Engaging Conversations | Inspiring Dialogue, Empowering Communities

Send us Fan Mail A charity can do everything right and still find itself fighting for survival. For our 50th episode of Engaging Conversations, it felt only fitting to return to where it all began with Maria Martin, Founder and CEO of Survivors R Us, joined by General Manager Scott Martin. When Maria first appeared on the program, Survivors R Us was already making a difference in the lives of peop...

Send us Fan Mail A single moment of violence can leave a community frozen in grief, but it can also expose something quietly powerful: the people who choose to show up. This episode, we are joined by Rabbi Yossi Friedman, known across Australia as Rabbi On Demand, to talk about what he witnessed after the Bondi tragedy and what it teaches us about humanity, social cohesion, and the everyday choice...

Send us Fan Mail Forensic accounting is often seen as a last-resort service, something you turn to when things have already gone wrong. But as this conversation reveals, that mindset can come at a cost. In this episode, I sit down with Kirrilly Waring from Hall Chadwick, a forensic accountant with over 30 years of experience, to unpack what the work really looks like in practice. From business val...

Send us Fan Mail Domestic and family violence doesn’t announce itself with a single dramatic moment. It often arrives quietly through coercive control, financial abuse, gaslighting, and isolation, until someone’s confidence and sense of choice begins to erode. That’s why we sat down with Katie Viviers, CEO of St Vincent’s Open Support, and Karen Devins, who leads their domestic and family violence...

Send us Fan Mail Real support is not just a service delivered. It’s the moment someone feels safe enough to smile, speak, try, and belong. I’m joined by Lisa Mossman, CEO and founder of Lady Bumblebee Disability Services, to unpack what genuine empowerment looks like in disability support and why the small, human details matter more than most people realise.  We talk about the values behind “be co...

Send us Fan Mail The scariest part about suicide risk is how often it hides in plain sight. People expect clear warning signs, but what shows up more often are small changes: someone goes quiet, stops turning up, withdraws from what they love, or feels like a burden. We sit with that reality and focus on what actually helps, not perfect words, just a real connection. I’m joined by Simone Stanley (...

Send us Fan Mail Waves don’t just shape shorelines; they shape people. From the heart of the Bondi Pavilion, we sit down with surf pioneer Brenda Miley to explore how a borrowed van, a teacher’s eye, and a stubborn belief in visibility for women turned Let’s Go Surfing into a community pillar across Bondi, Maroubra, Byron Bay, and Ballina. Brenda opens up about those first uncertain years, the lea...

Send us Fan Mail What if the habits that win America’s Cup races are the same ones that power safer, long‑range drones? We sit down with engineer and founder Dario Valenza of Carbonix to trace a line from elite yacht design to fixed‑wing VTOL aircraft that are redefining aerial data capture across pipelines, power lines, mines and coastlines. Dario unpacks the performance mindset forged in sport:...

Send us Fan Mail What if success starts with generosity, not the other way around? We sit down with entrepreneur and mentor Shane Muller to explore how people-first leadership builds cultures that last, grows B and C players into A players, and turns good ideas into systems with real human impact. From coding a payroll program at ten to building a “cloud” company in 1999, Shane shows how reframing...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when rehabilitation is guided by evidence, clarity, and care — rather than assumption or delay? In this episode of Engaging Conversations , Leon Goltsman is joined by Dr Faisal Sheikh from Nepean Advanced Rehab & Allied Health Centre to explore a rehabilitation model that centres on dignity, transparency, and measurable outcomes. Drawing on Faisal’s background in...

Send us Fan Mail Start with the truth: some seasons don’t end with easy optimism. We chose to pause after the Bondi tragedy, to listen rather than rush to fill the air. That decision reshaped our compass for a new year. We return with a clearer purpose, conversations that strengthen communities, lift values-based leadership, and trade hot takes for human connection. Across 18 months and more than...

Send us Fan Mail A flood zone you didn’t check. An insurance premium you didn’t price. A lender policy you didn’t read until auction day. We sat down by Lake Macquarie with buyer’s advocate Deb Worthington to map a safer path through the property maze and to spark a bigger conversation about community, trust, and time. Deb restarted her career at 58 after decades in hospitality and mortgage brokin...

Send us Fan Mail The background laughter wasn’t noise; it was the cue. Recorded in Paddington, surrounded by young people finding their voice. Sitting down with technologist and board member Zina Kaye to dig into a simple truth: curiosity becomes courage when you ship small experiments and listen hard. Zina takes us from the gritty origins of early compression tech to present-day AI, banking, and...

Send us Fan Mail What if plan management felt human, transparent, and genuinely helpful from day one? We sat down with Simone Stanley from Plan Tracker to explore how a people-first approach can transform the NDIS from a maze into a map. Simone’s story begins at home, shaped by a family journey through surgeries, mobility challenges, and the quiet strength of carers. That experience drives a simpl...

Send us Fan Mail What if the missing piece in rehabilitation isn’t a new device, but a reason to show up tomorrow? We sit down with Craig Hewat, Managing Director of Engage VR, to explore how immersive therapy shifts the focus from compliance to genuine engagement and why this change unlocks neuroplasticity for individuals with stroke, brain injury, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s. Craig brings thre...

Send us Fan Mail "Energy is everything and everything is energy." These words from Nini Fritz, founder of the Work Happiness Project, cut straight to the heart of our modern work dilemma. In a culture that celebrates busyness as a badge of honour, we've forgotten that productivity isn't measured by hours spent, but by the quality of our presence. This conversation is a breath o...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when an architect decides there's a better way to build? Nerva Kay Ghamraoui, founder of Katalyst Construction, is reshaping Sydney's luxury residential construction landscape by prioritising people over profits and quality over shortcuts. From winning her first drafting award at age five to becoming a standout leader in one of Australia's most male-dom...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when creativity meets compassion? In this heartwarming episode, we discover how a poem written during Australian bushfires has transformed into a nationwide movement supporting children with special needs. Meet Christopher Williams and Anne Victoria, the creative force behind Karey & Kareful – a series of illustrated storybooks featuring a wheelchair-using koala a...

Send us Fan Mail The fractures in our healthcare system aren't just statistics – they're people waiting months for knee surgeries, children losing developmental progress, and families watching loved ones suffer unnecessarily. In this powerful conversation, frontline social worker Tripti Deswal shares her eight years of experience witnessing the actual human cost of healthcare delays in t...

Send us Fan Mail What if the leadership skills our world desperately needs aren't being taught in schools at all? Sophie Firmager, founder of the Realised Potential Group, reveals why the foundation of authentic leadership begins much earlier than most realise – often before the age of seven, when our core belief systems are formed. Drawing from her extensive experience coaching CEOs and exec...

Send us Fan Mail When you meet David Fox, you might first notice the calm strength of a lifelong martial artist. What you might not see right away is the courage it takes to live each day with Parkinson’s disease — a condition he’s faced for nearly 15 years. Once a fierce competitor on the karate mat, David’s battles today are far more profound. This isn’t about trophies anymore — it’s about navig...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when compassion crosses continents? Astrid Hocking, Lake Macquarie's Woman of the Year, joins us live from the Philippines to share her extraordinary journey of protecting the vulnerable and building resilient communities. From the orphanage that rescues children from trafficking to teaching young mothers income-generating skills, Astrid reveals how small acts of...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when men finally find a space where they can be vulnerable without judgment? Lives transform, connections form, and healing begins. Dave Martin, Director at Survivors R Us and founder of Sons of the Phoenix, knows firsthand the devastating silence that surrounds men's trauma. After experiencing profound loss, including three children, and spiralling into depressi...

Send us Fan Mail Solar power isn't just for sunny summer days—it's a year-round investment that transforms your roof into your personal power plant. Samuel Culhaci, a trusted expert from DNR Air Conditioning and Electrical, breaks down the surprising realities of solar energy that most salespeople won't tell you. Did you know solar panels don't need direct sunlight to generate...

Send us Fan Mail Transforming workplace culture isn't about quick fixes but fundamentally understanding what drives human performance. Trudy MacDonald, award-winning global keynote speaker and founder of Talent Code HR, brings over two decades of organisational psychology expertise to this illuminating conversation on building high-performance teams, particularly in regional areas. Trudy unve...