LEAD 'EM ALL

Brian is an Operations Manager and rugby league coach who left school at 15 to start a plumbing pre-apprenticeship and qualified as a tradesman by 19. He currently manages a FIFO plumbing team in the resources sector. We discuss maintaining trade quality, hiring difficulties, overlapping projects, client delays and the pressures of being the link between management and the crews on the ground. He...

Quinn is a former athlete, coach, business owner, author and podcast host. We discuss his Effort Over Results philosophy and the importance of focusing on what we can control, including effort, attitude and process rather than just outcomes. He shares how the philosophy developed through parenting high-performing teenage athletes, after recognising that pressure around results was affecting his so...

Murray shares the journey of building Kalamunda Kickboxing & Martial Arts from backyard training sessions into a thriving facility with more than 500 members, programs for all ages and a strong connection to the local community. We get into what it takes to build more than just a gym. Murray discusses developing instructors from within, maintaining standards as a business grows, creating an en...

Jamie Henry is the 2026 Dhara Kerr Medallist, awarded to the WAFL Women’s best and fairest player for the season. After moving to Melbourne to play VFL with the Western Bulldogs, Jamie was dropped without warning heading into finals. She returned to Swan Districts in 2025 with a different focus, determined to prioritise her mental and physical health and rebuild her confidence. After two narrow WA...

What happens when you decide to back yourself and chase a sporting goal without knowing exactly how it will work out? Simona made the move from Victoria to Perth to join the West Coast Warriors in the WA Netball League after years of playing VNL and country netball around Ballarat. Despite wanting to push herself further, she had struggled to break into Victorian state pathways leading to her relo...

Hiring someone new can feel like you've finally found the person you've been looking for. But sometimes leaders can get caught up in the excitement and start putting a new hire on a pedestal before they've really had a chance to understand them. At the same time the new employee is trying to prove they were worth hiring, bringing plenty of energy, ideas and enthusiasm. Eventually thoug...

When someone hands in their resignation, things can get weird pretty quickly. An employee who was once highly valued can suddenly become “not that good anyway”. A workplace someone once loved can suddenly be remembered as toxic. Why do we do this? In this episode, we look at what happens psychologically when a working relationship comes to an end, from both the employee and employer perspective. W...

Hemi has spent the past 12 years building a career in the electrical industry, progressing from apprentice electrician to tradesman, operations manager and now general manager. He shares where his passion for electronics began, the challenges of moving from the tools into leadership and why managing people can be more mentally demanding than working in the field. He discusses balancing multiple cr...

Jesse Turner is the captain of Swan Districts Football Club, a five-time consecutive WA State representative and a secondary school teacher. Jesse reflects on his football journey from Bassendean Junior Football Club through the Swan Districts development pathway, sharing the setbacks that shaped his career. He opens up about being overlooked, cut from Colts, missing a Colts Grand Final after play...

James is a 20 year Australian Army veteran and former SASR Patrol Commander who now helps organisations develop stronger leaders through K6 Consultancy. We talk about James' leadership journey from training to be an officer, leading soldiers early on in East Timor and Afghanistan through to commanding within the SASR, where he learnt that trust and strong relationships will always outperform c...

Nicola discusses the reality of school leadership, developing people and unlocking potential. With 25+ years’ experience across secondary education, deputy leadership roles and acting principal positions, Nicola explains school leadership structures, her student services focus, and the day-to-day realities of managing behaviour, parent communication and complex wellbeing issues using clear process...

In this episode Daniel breaks down the 3 leadership standards we believe create better leaders and more capable teams. The three standards we go through are: • Being able to control your emotions • Putting the team first • Always improving Leadership is not something you talk about, it is something people experience through your actions over time. 🎧Spotify – YouTube – Apple https://www.highpl.com...

John is a Co-Director of Trevor's Carpets Willetton and shares the realities of running a busy flooring business. He discusses the pressures of day to day operations, leading a team, solving constant challenges and why creating a fun, family oriented workplace helps in a high stress environment. John also explains why he believes relationship based selling delivers the best results, how he com...

Daniel welcomes back Travis from SPARQ Fitness to break down the benefits of kids playing team sports and why they matter far beyond physical fitness. The episode explores how sport helps build confidence, resilience and life skills that flow into work, relationships and everyday life. They contrast today’s screen heavy, sedentary lifestyle with the value of being outdoors, staying active and lear...

Amanda has spent nearly 30 years in freight forwarding and logistics, starting out as a runner moving shipping documents and cheques before progressing through import operations and key account management. She shares how the industry builds practical knowledge of geography and trade and how geopolitics and global conflicts impact shipping through vessel delays, rising insurance and bunker fuel cos...

Lina through her practice Show Up Psychology supports children, teens and adults navigating neurodivergence. We explore neurodivergence across all life stages including late diagnosis particularly in females and why labels can be helpful despite stigma. She breaks down the shift toward neurodiversity affirming practice focusing on identity, accommodations and adapting environments rather than forc...

Cairo is the host of the Western Force “Full Force” podcast, co-host of "C0MMS" podcast, a former co-host of “Hories Tell Stories” and runs a content consultancy helping businesses and individuals build personal brands. He reflects on the workload of producing and editing a podcast while working FIFO as a scaffolder, the pressure of serving a large audience and the decision to ultimately step away...

At nearly 44 years old, I’m preparing for my 33rd season of Rugby League. Not in a master’s or social comp, but in a full-contact, open-age first grade competition against players in their teens, 20s and 30s. This episode breaks down the reality of continuing to compete at that level. Not just physically, but mentally and logistically, while balancing family, business and life. There’s a bit on th...

Ed is a Youth Worker who spent a decade in rugby league development and coaching before shifting to working with disadvantaged youth. He describes working with highly traumatised young people in residential care and youth homelessness engagement hub environments. The realities of violence and critical incidents and why he values “walking alongside” clients rather than chasing quick wins. The conve...

Ret reflects on a turbulent 12 months that saw him living in Bali, surviving a serious scooter accident, navigating co-parenting his young daughter and facing the collapse of his fitness business, S30. S30 grew to 27 locations across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore before entering administration and liquidation, a rise and fall that delivered hard-earned lessons in leadership, ownership and r...

Kieran grew up the 10th of 12 kids in a rough and resource scarce environment where humour, solitude and strong sibling bonds became survival tools. That foundation shaped the man who went on to serve 14 years in the Australian Army, deploying five times as a combat engineer and draftsman before being unfairly dismissed amid the Defence email culture controversy. He shares how the reputational fal...

Nikki and Carly dive into the complexities of eating disorders, the impact of diet culture, and our often-challenging relationship with food. With over 25 years’ experience as a dietitian, Nikki is the sports dietitian for the Australian artistic swimming team and a food therapist specialising in eating disorders. She shares her journey from sports dietetics to supporting clients in better underst...

Hayden shares his inspiring journey, beginning with his upbringing in a small town in New Zealand, where he faced early adversity following the passing of his mother from cancer. Hayden recounts his move to Christchurch, where he began playing rugby, and later relocating to Perth following the Christchurch Earthquakes. He discusses the tragic leg injury thatended his rugby career and led to a near...

Marty is a primary school teacher, state representative coach and former state representative rugby league player. He discusses the challenges and rewards of teaching young children, the importance of consistency and respect in leadership and the dynamics of coaching both junior and senior teams. Marty reflects on his late career change from a driving instructor to a teacher, the pressures of bala...

Jake is an emergency management specialist in the miningindustry. He shares his journey from apprentice butcher to nightclub bouncer, managing security for large events and to being an emergency services officer. We look into the often overlooked role of security teams as frontline first responders and why their contribution in critical incidents matters more than most people realise. Jake also sh...