Seize the Yay

This week’s episode is another one of many that’s been shuffled around and pushed back for various reasons, but that has ended up coming out just when I think our guest’s insights are most powerful. A big part of seizing your yay is acknowledging that both the best and worst times of our life play a role in our journey and If we ever needed some guiding words on turning adversity, uncertainty and grief into something positive, Liz Dawes is your woman.

Like many of our guests, I loved diving into her earlier years because she had an entire life and career going from a small town in Wisconsin to travelling the world leading multi-million-dollar sales and marketing accounts BEFORE the chapter most of us know her from now as an adopted Melbournian and internationally recognised CEO and Chairman of a charitable foundation. Liz and her husband Scott had their world turned upside down when their son, Connor, was diagnosed with paediatric brain cancer – the #1 disease killer of young people – and passed away a few years later. We discuss the many different ways people process grief and how just a few short months later, Liz held the first Connor’s Run founding the Robert Connor Dawes Foundation which is now the biggest paediatric brain cancer foundation in Australia. As she puts it in her TEDx talk last year, Liz reframed, reimagined and reaffirmed her way forward and has now raised $7million impact dollars that’s helping fund research, care programs and so much more. Parts of this one are heavy but incredibly meaningful and with a beautiful happy ending (or happy beginning that's now eight years in) – I hope you are as moved as I am by Liz and the beautiful legacy she has created for Connor.

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Today I’m joined by a face many of you will know and love as I have since childhood, Dr Katrina Warren, an Aussie vet (along with her golden retriever Riley who had a great stare-off with Paul during the chat). You probably know Dr Katrina from Totally Wild or Harry’s Practice or even Animal Planet or Dancing with the Stars, and I’m sure she’s responsible for so many people’s love for animals.

As the only person I know of who did sheep husbandry for their HSC, Dr Katrina is a qualified vet but didn’t take the conventional private practice pathway going into the media instead (with a fashion modelling career in Japan in the mix photos of which she has graciously shared with me for us to enjoy in the Facebook group!) She’s definitely not the first guest who ended up seizing a yay they wouldn’t have imagined in a million years, but she’s possibly the first who’s openly discussed the come down and disorientation of that yay abruptly ending pushing her to re-craft her identity and start her next chapter, which she’s now in the swing of and enjoying thoroughly with Wonderdogs, as a Snooza ambassador and so much more.

Paul also interrupts a few times to chat with Riley about his opinion on the beautiful Snooza beds they both have now – the woes of working from home! Enjoy!

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I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been experiencing a lot of ups and downs with the uncertainty and chaos of this year so far and I can’t think of anyone better to give us some perspective and guidance on getting through adversity than the divine Elle Halliwell. Hers is a story I can never hear too many times that brings forth every ounce of emotion I have in admiration and awe and I’m so grateful she has shared it again today for the yay-borhood.

Elle began in the world of journalism applying her incredible work ethic to climbing from making coffees to becoming a fashion editor at The Sunday Telegraph at just 21. She worked herself to the bone for almost a decade until just after her 30th birthday when her and her husband starting to think about having children. In the course of some preparatory blood tests, despite having no symptoms, Elle was diagnosed with a rare form of incurable Leukaemia. And, within the same 48 hours, she also discovered that she was pregnant leaving her with an impossible and unimaginable choice – to terminate and pursue treatment or continue with her pregnancy but risk not making it through.

Rest assured, Elle’s story has a very happy and heart-warming ending – her beautiful boy Tor is now three and Elle is absolutely thriving with a glow that belies what she’s been through. She has since completely changed her life and direction and has also just started her first business, Auricle, which you’ll hear all about shortly. Elle speaks so eloquently about what her experience has taught her about uncertainty, self-belief and strength and I think we can all take so many lessons from her wisdom. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I did.

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You might know that this week is Men’s Health Week and while, of course everyone’s health is equally important, I really support the particular focus this week on the unique challenges faced by men in both their physical and mental health. As you’ll hear, men’s health outcomes often fall far behind those of women and they still face a lot of stigma around the perceived “weakness” of seeking help, so I think this is a wonderful way to remind men they’re not alone and to help women too understand how we can help change the dialogue for our partners, brothers, sons and friends.

Men’s mental health statistics in particular always come as a shock to me and if you haven’t listened to our chats with Osher Günsberg and Jake Edwards, they share some honest and personal insights on their mental health journey that are well worth a listen. For this episode, I thought we’d get a medical expert’s perspective and who better to join us than medical doctor, psychiatry resident and mental health advocate, Dr Kieran Kennedy.

You might have seen Dr Kieran on the latest cover of Men’s Health Magazine dedicated to the incredible efforts of healthcare workers through the COVID19 pandemic and that’s just one of the many challenges he generously opens up about in our chat. From humble, idyllic beginnings in rural New Zealand (you’ll hear ALL about the joys of what’s called Calf Club), Kieran is the embodiment of persistence and grit working his way through a Bachelor of Science into medical studies and is now six months off finishing his specialisation in Psychiatry AND fits his passion for fitness and a bodybuilding career in on the side.

He is self-deprecating in a way that belies his success and he gives us such powerful insights into men’s struggles with societal views on manliness, hardening up and even on how much more widespread men’s battles with body image is and valuing themselves on how they look. This conversation opened my eyes up to so much and I hope it does the same for you too.

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It's been a little while since our last INTRApreneurial guest, but I'm delighted to have one of the best with us today - Jasmine Smith, Director of People and Culture from Swisse Wellness. You know I love a good non-linear way to yay, so I found Jasmine's story captivating from her nomadic and adventurous childhood to make up artistry, then a late entry to tertiary studies in behavioural science after her first child, a successful career in retail and sales and only after seven years at each of Mecca and T2, an eventual pivot into HR where she is working wellness wonders for the workforce at Swisse. She represents everything I love to share about life unravelling in chapters, the importance of self awareness and the shapeshifting nature of what your yay looks like over time.

I think HR or, as it is known at Swisse, People and Culture, is another one of those areas of work that can absolutely make or break a business but that many of us barely understand and take for granted. You'll hear that Jasmine herself didn't know it was even a job she could do until years later, and those are the areas I LOVE to delve into - I learnt so much from this chat! I was reminded all about the many tools Swisse and other businesses use to help identify employees' strengths, weaknesses and passions - I tend to forget you don't have to learn everything on the fly, so if you're wondering how to figure out what your yay is, Jasmine shares a HEAP of useful hacks along with so much other wisdom about igniting human potential! Hope you enjoy as much as I did!

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This week, we’ve got another way to yay full of twists and turns ending up nowhere our guest thought she’d be but exactly where she was meant to be. Nicole Liu started out on the very conventional “finance-y” pathway, climbing, (much like me) a ladder she thought she was genuinely passionate about.

That was until a misdiagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome and the similarly inaccurate news that she was necessarily infertile threw her world upside down and opened her eyes to the difficulty of wading through information on women’s health and how alone many of us feel trying to navigate it. Her experience led her to leave corporate to start her wonderful business, Kin Fertility, with the goal of raising standards for women’s reproductive health and opening up the heavily stigmatised conversation around fertility.

I am continually baffled by how even a chronic oversharer of a modern woman like me can have lasted as long as I did without knowing much at all about my cycle or the fundamentals of hormones and fertility (especially being adopted!!) and loved chatting to Nicole about blazing a trail in the industry and opening up the dialogue. As the first of many services that Kin will offer, they currently run Australia’s first pill prescription service with the contraceptive pill being delivered to your door, letting you ditch the in-person doctor’s appointment, without compromising quality healthcare. I’m so excited for what else is to come and also loved her advice (which I have thus far been unable to offer anecdotally) on getting immigrant parents on board with a big move away from the stability of a corporate career, so for those asking, Nicole’s got your answer! Hope you enjoy!

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I’m not sure about you guys but these crazy times have definitely made me reflect on, among many other things, the way we communicate and connect with each other. What a perfect time to have today’s guest join the show to dive a little deeper into just that – I’m delighted to have expert communicator, TEDx speaker, and Emmy-award winning voice actress, Tasia Valenza, join from New York.

You might not have realised, but you’ve almost definitely heard Tasia’s incredible voice (or voices) before as Poison Ivy in the Batman: Arkham Series, Venisa Doza in Star Wars Resistance, Shaak Ti in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Sniper Wolf in Metal Gear Solid games… She has had an incredible career as an actress turned voice actress and has turned that passion into a business founding Give Great Voice to share her learnings on the impact of tone and expression with all of us. You already know I love exploring the stories behind pathways we take for granted in everyday life so I had so much fun learning about just how one becomes the voice in our ears behind so many different characters. I hope you enjoy and learn something about using YOUR voice along the way.

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Well, I think I’ve held up pretty well so far on the show – it’s not easy to leave me speechless, but this week’s guest cracked me. I’m always so impressed and inspired by everyone’s self-awareness, reflection and honesty, but Jake Edwards is just on another level.

IMPORTANT NOTE – This is a little heavier than usual and we do touch on suicide in the context of Jake's incredibly inspiring recovery. A conversation about yay in any depth has to acknowledge how severe the challenges can be for some among us. You’ve likely realised I’m an advocate for open albeit difficult conversations around mental health to help us normalise it and continue to spread awareness about the support available, helpful strategies and how you can absolutely still find your yay (Jake’s story being the perfect example). I always marvel at the timing of the universe and it’s perfect that this one worked out just when we’re all facing challenges to our routine and structure so probably need it most.

I usually do a more detailed intro, but I think Jake tells his story so well, especially with the added layer of later reflection with hindsight, a lot of work and brutal honesty with himself. For some quick context, he followed his father, grandfather and great grandfather into the AFL but faced a mental health spiral after being delisted and losing the only identity he’d ever cultivated for himself. You’ll hear about the depths of rock bottom that he hit but has since built himself back up from to found Outside the Locker Room, his incredible charity providing critical mental health education and welfare support to community sporting clubs across Australia. He’s also co-founded Speak Clothing that you’ll hear about in the show. It’s no surprise to me that he is an Australian Mental Health Prize Nominee in recognition of his amazing work. I’ve known Jake for years and am as moved now as I was the first time I heard this – his is a truly incredible story that I hope you gain as much from as I did.

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This week’s podcast guest and I both love rambling as much as each other and we go all over the place in what I was humbled to hear was perhaps the most honest chat she’s had, particularly with all the time we’ve had recently for reflections. You’ve almost certainly seen the work of the wonderful Lana Wilkinson – Australia’s most beloved celebrity and fashion stylist behind the best dressed at the Logies, Brownlow, Races, TV and everything in between – as well as founder of her very own shoe line – By Lana Wilkinson.

You’d be forgiven for thinking it was all glitz and glamour (which of course sometimes it is) but I love how Lana embraces every opportunity to show the other side of her work and and life. She is incredibly hard working, reflective, thoughtful and never takes life too seriously. Also please excuse a few glitches from Zoom where one of us laughing blocks out the other’s words… there’s was A LOT of laughing so I hope you enjoy getting to know Lana a bit more and have a laugh with us along the way.

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I feel like March went for a year and April has gone in the blink of an eye. Hope you’re all continuing to adapt to #iso and, as our last guest Harlan Coben described, bringing your own weather to the picnic. Meanwhile, I’ve got another wonderful lockdown chat for you with the absolutely delightful Abbey Gelmi as part of what she affectionately refers to as #DowntimeAbbey. If you haven’t already seen her work although millions of you have, Abbey is making waves in the world of TV as a Channel 7 sports presenter for racing, Cricket, AFL and the ultimately-postponed Olympics as well as host of the latest season of House Rules.

Despite her booming career amidst the glossy world of the media (note Abbey is also a host of the Brownlow and no stranger to glamour), I love that her inner suburban Perth girl lives on. As always we dive into the overnight-success-a-lifetime-in-the-making, she is so hard-working, appreciative and endearingly humble about how far she’s come. We chat impostor syndrome, the woes of blue vs black pen, and even welcome a delivery man to the show – isolation is such a fun time, I love how every Zoom call gives such a more authentic insight into people’s day to day lives. And Abbey shares hers openly which I absolutely loved – hope you enjoy.

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