Do you remember when you first said ‘I love you’ to your significant other? We’re you relaxed or were you terrified? Did you immediately regret it the nano-second the words galloped away from your lips? That was pretty much me. In today’s bonus Valentines Day episode, I share the lead up to the fateful declaration of ‘amore’ and how - despite the fact that I wasn’t looking for love - apparently it was looking for me!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

What do you choose to do on any given day?  Eat less crap?  Walk an extra 2000 steps?  Not binge the entire season 4 of Ozark in one sitting?

Every day we choose our intentions and actions - and in today's 'small talk' episode I examine the choices that you can make to 'not be a C*#T'.

It's not all profanity - there's a story - involving a 40 kg dog called Jack, a snake bite, 2 dribbling neanderthals and a hero called Dave.  There's also a bit of psychology thrown in - just to keep it high brow.  Oh - and of course - there's the 'C' word.

All of that crammed into 8 minutes.  Winner Winner Uber Eats Dinner! :D

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

In this Big Talk episode I spend time with the amazing performer Nikki Bennett - NOT to be confused with Nikki Webster - Nikki B has been gracing Aussie and International stages and screens since winning a major prize in the Australian Singing Competition when she was a teenager. From there she went on to wow audiences in the rock musical ‘Hair’.  In the 20 or so year since then, this powerhouse performer has toured the world (performing in a staggering 52 countries globally) with her own corporate entertainment production company, been the darling of Aussie Variety TV productions such as Tonight LIve, Midday, Good Morning Australia and Hey Hey It's Saturday. 
Now Nikki is working on a project very close to her heart, bringing the life and work of one of Australia's most talented and iconic singers - Helen Reddy - to the stage in a full theatrical production.
Nikki and I talk about the legacy of this incredible artist, how as a performer (and writer and director of 'Invincible - The Helen Reddy Story') she has trod the delicate balance between homage and tribute, the challenges she faced getting a producer to see Helen's story as a viable project to get behind, which in turn has spurred her on to embrace Helen Reddy's own feminist and activist messages, and through the research and development of the show, the many parallels between her's and Helen's own life.
We put ageism, sexism and the domination of the music industry by stale pales males, under the spotlight - we knew it was the case in the 70's - when Helen was an emerging artist, and we give the current status quo a good shake down (while having some good laughs along the way).  For fans of Helen Reddy, Nikki is a wealth of history and anecdotes about this incredible female artist. Don't miss this episode.  
And to follow Nikki and stay up to date with tour dates for 'Invincible - The Helen Reddy Story' - click on the link below!
https://www.nikkibennett.com/music

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

Spoiler Alert!  I don't know of a James Bond fan on the face of the earth who won't have seen the latest Bond film by the time this episode comes out, but don't say you haven't been warned - we do lift the lid on the good, the bad and the ugly of Daniel Craig's latest ab revealing Bond'scepade.
With my good pal Meaghan Archunde (Megs), we go toe to toe in a critique of the latest Bond flick - which I loved, and she struggled to stay awake in.  It's a lively debate, fuelled by our favourite martini's (always dirrrrrrty!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

In this slightly more reflective episode I share elements of my recent festive season experience and how it left me feeling far from relaxed and rejuvenated. Caring for (and about) others - whilst a great character trait - can leave naturally empathetic and highly sensitive people (yes folks I am soft and squishy on the inside), feeling not just depleted and exhausted - but quite frankly over everyone and with no more F*&Ks left to give!  Sound familiar?   Not ideal when surrounded by family and friends who expect you to turn on your Xmas lights and take part in the party. 
So how do highly sensitive people care for themselves when the big bad world gets a bit f*****g annoying and certain people just seem determined to suck your Mojo well dry? Well - I’ve done some research and here I share a few tips and techniques that just might help you restore your equanimity, get back to your happy place and keep the energy vampires at bay!
https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/empathy-types.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/highly-sensitive-person

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

Karen-Lee Roberts is a force of nature people.  Prevented from enrolling in primary school, with teachers at the time labelling her 'retarded' she went on the graduate high school in the top 3% of the state.  Diagnosed with Bi-Polar at 20 - with one of the worst cases her professor/psychiatrist said he had ever seen, she spent 20 years in and out of hospital, on so many drugs she rattled when she walked and continuous rounds of Electric Shock Therapy that has left massive black holes in her memory. And yet - with all of that - she has performed in musical theatre on the West End in London, written 2 childrens books - one 'Wilbur the Optical Whale' being adapted for the stage as an innovation award winning theatrical experience (2 awards at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.  She has written and performs in her one woman show "Chameleon", and is a permanent member of Indelability Arts - the first of it's kind inclusive professional theatre company for people with a disability, in Australia. Her humour, warmth and grit shine through as she shares with me her journey from mental illness to mental wellness and how through her art, she has healed, and leads a full, exciting and successful creative life. https://karenleeroberts.com/?fbclid=IwAR02jdRZsdjdsqRv8iDpZcP8cazcAnu52d-PnXQmItqbJjpz4Z2El1VYqlU NB:  With the exception of a few 'F Bombs' - the content is this episode is clean.  However if you do find the word 'f**k' offensive - well f**k, sorry, but maybe this isn't for you.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

In this Silly Season short session - I’m mulling over the responsibilities of gift giving as an Auntie. With Covid keeping us apart most of the year - I’m finally with my family - including my 10 year old nephew - for Xmas. And as such, I want to be the cool Aunty, who’s gifts make the kids faces light up when they rip the paper off tomorrow morning. And what’s wrong with that? But - what is the responsibility protocol of gift giving as an Aunty. Can I just throw caution to the wind and buy inappropriately rated video games, or must I adhere to the parents wishes of ‘children’s literature’ as Xmas gifts? Hmmm - let’s find out!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

In this first of the ‘Silly Season Sessions’ - Australian’s obsession with getting sunburned over summer is put under the spotlight (UV rays not included listeners!). Nathy laments her misspent youth pursuing the great Aussie suntan. While she misguidedly applied baby oil and brown vinegar to try to tan her Anglo/Irish hide in the 70’s - and ended up more blistered than bronzed; she marvels at the reluctance of people to slip, slop, slap these days. Maybe, she muses, we need ‘tan guards’ to issue tickets to remind the lobsters that it’s time they covered up and left the beach.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com

We all have stories of when disaster strikes - and this episode explores a few of mine. To be clear - this is not about surviving tsunamis or battling bushfires - real life or death scenarios. No. The kind of disasters we’re going to look at are of the infinitely ‘less dramatic and non-life threatening variety’ of disasters. The kind that turn anxious brides-to-be into bridezillas, and mild mannered home cooks into ‘Gordon Ramsay on crystal meth’ type disasters. I’ll also share some tips on how to bring yourself back from the brink of catastrophe, and reframe your thinking so that your fuckups might become features, your disasters turn into delights - and create some great dinner party stories along the way!

Where do our senses of humor come from?  Over dirty martinis, one of my funniest friends Meaghan Archunde joins me to talk about how the torment of siblings builds your sense of humor, why Jesus of Nazareth should have had an R rating, and we ponder - just how young is too young to have seen the Exorcist?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit nathygaffney.substack.com