SHIT HAPPY with Toni Powell

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES:  Be Your Own Self Health Advocate #32 What do you do when your health is on the line—but you’re too scared to speak up? In this powerful episode, cancer survivor and patient advocate Luan Lawrenson-Woods shares how learning self-advocacy transformed her breast cancer journey. From brutal medical encounters to life-saving second opinions, Luan unpacks why speak...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Annoying Each Other ep #31  Living with someone long-term? Annoying habits are guaranteed. In this funny and relatable In Bed with Phil episode, Toni and Phil swap stories of forgotten sunglasses, vanishing oven mitts, secret DIY projects, and communication fails. Along the way, they share how laughter, play, and not taking things too seriously can keep a rela...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: I Healed My Marriage in 30 Days #30 Can you really save a struggling marriage without changing your partner? In this inspiring wellbeing conversation, Toni shares the story of Lois, who felt stuck in her 25-year marriage until a simple 30-day challenge helped her rediscover love, joy, and gratitude. This episode explores mental health, relationships, and the s...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Having, Being and Doing Enough ep 29 How do you know when you are enough, have enough, and do enough? In this inspiring episode, broadcaster, author, and former music journalist Sheridan Stewart shares how bushfires, burnout, and a life audit led to her 90-day challenge—and her bestselling book I Am Enough . Sheridan talks about stress, overwork, money habits,...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Forgiveness PHILosophy Ep 28 Forgiveness isn’t easy it’s just essential for wellbeing, mental health, and healthy relationships. In this candid and funny “In Bed with Phil” episode, Toni and Phil explore how forgiveness shapes resilience, why seeing from another’s perspective can heal bitterness, and why the process often feels like compost—growing good things...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: How You Can Forgive ep #27  Forgiveness isn’t about letting someone off the hook—it’s about freeing yourself. In this powerful conversation with Dr. Fred Luskin, Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Project, we explore why unforgiveness harms mental health, how resentment fuels pain in both body and mind, and the practical steps anyone can take to release grud...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Finding Inner Peace EP #26 What if forgiveness is the missing key to your wellbeing? In this powerful conversation, Stanford’s Dr. Fred Luskin—founder of the Forgiveness Project—shares how letting go of resentment rewires your brain, lowers stress, improves mental health, and transforms relationships. From the hidden costs of grudges to the surprising link bet...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: From Shitshow to Shift EP # 25 When life falls apart, it’s easy to spiral into anger, self-doubt, and misery. In this candid “In Bed with Phil” episode, Toni and Phil unpack how losing their business, illness, and humiliation nearly broke them—and how one powerful shift in understanding the brain turned despair into hope. A raw and funny conversation on resili...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: From Dream to Disaster #24 Betrayal, resilience, and the messy beauty of starting something big. In this episode, Toni Powell shares the rise and collapse of the film festival she founded—an inspiring, heartbreaking, and ultimately transformative journey. Touching on wellbeing, resilience, relationships, and the psychology of trust and betrayal, this story off...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Hip Hop For Healing  EP 23  From dancing with Britney Spears to earning an Order of Australia, Winitha Bonnie has transformed hip hop into a powerful tool for social change. In this uplifting episode, we dive into her journey from awkward teen to motivational leader, exploring how dance helped her overcome depression, build resilience, and teach disadvantaged...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Going For Gold - EP # 22 In this warm and witty In Bed with Phil episode of Sh!t Happy , Toni shares the origin story of the Heart of Gold International Film Festival —a dream sparked by a short film that changed her life. Together, she and Phil reveal the highs and heartbreaks of building a festival with heart: from screener groups of avocado farmers and porn...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes:  A Highly Unlikely Story EP #21 What happens when an unlikely little film takes you from embarrassment to winning Best Short Film in Los Angeles? In this episode, Toni and Phil share the surreal story of how Looking Good —a seven-minute film shot with family—unexpectedly launched them into film festivals, celebrity encounters, and conversations that changed li...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Blindsided by Benzos EP #20 Filmmaker Deke Ludwig’s viral short film Seeing changed how Toni experiences the world—teaching the life-shifting truth that “the ordinary is extraordinary.” In this raw, powerful conversation, Deke shares how the film’s message shaped his life and how a doctor-prescribed benzodiazepine for mild anxiety and insomnia nearly destroyed...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: THE SHOOTOUT - ep #19 A heartwarming, funny, and inspiring conversation about how a small creative risk can change your life. Toni and Phil share the behind-the-scenes story of their short film Looking Good —from near disaster to sweeping awards—and how stepping out of your comfort zone can boost mental health, build resilience, and create opportunities you ne...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES: Curing My Crisis Creatively EP #18 What do you do when life derails and you feel like the joy is gone forever? In this raw, funny, and deeply moving episode, Toni and Phil share the true story behind their short film Looking Good —how grief, isolation, and a midlife crisis sparked an unexpected creative adventure that rewired their mental health and rekindled...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Sex, Drugs & Meditation ep #17 What happens when workplace bullying, desperation, and a stubborn streak collide with a 10-day silent meditation retreat? Author Mary-Lou Stevens turned her painful ABC workplace experience, personal struggles, and a mind full of drama into the bestselling memoir Sex, Drugs & Meditation . In this honest, funny, and deeply...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: How Embarrassing Ep 16  In this hilarious “In Bed with Phil” episode, Toni and Phil swap their most embarrassing moments — from drunken mishaps at a wellbeing retreat to botched school science experiments and awkward nursing encounters. Packed with laughter, humanity, and unexpected life lessons, this conversation is perfect for anyone who loves funny, relatab...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: A Safe Space to Heal Ep #15 In this deeply moving conversation, Petrea King shares the remarkable journey from her own healing to creating Quest for Life, a sanctuary for those facing cancer, PTSD, trauma, grief, and life’s toughest challenges. Through powerful stories, Petrea reveals how compassion, connection, and holistic healing can restore peace of mind,...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES: A Spiritual Survival Story EP #14 Petrea King’s extraordinary journey from childhood trauma, chronic pain, and a terminal leukemia diagnosis to deep healing and remission offers profound lessons in resilience, mental health, and spiritual wellbeing. From months of solitary weeping in a cave in Assisi to founding Quest for Life, Petrea shares how grief, self-ex...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES: A DOG NAMED FEAR - EP #13 Fear can sneak into our lives early — through trauma, bullying, or loss — and shape how we live for years. In this warm, funny, and deeply human conversation, Toni and Phil explore the surprising ways fear shows up, how childhood wounds can follow us, and the practical, proven ways to face fear head-on. From life-threatening burns and...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: The Resilience Baseline ep #12 Big-wave legend Mark Matthews joins me for a punchy masterclass in resilience and wellbeing: a simple gratitude-text ritual, why genetics don’t have to script your fear, the perspective shift that boosts calm (and may help your body), and the often-missed bedrock of resilience—daily forward motion toward something meaningful. Rea...

This is the fan mail link! Shownotes: Big Wave Wipeout  EP #11 Former world-class big wave surfer Mark Matthews reveals how he turned a career-shattering injury into a masterclass on overcoming fear, building resilience, and finding joy again. From battling pain and self-pity to redefining success, Mark shares practical strategies for facing fear—whether in sport, work, or life. This is an inspiri...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES: Our Own Funeral, In Bed With Phil EP #10 In this episode of Sh!t Happy , Toni and Phil share a heartwarming (and hilarious) story about attending their own funeral, organized by their son as a surprising birthday gift. Inspired by a concept in Toni’s Happiness Adventure program, the “funeral for a friend” idea gave Toni and Phil the chance to hear what loved o...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES: Her Pre-Death Funeral EP #9 When Cathy Henkel’s mother Laura chose a legal death in Switzerland, she didn’t want a traditional funeral—she wanted a pre-death party. In this moving and magical episode, Toni hears how Laura farewelled her friends in full Mad Hatter style, and the miraculous moments that followed her death—including astral travel, a singing casse...

This is the fan mail link! SHOWNOTES:  A Joyful Death with Cathy Henkel – Ep 8 (archived)  What if dying could be joyful? Filmmaker Cathy Henkel shares the extraordinary story of her mother’s choice to end life on her own terms. This beautiful, moving, and unexpectedly uplifting conversation reframes how we think about aging, elder care, mental health, and what a good death can look like. Topics V...