Bottled Up

On Episode 78, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Chris Burnett.  In 2020, Chris started a personal project to reconnect with people in his life. It started with weekly calls to catch up. Then, he began asking if he could interview them about their lives. To date, Chris has recorded more than 75 conversations. After seeing the impact this project had on himself and his people, he decided to share the idea w...

On Episode 77, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Terry Cornick. In his early 20s, Terry was coming home from work every few months feeling “seriously depressed and suicidal”. He grew up in a “stoic” British environment where he was accustomed to burying his feelings. Feeling like he needed a change in his life, Terry followed his friend to Australia.  But even on Australian soil, he suffered the old combo...

In Episode 76, Sunny Bahuguna sits down with Anne-Sophie Martin. From her roots in Montreal to her experience in New York at a top management consultancy and her time at Stanford, Anne-Sophie's story is one of resilience, introspection, and growth. Anne-Sophie's upbringing was filled with family warmth and a love for dance and sports. Her transition to New York brought success but also cha...

TW: Talks about suicide. I sometimes pinch myself with the guests we get on Bottled Up and this week is no exception. Only 1% of those who attempt suicide by jumping off of the Golden Gate Bridge survive, and Kevin Hines is one of those people. Fuelled by a history of struggle with depression and bi-polar disorder, Kevin thought the bridge would be the easiest way to die, yet the first thing he fe...

TW: Talks about suicide. The December and January break is often seen as a time of joy and celebration, but for some, it can be a lonely and challenging place. In Episode 74, we delve into the raw and courageous story of  James Tyreman , who opens up about his struggles during the early days of the COVID lockdown in 2020. When the pandemic struck, James found himself isolated for the first three m...

In the captivating Episode 73, Sunny and Mayank sit down for a thought-provoking conversation with Matthieu Komorowski, a Senior Lecturer at Imperial College in London and an Honorary Consultant in Intensive Care and Anaesthesia at the NHS. From from the East of France originally, Matthieu opens up about his upbringing as the middle child in a middle-class family—a crucial aspect that has signific...

In Episode 72, Sunny Bahuguna sits with Adeel Ahmad whilst on tour in the US. Adeel Ahmad is host of the Misophonia Podcast where people share their experiences living with Misophonia - which can be misery for those who suffer from it, and yet they may not even know that it's a "thing." Misophonia involves being hypersensitive to certain types of sounds, commonly noises like slurps, ch...

In Episode 71, Sunny and Mayank sit down with the remarkable Nick Ferrier, a performance psychologist and the founder of Cede Nullius Psychology. Nick, in his own words, is on a mission to help athletes do the right thing at the right time, and his journey into the realm of performance psychology is nothing short of inspiring. Growing up in the coastal town of Mornington, Nick's early years we...

In Episode 70, Sunny Bahuguna sits down with Christopher LeMark from Chicago, USA.  Christopher LeMark takes us on his journey to manhood, allowing us to feel the struggle and heartache of a little boy that simply wanted to be seen and loved. We gain a glimpse into the child welfare system that so many Black people are fearful of.  It is this very fear that has served as the catalyst for Black fam...

In Episode 69, we are honored to have Beau Brooks as our guest, a renowned figure from the Janoskians and a YouTube sensation who knows the ups and downs of fame all too well. His journey from early fame to a multifaceted perspective on success is a captivating story of transformation and reflection. Beau candidly discusses how his definition of fame evolved over time, stripping away the glamour t...

In Episode 68, Sunny and Mayank sat down with Angela Lim, a paediatric-trainee turned mental health technology entrepreneur, founding the company Clearhead. Angela graduated from the University of Auckland’s medical school and started paediatrics training at Starship Hospital, but her passion for tackling inequality led her to take a break from clinical practice in order to focus on developing sca...

In Episode 67, Sunny and Mayank sat down with Arjun Agarwal, where they explored two significant aspects of his life: the fine line between taking risks and being reckless, and the relationship with his Papa. Arjun shared his journey from the familiar comforts of South Africa and moving to the unknown challenges of Melbourne for his university education. He painted a vivid picture of those early d...

In Episode 66, Mayank and Sunny sit down with the legend herself, Ashani Dante, also known as Mandy. She is a thought leader, speaker, visionary and Founder of Flourish Girl, with a proven track record in the social impact & business space. Flourish Girl is a mission-driven charity focused on promoting feminine leadership and young women's mental health. With a background in speech patholo...

This episode is a little different to what we've covered in the past. Nearly 40% of our audience comprises women, which is not surprising considering the vital roles they play in the lives of many men, whether as partners, sisters, or mothers. Historically, women's health has been underrepresented and heavily stigmatised, and this continues to be perpetuated by the lack of funding and rese...

With the Rugby World Cup a week away and Father's Day just past, in our first guest episode back, we sit down with the Rugby legend himself, Dean Mumm Dean is a retired Rugby Union legend with a professional career spanning over 100 appearances for the NSW Waratahs, 3 years in the UK playing for Exeter and 56 caps for the Australian Wallabies. Outside of his inspiring sports career and transit...

Sunny and Mayank get behind the mic for the first time in-person since Episode #1. This one is coming straight from London. We reflect on the Bottled Up journey so far, why we started and where we've come. We also take the mask off and share parts of our own personal story and what has shaped us. We've got a lineup right through to the end of the year, so stay tuned and buckle up for weekl...

Get ready for an inspiring and thought-provoking episode! Join Sunny and Mayank as they sit down with the remarkable Chris Hope, the brains behind the 100 Coffee Movement initiative. Chris takes us on a profound journey, sharing his personal experience of starting up this incredible movement with a mission to combat disconnection and create a sense of belonging within local communities and beyond....

On Episode 61, Sunny Bahuguna and Mayank Sohani sit down with Jean-Pierre Vertil (JP). JP is full of zest for life. His energetic, enthralling and full of enthusiasm. Don't believe us? Give it a listen. 😉 We speak about life growing up in Haiti, his experiences at Stanford and friendships formed. What is clear in JP's story is his value on belonging, not only his own sense of belonging, b...

Boom! We're live. No better way to kick off the new season than a re-introduction to a fan favourite, Tom Boyd. Tommy joined us 18 months ago for his first episode with Bottled Up and has taken the courageous step to get back into the arena. Glad we didn't scare him away the first time. 😉 What's changed? Not much, other than the fact that his picked up two new hats, one as a Father, a...

Join Sunny and Mayank as they kick-off 2023. What’s in store? There’s only one way to find out. We touch on the last few months. Mayank has been settling well in the UK and is starting to feel at home. Sunny has just finished a 5-week trip across India. The duo also met up for a short time in Mumbai. 😉 We’ve been keeping busy over the summer break, recording over 15 episodes on SO many exciting t...

On Episode 58, the boys sit down with Paul Diamandis. This one is a special one. Perhaps one of the most vulnerable conversation we've been part of and we'd love for you to join us in this conversation. TW: There are some sensitive topics we touch on regarding death, suicide and addiction. Having been diagnosed with cancer just a month back, Paul has found himself at bridge in his life. Pa...

On Episode 57, the boys sit down with Sandeep Varma - the founder and CEO of the SAARI Collective, a media startup focused on supporting and showcasing emerging South Asian Australian writers and creators, and providing a smart, young South Asian Australian perspective on what's happening in Australia. In this episode, speak to Sandeep about: 💡 The role superheroes played in his earlier days...

Sunny and Mayank sit back and reflect on the year so far, with a lot changing since the last check in February.  Stay tuned for a light hearted catch up on what's been happening over the last couple of months as well as a (juicy 👀) update on what’s ahead for Bottled Up. In this episode we chat about: 🔥 Mayank relocating to the UK, lessons learnt and the experience so far 🔥 Sunny's half...

On Episode 55, Sunny and Mayank sit with multi award winning youth advocate, policy advisor and keynote speaker, Jahin Tanvir. A first generation migrant who came to Australia from Bangladesh in the early 2000s, Jahin was in his younger days, one of the only children of colour in his school and his neighbourhood… facing racism and alienation that caused him severe anxiety. As far back as he can re...

Boy oh boy are we excited to share this episode. Sunny and Mayank recently had the pleasure of hosting superstar, Bachar Houli. A former Australian rules footballer who played 232 games over a 15-year career with Richmond and Essendon in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is a three-time premiership player with Richmond and was named an All-Australian half-back during his 2019 premiership wi...