The Element of PLAY

What happens when you finally achieve the thing you've been working towards for years—and it still doesn't make you happy?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Jen Guyton, founder of Wild Beyond Coaching, for a deeply honest conversation about achievement, identity, ambition, play and what happens when success stops feeling like enough.

Jen spent 15 years working towards a childhood dream in ecology and photography. When she finally achieved a major milestone—a National Geographic cover in 2024—the excitement faded within weeks, leaving her facing an uncomfortable question: If I achieved everything I thought I wanted, why don't I feel fulfilled?

That realisation led Jen to confront what she calls the “Achievement Trap”—the cycle of working towards the next goal, receiving validation, and then immediately moving the finish line further away.

Her journey back involved stepping away from photography, reconnecting with simple pleasures, learning to be a beginner again, and rediscovering what it feels like to do something simply because it's fun.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why achieving your biggest goals doesn't necessarily create lasting happiness

• What the “Achievement Trap” is and how constant striving can disconnect us from joy

• How doing things badly, simply for fun, can help rebuild curiosity and creativity

• Why slowing down, breathwork and silence can reconnect us with ourselves

• How ambition can shift from external validation towards sustainable, intrinsic motivation

• Why life isn't a straight ladder of achievement, but a series of changing chapters and adventures

• How being present and putting down our devices can create deeper human connection

• Why calling something an “experiment” can make it easier to try without needing to succeed

Jen also shares how her coaching work helps people “rewild” themselves—stripping away the layers of expectation and achievement to reconnect with who they actually are.

Because maybe you don't need another goal.

Maybe you need permission to play.

✨ Play of the Week: Do something purely because you want to. No networking. No productivity. No achievement. No need to be good at it. Just notice what happens when you give yourself permission to enjoy it.

🌐 Website: https://WildBeyondCoaching.com

📸 Instagram: @WildBeyondCoaching

✨ Take the “Why am I successful but not happy?” quiz and explore Jen’s coaching resources through Wild Beyond Coaching.

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What if high performance isn't about pushing harder—but knowing when to stop?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Ryan Griffin, founder of Chunky Duck, for a conversation about sustainable high performance, burnout, leadership, work-life balance and the importance of staying connected to what matters.

Ryan shares his own journey from a rapidly rising career in advertising to a serious health crisis that forced him to step away, rethink what success meant, and eventually build a different kind of business.

Today, his approach to high performance is less about short bursts of productivity and more about creating a sustainable rhythm between output, recovery, health and life.

That philosophy also shapes how he leads his remote team at Chunky Duck—with trust, autonomy and outcomes taking priority over micromanagement. From their “duck ups” Slack channel, where mistakes are openly shared, to carefully choosing clients who align with their values, Ryan has built a culture where people can learn, take ownership and still have a life outside work.

But burnout doesn't always come from hating your job.

Sometimes it comes from caring deeply, wanting to do more and struggling to recognise when your body has reached its limit.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why high performance needs to be sustainable rather than based on constantly pushing harder

• The physical and emotional warning signs Ryan watches for when burnout is approaching

• How a major health crisis changed Ryan's relationship with work, success and wellbeing

• Why trust and autonomy can create stronger remote teams than micromanagement

• How openly sharing mistakes can build psychological safety and encourage learning

• Why choosing clients who align with your values can protect both wellbeing and work-life balance

• How play, presence and connection with family can help create a more balanced life

• Why investing time in relationships can be just as important as investing time in your career

  
  

Ryan also shares a powerful reminder about connection: the people in our lives don't only need us when everything is going well. Sometimes the deepest relationships are built by showing up when someone is struggling.

✨ Play of the Week: Check in on someone. Take five minutes to send a message, make a call or simply ask someone how they really are.

Because sometimes the most meaningful thing we can do isn't produce more.

It's connect more.

🌐 Chunky Duck: No link provided

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

Connect with Ryan GriffinConnect with Jodi Salmond

What happens when you give yourself permission to play with who you are?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Ayva Rose, a photographer, graphic designer, dancer and burlesque performer, for a conversation about creativity, confidence, identity, community and the freedom that comes from embracing your playful side.

Ayva’s creative journey has never fit neatly into one box. From starting photography at 16 to studying graphic design, photographing dance performances and eventually stepping back onto the stage herself, she brings together multiple creative worlds to build a career that feels authentically her own.

For Ayva, costumes aren't just something you wear for a performance. They create space to explore different parts of yourself, build confidence and express things that everyday life doesn't always make room for.

And sometimes, the most meaningful part isn't even being on stage.

It's the laughter backstage. Helping someone with their costume. The nerves, the silliness, the shared excitement—and the feeling of being part of something.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• How photography, graphic design and dance can come together to create a unique creative career
• Why Ayva describes herself as an “unprofessional professional” and what authenticity can bring to your work
• How costumes and performance can become a form of identity play and confidence-building
• Why the community backstage can be just as meaningful as the performance itself
• How embracing imperfection can make it easier to try something new and let yourself play
• Why wearing colour and dressing in a way that makes you feel good can influence confidence and creativity
• How being unapologetically yourself can attract the right people, clients and opportunities into your life

From burlesque and dance to photography, fashion and business, this conversation is a reminder that play doesn't have to mean stopping what you're doing.

Sometimes play is how you do it.

✨ Play of the Week: Wear something colourful or playful—not for anyone else, but simply because it makes you feel good.

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What happens when the life you’ve built no longer feels like the life you want?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Narelle Walsh for a conversation about career reinvention, community, creativity, and the unexpected ways play can help us reconnect with ourselves.

After leaving a high-pressure executive role during a deeply personal period of change, Narelle chose to prioritise her wellbeing and create a life with more freedom, flexibility, and space for her family. Her next chapter took her into hospitality, university studies, music journalism, festival and community building, and even an unexpected role as a life drawing model.

Along the way, she discovered that sometimes starting over isn't about having all the answers. It's about creating enough space to listen, experiment, observe, and say yes to the things that bring you back to life.

For Narelle, play isn't something you schedule or force. It's the spontaneous laugh, the silly opportunity you almost said no to, the unexpected experience that makes you feel alive again.

And perhaps that's where real community begins too: when we feel safe enough to be ourselves, embrace our quirks, laugh together, and connect without needing to wear a mask.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why leaving a successful career can sometimes be the beginning of a more fulfilling life
• How community, authenticity and mutual respect create a genuine sense of belonging
• Why play can be as simple as saying yes to something spontaneous, silly or unexpected
• How creativity and observation can help us understand ourselves and the people around us
• Why rest, solitude and time away from screens can be essential alongside play when recovering from stress
• How creating spaces for others can be just as fulfilling as being in the spotlight yourself
• Why embracing your “weirdness” might actually be one of the most powerful ways to connect with others

From career reinvention to life drawing, festival communities, spontaneous adventures and playful connection, this conversation is a reminder that you don't always need a five-year plan.

Sometimes you just need enough courage to step away from what no longer fits, and enough curiosity to see what happens next.

Narelle Walsh is the founder of Holistic Growth Academy on the Sunshine Coast, where she works as a creative strategist and digital community builder for purpose-led brands and festivals including Pranafest and Nurture Festival. Her path started in executive marketing, wound through music journalism, and eventually led her back to study as a mature student before she built something entirely her own. 

With over 15 years as a yogi and a daily spiritual practice to match, Narelle believes in connection over performance, always. She'd rather bring people together than stand at the front of the room, and she brings that same energy, plus a good dose of play, wherever she shows up.

🌐 Website: https://HolisticGrowthAcademy.com

🎨 Explore Narelle's workshops, retreats and community events through Holistic Growth Academy.

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What happens when AI meets sport, identity, branding—and play?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Preetesh Morar, known as Pretzel, for a fascinating conversation about the future of AI in sport, the importance of authentic identity, and why technology should enhance human connection rather than replace it.

Together, they explore how athletes can think beyond performance metrics and start building their identity and personal brand intentionally, while also looking at how AI can transform coaching, fan experiences, sports technology, and everyday work.

But underneath all the technology is a very human question: how do we use AI to create more space for creativity, connection and play?

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why athletes need to think about identity and personal brand before they need to

• How AI can enhance performance, coaching and fan experiences without replacing the human element

• Why authenticity becomes even more important as AI avatars and digital personas become more common

• How play can accelerate learning, improve relationships and make juggling multiple roles feel less overwhelming

• How AI-powered tools can make coaching more engaging while giving coaches more time to focus on people

• Why being coachable, reflective and open to feedback matters as much as technology

• How AI can be used intentionally to reduce repetitive work and create more space for creativity and play

  
  

From AI-powered sports tools to playful coaching, digital identities and the future of athlete branding, this conversation asks us to think differently about what technology is really for.

Because perhaps the goal isn't to replace the human.

Perhaps it's to give the human more time to be human.

🌐 Website & social links: To be added

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What if the best leaders aren't the ones who have all the answers—but the ones who make it safe to get things wrong?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Rochelle Callard, an educator, business owner, and leader, for a conversation about psychological safety, playful leadership, education, and creating environments where people can learn, grow, and thrive.

Rochelle shares how she has built a tutoring business delivering more than 300 sessions each week, while creating a culture where staff and students are encouraged to make mistakes, celebrate wins, and feel comfortable being themselves.

Together, they explore why vulnerability builds trust, how playful rewards can transform workplace culture, and why play isn't just about fun—it’s a powerful tool for creativity, confidence, connection, and sustainable leadership.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why psychological safety is essential for learning and high performance
• How leaders can build trust by being vulnerable and showing it's okay to make mistakes
• How small playful rewards can boost morale and team connection
• Why “failing forward” creates stronger, more confident people
• How to bring more lightness and play into high-pressure environments
• Why scheduling just five minutes of play can be a powerful place to start

If you're a leader, educator, parent, or simply someone who takes life a little too seriously, this conversation is a reminder that creating space for play can change the way we work, learn, and connect.

Connect with Rochelle Callard

🌐 School Clarity Hub: https://schoolclarityhub.com.au

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What if performing at your best isn't about doing more—but learning how to recover, regulate, and reconnect?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Andrew Boniface, founder of Altitude Initiative, for a powerful conversation about human performance, resilience, burnout, rest, and the internal skills that shape how we show up at work and in life.

Drawing from Andrew's experience in aviation and human performance, they explore what happens when perfectionism, pressure, and constant productivity take over—and how rest, self-awareness, movement, nature, and play can help us return to a more sustainable way of performing and living.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why sustainable performance starts with emotional regulation and self-leadership

• How a serious helicopter accident transformed Andrew's identity and approach to failure

• Why scrolling and watching TV aren't always the same as true mental rest

• How sleep, nature, movement, and nervous system regulation support recovery

• Why play can reduce perfectionism, build connection, and help us feel more alive

• How five minutes in nature can become your next “Play of the Week”

  
  

If you're high-performing, constantly switched on, or struggling to slow down, this conversation offers a reminder that sustainable performance isn't about perfection—it's about learning how to look after the human behind the performance.

Andrew Boniface is a father of twin daughters, a former rescue helicopter pilot, and the founder of Altitude Initiative. After more than 16 years working in high-performance aviation, Andrew saw firsthand that success means little if it comes at the expense of our health, relationships, and sense of joy.

Today, he helps individuals, leaders, and teams move beyond burnout and constant hustle by combining the science of human performance with practical tools for emotional regulation, resilience, and meaningful connection. His work is grounded in aviation human factors, neuroscience, breathwork, and lived experience, but its heart is simple: helping people reconnect with themselves, the people they love, and what truly matters.

As a passionate advocate for fathers and men's wellbeing, Andrew believes that leadership begins at home. Whether speaking on stage, facilitating workshops, or hosting conversations, his mission is to inspire people to rediscover balance and purpose... creating lives that are not only successful, but deeply fulfilling.

Connect with Andrew Boniface & Altitude Initiative

E: [email protected]

W: www.altitudeinitiative.com

Human Performance Group (Mental Skills & Mind Performance Profile): https://humanperformancegroup.co/

Altitude Initiative (Work meets Home Training Framework) https://www.altitudeinitiative.com/ 

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-boniface-5162a5aa

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JqQV3XGMF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Connect with Jodi Salmond

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What if play isn't a break from learning…but one of the best ways to learn?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Ernest Tan, founder of Leven Academy, to explore how play can transform the way we learn, lead, communicate, and make decisions. Together, they unpack the pressure of Singapore's achievement-driven culture and why giving people space to experiment, fail safely, and be curious may be more important than constantly trying to “level up.”

Ernest shares how Leven Academy uses experiential play to teach leadership, teamwork, communication, financial literacy, and life skills, helping people discover their own behaviors rather than simply being told what to do.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why play can reveal leadership and communication skills that traditional teaching misses

• How safe failure builds resilience, confidence, and better decision-making

• Why financial literacy can be more powerful when taught through play

• How early academic pressure can contribute to burnout and fear of failure

• Why play creates space for curiosity, relationships, health, and a more balanced definition of success

If you're curious about how play can change the way we learn, lead, and live, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Ernest Tan & Leven Academy

🌐 Website: www.levenacademy.com

Connect with Jodi Salmond

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

What if being “busy” isn't the goal—and feeling fulfilled is?

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Gabriella Salmon or a deep and playful conversation about curiosity, emotional connection, safety, and what it really means to be present with ourselves and others. Gabriella shares how her experiences with loss, loneliness, and the pandemic shaped her understanding of human connection...and why play isn't about being happy all the time.

Together, they explore how play can help us hold anger, grief, joy, and curiosity at the same time, creating greater emotional capacity, resilience, and authentic connection.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why safe spaces are essential for genuine play and connection

• How curiosity can interrupt habitual patterns and create growth

• Why play is an adult skill for exploring emotions, not just having fun

• How replacing “busy” with “fulfilled” can change the way we experience life

• Why we need space for difficult emotions alongside joy and lightness

If you're ready to question your habits, expand your emotional range, and reconnect more authentically, this conversation is for you.

About Gabriella

Gabriella is a prolific creator and leader of movement, connection, and creative and pleasurable adventures. For over 17 years, she has led groups and taught a wide range of playful practices. As the Sunshine Coast's most established acroyoga teacher, she also leads conscious pleasure spaces, both platonic and erotic.

With tertiary qualifications in counselling, mental health and neuroscience, music therapy, and theatre arts, Gabriella brings a unique blend of experience and expertise to her work. She regularly offers workshops, events, and cozy gatherings focused on creating more honest, healthy human connection.

Connect with Jodi Salmond

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]

Grief changes us—but it doesn't have to define us forever.

In this episode, Jodi Salmond is joined by Jeremy Greening, founder of Valleys to Victory, for a heartfelt conversation about navigating grief, burnout, and life's deepest valleys with hope, compassion, and practical support. Drawing from his own lived experience of profound loss, Jeremy shares why healing isn't about "moving on"—it's about taking small, meaningful steps forward while making room for both joy and sorrow.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why empathy is more powerful than sympathy in healing
• How joy and grief can exist at the same time
• The role of play in rebuilding hope, connection, and resilience
• Why small daily actions create lasting transformation
• Practical ways to move from surviving to thriving—one step at a time

Whether you're experiencing grief, burnout, anxiety, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers compassionate insights and practical encouragement to help you keep moving forward.

Connect with Jeremy Greening:
🌐 Website: https://valleystovictory.com

Connect with Jodi Salmond

🌐 Website: https://elementofplay.com

💼 Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-salmond/

🏢 Company LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/the-element-of-play

📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_elementofplay

📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/theelementofPLAY

▶️ YouTube: The Element of PLAY

📩 Bookings & Interviews: [email protected]