Let's Just Start Podcast with Laura Racky and Christian Cunningham

How many of the things stopping you are actually stopping you? This week we start with limitations, the real ones, the imagined ones, and how to find the space in between. Laura has a theory: before you call something a limitation, you need to work out whether it's genuinely impossible, an excuse you've built around yourself, or simply a choice you're not yet willing to own. Because “I...

Say less. That might be one of the simplest ways to immediately sound more confident. This week we start with speaking confidently, and why trying to remove every “um”, pause or filler word probably misses the point. Confidence is a collection of cues. We talk about slowing down enough to let your brain catch up with your mouth, getting to the point earlier, preparing properly, using the conversat...

Nobody cares how stressed you are. Harsh, but true. This week we answer a listener asking how to detach from a stressful job. We talk about the difference between being a serious professional and carrying responsibility for everything that happens around you. How to push back on impossible targets without sounding like you’re making excuses. How to make trade-offs visible. And why accepting an unr...

We’re back after a mini hiatus, answering your questions. First up, is there a growing trend of senior people being iced out at work until they eventually resign rather than being made redundant? We look at why companies might do it, the complexity of Australia’s industrial relations system, why good employee protections can still become overly complicated, and why some senior leaders would rather...

Marriage is not just about finding the right person. It is also about having the conversations that most couples assume they will 'work out later'. In this episode, we talk through six areas that couples should discuss before marriage, before children, and then revisit as life changes: • Money • Kids and parenting • Day-to-day life • Ambitions and dreams • Values • Extended family How much...

Nobody cares about your career as much as you do. That might sound harsh, but it's one of the most empowering lessons you can learn. In this episode we discuss why so many people spend years working hard without ever clearly defining what success in their role actually looks like. If your company hasn't set meaningful KPIs, how do you know whether you're succeeding? How do you demonstr...

If someone handed you a blank notebook and asked you the 5 traits you need to be crystal clear about as a successful leader, what would you say? In this episode, Christian opens the "magic book" to share the five leadership principles he believes separate good managers and leaders from the average, and it can change your trajectory. We discuss perception, understanding your vulnerabilities, knowin...

We start with Anthony Albanese’s comments about Kylie Minogue, his wife, and the Japanese Prime Minister, and why it raises a bigger conversation about judgement, leadership, respect and the way people in positions of influence choose to present themselves. Was it just a joke? Was everyone overreacting? Or do small moments sometimes tell us something bigger? We also get into something almost every...

Competing Top 5 Lists (List Maxxing)!! Who wins, Christian or Laura? What happens when reality doesn't match the story we've been telling ourselves? We with a discussion about respect. The signs that someone may not value you as much as you value them, the people who only call when they need something, the colleagues who undermine you in front of others. The friendships that quietly drift...

How do other people experience you? It's a simple question, but one most of us rarely stop to consider. In this episode we discuss the gap between intention and perception, why people can have a completely different experience of us than the one we think we're creating, and why understanding that difference can change careers, relationships and leadership outcomes. We talk about confidence, reputa...

What does it actually take to build a successful life? Not just financially or professionally. A genuinely successful life. In this episode we discuss the five foundations that we believe sit underneath long-term success: Commitment Health Family Faith Purpose The conversation explores why talent eventually runs out, why commitment matters more than motivation, how health underpins everything else...

We start with Birkenstocks end with leadership, impulsivity, artificial intelligence, Genghis Khan, reputation, career advice and simple rules for avoiding unnecessary problems. We talk about impulsive decisions, why some people repeatedly find themselves dealing with the consequences of avoidable mistakes, and how to deal with it. We cover emotional reactions, delayed decision-making and why a sm...

Another Fast Five. Five questions, no preparation, and wherever the conversation goes is where it goes. This episode goes from secret competitiveness and teenage expectations into free will, parenting, ageing, irrational fears, spiders, boxing, skydiving, piano lessons, filing cabinets, and whether “Lawyers Ding Dong” should become a legitimate sporting event. The five questions were: What are you...

This episode starts with Brian Eno, creativity, obsession, and what it actually takes to produce world-class work over decades. We discuss the trade-offs behind highly successful creative lives, whether elite performers need complete immersion to operate at the highest level, and why many of the world’s best artists, athletes and founders often require someone else managing the practical realities...

Another Fast Five. Five quick questions, no preparation, and wherever the conversation goes is where it goes. This episode moves from memorable meals and funny stories into family, near-death experiences, parenting, ugly dogs, work, relationships, and what it actually means to feel present in your own life. The five questions: What is your most memorable meal? What is the best moment of your life...

We start with the federal budget it leads us to aspiration, ambition, confidence, workplace tactics, Steven Spielberg sneaking onto movie sets, and why Australians need to stop apologising for wanting more out of life. We break down the major themes of the budget, including tax cuts, negative gearing, capital gains tax changes, deficits, infrastructure spending, small business pressure, and the cy...

Five fast questions, no preparation, and whatever answer came out first was the answer. We ended up talking about the small things we genuinely look forward to every day, the books that have stayed with us, what we would eat forever if calories didn’t exist, and the things people misunderstand about us. Then the conversation shifted into relationships, what actually makes them work over time, and...

In this episode, we go everywhere. We start with the looming release of new UFO and UAP files from the United States, why public attitudes toward “conspiracy theories” have changed dramatically over the last 20 years, and whether people would even care if governments confirmed extraordinary truths. From there, we dive deep into the Australian economy: inflation, interest rates, government spending...

We started with corporate jargon and ended up talking about how people hide from decisions, avoid discomfort, and delay change. We break down (and somehow argue over) what common workplace phrases actually mean, when they’re useful, and when they’re just a way of avoiding decisions. From there, the conversation shifts into why people stay in jobs, relationships, or situations longer than they shou...

We tried something new with this one. Five fast questions, no prep, no structure, just straight answers and seeing where it goes. The Five This Week The decision that almost sent our careers in a completely different direction What people get wrong about being a good leader The best advice we’ve been given (and whether we followed it) What we’d tell our 25-year-old selves now A belief we used to h...

Some tricky topics in this episode. The Bias You're Proudest Of Is the One Holding You Back We all walk around with filters we've built over a lifetime and most of us would fight to keep them. Christian and Laura unpack why the biases that feel like wisdom are often the ones doing the most damage, and how becoming conscious of them (not eliminating them) is what actually changes everything. Why Sm...

This episode looks at real world situations that many people face at the same time, even if they rarely talk about them openly. How do you deal with a boss or company with a bad reputation (while protecting your own)? How do you tackle overwhelm when the to do list gets so big that it crushes you under it? How do we deal with career, parenting, and ageing parents - often all in the same season? Ve...

This episode moves through the tension many people are feeling right now. Costs are rising, confidence is falling, and the economic environment has shifted. We discuss the end of cheap money and how that has changed behaviour across individuals, businesses, and governments. From there, the conversation turns to why everyday life feels more expensive, and what is actually happening beneath the surf...

Ep 54 - A LOT in here on family, negotiation, deal making, first quarter scorecard , and Christian CORNERED on fatherhood. We start with an honest discussion about fatherhood, what it means, how it changes priorities, and the realities that often go unspoken. We also go deep on Laura working through her negotiation structure and how negotiation actually works in the real world. We are basing this...

In this episode, we explore the hidden dynamics that shape how people are perceived at work, from confidence and influence to status anxiety , as well as strong and weak leadership . We cover ways to handle difficult colleagues, build trust quickly, and tactically position yourself for success. The conversation also touches on decision making, long-term thinking , and why many people misread what...