Kintsugi Heroes: Uncovering our Hidden Value

⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses addiction & recovery and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone — help is available: • SMART Recovery Australia (addiction): smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au • ReachOut: au.reachout.com • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support):...

Jason Blyth: The Gold in the Cracks, How Pain Refines and Purpose Is Built ⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses abuse & exploitation, addiction & recovery and trauma & healing, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone — help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • 1800RESPECT (family, domesti...

⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses abuse & exploitation, which some listeners may find distressing. If you need support, you're not alone — help is available: • Blue Knot Foundation (complex trauma): 1300 657 380 · blueknot.org.au • 1800RESPECT (family, domestic & sexual violence): 1800 737 732 · 1800respect.org.au Mahir entered high school as an energetic, curious kid thriving in...

Colin Parsons spent decades people-pleasing and chasing externally imposed goals until a move to Luxembourg, the birth of his children, and therapy catalysed a complete reckoning. He took paternal leave in a country that supported it, discovered his gift for genuine human connection through a Chief Happiness Officer role, and later questioned everything: money, marriage, identity, and what it mean...

Gene Moore grew up in a fundamentalist Christian household where his sexuality was framed as sin. He married, became a pastor, and spent 14 years denying who he was before a near-suicidal crisis forced him out of the closet. After losing his partner Victor to a plane crash in 1994, Gene channelled his grief into studying gay identity and eventually transforming military and police cultures by refr...

EPISODE SUMMARY Not every journey to purpose is a straight line. For Matt Tulle, it wound through stigma, addiction and some of the darkest corners of mental health — all while growing up queer in rural Queensland. Matt didn't just survive that journey. He transformed it. Today he works as a peer worker in alcohol and other drugs (AOD) support, walking alongside men who are exactly where he once w...

Donna carries memories from 18 months old, including repeated sexual abuse by her father beginning at age three. Through childhood and adolescence, she endured trafficking, gang rape, attempted abduction, and betrayal by peers. Two abortions—one illegal and traumatic, one legal—marked her teenage years. At 16, a suicide attempt by overdose nearly killed her. She married an abusive narcissist in he...

EPISODE SUMMARY Harpreet Kalsi-Smith founded The Kindness Company after caring for her mum through end of life. Shaped by her own migration story and over 15 years working with First Nations, migrant and refugee communities, Harpreet walks alongside people approaching death — making space for grief, honouring culture, and proving that kindness is the quiet thing that changes everything when someon...

🎙️ EPISODE SUMMARY What happens when the thing you were told to hide becomes the very thing that shapes your purpose? Jay Borthwick grew up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches — a life filled with ocean swims, surf lifesaving, and community. But behind that upbringing was a challenge that shaped everything: dyslexia. In this episode, Jay shares how navigating school with a learning difficulty, being labe...

🎙️ Episode Summary What does it take to rebuild your life after losing everything you built together? Kevin Holloway shares his deeply personal journey through grief after losing his wife of nearly 40 years. From overwhelming loss to finding meaning again, this is a powerful conversation about courage, identity, and what it truly means to keep showing up. Through his experience as a leader, coach,...

"I’ve come out from under, from hiding, I suppose." In this episode, we sit down with Gene Moore , a brilliant scholar, former pastor, and cultural change specialist whose life’s work involves dismantling the very walls he was once forced to live behind. Growing up in a fundamentalist Christian home in Texas, Gene faced the agonising conflict between his identity and his faith. After a journey tha...

Hayley grew up in a privileged family where her parents worked hard and protected her from many hardships. She was a middle child who became skilled at noticing others and managing emotions. During high school, Hayley faced difficulties processing big emotions and coped with them through an eating disorder. She did not often share her struggles and felt alone with her experiences. After high schoo...

Episode Title: From Terminal Diagnosis to the Cockpit: Cameron’s Journey of Repair and Resilience Episode Summary Cameron faced a terminal cancer diagnosis with the same precision he uses as an airline pilot. In this episode, we explore how he reframed a "broken" prognosis into a life of deeper community connection, spiritual peace, and the successful raising of his two daughters. Cameron’s story...

Troy grew up in Bendigo, Victoria and studied sports science at university. He developed curiosity and appreciation for learning through diverse life experiences and family challenges. After university, Troy travelled extensively, living in places like Greece, Iran, and South America. He worked in remote cattle stations, ski field management at Mount Buller, and even spent six months living in a z...

Catherine Robertson is a highly experienced wellbeing and leadership coach, consultant, and keynote speaker who bridges corporate leadership and personal growth. With a 20-year career in the pharmaceutical industry and over a decade specialising in wellbeing, mindfulness, and positive psychology, she supports leaders to enhance health, resilience, and performance through evidence-based approaches....

Joanna Nell is a British/Australian author, former GP and advocate for positive ageing. Her journey began with a deep curiosity about people. As a doctor, she listened closely to her patients and cared for them with empathy and understanding every day. Leaving a successful medical career, Joanna followed her passion for writing. She shows us it’s possible to change direction in life and start some...

Ros Knight began her journey as a good listener among friends during high school, soon realizing her interest in how people think and grow. Her first career path did not quite fit, but Ros found her true calling as a psychologist, driven by her desire to help others. Over the years, she has built a strong foundation in clinical practice, always focusing on understanding both the brain and the pers...

Jill Nash overcame early family tragedy and loss, showing remarkable strength. Her experiences shaped a determined outlook, helping her guide her family and herself through life’s most challenging moments with courage. Now 86 years old, UK born Jill champions dignified aging and end-of-life choices and is involved in voluntary assisted dying initiatives including creating creates seminars to encou...

Peter Donnell grew up in Sydney’s northern suburbs. His career began strongly but the early 2000s brought unexpected hurdles, including workplace changes and the closure of his office. He also faced tough commutes and job stress. His wife’s health after childbirth brought extra challenges at home. Managing a newborn and household demands grew more difficult and pressures continually increased duri...

Margot was born in 1962 in Australia, the daughter of Dutch immigrant parents. She left school in year 11 and went to art school in the Netherlands for a little while. On her return she secured an apprenticeship the pre-press printing industry as a 'retoucher and dot etcher'. She worked in that trade until opening her Apple Computer...

From war zones to slums, Aaron Tait has travelled to and worked in more than 70 countries across the globe as a military officer, humanitarian and social entrepreneur, and now writes to help people live deliberate lives filled with purpose.    Aaron was thrust into the frontline of international crisis at a young age, deploying to Iraq immediately after 9/11 as a 17-year-old military off...

Michael describes how leaving Africa for Australia brought him both emptiness and relief. Building a new life meant loss of networks and family upheaval, including divorce, yet the safety, law and order in Australia provided comfort. Michael’s passion for high-risk activities like kayaking, skydiving, and micro-lighting was driven by adrenaline and the thrill of adventure, helping h...

Michal’s childhood was filled with outdoor adventure and freedom in Rhodesia, growing up on a hobby farm, fishing and riding, but also navigating a complex relationship with his Scottish father’s temper. Being sent to boarding school at a young age shaped Michael’s sense of independence and self-reliance but also led to feelings of abandonment and questions about his own self-worth over many years...

John had a tough childhood, surviving mental and physical abuse. Living on the streets at fourteen shaped his empathy, wisdom, and understanding of the challenges facing many men today. From truck driver to mindfulness coach, John’s story includes surviving a catastrophic accident, experiencing a spiritual awakening, and transforming years of darkness into clarity. He teaches simple practices that...

Petrina Barson grew up as the youngest of five girls in a loving family, surrounded by compassion and kindness. Her early life set the foundations for her caring nature. She attended a church school, learning about Christian principles and compassion. The experience shaped her guiding light, even though she did not fully embrace all its teachings. Medicine was not an obvious path for Petrina. She...