Uncommon

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Luke Kidgell is a Stand-up Comic, YouTuber, Co-Host of Luke & Lewis on Fox101.9, Host of the Memoirs of a White Guy Podcast and probably one of the smartest Meme Connoisseur’s in Australia. This Tambourine Master is probably the most talented comedian I know when it comes to propagating an idea across culture.

From the viral “You don’t own me” meme to his newest attack on Space Pineapple Zooper Dooper’s, Luke has a unique talent in knowing how to successfully push an idea across the zeitgeist. While he thinks his comedy is “just shit memes” and a sprinkle of talent, I believe - like his radio co-host Lewis - he is by far one of the hardest working comics in the game.

This guy only started creating comedy around 18 years of age, much later than any other comic I’ve interviewed before. Add in his tireless work ethic to that unique talent and you have a comedian that is uniquely placed to spread brilliant memes in our lives.

Lewis Spears is a Stand-up Comic, YouTuber, Co-Host of Luke & Lewis on Fox101.9, Host of Spearhead Sundays and an all-around internet shit stirrer.

If I was to pick just one comic from the bunch of up & coming internet comedians, Lewis would most typify that mischievous trickster, court jester style archetype. First known for his Facebeef escapades, Lewis has regularly proven the media is all too willing to publish first, and embarrassingly, fact check later. This contempt for authority that Lewis holds, has helped us all sit back and maybe think deeper about the information we’re often receiving, forcing you to take ownership of the sources you hold in high regard.

To me, he’s one of the hardest working personalities in the business, waking early, working like a beast, then doing it all over again - six days a week. His mateship with fellow comic Luke is clearly a major driver in both of their success. Whether it’s pushing each other to be better, or joining to create media brands like the Luke & Lewis show. This was really confirmed for me, when I saw his most recent piece of satire “What Firing A Comedian For Old Jokes Is Like” .

It's been two years since our debut episode - so at Episode 100 we again decided to do a year in review. This is our second attempt, which is somewhat more casual, and allows us to reflect or pause on recent topics, key changes in the business and what the next year holds.

For me, it’s incredibly important as a long-form content creator that we take time to reflect each year, giving us a mini-break from the weekly publishing cycle. While also communicating about what’s happening behind the scenes.

We have two guests this week, with my trusty companion Lauren Lopatko ( @laurenloko ) joining once again. She is Neuralle Media’s Co-Founder, the Uncommon podcast producer, and additionally my fiancée. Our second guest is Oliver Phisher (@OPhisher), our dear friend who is an author and previous guest in Episode 46.

A lot has changed for us in the last 12 months, whether it’s new jobs, a new home, new clients or prospective podcast guests. Thank you for your continued support and listenership, when we hear from you directly it truly means a lot, knowing that behind that download number is a real person. The next year will have some exciting upgrades to how we produce content for you.

Garry Weaven is the former Chairman & Founder of IFM Investors, former Chairman of Industry Super, and has served as Board Member or Executive for multiple organisations including ME Bank, the New Daily, Pacific Hydro & the ACTU. He’s also known as Australia’s “Godfather of Industry Super”, which is difficult to tell whether it’s a compliment or not.

Bernard Wheelahan was kind enough to introduce me to Garry when I asked who he’d recommend as a guest. He immediately called me to talk about Garry and his “pugnacious attitude” being a brilliant fit, knowing that we’d get along.

What I like about Garry is his disagreeable attitude. It makes me realise that my own nature of cutting through corporate crap - and being “pugnacious” as Bernard calls it - is a useful trait to hold in life.

He has the unique perspective sitting between both Labor (as a former Unionist) and Capital (as a passionate Economist and Fund Manager). The size of the industry super movement and Fund Managers like IFM Investors is incredible considering that the industry only really kicked off in the mid-nineties. A testament to a career and life well spent.

Dr Hon Weng Chong is the CEO of CCLabs.ai, Co-Founder of CliniCloud, and Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

When I originally set out to create Neuralle, I had these grand ideas of creating this new movement of self-improvement backed by Neuroscience and Behavioural Psychology. Hence, the name Neuralle is really just “neural” in Danish (and Italian!). So when my friend Zhoe introduced me to Hon, I immediately booked him in, so I could get the opportunity to give you a run-through of this new and exciting area of Neural Computing.

Now I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, I had this super intelligent yet uniquely outgoing friend. The type of person that would humbly showcase their intelligence with some domination of a game, or solving of a complex schoolyard problem, yet carry on jumping bike ramps at the very next moment. To me, Hon is that type of guy.

The type of guy that convinces his top-tier private school to change its entire IT operating infrastructure. The type of guy that decides to casually pivot into Neural Computing, and can raise capital on Tinder.

What Hon is building with CCLabs is incredibly exciting, the type of machine that can help exponentially grow experimentation in the field of Neuroscience and Neural Computing. A Neuroscience wet-lab as a service, literally Amazon Web Services for Neuroscience.

Andrew Lauterstein is a retired Australian swimmer, three-time Olympic medallist, owner of the New Wave Swim School and Director of Engine Swim.

Andrew is the perfect match of both talent and hard work. Clearly aware that he holds a nous for sport & high-performance, he rarely lets that get in the way of a focused growth mindset. When I spoke with his sister, it was interesting that she highlighted his willingness to give even mere mortals like myself the time in his busy schedule - when really he doesn’t have to.

I remember Andrew very well from my early years at the Senior School of Brighton Grammar. Lauto, as he was affectionately known, was somewhat of a god for us Year 9 kids - but surprisingly one of the friendliest people you’d come across. That leadership and willingness to care about people is what his sister spoke about, and was the attribute that always made me look up to him, and how to carry yourself as a man.

Dan Monheit is the Co-Founder and Director of Strategy at creative agency Hardhat, Co-Host of the Bad Decisions Podcast, MC of lecture series Real Big Things and a self-confessed sneakerhead.

As I’ve said in our previous episode, Dan truly embodies the archetype that is “Chutzpah”- combine that with his need for incessant learning on cognition and you have one impressive media brain.

From small beginnings lecturing at Monash University, to jumping straight into his own agency, Dan is full of that entrepreneurial spirit we see common amongst our guests. Couple that with running a podcast, a series of lectures with a fascinating premise and running the strategy of HardHat - you have an immovable force in a rapidly changing industry.

Mat Pember is the Founder of The Little Veggie Patch Co, Author of numerous books including ‘Grow. Food. Anywhere’, self declared Nonna’s boy and long time dreamer of a retirement plot in Tasmania.

The Little Veggie Patch Co is a stalwart in the world of edible gardening here in Australia, along with the likes of Stephanie Alexander of Kitchen Garden. If you’ve had any real passion for growing your own food in the last decade, you’ve no doubt heard of Mat and the Little Veggie Patch Co. My own memories of LVP Co was wandering through the nursery as a teen, looking at the amazing selection of garden items, or just walking by the Melbourne CBD Pop Up Patch when I moved into the city.

Mat’s work always gives me this need to daydream about a greener life, which the product range of LVP Co has done so well for many of us crammed into apartments these days.

Josh Szeps is a TV and Radio Broadcaster, Political Satirist, Podcast Host of #WeThePeople LIVE, and Host of the ABC Radio National show, The People Vs. He also strangely finds dolphins smug, and according to Twitter Trolls, he is both an alt-right propagandist and Social Justice Warrior at the very same time.

From being the voice behind the 2000 Sydney Olympics’ mascot Olly the Kookaburra, becoming a founding host for HuffPost LIVE, and to listening to him on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast; what I’ve loved about learning from and listening to Josh, is his ability to condense an idea - take all of his skills from comedy to broadcasting - and articulate it in a way that the audience can completely understand or relate to.

He said it himself in our interview, that one of the greatest lessons he’s learnt is to listen. In his words: “Listen when the other person’s talking. It’s a really hard thing to do when you’re in the thick of it. Actually listen to what they’re saying and listen for opportunities to relate to them”. I think that’s undoubtedly his greatest attribute and a tool that everyone should learn in our current media climate.