The Purpose Edge

Luke is the founder of Fair Threads , a start-up enterprise addressing a specific set of needs in the correctional system. He got the idea from when he was inside himself. Not only that, his rock-bottom experiences led to a lot of reflection and he’s gain a strong sense of meaning and purpose in his life as a result. It’s a story worth hearing. Here are links to things that Luke mentions in the sh...

Karen Jacobsen knew what she wanted to do with her life from a very early age, however she couldn’t have predicted the challenges ahead nor becoming the voice of (Australian) Siri and being at the cutting edge of AI issues for performers. As a musician and performer she has an immense body of work that’s admired across the industry including her idol, the (late) Olivia Newton-John. Oh, and she app...

With most large companies proudly displaying their ‘purpose’ for all to see, how many are taking it seriously and who are the people doing the work to ensure they are heading in the right direction? Ramana James is one such person! His roles at Vodafone Australia, Stockland, IAG and Dexus have all included the process of connecting their strategies to their purpose and very few people could claim...

Apart from being the artist in residence at a not-for-profit funeral home, Malika’s had highs and lows in her life, and has amazingly come through in one piece. From being the victim of child sexual abuse (that she is willing to discus and keen to highlight) to meeting Stevie Wonder (3 times), Prince (once), video store hold ups and car accidents, she uses her voice and words to make a positive di...

A special update and announcement of a new "baby" from Phil, along with a brief summary of the 21 episodes to date! You can email Phil via  podcast@philpreston.com.au  and find out more about his speaking, facilitating and hosting work at  philpreston.com.au   Theme music is the track “Rhododendron" by Phil Preston and John Nichols performing as South of the Big Smoke (back in the d...

If you’ve ever played the pokies, bet at a casino or bought a lottery ticket, you’ve participated in a regulated gaming industry. It’s an industry that attracts attention and has been in the news a lot lately, often for the wrong reasons. Peter ter Weeme was headhunted from a leading Canadian gaming company to join one of Australia’s biggest players, and leads on issues like harm minimisation, div...

Tracey McMillan is a fantastic example of someone who – through their personal and work life – has literally amplified their impact in the world more than 1,000x over. Her law firm won the small-medium business category in the 2021 Shared Value Awards for their NoLawyers.com.au platform. Find out how this platform has disrupted the legal industry, how it addresses a major societal problem and what...

Danielle Dobson was a young professional on the move, working overseas for major companies, and this all changed when she had kids. Her marriage broke down and she learned how to decode and then re-code her life to find balance and success. From humble beginnings in the Yarra Valley to the UK, Italy, Silicon Valley and Beijing before coming back to live in NSW, it’s been quite an adventure! We cov...

A windstorm interrupted Angela Wilson’s life in 2016 and she not only had to navigate the insurance claim, ombudsman and rebuilding process, she had to deal with work motivation challenges too. With a high level of curiosity, she excelled and learned from it, so much so that her business today revolves around helping others with career and life interruptions. A key question she asks is: If all you...

In a 10-year stint as GM Prison Industries Victoria , Tony Layh made real change in the lives of prisoners by improving training and working with companies to create employment opportunities once they were released. What’s more impressive is that his enterprise was self-funding and not reliant on government grants. It also helps companies recruit well-trained people for roles that they often strug...

Dr Neryl East has had her fair share of pivotal moments and glorious achievements. When her husband was recovering from a horrific, life threatening accident, it occurred to them both that we tend to wait for disruptions rather than getting on the front foot and disrupt ourselves. There’s so many great experiences you’ll hear about in this discussion, from being present when ICAC raided the local...

Ross Clennett went through a cycle of seemingly having it all ... before losing it all, and having to deal with the grief and loss of his sister along the way. How did he rebound? What role has meaning and purpose played for him? How and why does he make a difference today? There's a lot to learn and a lot to like in this episode. You’ll find Ross’s website and blog here , or connect via Linke...

Conjure up the names of stars that you’ve seen on television and there’s a fair chance Maz has them on her speed dial. As a producer on award winning and high rating shows, she knows what pressure, accountability and responsibility are all about. It turns out the purpose of the show matters! In this conversation, we find out about some of the names in her rolodex (if there is still such a thing) a...

Through her work and lived experiences, Bel has developed invaluable insights into grief, stress, vicarious trauma and mental health. She is driven by her belief in ‘keeping things real’ and passionate about fostering self-care for individuals, teams and organisations. In this conversation, we find out about the positive and negative experiences that shaped her, how she helps create ‘space’ for ot...

Caroline Robinson lives more than 400km from Perth in WA and is instrumental in improving the economies and lives of rural, regional and remote Australians, as well as helping city folk like me understand their challenges. Plus we talk about how she met her husband (perfectly cliched!), founding the Australian & Ukraine Rural Community Alliance , why volunteers really matter and the work she d...

Graeme Cowan hit rock bottom in his life and took many years to get through depression and come out the other side, but when he did, he became a founding director of the enormously successful mental health charity, R U OK? He talks about unhealthy work-life relationships, the process of recovery, invaluable advice that helped him pull through, how R U OK? came about and how it has evolved since th...

What does a successful journey from a business career to the social sector look like? Kylie Flament made that shift, moving from the health sector to becoming the General Manager of the highly celebrated social enterprise, Green Connect , and is now CEO of the Social Enterprise Council of NSW & ACT ( SECNA ). She talks about how an unwavering commitment to her values helped her in navigating k...

As a first generation Sri Lankan-Australian, Giles Gunesekera faced personal headwinds growing up in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. However, his resilience and willingness to serve others shone through, including being formally recognised with an OAM award . This is an interesting account of a dual career in the for- and not-for-profit sectors, and how they finally converged in the founding of hi...

As a Gen Y / Millennial, Michael Lupi didn’t know the exact career path he’d take but he focused on his strengths and the jobs he felt he needed to do in order to get the job he wanted and maximise the difference he makes in the world. Is he there yet? You’ll have to listen to find out! In this illuminating conversation, we also cover parental influence, working at the intersection of business and...

How and why did Holly Masters end up leading the McGrath Foundation ? And why has it succeeded where others may have stalled? In this episode we gain some wonderful insights into the ingredients that individuals and organisations need in order to make a difference at scale. Plus, Holly talks about the methods she’s employed to navigate her way through various challenges in life. You can email the...

Shayne Evans was an up and coming architect, designing fancy houses for rich clients, and was seemingly at his pinnacle when he realised it wasn’t as fulfilling as he thought it would be. In this conversation, Shayne talks about how he made the adjustment to a new type of working within his chosen and treasured profession. Not surprisingly, that had a lot to do with purpose - not just saying it bu...

This chat with Scott Ko provides insights into making sense of purpose in life, sustaining a social enterprise and the criminality of pineapple on pizza! Scott is the Acting CEO of Leadership Victoria and the founder of ColourSpace Gallery , a social enterprise helping to create greater accessibility to art in public and work spaces, as well as income for artists. We explore the process of making...

Lisa Evan’s life changed suddenly and unexpectedly, and she talks about how she courageously navigated this challenge and came out ahead! She is perhaps unique in claiming she’s practiced midwifery in both a literal and figurative sense! There’s more to this episode than meets the eye, with themes of tackling adversity, toxic work cultures, transitioning out of roles in large organisations and job...

A short update from Phil about exciting weekly new episodes ahead!

Michael Kennedy is qualified to talk about earthquakes in both the literal and figurative sense. In fact, being in a major earthquake zone saw him take up a new hobby that has had a big influence on his sense of meaning, purpose and wellbeing in life. Plus, he’s worked for a company that puts purpose at the centre of everything it does, and it’s interesting to hear about the positive impact this h...