The You Project

Auntie Edie (AKA Edith Martin) has been following, supporting and cheering me on for years. Workshops, seminars, camps, podcasts and social media posts; she’s been in the middle of it all. But, it wasn’t until recently when we sat down together for a first time coffee that I realised what a treasure she is. I was gifted a snapshot of eight decades of an amazing life and I thought, why be selfish with her? So this is her TYP debut. I will warn you, it’s not a typical TYP episode, so if you’re after a hard-hitting, fast-paced, high-energy quick fix of personal development, it ain’t for you. Having said that, I loved my time with Auntie Edie. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s an interesting question, isn’t it? The immediate answers seems like it might be ‘no’, but Scott and I both believe the answer can be, yes. We unpack that question and many more in this somewhat philosophical, spiritual and psychological discussion. Among other things, we chat about looking for approval, why work-life balance is a stupid concept, why culture eats strategy, Ikigai (give it a Google), the role of values, awareness v. consciousness, trying to understand non-mind things (spirituality) with the mind, things that make no sense and all the sense at the same time, intellectual arrogance and much more. About our guest… Scott Shute is a curious, interesting, deep-thinking bloke who’s worked in a range of interesting roles and situations (including Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn), while exploring the idea of creating success in both our internal and external worlds. I loved this chat.  scottshute.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most of you know Bobby and I are Mates and, in some ways (for a range of reasons), to me he’s like a weird, loveable, super-smart little brother. To say his childhood was rough is like saying the ocean is a bit wet. In comparison, my upbringing was Disneyland and I had zero problems. While talking about Bobby’s journey is sometimes tough, what amazes me is his total lack of self-pity, bitterness and resentment and his ability to graciously share the insights, lessons and experiences to come from those years. Among other things, in this episode we discuss optimal cognitive function, his Tourette’s, reading hard copy vs screens, bias, unlearning, ADHD and learning, similarity seeking, discovering your learning style, what represented love for him, trusting people slowly, finding the light in the darkness and much more. Oh, and the reason for the title? Well, he’s from Brooklyn, his name is Bobby and he wears two shoes. Why else? theselfhelpantidote.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robin Esrock is a South African travel writer, best-selling author and international television personality, who totally loves what he does. Based in Vancouver, BC, Robin has written for major international publications, including the Chicago Tribune, the Guardian, Gulf News, South China Morning Post, Cape Town Argus, Sydney Morning Herald, Vancouver Sun, Dallas Morning News, and the Toronto Star. Robin was a regular columnist for The Globe and Mail, MSN, the Vancouver Sun and Outpost Magazine. He’s visited 112 countries, including a six month stint travelling across Australia writing The Great Australian Bucket List, has written a string of best-selling travel books and has filmed his TV series in 36 countries. This was a fascinating chat with a bloke whose passion, purpose and career are essentially, the same thing. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Helen Kapalos is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, recognised journalist and motivational speaker and facilitator. A recognised national news broadcaster, she has extensive experience across several media organisations, and in her time as a broadcaster worked for all three Australian commercial networks and both public broadcasters. In addition to her extensive career in media, Helen served a four-year term as Victoria’s principal Multicultural Commissioner, where she championed social justice reform for marginalised and disadvantaged communities. I’ve known Helen for more than a decade and back when I was doing my time on the Channel Ten morning show, she was the highly polished and professional news reader. This was a fun catch up with an old friend. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Paul Taylor and I get together to lose ourselves down the conversational rabbit hole on a podcast, sometimes we have a brief pre-show phone chat to throw around a few ideas and then we talk about none of it. Yet again, that was the case this time. As always, we explored the psychological, emotional, sociological, physical and practical variables of ‘being human’ but as for specifics, I can’t remember much because (1) I’m writing this a day later (2) we spoke for an hour and a half (ergo, the two parts) (3) I’m old AF and (4) we had a live audience of a hundred-plus people sitting in the TYP cyber-studio as we recorded, so there were a few (welcome) distractions along the way. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s good but you can decide. Enjoy.  mindbodybrain.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before Paul Taylor and I get together to lose ourselves down the conversational rabbit hole on a podcast, sometimes we have a brief pre-show phone chat to throw around a few ideas and then we talk about none of it. Yet again, that was the case this time. As always, we explored the psychological, emotional, sociological, physical and practical variables of ‘being human’ but as for specifics, I can’t remember much because (1) I’m writing this a day later (2) we spoke for an hour and a half (ergo, the two parts) (3) I’m old AF and (4) we had a live audience of a hundred-plus people sitting in the TYP cyber-studio as we recorded, so there were a few (welcome) distractions along the way. Anyway, I’m pretty sure it’s good but you can decide. Enjoy.  mindbodybrain.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, Harry Garside was the first Aussie to win an Olympic boxing medal in 33 years. He is also a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, 9-time national champion and you might remember his refreshing and atypical interviews at the Olympics, his creative training methods (including ballet and Army training), the nail polish he wore at the games to defy gender stereotypes and to support those who feel like they don’t belong and also, his open, honest and gentle nature (when he’s not punching blokes in the face). Some people turn on the ‘good bloke’ stuff when they’re being interviewed but Harry is a genuinely impressive young man. And to make me love him even more, I learned during our chat that he’s a TYP listener! Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Gillespie is a recovering corporate lawyer, co-founder of a successful software company, corporate consultant, father of six young children (I’m tired just thinking about it) and an internationally renowned author, who’s written more than a dozen books. He’s also a researcher, shit-stirrer and a regular contributor to TYP. One of his books is called ‘Taming Toxic People: The Science of Identifying and Dealing With Psychopaths At Work and At Home’, so for this episode, David and I opened the psychopath door. So to speak.  davidgillespie.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Corey Tutt is an Aboriginal Australian mentor and STEM champion. He is the founder of DeadlyScience, an initiative that provides science books and early reading material to remote schools in Australia. He is also a speaker, researcher, author and the 2020 NSW Young Australian of the Year. Corey is a compassionate, driven and inspiring young man, who is wise beyond his years and I loved meeting and chatting with him. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.