What's The Craic Podcast

"He lost his father at 11, fled a civil war, and changed schools 18 times before he ever picked up a shovel for a living. Now Goran spends 24 hours every year digging trenches to save lives in construction." Goran arrived in Australia in 1998 with no flying experience, a history of being refused entry over a lung condition, and a childhood shaped by war and displacement. He spent a decad...

"He noticed something wasn't right on a cruise in 2015. Ten years, two surgeries, chemo twice, and one clinical trial later, Bill is still here, and still telling every man he knows to get tested." Bill was running a business with 16 employees when a stage four prostate cancer diagnosis turned his life upside down. What followed was a decade of surgery, radiation, hormone therapy, ch...

"He bought his first pharmacy in 1968 with $200 cash and a borrowed car. Nearly six decades later, Jeff Leach is still fighting for men's health, one PSA test at a time." Jeff Leach built a career from nothing, cycling door to door as a teenager until a pharmacist gave him his first apprenticeship for three pounds and fourteen shillings a week. He went on to found Friendly's Chemist, one of WA's f...

"She landed in a remote mining town for a four-month contract and never left. Now Aileen is helping kids across the Pilbara learn to understand their own emotions." Aileen, originally from Waterford, came to Australia in 2011 for a working holiday. A short stint in Sydney left her cold, so she took a four-month occupational therapy contract in Paraburdoo, a remote mining town in the Pilb...

"From a night in a Cork bar with a mate and a one-way ticket, to running one of Perth's biggest scaffolding companies. Thirty-seven years on Damian Beausang still calls Ireland home." Damian Beausang landed in Perth in 1988 almost by accident, choosing Australia over America on a whim after a big night out with his cousin. What started as a working holiday turned into a life: a wife,...

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“You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to take the first step.” After years working FIFO, Darren Peterson reached a point where anxiety, poor sleep, alcohol, and gambling were taking over. That experience became the catalyst for a complete career change — one that’s now helping thousands of people take charge of their mental health, communication, and wellbeing. In this episode,...

“Business growth starts with personal growth.” From data analyst to entrepreneur, recruiter, endurance athlete, and silent retreat participant - Douglas Robertson has built a business around helping people unlock opportunities while continually challenging himself to grow. In this episode, I sit down with Doug to discuss recruitment, leadership, fitness, entrepreneurship, and why some of the bigge...

“You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going. Sometimes the best opportunities come from saying yes.” Paula Rogers left recession-era Ireland, built a career in London, and eventually found her home in Perth. Along the way she’s led publishing businesses, major industry organisations, state-wide policy conversations, and some of WA’s most influential networks. In this episode, we talk about:...

“Success means nothing if you don’t bring people with you.” From helping build one of Perth’s biggest Irish community events to delivering a major resort development on the WA coast, Tom Tierney has spent his career backing people, building businesses, and taking the road less travelled. In this episode, I sit down with Tom to discuss entrepreneurship, community leadership, property development, f...

“We packed up our lives, left everything behind… and started again in Perth.” Moving countries sounds exciting. In reality, it can be equal parts opportunity, uncertainty, homesickness, and hope. In this episode, I sit down with Arlene, founder of The Relocation Expo, to talk about her family’s journey from County Louth, Ireland, to Perth, Western Australia, and how that experience inspired her to...

“The best opportunities in life usually come from backing people, building trust, and playing the long game.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Justin Scanlan, CEO of APM Group’s Allied Health Portfolio, to unpack the journey from growing up in rural North Dublin to leading one of Australia’s largest allied health networks. We talk about:🇮🇪 Growing up in Skerries and mov...

“Building a business is hard… but building a culture people actually want to be part of is even harder.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Mairead Breen, co-founder and Executive General Manager of FSC Civils, to unpack the journey from rural Ireland to helping build one of WA’s leading civil construction businesses. We talk about: 🇮🇪 Growing up in a tiny Irish village b...

“If you choose a path… go all in. That’s where the growth happens.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Sam Carter, former Wallabies lock, to unpack the reality behind a professional rugby career and the lessons that come from the highs, the setbacks, and everything in between. We talk about: 🏉 Going from an “average” school player to earning a contract with the Brumbies...

“Change happens at the speed of trust.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Louise Zawada, executive coach and transformation strategist, to unpack what it really takes to lead through change while balancing career, family, and everything in between. We talk about: 👩‍👧‍👧 Life as a mum of two and navigating 25 years as a FIFO wife 🎓 Completing a Master’s degree while wo...

“At some point, you realise Plan A isn’t going to happen… and that’s where everything changes.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Zaymn, Group General Manager of Finance and Sales at John Hughes Group, to unpack the journey from chasing a professional cricket career to leading one of WA’s largest automotive businesses. We talk about: 🏏 Growing up chasing the dream of pl...

“Leadership isn’t about you. It’s about the environment you create for others to thrive.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Trent Cotchin, former Richmond captain and three-time premiership winner, to unpack the real story behind leadership, pressure, and what it takes to build a winning culture. We talk about: 🏉 Being drafted young, dealing with injuries, and carrying...

“It’s not just what you eat. It’s how you store it, cook it, and prepare it.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Dr Amelia Harray - a dietician, nutritionist, and clinical researcher from the UWA Medical School, to unpack the hidden impact plastics and food marketing have on our health. We talk about: 🥗 Why protein-fortified products and supplements are often more market...

“We’re not just building houses… we’re building people’s dreams.” In this episode of What’s the Craic Podcast, I sit down with Andy Kearns, director and owner of Perway Construction, to unpack the journey from leaving Ireland during the recession to building a successful residential construction company in Perth. We talk about: 🇮🇪 Leaving Ireland in 2011 during the recession and landing in Perth w...

In the first episode of the newly rebranded What’s the Craic Podcast , I sit down with fellow Irishman man George Harrington, an engineer and project delivery specialist who moved from Ireland to Perth and built a career across some of the toughest and most interesting projects around the world. We talk about: 🇮🇪 Growing up in Cork with a strong work ethic installed from his father 🎓 Studying eng...

After years as The Elite Executive , the podcast is getting a new name. In this episode, we explain the thinking behind the rebrand to What’s The Craic , where the name comes from, and why it better reflects the conversations we’ve always wanted to have. “What’s the craic?” is a simple Irish question. It means what’s going on, how’s life, what’s new. And that’s exactly how every conversation on th...

“Success means nothing if you lose yourself in the process.” In this episode, I sit down with Yasmin Cooper, former telecommunications executive turned health and wellness entrepreneur, to unpack the journey from running a high-pressure corporate business to building a life rooted in movement, mindset, and meaning. We talk about: 📞 Building and leading an Optus Business Centre from the ground up...