The sporting world is laser focused on the dangers of concussions but are they the greatest threat to an athlete's brain health or is something else at play? In this episode of Empowering Leaders, we dive into the latest science around repetitive head impacts or, as our guest refers to them, Brain Slosh, and we learn about an incredible new device that could help. While concussions make headlines, the real danger lies in the constant, subtle hits athletes endure every game and practice—hits that don't always result in noticeable symptoms. Suzanne Williams, Vice President of Sports Marketing at Q30 Innovations, breaks down how these seemingly harmless impacts, whether from football, soccer, equestrian sports, or even mountain biking, can have a cumulative effect on brain health. With over 10 years of research and 25 independent studies behind it, Suzanne explains how a new device is showing promise in reducing Brain Slosh—the primary cause of concussions. 

Watch this episode on 7Plus in Australia.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

Empowering Leaders is proudly partnered with Victoria University. Find more information about studying at VU here.

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At Aleda, we know there are consistent dimensions of what great leadership looks like, and we are exploring the great power of each of them during our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”.

On every Empowering Leaders episode we hear from people at the top of their industries. They soar in the areas of sports, business, social venture, education, the arts and more.

We know that having great leaders in your own life can shape your path and inspire you to reach greater heights. In this episode, we've hand picked a remarkable group of individuals with heartfelt stories about the great leaders who have left an indelible mark on their lives.

Featuring:
[02:04] MITCH MARSH - awarded Australian Cricket's most prestigious prize, the Alan Border Medal in 2023, recognizing him as the most outstanding cricketer of the year.
[05:32] GEVA MENTOR - one of the greatest players in the history of netball, Geva has competed for England six times at the Commonwealth Games, winning gold in 2018, captaining England in 2019 and was appointed a commander of the Order of the British Empire for her services to netball. 
[06:47] MARK VISSER - Mark Visser is a legendary Australian big wave surfer, author and mindset coach. 
[09:47] CRAIG FITZGIBBON - Australian rugby league legend, with a decorated playing career spanning more than 300 first grade games, now head coach of the Cronulla Sharks. 
[12:33] TIM HAMILL - current head coach of the Australian men's water polo team, fresh from an incredible performance at the Paris Olympic games.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode and if you want to hear more from any of them follow the link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Just days out from the 2025 Super Bowl, our guest on today's special episode of Empowering Leaders is Jeff Scott - Vice President of Football Operations at the Philadelphia Eagles.

In just a few days on Sunday 9th February, Jeff's Eagles will take on the Kansas City Chiefs in the biggest one day sporting event on the planet - Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans!

In this conversation, Jeff talks us through his lead up to the game, gives his best tips for overcoming the hurdles life throws at all of us, reflects on his past career in global risk management at Bank of America, and shares his secrets for his greatest passion - developing incredible people to be at the top of their game on and off the field.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2024, our audience had a front-row seat to conversations that reveal how Success Leaves Clues, featuring individuals who've mastered their craft in various fields.

At Aleda, we know there are consistent dimensions of what brilliant leadership looks like, and we are exploring the great power of each of them during our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”. 

In our work, we see so many people in positions of leadership who are really conscious of how they POSITIVELY IMPACT OTHERS on a daily basis so we had a difficult time narrowing it down to the select group of people you’re about to hear from.

Featuring:

[02:04] ZOE KALAR - is literally changing the world for good through her new social media platform - We Are 8. We Are 8 is on track to disrupt the hundred plus billion dollars of annual advertising money

[06:35] VALERIE KONDOS FIELD - a US college coaching legend voted as the pack 12 coach of the century, a UCLA coaching hall of famer, a seven time national champion across a remarkable 29 years as the head gymnastic coach at UCLA. 

[11:45] WIPPA - Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli - a multiple award winning radio presenter and comedian who has used his microphone for good over the years - supporting and raising thousands of dollars for youth related charities across Australia. This year he successfully campaigned to change national legislation that increases the age when children are legally able to use social media from 13 to 16.

[16:43] JOHANNA GRIGGS - one of the most loved and respected figures in Australian television history and the first Australian woman to solely host an Olympic games. For the past 2 decades, Joh has been a mainstay of Channel Seven's Olympic and Paralympic coverage and the incredibly successful Better Homes and Gardens.

[19:40] TESS MADGEN - captain of the Australian women's basketball team, the Opals, who has represented Australia at the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode and if you want to hear more from any of them follow the link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

In our next and final Success Leaves Clues episode for now, we’ll feature the brilliant and sometimes surprising answers our guests gave when I asked them who the GREATEST LEADER in their life had been.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On every Empowering Leaders episode we hear from people at the top of their industries. They soar in the areas of sports, business, social venture, education, the arts and more.

In 2024, myself and our audience had a front-row seat to conversations that reveal how Success Leaves Clues, featuring individuals who've mastered their craft in various fields.

At Aleda, we know there are consistent dimensions of what brilliant leadership looks like, and we are exploring the great power of each of them during our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”.

The art of COMMUNICATING WITH CLARITY is an invaluable skill, and one worth honing with practice and good advice. In this episode, we've curated a remarkable group of individuals who take communicating with clarity seriously and explain exactly how they do it.

Featuring:

[01:50] DR TROY FLANAGAN - Vice President of High Performance at the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. Troy is a licensed sports physiologist with a remarkable background in sports technology development,including a PhD in aerospace engineering.

[06:15] PAUL WATERSON - Founder & chief executive officer of Australian Venue Co and successful business investor.

[07:25] MAX GAWN - Seven-time All Australian and premiership captain of the Melbourne Football Club, and regarded as one of the game's greatest ever ruckmen.

[11:15] WAYNE HOLDSWORTH - a father and husband who has bravely shared the story of his son who died by suicide after experiencing online bullying and extortion. 

[19:17] RACHAEL GUNN - better known as RayGun, the Australian professor and break dancer. Luke spoke to RayGun just days before she flew to Paris to compete in the 2024 Olympic Games and became a global sensation.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode and if you want to hear more from any of them follow the link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

Luke’s conversation with Wayne Holdsworth tells an important story but it may be difficult to listen to for some people. Please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 if you need support.

On our next Success Leaves Clues episode we’ve put together the tips and strategies told to us by leaders across the globe on how they POSITIVELY IMPACT the people around them every day.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On every Empowering Leaders episode we hear from people at the top of their field. They soar in the areas of sports, business, social venture, education, the arts and more.

In 2024, myself and our audience had a front-row seat to conversations that reveal how Success Leaves Clues, and at Aleda, we know there are consistent dimensions of what brilliant leadership looks like. We are exploring the great power of each of them during our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”.

The superpower of CURIOSITY is a priceless skill, and its impact is immense. In this episode, we've curated a remarkable group of individuals who embody the true essence of curiosity. 

Featuring:

[02:03] RIO FERDINAND - legend of English football and former England captain who represented his country on 81 occasions. One of the most decorated English footballers of all time, Rio is a respected broadcaster, documentary filmmaker, and startup investor in social media platform WeAre8.

[04:45] HARRY GARSIDE - the first Australian Olympic boxing medalist in more than three decades, winning bronze at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

[06:25] JO STANLEY - the founder and CEO of Broad Radio - Australia's first radio network for women by women, who spent 12 years on breakfast radio taking two shows on two different networks to number one - the only woman in Australia to ever do this.

[12:35] JACK VINEY - a legend of the Melbourne Football Club, a premiership player in 2021, who helped end a 57 year drought for his football club and is regarded and respected as one of the toughest competitors in the game

[14:45] JOHANN HARI - New York Times bestselling writer and journalist best known for ‘Stolen Focus' - a book about our modern lifestyles' impact on attention spans and mental health, and his latest book, Magic Pill - about the controversial weight loss drug - Ozempic.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode and if you want to hear more from any of them follow the link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

In our next Success Leaves Clues episode, we’ll shift focus to the leadership dimension of COMMUNICATING WITH CLARITY. We’ll hear from some extraordinary guests about the pivotal role communication has played in their journeys.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Aleda, we know there are consistent dimensions of what great leadership looks like, and we are exploring the great power of each of them during our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”.

On every Empowering Leaders episode we hear from people at the top of their industries. They soar in the areas of sports, business, social venture, education, the arts and more.

When it comes to the dimension of successfully creating and sharing a VISION, we have hand-selected the phenomenal group of people you’re about to hear and learn from. 

Creating and sharing a VISION that gets traction and has impact is a valuable skill, but as the following group of guests reveal, it’s a skill within reach for anyone who puts their mind to it.

Featuring:
[02:05] NIC NAITANUI - whose legacy as an Australian rules footballer is as significant as anyone in the modern era. The overall number two draft pick in 2008 - of Fijian heritage - went on to be a three time all Australian, two time West Coast Eagles best and fairest and played with athleticism and power, the likes of which the game hadn't seen before.
[05:00] ANDY FRIEND - one of the most respected coaches in world rugby, former head coach of the Brumbies, Australian Men's Rugby Sevens. Andy recently launched Performance Friend, a consultancy business, supporting highly scrutinised leaders across many fields.
[07:05] KURT FEARNLEY - the incredible Australian wheelchair racer & Paralympic gold medalist who famously crawled the treacherous Kokoda Track without his wheelchair.
[10:45] VANESSA FORD - chief operating officer of Kukua, a Kenyan based education entertainment company that has a primarily female executive team - AND the executive producer of the first African animated superhero series, Super SEMA, where the main character SEMA is an African superhero whose superpower is using her mind and science and technology. 
[16:34] BELINDA STOWELL - the Olympic gold medal winner from the Sydney Olympics who now leads other athletes to Olympic and world championship glory. 
[17:45] The Honourable WILL ALSTERGREN - Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit Court, which puts him at the coalface of family and gender based violence in Australia, an issue he tirelessly campaigns against in and out of the courtroom.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode and if you want to hear more from any of them follow the link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

On our next Success Leaves Clues episode: Curiosity is a leadership dimension that shapes our learning and development. We're excited to explore its transformative impact on the journeys of some exceptional guests and to learn just how they harnessed it. 

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Aleda, we recognise the consistent dimensions of what brilliant leadership looks like. In our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”, we are exploring the seven most powerful dimensions of leadership with the best of our 2024 guests.

On every Empowering Leaders episode we hear from people at the top of their industry - from sports to business to social venture, education and the arts. 

In each conversation we see the superpower of COLLABORATION unlocking opportunities people could only dream of. We've collected insights from a small group of those guests who have shared their wisdom, experiences, and leadership lessons on mastering the art of COLLABORATION with our global audience.

Featuring:
[01:45] CHLOE DALTON- professional Australian rules football, rugby union player and basketballer and Founder of the incredibly successful Female Athlete Project.
[02:50] CHRIS WALKER -  one of Australia's most successful television producers and co-creator and executive producer of The Weekly with Charlie Pickering and the incredibly successful Hard Quiz.
[04:40] TIM KOPRA - the former US Army Colonel and NASA astronaut who is now the CEO of STAR Lab, a joint venture between Voyager Space and Airbus. 
[09:10] JORDAN LOVE - American professional football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers in the NFL
[11:40] MICHAEL SCHNEIDER - managing director of Bunnings Group Australia and New Zealand and great contributor to the not-for-profit world as chairman of Fight MND.

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode. If they left you wanting more follow their link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

On next week’s Success Leaves Clues episode we’ve curated the tips and strategies told to us by leaders across the globe on how they most effectively create and share their VISION.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At Aleda, we recognise the consistent dimensions of what brilliant leadership looks like. In our Summer Series “Success Leaves Clues”, we are exploring the seven most powerful dimensions of leadership with the best of our 2024 guests.

On every Empowering Leaders episode, we hear from people at the top of every industry - from sports to business to social venture, education and the arts. 

We're kicking off this series with the Dimension of SELF LEADERSHIP, and our 2024 episodes are a gold mine of wisdom on this topic. The guests you’ll hear from in this special episode know that it easier it is to lead well when you can lead yourself well

Featuring: 
02:00: HUGH VAN CUYLENBURG - founder of The Resilience Project and the Imperfects Podcast. 
09:26: ANDY KELLY - one of Australia's leading music label directors and managers
12:19: UMRA OMAR - Kenyan humanitarian and community conservation strategist and founder of Safari Doctors.
15:37: SIR ROD EDDINGTON - highly distinguished Australian businessman and community leader
18:36: JAMES TOMKINS, OAM, a sport Australia Hall of fame legend and perhaps known best one quarter of the Oarsome Foursome that won world titles in 90, 91, 98, and Olympic Gold in 92 and 96. 
23:57: REGGIE BUTLER - founder and CEO of Performance Paradigm, one of the world's most respected leaders in connecting teams and developing great people.
27:34: KIRSTEN KING - founder of Fluid Form Pilates, a brilliant success story. 

A huge thank you to all the guests featured in this episode. If they left you wanting to hear more just follow their link to the full length, in depth conversations they each had with Luke in 2024.

In our next Success Leaves Clues episode, we'll dive into the Dimension of Collaboration with another carefully selected group of our 2024 guests.

If you enjoy listening to the Empowering Leaders podcast, be sure to subscribe and please, if you have a moment, please leave a review for us so we can reach more listeners and empower more leaders.

Learn. Lead. Collaborate.

Start your leadership journey today. Head to Aleda Collective to find out more about our signature, cross industry collaboration program, Aleda Connect. Curated and facilitated by experts, running for 8 fortnightly sessions, Aleda Connect is the learning experience of a life-time.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bev has over 20 years’ experience across the Australian and global biopharmaceutical & healthcare sectors. She holds a PhD in molecular medicine with additional qualifications in genetic counselling, project management and decision analysis.

Bev commenced her career with Postdoctoral roles in cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, before moving to genetic counselling practice and then commercial roles in research & development, portfolio management and strategic partnerships in the pharmaceutical industry.  

Throughout this conversation Menner outlines how being an adopted child shaped her upbringing to want to explore genetics on a deeper level and how she became fascinated through science.

Menner's company Cell Therapies is on the cusp of new breakthroughs everyday as she outlines. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.