The You Project

I’m gonna be honest, David Gillespie can be pretty annoying, especially when he turns up to TYP with information, research and dare I say, evidence, that doesn’t suit my version of ‘what is’. How dare he rattle my ideological cage of thought and belief around a particular topic with all his bloody annoying ‘research’. Surely my personal experience, ideas and long-held beliefs over-ride his mountai...

Ben Price pretends to be other people. Well, to be more accurate, he’s an internationally renowned comedian and one of Australia’s best impersonators. He has mastered more than more than 200 voices and written comedy sketches impersonating elite athletes, musicians, politicians and film stars. On any given day he could be Arnold Schwarzenegger, Donald Trump, Owen Wilson, Homer Simpson or Dr Phil....

Kerri Pottharst is a retired Australian Indoor & Beach Volleyball player, whose career spanned an incredible 22 years, including 3 Olympic Games, a Bronze Medal in Atlanta and the one many of us remember, the Gold on the sands of Bondi at the 2000 Games. She is also an author, executive coach, athlete mentor, MC and sought-after Inspirational Speaker. I loved her; so real, raw and passionate....

Davie Fogarty is responsible for perhaps one of Australia’s biggest fashion crimes.. the polyester jumper-blanket hybrid known as, the Oodie. More than 3 million have been sold around the world and the product’s success has landed Davie 27, on this year’s Young Rich List with an estimated wealth of $170 million. His journey began with six failed business, including a stint owning a Vietnamese café...

In 2014 Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett had the crazy idea of putting a washing machine and dryer in the back of a van to offer a free laundry service to those doing it tough in Brisbane. Well, seven years later that initial idea has evolved into an amazing organisation called Orange Sky and the two-man band has grown into a team of sixty-plus employees and more than 3,500 volunteers, operating 36...

Dr. Jodi Richardson is back on TYP and as always, she’s charming, interesting and super down-to-earth, sharing some pretty revealing stories about her own ongoing journey with anxiety, her work, parenting, her new podcast, getting her 1st dan black belt in Karate, explaining how trauma lives in the body, having hard conversations, perfectionism and a hilarious story about buying booze. Lots...

Mark LeBusque, Tiff and I wax lyrical about a bunch of things in this very-informal chat, including the credibility of ‘work-life balance’ as an idea (there’s a better concept), the psychology of Christmas (some people are already planning for a terrible day and making themselves anxious four weeks before it’s ‘required’), the idea of ‘life design’ (what is it and how we can do it) and lots more....

Turns out that Tommy and I don’t hold back on the tears. Melissa, on the other hand.. straight up Ice Queen but me and the Jackett… blubbering cry babies. Ads on the telly, Adele’s new song, soldiers coming home from war and surprising their kids, the back-stories of contestants on talent shows… drop of a hat, I’m done. Tear fest. So, I’m a softy. We also spoke about smart marketing, what we choos...

As a child, Mariam Issa dreamed of traveling to faraway places but she did not imagine having to flee Somalia’s civil war on a leaky over- crowded boat to Kenya – pregnant and holding her two young sons for dear life. Nor did she dream of the horrors of genital mutilation, bombings or her close-knit family being torn apart and spread across six countries, including Australia, where she now resides...

We started this conversation the other day and it seemed to resonate and connect with a few people, so here’s the second (and final) bit. Enjoy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine being in charge of 5,000 soldiers in the middle of a war zone in the most dangerous place on earth at the time (Ramadi, 2006). Well, that was Major General John Gronski’s reality for an entire year. There were another forty years of courage, combat and service but it’s fair to say, that was a significant time for him. We covered a lot of territory in this episode, but essentially, it was a...

Turning the worst day of your life into your best is no easy feat but sometimes, it happens. In Brett Connellan’s case, this day included the moment when every surfer’s worst nightmare became his reality; being attacked by a Great White Shark. As the light was fading at Bombo Beach on the evening of the 30th of March, 2016, Brett was inches from death. He had lost three-quarters of his left quad,...

Over the years, there have been numerous ideas, thoughts, revelations and lightbulb moments that (for me), were truly powerful and truly transformational. Often, life changing. Realisations that enabled me to think, choose, act, create, connect and self-manage in a way that eluded me, prior to my new awareness or understanding. As always, the thoughts I share here are not a personal prescription o...

Young Tommy was back steering the TYP ship, launching questions at me with his verbal slingshot and we managed to meander through an hour (or so) of exploring the complexities and joys of being human. We spoke about the role of confidence, striving for perfection (is it good or bad?), evaluating our own work, people who over-estimate their ability, having our work (talent, results, creative output...

Matt Brumby is a Para Athlete Ironman World Champion, Half Ironman World Champion, Invictus Games Captain and Gold Medalist, Motivational Speaker and as it turns out, a larrikin Aussie who is equal parts courage, inspiration, commitment and humour. Half way through our chat, Matt complained that his Zoom settings meant that (on his computer) my head took up the entire screen. Apparently, it wasn’t...

It’s the ever-present challenge; learning to ‘operate’ me (you), optimally. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, practically. This is part two of a stupidly-long chat around the idea of creating our own optimal (specific to us) health plan. Keep in mind that there’s no universal ‘best’ workout, diet, lifestyle, protocol or operating system but rather a million ‘bests’, depending on a broad...

It's the ever-present challenge; learning to ‘operate’ me (you), optimally. Physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, practically. Exercise Physiologist Russ Jarrett is back at TYP HQ (along with Tiff) and this time we have a stupidly-long two-part chat around the idea of creating our own optimal (specific to us) health plan. Keep in mind that there’s no universal ‘best’ workout, diet, lifestyl...

Best-selling author, super-sleuth researcher, lawyer and TYP regular (we’re a big deal now) David Gillespie, is back and this time we talk about cults and religions (I’m starting one), getting in flow, the bendy-ness (a word) of time, his preferred writing process, universal basic income, crystallising thoughts, nootropics (cognitive enhancers), food labelling (super dodgy), why so many non-smoker...

Katy Milkman is a Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and holds a secondary appointment at Penn’s Perelman School of Medicine. Her research explores ways that insights from economics and psychology can be harnessed to change consequential behaviours for good. When under 30 (she became a professor at 27!), Katy was named one of the world’s top 40 business school profes...

Professor Peter Brukner is back for another sesh at TYP Central and as expected, he doesn’t disappoint. This time the Medical Feather Ruffler (MFR) and I talk about diabetes (in some detail), healthy scepticism, ice baths (yes or no), stretching (yes or no), active recovery, the evolution of physical rehabilitation (over the years), why Alzheimer’s is sometimes called ‘type-3 diabetes’, why some p...

Ben Pronk is the Managing Partner of Mettle Global, a premium corporate advisory firm specialising in establishing and developing organisational resilience and preparing companies for the volatility and uncertainty of the contemporary world. His first career spanned 24 years in the Australian Army, with the majority of that time spent in the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment. In this capacity, Be...

Is ethical lying even a thing? Not totally sure but nonetheless, we explore it. Turns out, I’m a periodic fibber. Sorry to disappoint you. I know I’m the only one. My adopted son is back in the big chair asking me questions and keeping me on my cognitive toes. Apart from our exploration into fibs, we also discuss the ‘Law of Attraction’ (don’t start me), manifesting success (FFS), free will (do we...

Is ethical lying even a thing? Not totally sure but nonetheless, we explore it. Turns out, I’m a periodic fibber. Sorry to disappoint you. I know I’m the only one. My adopted son is back in the big chair asking me questions and keeping me on my cognitive toes. Apart from our exploration into fibs, we also discuss the ‘Law of Attraction’ (don’t start me), manifesting success (FFS), free will (do we...

Stephen Scheeler is the former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, where he guided Facebook’s unprecedented rise from quirky Silicon Valley start-up to media and technology titan. Working with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook’s Silicon Valley leaders, his tenure at Facebook saw the Australian and New Zealand business – including Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and Oculus – grow to become one of...

Lance Picioane is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Kangaroos. Lance is the founder and CEO of the ‘Love Me Love You’ foundation; a not-for-profit mental health foundation, raising awareness and providing services and programs to improve the lives of young people who need help. What was Lance’s nightmare (alcohol and drug abuse, anxiety, depression, sui...