The Politics of Everything

As some who has struggled at times with high-functioning anxiety, I have often wondered what makes a difference to my day. Is it exercise at dawn, a sense of control over my workload, the way I view the world as good or bad, or a range of nuanced mental and physical factors that can either alleviate or accelerate my condition? Through her media career and social media posts, I have found some grea...

Content creation is often the heart and soul of any modern business and its brand. My guest today Mel Daniels is a Content Strategist and Speaker who loves to understand ‘why’. Even past her toddler years, she always asked why. She wanted to understand why things worked like they did, why people acted a certain way and why she was the only one who loved peanut butter and sultana sandwiches. Her cu...

Lucinda Holdforth is an accomplished speechwriter, an in-demand speechwriting coach, and a seasoned author. She worked with the likes of Australian deputy prime minister Kim Beazley in the 90s. Her latest book, 21st Century Virtues, How They Are Failing Our Democracy came out in August 2023 and caught my attention ironically through a post she did on LinkedIn, describing the modern perils of the s...

My guest Rachael Neumann and I met at a Forbes magazine member event in June. She was the main speaker and clearly understands the opaque and dazzling world of venture capital. Every wondered just what is Venture Capital (VC). VC is a form of private equity and a type of financing that investors provide to startup companies and small businesses that are believed to have long-term growth potential....

Property is a hot topic. Always. I have interviewed a range of property experts over the past 196 episodes of my podcast, and there is something about our national interest, obsessions even with property in Australia that seems to get everyone buzzing. Michelle May is a buyer’s agent, and she has some insights for us all on how to negotiate the next property sale or purchase. She has 25 years of e...

Your business's profit (or loss) is the difference between your income and expenses. Put simply, that's the amount that comes into your business and goes out. However, there are some businesses that seem to thrive and even gamify their numbers to ensure profits and cashflow flow are king, and perhaps tax and other expenses are reduced or even nullified. My guest today Amanda Thompson is an award-w...

Peter Baines is a crisis and disaster management expert, philanthropist, and international keynote speaker on the topic of leadership. He has worked globally responding to acts of terrorism and humanitarian disaster zones and offers unique insights from his time leading counter terrorism initiatives. Peter is known internationally for his humanitarian work in the building of Hands Across the Water...

Katrina Van De Ven is on a mission to revolutionise fashion for nearly 70% of Australian women who wear a size 14 or above. With a background in psychology, decades of lived experience as a plus-size woman, and a burning desire to help women look and feel their best, Katrina is well-equipped to lead fashion technology company LükBook and, with it, a push for a more inclusive fashion industry. Sinc...

The E word means different things to different people. Personally, I love exercising. Or maybe I love having exercised? The jury remains out on that one. But I have always moved, and my own health demands it – mentally for my anxiety and physically as I have a severe scoliosis which was diagnosed when I was just seven, and it was either maintain the body I have or face drastic surgery by 14. Even...

Everyone wants to be at their peak, ideally. Andrew May is recognised as one of the world’s leading Mental Skills Coaches, with clients the Manly Sea Eagles, other elite athletes, CEOs, and organisations. He is the host of the Performance Intelligence Podcast, a leading speaker, best-selling author, and a regular on ABC TV’s News Breakfast. Andrew is the founder and CEO of StriveStronger.com, a di...

It could well be a post-Covid itch or a global movement – time will tell but everywhere I look we seem to see news stories discussing the role of finding “purpose” in our careers, and what we can all do to secure more meaningful work. There’s a severe talent shortage combined with a significant deficit in soft skills, AI is taking over technical roles, and people are experiencing peak levels of ca...

My guest today is a podcast hall of fame winner so this should keep me on my toes! Dr Ginger Campbell is also a physician, author, and science communicator. She is the author of “Are You Sure: The Unconscious Origins of Certainty” and she is a member of the Podcast Hall of Fame (2022). Dr. Campbell began podcasting in 2006 when she launched two shows: Brain Science and Books and Ideas. Both featur...

You’ve probably heard that we’re on the edge of an AI revolution. But what does that actually mean for you? Donna McGeorge’s new book, The ChatGPT Revolution: How to simplify your work and life admin with AI has come out at the ideal time for many of us grappling with this AI tool and what it means for our work as well as personal lives. This is billed as the ultimate quick-start guide to unlockin...

Adrian Baillargeon has over 20 years of corporate experience across Canada, Africa and Australia and has worked extensively in marketing, sales, strategy and joint venture management. As a Speaker, Leadership Team Performance Expert, Executive Coach, Adrian has been involved with transformations, mergers, downsizing, expansion and has received state, national and global awards. His latest book is...

Boundaries are a relatively new concept in modern life – and in reality, mean saying ‘no’ to people, opportunities or distractions that present themselves. It can be hard at first for many of us who are people pleasers or don’t like conflict but can also be empowering and life-changing for us when done with a degree of tact and affirmation. My guest today is here to discuss this concept in more de...

Our topic today is digital connections and so Rebecca has a lot to share about that! Rebecca Saunders is a Business & Life Advisor for ambitious women wanting to do life and business unapologetically on their terms. She's a champagne-drinking, post-it note loving, hair-free alopecian who helps female business owners turn their uniqueness into a superpower, celebrate their successes and create...

Professor Tamara Davis AM is an astrophysicist at the University of Queensland with over two decades experience studying the dark side of the Universe -- black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. While leading major international surveys she also tries to figure out deep questions such as whether dark energy can be used to make hoverboards, and if time travel is possible. She is an avid communica...

Jacqui Clarke and I met around a decade ago, when I was media training in one of the Big 4 consultancy firms in Sydney. Today she is a trusted advisor, board member, executor and veteran business executive. For decades she has worked with some of Australia's wealthiest families to help them preserve, protect and grow their wealth, and navigate the challenges that money brings. She has a new book o...

Today’s guest is probably a familiar name and face to many of us who are parents. Rachael Coopes has been a long-time presenter on Play School, having graced the stage and screen for thousands of ecstatic toddlers for many years now, but also is an award-winning storyteller working across many forms, writing, acting and producing for international screen and stage for more than two decades. While...

The pun on words is not lost on me! We are discussing The Politics of Politics – and while this podcast is in essence a non-political show, I believe we can’t escape that politics shapes our society and impacts everyone at some level. I personally love politics. In fact, I was a NED on a board to help more women get elected to public office for a few years. I recall I was passionate about why that...

If you have never heard of the term “bucket list”, it is a list of all the goals you want to achieve, dreams you want to fulfill, and life experiences you wish to experience before you leave this earth. Most of have seen that 2007 film with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholas to get the gist. My guest today wants us, and especially any women, to embrace a “life list” while you’re still younger rather...

Functional medicine is more than a blanket approach to eating the ‘right foods’ or taking a few supplements to help our bodies and minds. Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual's illness. Meet Filipa Bellette the Co-Founder o...

Do you ever think about your life’s work, the sum of all parts and what that will stand for once you retire or finish your public life as such? Sarah Nelson joins us today as a Chief Legacy Officer an advisor to leaders and teams offering individual and group sessions to create your own legacy statement. Building a legacy means creating something enduring that can be passed on. This might be a phy...

Today’s guest is passionate about men’s health – but not just young and already genetically blessed men – especially family-minded men who maybe like many busy folks, have neglected third health and wellbeing as they take care of their careers, families and everything else in between. Gabriel (Gabe) Pluguez is part of a company called Default Kings – a business that helps family-minded men achieve...

By far my youngest guest in the seven years I have hosted The Politics of Everything, Max Mason is only starting his career but is worth chatting to. Like me, he is a former NSW Central Coast resident. Max is a 16-year-old rising star in the world of motor racing. Born in Sydney, Max has always been fascinated by speed and cars. His interest in motor racing began at an early age when he started wa...