Max's Island

Belinda Gosden is a woman who proved that when you truly want something, no rejection or risk can stand in your way. 

For many years, Belinda harboured a dream of cooking on MasterChef Australia. She applied once. She applied twice…In fact, she was turned down multiple times.

But rather than giving up, Belinda doubled down.

She took a massive leap of faith: quitting a job she hated, selling her apartment to fund her journey, and literally picturing herself in the MasterChef kitchen holding the trophy.

She manifested her spot on national television … and proved to herself that her lifelong love for food was far more than a hobby — as she puts it, 'it's a life.'

In this episode, Belinda opens up about the intense audition process, what it really feels like when the cameras roll, the self-doubt she battled in the kitchen, and how taking this risk transformed her career and self-belief forever. It’s a raw, funny, and deeply personal conversation about sacrifice, resilience, and the courage to fight for what you want.

We are diving into a story that takes us from the gruelling front lines of corporate HR redundancies all the way to the empowering world of executive leadership and imposter syndrome coaching.

Can you imagine spending 12 to 18 months delivering devastating job news to dedicated employees during a major industry downturn. That was the reality for our guest on this episode … Leonie Murray … who after 25 years in senior HR roles across the globe, found herself burnt out, heartbroken, and completely lacking joy in her work. 

It wasn't until her own executive coach confronted her with one life-changing question—“Where’s the joy in your life?”—that Leonie realised she had to make a drastic change.

In this raw and inspiring conversation, Leonie opens up about her eight-year transition from corporate HR manager to founding The Art of Leadership at age 57. She shares her candid personal battles with imposter syndrome and reveals how over 82% of professionals silently battle the very same self-doubt.

Whether you feel trapped in a career that no longer serves you, struggle with stepping into your authority, or wonder if it’s too late to reinvent yourself, Leonie’s powerful message that "life rewards action" will challenge and motivate you to take your next bold step.

Take the opportunity to connect with Leonie, especially if you have personal fears of imposter syndrome:-

https://theartofleadership.com.au/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leonie-murray/

In this episode, we dive straight into the heart of Kate Rodgers’ very personal story: the Triptych of Karawara. 

Kate takes us through a deeply impactful childhood … painted in three distinct panels. The first is architectural—a childhood spent inside a literal panopticon, a hexagonal state-housing block in 1980s Perth, surrounded by the inward-pressing, incomplete loops of a Radburn-designed suburb. The second is socially influenced—navigating the heavy stigma of a shifting welfare state as the child of a fiercely protective single mother, finding solace not in school, but in brutalist university libraries and piles of classic books. And the third is a rare beacon of agency—the Karawara 'Fun Factory,' a Danish-inspired adventure play-space where kids were handed raw, recycled materials and told to shape their own worlds.

Together, these three panels form the canvas of Kate's life, showing how she reclaimed her agency in systems designed to constrain it. It's a masterclass in how our physical and social environments shape what we are allowed to be curious about—and how we can design a more regenerative, self-thriving future for ourselves and others.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodgerskate/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/commonsight/posts/?feedView=all

We live in an increasingly complex world. In our post-pandemic reality, many of us have quietly slipped into survival mode—feeling exhausted, insular, and struggling to imagine alternative futures.

So how do we break out of this cognitive fatigue? How do we reclaim our agency when our very attention is being systematically shaped by algorithms, devices, and those tiny red notification icons?

Kate Rodgers believes the path forward lies in a force we often take for granted: curiosity.

Kate is a design futures researcher, technologist, and educator. After experiencing profound professional burnout, Kate made a brave, counterintuitive choice: she let go of the need for control. Guided by the chaos of the "design squiggle," she allowed herself to navigate the mess until she discovered her life's true through-line.

Now, through her practice, Kate champions "the serious work of playful change". She helps organizations and collectives step out of their heads and literally think with their hands—using tools like Lego and clay to unlock emergent, subconscious ideas.

In this episode, we explore the power dynamics of who gets to be curious, how the status quo forms an invisible infrastructure around us, and how we can rebuild our collective imagination

Over the years on Max’s Island we have had many great storytellers … and I don’t want new listeners to the Island to miss out on some gems from the back catalogue.  

Today we are revisiting the episode with Simon White and his involvement with the main character from the Fine Cotton racing affair. … not only because it’s a really good yarn … but also because next week is the 42nd anniversary of this famous part of Australian sporting folklore.

Simon is a veteran journalist who, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ring-in when he was a racing journo in South Australia, was tasked with tracking down the elusive trainer of Fine Cotton, Hayden Haitana—or "H," as his friends called him.

What started as a routine assignment turned into a deep, lasting friendship with a self-described "laid-back Maori" who had spent decades living on the fringes of society, carrying the can for a scheme that went far beyond him. 

But the story doesn’t end there. Moved by H's plight, Simon did what no one else could do —he helped write the letter that ultimately got Hayden’s lifetime ban revoked in 2013, allowing him to finally walk back onto a racecourse legally and show his grandkids what he did for a living.

This is an incredible yarn of mateship, redemption, and the ghost of Eagle Farm. This is Simon White’s story about H.

Keoni Upton is a young man at the very start of his working life, whose leap into business wasn't born from decades of corporate experience, but from a dramatic, near-death experience. 

As a second-year apprentice electrician, Keoni found himself trapped by a 240-volt electric shock. In that terrifying moment … where the world went silent … he realised that tomorrow is never guaranteed, and he had not yet taken the risk to truly bet on himself… even at that early age in life.

After surviving the incident and seeing that his employer treated him as just another "number in the system," Keoni made a life-altering choice. He abandoned the security of his trade and his guaranteed $800-a-week paycheck, overcame the fear of disappointing his parents, and went all-in on his passion. 

Today, he runs The Growth Concept Media, a business dedicated to story-led content and redefining marketing by selling the emotions behind a brand. Keoni’s journey proves that sometimes, the biggest risks are the only way to truly live. 

Connect with Keoni and feel the passion and emotion that is driving him toward success.

https://www.growthconceptmedia.com.au/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0432 969 170

Jeremy Cookson, proves age is no barrier. After a long, successful career delivering major projects for ad agencies and leaving a senior corporate role at LotteryWest, Jeremy finally found the time and financial freedom to pursue a passion project of his own.

He is the founder of AskPro, an innovative platform that connects Australian nonprofits with high-level corporate expertise. 

Recognizing that professional skills act as a highly valuable currency, Jeremy saw an opportunity to revolutionize traditional corporate volunteering. While teams going out and painting fences is fantastic, he realized that if an IT director or head of marketing loaned their everyday, specialized skills to underfunded charities, it would create a massive "ripple in a pond" effect of lasting impact.

In this episode, Jeremy opens up about the raw realities of starting a business later in your career. He shares everything from the initial 'blind terror' of someone stealing his idea, to getting bogged down in unfamiliar new technologies, and how he pushes through those tough weeks where he just wants to put the project down and step away.

www.askpro.com.au

Email: [email protected]

Lynsey McDonnell proves that it is never too late to chase a spark of inspiration, even if you spend your days immersed in spreadsheets and financial reports. Lynsey, is a successful Chief Financial Officer, a dedicated mother, and now, a published debut author. Her journey to publication is nothing short of magical, or as she likes to call it, an instance of the story choosing the writer rather than the other way around.

It all began with a random glance at the West Australian newspaper in January 2018, where an article about the 150th anniversary of the Hougoumont, the last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, caught her eye. This sparked a deep dive into the incredible history of the Fenian Irish soldiers on board, specifically the captivating story of John Boyle O'Reilly. John was tried for treason and sent to Western Australia, where he oversaw road construction and eventually found himself entangled in a forbidden romance with a warder's daughter. Lynsey masterfully weaves this fascinating historical narrative with a compelling contemporary dual-timeline involving a heritage-listed Fremantle cottage and an Irish radio producer named Rebecca.

In this episode, Lynsey opens up about the gruelling but rewarding path to traditional publication with Hawkeye Publishing. She shares how the skills she honed as an accountant surprisingly aided her writing, how she handled the harsh realities of literary rejections, and the terrifying vulnerability of finally holding her physical book in her hands.

Lynsey also explains the insights into balancing a demanding full-time career with her creative passions, proving that magic can indeed exist in the margins of our busy lives.

https://www.lynseymcdonnell.com/

Originally heading to the hospital for a minor issue—and eager to attend an upcoming Ed Sheeran concert—Levi Surjan and his family were suddenly thrust into a 30-day hospitalisation and a harrowing battle with cancer. 

On this episode of Max's Island, 19-year-old Levi explores with us the profoundly life-altering journey that began with a shocking leukemia diagnosis at just 11 years old. 

Levi opens up about the physical toll of his chemotherapy, particularly how the drug Vincristine damaged his muscles and stripped him of his ability to play the active sports he loved. 

However, as Levi notes, closing that door … opened a new one: a deep passion for motor bikes and mechanics that make them work. 

He shares how fixing broken motorbikes became a vital coping mechanism during treatment, eventually leading to getting a Make-A-Wish workshop in his mum’s backyard … a place he still uses every weekend.

Beyond his personal recovery, Levi's story is one of incredible community spirit, highlighted by the "Laps for Levi" fundraiser that generated $18,000 for cancer charities. But, most importantly, Levi reflects on how his battle with cancer has matured him, instilled relentless positivity, and fueled his dream to positively impact others. 

This is an unforgettable story of resilience and growth.

Digby Scott shares his transformative journey from living on "autopilot" to fully embracing a life of conscious choice. Digby takes us back to a massive epiphany he experienced at age 22 while sitting outside the Colosseum in Rome.

It was there he realised he wasn't bound to the linear, traditional path of becoming a chartered accountant that had been laid out for him. Instead, empowered by a profound sense of freedom, he chose a life of adventure—traveling from Rome to Greece and then to the US, and even working the hardest job of his life as a commercial salmon fisherman in Canada.

Digby also discusses how traveling solo to Ireland and writing in his journal helped him map out the core requirements for his professional life (working with people in a fast-paced environment where he could help others). This simple act of sense-making propelled him into a successful career in recruitment in London and New Zealand.

Today, Digby uses his life experiences to coach leaders and teams, teaching them that effective leadership is a creative act and helping them rediscover their own agency.

In this episode you’ll hear about his upcoming return to Perth after 20 years in New Zealand, and learn how you can use the power of choice to deliberately design a fulfilling future.

https://digbyscott.com/