Seize the Yay

As promised, part two of our incredible episode with David the Medium. I wasn't expecting a 1:1 reading and, in fact, have always been a little nervous given that I'm adopted and wasn't sure who would show up in the room... but we leant in all the way and it was so special...

You all know I love welcoming guests to the show when I’ve been lucky enough to have been there for some of the chapters of their yay and today’s is someone I’ve had on the list for a very long time. When you hear that we both actually started our professional lives in corporate law, there’s many things you could assume about what came next but the pivot he ended up taking is possibly the very last direction you’d ever imagine a criminal prosecutor and counter-terrorism analyst would take.

I’m talking of course about the incomparable ⁠David The Medium⁠ and his extraordinary gift for connecting with people who are no longer with us. What makes his story even more fascinating for me is that this wasn't something he grew up knowing he could do - it came much later in life in adulthood and changed the course of his life.

I've always been endlessly fascinated by the world of things we can’t see or grasp - including mediumship - and having known David for so long, I've been dying to get into the nitty gritty of his craft. How does it actually work? What does it feel like? And what does he say to the sceptics?

What I love about him so much is that he so patiently and eloquently answers these without actually being bothered about what sceptics think - his mission is not to convert the non-believer, but to channel his talent for those who need no convincing. Which is an incredible, broader life lesson on the futility of working to impress your doubters instead of focusing on your supporters.

And there are plenty of those with David embarking on his sell out ⁠The Way Back Home Tour⁠ with 8,500+ attendees across 8 cities in 2 countries - and it all sold out within 45 minutes! Which has kept him so busy he’s paused his 1:1 readings, but i was so lucky to score a bonus one during our recording which absolutely blew my mind.

I will share that as part two of this episode as we got carried away and went for quite a while which you can imagine given the ENDLESS questions I had to ask him.

What I also love about David is that even if you don’t believe in mediumship, there is so much in this conversation about life, purpose and connection that anybody can benefit from.It left me and will hopefully leave you with plenty to think about - what a privilege to have spent this time with him before he jetted off!! Ladies and gents, David the Medium.

Your favourite chaotic co-host returns after TWO YEARS!!!!

Today’s guest has one of those careers that makes you wonder how on earth all of these chapters belong to the same person.

Kathryn Eisman went from studying communications in Sydney to packing her bags for New York, where she became the youngest on-air reporter in NBC history, working on the TODAY Show before going on to build an incredible career across US television, including E! News and an Emmy-nominated team.

But, as you know, we love a good pivot around here - and Kathryn’s next chapter took her from interviewing some of the biggest names in the world to building something of her own.

From her dining room table, she founded High Heel Jungle, which has grown from a bold idea into a global fashion label completely revolutionising a category worn by the likes of Doja Cat, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Sabrina Carpenter and many more.

She’s also an author, producer, Mum and someone who has spent her career fascinated by the tiny choices that reveal who we really are.

We talk about backing yourself when your career makes absolutely no sense on paper, being underestimated, knowing when it’s time for a new chapter, building a cult brand and what nearly two decades across media and business have taught her about success.

Kathryn Eisman, welcome to Seize the Yay.

Shop HIGH HEEL JUNGLE here.

You’ve heard me say many times that I personally found my yay in walking away from the law. I worked so hard to get there (and actually loved my time there), only to realise that my joy lay somewhere completely different.

But I love that this week we get the other side of that story - someone who stayed in the law, loved it, and found enormous purpose in building an incredible career at the Australian Government Solicitor (although, spoiler alert, she too made a huge pivot but it came a little later than most...)

Chances are, you already know Karina Berger’s voice. If you listened to Hedley Thomas’ Bronwyn podcast, you’ll have heard Karina first volunteering to lend her legal expertise to that investigation. She was, at the time, still very much a lawyer - working in coronial law and bringing a completely different lens to the case.

Fast forward to The Poisoned Wife, which you heard all about from Hedley in our last episode, and somehow Karina is no longer referred to as a volunteer helper but has left law altogether to work full-time as a producer and co-host alongside Hedley investigating the extraordinary death of Rosslyn McQueen...

And it all started with a cold call.

I find that trajectory so fascinating - because we talk so much on this show about carefully planning our next chapter, when sometimes you couldn’t possibly plan for the places your skills, curiosity and one unexpected opportunity might take you.

So today, we’re going behind the voice you already know to find out who Karina is, why she loved the law enough to stay, what made her eventually leave it, and how on earth she ended up here.

Karina Berger, welcome to Seize the Yay.

Our guest today needs no introduction not only because he is returning to the yayborhood for the third time, but also because his voice is a fixture in households around the globe having amassed 170 million downloads, 8 Walkley Awards and history-changing outcomes with his incredible work in criminal investigative journalism. 

Having first joined us during his investigation into the unsolved murder case of Bronwyn Winfield then very kindly flying to Melbourne for our live show raising funds to combat domestic violence, Hedley Thomas is back just days after the release of his newest investigative podcast, The Poisoned Wife. 

It’s no secret I am one Hedley’s millions of devout fangirls and a die hard true crime junkie, so every opportunity to speak with him is a pinch me moment.  But the unsolved case of Rosslyn McQueen takes your breath away whether you're a Hedley fangirl or not, landing on his desk in a mysterious taped up suitcase revealing a chilling murder unsolved for 40 years…

Unlike The Teacher’s Pet, Rosslyn’s body was found and her death confirmed to be caused by strychnine poisoning. Her husband not only explained her sudden death as having been caused by cancer which she did not have, he quickly moved in with the underage babysitter -  a scenario that sounds devastatingly familiar. While he has always denied wrongdoing, he was charged with the murder but just days before the trial was to commence, the prosecution called a halt and the case was never revisited. Until now… 

Of course this content is a little heavier than usual so please take care whie listening. But I know many of you consume Hedley’s work as voraciously as I do, and are likely right up to date with episode 3 which has come out since our recording. So I'm sure you will be as fascinated as I am to hear about what it took to bring this investigation back to life, how the show is put together and what lies ahead. Without further ado, Hedley Thomas...

LISTEN TO THE POISONED WIFE HERE.

One of the greatest privileges of hosting Seize the Yay for almost eight years is that so many of our guests aren't just someone I meet and interview once. I'm so lucky to have watched many of their stories unfold in real time and today's guest is one of those people - I'd go so far as to say she's been one of the most impactful people on my own pathyay.

I've known Bree Johnson for years had a front-row seat to so many of the chapters that have shaped her incredible life and career. From the early days of Willow & Blake, to the phenomenal rise of Frank Body into one of Australia's most iconic consumer brands, through the highs and inevitable challenges of entrepreneurship, and now motherhood, every conversation we've had has taught me something.

That's why I was so excited when she released her new book, From The Ground Up, alongside Co-Founder and another dear friend, Jess Hatzis . On the surface, it's a book about building brands, but after reading it I realised it's really a book about building a life. It's about making decisions with intention, backing yourself before anyone else does, and understanding that the choices you make every day quietly shape who you become.

Today, we'll absolutely trace Bree's journey, but I also wanted to use this conversation as a chance to tap into over 40 years of combined brand-building experience between Bree and her co-founder Jess. Think of this as a free strategy session for anyone building a business, a personal brand, or simply trying to create something people genuinely care about!!!

We talk about branding, ambition, success, motherhood, and why bigger isn't always better. I learnt so much from this conversation, and I know you will too.

Please enjoy this chat with the brilliant Bree Johnson.

Get the book HERE.

Imagine taking plastic waste in a region with some of the highest plastic pollution, turning it into life changing schools, building them in just six weeks... and making them earthquake resilient at the same time.

When I first heard about Classroom of Hope’s world first Block Schools, I was lost for words and desperate to work together in some way. 

I am so thrilled to share this episode with CEO Tanya Armstrong to announce that I am joining the team as an ambassador and heading to Lombok in a few short weeks to start Block School #51.

We, of course, cover this extraordinary innovation but also Tanya's own origin story which is an awe-inspiring pathyay in itself. 

After losing her husband, raising three children on her own and completely reassessing what mattered, she did something most of us only ever dream about - she blew up her life, moved to Bali with no plan, cold-called a charity she'd found on Google... and somehow ended up becoming its CEO.

It's such a beautiful reminder that purpose isn't always something you plan.

Many of you know that, as someone who was born into an orphanage and adopted, education and opportunity have always felt deeply personal to me. And becoming Teddy's mum has only strengthened that belief that every child deserves the chance to shape their own future.

I cannot wait for you to hear this conversation and I hope it sparks some yayborhood passion to rally around an incredible cause over the coming months together. Introducing Tanya Armstrong…

BUILD A SCHOOL WITH US HERE

Many people hear the word influencer and make instant assumptions about overnight success, accidental fame and a consequently relaxed or even lazy work ethic (and very occasionally those might be justified). But while Elle Ray’s meteoric rise was indeed unplanned in the sense that she once thought herself destined to be a geneticist, it certainly wasn’t accidental with every bit of her success built on strategy, intention and hustle . 

With an adoring community of more than 750,000 followers (i.e. the population of the Gold Coast), I’m sure many of you already know Elle very well... but, as always, I made it my mission to learn about the side of her we’ve heard less about. While her pathYAY so far is shorter than most given she is much younger than her success might indicate, Elle belongs to the generation whose final years of school were spent in lockdown so tracing through the chapters that led her from science to stream Queen were particularly fascinating. 

From incredible opportunities with the AFL and Channel 9 to interviewing some of the world’s biggest names like Margot Robbie, Elle is clever, endlessly hard working, and endearingly warm. Smashing through a career path that didn’t exist not long ago, this chat busts some myths about the modern day creator, explains why so many hundreds of thousands of people adore her and marvels at the sorcery of Off Campus bridging generational gaps. I loved every minute and hope you do too

Part 2 of our Vogue Codes wrap episode featuring the next three extraordinary guests:

Maeva Heim - Founder of Bread Beauty Supply

Ewan Macmillan - Deputy Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service

Nat Kyriacou OAM - Award-winning environmentalist, author, charity director

An absolutely JAM-PACKED two-parter that I hope stays with you for a long time to come...