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Content note: This conversation includes experiences of war, trauma, suicidal thoughts, substance use and significant mental health challenges. Please listen with care.
We talked about pain and hope, moral injury, faith, relationships and the power of being heard.
This isn't simply Andy's story of recovery from military trauma. It's also Zoe's story; the often-unseen experience of the spouse, caregiver and family. And it's a conversation about what’s possible when we stop trying to carry everything alone.
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Andy and Zoe here -
Website - https://ptsdresurrected.org/resources/
A LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-cullen-4a549612/
Z LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cullen-47808a8a/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rebootaustralia/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PTSDresurrected/
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@PTSDResurrectedinc-s3j/videos
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
Shannon Lemanski returns to Connect with Confidence with some extraordinary news — becoming the first Australian to receive a global King’s Trust Award.
In this conversation, Shannon shares what it was like to be recognised at the Royal Albert Hall, meet King Charles III, and have his award presented by Benedict Cumberbatch.
We also revisit the story behind Aqua Ubique — Shannon’s mission to generate safe drinking water from air and reduce reliance on bottled water, particularly in remote and regional communities.
Along the way, Shannon reflects on what three and a half years of building the business has taught him - especially the importance of solving the customer’s real problem, rather than simply selling the technology.
So, so much has been accomplished and so many lives changed since we first spoke to Shannon in 2023!
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Shannon here -
Website - https://aquaubique.com.au/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-lemanski/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aqua-ubique/posts/
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
When I first met Mithul Krishna Kumar Ramachandran, he was a teenager in Coimbatore. When we reconnected more recently, he was much taller, well-travelled, educated connected - and more curious and kind than ever.
Mithul shared his experiences studying overseas, building friendships with people around the world and approaching different cultures with a beautiful openness and curiosity.
In this conversation, we explore what happens when we’re willing to step beyond what’s familiar - and how the smallest moments of connection can expand our world.
From finance to cricket, food, friendships and cultural differences, Mithul has a genuine fascination with learning from the people around him. He shares stories from studying with people from over 100 countries, becoming more confident in starting conversations, the simple power of a smile or a “good morning”, and what we can learn from one another.
It’s a conversation about curiosity, courage and connection – and a reminder that sometimes a much bigger world begins with one small interaction.
What small connection might expand your world today?
Find Mithul here -
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mithul-krishna-kumar-ramachandran-0157a7282/
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
What happens when we approach a polarising subject with curiosity instead of certainty?
In this episode:
Kerrie chats with Jasmin Diab - nuclear security specialist, former Australian Army combat engineer, STEM advocate, mum and self-described nerd - for a wide-ranging conversation about science, leadership, courage and the value of asking better questions.
Jasmin shares insights from 22 years in the Australian Army, including the shift that helped her lead more authentically and with greater compassion. She reflects on what it means to speak up in environments where your voice may not always be the loudest, and why calm, respectful communication matters in high-stakes settings.
The conversation also explores nuclear science and safety, nuclear medicine, the culture of learning from near misses, and why Jasmin believes Australia needs more open and informed conversations about complex technologies.
But this episode is about much more than nuclear.
Kerrie and Jasmin talk about curiosity, fear, disagreement and the importance of understanding where another person is coming from before rushing to respond.
As Jasmin says:
“It can shift a conversation entirely once you actually understand what perspective someone’s coming from.”
They also explore STEM careers in unexpected places - from Formula One to skincare to coffee - and why young people don’t need to have all the answers to find their place in science, technology, engineering and maths.
A conversation about being curious, not furious - and about what becomes possible when we create space for better questions, kinder conversations and different perspectives.
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Jasmin here -
Website - https://jasmindiab.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasmin-diab-csc-gaicd-22016b278/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/atomicblondestudio
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
I was recently in Cyprus with Peter Sewell, and we found ourselves talking about something that sits at the heart of so many meaningful connections: curiosity.
Pete and I were there working with teachers from Poland, and in between the training, the heat and the travel stories, we sat down for this conversation about what happens when we stay curious about people, places and perspectives that are different from our own.
Pete has travelled to around 120 countries, and his experiences continue to challenge assumptions about cultures, communities, Africa, travel and what it really means to connect across difference.
We talk about the conversations we have, and the ones we avoid, the importance of listening before judging, what travel can teach us about empathy, and why some “difficult conversations” may be better understood as essential conversations.
There are stories from Rwanda, Burundi, Libya and beyond, reflections from our work with Polish teachers, and a few travel disasters too.
But underneath it all is a simple invitation:
Choose curiosity. Ask another question. Connect a little more deeply.
In this episode, we explore:
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Peter here -
Website - https://www.petersewell.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petersewell/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/smileypete01
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/peter.sewell.author
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
What does courage look like?
Sometimes it looks like standing on a stage or doing something dramatic. And sometimes it looks like picking up the phone and calling someone you’re nervous to speak to.
In this conversation, I meet three remarkable young women whose honesty, courage and compassion deeply moved me. One of them shares openly about her experience of social anxiety, fear of rejection and spending much of her college life keeping to herself.
Then something changed.
She made a call.
Then another.
She reached out to classmates she had barely spoken to and invited them to be part of a social initiative. They said yes, and those small, brave conversations grew into a team of 16 students working together to make a real difference.
Their ideas are not theoretical. They come from lived experience.
Scribe Tribe was inspired by the experience of volunteering as a scribe for a visually impaired student - and recognising how difficult it can be for students to find the support they need during exams.
Care Plus emerged from a deeply personal moment at college. Rather than simply accepting a common inconvenience, these young women asked a different question:
What could we do about it?
That question became a practical plan to make sanitary products more accessible on campus - and, importantly, to create something future students can continue after they graduate.
What I love about these women is that they’re not waiting until they feel completely confident. They are taking action while they are still finding their confidence. They’re having conversations they once avoided. They’re including people they once thought were too different from them. They’re sharing personal stories that could easily have remained hidden and they’re turning those experiences into something that may make life easier for someone else.
As I listened, three words kept coming to mind:
Courage. Curiosity. Compassion.
This episode is a beautiful reminder that impact doesn’t always begin with a grand gesture. Sometimes it begins with one person deciding not to let fear make the decision. One phone call. One invitation. One conversation. And from there, strangers can become friends, friends can become a team, and a team can create change that lasts long after they’ve moved on.
As one of these inspiring young women said, “Small steps is what makes big change.” They are living proof of it.
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
What happens when you slow down enough to truly listen?
In this episode of Connect with Confidence, I’m joined by photographer William Debois - someone who quite literally travelled thousands of kilometers to meet strangers and ask just two simple questions:
- What does sacrifice mean to you?
- What sacrifice have you made?
What emerged is a beautiful collection of portraits and stories - powerful, unexpected and inspiring.
William shares the heart behind his Sacrifice Stories project - from travelling with a medium format film camera (limited to just 12 shots per roll) to developing film in makeshift darkrooms across Australia. But more than the photography, this is a conversation about presence, listening and connection.
We explore:
- Why listening matters more than talking
- The beauty of “ordinary” lives and unseen sacrifice
- How constraints (like 12 frames) can deepen creativity
- What it means to meet people without assumptions
- The surprising impact of being truly heard
This conversation is a reminder that meaningful connection doesn’t require perfect conditions… just curiosity and willingness.
Who might you listen to today?
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find William here -
Substack - https://williamdebois.substack.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/william_debois/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sacrifice_stories
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
In this fascinating and beautifully human conversation, Kerrie speaks with journalist and author Rachel Hartigan, whose book Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life explores not only the mystery of Amelia Earhart’s disappearance, but also the people who have spent decades searching for answers.
Rachel shares how a chance hallway conversation at National Geographic led her to join expeditions to Nikumaroro, a remote Pacific island connected to one of the enduring theories about Earhart’s disappearance. From ocean-going ships and turbulent reef crossings to research vessels, bone-detecting dogs, and the eerie vastness of the Pacific, Rachel reflects on courage, curiosity and the humbling feeling of being far beyond the familiar.
Together, Kerrie and Rachel explore the line between courage and risk, the importance of remembering the real people behind public stories, the changing world of journalism, the grounding power of walking the dog, and the everyday communities that form when we take time to connect.
This episode is a reminder that courage may look like an expedition across the Pacific — or simply saying hello at the dog park.
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by “buying our producer a coffee” - he deserves it! - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Rachel here -
Website - https://rachelhartiganauthor.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/racheljhartigan
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rj_hartigan
Threads - https://www.threads.com/@rj_hartigan
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/rjhartigan
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
What if building a successful business didn’t have to mean carrying everything?
What if it could actually feel… enjoyable?
In this thoughtful and spacious conversation, I sit down with Ellen Bathgate - someone I’ve had the privilege of journeying alongside for nearly two decades.
We begin with a simple but powerful reflection from Ellen’s younger years, writing letters to her future self and what it reveals about how much we change over time… and how freeing that can be.
From there, we explore what it really looks like to build a business you enjoy:
We also gently unpack something deeper, that enjoying your business isn’t just about what you do…
It’s about how aligned you feel with it.
Because knowing how to do something isn’t the same as being fully on board with it.
This is a conversation about designing your work in a way that fits you. About letting go of what no longer serves and giving yourself space to think… so you can build something that truly feels like your own.
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by buying our producer a coffee - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Ellen here -
Website - https://www.contentcollab.com.au/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-bathgate/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/EllenBathgateAU/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ellen_bathgate
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
What if the conversations you’re avoiding are the very ones that could change your day, your life, or someone else’s?
In this warm and insightful conversation, Kerrie sits down with behavioural scientist Nicholas Epley to explore the surprising science behind talking to strangers and why we so often get it wrong.
From a quiet train carriage in Chicago to life-changing family decisions, Nick shares how his research and his own lived experience reveals a powerful truth: we consistently underestimate how meaningful connection can be.
Together, they explore:
You’ll also hear deeply personal stories - including the journey that led Nick and his family to adopt their daughter Lindsay and how connection shaped that decision in profound ways.
This episode is both practical and deeply moving; a reminder that even the smallest act of reaching out can ripple further than we ever imagine
Loved this episode? Support us to create more podcasts by buying our producer a coffee - https://bmc.link/kerriephipps
Find Nick here -
Website: https://www.nicholasepley.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-epley/
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicholas-Epley-2
Find Kerrie here -
Topmate - https://topmate.io/kerriephipps
Website - https://kerriephipps.com/
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerriephipps/
Facebook public page - https://www.facebook.com/KerriePhipps1
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/kerriephipps
Twitter / X - https://twitter.com/KerriePhipps
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