Rambles and Shambles with Ana

Darren has been a teacher, theatre director, counsellor, three-time mayor and now CEO of the Gippsland Climate Change Network. He also talked so much in school they gave him his own desk, which feels less like a punishment now and more like early career development. In this conversation, we talk about leaving the safe path, taking risks, theatre, politics, climate change, community work, and why c...

Courtney has worked as a hairdresser for ten years and has listened to more life stories from behind a salon chair than most people hear in a lifetime. In this conversation, we talk about growing up creative, receiving a diagnosis on the spectrum as a teenager, leaving school to start a hairdressing apprenticeship and building confidence through work. We also talk about great bosses, tough lessons...

Tahlitha is full of life, blunt in the best way and for reasons unknown, loves policies and procedures.  In this conversation, we talk about being a shy kid, moving schools, finding confidence through banking, and what happens when a toxic manager slowly drains the joy out of work. We also talk about leaving an industry after ten years, stepping into youth justice, and how the right work can make...

Jason can seem intimidating at first, but beneath that is someone deeply caring, fiercely driven, and very thoughtful about life. In this conversation, we talk about growing up in a violent household, learning confidence early and how he went from being a hyper, aggressive kid to someone who now tries to lift other people up. We also talk about failure, masculinity, mental health and why passion m...

Jonas grew up loving maths and being terrible at art, then built a career in cinematography, a field that looks creative from the outside, but runs on discipline, timing, logic, and getting the shot before the sun moves! In this conversation, we talk about film school, moving from Germany to the US and what it really takes to survive in a tough industry. We also get into rejection, networking, tea...

Reza grew up pulling apart TVs, toys and anything else he could get a screwdriver into, mostly to the horror of his parents. That curiosity turned into a career in engineering, then a life in academia, research and teaching. In this conversation, we talk about childhood curiosity, studying engineering, moving to Australia and why he chose teaching over a more straightforward industry path. We also...

Manjil grew up in Nepal, became the first in his family to go to university, and moved to Australia thinking he’d land an engineering job quickly. That is not how it went. In this conversation, we talk about strict schooling, family pressure, migration, rejection, bakery shifts, missed interviews, starting again, and the long road into the career he knew he was capable of. We also talk about resil...

Zdenka is one of those people who is equal parts tough and caring, quick to speak her mind but always looking out for others. Raised in a strict Croatian household, she learned early how to work hard, adapt and stand her ground. In this conversation, we talk about school, culture, being different, early work experiences that didn’t always go to plan, and how she found her confidence over time. We...

Bonus Rambles are the in-between episodes, just Ana reflecting on what’s been coming up through the conversations and whatever's been on her mind between episodes.

Kata is one of those people who lifts the energy in a room, warm, observant, and quietly tough. She’s worked across IT and the public sector and loves travel more than she loves small talk. In this conversation, we talk about being a rule-follower with a mischievous streak, how work ethic can be both a strength and a trap, and what good managers do differently. We also talk about finding happiness...

Ron has spent decades in entertainment, from early rejection letters to senior leadership at NBC, working on campaigns for shows most people grew up with. In this conversation, we talk about getting your foot in the door, surviving uncertainty, creativity under pressure, and what happens when the work matters but the outcome still doesn’t land. We also get into awards, failure, boldness, people ma...

Taman grew up in a first-generation migrant family where hard work wasn’t optional and expectations were often assumed. We explore how writing things down helped him clarify direction, how community shapes discipline, and what happens when corporate environments shift from trust to micromanagement. This episode sits with pressure, standards, identity, and the difference between working hard and fe...

Inas moved to Australia and rebuilt her career from the ground up, carrying years of experience that weren’t always seen or recognised. She’s a migrant, a mother, and someone who cares deeply about doing meaningful work without losing her voice along the way. In this conversation, we talk about starting over in a new country and what it’s like to be unheard despite having strong ideas. We explore...

Mick, aged 88, has dedicated his life to his community through his work, sports, local government, and volunteering. In this conversation, we talk about growing up during difficult times, learning to push through setbacks and why sport and community became central to his life.  We discuss leadership as being accessible and honest, doing the work without seeking recognition and what becomes less im...

Matt is a teacher and footy coach who spends his days responsible for kids, parents, and the systems that come with that. In this conversation, we talk about what teaching and coaching actually involve, what surprises you when you’re entrusted with young people, and where good intentions from adults can start to get in the way. We cover repetition, feedback that sticks, how confidence forms over t...

Allen’s working life has unfolded across countries, industries, and repeated restarts. In this conversation, we talk about growing up around a family business, experiencing early instability, and how responsibility shapes decision-making before confidence has caught up. We explore redundancy, starting over, and what it takes to keep going when outcomes feel beyond your control. This episode focuse...

Deb has spent her career in high-pressure environments, where decisions carry real weight. In this conversation, an experience comes up that changed how tolerance, perspective, and limits are understood day to day. We talk about how that shift influenced the choices that followed, where the line sits now, and how people decide when something no longer feels worth staying for.

Beames grew up in a small town and later moved into corporate work, where figuring out how you’re doing isn’t always straightforward. In this conversation, we talk about learning to let go of rigid ideas about how work should be done, why leading from a spreadsheet doesn’t always work, and how much you can pick up by paying attention to how people actually show up. We discuss why he’s deliberate a...

Archie’s working life didn’t follow a clear plan. He moved through hands-on jobs, heavy industry, years of martial arts training, and work with UFC fighters. In this conversation, we talk about how confidence didn’t come from pushing harder or believing more in himself. It came later, when the right people backed him and the environment finally changed. This episode looks at how support shapes con...