The You Project

Start. Stop. Start. Stop. Start. Stop. And… you’re forty. This is a pretty straight forward conversation (okay, mini workshop) around exercise, specifically exploring the ‘where, why and how’ of getting started and more importantly, creating an operating system that works over the long term. Four decades of working with humans seeking to change their body (health, function, fitness, sporting performance, appearance, pain management, body composition) has given me significant insight into the psychology and physiology of what’s required to create sustained change. This episode will potentially be valuable for beginners and novices, through to frustrated experienced exercisers and fitness professionals who might be interested in my philosophy. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a podcast for children (actual children) and childish grown-ups (like me). There is no swearing (obviously) and it is a resource that can be used by parents, grandparents, teachers, childcare professionals, anyone working with or caring for kids, or anyone who is a kid at heart. About seven years ago, I wrote a children’s book called ‘Brian the Beige Bear’ and of all the things I’ve written (six other published books, hundreds of published articles, thousands of posts), Brian gave me the most joy. By far. I love him. A friend I’ve never met in person (the very talented Helen Beech from NZ) brought Brian to life visually with her incredible art but for a range of not-very-exciting reasons, Brian never went to ‘print’. So, after all these years, I thought he was being wasted on the ‘shelf’ and I’ve decided to share him with the world. Or at least, the people in my world. Later this week, I will be releasing a video version with Helen’s art and my narration and if it the podcast or video resonate with you, I’d love you to share. There’s some preamble (if you want to miss it) and the actual story begins at the 7.26 mark. Enjoy my favourite bear.helenbeech.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danny McAllister and I went to school together. We grew up in the thriving metropolis of Latrobe Valley, had loads of fun, he was there for my ‘Jumbo’ phase and let’s be honest, neither of us were academic standouts. And while Danny excelled at sport, I excelled at eating. Until I became an unhinged exercise addict, but that’s another episode. This was a casual conversation between two old Mates about lots and nothing in particular. Enjoy.mcallistersfitness.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was a conversational extravaganza; an ocean of words crashing onto a beach of curiosity, insight, awareness and at times, confusion. Melissa, Tiff and I meandered through a gaggle of topics (gaggle: collective noun for topics), ranging from the psychological, behavioural and practical, through to all-things existential, philosophical and spiritual. We spoke about paradoxes, impermanence, purpose, uncertainty, dealing with feedback, self-belief, faking it, owning up to our bullshit, when to ignore the ‘experts, inner wisdom and lots more. BTW, the gaggle thing… just fuckin’ with ya.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Vanessa is our favourite child psychologist, parenting expert and Canadian and as I’ve recently discovered (thanks to a few mums), she’s kind-of a big deal! Well, the big deal is back and this time we spoke about the idea of free-range parenting, kids and risk taking, her youngest patients, the concept of counter will (I think I have it), moving at the speed of trust, the environment in which children best learn, how not to get in the way of a child’s cognitive development, when ‘protecting’ become handicapping, when children become aware of a reality bigger than their own (a developmental phase) and finally, we talk about the good Doc’s “crazy deranged ex-wife moment” (her words); super funny and real. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Lillian Nejad is back and this time we talk about people-pleasing, wishful thinking vs. actual doing, why we don’t need a fan club, the gift of mediocrity, how to build confidence, self-acceptance, my epic fail in front of five hundred people, seeking approval, being addicted to attention, why insecurity and needy-ness aren’t sexy, overcoming fears, a curious thing called ‘dialectics’ and lots more. drlilliannejad.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being a highly successful Yoga Teacher, Nutritionist, TV Presenter and Author of ten books and then making a choice to walk away from the comfort and security of it all to pursue an entirely different career with zero security or certainty. Well, four years ago Lola Berry began acting classes and she is currently pursuing her dream to become a successful actor, splitting her time between Australia and the U.S. This was a real, raw and ‘self-aware’ conversation with a self-declared bogan, who has weekly therapy, has dated her fair share of narcissists, keeps an ‘ideas diary’ with her always, has trained herself to have hard conversations, has dealt with way too many online haters and like me (and you?), is a work in progress. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anne McKevitt is fascinating, direct, inspirational, courageous, unbelievably resilient and brilliant. She doesn’t suffer fools, doesn’t do ‘small talk’ and can’t be bothered with ‘fluff’. Like many of my guests, she’s done all the cool, high-profile, public stuff (TV, books, awards, businesses, brands) but more impressively, this woman has been through some serious sh*t (way too many times), yet she keeps getting up and keeps finding a way. She started working at 7 (really) in Scotland, was raised in a violent home, began planning her escape at 11, moved to London by herself at 15 (with zero contacts or support), got a job on the first day, built a multi-million dollar business within five years, spent almost a year in hospital after a horrible accident, has a rare debilitating medical condition (only 140 people in the world have it), has been close to death three times, was on the hit-list of a homicidal maniac (who killed her work colleague and was never caught), has dealt with Complex PTSD for decades and to top it off, she can’t take any medication (as in Z-E-R-O) for any reason because of her rare condition. I’ve chatted with lots of people with interesting stories but this was right up there. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our favourite Sports Psych (Jacqui Louder) is back and this time we chat about pointless ‘Groundhog Day’ (type) conversations, performance threshold, walking meetings, creating our ideal work environment, near-death experiences (NDEs), YouTube rabbit holes, trying to change others, having hard conversations, the impact of scent, finding our calm and lots more. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This was an atypical chat for TYP but I totally enjoyed it. It was less inspiration, education and high performance and more.. meandering chat with a laid-back, fascinating bloke about all-things creativity, expression, writing, art and finding your voice. *Austin Kleon is the New York Times bestselling author of a trilogy of illustrated books about creativity in the digital age: ‘Steal Like An Artist’, ‘Show Your Work!’’ and ‘Keep Going’. He’s also the author of ‘Newspaper Blackout’, a collection of poems made by redacting the newspaper with a permanent marker. His books have been translated into dozens of languages and have sold over a million copies worldwide. Enjoy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.