Stand Out Life

Australia's first female commercial airline pilot was told she'd never get hired because she’s a woman. So she took the airline to the High Court and won. On this week's episode of the Stand Out Life podcast, Deborah Lawrie, author of Touching the Sky and the longest-flying female airline pilot in the world, sits down with me to share her story. You'll hear how she refuses to accept ‘no’ when Anse...

Grief has no timeline, and despite what we might unconsciously believe, there isn’t a ‘right’ way to die. This life-affirming chat on death, dying, grief, and palliative care reveals why letting go of the ‘good death’ myth allows us to talk about the taboo topic of death and helps families face the end with less fear. Death and dying researcher Dr Hannah Gould joins me to unpack why grief does not...

You built a successful life, followed the rules, and did everything "right" - so why do you still feel disconnected from your true self? In this conversation with Kat John, we unpack authentic living, why we abandon ourselves to keep the peace, and how to stop performing for the approval of others. Kat wrote the book ‘Authentic’, runs the Zero F*cks Movement, and you'll feel every part of her stor...

I took 18 months off from the Stand Out Life podcast that I didn't plan to. This is the first episode of the new season of the Stand Out Life Podcast. And I wanted to come back and share the story of where I've been, and what pulled me back to the mic. The truth is, like many people, 2025 asked a lot of me through various transitions. In being present to these the podcast took a back seat. But lif...

Dr Karl is best known here in Australia for his ability to make science not only accessible, but engaging and fascinating, He’s been a staple in our media landscape from his early days on Triple J, to his multiple podcasts, books, and extensive media presence - a true science story-teller. With the launch of his memoir ‘A Periodic Tale’ we explore in this conversation his early years as the only c...

The decision to step away from a 20 year career and embark on a new endeavour is one that requires courage. Talitha Cummins is one of Australia’s most famous TV journalists having worked for Channel 7 across the span of 20 years. She has also led conversations about sobriety which saw her featured on The Australian Story, the cover of Stellar and Australian Women’s Weekly. Talitha recently decided...

Mindfulness, enlightenment, inner-peace. If you are anything like me you might hear these words and glaze over a little bit. Seriously who’s got time for that - and does it even make any difference? Today’s guest is going to help me (and maybe you) sit with these terms a little longer and explore why they might be useful. Luke McLeod has become one of Australia’s most popular thought leaders and p...

It turns out you don’t have to be good at art or creativity, for creativity to be good for you. Caitlin Marshall and Lizzie Rose are the founders of MakeShift, an award-winning agency that provides trauma-informed creativity and mental health programs for communities, workplaces and groups. Since 2013 they have worked with thousands of people including corporate clients navigating an uncertain and...

Bonnie Hancock has been competing in the Surf IronWoman series since she was 17 years old. Her drive to push her limits and extend herself into adventures is exemplified in her most recent and remarkable journey. Starting in 2021, for 254 days, across 12,700kms, seasickness, sharks, crocodiles and 6 foot waves Bonnie became the fastest person to paddle around Australia. But it was never really abo...

What is it about rest that makes it feel so hard? It’s like we’ve got to earn it, prove that we deserve it. And what if we had a different relationship with rest? Emmie Rae is on a mission to change our relationship with REST. But this is a relationship that she herself has wrestled with over a number of years. Emma shares her drive and hustle approach to work and life, and how she resisted the ur...

Chocolate that loves you back - sounds like the ultimate luxury. From Model to Naturopath & Nutritionist to founder of an AFR Fast 100 company, Emica Penklis’s story is a fascinating one. Emica is a visionary entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Loco Love Pty Ltd, a trailblazing Australian chocolate company renowned for its innovative "high vibe" products. And if you haven’t come across these c...

Habits - all of us have them. Some we’re happy to keep, others we’d love to kick. This time of year is the perfect time to get forensic about the habits in your life and how they are serving you. As a trained dietitian, Dr Gina Cleo has helped people improve their health and well-being - however noticed that her clients struggled to maintain their progress over time, much like those elusive goals...

What would it take for you to be able to work with (almost) anyone? Michael Bungay Stanier helps people know they’re awesome and they’re doing great. He’s best known for his book The Coaching Habit which is the best selling book on coaching this century and is considered a classic His most recent book is How to Work with (Almost) Anyone and it shows how to build the Best Possible Relationship with...

Much of what we do is living life by default even when life has dished up hard-ships, maybe even trauma. We’re going through the motions….but what if we were to shake things up and become curious rebels. Yemi Penn is a global thought-leader on igniting our rebellious curiosity at an individual, team and organisational level. British born, Nigerian, living in Australia Yemi is an Engineer by profes...

All of us can fall into trying to make sense of the unknown, drawn towards an insight, a theory or a story that seems just far-fetched enough to be true. But what makes rational people believe irrational things? As someone who studies behavioural scientists today’s guest is akin to chatting with an intellectual hero. It’s highly possible you haven’t come across Dan Ariely’s work, but his research...

When we look in the mirror there are times we might pause long enough to ask the question - Who am I? Identity, invisibility, magic and love are the themes not only of Trent Dalton’s work, but of his life. This conversation that left me with goosebumps, tears, laughter, joy and a desire to cartwheel into the magic moments life has in store, if we’re prepared to see them. Trent Dalton nearly needs...

This episode comes with a content warning. This conversation with Chanel Contos contains descriptions of sexual violence, assault and we talk about sexual acts. Parts of this conversation may be distressing for some listeners. The statistics Chanel shares are confronting which is why she has made it her mission to drive a conversation and impact policy change in this country about consent educatio...

Falling into advertising photography was a happy accident according to today’s guest - a career that has incredible high’s but hasn’t always been easy. John Tsiavis has always had creativity in his world and found his flair at the intersection of advertising, photography, and directing. His break came at the age of 20 after producer Jane Scott contacted RMIT looking for someone to shoot stills for...

What were you doing the first few months of 2020? Today’s guests were launching their business together in outdoor apparel. A business that, by starting in uncertain times has forged its way into new territory. Olympic freestyle aerial skier Kiley McKinnon, alongside Ariana Ferwerda initially set out to create a skiwear brand designed by women, for women. After competing at the 2018 Olympics in me...

From a young age, journalism was always on the radar for Tracey Spicer. Exploring the stories of our time and uncovering truths. This drive continues in her latest book - Man Made. Tracey is a multiple Walkley Award winning author, journalist and broadcaster who has anchored national programs for ABC TV and radio, Network Ten and Sky News. Tracey is one of the most sought-after on stage and online...

Linda Marigliano is an Australian television and radio presenter, podcaster, musician and DJ, best known for her work on FBi Radio and Triple J.  Linda has built a career out of performing for other people. In her day-job as an on-air presenter or in her family home, she contorted herself into 'the cool girl' or 'the good girl'. Exploring how to wrestle with long-distance love and learning more ab...

We all have memories intertwined with food. From our earliest of days, to the food we reach for in heartbreak, celebration or connection. Charlotte Ree explores how food can be a way back to ourselves. Sharing her open and real stories of love, loss, and finding herself again in her book Heartbake, this is a bittersweet story with some tough tough moments. In this real and raw conversation Charlot...

Kathryn Eisman is a multi-Emmy Award Nominated television journalist, bestselling author and Internationally celebrated fashion "de-coder" and entrepreneur.  A pioneer in the 'language of fashion', Kathryn has toured the globe as a speaker and columnist on the topic, noted by the media for her "uncanny ability to read a person based on the clothes they wear."  Her unique combination of razor-sharp...

Dr Rebecca Ray is a clinical psychologist, author and speaker who helps big-picture-thinking people master their psychology. Beck’s expertise as a professional zig-zagger sets her apart as one of Australia’s most in-demand and authoritative voices in the personal development space. Her science-backed, hard and heart truth approach is uniquely informed by her pivots from pilot to psychologist, from...

We dive into the hard things about bringing up age, illness and next steps with those we love the most. These are not easy conversations, and yet all too often they are left until it’s too late or not had at all. Being able to know and fulfil the wishes of those we love can be gratifying - but it starts with knowing what those wishes are. This conversation is one that will leave you thinking diffe...