The Blind Side Podcast: Recent Episodes
Nath Smith
Bringing you the other side of athletes, actors, musicians, entrepreneurs, and business people that you might not know. Where did they come from? Was there a biggest failure? What did they learn from that?What has been their biggest achievement? What are they doing now? Who is the real "them"? Enjoy!
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I catch up with a good mate and modern day Super Woman Jarin Baigent.
Jazzy has a had really interesting life and has a great story. Jazz is a proud Indigenous Australian and served 13 years in the NSW police force along with more recently starting her own business “Jarin Street” all the while being a mum and giving birth to 3 kids.
During our chat we talk about her life and were it all started and what it was like for her as a police officer and dealing with different issues within the police force, also some of the struggles of perception from some of her family with the decision to become a cop.
We touch on modern day issues like Black Lives Matter and the recent protests and also some of the changes she would like to see in our society and also school system
My chat with Jazz was super enjoyable and also really inspiring, I personally think her story is really inspiring and is a great role model to other women and indigenous Australians also.
As always, please share and subscribe to the podcast and if you can, please leave a review, it would really help share stories like Jazz’s to a bigger and wider community.
Thanks again for listening and enjoy…
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guest is a NRL and roosters legend who is 2nd on their all time try scorers list and 6th all time in games played, today I have a chat with Shaun Kenny Dowall.
Shaun made the journey to Australia and the NRL by dropping out of school at 15 to work and save enough money to buy a plane ticket to get here in chase of his football career. With no contract offers he backed himself which lead to him playing 277 first grade games along with representing his Maori culture and country many times.
My chat with Shaun we talk about his career in detail and what it was like playing in 2 grand finals & winning a comp, what it was like playting for New Zealand and traveling the world.
We touch on some of the speed bumps in his career and the lack of truth reported by the media during those.
We talk about now living in the UK and how corona has effected him and the team and also what he has planned for after footy.
SKD is a straight out champion both on the field and off, I hope you enjoy our chat and get to see his blind side.
As always, please make sure you like and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter and if you have enjoyed this episode or others, please make sure you leave me a review, I’d really appreciate it, thanks for listening and enjoy…
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I have chat with genuine entrepreneur with an awesome story. My guest today is a man who has built an empire. He’s a global mentor, investor, philanthropist, best-selling author, and recent nominee Australian of the year and entrepreneur of the year… today I have a chat with Aaron Sansoni.
Aaron’s story is truly unique and an incredible one. Aaron came from extremely humble beginnings, a broken home and plenty of reasons to not be successful. Yet he bucked the trend and fought his way out, beginning with a paper run and a job at maccas.
Aaron and I talk about his journey and what it took to get where he is today. We also touch on some of his mottos and what he uses to inspire others today.
Not only has he shared the stage and collaborated with huge names like Branson, Schwarzenegger, Robbins and Vaynerchuck but he has created and founded his own charity which is 100% non-profit and all funds returned to the charity.
I had a really good time with Aaron and it was great seeing his lighter side and hearing his story, I hope you enjoy it and learned a few things as well.
If you are enjoying the Blind Side Podcast, it would really mean al ot if you could leave a review and like and follow the show on the social channels.
Thanks again for listening and enjoy the episode.
Blind Side Prelude
· Welcome – I’m your host Nath Smith, thanks for joining me for the prelude for Season 1 of the blind side podcast
· What is the blind side podcast about? The blind side is about bringing you the other side of people and their stories that you might not get to hear or see. Sometimes through social media, gossip or otherwise you might think you know a person or a story but really there is a completely different side. The blind side is going to bring the real story from the horses mouth.
· These stories might be about their struggles, some failures and lessons they have learned throughout their life or career, or their story might be how they achieved the goals in their life and what it took to get there, what sacrifices they had to make and challenges they faced.
· The Blind Side might also might just be another side of a story that might have been reported in a newspaper or on TV. I have seen so many stories made up through the media that couldn’t have been further from truth or simply been made up to sell a story.
· While finding out about these stories or journeys, I’m also going to bring to you the human behind the mask and what makes them tick and what their take on some current issues are.
· I’ll be interviewing a whole range guests with some interesting stories. I’ll have some professional athletes, musicians, actors, reality tv stars, entrepreneurs and business people.
· Lined up for Season 1 of the blind side I have some current and ex NRL stars, international athletes, ex-wallabies, top level Touch Footy players, current and ex cricketers, ex professional tennis players and golfers, stars from tv shows the bachelor and survivor and also some successful business owners and entrepreneurs.
· If you know of anyone that has an interesting story or you think would be great for me to interview, please reach out, email theblindsidepodcast@gmail.com or via the social channels facebook, Instagram and twitter. Also while you are there please, like, share and comment, I would love to hear your feedback both positive and negative its all good.
· I’ll be releasing an interview every week and also a spin off show wrapping up the week in sports focused on mainly the NRL, NBA, NFL and MLB.
· The blind side will be available wherever you get your podcast from, iTunes, Spotify, google podcasts… make you subscribe and download to get all the episodes as they are released and please leave a review, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks again for listening and I hope you can tune in for the first season of the blind side podcast.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today on the show I have a chat with a long-time friend and brother who has had an awesome sporting career but an even more amazing personal journey.
My guest today grew up in humble beginnings in a small country town in New Zealand and went on to play professional rugby league and rugby union, which reached it’s peak in 2008 by representing the Australian Wallabies at the Hong Kong 7’s.
Along with playing both codes at the highest level, he also represented Australia at 2 touch football world cups and won multiple NSW state cup and national touch football titles.
My guest today is the great man, Willie Bishop.
Willie’s personal journey is an amazing story and we have a really open, real and raw chat about all things life, his career, his family, where he came from, his off field battles and what he has done to get to where he is today.
Settle in and get comfy, it’s a great chat and I hope you really enjoy it.
Welcome to another episode of The Blindside, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guests are John & Maurice Kennedy, aka JK & MK aka KSquared
These boys are as funny as they are talented, they bring a great energy to any environment they are in and my chat with them was no different.
Between the pair, they have represented Australian Schoolboys, Fiji Rugby League, held NRL contracts with St George Illawarra and the Penrith Panthers. They have also won State Cup and National Touch Football titles, a Ron Massey Cup and a host of other competitions along the way too.
Some of the things we talk about are coming back from major injuries and dealing with the mental side of those comebacks, one of which was a broken neck for Morry that could have meant not being able to walk again let alone producing the career he did and some of the effects that had on Johnny and their brotherhood.
We talk about their careers and the challenges they faced along the way to reaching the heights of the NRL and representing Fiji and also what they are up to now with their academy and wholistic wellness programs giving back to kids and the game they played.
We also touch on the importance of Polynesian mentors for young kids these days and providing some “nuggets” for them and providing the guidance that they never had whilst navigating through their careers.
Headspace, mental health and growth mindset are something that Johnny and Maury are massive on and we talk about some of their mentors now in that space too.
The chat with the twins was really fun and full of laughs, hope you enjoy it and have some laughs too.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today is coming to you via zoom call all the way from Hollywood, USA.
My guest today has starred in the Australian Edition of the reality TV show Survivor, he has also appeared on Aussie icon shows, Neighbours and Home & Away but by far and wide the most notable accomplishment in his career so far is co-founding the mental health and well being charity – Livin’.
My guest today is none other than Sam Webb.
Webby and I chat about where he grew up and his career so far and what he is up to now living in America. We also chat about him recently contracting the corona virus and what the side effects of that was.
But most importantly we chat about his charity, Livin’ and how and why it started and what is it’s purpose.
My chat with Webby was full of energy and laughs along with some great stories, I hope you enjoy it.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I delve into the world of reality TV and chat with Ryan Jones. Ryan featured on The Bachelorette when Sophie Monk was the girl supposedly looking for love.
Ryan grew up in humble beginnings in South Auckland, New Zealand and then moved across the ditch in his early teens and then on to a scholarship a rugby school in the gold coast with aspirations of being an All Black.
With school not exactly working out and then a family tragedy, Rhino set sail for Europe to travel and play a bit of rugby and see the world.
On return to Oz he went back to his trade as builder which lead to the random invitation to go on the TV show.
We get deep about the behind the scenes of reality tv and some of the stories that came from the show and some of the other contestants which he is still mates with today. Ryan was painted as villain by the shows’ producers but is an all-around top bloke, have a listen and see Ryan’s Blind Side.
Welcome to The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and this is the 2nd half of my chat with Rugby legend Mark Gerard, in the 1st half we spoke about Mark’s early days and start of his career and in this episode we talk about his Wallabies games and what it was like playing against the All Blacks with names like McCaw, Carter, Lomu & Rokococko.
We also go on to talk about his time in the Japanese leagues and also his time coaching at the Warringah Rats and now on to his next challenge coaching in Texas.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and this episode I chat with an old school buddy who I competed with and against through our early years, with him going on to play Rugby Union at the highest levels.
His career included over 100 super rugby games for the Waratahs, Brumbies & Rebels as well as 23 tests for the Wallabies, my guest today is Mark Gerrard.
My chat with Mark was easy and flowed, so much so that I have broken it up into 2 halves and will release the 2nd half next week in another episode.
Mark had a massive career and comes from an exceptionally talented sporting family and we talk about what that was like growing up, we also delve into his footy career, his own family unit now and also his newfound passion for coaching.
One of the really interesting things we talk about is the mental battles of him missing his debut for the wallabies through injury, not once but TWICE.
We also talk about the challenges of being a Dad at 22 and being away from home and also the flipside of that and how his son and wife gave him such a good grounding and value for being in the moment.
Mark and I go delve into his coaching philosophies and his time in Japan and more recently at the Warringah Rats and now on to his next challenge coaching in a start-up league in the United States in Texas.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today we are rewinding the rugby league clock and I catch up with hard man and loveable larrikin Josh Stuart.
Josh is a rugby league legend, playing 133 first grade games for the North Sydney Bears and Northern Eagles which also included representing City Origin 1997.
Josh had a colourful career, he was fearsome and played the game tough, he came through the school system playing Australian Schoolboys for 2 years and then debuting at first grade at 20 and how he almost ended up being a Sea Eagle. We talk about the differences in the game today and the size of players now, including his nephew Nathan Cleary as a 95kg halfback.
We chat about the importance of the concussion protocol and player safety that has been introduced to today’s game. We also talk about some of Josh’s favourite teammates and what it was like playing in that era and being a part of club like the North Sydney Bears with a few war stories thrown in too.
After footy Josh has become a great family man and is helping people with mortgages and gets great satisfaction out of pitting smiles on people’s faces, who would have thought!
It was great sitting down with josh and re-living some stories from yesteryear, I had a few laughs and I’m sure you will too.
Welcome to another episode of The Blindside, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guest is Duan Kaka aka Duan & Only aka lead singer of the band Manalion.
Duan is seriously one talented individual, from early days as an aspiring athlete and dreams of making it in the NBA to now being a successful musician as a solo artist and a lead singer of a band.
Duan takes us through his journey from humble beginnings in a traditional Māori town in New Zealand to travelling through Europe and then making it happen in the big smoke of Sydney. During out chat we talk about the struggles of musician finding his way to then rubbing shoulders with some royalty of the music industry with names like Marley and Six60.
We also chat about the dynamics of being in a band and the challenges that brings and dealing with humans then we touch on some ambitions for the band and his career in the future.
Duan is one of, if not THE coolest dudes on the planet and his story, like him, is one of a kind.
I really enjoyed my chat with Duan and I hope you guys do to.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I have chat with a girl who confronted serious health issues in her early life and overcame them to fulfill her dreams of being a professional dancer. My guest today is Courtney Watts.
Court began dancing a very young age and was in a dangerous circle of image culture and body weight sensitivity, which led to her battling anorexia for most of her early to late teens.
With the support of her family she fought her way through it and got back to doing what she loved… dancing.
Court became a cheerleader and danced for major Australian sporting teams like the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Kings.
Even with the success of decade long career cheerleading in Australia, she still felt she still had a further calling and went to the USA to pursue her dreams, where she successfully auditioned for the Los Angeles Clippers cheer squad.
During her time at the Clippers she danced at 2 All star games and rubbed shoulders with NBA royalty such as Chris Paul, Michael Jordan & Lebron James.
During her time with the Clippers she also had flashes with celebrities and appeared in a skit with Kevin Hart and also danced in Justin Bieber’s film video, “The One” featuring DJ Khaled.
Court’s story of overcoming a crippling condition and chasing her dreams is not only a really interesting one but also very inspirational for young girls battling the same health issues.
I really enjoyed my chat with Court and if you do to.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today has done just about all there is to do in the game of rugby league.
He’s won a comp, played state of origin and represented his indigenous culture in the first ever NRL indigenous Australian team. My guest today is none other than Jamie Soward.
Sowie and I talk all things footy, including his career highlights & lowlights and the specialness of that 2010 dragons team.
We also chat about what he is up to post footy in the media, his own podcast and his new dream to have his own drive time radio show.
Sowie also opens up and shares some of his personal stories and battles and how he overcome them and now how he is happy and content at where he is in life.
I personally loved Sowie’s ability to show emotion on the field and our chat is no different and is a great yarn.
If you’re enjoying The Blind Side Podcast, please leave a review wherever you are listening to your podcasts from, I’d really appreciate it.
Also you can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram or twitter and if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side please reach out and let me know.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today is from the world of media and in particular sports journalism.
My guest today has covered more sporting events than I’ve had hot dinners! He’s been to multiple summer and winter Olympic games, 2x soccer world cups, Wimbledon Tennis, the list goes on.
My guest today is Adam Peacock, you might recognise Adam’s voice and face from Fox Sports where he heads up the team for their soccer coverage.
Adam’s career began in the back of house scene at Channel Seven where he learnt his craft from the master Bruce McAveney and then stepped in front of the camera himself when his chance came along at Fox Sports.
Adam is passionate soccer fan and has been to 2 world cups and also wrote a book “That Night” which is based on the players and their stories on the road to Australia’s first World Cup qualification in over 30 years.
Along with all of this he also manages to host 2 podcasts, Talking Football and also another based on politics, Peacock’s Politics.
My chat with Ad’s is filled with great yarns and big names such as Shaq, Federer and Nadal, I was in awe of his stories and could have listed for days! If you love sport, you’ll love this chat.. Enjoy.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I switch it up and head over to the world of cricket.
Today I catch up with a man who has dedicated his life so far to the game of cricket and was earmarked from a young age to be a professional sportsman.
Growing up in Melbourne, he had scouts from both Aussie Rules footy and Cricket hunting around and he played both but at 16 he had to make a choice which way he wanted to go to pursue his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
He decided to go with cricket and had a pretty fair old career which included playing in 2 x u/19 World Cup’s for Australia, playing alongside Australian Cricket Icons with names like, Ponting, Hayden, Symonds, Bailey & Faulkner. and was also just 1 step away himself from donning the famous baggy green.
Today my guest is Adam Crosthwaite.
Crossy and I have very similar interests and stories for that matter and our chat was super easy and could have gone for 3-4 hours. We talk all things life & cricket and some of his career highlights, which included playing in the first ever big bash, winning the state domestic one day competition and of course what it was like playing alongside the great man Shane Warne.
We touch on the state of the game of cricket today and how it is evolved and what the short form version of the game has brought.
We talk about the demands both physically and mentally of the professional athlete and what it takes to make it a the top level and also the adjustment into life after sport.
Crossy is now giving back to the game he loves so much by mentoring and coaching young guys with those same aspirations.
Along with all that, he has recently got married and also set out in his own business venture and with his marjeting and media company, The Brand Bar.
I know Crossy has a different side to what most have got to see over the years and I hope with our chat, you get to see his other side too.
I really enjoyed my chat with Crossy, and if you did to, please don’t forget to leave a review and subscribe to the podcast.
And also please like & follow the blind side podcast on facebook, instagram and twitter
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I have chat with genuine entrepreneur with an awesome story. My guest today is a man who has built an empire. He’s a global mentor, investor, philanthropist, best-selling author, and recent nominee Australian of the year and entrepreneur of the year… today I have a chat with Aaron Sansoni.
Aaron’s story is truly unique and an incredible one. Aaron came from extremely humble beginnings, a broken home and plenty of reasons to not be successful. Yet he bucked the trend and fought his way out, beginning with a paper run and a job at maccas.
Aaron and I talk about his journey and what it took to get where he is today. We also touch on some of his mottos and what he uses to inspire others today.
Not only has he shared the stage and collaborated with huge names like Branson, Schwarzenegger, Robbins and Vaynerchuck but he has created and founded his own charity which is 100% non-profit and all funds returned to the charity.
I had a really good time with Aaron and it was great seeing his lighter side and hearing his story, I hope you enjoy it and learned a few things as well.
If you are enjoying the Blind Side Podcast, it would really mean al ot if you could leave a review and like and follow the show on the social channels.
Check out the links to Aaron’s charity, linkedin, Facebook, instagram, YouTube and website
If you enjoyed this chat or any of the other episodes, tell your friends, share the episode, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and this is the 2nd half of my chat with Rugby legend Mark Gerard, in the 1st half we spoke about Mark’s early days and start of his career and in this episode we talk about his Wallabies games and what it was like playing against the All Blacks with names like McCaw, Carter, Lomu & Rokococko.
We also go on to talk about his time in the Japanese leagues and also his time coaching at the Warringah Rats and now on to his next challenge coaching in Texas.
His career included over 100 super rugby games for the Waratahs, Brumbies & Rebels as well as 23 tests for the Wallabies, my guest today is Mark Gerrard.
As always, please like/share and leave a review, I’d really appreciate it.
Also feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram or twitter if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and this episode I chat with an old school buddy who I competed with and against through our early years, with him going on to play Rugby Union at the highest levels.
His career included over 100 super rugby games for the Waratahs, Brumbies & Rebels as well as 23 tests for the Wallabies, my guest today is Mark Gerrard.
My chat with Mark was easy and flowed, so much so that I have broken it up into 2 halves and will release the 2nd half next week in another episode.
Mark had a massive career and comes from an exceptionally talented sporting family and we talk about what that was like growing up, we also delve into his footy career, his own family unit now and also his newfound passion for coaching.
One of the really interesting things we talk about is the mental battles of him missing his debut for the wallabies through injury, not once but TWICE.
We also talk about the challenges of being a Dad at 22 and being away from home and also the flipside of that and how his son and wife gave him such a good grounding and value for being in the moment.
As always, please like/share and leave a review, I’d really appreciate it.
Also feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram or twitter if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Today I have chat with a girl who confronted serious health issues in her early life and overcame them to fulfill her dreams of being a professional dancer. My guest today is Courtney Watts.
Court began dancing a very young age and was in a dangerous circle of image culture and body weight sensitivity, which led to her battling anorexia for most of her early to late teens.
With the support of her family she fought her way through it and got back to doing what she loved… dancing.
Court became a cheerleader and danced for major Australian sporting teams like the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, Parramatta Eels, Cronulla Sharks and the Sydney Kings.
Even with the success of decade long career cheerleading in Australia, she still felt she still had a further calling and went to the USA to pursue her dreams, where she successfully auditioned for the Los Angeles Clippers cheer squad.
During her time at the Clippers she danced at 2 All star games and rubbed shoulders with NBA royalty such as Chris Paul, Michael Jordan & Lebron James.
During her time with the Clippers she also had flashes with celebrities and appeared in a skit with Kevin Hart and also danced in Justin Bieber’s music video, “The One” featuring DJ Khaled.
Court’s story of overcoming a crippling condition and chasing her dreams is not only a really interesting one but also very inspirational for young girls battling the same health issues.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today has done just about all there is to do in the game of Rugby League.
He’s won a comp, played state of origin and represented his indigenous culture in the first ever NRL Indigenous Australian team. My guest today is none other than Jamie Soward.
Sowie and I talk all things footy, including his career highlights & lowlights and the specialness of that 2010 Dragons team.
We also chat about what he is up to post footy in the media, his own podcast and his new dream to have his own drive time radio show.
Sowie also opens up and shares some of his personal stories and battles and how he overcome them and now how he is happy and content at where he is in life.
I personally loved Sowie’s ability to show emotion on the field and our chat is no different and is a great yarn.
If you’re enjoying The Blind Side Podcast, please leave a review wherever you are listening to your podcasts from, I’d really appreciate it.
Also you can follow the show on Facebook, Instagram or twitter and if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side please reach out and let me know.
If you want to hear more of Sowie you can tune into his podcast The Sweet & Soward or you can interact with him on Instagram or Twitter.
Thanks again for listening and enjoy.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today on the show I have a chat with a long-time friend and brother who has had an awesome sporting career but an even more amazing personal journey.
My guest today grew up in humble beginnings in a small country town in New Zealand and went on to play professional rugby league and rugby union, which reached it’s peak in 2008 by representing the Australian Wallabies at the Hong Kong 7’s.
Along with playing both codes at the highest level, he also represented Australia at 2 touch football world cups and won multiple NSW state cup and national touch football titles.
My guest today is the great man, Willie Bishop.
Rugby League – NZ Warriors, World Sevens, Sydney Roosters, Manly Sea Eagles.
Union – Warringah Rats 08/09 Sevens, Australia Wallabies
Touch – NSW State Cups, NTLS, State of Origin, World Cups for Australia.
Willie’s personal journey is an amazing story and we have a really open, real and raw chat about all things life, his career, his family, where he came from, his off field battles and what he has done to get to where he is today.
Settle in and get comfy, it’s a great chat and I hope you really enjoy it.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did and you got to see another side (the blind side) of Willie and learn a few things.
As always, please like/share and leave a review, I’d really appreciate it.
Also feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram or twitter if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Click here to connect with Willie and his Brothers 4 Brothers group or you can connect on Facebook or Instagram.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today is from the world of media and in particular sports journalism.
My guest today has covered more sporting events than I’ve had hot dinners! He’s been to multiple summer and winter Olympic Games, 2x soccer world cup's, Wimbledon Tennis, the list goes on.
My guest today is Adam Peacock, you might recognise Adam’s voice and face from Fox Sports where he heads up the team for their soccer coverage.
Adam’s career began in the back of house scene at Channel Seven where he learnt his craft from the master Bruce McAveney and then stepped infront of the camera himself when his chance came along at Fox Sports.
Adam is passionate soccer fan and has been to 2 world cups and also wrote a book “That Night” which is based on the players and their stories on the road to Australia’s first World Cup qualification in over 30 years.
Along with all of this he also manages to host 2 podcasts, Talking Football and also another based on politics, Peacock’s Politics.
My chat with Ad’s is filled with great yarns and big names such as Shaq, Federer and Nadal, I was in awe of his stories and could have listed for days! If you love sport, you’ll love this chat.. Enjoy.
During our chat Adam talks deeply and emotionally about one of his beautiful daughters that is suffering from an awful disease Juvenile Athritis, to learn more or to donate, please click this link here
Or google https://www.jafa.org.au/how-can-you-help
As always, please like/share and leave a review, I’d really appreciate it.
Also feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram or twitter if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and my guest today is coming to you via zoom call all the way from Hollywood, USA.
My guest today has starred in the Australian Edition of the reality TV show Survivor, he has also appeared on Aussie icon shows, Neighbours and Home & Away but by far and wide the most notable accomplishment in his career so far is co-founding the mental health and well being charity – Livin’.
My guest today is none other than Sam Webb.
Webby and I chat about where he grew up and his career so far and what he is up to now living in America. We also chat about him recently contracting the corona virus and what the side effects of that was.
But most importantly we chat about his charity, Livin’ and how and why it started and what is it’s purpose.
My chat with Webby was full of energy and laughs along with some great stories, I hope you enjoy it.
Check out Webby's linktree here for all his socials and details.
As always, please like/share and leave a review, I’d really appreciate it.
Also feel free to reach out on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter if there is anyone you think would be great for the blind side.
Thanks again for listening and catch you next time.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I catch up with a good mate and modern day Super Woman Jarin Baigent.
Jazzy has a had really interesting life and has a great story. Jazz is a proud Indigenous Australian and served 13 years in the NSW police force along with more recently starting her own business “Jarin Street” all the while being a mum and giving birth to 3 kids.
During our chat we talk about her life and were it all started and what it was like for her as a police officer and dealing with different issues within the police force, also some of the struggles of perception from some of her family with the decision to become a cop.
We touch on modern day issues like Black Lives Matter and the recent protests and also some of the changes she would like to see in our society and also school system.
Another big part of a chat evolves around ensuring legitimate Aboriginal business and the importance of transparency and the starting of Trading Blak.
My chat with Jazz was super enjoyable and also really inspiring, I personally think her story is really inspiring and is a great role model to other women and indigenous Australians also.
As always, please share and subscribe to the podcast and if you can, please leave a review, it would really help share stories like Jazz’s to a bigger and wider community.
Thanks again for listening and enjoy…
Check out Jarin Street's website, Facebook and Instagram.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guest is a NRL and roosters legend who is 2nd on their all time try scorers list and 6th all time in games played, today I have a chat with Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
Shaun made the journey to Australia and the NRL by dropping out of school at 15 to work and save enough money to buy a plane ticket to get here in chase of his football career. With no contract offers he backed himself which lead to him playing 277 first grade games for the Roosters and the Knights, along with representing his Maori culture and country New Zealand many times.
My chat with Shaun we talk about his career in detail and what it was like playing in 2 grand finals & winning a comp, what it was like playing for New Zealand and traveling the world.
We touch on some of the speed bumps in his career and the lack of truth reported by the media during those.
We talk about now living in the UK and how corona has effected him and his new team (Hull KR) and also what he has planned for after footy.
SKD is a straight out champion both on the field and off, I hope you enjoy our chat and get to see his blind side.
As always, please make sure you like and follow the show on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter. and if you have enjoyed this episode or others, please make sure you leave me a review, I’d really appreciate it, thanks for listening and enjoy…
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I switch it up and head over to the world of cricket.
Today I catch up with a man who has dedicated his life so far to the game of cricket and was earmarked from a young age to be a professional sportsman.
Growing up in Melbourne, he had scouts from both Aussie Rules footy and Cricket hunting around and he played both but at 16 he had to make a choice which way he wanted to go to pursue his dream of becoming a professional athlete.
He decided to go with cricket and had a pretty fair old career which included playing in 2 x u/19 World Cup’s for Australia, playing alongside Australian Cricket Icons with names like, Ponting, Hayden, Symonds, Bailey & Faulkner. and was also just 1 step away himself from donning the famous baggy green.
Today my guest is Adam Crosthwaite.
Crossy and I have very similar interests and stories for that matter and our chat was super easy and could have gone for 3-4 hours. We talk all things life & cricket and some of his career highlights, which included playing in the first ever big bash with the Adelaide Strikers, winning the state domestic one day competition and of course what it was like playing alongside the great man Shane Warne.
We touch on the state of the game of cricket today and how it is evolved and what the short form version of the game has brought.
We talk about the demands both physically and mentally of the professional athlete and what it takes to make it a the top level and also the adjustment into life after sport.
Crossy is now giving back to the game he loves so much by mentoring and coaching young guys with those same aspirations.
Along with all that, he has recently got married and also set out in his own business venture and with his marjeting and media company, The Brand Bar.
I know Crossy has a different side to what most have got to see over the years and I hope with our chat, you get to see his other side too.
I really enjoyed my chat with Crossy, and if you did to, please don’t forget to leave a review and subscribe to the podcast.
Also, please make sure you subscribe and follow the show, The Blind Side Podcast on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today I delve into the world of reality TV and chat with Ryan Jones. Ryan featured on The Bachelorette when Sophie Monk was the girl supposedly looking for love.
Ryan grew up in humble beginnings in South Auckland, New Zealand and then moved across the ditch in his early teens and then on to a scholarship a rugby school in the gold coast with aspirations of being an All Black.
With school not exactly working out and then a family tragedy, Rhino set sail for Europe to travel and play a bit of rugby and see the world.
On return to Oz he went back to his trade as builder which lead to the random invitation to go on the TV show.
We get deep about the behind the scenes of reality tv and some of the stories that came from the show and some of the other contestants which he is still mates with today. Ryan was painted as villain by the shows’ producers but is an all-around top bloke, have a listen and see Ryan’s Blind Side.
Check out Ryan's socials (instagram & facebook), building company and also his own podcast The People Pod.
Also, please make sure you subscribe and follow the show, The Blind Side Podcast on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today we are rewinding the rugby league clock and I catch up with hard man and loveable larrikin Josh Stuart.
Josh is a rugby league legend, playing 133 first grade games for the North Sydney Bears and Northern Eagles which also included representing City Origin 1997.
Josh had a colourful career, he was fearsome and played the game tough, he came through the school system playing Australian Schoolboys for 2 years and then debuting at first grade at 20 and how he almost ended up being a Sea Eagle. We talk about the differences in the game today and the size of players now, including his nephew Nathan Cleary as a 95kg halfback.
We chat about the importance of the NRL concussion protocol and player safety that has been introduced to today’s game. We also talk about some of Josh’s favourite teammates and what it was like playing in that era and being a part of club like the North Sydney Bears with a few war stories thrown in too.
After footy Josh has become a great family man and is helping people with mortgages and gets great satisfaction out of pitting smiles on people’s faces, who would have thought!
It was great sitting down with josh and re-living some stories from yesteryear, I had a few laughs and I’m sure you will too.
Welcome to another episode of The Blindside Podcast, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guests are John & Maurice Kennedy, aka JK & MK aka K Squared.
These boys are as funny as they are talented, they bring a great energy to any environment they are in and my chat with them was no different.
Between the pair, they have represented Australian Schoolboys, Fiji Rugby League, held NRL contracts with St George Illawarra and the Penrith Panthers. They have also won NSW State Cup and National Touch Football titles, a Ron Massey Cup and a host of other competitions along the way too.
Some of the things we talk about are coming back from major injuries and dealing with the mental side of those comebacks, one of which was a broken neck for Maurie that could have meant not being able to walk again let alone producing the career he did and some of the effects that had on Johnny and their brotherhood.
We talk about their careers and the challenges they faced along the way to reaching the heights of the NRL and representing Fiji Bati and also what they are up to now with their academy and wholistic wellness programs and giving back to kids and the game they love and played.
We also touch on the importance of Polynesian mentors for young kids these days and providing some “nuggets” for them and providing the guidance that they never had whilst navigating through their careers.
Headspace, mental health and growth mindset are something that Johnny and Maurie are massive on and we talk about some of their mentors now in that space too.
The chat with the twins was really fun and full of laughs, hope you enjoy it and have some laughs too.
Check out the boys at their K Squared Sportstyle Website or on Facebook, Instagram, & YouTube
If you want to contact the boys you can directly via email info@ksquaredsportstyle.com.au.
Also, please make sure you subscribe and follow the show, The Blind Side Podcast on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.
Welcome to another episode of The Blind Side, I’m your host Nath Smith and today my guest is Duan Kaka aka Duan & Only aka lead singer of the band Manalion.
Duan is seriously one talented individual, from early days as an aspiring athlete and dreams of making it in the NBA to now being a successful musician as a solo artist and a lead singer of a band.
Duan takes us through his journey from humble beginnings in a traditional Māori town in New Zealand to travelling through Europe and then making it happen in the big smoke of Sydney. During out chat we talk about the struggles of musician finding his way to then rubbing shoulders with some royalty of the music industry with names like Marley and Six60.
We also chat about the dynamics of being in a band and the challenges that brings and dealing with humans then we touch on some ambitions for the band and his career in the future.
Duan is one of, if not THE coolest dudes on the planet and his story, like him, is one of a kind.
I really enjoyed my chat with Duan and I hope you guys do to.
Check out Duan & Only on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify & YouTube
or
Check out his band Manalion on Spotify or check out their facebook page here.
Please follow The Blind Side Podcast on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter.
Welcome – I’m your host Nath Smith, thanks for joining me for the prelude for Season 1 of the blind side podcast.
What is the blind side podcast about? The blind side is bringing you the other side of people and their stories that you might not get to hear or see. Sometimes through social media, gossip or otherwise you might think you know a person or a story but really there is a completely different side. The blind side is going to bring the real story from the horses mouth.
These stories might be about their struggles, some failures and lessons they have learned throughout their life or career, or their story might be how they achieved the goals in their life and what it took to get there, what sacrifices they had to make and challenges they faced.
The Blind Side might also might just be another side of a story that might have been reported in a newspaper or on TV. I have seen so many stories made up through the media that couldn’t have been further from truth or simply been made up to sell a story.
While finding out about these stories or journeys, I’m also going to bring to you the human behind the mask and what makes them tick and what their take on some current issues are.
I’ll be interviewing a whole range guests with some interesting stories. I’ll have some professional athletes, musicians, actors, reality tv stars, entrepreneurs and business people.
Lined up for Season 1 of the blind side I have some current and ex NRL stars, international athletes, ex-wallabies, top level Touch Footy players, current and ex cricketers, ex professional tennis players and golfers, stars from tv shows the bachelor and survivor and also some successful business owners and entrepreneurs.
If you know of anyone that has an interesting story or you think would be great for me to interview, please reach out, email theblindsidepodcast@gmail.com or via the social channels facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Also while you are there please, like, share and comment, I would love to hear your feedback both positive and negative its all good.
I’ll be releasing an interview every week and also a spin off show wrapping up the week in sports focused on mainly the NRL, NBA, NFL and MLB.
The blind side will be available wherever you get your podcast from, iTunes, Spotify, google podcasts… make you subscribe and download to get all the episodes as they are released and please leave a review, I would really appreciate it.
Thanks again for listening and I hope you can tune in for the first season of the blind side podcast.