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SLP 596: Breaking the Cycle with Matt Bunker
In this inspiring episode of Self Love Podcast, Kim sits down with Matt Bunker to explore an extraordinary life shaped by adversity, resilience, and purpose. Growing up in a home marked by severe domestic violence, Matt shares how he overcame childhood trauma, the heartbreaking loss of his brother, and the challenges that could have defined his future. Instead, he found discipline and direction through the military, eventually earning his place in the Australian Special Forces after learning to embrace failure, accountability and personal growth. Together, Kim and Matt dive into the lasting impact of intergenerational trauma, the importance of healthy role models, and why true strength comes from choosing a different path.
Now the co-founder of Empower Longevity, Matt has dedicated his life to helping others live longer, healthier lives through preventative healthcare, advanced diagnostics, and personalised wellness programs. He shares his philosophy of self-love of putting family, health, and meaningful relationships first along with the powerful lessons he learned supporting his wife through her battle with breast cancer. This conversation is an honest and thought provoking exploration of resilience, leadership, masculinity, healing, and the courage it takes to break destructive cycles and create a life of purpose.
About Matt
Matt joined the Army after finishing school, graving something different and challenging and to get away from the domestic violence he had experienced at home. He served 16 years as an officer and in 2011 was one of 16 out of 130 candidates to successfully pass one of the hardest special forces selections in the world. As an officer in the Special Air Service Regiment, Matt led highly trained, skilled and at times very challenging personalities.
After leaving the Army in 2018, Matt embarked on a career as an Emergency and Oncology Registered Nurse where he is fulling his purpose in life to help others in need.
Matt along with a local Dr recently founded Empower Longevity. A private health clinic to bridge the gap between reactive illness management and proactive health optimization. He combines his deep clinical knowledge of disease pathology with proven strategies for achieving peak physical and mental capacity. Matt is passionate about translating these powerful insights into personalised, actionable plans to ensure every client can maximize their health span, live their potential, and truly enjoy the benefits of a longer, more vibrant life.
His definition of Self Love is: Self Love for me, is being healthy. If I am not healthy, then how am I going to be a good husband and a good father. The healthier you are, the better decision making you will have. The clearer your decision making will be
His favourite quote is: Who Dares Wins.
Links to follow:
Website: https://www.empowerlongevity.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattybunks/#
https://www.instagram.com/empower_longevitynoosa/#
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589424043456&sk
Quotes:
The cycle of violence will stop with me.
I was never, ever going to end up like the other men in my life.
I never wanted to be a victim.
I never wanted to blame anything that I did or anything that ever happened to me on other circumstances.
I wanted to excel at whatever I wanted to do.
I am very, very grateful for the opportunities that I had.
I knew that I had to extract myself from that situation as much as I possibly could.
What I wanted to do had to be in support of helping other people.
I firmly believe that intergenerational trauma is real because I deal with it on a constant basis, personally.
I have such a beautiful relationship with my wife and kids.
She taught me more about resilience that year, and courage, than I have ever been taught or experienced in my entire military career.
You have a choice to raise your hand, you have a choice to raise your voice. You have a choice to walk away.
Routine is a big thing for me. The militarily gave me that in spades.
I wanted to feel like I belonged to something.
When you learn to embrace failure, you enter this continuous improvement cycle.
Every time I fail at something, I see it as an opportunity.
When you address your weaknesses and you are accountable, people acknowledge that.
I have always looked at me first.
There is a fine difference between confidence and arrogance.
When you operate in a group, you operate amongst collectively much more experience than individually you ever have.
Respectful, intelligent conflict brings about positive change.
You need to empower people to challenge your decisions.
When you empower people to make decisions you are saying to them that you value them and you value their skills and capabilities, you trust them.
Knowledge is power.
Live longer, live stronger.
I have three priorities in life. They are family, health and friends.
I made a very clear decision in life that I was going to be ruthless about who I let in my circle
My circle of influence is pretty tight.
Just be a good person.
SELF LOVE PODCAST SPONSOR LINKS
THANKYOU FOR LISTENING… If you would like to share your feedback on this podcast please head to my Facebook and Instagram pages below. Thanks so much if you take the time to give me a 5-star rating on iTunes so that others find this podcast easily and I sincerely appreciate all of your feedback and comments. It makes it all worthwhile as I know this podcast can plant a seed where big things can indeed grow!
If you would love to work with Kim one on one coaching or be a part of her Self Love & Wellness Mentorship Program to continue to master the art of self-love click here – www.kimmorrison.com
SIGNATURE ‘ESSENTIAL SELF CARE WEEKEND’ EVENT with Kim Morrison
Immerse yourself in a whole weekend for you, dive into the powers of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and how essential oils can create magic and change in your life. Learn the importance of self-care and what it means to indulge and recharge every day… after all you deserve it!
Click here for more information and locations for your Standard or VIP ticket –
https://twenty8.com/pages/essential-self-care-weekend
PODCAST SPONSOR:
Twenty8 Essentials – https://twenty8.com/
DISCOUNT CODE:
Discount Code for SLP Listeners – selflovepodcast
LINKS:
Twenty8 Essentials
Website: https://twenty8.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twenty8essentials
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twenty8essentials/
Kim Morrison Website: www.kimmorrison.com
Essential Self Mastery Program: https://www.kimmorrison.com/essential-self-mastery
Essential Self Care Weekend: https://twenty8.com/pages/essential-self-care-weekend
The Art Of Self Love – https://twenty8.com/products/the_art_of_self_love_book
Self-Love & Wellness Mentoring Program – https://www.kimmorrison.com/mentorship
Essential Oils 101 Program – https://www.kimmorrisontraining.com/essential-oil-101
Kim Morrison Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmorrison28/
Kim Morrison Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMorrisonTraining
MUSIC INTRO & OUTRO
Many thanks to Wes and Charlotte Carr – https://wesleydeanmusic.com/
View all episodes
By The Wellness Couch
4.2
1010 ratings
In this inspiring episode of Self Love Podcast, Kim sits down with Matt Bunker to explore an extraordinary life shaped by adversity, resilience, and purpose. Growing up in a home marked by severe domestic violence, Matt shares how he overcame childhood trauma, the heartbreaking loss of his brother, and the challenges that could have defined his future. Instead, he found discipline and direction through the military, eventually earning his place in the Australian Special Forces after learning to embrace failure, accountability and personal growth. Together, Kim and Matt dive into the lasting impact of intergenerational trauma, the importance of healthy role models, and why true strength comes from choosing a different path.
Now the co-founder of Empower Longevity, Matt has dedicated his life to helping others live longer, healthier lives through preventative healthcare, advanced diagnostics, and personalised wellness programs. He shares his philosophy of self-love of putting family, health, and meaningful relationships first along with the powerful lessons he learned supporting his wife through her battle with breast cancer. This conversation is an honest and thought provoking exploration of resilience, leadership, masculinity, healing, and the courage it takes to break destructive cycles and create a life of purpose.
About Matt
Matt joined the Army after finishing school, graving something different and challenging and to get away from the domestic violence he had experienced at home. He served 16 years as an officer and in 2011 was one of 16 out of 130 candidates to successfully pass one of the hardest special forces selections in the world. As an officer in the Special Air Service Regiment, Matt led highly trained, skilled and at times very challenging personalities.
After leaving the Army in 2018, Matt embarked on a career as an Emergency and Oncology Registered Nurse where he is fulling his purpose in life to help others in need.
Matt along with a local Dr recently founded Empower Longevity. A private health clinic to bridge the gap between reactive illness management and proactive health optimization. He combines his deep clinical knowledge of disease pathology with proven strategies for achieving peak physical and mental capacity. Matt is passionate about translating these powerful insights into personalised, actionable plans to ensure every client can maximize their health span, live their potential, and truly enjoy the benefits of a longer, more vibrant life.
His definition of Self Love is: Self Love for me, is being healthy. If I am not healthy, then how am I going to be a good husband and a good father. The healthier you are, the better decision making you will have. The clearer your decision making will be
His favourite quote is: Who Dares Wins.
Links to follow:
Website: https://www.empowerlongevity.com.au/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattybunks/#
https://www.instagram.com/empower_longevitynoosa/#
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589424043456&sk
Quotes:
The cycle of violence will stop with me.
I was never, ever going to end up like the other men in my life.
I never wanted to be a victim.
I never wanted to blame anything that I did or anything that ever happened to me on other circumstances.
I wanted to excel at whatever I wanted to do.
I am very, very grateful for the opportunities that I had.
I knew that I had to extract myself from that situation as much as I possibly could.
What I wanted to do had to be in support of helping other people.
I firmly believe that intergenerational trauma is real because I deal with it on a constant basis, personally.
I have such a beautiful relationship with my wife and kids.
She taught me more about resilience that year, and courage, than I have ever been taught or experienced in my entire military career.
You have a choice to raise your hand, you have a choice to raise your voice. You have a choice to walk away.
Routine is a big thing for me. The militarily gave me that in spades.
I wanted to feel like I belonged to something.
When you learn to embrace failure, you enter this continuous improvement cycle.
Every time I fail at something, I see it as an opportunity.
When you address your weaknesses and you are accountable, people acknowledge that.
I have always looked at me first.
There is a fine difference between confidence and arrogance.
When you operate in a group, you operate amongst collectively much more experience than individually you ever have.
Respectful, intelligent conflict brings about positive change.
You need to empower people to challenge your decisions.
When you empower people to make decisions you are saying to them that you value them and you value their skills and capabilities, you trust them.
Knowledge is power.
Live longer, live stronger.
I have three priorities in life. They are family, health and friends.
I made a very clear decision in life that I was going to be ruthless about who I let in my circle
My circle of influence is pretty tight.
Just be a good person.
SELF LOVE PODCAST SPONSOR LINKS
THANKYOU FOR LISTENING… If you would like to share your feedback on this podcast please head to my Facebook and Instagram pages below. Thanks so much if you take the time to give me a 5-star rating on iTunes so that others find this podcast easily and I sincerely appreciate all of your feedback and comments. It makes it all worthwhile as I know this podcast can plant a seed where big things can indeed grow!
If you would love to work with Kim one on one coaching or be a part of her Self Love & Wellness Mentorship Program to continue to master the art of self-love click here – www.kimmorrison.com
SIGNATURE ‘ESSENTIAL SELF CARE WEEKEND’ EVENT with Kim Morrison
Immerse yourself in a whole weekend for you, dive into the powers of your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing and how essential oils can create magic and change in your life. Learn the importance of self-care and what it means to indulge and recharge every day… after all you deserve it!
Click here for more information and locations for your Standard or VIP ticket –
https://twenty8.com/pages/essential-self-care-weekend
PODCAST SPONSOR:
Twenty8 Essentials – https://twenty8.com/
DISCOUNT CODE:
Discount Code for SLP Listeners – selflovepodcast
LINKS:
Twenty8 Essentials
Website: https://twenty8.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/twenty8essentials
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twenty8essentials/
Kim Morrison Website: www.kimmorrison.com
Essential Self Mastery Program: https://www.kimmorrison.com/essential-self-mastery
Essential Self Care Weekend: https://twenty8.com/pages/essential-self-care-weekend
The Art Of Self Love – https://twenty8.com/products/the_art_of_self_love_book
Self-Love & Wellness Mentoring Program – https://www.kimmorrison.com/mentorship
Essential Oils 101 Program – https://www.kimmorrisontraining.com/essential-oil-101
Kim Morrison Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimmorrison28/
Kim Morrison Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KimMorrisonTraining
MUSIC INTRO & OUTRO
Many thanks to Wes and Charlotte Carr – https://wesleydeanmusic.com/
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