A Wake Up Call

If you have ever wondered: “Why do I still get so nervous when I have done this a thousand times?” “How do I stop one bad result from deciding who I am?” “What should I actually be thinking about when the pressure is on?” - this episode is for you. This week Layne and Tess sit down with Olympic diver Sam Fricker: Tokyo Olympian, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, founder of Sam’s Straws and one...

If you have ever wondered: “Why do I feel guilty every time I take an hour for myself?” “I know exactly what I should be doing. Why can I not make myself do it?” “How do I back myself when the results have not been going my way?” - this episode is for you. Episode 50 is a milestone and a launch. For six years Layne and Tess have surveyed every AWAKE workshop room before and after, and one question...

If you have ever wondered: “I feel fine, so why would I book a check-up?” “Is one glass of wine really affecting my sleep and next day?” “Which health checks am I actually meant to be having at my age?” This episode is for you. This week on Ask the GP, Layne and Tess put Dr Preeya Alexander, practising GP, author and AIA health expert, in the hot seat with the health questions high performers Goog...

If you have ever wondered: “I work with negative people and it really affects how I feel. How do I stop letting them influence my emotions?” “I am in my 50s heading into my 60s. How do I stay strong for the people I love as the years tick by?” “What do you do when things keep going wrong? Not one setback, the whole pile-on, all at once.” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a sol...

If you have ever wondered: “How does someone come out of the worst thing that ever happened to them more grateful, not less?” “What am I supposed to do with myself once I have finally got the thing I was chasing?” “Why does money stress leak into everything else, even when the numbers are not that bad?” - this episode is for you. Tristan Knowles OAM has been given his odds twice. At nine he lost h...

If you have ever wondered: “How can two people hear exactly the same thing and walk away with completely different stories?” “Why does disagreeing online get personal so fast?” “What do I actually do when something I read online gets under my skin?” - this episode is for you. A few weeks ago Layne and Tess posted a 49-second clip from the podcast. They thought they were sharing a conversation abou...

If you have ever wondered: “How do people actually do hard things when I can barely find the energy for mine?” “Why does every achievement seem to cost me so much?” “Is pulling back going backwards, or is it the smartest move I can make?” - this episode is for you. Sam Gash was a corporate lawyer when she decided to test the limits of what she was capable of. That decision made her the first woman...

When You Can’t Be Bothered: Motivation, Overwhelm & the Juggle If you’ve ever thought: “Why can’t I motivate myself, even when I know what I need to do?” “How do I keep everything going without burning myself out?” “Why does it feel like everyone needs something from me?” — this episode is for you. This week, A Wake Up Call is back with another listener Q&A, and Tess and Layne are tackling...

If you have ever wondered: “What do the most decorated people in the world actually do differently when no one is filming?” “How do you stay present with your own kids when your job is showing up for everyone else's biggest moments?” “What does your mother know about you that no highlight reel ever will?” - this episode is for you. For more than 20 years, Hamish McLachlan, sports broadcaster, jour...

If you have ever wondered: 💭 "Why am I gaining belly fat when I am doing everything right?" 💭 "Why does the diet that worked at 30 stop working at 40?" 💭 "What should I actually ask my GP for beyond the standard blood panel?" - this episode is for you. This week Layne and Tess sit down with Kate Save: accredited practising dietitian, clinical exercise physiologist and founder of Be Fit Food. Ka...

If you have ever thought: “How do I get better at being selfish when I always put everyone else first?” “Why is saying no so uncomfortable, even when I know I should?” “How do I set boundaries without the guilt, or without letting everyone down?” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a solo listener Q&A (Part 2), and it goes deeper than Part 1. We asked the Dream Team what the...

If you have ever wondered: “How do I stop identifying with the scared version of myself?” “Why does my inner critic get louder when I am tired, overwhelmed or out of my depth?” “How do I stop comparing myself to others and become the person I actually want to be?” This episode is for you. This week, Tess and Layne answer questions from the AWAKE community about fear, identity, comparison and the r...

If you have ever wondered: “Have I taken wellness and optimisation a little too far?” “Why does chasing the perfect sleep score leave me feeling worse, not better?” “Is outsourcing my life to AI making me more connected — or more alone?” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a solo Health Trends episode. Tess and Layne pull up the cultural wellbeing moments blowing up online and p...

Episode Description: If you have ever wondered: "Why am I so exhausted by my own competence?" "How do I redefine success on my own terms instead of someone else's?" "Who am I actually waiting for permission from?" - this episode is for you. In this warm, honest and quietly powerful conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Kemi Nekvapil - one of Australia's most respected executive coaches, Penguin aut...

If you have ever wondered: 💭 "Why am I switched on all day, but never actually powered up?" 💭 "Why do I feel guilty the moment I try to rest?" 💭 "Why do I keep waking at 3am, wired and exhausted at the same time?" - this episode is for you. In this fascinating and deeply practical conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Dr Kristy Goodwin - one of Australia's leading neuro-performance scientists, a...

If you have ever wondered:   “Why do I give my best under pressure sometimes, and completely fall apart others?” “How do I stay calm when everything is riding on this moment?” “Is it possible to rediscover my fire after I have walked away from the thing I worked hardest at?”   - this episode is for you.   In this episode, Tess and Layne sit down with Kieran Perkins - Olympic gold me...

If you have ever wondered: "Why do I feel like I am performing a version of myself that has nothing to do with who I really am?" "How do I separate who I am from what I do?" "What does it actually take to be vulnerable and still feel strong?" - this episode is for you. This episode airs in Men's Mental Health Week, and it is one of the most important conversations we have had. In Australia, nine p...

If you have ever wondered:   💭 "Why do I feel like I am performing a version of myself that is slowly suffocating me?"   💭 "How do I separate who I am from what I do?"   💭 "What does it take to stop chasing approval and start living from purpose?"   - this episode is for you.   In this raw, honest and deeply human conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Josh Piterman - the...

If you have ever wondered:   💭 “Why does no one talk honestly about what happens to your body after having a baby?” 💭 “How do I stop feeling like sex is the last thing on my list?” 💭 “What does a healthy sex life even look like when everything in my body has changed?”   - this episode is for you.   In this honest, hilarious and genuinely eye-opening conversation, Tess and Layne w...

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “Why am I working harder than ever and still feeling behind?” 💭 “How do I stop the spiral in my head from running the show?” 💭 “How do I actually perform at a high level without burning my life to the ground?” – this episode is for you. In this energising and practical conversation, Layne and Tess take you to high performance school. They strip back the myth that el...

If you have ever wondered:   💭 “What if everything I thought I knew about my health was wrong?” 💭 “Why do I keep pushing even when I know I’m running on empty?” 💭 “How do I slow down without feeling like I’m falling behind?”   – this episode is for you.   In this candid and courageous conversation, Tess and Layne sit down with Damien Mu, CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia...

Episode Description: 💭 “Am I going crazy, or is this perimenopause?” 💭 “I’m exhausted all the time but I’m not depressed — what is actually going on?” 💭 “Do I have to grieve who I used to be to become who I want to be?” — this episode is for you. In this warm, honest and genuinely funny Q&A episode, Tess and Layne open the listener inbox and answer the questions you’re too afraid to Google...

If you have ever wondered:   💭 “Who am I without the role I have held for years?” 💭 “How do I start over when everything I knew has changed?” 💭 “What does real reinvention look like – not in theory, but in real life?”   – this episode is for you.   In this honest and deeply human conversation, Tess and Layne welcome broadcaster, author and mentor Mel Doyle to share the story of h...

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “Why does success feel hollow even when I have ticked all the boxes?” 💭 “How do I build a life that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside?” 💭 “What does it actually take to succeed without burning out, losing myself, or standing on the podium alone?” – this episode is for you. This is the launch of A Wake Up Call’s Sustained Success Series, and it s...

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “Why do I keep getting in my own way right when things are going well?” 💭 “Is it really possible to train my brain to perform under pressure?” 💭 “How do I stop overthinking and just trust myself when it counts most?” — this episode is for you. In this science-packed and surprisingly fun conversation, Tess and Layne sit down with Dr Roy Sugarman — applied neuroscient...