, she is the editorial and creative director of Print Magazine, the oldest magazine on design in the States, she has written seven books, is a world-renowned educator and hosts one of the longest-running podcasts on the planet; the super successful ‘Design Matters’. Growing up, Debbie’s family life was difficult and traumatising, with frequent episodes of violence and sexual abuse. “I had a lot of brutality in my life, for the first 18 years I lived in a state of constant terror and compensated with art”, she says. This lady is an inspiration who has succeeded, despite her circumstances and experiences. I loved her and you might too. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Daniel Ellenberg (Ph.D.) is a psychotherapist, marriage and relationship therapist, author, corporate speaker and educator but more importantly (for TYP), he’s a down-to-earth, humble and brilliant communicator with a gift for breaking down (what can be) complicated and complex issues, into an insightful, helpful and fun conversation. In this episode, we speak about vulnerability, identity, self-awareness vs. self-loathing, dealing with feedback (who should we listen to?), being a ‘passenger’ in our own life, finding purpose and lots more. Enjoy.  [email protected] [email protected] omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Theresa Mitchell is the founder of Agape Outreach, a not-for-profit organisation which works tirelessly serving the homeless. It literally started with Theresa walking past people living on the street (daily), seeing a massive need and choosing to do something about it. She decided to cook meals in her home and put herself in front of the people who most needed that kind of love and support. Thirteen years down the track she hasn’t stopped and now this amazing woman is the head of an organisation with more than two hundred volunteers, supporting thousands of people living around the NSW-QLD border. Oh and I almost forgot, along the way Theresa has also fostered thirty-seven children in her own home (caring for up to five at time). I love what she’s doing so much that, half way through our chat, I committed to running an online fundraiser workshop, with all the proceeds going to the outreach program. Details up soon. Some people make me want to be a better person. Theresa is one of them. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If I’ve ever done a podcast that didn’t feel like it, this is the episode. Dr. Denise and I went full ‘selfish’ mode, forgot about the listeners (sorry) and just had a casual catch up about lots of stuff that was (is) interesting and relevant to us two. We had intended to talk about the impact that relationships (of all kinds) can have on our health (for better or worse), but we never got there. Oops. Next time. Having said that, I really enjoyed this conversation and I know many of you will too.  drdenisefurness.com.auFacebook Group: Your Genes and Nutrition CommunitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.