WHAT I'VE LEARNT

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Michelle Stanton, Founder and CEO of Complete Success utilises her expertise to empower people to achieve exceptional results through innovative speaking, teaching and coaching programs.

Formally, the CEO of her family's 8O­ year-old business Bevilles Jewellers, Michelle led the company out of receivership, driving exceptional growth and orchestrating a lucrative sale to a global multinational.

Michelle is a true student of leadership, business, and personal transformation and has dedicated over 10,000 hours to learning and being mentored 1 on 1 by many of these renowned luminaries: Bob Proctor, Mary Morrissey, John Assaraf, Jean Houston & Darren Hardy.

Additionally, Michelle is a Certified Life Mastery Consultant at the Brave Thinking Institute and also serves as the founding partner and Board Director of the Life Changer Foundation.

Happily married for over 28 years, Michelle takes pride in raising two accomplished teenagers excelling in Downhill Mountain Biking and Snowboarding.

Michelle is super passionate about helping people achieve exceptional results both personally and in business, whilst empowering them to create a life they love with far more ease and speed than they ever thought possible.

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

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Annabelle Hickson, editor of the award-winning independent print magazine GALAH. Despite having no publishing or business experience, Annabelle started the magazine from her kitchen table to document regional Australia and the people who live there.

In the past, young people left country towns to find opportunities in the Big Smoke.

But the big rural story of the past few years is where young people returned. The Covid-19 pandemic supercharged the regions in a way that surprised Australians. 

Nearly a third of Australians, over 7 million, now live outside the cities. The latest quarterly data shows that more people are moving out to the regions than back into cities. Capital-to-regional migration is tracking at 11.7 per cent above the pre-pandemic average. Sydney accounted for a whopping 80 per cent of all people moving from capitals to regions, up from 61 per cent in the previous 12 months. Millennials are the largest group making the move. 

So what is life actually like outside of the cities? Annabelle Hickson is the embodiment of the Australian tree-changer.

Annabelle didn't plan to live in regional Australia, but she fell in love with a handsome farmer from western NSW and thought she'd give it a shot. She knew there'd be some sacrifices - her journalism career at The Australian, the beach and takeaway food that is still hot by the time you get home - but she had no idea how many opportunities there would be for her in this new life, too.

While her husband Ed planted pecan trees, Annabelle looked after their three young children and began to learn what it was to be part of a community, all in it together. She saw smart, clever and resilient people everywhere she looked who talked about opportunities instead of limitations. This was in stark contrast to the simple-country-people stereotypes she'd bought into in the city. Annabelle wanted to read stories from regional Australia that weren't about disadvantage.  Stories that reflected her sense of luck at living out of the city. And she wanted a publication that acted as a bridge between the city and country divide. So, she made Galah the magazine.

For the first time, Annabelle has collected the most loved and enduring stories from all issues of her award-winning magazine in book form - GALAH: Stories of Life Outside the City, published by Murdoch books 

The changing face of regional and rural Australia

1. The COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the regions in a way that surprised Australians.

2. The latest quarterly data shows that more people are moving to the regions than back winto cities.

3. Capital-to-regional migration is tracking at 11.7 per cent above the pre-pandemic average. Sydney accounted for a whopping 80 per cent of all people moving from capitals to regions, up from 61 per cent in the previous 12 months.  (RAI data. The most significant demographic making the move is millennials.  

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Tammy Casseslon was just 15 years old when she first saw him from across the room. They smiled at one another, and that was it. She was smitten. 

"He was 17. Charming, funny, very good looking and looked at me like I was special," says Tammy. 

Their relationship began with laughter, love and lightness. "He was so proud of me and showered me with adoration. I loved being loved. I loved how funny he was. I thought we were building a very strong foundation of trust."

The pair became fully enmeshed in each other’s lives and families. 

"He wooed my family with his magnetic character and his wicked sense of humour. They fell in love with him."

Looking back now, Tammy says the behaviour screams of 'love bombing'. At the time, it just felt like love. The couple built a life together, they had two children - a pigeon pair. They were the picture perfect family - well educated, good jobs, attractive. But behind closed doors, the picture looked a little different.

Watch: Can You Spot The Red Flags Of Domestic Violence? Post continues after the video.

Coercive control is so insidious, so sly. It creeps up in a way that it’s almost impossible to notice," shares Tammy. 

It started with the occasional joke or jibe at Tammy’s expense, tiny little comments that made Tammy wonder if she heard right, made her question if she misunderstood. 

"What I only realised later was that he was always in control. We started saving money together before we were ever married. I had no access and never even questioned it. I trusted him completely, naively," says Tammy. 

After they got married and Tammy began to make independent decisions, discovering a need to explore her own purpose, things escalated. 

"It began with jokes at my expense and subtle, almost like under your breath insults, and later there were long periods of controlled calm, then bursts of extreme anger and yelling, including threats and very cruel comments. 

"When I stepped out of his rules, he started saying unacceptably disgusting things." Then the physical threats of violence started.  

"Threats of violence against myself and our children and himself. Pretending to punch me to within a millimetre of my face, using looks to control and threaten me, smashing things."

A picture perfect couple

Despite the prolific gaslighting, the verbal abuse, the emotional and financial abuse, the isolation and the physical threats, to the outside world, they were the perfect family.

My ex-partner painted a picture and I went along with it. Until the very end I would not have labelled it abuse. I did not understand the enormity of all we were going through and had been through."

Tammy grew up in a comfortable middle-upper-class suburb of South Africa before moving to Australia. Her childhood was carefree, happy, protected. She was well educated, had lots of friends, a close family and a large extended family. 

"I have an educational background in commerce, psychology, education, counselling, and teaching. When people think of a typical abuse victim, I wouldn’t come to mind, however there are many like me out there.

"It can happen to anyone, from any background, no religion is exempt, no education makes you exempt, no happy childhood, no social class, personality type, no level of intelligence."

Tammy’s partner also came from a loving family. His childhood was a happy one. Everyone loved him. 

"Perpetrators are not easily identifiable monsters. They are charmers. At first I didn’t even recognise the tiny red flags occurring. It was all subtle, laughed away, explained away, blamed away. 

"It is common for women to refuse to believe what is happening because they don’t want it to be true. It is easier to doubt yourself than embark on the process of decision making around staying or escaping."

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Turnonthesubtitles 

Extensive research from top academics in many countries has shown that simply turning on the subtitles for children’s television improves literacy. Dramatically. In fact it may double their chance of becoming a proficient reader, in particular those children between the ages of six and 10.

As former ministers, secretaries of state, civil servants, charity CEOs, business leaders and academics, we all now call on Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube Kids, ITV, Channel 5 and the BBC to all turn on the subtitles, by default, for children’s TV programmes. This needs to be done as a matter of urgency. This simple change will make the world of difference to millions of young people at this extremely challenging time. You can find out more at the website www.turnonthesubtitles.org.

On Sunday 12th April 2020, The Guardian published a news article introducing the TOTS Campaign and what it was trying to achieve, alongside a letter in their commentary section. The letter was signed by over 30 former ministers, secretaries of state, civil servants, charity CEOs, business leaders and academics urging broadcasters to turn on their subtitles by default for children’s content.

This isn’t a company. This isn’t a charity. This is just some like-minded people who think this idea is so blindingly obvious that it just has to happen.

It was devised by Oli Barrett MBE and Henry Warren, they are old friends who have started multiple businesses and charities over the years.

Henry Warren

Henry is a multi-award winning innovation expert and entrepreneur specialising in Education Technology. He is the co-founder & Chairman of the African education company Watobe and sits on the boards of several other charities and companies – almost always around education and technology.

He’s the former Director of Innovation for Pearson plc and the former Head of Innovation for GEMS as well as an advisor to His Highness The Aga Khan’s schools. Prior to that, he founded the school’s network Rafiki and the charity Gemin-i.

He’s a dad of three and is the alter ego of Barry T Tooth Fairy. Henry holds one of the more stupid Guinness world records involving sumo wrestlers and has also rafted the Nile holding a London traffic cone for reasons best known to himself.

Oli Barrett MBE

Oli Barrett is a serial founder who enjoys making useful connections between people and ideas. He created Tenner, the UK’s largest schools enterprise challenge, in which over 250,000 pupils have made money and made a difference in a month, starting with just ten pounds. He co-founded Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), the social venture supported by Wickes, which has helped thousands of young people to fix their own youth clubs. His first job was at Walt Disney World in Florida, and his first experience in television was working on the launch of Bob the Builder. He co-founded The Rainmakers (an innovation and incubation company) in 2004, which continues to operate out of San Francisco. From 2008, he co-created and led eleven international trade missions (including WebMission and the Clean and Cool Mission), to help companies succeed overseas. In 2011, he co-founded StartUp Britain, launched by the British Prime Minister and funded by the private sector. The campaign led to the creation of PitchUp Britain (with John Lewis and Sainsbury’s) and PopUp Britain, with the opening of shops around the UK. Oli hosts The Lens podcast with Business in the Community, which pairs senior leaders with future leaders, to discuss the future of work. He is a regular conference and awards host, for events across education, technology and entrepreneurship. He is on the advisory boards of Tech London Advocates, One Million Mentors and Troubadour Theatres, and is a Fellow of impact incubator and business builder Zinc. Through The Con

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Caitlin Marshall & Lizzie Rose, founders of the award-winning MakeShift. This not-for-profit org is one of the first creative prescribing agencies in Australia. Lizzie and Caitlin are known and respected internationally for their work on creativity and mental health.  There’s so much ground to cover, your audience will love it. They’re available for interviews in February and March.

🌺 they have worked with thousands of individuals, communities and businesses, including first responders and communities affected by bushfires, floods and other natural disasters, to provide trauma-informed creativity programs. 

For the first time, they have distilled their decades of knowledge and practice into a new book, Creative First Aid: The Science and Joy of Creativity for Mental Health, published in March 2024. Here’s a digital copy and I’ve attached the media release. Please let me know if you’d like a review copy, it’s ace!

Caitlin and Lizzie are at the forefront of the creative prescribing movement in Australia. Their remit is to ‘jam the joy’ into mental health restoration, recovery and collective resilience. They firmly believe that you don’t need to be good at art for art to be good for you. 

🌺Research shows that just 15 minutes a day or a couple of hours a week spent doing something creative significantly improves your mental health. It might be art, craft, singing, dancing, gardening, cooking, playing ukelele badly – even drawing dodgy stick figures can reduce anxiety. Knitting regulates our stress levels, just like jogging does. And singing calms our trauma response. Creative practices soothe our nervous system, reduce burnout and help us feel present and connected.  

The book offers 50 hands-on creative prescriptions anyone can try. They can guide your listeners through practical, hands-on activities that can take as little as a few minutes, to demonstrate the powerful impact of creativity in practice. And have fun with it!

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Hi, Welcome to the What I’ve Learnt podcast

From food to fashion and art to music we’ve got you covered. We wanted to highlight some amazing moments of the podcast from January.

This Episode Features

Dr Gina Cleo: a behavioural scientist, world-renowned habit-change researcher and Adjunct Professor at Bond University. Gina’s new book, The Habit Revolution: Simple Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Powerful Habit Change, will be published in Jan 2024.

Jason Kimberley: an adventurer, photographer, author, and the founder of Cool, an education organization dedicated to inspiring students to learn for life. Jason is an altruistic-realist, his uncompromising focus is on equitable access to quality education for all students.

Jacob Klein: Social-organizational psychologist, coach, group and workshop leader, organizational consultant, lecturer. He has been working as a self-employed psychologist and organizational consultant in Israel and Austria for around 25 years. He taught at two universities in Israel; regularly leads workshops for the faculty in the technical Universities in Vienna and Graz, Austria Was in the Israeli Army for 24 years (Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves) as a psychologist and organizational consultant.

Nicki Gostin: A Page Six digital reporter who covers red carpets, the royal family and all ‘70s and ‘80s megastars. She has interviewed hundreds of celebrities about touchy topics and even took the now-infamous video of an aghast Anna Wintour being asked for her ID at an event. 

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Nicki Gostin is a Page Six digital reporter who covers red carpets, the royal family and all ‘70s and ‘80s megastars. She has interviewed hundreds of celebrities about touchy topics and even took the now-infamous video of an aghast Anna Wintour being asked for her ID at an event. 

Nicki attended college in Melbourne, Australia, and has worked for many newspapers and magazines over the years. When she's not stalking celebs on the red carpet, Nicki loves to watch “The Great British Bake Off” and true-crime murder mysteries, and nag her children. You can follow her red carpet escapades on Instagram @nickigostin.

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Born in Romania in 1953 to two Holocaust survivors who lost their family in the Holocaust. Immigrated to Israel in 1962.

Married and father of three children, all living in Israel.

Social-organizational psychologist, coach, group and workshop leader, organizational consultant, lecturer.

Is specialized in -

• Positive psychology and humor training

• Effective interpersonal communication;

• Crisis management and dealing with stress and burnout;

• Leadership development and leadership consultants.

• Conducts regular workshops and lectures on these topics.

He has been working as a self-employed psychologist and organizational consultant in Israel and Austria for around 25 years.

He taught at two universities in Israel; regularly leads workshops for the faculty in the technical Universities in Vienna and Graz, Austria Was in the Israeli Army for 24 years (Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves) as a psychologist and organizational consultant. 

He was responsible for maintaining dialogue and finding alternatives to the use of force.

Among other things, he was chief psychologist at the officers' school; psychologist of special forces; founded and directed the Assessment Center for the selection of senior officers in the Israeli army; and led the organizational advisory system.

During the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians (1995-98), he was a consultant to the General of the Central Command and the Chief of Staff and, at times, to Prime Minister Rabin. In this context he took part in the negotiations with the Palestinians.

Analyst and lecturer on the conflict in the Middle East from the psychological and systemic aspects.

Jacob is involved in the Israeli peace camp and strives to maintain dialogue with the Palestinians wherever possible.

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Stepping out of the limelight to become Cool

Jason Kimberley is an adventurer, photographer, author, and the founder of Cool, an education organization dedicated to inspiring students to learn for life. Jason is an altruistic-realist, his uncompromising focus is on equitable access to quality education for all students.

Prior to his success in education Jason was restauranteur of uber-successful, Veludo, the limelight of Melbourne's culinary and nightlife scene in the 90's, he then joined the family rag trade juggernaut Just Jeans for a number of years before doing a 180 and finding his passion in education.

Jason’s enthusiasm for adventure has taken him around the world, to the highest peaks and most remote places on our planet. He is also a published author, Australia Exposed (2003) was the result of a yearlong camping trip around Australia, and Antarctica, A Different Adventure (2007) cronicles his journey across the frozen wilderness. In researching his Antarctica book, Jason came to understand the environmental, social, and economic challenges we face as a society. How everything is connected to everything else. Jason identified and understood that these challenges must be addressed through education, he respects the power of education and how it can be used to create positive change in children's lives. Through Cool, his vision is a reality: creating educational materials that teachers use to inspire students and engage them in meaningful learning experiences. Cool provides students with the opportunity to develop a clear purpose, a growth mind-set, greater responsibility, resilience, and entrepreneurship. By combining a life of adventure with a passion for education, Jason Kimberley has established himself as a unique leader in this essential field. Through his work, he is contributing to a better future by helping teachers and parents to be the best educators of children that they can be.

Jason inspires and is inspired by the work he does and has leveraged every skill he has, all his energy and all his resources to make Cool.org the success it is today.

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

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Dr Gina Cleo, behavioural scientist, world-renowned habit-change researcher and Adjunct Professor at Bond University. Gina’s new book, The Habit Revolution: Simple Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Powerful Habit Change, will be published in Jan 2024.

3 years ago, Gina discovered her husband, who she thought was one of the good guys, was cheating on her. As a behavioural scientist, Gina is very aware of subtle changes in connection or behaviour inconsistencies; how did she miss this? Overnight, her world fell apart. She went from running a successful global business to being too scared to leave the house.

The devastating betrayal triggered something deep within. Nothing made sense. Gina lost the ability to do anything and developed agoraphobia and severe PTSD. “Because my mind felt so fractured, I had lost the ability to do anything, even basic things to look after myself. When you think of your morning routine, it might include a habit chain like getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, etc. I had somehow lost all that familiarity, and the basics of my daily routine were no longer normal for me because nothing was normal, nothing was certain, nothing was safe.”

20-40% of intimate relationships see at least one incident of sexual infidelity. Traumatic events challenge our view of the world as a safe, fair, and predictable place. Gina read all the books, did A LOT of therapy and implemented a few key healing habits. She found safety and security in regular routines and habits. With time Gina started to rebuild herself, redefine her self-worth and rethink her identity. The key to Gina’s recovery was implementing simple micro-habits every day and building on them. Fast forward nearly 3 years and she’s on the other side of the healing journey. But every now and then, there’s an unexpected trigger or salt thrown on the old wound, and the trauma feels like it was just yesterday. When that happens, she goes back to her healing habits to reset herself. The practice of micro-habits might seem simple, but research shows they’re extremely effective.

Drawing on personal experience and her years of practice as Australia’s leading habit change expert, Dr Gina Cleo can discuss:

• Habits big and small - How implementing simple micro-habits can help you recover from minor setbacks or major trauma. This applies to every age group and aspect of life - careers, parenting, business and relationships.

• The science of habits – how habits are formed in the brain, how to rewire your brain and ditch bad habits to create positive change.

• The gender gap – the latest research shows that gender plays a major role in the experience of habits

• Men are more triggered by external or environmental cues whereas women are more triggered by internal and emotional or social cues.

• For example, men are triggered by photos or images, whereas women are more triggered by stress.

• Men and women are both able to create new or break old habits, but the strategies to focus on should be different for each.

• New Addictions – to dating apps, social media, mobile phones. How technology is creating new addictions and tips to help with self-control

• New Year’s Resolutions and the great motivation Myth – why NYR are doomed to fail

• Relationships – good habits for maintaining healthy relationships – with friends, intimate partners, family

• Ego-depletion – what to do when your self control runs out

• Practising self-compassion and managing triggers

• Gina’s trauma survival tips are based on her own experience – what are they and why do they work?

• Atomic Habits has sold squillions but it’s a didactic approach and not best suited to women

• As a woman, and a woman in research who’s worked with tens of thousands of women, Gina has deep insight into women’s liv

Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/

Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBk

Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850