WHAT I'VE LEARNT

Australian-owned and operated BOOB ARMOUR is designed to protect breasts and prevent injury in women and girls playing impact and hardball sports, including Australian rules football, netball, basketball, rugby soccer, hockey and cricket. Suzie Betts, BOOB ARMOUR’S Founder and Director, said: “There’s plenty of research and evidence showing that impact to the breast can result in deep bruising and...

Actor, comedian, philanthropist, and racing car driver -  just some of Eric Bana’s passions. What a life force he is!  Whatever he does he embraces with enthusiasm and dedication. A true powerhouse that has seen him recognized globally as a major talent to be reckoned with. After a decade of roles in Australian TV shows and films, Bana gained Hollywood's attention for his performance in the w...

Hunter Johnson is the Founder & CEO of The Man Cave, a charity that has impacted the lives of 20,000 young men across Australia.  He also leads STUFF™, a purpose-driven personal care brand for the next generation of men.  Hunter is an Advisor to The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust a charity championing young people throughout the Commonwealth alongside Prince Harry, the President of QCT.  Hunter&ap...

On a late October afternoon in 1985, Susan Berg joined her parents and her 16-year-old brother on a family boat trip in Victoria’s Western Port Bay. It was the family’s second time out in the newly purchased boat. A relaxing afternoon on the water. But within mere hours of entering the bay, Susan Berg’s life would change forever. As the sun started to set, the family began to head back to the shor...

When Shelley Reys was a little girl, she watched her father win ‘the race that stops a nation’. Frank Reys became the only Aboriginal jockey to win the Melbourne Cup in 1973, aged 45. One of fourteen children, he was born to a Filipino father and a mother of Aboriginal descent - something he never denied - but the newspaper front pages the day after his win omitted his Indigenous heritage. “He was...

 Ok, like who didn’t have or want a pair of those flattering dark denim Bettina Liano jeans .., they were the most coveted jeans in the 90s, and then there was iconic Bettina, with her red lips and Italian style whose clothes graced the runways, clubs, and cafes of our fashion-driven cities for years ... and then she sort of vanished .. more on that later ... But now she’s back with a vengeance. I...

Comedian Arj Barker has always had an ability to identify the idiosyncrasies of Australian culture but with an affection developed through his own familiarity with the country.  Part Indian Sikh and European his rich cultural heritage is just part of the fuel for his comedy. And He cleverly selects subjects that resonate well with local audiences - From Uber v taxis to the city’s sometimes fraught...

Today I have a very special guest joining me on the podcast. Sue Blashki my beautiful mother.  As her 80th birthday is around the corner we’ve joined forces to tell her story and capture her legacy and wisdom in honor of mothers across the world. Mother of four, wife, barrister, magistrate, and now a mediator Sue has been a role model for many - friends some of who went into law inspired by Sue, h...

Sadly it was a tragedy that brought mother Australian of the Year Rosie Batty into the limelight. On an otherwise ordinary day in early 2014 her only child, Luke, an effervescent 11-year-old, was at cricket practice when he was killed in front of her by his father. It was a brutal, incomprehensible act, carried out amidst children playing sport on a summer’s day, and it shocked a nation. 24 hours...

Dan Rosen exemplifies what is possible if you have passion, a dream, and in Dan's case a love of music - your skills can take you wherever you want to go. For Dan, it’s being at the helm of one of the most powerful music labels globally - recently taking the reigns as president of Warner Music Australasia. After all, Music is a business - a monolithic one with Warner Music International going...

Her striking face, sky-high cheekbones, deep dimples, and full lips plastered across banners on trains, town halls, and adorning Melbourne Fashion Festivals venues across the city, Kenyan Chadwick model Ayuol has embraced the opportunities life has offered since starting her life in Australia as a young girl. One of five siblings who arrived with her single mother from war-torn Africa when she was...

Passionate, witty, vulnerable, intelligent, and honest – critics describing the work of bestselling author Elliot Perlman. A born storyteller I recall many school lunchtimes and weekends - Ell writing, creating scripts, novels, and songs. As one of the only other writers I knew, I was inspired. It was while practicing law in 1994 that he won The Age short story competition for ‘The Reasons I Won’t...

Oscar and BAFTA-nominated film “The Father” in cinemas this month was of course brought to you by the doyenne of Australian Cinema, Natalie Miller. With a keen eye for the latest greatest films, film distributor (Sharmill Films) and part-owner of the iconic Carlton Cinema Nova, Cinematic queen Natalie Miller transformed Melbourne and Australia into a film hub. Sourcing the best international and N...

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and an extraordinary Newsweek with gender and alleged sexual assault issues front and center, I’m thrilled to feature Lawyer, trailblazer, women's rights advocate, and philanthropist Eve Mahlab AO, a successful businesswoman who has worked to improve the lives of women in Australia for decades. A member of the Co-ordinating Committee of the Women&apos...

With some twenty years experience in retail and finance, David Briskin is hailed for kick-starting mid-luxe accessories brand Mimco as Managing Director and shareholder in 1999, and for his work with Sass & Bide as CEO from 2008, turning the brand around before it was sold off to Myer in a multi - million dollar deal in 2014. In February 2014, Briskin became the director of menswear retailer M...

It’s hard to imagine not being able to breathe, suffocating slowly because your Doctor or clinic has actually run out of oxygen! That’s the horrific reality facing many thousands of children and adults dying from Pneumonia.  Pneumonia is the single largest killer of children worldwide and with the outbreak of COVID-19, the access to oxygen crisis has worsened.  Every 30 seconds a child dies from p...

Award-winning author Jane Harper taps into the insatiable desire for authentic crime thrillers with “The Dry” her best-selling novel that has put her firmly on the international stage with more than a million copies sold globally so far! The story features a desperate tale of murder and mystery set against the arid outback and drought-stricken Australian landscape.  In the book, the tragic tale of...

Paul Grabowsky is a pianist, composer, arranger, conductor – and is one of Australia’s most distinguished artists.  His recent collaboration with the likes of Paul Kelly and Archie Roach showcases Paul’s versatility and both the albums brim with musical gems about love, heartbreak, and tenderness -  a must listen.  During the late 70's he became prominent in the music scene in Melbourne, work...

A diminutive figure arrives clicking her heels on my parquetry floor, furtive and fresh from shooting on the set of her award winning television series Wentworth, Sigrid Thornton is striking -  Sky high cheekbones big emerald eyes and a perfect pout.  When she speaks she is clear crisp sartorial with a theatrical lilt.  Sharp and witty as she reflects on the challenges of work and motherhood and s...

Due to demand and interest in this very special interview, we have re released it for those that missed it as it was our first episode.  Enjoy -  Warm and relaxed I loved interviewing Deb at home.  As she sunk into my white velvet couch surrounded by black and white floral silk cushions, she was so natural and unpretentious.  We nibbled on ribbon sandwiches sipped herbal tea and reflected on so mu...

Caroline Burkie, head of the UK and EU World Literacy Foundation - a global organisation.  Based in 7 countries including Australia, that focuses on lifting people out of poverty through literacy. As an author, publisher, and book lover, I’m excited to share that I’ve joined forces with the World Literacy Foundation to promote awareness, and foster education both here and overseas. I’ll be bringin...

For 30 years Paul Bangay has fulfilled his clients’ aspirations for gardens that are expressive of the timeless elegance, and classic simplicity for which he is internationally renowned. Widely regarded as the foremost garden designer in Australia today, Bangay’s clients include a roster of the most prominent figures in business and culture.  His extensive list of projects span private and public...

The master of melancholy and pop, icon Troye Sivan was one the most articulate intelligent subjects I’ve interviewed.  Big blue eyes and a flop of carefully cropped curls, he was forthright about gay rights, the power of the people, and his passion for music.  He’s performed with everyone from Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift to Nashville Superstar Kasey Musgrave.  With his millions of Instagram fol...

Goodwill Champion for her Aunty Olivia Newton John's cancer and wellness centre, and recipient of an OAM for her services to the Arts, Tottie Goldsmith has graced our screens and many stages across Australia singing, acting, even tap dancing her way across the globe. One of 8 children to her 5 times married Father, the renowned eccentric nightclub owner Brian Goldsmith, Totties life has never...

One of the most inspiring, energetic creative people I’ve known, Jane Badler Hains, a beautiful talented New Yorker arrived in Melbourne in the 80s as an actor who is best known for her role as Diana in the cult NBC miniseries V . She’s worked with many including actors Alec Baldwin and Val Kilmer and featured on talk shows from Johnny Carson to David Letterman. Arriving in Australia to play a maj...