One True Measure

John Buchanan is one of the most successful and highly regarded coaches in Australian sporting history. As coach of the Australian men’s cricket team from 1999 to 2007, John presided over one of the greatest eras in international cricket. During his tenure, Australia won the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups, the 2006 Champions Trophy, regained the Ashes in 2001, achieved a historic whitewash of 20...

Dr. Bridie O’Donnell is a medical doctor, former professional cyclist, world record breaker, author, broadcaster, leader and champion for women in sport. Bridie has had many experiences in her life; the common theme is her passion for being the best version of herself, not content to be just a doctor. Bridie became an elite national rower, competed in the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon Championshi...

Simon Eastaugh is a former AFL player, coach, football executive and leader. Originally drafted to Richmond as a teenager, Simon’s path to the AFL was far from straightforward. After an injury-interrupted start, he rebuilt his career in South Australian football, helped Norwood to a premiership, and eventually returned to the AFL to play for Essendon and Fremantle. Retirement was far from the end...

Dr Lydia Johns Putra is a surgeon, medical leader, humanitarian and Hero of one of New Zealand’s most devastating natural disasters, the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. A respected Australian urologist, Lydia has built a remarkable career spanning medicine, surgical leadership, education and humanitarian service. Lydia is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. She has held senior le...

Damien’s story is one of extraordinary courage, resilience and reinvention. Inspired by his grandfather's military service, Damien joined the Australian Defence Force and, at just 24, achieved his dream of becoming a Commando and joining one of Australia’s top-tier special forces units. While serving in Afghanistan with the 2nd Commando Regiment, Damien’s life changed forever. In April 2009, w...

Luke Richmond is a professional adventurer, author, endurance athlete and world record holder. He grew up in the Australian outback and joined the Army at 17, serving with 1RAR and deploying to East Timor. After four years he packed it in, chasing the next challenge overseas, and ended up in the UK. The move out of military life didn't go the way he planned. Heavy drinking and drug use followe...

Without Blake in the chair this time, Jack Fryer turns the mic around and sits down with Jayden Francis for a conversation about his own story. In the chat they talk through Jayden's childhood growing up in Singapore, being diagnosed with thyroid cancer at just 14, and being on Mount Kinabalu with his Tanjong Katong Primary School group during the 2015 Sabah earthquake. They also unpack what it wa...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Dr Dan Pronk, their takeaways, key learns, as well as heading down a few philosophical rabbit holes. In the chat the team talk through Dan's path from chasing a professional triathlon career to an Army medical scholarship and passing SASR selection, and what four deployments to Afghanistan as a Special Forces combat doctor taught him...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Mark Direen, their takeaways, key learns, as well as heading down a few philosophical rabbit holes. In the chat the team talk through Mark's 20 years in the Australian Army, from infantry sniper with 1 RAR to passing SASR selection in 1997, and how he recovered from being seriously wounded by an IED in Afghanistan in 2007 to return t...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Julian Pace. In the chat the team talk through how Julian turned profound personal loss into the mission behind Happiness Co. Why he believes happiness is something you can build rather than wait for, and what speaking to more than 63,000 people across 10 countries has taught him about human connection. They also unpack his recent trek t...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with James Jensen. In the chat the team talk through why James chose the front line over an officer's path despite graduating from ADFA, what 14 years as an SAS Patrol Commander taught him about leadership under real pressure, and how accountability looks different when lives are on the line. They also unpack his transition from soldier t...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with David Flanagan. In the chat, the team talk through what it takes to build a billion-dollar company from a junior explorer, why loyalty and relationships can matter more than pure strategy in volatile industries, and the courage it took to return and rebuild Atlas Iron. They also unpack David's transition from mining entrepreneur to e...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Ian Prior. In the chat, the team talk through what it takes to lead a franchise through its most turbulent period, why identity and heritage can become the deepest source of motivation late in a career, and how a 14-year professional run led to an unexpected second chapter for Ian.. They also unpack the discipline behind reinventing your...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Ben Franks. In the chat the team talk through what actually builds a winning culture like the All Blacks', the discipline and preparation behind absorbing punishment in one of rugby's toughest positions, and why consistency often matters more than talent at the elite level. They also unpack Ben's transition from two-time Worl...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with David Knoff. In the chat, the team talk through what it takes to lead a team of 24 through an Antarctic winter with no way home, the difference between leading in a war zone versus leading in total isolation, and why uncertainty tests resilience more than danger ever does. They also unpack the lessons from 537 Days of Winter and why Davi...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Dr William von Hippel. In the chat, the team talk through why our evolutionary wiring still shapes modern happiness, the tension between social status and social connection, and what Bill's research reveals about why humans are wired to care so deeply about what others think. They also unpack the ideas behind The Social Paradox and w...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Peter Scott, their takeaways, key learnings, as well as going deep on leadership. In the chat, the team talk through what it takes to lead a crew through fires, floods, and explosions hundreds of metres underwater, the mindset behind passing Perisher, the world's toughest command course and how command at sea translates to leadership...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Jenny and episode 2, their takeaways, key learns as well as heading down a few philosophical rabbit holes. In the chat the team talk through the reality of burnout even for the experts, the importance of prevention over cure, rebuilding identity beyond your career, and how. In Jenny's words, a thriving mind starts with the small stuf...

Blake and the team sit down to discuss the conversation with Ben and episode 1, their takeaways, key learns as well as a heading down a few philosophical rabbit holes. In the chat the team talk through the importance of authenticity, humility in the face of success, the importance of Resilience in modern life and how to in Ben's words, To go always a little further! The One True Measure: Follo...

Dr Dan Pronk is a former Australian Army Special Forces combat doctor, author, entrepreneur, and leadership speaker. Dan originally pursued his goal of competing professionally in Trialathon before gaining an Army scholarship to study medicine. Following his medical training, Dan then went on to complete the demanding SASR selection course before joining special operations. During his military car...

Mark Direen is a former member of the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) who served for 20 years in the Australian Army. Mark enlisted in the Australian Army in 1993. After completing infantry training, he was posted to 1 RAR. While serving as an infantry sniper, he completed the demanding SASR selection process in 1997. Mark deployed on operations, including: security operations during the 2000...

Julian Pace is the Founder and CEO of Happiness Co, a Perth-based social enterprise dedicated to improving mental health, wellbeing, and human connection. Inspired by his personal journey through profound loss, Julian has transformed adversity into a mission to help others build happier, more fulfilling lives. Since founding Happiness Co in 2017, Julian has become one of Australia's leading vo...

James Jensen is a former Australian Army soldier and Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) Patrol Commander with more than 20 years of service in the Australian Army. After graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy and the Royal Military College, James changed his career path, deciding instead to serve not as an officer but on the front line as an infantry soldier. He served in the infant...

David Flanagan is one of the most influential figures in Australia’s mining industry over the past three decades. David began his career as a geologist, building deep expertise in mining and resource development. In 2004, David founded Atlas Iron and grew it from a junior explorer into a major Pilbara iron ore producer valued in the billions, in the process helping to challenge the dominance of th...

Ian Prior is a professional rugby union player born to Zimbabwean parents. Ian spent part of his childhood in Zimbabwe before returning to Australia, a duality that would define one of the most extraordinary late-career chapters in Australian sporting history. Ian made his Super Rugby debut for the Queensland Reds in 2011, becoming part of the championship-winning squad that year. He went on to pl...