Stand Out Life

There are times where we are so caught up in our own head that we can’t see a way to get out of the tangled threads. This conversation is an antidote to that feeling. Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential and thought-provoking observers of happiness and human nature. She is an acclaimed, NY Times best-selling author with books including Happiness Project, Happiness at Home, Better Than...

One of the things I love about this podcast is how open and willing the guests are to sit with me in tough and important conversations. And this conversation with Chum Ehelepola stayed with me long after we’d finished. We went deep very early. Exploring living in war, decisions to immigrate, the raw face of racism, and making it in the world of screen and acting where we still have a long way to g...

Dr Sarah McKay is a neuroscientist and science communicator who specialises in translating brain science research into simple, actionable strategies for peak performance, creativity, women's health and wellbeing. Her previous book, The Women's Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness, explores the female lifespan through the lens of neurobiology. In this conversation we dive...

What does a bollywood dancer / economist have to do with story-telling? Yamini Naidu is a Bollywood-dancing, economist, business story-teller. She has a deep belief that story-telling, particularly in business, is critical for engagement, motivation and connection. We remember the stories we hear more than the data we’re told. One of the ways to be a better story-teller is to unleash your X-factor...

Yael is best known for her portrayal of Lorna Morello in Orange is the New Black. It’s her talent on the screen and stage that have gifted her the skills to bring to her latest endeavours around climate change. Yael is an actor turned activist. Her credits are long and I’m sure I’ll miss some of the most important one’s here so please dive more into Yael’s body of work. OITNB ran for 7 seasons and...

Jana Pittman has represented her country at three Olympic Games, and her story is a roller coaster of triumph, defeat, failure and success.   Two times World Champion, four times Commonwealth Champion in athletics, she swapped the track for the ice joining the Australian Women’s bobsleigh team, to become the first women to represent Australia in both a Summer and Winter Olympic games. After sport...

‘An adventure is a journey with an unknown outcome’. Which begs the question, what is our relationship like with the unknown? What does it take to step out into an adventure and let go of the outcome? In this episode I chat once again with the incredible endurance athlete and beautiful friend Samantha Gash. I first chatted with Sam in Episode 105 of this podcast - in that convo we dived more into...

If you’ve ever ridden the wave of inner criticism because things didn’t go perfectly right then you are going to want to listen to this conversation. Phew - this chat and Katherine’s book were a balm for my striving / ansty soul. Telling a perfectionist to do less, worry less, just lower your expectations doesn’t work. Katherine Morgan Schafler not only knows this but is calling us all to see the...

Expressing who you are is a bold act, finding outlets for your identity to shine requires courage. It’s been a consistent theme and drive for today’s guest. Amanda Briskin-Rettig is an Australian-born designer, author of one of the country’s most successful fashion stories and the formidable creative impetus behind label A-ESQUE. In 1996, Amanda founded accessories giant Mimco, and built the brand...

Behind the stories we’re drawn to are the story-tellers who create them. The people who see (and sell) the intangible, who captivate our imagination, and make us gasp for breath, shed a tear, laugh out loud and want to share this experience with others. My guests on this episode are extraordinary story-finders, story-sharers, and story-tellers. I was captivated by not only how they bring the TV se...

At the age of 33 Mel gave her entire divorce proceeds to charity because of a throwaway line by her ex-husband. From there she has built a multi-million dollar business and is driven to removing the taboo that money and to give everyone - especially women the drivers seat to their own financial success. This is an episode you don’t want to miss. Mel shares incredibly openly about her own money sto...

Catherine Velisha is the director of one of the country's biggest horticulture operations Velisha Farms. It won’t take long for you to hear from this conversation that she’s a real go-getter. Having faced severe discrimination throughout her career as a strong female in a male dominated industry, she has smashed through the glass ceiling to build a $40 million company. Now she is rolling out schoo...

Erin Deering is an Australian entrepreneur and co-founder of global swimwear brand, Triangl. From pioneering neoprene cuts and the influencer effect, Erin, alongside her co-founder, successfully grew Triangl into a USD$200 million-valued company that gained cult status with women around the world.   In 2015, Erin broke onto the BRW Rich List as a result of Triangl’s success, which at its peak, ave...

From banker to boots, Dani Holloway has a story to share. Growing up on a dairy-farm in Gippsland Victoria, Dani moved to Melb to study journalism and communication which ultimately landed her a role in the banking world. As often happens opportunity grows from frustration. Dani was navigating the wet weather in Melbourne - have grown up in gumboots - noticed a gap in the market that would help th...

Today’s guest is story-teller, and in this conversation we travel across countries, stories, and experiences that will captivate you. Pip Drysdale is a bestselling author, musician and actor. She grew up in Africa, Canada, and Australia, became an adult in New York and London, and lives on a steady diet of coffee, dreams, and literature. Her debut novel, The Sunday Girl, was a bestseller and has b...

Grief, it strikes all of us. Sometimes it creeps up and other times we experience it through sudden moments. Making the topic of grief more open and less awkward are two incredible friends. Sally Douglas and Imogen Carn are the creators and co-hosts of Good Mourning, a podcast and online support community on a mission to normalise talking about grief, through wholehearted conversations with honest...

Emma Carey is known as ‘The Girl who fell from the sky’. 9 years ago she was involved in a sky-diving accident whilst travelling through Europe, falling to the ground over 4.5kms - an occurrence that is so rare and the result of a split second circumstance. This accident left her paralysed and she shares her story and lessons about the pure ‘longing for life’ she experienced in the moments before...

The ‘C’ word - the big ‘C’ - that’s the topic of this episode. Of course I’m referring to confidence. Provocative?? When you consider how many of us wish we had more of it - yes it is. Mel Schilling is someone who has researched and worked in the field of confidence across her 20 year career. You might know her as the relationship expert on Married at First Sight - both the Australian and the UK v...

When it comes to medical drama’s we’ll often think about Grey’s Anatomy, ER or even House. What’s missing from these drama’s is the perspective of the female Doctor and the truth behind a medical system that truly needs an overhaul. Dr Neela Janakiramanan is a reconstructive plastic surgeon with expertise in complex hand and wrist surgery. She is a seasoned public speaker and advocate on issues in...

Many of you may remember today’s guest when he shot to fame in Australia in 2011 on The X-Factor. His biggest stage now though is facing a terminal diagnosis of brain cancer. His story and this conversation about how he’s facing this diagnosis is remarkable. When we talk about living boldly, Johnny Ruffo embodies this approach. Johnny has performed onstage with international hip hop superstars Sal...

Many of us dream of staying as young as possible as long as possible - the dilemma is which pills, potions, programs are going to help us doing this? Trained in paediatrics, Dr Norman Swan was one of the first medically qualified journalists in Australia, with a broadcast career spanning more than 30 years. He currently hosts Radio National's The Health Report and co-hosts Coronacast. He also repo...

Time. It’s seems to be moving quicker every year, it’s something we wish we had more of, and we are intrigued by those who you use it wisely. In this episode we’re going to dive into strategies and tools used by some of the worlds most successful people. Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist and founder of behavioural science consultancy Inventium. Amantha’s thoughts have appeared in...

When a jewellery maker and fashion designer joined forces to put on an event they’d actually want to sell their wares at in 2008 little did they know they were launching the start of a sustainable business. Brooke and Sarah are the co-founders of Finders Keepers, where communities come together to shop, explore and discover the very best from designers, makers and entrepreneurs in the country. The...

Occasionally there are conversations that captivate you because of the unique way that an individual has faced a challenge and the choices they’ve made to change the dynamic. This conversation was one of those. Ben Bravery is on a mission to open up a conversation. A conversation between patients and doctors, between those experiencing illness and the system that has been set up to care for the il...

Indira Naidoo is one of Australia's most popular broadcasters and authors. Spending time with her for this conversation was an absolute highlight for me. During her thirty-year award-winning journalistic career, she has hosted and reported for some of the country's most distinguished news and current affair programs, including the ABC TV's Late Edition and SBS TV's World News, and she is currently...