GV Talks

In this episode, we speak with Lindsay Dann, who was a history teacher at Shepparton High School for 20 years. 

Listen in as Lindsay discusses his thoughts on the importance of history and the current state of education in Shepparton. He also goes down memory lane, commenting on the evolution of schools, students, and teachers throughout his career, and interactions with former students that make him proud to be a teacher. 

Key Highlights 

● [01:39] An introduction to Lindsay Dann and his love for history 

● [06:11] Characteristics of a good teacher and what we’re really supposed to take away from school 

● [09:44] What jobs one can get with a degree in history 

● [12:04] Why people seemed so much braver in the past (i.e. during wars) 

● [14:57] The history of epidemics 

● [16:29] What Australia did well to contain COVID-19 

● [17:23] Lindsay’s favourite moments in history 

● [18:11] A brief history of Australia 

● [25:57] How the study of history has helped Lindsay understand finances 

● [27:35] How student culture at Shepparton High School has changed over the past 20 years, and its future 

● [30:34] Why Shepparton’s tech schools shut down 

● [33:31] The difference between Alexander the Great and Hitler 

● [36:52] Do kids today lack a sense of purpose because there is no great war to overcome? 

● [38:00] Lindsay’s family history 

● [39:17] Why we gain a greater appreciation for history as we grow older 

● [42:42] How teachers have changed since the 1970s 

● [45:00] What Lindsay would say to someone who is aspiring to become a teacher 

● [48:05] How to stop confirmation bias 

● [49:43] How Lindsay feels about his career in hindsight 

● [51:20] Who locally inspires Lindsay? 

● [52:35] How Lindsay met his wife 

● [54:55] The secret to a successful relationship 

Powerful Quotes by Lindsay 

● It’s not about the job you can get from studying history, but the skills that you learn and improve on that will help you get a job: your thinking skills; writing skills; and your ability to look at a situation, form an opinion, and have an argument to back it up. 

● I enjoy the story of Australia. For such a small, populated country, we’ve had incredible successes, whether it be in literature, science, mathematics—it just goes on and on. I think Australians are inspirational. 

● I love being able to tell a story and then have someone argue with me about whether I was right or wrong. That was my way of getting students to think about what was going on in the past which affects them today.

In this episode, we speak with gym manager and entrepreneur Brea Dorsett on her various projects and initiatives, including her work with the Education First Youth Foyers (EFYF). 

Listen in as Brea discusses her path to a career in the health and fitness industry while navigating the challenges of living in a broken home, how she begins her morning to set herself up for success for the day, her first opportunity to coach students who went through the same thing she did, and her experience being an advocate for positive body image. 

Key Highlights  

● [02:08] An introduction to Brea Dorsett  

● [06:04] How Brea’s passions developed through the years  

● [10:35] Brea on adversity and rebuilding yourself  

● [12:55] Dealing with anxiety and starting your day right  

● [17:30] Building your self-confidence and people skills by putting others first  

● [18:25] Brea on her business and her mindset toward health and fitness  

● [24:16] Why believing in yourself is more important than others believing in you  

● [27:55] Five things that Brea loves about herself  

● [30:42] Being a local advocate for positive body image  

● [33:10] Staying healthy while still being able to enjoy the not-so-healthy foods you love occasionally  

● [36:42] How body image is perceived nowadays  

● [40:29] Brea’s client success stories 

● [44:17] Influencers that Brea follows on Instagram  

● [45:39] Brea’s goals moving forward outside of Val You Health & Wellness  

● [46:56] Who locally inspires Brea?  

Powerful Quotes by Brea  

● I’m a firm believer that the energy you put out is what you’ll get back. So, if you can walk around and have a smile on your face and spread that positivity, it makes the world a better place.  

● I don’t appreciate the situation, but I appreciate the growth that came from the situation. I wouldn’t be who I am without what’s happened to me. 

● Fitness is just a small component of health.  

● I’m sure there were people who believed in me, but if you don’t believe in yourself, you don’t see the good.  

● Health and body image is different for everyone. Your biggest goal is to love and respect your body.  

● My clients may start off motivated. But if they fall off the bandwagon because their mindset is not right, I’m doing an injustice to them.

In this episode, we speak with tattoo artist Cristen Brunner, co-owner of Uncut Diamond alongside her sister Jenna. 

Listen in as Cristen discusses her ongoing journey as a tattoo artist, how long it took for her to graduate from practising on pigskins, why tattoo stores tend to feel uncomfortable or intimidating to be in and what Uncut Diamond does differently, the different styles of her employees and apprentices, and how the tattoo industry as a whole has evolved.  

Key Highlights  

● [01:56] An introduction to Cristen Brunner and Uncut Diamond  

● [03:54] What it actually means to be a skilled tattoo artist  

● [05:19] How Cristen got into tattooing  

● [09:10] Getting apprenticed by an expert tattoo artist  

● [11:14] How Cristen creates a welcoming environment at Uncut Diamond  

● [12:18] Being a female in the tattoo industry  

● [14:27] How Uncut Diamond evolved over the years  

● [16:00] Jenna’s role in the business  

● [17:25] Launching a merch line and online store  

● [18:29] Cristen’s tattooing style  

● [20:41] Discussing designs depicting relatives or pets that have passed away with clients  

● [22:29] Cristen’s idea of a “perfect client”  

● [23:44] Client horror stories  

● [26:29] Why numbing cream is discouraged and dealing with the pain of being tattooed  

● [31:41] Cristen’s employees and apprentices at Uncut Diamond 

● [37:17] Uncut Diamond’s relationship with the other tattoo shops in Shepparton  

● [39:52] The continuing evolution of the tattoo industry  

● [42:35] Cristen’s goals in 2021  

● [43:37] Who locally inspires Cristen?  

Powerful Quotes by Cristen  

● If you’re a serious artist, you want to do your own stuff. You want to be able to work with your client and get the best possible outcome for them based on your skillset—not somebody else’s.  

● If you can’t put it on paper, you can’t put it on skin. Practice, practice, practice.  

● As an industry, the more professional we take it, the more professionally our clients will take it.

In this episode, we speak with Maddie Milsom, personal trainer, mental health advocate, and wife and mother of two. 

Listen in as Maddie discusses how she navigated the many challenges presented by 2020, why she fell in love with the prospect of being a PT, how she overcomes negativity and an inside look at her and Harley’s upcoming six-week challenge. 

Key Highlights 

● [02:05] Maddie Milsom’s fitness journey through the last 12 months 

● [06:38] Completing 75 Hard and overcoming mental and emotional barriers 

● [11:15] The best and worst parts of Maddie’s 2020 

● [18:45] What Maddie thinks about the podcast 

● [20:10] Why being a PT, aside from motherhood, is Maddie’s calling 

● [24:23] Maddie’s plans once she becomes a fully qualified PT 

● [29:14] Becoming unfazed by negative opinions 

● [30:29] Harley and Maddie’s six-week challenge 

● [35:10] The merits of group fitness classes 

● [37:02] How someone new to training should approach the program 

● [40:48] The truth about progress 

● [41:57] Maddie’s goals for the new year 

● [42:46] Maddie’s message to the Shepparton public 

Powerful Quotes by Maddie 

● Three months may not seem like much, but things happening internally in that time is exponential. 

● Your physical self is not everything; but it is one component of all of you, and when you physically don’t feel good, it’s very hard to put your best self out. 

● Your health is the biggest investment you can make. 

● It’s such a powerful thing when you’re around someone who just wants you to win. 

● I’ve spent a lot of time being deterred by negative opinions, and when I focused on those, I stayed where I was. When I stopped focusing on those, I grew.

In this episode, we speak with Alistair Hand, a graphic designer working at Goulburn Valley Signmakers. 

Listen in as Alistair discusses his lessons learned from being a cancer survivor and a new father, how he intends to raise his son Harvey, and his self-care practices as a new father amid Covid season. 

Key Highlights 

● [02:25] An introduction to Alistair Hand 

● [04:23] Being a new father 

● [07:02] Alistair’s family and upbringing 

● [14:54] How Alistair’s relationship with Emma developed since having Harvey 

● [19:21] Having support and encouragement from family and peers as a new parent 

● [22:40] Where Alistair’s natural instinct to look at the positives in life comes from 

● [26:54] Alistair’s tips for future fathers 

● [31:02] How Alistair’s parents disciplined him and what he’ll carry over when disciplining an older Harvey 

● [37:12] Values that Alistar wants to instill in Harvey 

● [38:43] What scares Alistair the most about the future with regards to Harvey? 

● [43:50] How Alistair sees his life 12 months from now 

● [46:36] Who locally inspires Alistair? 

● [48:57] Alistar’s message for a 15-year-old Harvey 

Powerful Quotes by Alistair 

● One of the best things that a new parent can have is support. You’re probably doing better as a father or a mother than you imagine you are. 

● As a cancer survivor, a positive attitude probably had a major, major part of me being here today. 

● Some parents shelter their kids too much, and it ends up having the opposite intended effect when they let loose later on because they’ve been so locked down all their life.

In this episode, we speak with Cheryl of Muse Meditation. 

Listen in as Cheryl discusses the amazing power of meditation to raise your level of self-awareness, why people feel so much resistance when meditating for the first time, the benefits of mindfulness meditation, and the future of meditation. Stay tuned till the end as Cheryl conducts a live, five-minute breathe-and-feel meditation. 

Key Highlights 

● [01:38] An introduction to Cheryl 

● [03:53] How Cheryl’s parents shaped who she is today 

● [06:17] What meditation means for Cheryl 

● [08:42] A primer on mindfulness meditation 

● [10:00] What most people feel the first time they do meditation 

● [11:57] Being heart-led as opposed to being head-led 

● [14:10] The role of visualization in meditation 

● [17:01] How to meditate 

● [20:33] Other words for “mindfulness” 

● [22:36] The benefits of meditation 

● [25:12] Is the universe in the sky or within us? 

● [27:27] How Cheryl was drawn to meditation 

● [30:13] What yin and yang represent in meditation 

● [31:30] Enhancing your meditation through energy and movement 

● [37:46] How meditation has evolved through the years and its future 

● [39:55] Cheryl’s services at Muse Meditation 

● [43:03] One of Cheryl’s most amazing client success stories 

● [44:33] Cheryl’s end goal and the insatiability of human beings 

● [46:21] Who locally inspires Cheryl? 

● [48:10] A live, five-minute breathe-and-feeling meditation 

Powerful Quotes by Cheryl 

● If I could do anything for anyone, it’s to promote the benefits of meditation and what it’s given me and hope that it gives them the same. 

● Every time you don’t do the thing that you said you would do, you’re showing yourself that you don’t trust yourself. Building that meditation practice is building that trust and relationship with yourself. 

● If you’re a beginner to meditation, start with your breath; start with your body in the present moment. It doesn’t have to be deeply profound every time you do it. 

● You’re not striving for the goal. You’re striving for the feeling that the goal will give you. 

● Emotions are energy in motion.

In this episode, we speak with Luke McCluskey, owner of McCluskey Heating & Cooling. 

Listen in as Luke discusses his troubled past and how he came to enter his trade, his thoughts on addiction of any kind, and how he aims to help others who are struggling with drug addiction today. 

Key Highlights 

● [01:28] An introduction to Luke McCluskey 

● [02:52] Luke’s opinion on the Shepparton Art Museum 

● [04:15] Luke’s childhood and his relationship with his separated parents 

● [06:19] Luke’s professional background 

● [09:12] The experiences that shaped Luke growing up 

● [12:03] What it was like to be arrested at 22 and Luke’s history of drug abuse 

● [17:46] Why is drug addiction so hard to overcome? 

● [19:45] The long-term repercussions of Luke’s drug addiction and arrest 

● [21:01] Does Luke regret his journey he went through to get to this point in his life? 

● [23:38] What Luke would tell someone going through what he went through today 

● [25:45] Why people would need an escape 

● [28:23] When Luke discovered his potential 

● [30:39] Giving back to those struggling with drug addiction 

● [32:37] What Luke learned about personal responsibility from Jordan Peterson 

● [34:09] The dragons that Luke is facing today 

● [35:33] Luke’s goals moving forward 

● [38:50] Who locally inspires Luke? Powerful 

Quotes by Luke 

● Don’t ask, “Why the addiction?” but instead ask, “Why the pain?” You need to work out why you’re trying to make yourself feel better. 

● I’m proud of what I’ve been through for who I am now. 

● Addiction doesn’t just stop. You don’t just “get better”. You constantly need to work on it for the rest of your life. 

● For me, it wasn’t so much the drugs that was addictive, but the lifestyle that the drugs brought. 

● You can solve any problem in your life if you just adopt personal responsibility.

In this episode, we speak with James Thomson of , one of the breweries in Shepparton. 

Listen in as James discusses how he and his two partners came up with the idea to set up a brewery, the history of the brewery in Shepparton, how Wildlife is growing its community via their membership program, and his plans for the future of the business post-COVID. 

Key Highlights 

● [00:57] An introduction to James Thomson 

● [04:33] The joys of managing a lifestyle business 

● [05:46] How James came up with the name of his brewery 

● [07:42] Unearthing the history of Shepparton’s brewing history 

● [10:03] What each of Wildlife’s three founders bring to the business 

● [11:02] What makes Wildlife’s beers different? 

● [14:02] How Wildlife came to be 

● [15:34] Wildlife’s first customers 

● [16:25] Early challenges while starting the business 

● [18:50] How Wildlife’s membership works 

● [20:10] Upcoming beers within the next 12 months 

● [23:14] Local pubs partnered with Wildlife 

● [24:01] How James would describe his wildlife 

● [26:04] Wildlife’s most outstanding members 

● [28:17] The ins-and-outs of running a microbrewery 

● [30:37] How much beer does James drink? 

● [33:12] James’s goal for the business 

● [35:12] Who locally inspires James? 

● [36:02] James’s message to the Shepparton public 

Powerful Quotes by James 

● There will never be a time when you look at the bank account and go, “Oh, there’s enough money.” It doesn’t really work like that. You’re the asset that’s going to generate that money. 

● A great beer is a balanced beer. 

● Our best asset is that we don’t know everything about making beer, and that’s what helps us make good beer. 

● You might sometimes brew a beer that just goes on its own little journey and you can’t explain why. You investigate and find out. 

● A business is shaped by the things that happen along the journey.

In this episode, we speak with Lachlan Brett, owner of Acts of Kindness Apparel. 20% of proceeds from each of AoK’s items go to local mental health or suicidal awareness associations every three months, adding up to four donations per year.  

Listen in as Lachlan discusses how and why he was inspired to create a business that contributes to greater awareness of the importance of mental health, his experience with GOTAFE and who else can benefit from it, and stigmas that persist today with regards to mental health and how you can do your small part in overcoming them. 

Key Highlights  

● [00:38] An introduction to Lachlan Brett and AoK Apparel  

● [02:12] How it feels to hand big checks to these various associations  

● [03:14] Lachlan’s thoughts on uni  

● [04:48] What inspired Lachlan to take up graphic design?  

● [08:22] Who can benefit from exploring GOTAFE?  

● [11:56] What is AoK Apparel and how do they help the community?  

● [15:52] Why Lachlan decided to set up his business with a philanthropic angle, specifically towards mental health  

● [16:48] How AoK defines “mental health”  

● [21:46] Ways to improve your mental health outside of having conversations  

● [22:56] How Lachlan spreads his message and expands the reach of his business  

● [27:33] Where to find professional help for improving your mental health 

● [30:13] How Lachlan’s passion for supporting others developed since his youth  

● [32:59] The importance of keeping your word  

● [33:27] Lachlan’s plans for the next 12 months  

● [35:52] How the Shepparton community can support Lachlan and AoK Apparel  

● [38:50] Who locally inspires Lachlan?  

Powerful Quotes by Lachlan  

● If you’re still at home or you’re still struggling and you don’t know what to do, GOTAFE can lead you down a great career path.  

● We want the locals to be able to see and follow along the journey. They know that when they purchased that shirt was when that donation was used.  

● Our business model gives people a reason to buy our products. It’s a way to give back. If someone sees you walking down the street wearing an AoK Apparel shirt, they see that you also understand that mental health is an important issue and that it impacts everyone.  

● I want to break the stigma that “mental health” is always a bad thing.  

● Sometimes, all it takes is for someone to listen.  

● There’s no greater feeling than being able to help someone.  

● If you give someone your word—if you tell someone you’re going to do it, do it. Don’t give people false hope.  

● It’s not hard to be nice.

In this episode, we speak with athlete Nick Deane. 

Listen in as Nick discusses the humorous beginning to his relationship to Harley as a trainee, his current health and fitness goals, his passion for hunting, his thoughts on living in Shepparton, and his hopes for post-COVID times. 

Key Highlights 

● [00:35] How Harley met Nick and their training experience 

● [05:48] How Nick’s health and fitness goals changed over time 

● [07:11] What Nick is focused on now 

● [10:47] Recovering following a gruelling run 

● [12:37] Nick’s mindset toward endurance training 

● [13:27] Nick’s mindset toward weight training 

● [14:02] Why Nick is all about balance 

● [15:06] Does Nick consider himself a healthy person? 

● [15:33] Nick on hunting 

● [17:44] How much time Nick has spent learning about nutrition 

● [22:17] Why Nick is not on social media ● [27:00] What inspires Nick to train? 

● [28:10] Training for a hunt 

● [29:10] Nick’s thoughts on Shepparton 

● [31:48] Raising a family in Shepparton 

● [32:38] What Nick is looking forward to in the near future 

● [34:00] The day-to-day challenges amid quarantine 

● [38:01] Who locally inspires Nick? 

Powerful Quotes by Nick 

● When I train, I remind myself not to go too hard. I need to stay focused, but I also don’t want to burn out. 

● Balance has always been a big thing for me. 

● You can train as hard as you want, but you’ve got to have your diet right because eating shit is easy. 

● I look for something to train towards instead of just training to train.