The Message Pod

Robert McFarlane first realised the power of photography at high school in the 1950s, a realisation that so heavily resonated with him that he went on to become one of Australia's most authoritative documentary photographers. After a brief stint as a copy boy at an advertising agency, he followed his passion into photojournalism, which took him to Sydney in 1963 and London in 1969. He's used his talent both to cut through important social issues - his enduring photograph of Aboriginal activist Charlie Perkins comes to mind - and creatively on film sets and in theatres. Geoffrey Rush, Cate Blanchett and a young Nicole Kidman are among those who've been captured by Robert, who finds a way to brilliantly blur the lines between character and reality. He speaks today about life on the film set, the requisite patience, his three favourite Australian films of all time and balancing box office with the stories that need to be told. You can see and hear more from Robert at the Samstag Museum of Art on Thursday October 18 as part of the exhibition Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits, which runs from September 14 - November 30. Stay up to date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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Tom Williams is a familiar face on Australian Television, having hosted The Great Outdoors, Dancing with the Stars, The Mole and now The Daily Edition since first appearing as 'Tom the chippy' on Triple J. But he had far from the traditional journey to his career in the media - he was working in construction all through his 20s, competing in surf lifesaving events on the weekends, and it wasn't until he phoned in to the radio in 2000 that he found himself on the airwaves. As Tom describes, he's well aware that 17 years on TV without being booted off is nothing to be sneezed at, he's still heavily dependent on exercise and the outdoors, and while he may be nearing the end of his 40s, he views 'growing up' as optional. We reckon his background as an everyday, hard-working Aussie bloke who has his feet firmly on the ground has him in an ideal position to now mentor his two young daughters through their own lives. Stay up to date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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Katie Sarah is a 49-year-old mother to three boys, who only began her mountaineering career a little over a decade ago. Now, she's the first woman to the complete the seven-seven challenge - which means she's summited the highest mountains and volcanic peaks on all seven continents. Wow! But what is it that saw her go from the 'rat race' to spending all of her spare time either at altitude or preparing to be? Katie's all about asking 'why couldn't I?' instead of saying 'Oh, I couldn't.' And it's that mentality that's got her to where she is today - breaking international climbing records while she runs a business, raises a family and looks after her beloved dogs. We asked Katie about what it feels like to conquer long-term goals and how she deals with the 'come-down' that comes with ticking one off, how she plans to spend her 50th birthday and whether or not she's an adrenaline junkie. facebook.com/themessagepod

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Julie McCrossin is a veteran Australian radio broadcaster, journalist and comedian who you'll remember from her roles on 'Good News Week' and 'Life Matters'. Since the 1970's, she's been an ever-present activist for women's and gay rights, having been involved in the 1978 protests that went on to become the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Now, she's advocating for a different cause, having survived Stage 4 throat cancer that almost took her voice, and her life, in 2013. As you'll hear, she's recovered physically from the disease, but still struggles with the emotional toll that remains. She shares some personal memories about when she was first diagnosed, why she's lost the ability to cry, her idea of the perfect day and what she loves about the 'nitty gritty' of activism. She's a warm and generous soul who gets most of her happiness from helping others. We could all take something from Julie's wonderful perspective on life. Check out more of her good work at: www.beyondfive.org.au www.targetingcancer.com.au www.beyondfive.org.au/News www.cancercouncil.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/UC-Pub-Head-and-Neck-CAN1161-lo-res_May-2017.pdf

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Nicole is fresh from a couple of weeks in the United States, where she was struck by some of the questions that she was asked by citizens concerned with how the powerhouse was being perceived on the back of its polarising President. So, we got two of Adelaide's most qualified American academics to shed some light on the political landscape in their native country. Dr Tom Buchanan completed a Masters and Ph.D. in History at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, before coming to the University of Adelaide in 2005 where he's been dubbed a 'Legendary Lecturer'. At the moment, he's coordinating a course titled 'Trump Unlocked: Modern America'. He's joined by Kedron Bardwell, a Political Scientist at Simpson College in Iowa and self-confessed 'election junkie', who's currently in Australia for a semester on exchange. Nicole asks the guys about polarisation in the States - is it a new phenomenon or has it been stewing silently under the surface for generations? What does Trump and his twitter account mean for International Relations? Which historical era set us on this path? What do we make of the media and its distrust, and how do we achieve a more informed political discourse? facebook.com/themessagepod

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Peter Gago has been at the helm of wine production at the prestigious Penfolds in South Australia for over 16 years, having begun his career as a Maths and Science teacher before heading to Roseworthy Agricultural College. Penfolds is one of the most iconic labels in the world, renowned for its wines' longevity and ability to cellar. As they enter their 175th year in the market, Peter recognises the company's ongoing challenge is to continue to innovate and evolve without detracting from the traditional underpinnings that make it what it is. Among other things, Nicole probes the 'winemaker's winemaker' about his battles with his marketing department, the competitiveness of the sector, the potential of the commercial nature of the landscape to detract from his craft and the importance of leaving a legacy. facebook.com/themessagepod

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Sebastian Rees and fellow GP Troye Wallett co founded and run GenWise, an online platform that streamlines processes for doctors working in aged care. GenWise has been such a success that it took home the 2017 Telstra Australian Business of the Year. Sebastian is a considered and dedicated young man whose overriding purpose is to help others, and often those who need it most. He was recently recognised with the 'First Among Equals' Award at InDaily's 40 under 40 awards. In today's chat, Sebastian opens up to Nicole about how GenWise came about, why he and wife Stephanie don't have a TV, the importance of meditation in navigating his chaotic schedule and what his elderly patients have taught him about looking back on a life fulfilled.

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Wes Heddles is one half of a South Australian distillery that's taking the gin market by storm. He and good mate Adam Carpenter have created and run Prohibition Gin, while they both continue to work full-time in other areas. The time commitment is massive, and only someone with Wes' passion and energy (and ability to run off little sleep!) could pull it off. As we find out today, however, it won't be long before these two are fully-fledged businessmen in the booze industry. Prohibition Gin has won over 20 awards since it was released in 2015, and last year opened a tasting room on Gilbert Street in the heart of Adelaide. Wes tells us about how the business is measuring up to its planned trajectory, where it got its name and how that's influenced decisions surrounding the botanicals, and therefore taste, of the spirit that's become a gin-lovers staple. Check them out at prohibitionliquor.co Stay up to date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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Stop drifting, Start rowing. In 2000, Roz Savage was making the commute to her management consultancy job in London when she had an epiphany. She was comfortable, but not where she wanted to be. So she abandoned her job, house and husband to become the first woman to row solo across three oceans, which took around 5 million oar strokes! She's an environmental advocate, United Nations Climate Change Hero, speaker, author and super inspiring. In this chat, she reveals her thoughts on the track society is heading down and what it's like to test your limits, over and over again. If Roz resonates with you, and you're yet to listen to Tim Jarvis in Episode #25, I highly recommend you do. He's an Australian adventurer with a similar zest for life and our planet. facebook.com/themessagepod

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Steve Baxter is a former soldier who founded his first business, SE Net, with his life savings at 23, after dropping out of school to join the army at just 15. The startup was an internet service provider that he ran out of the spare room of his Adelaide home in the dial-up days of 1994. Since selling SE Net, he's worked on many other technological ventures, made a bucket-load of cash and even spent time working for Google. Now, he prefers to invest in other people's ideas and graces our TV screens as one of five sharks on Shark Tank. He's a mix of straight-up honesty, high intelligence and humour with a bit of bite. It makes for great audio. We discuss how he came to find out three days before filming that he'd be on the show, the glamourising of entrepreneurship, and why it's important to know what success looks like. Stay up to date at facebook.com/themessagepod

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