Sparks Journal

Jon Rose has lived a life that reads like myth: a pro surfing prodigy at 17, then the founder of Waves For Water, a guerrilla-style humanitarian organisation that’s delivered clean water to millions in disaster and conflict zones.

To the world, he was fearless — the man who ran toward hurricanes, earthquakes, and war.But beneath that outward courage was a lifelong drive born not from purpose alone, but from unhealed childhood trauma — a voice Jon came to call “the Drill Sergeant.”

In this raw and deeply human conversation, Jon opens up about:

• Mistaking post-traumatic drive for purpose — and how it finally caught up with him.

• The cost of living in permanent overdrive, even in service to others.

• How psychedelic-assisted therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) helped him meet, integrate, and transform the part of himself that once ran the show.

• Why healing the helper may be the most radical act of courage there is.

This is a story of high performance, trauma, and transcendence — a roadmap for turning outward purpose into inner peace.

Because, as Jon puts it: “The real win isn’t the halo — it’s wholeness.”

From film to farm, Matilda Brown shares how she found a deeper creative purpose, one rooted in the soil beneath her feet. 

This is a story about the power of the pivot: regenerative agriculture, saying no to gatekeepers, and growing a mission-led meals brand while raising a family.

We explore when to persist versus when to pivot — “sometimes you must let go of one dream for the next to appear” — and how fear can become a compass: “if I feel fear, I walk toward it.” Matilda opens up about The Good Farm Shop, from cow-share to ready meals, and the lessons behind mobile abattoirs, animal welfare, and compostable packaging.

At its heart, this is a conversation about non-negotiable values, the creative reinvention of purpose, and the beautiful, messy, and profoundly empowering joy of building a business — and a life — with your partner and family.

Sydney beaches. A MasterChef stage. New York ambition. 

The inspiring, irrepressible Dan Churchill shows what’s possible when conviction meets clarity — and purpose meets performance. Guided by a clear North Star (“change the world through food”) and a deep commitment to helping everyone achieve true health and vitality, he has evolved from creator to strategic advisor, investor, and co-founder, becoming one of the world’s most-loved wellness advocates. Aspirational yet empathetic, this conversation offers a practical blueprint for building a purpose-driven brand and creating a lasting legacy.

Episode 1 of The Sparks Journal podcast is with legendary luxury fashion designer, Thom Browne. 

Thom is widely considered to be one of the most influential designers of the last century, merging a unique creative vision that has earned enormous cultural cache, with significant commercial success.

But it wasn't always that way.

Thom offers a raw, honest and vulnerable accounting of what it really takes for ambitious independent designers - and creative entrepreneurs more broadly - to stay true to their vision, and take it all the way.

The Sparks Journal explores the intersection of purpose, creativity, and cultural impact.

Hosted by Joshua Sparks, it features world-class creators, founders, and thinkers who are reshaping the future. Subscribe for deep conversations, insights, and stories to help you align vision with purpose and create with impact.