Roll With The Punches

This one started as a bit of a yarn about paramedics and ended up punching me in the guts a lil' bit. We got into the day-to-day of the job. The pager going off, the adrenaline, the fact that what most of us would call chaos… just becomes a Tuesday for these guys.

Scotty’s one of those humans who downplays everything. Reckons he’s 'not that interesting' while casually dropping stories about delivering babies, walking into absolute carnage, and being what they call a 'shit magnet' on the road.

So here we are talking about instincts and that feeling when something’s off and you just know. The pressure of walking into someone else’s worst moment and needing to be the calm one in the room. And how your nervous system kind of adapts to that world.

There’s some epic lol-worthy stuff in here too. Bit dark... Bit cheeky... and the kind of humour you wholeheartedly need for a job like this...

And then… Scotty tells a story and this whole thing shifts gears.

I won't spoil it for ya'll with details... but yeah, this one might stay with you. 

 

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

SCOTT DOUGLAS

Website: horatio-jones.com.au

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode 1000… and somehow I landed it with one of the most honest, straight-shooting, no bullsh*t humans I’ve come across in the gender transition space. Daviana sure doesn’t tiptoe or dress things up to make people comfortable. She says what she thinks, stands in facts over feelings, and lets it land where it lands.

We got into identity, gender transition, parenting, sport, pronouns, and the very real, very messy experience of living in a body and a world that don’t always line up the way you expect. From navigating relationships and raising a daughter, to finding a version of yourself that actually feels right… this one covers some ground.

Underneath all of it though, this is a conversation about honesty. About choosing to live in a way that feels true, even when it’s complicated… even when it costs you.

There are moments that will make you laugh, moments that will make you go 'holy shit,' and moments that might stop you in your tracks… like hearing about rocking up to a daddy-daughter school dance in full glam and owning every second of it.

It’s bold, it’s unfiltered, and maybe for some it's going to be uncomfortable in places...

Exactly how episode 1000 should be.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

DAVIANA (DAVID MEMONT)

Website: facebook.com

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Buckle up for this absolute firecracker of a guest... I stumbled across Jordana recently when she presented at an event I was attending and it was instant wannabe bestie vibes for me!

She's one of those humans who aren't afraid to dive into new (and somewhat terrifying) adventures, like learning a lil' abracadabra to become a magician and doing stand-up comedy. You know, the kind of stuff that makes getting in the boxing ring for a punch in the snoz seem like a walk in the park, if you ask me.

We talked about beginner energy, the magic of being gloriously average at new stuff, and why talent is overrated and reps are everything. Oh, and Jordana shares some cracking stories about bombing on stage and being brutally heckled on an inescapable cruise ship (ouch).

Enjoy!

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I jumped on the mic after a morning doom scroll that left a bad taste in my mouth (as they often can). Two smart, credible humans I follow and generally value their content... One publicly and shamelessly tearing the other apart. But this is not the exception these days, it's sadly becoming the rule. Just today's standard algorithm bait dressed up as 'education.'

And it got me thinking. We say we value integrity, kindness, critical thinking. Then we reward outrage, pile-ons, and public shaming because it gets clicks and views. We tell kids not to bully while modelling the exact behaviour online (and offline). F*cking wild, huh?

So, here’s my general consensus...

If you’re putting yourself out there, expect heat. Life is a contact sport... (online sure effing is)

If you’re the one throwing the heat, ask who you’re becoming.

Cos guess what...

We can share ideas without being dickheads.
We can disagree without tearing people down.
We can influence without manipulating.

Be loud if you want.
Just don’t lose your integrity on the way.

Tune in if this interests you as much as it did me...

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahhh we all know the big three. 'Fight, flight, freeze'... The trauma response greatest hits. But nobody warned us about their sneaky little sibling, 'fawn'. That quiet shape-shifting, chronic people-pleasing “yeah I’m fine” while your insides are setting off silent alarm bells.

In this ep I sat down with clinical psychologist Ingrid Clayton, and we got stuck right into it… The trauma response that hides in plain sight. Turns out that fawning is survival mode dressed up as nice, agreeable, easy, and low-maintenance. Aaaaand meanwhile your nervous system is flailing it's legs like a duck under water.

Ingrid talks about how someone can live in a trauma response 24/7 and think it’s just their personality. How we can be high-functioning, polished, successful, reliable, admired… and wildly disconnected from ourselves.

If you’ve ever walked away thinking 'why did I say yes to that?'… press play.

 

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

INGRID CLAYTON, PhD

Website: Ingrid Clayton, PhD

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maaaate.... Nick Morrison went from riding full-grown bulls at 12 years old to breaking his neck, breaking his back, racking up more than 50 concussions and eventually losing the ability to speak. Let that sink in. A stand-up comedian and keynote speaker who literally couldn’t talk.

We went deep into identity. The cowboy up mentality. The addiction to adrenaline. The need to impress your peers. The regret that lingers when your career ends at 21 and you’re left asking who you were actually doing it for.

Nick shared what brain injury really looks like behind the scenes. The blackouts. The paranoia. The emotional volatility. The suicide attempts. And the moment a bullet misfired that changed the trajectory of his life.

What floored me most was this. He does two to four hours of brain work every single morning just to keep his speech. No days off. No excuses. And he still gets up and speaks on stages around the world.

We talked about regret. About trying to impress people who don’t even stick around. About unshackling yourself from other people’s opinions. About working like it depends on you and believing like it depends on something bigger.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

 

 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

G’day legends, this one’s me, solo, slightly caffeinated, and fresh off a boxing session so my brain is basically still shadowboxing like a boss. I'm eager to riff on some sneaky crap that keeps punching us humans in the face and causing us to spin our wheels... Like the idea that 'success' doesn’t delete fear, self-doubt, discomfort, or imposter syndrome. We keep telling ourselves this story that once we get good enough, experienced enough, and legit enough, those feelings will pack their bags and move to Perth. Well pals, they sure do not. They renovate and they bring friends.

Basically, this ep is ya verbal permission slip to stop waiting for confidence to rock up before you move. Aaaaand it’s probably not enroute whilst you're standing still... so, off you go!

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I loved this one! Elaine Lin Hering is all about silence. Not the peaceful, meditative kind. The learned kind... The kind where you know exactly what you want to say… and then don’t.

We talked about why 'just speak up' is crap advice, why some of us are post-processors who realise what we think three days later, and how hinting is not the same as being clear. Apparently 'Are you hungry?' is a yes or no question. Who knew.

It’s not about saying it perfectly or getting the response you want. It’s about choice. Am I choosing to stay silent, or is silence choosing me?

And yes, we absolutely unpacked my internal rage spiral over rice... That I don’t even like. Because it’s never about the rice.

If you’ve ever swallowed something that mattered, told yourself a story instead of having the conversation, or realised three days later what you wish you’d said… this one will land.

 

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

ELAINE LIN HERING

Website: Elaine Lin Hering – Unlearning Silence

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sat down with Andrew 'Atto' Atkinson, nearly 29 years in Victoria Police and a lifetime of stories that sound like a Netflix series but come with very real scars. We talked about the covert surveillance work that had him breaking into houses, planting listening devices, tracking cars, heart racing, sometimes while the occupants were still home. High risk. High reward. Calculated, but never casual.

Then we moved into the part people do not see.

Atto was deployed as a UN peacekeeper in East Timor and Iraq. He was stabbed in East Timor and that moment set off a chain reaction. Lifelong medical complications. PTSD. Cancer. Chemo. A brain tumour diagnosis. Joint replacements. And years of complete denial because back then you just did not talk about your mental health. You punched on.

Work was his purpose, his tribe, his happy place. It was also the thing he hid behind. Leaving the job meant losing belonging, losing self, losing structure. And that loss can be brutal.

We talked about self-blame, about the 'bucket filling up' until it overflows, about how healing really began when he stopped pretending he was fine. And yesssss, we talked about Sophie, his service dog funded through DVA, trained to detect seizures five minutes before they hit. Absolute superstar.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I waited eight months to get Scotty Douglas strapped into the hot seat here at RWTP HQ, and doesn't he have some stories to tell!

We went from Paris kitchens where he got dressed down by French chefs, to running a café with brown paper bag accounting and zero tax literacy, to cooking breakfast for the Dean who took a chance on him and changed the trajectory of his life.

Scott’s story is a wild and rambunctious ride. Chef to advanced life support paramedic. Service industry to service industry. From plating swordfish with beef cheek sauce to doing CPR in suburban lounge rooms.

We talked about ego and humility. About the shock of discovering not everyone in your dream profession is exceptional. About loving the chaos. About failure when failure means someone dies.

We unpacked the assault that changed everything for him. The moment confidence turned into hypervigilance. The reality that helping comes at a cost. And that desire to 'win' a resus. 

This one isn’t just about paramedicine. It’s about identity, purpose, and what happens when the thing you love also wounds you.

If he plays his cards right, we might just get him back to share some of the wilder stories I've heard...  

 

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS

Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au 

SCOTT DOUGLAS

Website: horatio-jones.com.au

TIFFANEE COOK

Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches

Website: tiffcook.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.