Kintsugi Heroes

Gregory’s story begins in a violent and destructive home environment fuelled by anger and alcohol. He describes in graphic detail a life of neglect and trauma through his years as uncontrollable child in an orphanage. 

When he left at nineteen, he had no life skills and eventually ended up living as a recluse living alone in a rainforest in Northern NSW. 

He shares his experiences, the wisdom he accrued and his suffering as he explored himself and his family lines. 

Eventually he made a remarkable turnaround and ended up at university where he graduated and began his successful career.  

Gregory had his first tenured position at the age of 64, became a father at the age of 67 and enjoys the tranquillity of peace of mind.

About Our Guest:

Dr Gregory P. Smith is a Forgotten Australian born in Tamworth, NSW in 1955. He and four of his siblings were surrendered to an orphanage in 1966. He was considered a problem child (‘uncontrollable’), diagnosed as a ‘sociopath’ with mid-range intelligence, and was in and out of child ‘care’ institutions until 1974. 

Following his release from ‘care’, Gregory searched in vain for the skills to live a fruitful and rewarding life but became increasingly disillusioned with society and lived on the fringe as a recluse in a Northern NSW rain forest where he spent his time reflecting and reading important authors such as Douglas Adams. 

In 1999, through catharsis and serendipity, Gregory decided to give society one more chance, walked out of the forest and began to explore life from a different perspective. His life was transformed. In 2007 he completed a degree in Social Science, obtaining an Honours (1st Class). Gregory completed his PhD in 2015. His dissertation concerned how institutional childcare leavers experienced a sense of belonging, place and self as they aged.  

Today Gregory is a lecture and social researcher working to improve outcomes for the homeless and most vulnerable in Australian society. He is a Director for the End Street Sleeping Collaboration and a Special Consultant for the Global Advisory Council for CareSource USA. He is the author of the best seller Out of the forest (2018) published by Penguin Random House, the subject of two Australian Broadcasting Corporation documentaries and a successful TEDx.

YouTube Episode:

https://youtu.be/U44u_VT1rm0

Contact:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authordrgregorysmith/

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Mentioned in this episode:

Support Kintsugi Heroes

Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit, and every story we share is free for the people who need it. If this show has meant something to you, you can help us keep going. Visit kintsugiheroes.com.au and click donate. Every contribution helps us keep telling these stories, and it's tax-deductible.

Thank You For Listening

Follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, or share your own story at kintsugiheroes.com.au. Your story matters.

Lena describes her dysfunctional family and a long struggle with depression, including suicidal ideation. The loss of a close friend to suicide without her being aware of his pain provided the basis of her passion for creating safe places for other people to find acceptance and support when they need help. Lena faced her own fears to create a pathway for people of different cultural backgrounds to come together. Then she started a coaching business to help people find their mission and purpose in life. She helps others discover their unique gifts and skills, revealing their purpose.

About Our Guest

Lena Papadopoulos is a life purpose and leadership coach. She helps heart-centred, mission-driven visionaries and changemakers uncover their personal power and honour their unique gifts so they can live their truth, fulfil their purpose, and positively impact the world.

With fifteen years of experience designing and facilitating intercultural learning, community-building, and leadership development programs, Lena has worked with individuals, schools, non-profits, and social enterprises in more than ten countries.

YouTube episode:

https://youtu.be/BQC6vFqzJjg

Contact

I: https://www.instagram.com/lena_papadopoulos/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lena-papadopoulos/

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

In this first guest podcast, the Kintsugi Hero is John Milham. He describes his journey from the crippling grief of losing his childhood sweetheart and beloved wife to how he survived and later thrived. At the same time, he completely changed his life's direction and identity while raising his three young children.

He tells his harrowing story with humility, emotional truth and engaging honesty. His story offers a beacon of hope and inspiration to anyone else who finds themselves in a similarly desperate situation.

About Our Guest:

John's successful twenty-five-year career in corporate IT was interrupted fourteen years ago by personal tragedy. He became a widowed father of three young kids and felt a profound need to manage life's challenges and work in a new way.  

He embraced his new reality by leaving the corporate world and starting down a path of exploration, seeking understanding, growth and development. John tackled his depression, grief, suicidal ideation and general anxiety disorder head-on and found support and recovery.   

This total change of personal and professional direction and embracing massive personal growth and transformation involved study and research. He gained qualifications in coaching, mentoring, training and mental health. 

This lit a fire of passion for serving others and making a difference where he can.

His new mission was to help others through life's inevitable transitions and transformations.  

He has volunteered and worked on community programs and with organizations and groups working in the community for over ten years. His core focus is on supporting men's development and connection through peer support and a lived experience framework which promotes programs operating wherever men gather.  

John lives on Sydney's northern beaches, works with Mentoring Men, Raise, and others and is heavily involved in suicide prevention programs focused on working with men's wellbeing.

YouTube Episode:

https://youtu.be/jZu_DugZ6rI

Contact

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnmilham

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Mentioned in this episode:

Support Kintsugi Heroes

Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit, and every story we share is free for the people who need it. If this show has meant something to you, you can help us keep going. Visit kintsugiheroes.com.au and click donate. Every contribution helps us keep telling these stories, and it's tax-deductible.

Thank You For Listening

Follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, or share your own story at kintsugiheroes.com.au. Your story matters.

In this introductory episode, we meet Ian Westmoreland, the founder of Kintsugi heroes and Aveline Clarke, the podcast host.  

Kintsugi Heroes is the realisation of Ian's long-term dream to share the stories of people who have been through adversity to give hope and inspiration to others. 

Kintsugi comes from a Japanese emperor whose artisans created precious gold-encrusted pottery from broken pieces. A perfect metaphor for the series and the people whose broken lives are healing and now sharing their wisdom with others.

Aveline is a successful entrepreneur and podcaster inspired by Ian's vision which aligns with her personal purpose to help improve people's lives.

About Our Guests:

Ian Westmoreland

On 10 September 2013, I experienced a life-changing moment that led to a decision to retire from paid work in May 2014 and commence a volunteer mentoring career. 

I initially volunteered with the Raise Foundation, Kidshope and COACH mentoring programs. In 2018 after experiencing a life challenge, I searched for an organisation that provided free long-term one-to-one "life" mentoring to Australian men.

I was surprised and disappointed that no suitable program existed, especially for a demographic that historically struggles with vulnerability and would benefit from having someone support them in their life journey. In response, I commenced the development of the Mentoring Men program in June 2018, and the program was officially launched by Julian Leeser, Federal Member for Berowra, in November 2018.

I established Kintsugi Heroes with the purpose of "uncovering our hidden value" and providing uplifting and inspirational content to people experiencing or at risk of experiencing significant life challenges. 

Aveline Clarke

Aveline is the Founder and CEO of Journey Point, where she assists businesses to connect meaningfully with their core customer whilst helping them to connect with their purpose in business. 

She is also the Founder and Host of the 6 Star Business Podcast, a movement of purpose-driven businesses that want to create more purpose, love and impact in the world. The 6 Star Business community is a global one and is helping create more meaning for businesses whilst improving the lives of everyone.

Aveline joined Ian Westmoreland to bring Kintsugi Heroes to life as it aligned with her personal purpose of improving people's lives everywhere.

When she's not focussed on business and podcasts, Aveline is passionate about keeping fit and healthy - inside and out - and loves adventures in nature, music and sport... including Formula 1! She's currently learning to surf so she can go out and surf with her 12-year-old son, and she has fun creating new plant-based meals and desserts eve

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

Mentioned in this episode:

Thank You For Listening

Follow the show, share it with someone who needs it, or share your own story at kintsugiheroes.com.au. Your story matters.

Support Kintsugi Heroes

Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit, and every story we share is free for the people who need it. If this show has meant something to you, you can help us keep going. Visit kintsugiheroes.com.au and click donate. Every contribution helps us keep telling these stories, and it's tax-deductible.