A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist: Recent Episodes
Con Koutsikas
Entertaining, educational and informative interview program hosted by public speaker and communication expert, Con Koutsikas. Con chats with a broad array of guests with unique perspectives and experiences in all areas of life.
My guest on this episode is industry leader, business powerhouse and role model, the CEO of Harcourts in South Australia, Rachel Eckey.
Rachel has a diverse background in business, real estate and government, and has worked with teams throughout Australia, as well as in Europe and Canada. She spent a decade in strategic communications and business leadership roles before joining the real estate industry 13 years ago.
Harcourts are a values-driven real estate company who have been market-leaders in South Australia for many years and are leading the charge to change the perception of real estate agents by focussing on their clients, not themselves.
Rachel is also the charitable Foundation ambassador for the Harcourts Foundation and has been involved in dozens of grants to community groups across SA.
Rachel shared her journey and valuable insights.
1 Some of the roles she had abroad.
2 What were some of the key skills she learnt or developed which haver been of the most benefit in your current role
3 What lead her to the real estate industry
4 Her apprenticeship leading up to being appointed CEO and skills she needed to develop for that role.
5 The main challenges you faced internally and externally. The challenge of ‘Imposter Syndrome and perception issues.
6 Rachel explained how Harcourts are leading the charge to change the perception of real estate agents by focussing on their clients, not themselves.
7 Our ability to distinguish / differentiate ourselves in the market, our Unique Selling Proposition USP is really important. How ‘price’ is the worst thing to focus on.
8 The housing market has gone nuts and its fair to say that 5-6 years ago, very few people, if any would have predicted where it is now. What do you see in the short to medium term.
9 Rachel gave us her views on where do you see the market in the next 5 years and what are some of the biggest challenges to the industry?
HOW WELL DO YOU SLEEP?
We know one of the most important aspects to our overall health is the quality of our sleep, and I know for many out there, a good night’s sleep is either a distant memory or worse, a fantasy.
My guest on this episode is Holistic Sleep and deep neuro rest scientist, Sabine Christelli.
Sabine also has
· Bachelor of Science (Hons) (biochemistry /immunology) and Graduate Research Certificate in Sleep Research.
· NLP Master Practitioner, Hypnotherapist and Internationally trained Kundalini Yoga teacher, specializing in breathing, but taught all aspects of this deep yogic practice for nearly 15 years
· Podcaster Sleep Easy, keynote speaker, corporate workshops and Available for private sessions and consultation. All contact details and social media handles in the show notes below.
We discussed
· Currently director of sleep & rejuvenation partnering with lux resort The Reef House Boutique in sunny Palm Cove by the coral sea and the amazing Daintree!
· Where does the interest in sleep come from?
· Benefits or importance of good quality sleep. It optimizes life. Mental clarity, better digestion, and so much more.
· Fair to say poor sleep can be a result of either physical or psychological issues or both. Are you in pain, how is the room temperature and overall bedroom atmosphere? Is it conducive to a good night’s sleep.
· Alcohol and coffee consumption, foods to avoid or eat more of?
· What do you see as the main causes of poor sleep? Not winding down, stimulants and blue light.
· For someone who has very poor sleep patterns, where can they start? You have to listen to this!
· Is there a place for drugs and over the counter melatonin?
You can email Sabine at hello@sabinechristelli.com - all other links and details are on her website: www.sabinechristelli.com
Free download of meditation to wake up with confidence! The best way to start and gather aligned passionate action and then have the energy to learn the unwinding way for deep neuro restful sleep that has you wake up feeling refreshed:
https://www.sabinechristelli.com/product-category/meditation/
My guest on today’s episode is Digital Marketing Expert, Coach to serviced based businesses, Business strategist, Podcast host, Speaker, Mumma of 2 boys and Wannabe chocolate connoisseur, Hayley Osborne.
As a Serial entrepreneur, Marketing Consultant, and Small Business Growth Strategist, Hayley is driven by a passion to empower Australian small businesses by demystifying and simplifying marketing.
Hayley Recognizes small businesses as the backbone of our economy, and is dedicated to ensuring owners harness the power of effective marketing strategies to propel their businesses forward.
With a track record of working with hundreds of small business owners since her business’s inception, Hayley has facilitated growth through strategic positioning, dynamic lead generation, and converting potential customers into profitable ventures.
Not afraid to call BS on marketing tactics and trends that are designed to confuse and offer false hopes to businessowners, her approach has not only won her accolades & deserving recognition but has also been a testament to the tangible success stories of businesses she has transformed.
Further testimony to Hayley’s success, she is a highly sought after speaker and commentator having been featured in multiple mainstream media outlets and most recently, Hayley is being featured on Kochie’s Business Builders
Show Notes
· Let’s talk chocolate!
· The power of storytelling. Facts tell stories sell. We need to create an ‘Origin Story’ We need to ‘talk with our audience, NOT talk to them’
· How to position yourself as the go to in your industry. Hayley shared her ‘MAPS’ framework. Market, Audience, Problem you solve and Solution or Transformation your clients will achieve.
· How to become a credible source.
· Hayley’s best 3 marketing strategies.
· The importance of synergy and being aligned in all your touch points.
· The value of your data base and how it can potentially add zero’s to the sales price of your business.
· Have a plan. Fail to plan, Plan to fail.
Email hayley@socialsoul.com.au
Web www.hayleyosborne.com
Instagram @hayleykosborne
Podcast The Hayley Osborne Show
My guest on this episode described getting divorced and giving birth to her son Jake, with quadriplegic cerebral palsy as the best things that have happened to her.
Karina McDonald, has an active family of five, She is a mother to 11-year-old Sienna and Jake 8 and stepmother to 12 year old Jace.
Jake lives with quadriplegic cerebral palsy, he in non-verbal, non-mobile, PEG fed, experiences seizures, regular operations, and medical appointments.
Karina juggles a team of 14 doctors, specialists, therapists, and support workers to manage Jake's needs, as well as works full time and, family and life stuff.
Karina describes Jake as a cheeky, fun-loving boy who loves socialising and going out and about.
However, Getting out and experiencing life becomes more difficult as Jake gets older, heavier and his needs become more complex.
Rather than miss out on these experiences, Karina co-developed a concept that allows people with disability to get out to events with dignity, hygiene, and respect. Karina also worked with Women's and Children's hospital to change the process for special needs children and family’s management.
Some of the questions I asked Karina:
· You described getting divorced and giving birth to her son Jake, with quadriplegic cerebral palsy as the best things that have happened to you.
· When did you find out about Jakes condition and what were the conversations with the doctors and ex husband?
· Your in a relationship since the divorce, how did that all transition? I struggle with my kids let alone someone else’s?
· What is PEG fed?
· What does a day look like for the family and Jake in particular. How do you find time to work?
· How regular are the operations and what are some potentially coming up.
· What were some of the glaring shortcomings of the system in relation to Jake?
· Tell us about the concept you co-developed and the work you have done with the Womans and Childrens Hospital
OVER 20,000 WOMEN WILL BE DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER THIS YEAR AND MORE THAN 3,200 WILL LOSE THEIR BATTLE WITH THIS INSIDIOUS DISEASE.
My guest on this episode shared her very personal journey as a wife, mum, business owner and breast cancer survivor to raise awareness and the importance of making your health a priority.
Leah Baylis is the Managing Director of Champagne Recruitment, a wife, mum of 3 who at 43 years of age, on October 14th 2022, was diagnosed with Stage 3 Hormone Receptive Breast Cancer and a week and half later, she was undergoing her double mastectomy.
Leah shared
· History of breast cancer in the family.
· Was your discovered in a routine check or did you have a concern?
· Tell us about the family conversation when you found out.
· What is Hormone Receptive Breast Cancer
· Recovery time
· Plastic / reconstructive surgery
· Regular checks
And interestingly, 1 in 500 men are diagnosed with breast cancer.
Leah’s strong words of advice:
· Regular check ups
· The importance of support. You don’t have to do it alone.
My guest on this episode is 'not your typical' Relationship Counsellor or personal development Speaker. With over three decades of expertise in psychology, neuroscience, and metaphysics, Russell Voss, affectionately known as Russ, is a transformative force like no other.
From his disciplined years in the Royal Australian Navy, earning his Bachelor of Social Work Degree and after a significant life 'correction’ at the age of 40, Russ can transform your relationship like no other. He's worked in crisis centres, healthcare facilities, and even remote regional Australia, bringing hope and healing to individuals and families, wherever he goes.
Russ has considerable experience around suicide intervention and prevention and his mission extends much further—to change our culture of disposable relationships and lower Australia's appalling divorce rate. His mission is to ‘help couples avoid divorce in Australia with counselling, and rediscover happiness, so they can be amazing role-models for their kids.
Here are some absolute gems Russ dropped:
· If its not right before, it won’t be right after.
· Relationships are not to be controlled, but to be negotiated.
· You can only show love and respect to others to the extent you love and respect yourself.
Show Notes
· Share about your life prior to 40. Where did the interest / pursuit in psychology, neuroscience, and metaphysics come from?
· Tell us about your life ‘correction’ at 40.
· Statistically, 30% of marriages will end in divorce and 60% of ‘second time’ marriages will end in divorce. Staggering numbers. Why do you think the figure is higher for ‘second timers’?
· Discuss ‘culture of disposable relationships’. Is it easier to get a divorce today than 10-20 years ago?
· What are the fundamental issues you see? The 5 main reasons are Commitment, Infidelity, Conflict, marrying too young, Finances, substance abuse and domestic violence. Not root cause? These are perhaps symptoms?
· What makes you a transformative force like no other?
· How can we lower the divorce rate? Fair to say the relationship didn’t go sour overnight?
· Top 3 tips if you feel your marriage is heading in the wrong direction.
o Understanding and owning your ‘stuff’
o What the other person says is only a point of view, don’t take it personally.
o Any reaction is as a result from your past.
To follow Russell and learn more about his work follow the links below:
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHKffK0BVRmW670vKedU9oQ
Personal Fb: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085603443877
Business Fb: https://www.facebook.com/russvosslifecoaching/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-voss-b6071b304/
On this episode, we are going to try and answer THE question that is on the minds of most men, What do woman really want?
To help answer that question is Dating and Relationship Coach/Therapist and acclaimed author of 'Master the Language of Attraction, Stefania Puleo
After two decades of absorbing women's intriguing 'man-gossip' as a hairstylist and personal trainer, Stefania seamlessly channels her insights to empower high-achieving men in dating with confidence to attract their ideal partner for harmonious, successful relationships.
Drawing from her extensive interactions with thousands of women throughout her career, Stefania keenly sensed their discontent with their men. This awareness inspired her mission to guide accomplished men in attracting partners who value them beyond their financial status.
Stefania's expertise has earned her invitations to speak on prestigious stages and podcasts, where she divulges the secrets of 'What Women Want.' She's also a sought-after guest for men's empowerment workshops and events.
Show notes:
· What a place to research…. The salon and Gym. I actually met my partner in the salon!
· What did you learn from these conversations? What were the common themes?
· So, What do women want? Men are confused. independence or opening doors? Gender equality boardroom / femininity
· What are men doing wrong and what should they be doing more of?
· Does she only want me for my money?
· Who should pay on the first date?
· What is the impact of age? Older men seeking younger women?
· Stefania’s top 3 tips:
o Don’t take rejection as rejection, its only feedback.
o Don’t react, be measured in your actions
o Don’t characterise ‘all woman’.
Access your free gift here
FREE GIFT:
5 Keys To Attract Your Ideal Partner
https://freegift.thegentlemensquare.com/
You can follow Stefania on her socials, see her events and reach out by following the links below
https://thegentlemensquare.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@TheGentlemenSquare
https://www.instagram.com/gentlemens_square/
https://www.facebook.com/thegentlemensquare
Facebook Group Successful Men Attracting Their Ideal Partner
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4735749366475733
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefania-puleo-4a025916a/
https://www.tiktok.com/@thegentlemensquare?lang=en
Book: Master The Language Of Attraction By Stefania Puleo
https://amzn.to/3QKUHVu
LinkTree:
https://linktr.ee/thegentlemensquare
ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL EATER?
CAN’T STOP AT ONE TIM TAM, YOU NEED TO EAT THE PACK?
My guest on today’s program is Eating Psychology Coach, Master NLP Practitioner, and Hypnotherapist, Suzanne Ingleton.
Suzanne has dedicated the last 20 years to helping 1000's of people to be the healthiest versions of themselves by prioritising their mental, physical and emotional wellness.
Suzanne Ingleton is from SA Weight Loss Hypnosis and is known as "The Weight Loss Coach",
Suzanne is dedicated to helping women and men to break free from the dieting cycle, borne from lived experience that spanned over 40 years. Suzanne specializes in emotional, binge & overeating, and shows people how they CAN have peace and freedom around food and body for good!
Suzanne shared:
· What were some of her personal challenges with food?
· What motivated her to help others?
· The global weight loss and weight management diet market size was valued at USD$ 190.35Billion in 2023 and projected to grow to USD$391 Billion. Literally 1’000’s of diets. How much misinformation is being spread?
· Why are we emotional eaters?
· Moderation is the key. I can’t eat 1 row of chocolate or 1 biscuit from a new pack?
· What are some of the core ‘beliefs’ we have around diet and food which don’t serve us?
· Explained why weight is not the problem but a symptom and how stress is the biggest blocker to weight loss.
· You should avoid eating and screens for at least 3 hours before bed. If you must use a screen look at Blue Light Glasses.
· Her 3 top tips
o Eat slowly. Be present and enjoy.
o Get good quality sleep. An hour on the lounge or broken sleep patterns don’t count.
o Your smallest meal should be dinner.
To reach out to Suzanne, head to SA Weight Loss Hypnosis
My guest on this episode is one of Australia’s most compelling speakers on the share market and best-selling author of six books on investing and trading.
Louise Bedford has been trading the markets since 1990 and has trained thousands of people to maximise their own trading potential.
Louise is a behavioural finance expert and has degrees in Psychology and Business.
Known as ‘the corporate executive who lost the use of her arms and achieved financial freedom by trading with a pen in her mouth’ – Louise inspires people to achieve their trading best.
Her presentations are not about vague concepts that don’t work in the real world. They are about incredibly practical, time-saving strategies that you need to implement in order to become an extremely successful trader.
Her key areas of focus are using candlestick charts, trading psychology, pattern detection, the impact of neuropsychology on trading decisions and trading crisis management.
Officially crowned as Australia’s ‘Candlestick Queen’, she’s known as the trader that brought this fascinating technique to Australia.
She’s been running the 6-month repeat-for-free www.tradinggame.com.au Mentor Program since the year 2000, and she’s also the founder of www.talkingtrading.com.au, a free weekly trading podcast.
Show Notes
· What is a ‘behavioural finance expert’?
· Let’s go back to the beginning and tell us how your trading journey started.
· It’s been said that trading is basically looking into a crystal ball…..how does the past define the future?
· Warren Buffet famously bet a million dollars with a high-profile fund manager that he could create a better 10 year return purely by investing in a mutual fund and won the bet.
· Let’s look at the key components:
· Trading psychology
· Pattern detection.
· the impact of neuropsychology on trading decisions
· trading crisis management.
· Fair to say day trading is not for the faint hearted / risk averse?
· Where should we start?
· What amount is a practical starting point?
· Louise’s top 3 tips
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Be careful who you associate with.
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Be willing to ‘self-assess’. You have to be honest with yourself with where you are at.
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Find an unreasonable friend. A friend who will be honest with you.
For more information about Louise, podcast, resources, and her programs, follow the links below.
www.tradinggame.com.au
www.talkingtrading.com.au
HOW IS YOUR BANK ACCOUNT LOOKING?
For many, it’s not anywhere near as abundant as they would like it to be.
So, how would you feel if I told you there is a direct relationship between your mindset and your bank account…
Your mindset in fact, magnifies money.
My guest on this episode to share his knowledge and expertise is one of Australia’s leading transformational coaches, Rik Schnabel.
Rik is a businessman, leader, mentor, author, and coach with his transformative company, Life Beyond Limits.
Coaches from all over the world respect his expertise and flock to be trained and mentored by him.
When you’re looking for a behavioural expert, Rik IS the man. With over 38,000+ coaching hours, Rik turns the impossible into possible and the ‘cant’s’ into ‘cans.’
Rik is not just theory, he is in fact, living proof.
Back in 2002, he was about to be fired and at the bottom of the sales ladder when he had an epiphany.
An epiphany which had him become the best salesperson in the company’s history! He effectively untrained his own brain and today, he coaches others to design their best life and ultimately live out their dreams.
Rik dropped gold nuggets throughout the interview and shared:
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His background and life around money leading up to 2002.
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With $27 in his bank account and a child on the way, he was sick and tired of being sick and tired. He shared his thoughts and painted a picture, his mindset / state leading up to the epiphany? We are only motivated by Pain or Pleasure.
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We talk about ‘we are only 1 decision away from a different life’ What decision did you make? What path /actions did you subsequently take?
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He explained the relationship between your mind set and money. Does it work both ways? Your mindset in fact, magnifies money, both abundance and lack.
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People don’t work for money; they worry for Money! That blew me away.
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Its not what you think about but HOW you think about it.
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The comment he often gets from people. ‘Oh, but you don’t understand, my circumstances are different……
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How and when was our brain trained and how do we ‘untrain’?
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What are some tools / strategies the audience can start to implement now? Rik shared and explained his ADD concept. Accept, Decide, Detach
To learn more about the amazing work Rik does and how he can help you, check out his website here:
https://lifebeyondlimits.com.au/
On This episode, I am joined by literary royalty, My guest is Australia’s bestselling author and regenerative agriculturalist, Rachael Treasure
Rachael has been dubbed an agricultural activist, farm feminist and literary pioneer and has worked as a rural journalist, radio broadcaster, jillaroo, professional wool classer, veterinary nurse, stock camp cook, high country cattle drover, truffle sniffer dog handler and family farm manager.
Rachael sparked a publishing boom in 2002 when her first novel Jillaroo woke the world up to contemporary women’s stories beyond the city lights ‘Jillaroo’ has become an iconic work of contemporary fiction, changing the face of Australian publishing, and kick-starting a boom of rural women’s fiction.
Her 8th novel “Milking Time” is due for release in May 2024
She is also co-founder of Ripple Farm Landscape Healing Hub, a 100-acre regenerative farm in Southern Tasmania that showcases Natural Sequence Farming, soil health principles, ecological restoration, and holistic farming.
Rachael shared:
- Her fascinating upbringing and how she arrived at now.
- ‘an agricultural activist, farm feminist and literary pioneer’, is that how you would describe yourself?
- You have certainly had some interesting jobs. including, jillaroo, professional wool classer, veterinary nurse, stock camp cook, high country cattle drover, truffle sniffer dog handler and family farm manager. How did these all come about?
- Where did the passion for writing come? And at what age?
- As a rural journalist she saw an absence of contemporary rural women from Australia’s narrative and resolved to write a best seller about the women in her rural world. Whilst its fiction, Who were you inspiration?
- Her 8th novel “Milking Time” is due for release in May 2024
- In addition to be being a best selling author, you have written a screen play and have self published but you have also entered the world of adult entertainment………an adult colouring in book ’50 Bales of hay’ I love the play on words, what was the inspiration behind this?
- Manifesto for new path in agriculture ‘Down the Dirt Road’
- She also saw a growing disconnection emerging between nature and people, and a decline in human and landscape health due to modern industrial agricultural practices. Rachael uses storytelling in popular fiction form to awaken mass consciousness towards caring for our planet, particularly within agriculture.
- Rachael sells meat, eggs and other produce directly to conscious consumers via Open Food Networks – an online system offering an alternative to major supermarkets.
To learn more about Rachael, her views on agriculture and to buy her products, head to her website https://www.rachaeltreasure.com/
We are constantly being reminded of inflation and the cost of living crisis.
My guest on this episode is Personal Budgeting Queen, Author and Radio Host,
Samantha Boardman.
Samantha founded ‘Spending Made Easy’ in July 2016, after being made redundant from her corporate job 12 months before.
At Spending Made Easy they are experts at budgeting, and they take all of the stress, worry, panic, uncertainty, and often sleepless nights out of your mundane and tedious day-to-day finances and budgeting.
Sam absolutely LOVES what she does and has even written a book called “Budgeting Is Crap” (because it is, right?).
Sam is on a mission to get as many people as possible with a Spending Plan! Spending Plans change lives!
Sam is also a regular contributor on a new internet radio station; “Podcast City Radio”
Sam shared the following:
· How it all started.
· Budgeting is crap. Samantha explains why.
· The ‘a cost-of-living crisis’
· What are some of the biggest challenges people have when they come to you.
· Buy now, pay later, Afterpay etc. instant gratification. Parent s did not buy until they had saved the money.
· The danger of payday loans
· The importance of couple’s communication and working toward a common goal. Also, transparency
And Sam shared her top 3 tips.
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Always start with your outgoings NOT your income.
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Don’t be embarrassed, ask for help!
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Have a plan. (Fail to plan, plan to fail)
To reach out to Samantha, here are her details.
Website; https://www.spendingmadeeasy.com.au/
Email; sam@spendingmadeeasy.com.au
Click below to follow her on her social media.
Podcast
Theo Venter is the only person known to have survived 22,000 volts and 1,200 amps through the heart and lived to see another day.
When Theo removed his insulated gloves while working on a damaged transmission pole, he made a decision that would impact himself and his family in ways he couldn’t have imagined.
But why did Theo, an experienced linesman, make what the safety industry would tell us was a poor decision?
As a result of his experience, Theo’s purpose was clear……….to save others from having to experience something so horrific.
Theo has formed the six bedrock foundation pillars, extricated from his story, that will transform a workplace culture on a deeper cellular level.
“Just Another Day” takes an in-depth look at the way in which workplace culture dictates safety, breaking through the many myths and misunderstandings associated with our safety industry.
Theo is also the co-author of Get Real and Convenience Kills.
Here is what we chatted about.:
- Tell us a bit about your background and how you became a Linesman?
- Its February 13th, 2006.Tell us about ‘that day’
- The obvious question is ‘why’?
- Were there any circumstances which impacted or influenced your decision?
- Talk us through what followed.
- The impact on his relationship.
- What work did you do to defeat the black dog? He chose to believe there was hope.
- What are your 6 bedrock foundation pillars?
- You subsequently did significant research speaking to thousands of employees, senior leaders including executive leaders and hundreds of incident investigation, what did you find?
- How much pressure is there for people to make ‘expedient’ choices?
Theo also shared his '6 Pillars'
- Agreement - Personal Accountability
- Gut Feel
- Dream about the perfect day, we spend too much time dwelling on crap!
- Take 5 brave seconds
- Stop, Pause, Feel
- Have a symbol of your 'why'
For more information about Theo and his unbelievable story, head to his website at https://theoventer.com/
A recent study by the mental Health Foundation in the UK found that in the past year, a staggering 74% of people have been so stressed that they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
My guest on this episode is Rebekah King, The Brain Changer. Rebekah is a
· Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)Master Practitioner
· Hypnotherapist
· Speaker and life coach.
As a former corporate professional who, for years, navigated depression and anxiety.
Rebekah reached what seemed like an insurmountable low. A pivotal encounter with a renowned Australian Coach, led Rebekah to delve deep in to understanding her mind's mechanisms, where she embarked on a transformative journey to rewire her thinking.
Her own remarkable journey inspired Rebekah to effect radical shifts in her life, becoming a source of strength and inspiration to others seeking liberation from anxiety and self-limiting beliefs.
Drawing from her experiences and coupled with her impressive qualifications, she now guides people in retraining their brains, facilitating immediate and profound transformations, earning her the moniker, ‘The Brain Changer’. Her clients have seen incredible shifts that have completely transformed the trajectory of their lives for the better, moving from feeling stuck, anxious and unhappy to motivated, calm and confident.
Unlocking your beliefs: the key to personal and professional transformation
Manage stress amid anxiety and sort out your life.
The essential ABC to retrain your brain
The power of language: eliminate anxiety and transform your life through words
Unlock the secrets of behaviour change with neuroscience.
We discussed:
- Her story, dealing with depression and anxiety. In her words, "I didn't want to live, but I knew I didn't want to die".
- What did the LOW look like for her.
- People with depression. That’s sounds easy BUT, you don’t understand…… Job, kids, demands of family etc.
- Our constant stress, and how our body normalises it.
- First step to change.
- Hypnotherapy. Peoples perception vs what it really is
- The power of language…I am, self deprecating humor
- Instant gratification. People looking for a pill rather than doing the work
- Great question “for what purpose”
- In order to move forward we have to be open to the idea that there is a solution
Rebekah's ABC ,
- A Awareness Stillness, meditation, journaling
- B Brain , Understanding how it works
- C Choice, we have a choice in everything we do.
To learn more about Rebekah's work or to reach out, here are her links
Email rebekah@moonbeammonday.com.au
Website https://www.moonbeammonday.com.au/
THIS EPISODE MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE………BOWEL CANCER…..
Now that I have your attention, once considered an old persons disease, there is an alarming increase in both diagnosis and death in younger people. Here are some frightening statistics:
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Bowel Cancer is now the #1 death by cancer of 25-30 year olds
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This is up from #9, 40 years ago.
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Now the 4th most common cancer, there has been an 11% increase in under 50’s
My guest on this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’ is Nick Lee, Chairman of The Jodi Lee foundation, corporate health expert and co-director and partner of Healthy Minds.
With a beautiful family and working as a director of multi-national consumer goods company, Nick Lee had good reason to be happy and optimistic about his future. That changed in an instant when his wife Jodi was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer at the age of 39. After battling with the disease for 2 years, Jodi passed away in 2010.
We all face critical hurdles in our lives, but when we do it is how we react that determines our future health and happiness. After Jodi’s death Nick made the brave decision to leave his job and use his experience to do all he could to stop others suffering a similar experience. He established The Jodi Lee Foundation to inspire others to protect themselves against bowel cancer and make positive choices to improve their health. The work of the Foundation has saved many Australian lives.
Nick was a 2015 SA Australian of the Year finalist, and was awarded the 2013 Social Entrepreneur of the Year (Central Region) by Ernst and Young. In 2022 Nick was awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia. Nick receives this recognition for his service to the community through the not-for-profit sector (Jodi Lee Foundation) and commitment to raising awareness for the early detection and prevention of bowel cancer.
During this eye opening and captivating interview,
· Nick shared his story.
· What were the symptoms and what you should be looking out for.
· Was there a delay in diagnosis and is there an ‘age barrier’ to diagnosis?
· The dramatic increase in cases and deaths in under 50’s and even more alarmingly, under 30’s
· The valuable work of the foundation through research, education and support.
· There is a 99% survival rate if there is early detection.
· The importance of screening and questioning your doctor.
For more information about the life saving work the Jodie Lee Foundation do, head to their website at https://jodileefoundation.org.au/
Innovation is the future. Innovations in Green Technologies, Space and Artificial Intelligence are impacting our world.
Stone and Chalk at Lot 14 in Adelaide South Australia is at the forefront of innovation and it’s having impact on a global scale.
My guest on this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’ is Innovator, entrepreneur and impact -driven Director of Ecosystems at Stone and Chalk, Dr Tim Mahlberg Sie
With a curiosity for people and culture, a passion for community, and a dedication to creating impact, Tim has had a diverse career spanning corporate, non-profit, higher education, startups, and service industries.
Qualified as an organisational psychologist, he’s been developing individuals and organisations for nearly 20 years. He has a doctorate from The University of Sydney which explored new ways of working with purpose to drive innovation in large institutions. At Stone & Chalk, Tim is the General Manager for South Australia, where he is working to grow our innovation ecosystem and inspire the next generation of innovators.
The Adelaide Hub of Stone and Chalk has a population of 200 residents, has supported over 100 startups who have created over 1000 jobs in emerging tech, and are now valued at over $250 million
We chatted about:
· Tim’s work in such diverse sectors, and what lead him into those industries.
· What makes Stone and Chalk so successful and unique.
· The great work by April Hobbs to highlight innovations in South Australia through her book, ‘Innovate Adelaide’ You can view on line here https://bit.ly/3OLrh8q or to get your copy, reach out to April at Innovations of the World at april@innovationsoftheworld.com
· Tall Poppy syndrome.
· The amazing technologies in South Australia. There are over 100 space companies here!
· Key Innovation into the future.
To see some of Tim’s thesis, follow the links below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOeS-5U7d7E
https://ses.library.usyd.edu.au/bitstream/handle/2123/24269/mahlberg_tj_thesis%20%281%29.pdf
To see more about Stone Chalk follow the link below.
https://www.stoneandchalk.com.au/
DR TOM NEHMY IS A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST WITH MORE THAN 20 YEARS’EXPERIENCE.
His passion is preventing psychological problems in people of all ages while also enhancing resilience and wellbeing.
His doctoral research in developing the Healthy Minds Program produced the world’s first prevention program to prevent the onset of symptoms of depression, and anxiety while also reducing risk for eating disorders.
He was subsequently awarded the 2015 Flinders University Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Doctoral Thesis Excellence.
Tom is a prolific public speaker and corporate Trainer across Australia and overseas and has coauthored ten scholarly articles in peer-reviewed scientific publications.
He is the author of the book 'Apples for the Mind: Creating emotional balance, peak performance and lifelong wellbeing', and his work has been featured on Triple J, ABC Radio, 7 News, Power FM, Radio Adelaide, in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Advertiser, and beyond.
See below all the links to reach out to Tom and purchase his book.
We discussed:
· Where his interest in psychology began.
· There is an increasing higher level of community awareness of mental health. Is it becoming a bigger problem or are we just talking about it more?
· Are we more stressed or do we have more to be stressed about?
· The impact Covid had on our mental health was well documented. What good, if any , came out of Covid?
· Developing the Healthy Minds Program which produced the world’s first prevention program to prevent the onset of symptoms of depression and anxiety while also reducing risk for eating disorders.
· Self Esteem vs Self Compassion.
· The bullying in schools as a result of social media and how parents and teachers can help the children and also themselves.
· We have choice.
· Steps we can all take to help with out mental well being.
To learn more about his work or to reach out to Dr Tom Nehmy follow the links below:
www.healthymindsprogram.com
www.tomnehmy.com
Get a copy of his book, ‘Apples For The Mind, Creating emotional balance, peak performance and lifelong wellbeing.’ With this link: https://books2read.com/u/3Jye0J
ARE YOUR TRADEMARKS, PATENTS AND IP (Intellectual Property) PROTECTED?
HOW VULNERABLE ARE YOU AND YOUR BUSINESS FROM ILLEGAL USE OF YOUR IP?
WHAT WOULD THE COST BE IF YOUR IP WAS COMPROMISED?
On this episode I chatted with experienced commercial lawyer, trademark and patent expert, Maggie Yarak.
Maggie has over 20 years experience in both the private and corporate sectors including banking, outdoor media, franchising, consumer and aviation and having negotiated international contracts to the value of $400 million.
We discussed:
· What lead her into law.
· The challenges she faces running a business with 2 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
· What is the difference between copyright, trademark and patent?
· When should a business consider protecting their IP.
· We discussed a recent case of an Australian woman whose website, product and all images including those of her children was completely copied.
· How can business best protect themselves.
· The most common, ongoing issues she sees and how they can be avoided.
· How you can check if your ideas are new and can be protected.
For more information, to follow her on social and to get in touch with Maggie, follow the links below.
https://yourlegalpartner.com.au/
https://yourlegalpartner.com.au/free-resources/
https://www.facebook.com/ylplegal
https://www.instagram.com/ylplegal/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ylplegal/
HAVE YOU EVER HAD TROUBLE CONCENTRATING?
Perhaps your focus isn't as good as you'd like it to be. Or do you have one of those inner voices that constantly berates you and holds you back?
The good news is you're not alone. Everyone has these issues. It's how they deal with them that determines their level of success.
My guest on this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’ is Darren Fleming. Darren is a speaker, author and trainer to some of the largest companies in Australia and around the world including CISCO, Caterpillar and Komatsu.
His latest book Mindset Mastery was published earlier this year and is currently being translated into Japanese. In it he shows you how to deactivate distracting thoughts, quieten that inner voice so you can have the concentration and focus you need to get through the day.
Darren has studied psychology at UniSA and philosophy at Oxford. And each year he puts himself through a 10-day silent meditation retreat which he says teaches him more than any university course ever could.
In this jam-packed episode, Darren shared his insights on:
· The conflicting information is popular self-help books and the one common aspect of them all.
· We spend 20 minutes convincing ourselves we want chocolate then when we finally give in, we spend the next 20 minutes berating ourselves. Sound familiar?
· Some people are open to sharing success such as new cars holidays on social media, yet some don’t. Darren shared his thought process around eventually sharing his childhood dream which he recently achieved.
· Imposter syndrome, fear of failure and procrastination.
To learn more about Darren and his work, head to his website at https://www.darrenfleming.com.au/mindset-mastery.
HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY 37 DAYS AFTER DIAGNOSIS.
On this episode, Jodie Atkinson shared her journey which rose from the ashes of devastation after losing her husband to Pancreatic Cancer only 37 days after diagnosis.
Being acutely aware of her own lack of preparedness to face her grief, she not only sought help for herself but a deep desire to help others.
From becoming a' Certified Advanced Grief Recovery Specialist' to her work with community organisations to writing her book, 'Have You Met My Grief' to amazingly having her book transformed into an Award Winning Cabaret Show which premiered at the 2023 Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival, her journey has been nothing short of inspirational.
I last spoke to Jodie over 2 and half years ago and lots has happened!
We talked about:
- Her profound loss and how she became aware of her lack of preparedness.
- What does 'preparedness' look like.
- Grief manifests in many different ways.
- Loss takes many forms. It is not just death, it can be the loss of a relationship, job or a loved pet.
- How her book is helping people and how it evolved into a cabaret show.
If you are looking for a speaker for your community, have been touched by loss or would like to know more about Jodie's work, reach out to her at info@jodie-atkinson.com.au
Doctors told him that he shouldn't have lived! Shot 14 times in less than 5 seconds from a semi-automatic weapon, he lay bleeding for 3 hours before he could be rescued. As if this is not unbelievable enough, he returned back to FULL duties within 2 1/2 years.
On this episode, I chat with former Elite Star Force officer, Derrick McManus. He shared his harrowing story and how it lead him to a career as a renowned keynote speaker, trainer and founding 'The Centre for Human Durability' where his programs provide tools to go beyond resilience, to sustainable Optimal Performance.
We don't all face the prospect of being shot multiple times in our working days but the lessons Derrick shared benefit managers, leaders and business owners to be prepared and perform at an optimal level.
Derrick spoke about:
- Proactively preparing yourself. Having honest and open conversations with your family and your team.
- Analysing the event. What could or should have been done differently.
- Resilience vs Durability
- Strategies. The importance of preparation physically, mentally and emotionally.
- The 2 key principles that underpin Human Durability.
- Open, Honest and confronting conversations with yourself and those affected by your actions.
- Take responsibility for our decisions, actions and outcomes. Good or bad.
Oh and don't miss his story at 10:30.........putting his thumb between a trigger on a pistol whilst wrestling with an offender!
To learn more about Derrick's story and his work, head to his website at https://humandurability.com.au/
Years of people pleasing, not living authentically and finally finding out, via an anonymous letter, his wife was having and affair, took him to the depths of despair and led him on a journey of self discovery where he is now dedicated to inspiring hope and a love of life.
On episode 44 of 'A Cuppa with The Con versationalist' I chatted with Inspirational Keynote Speaker and Empowerment Coach, Sava Politis.
Sava educates, guides, and helps people live in self-love, focusing on "Agape," the highest form of love. Living true to yourself with integrity, positivity, and self-awareness.
His inspirational keynotes and personal coaching help people reconnect with themselves, empowerment of courage, confidence, and resilience.
In corporate environments, he is transforming and building powerful engaging teams and positive culture that promotes growth and success and via personal 1-on-1 coaching, he helps you become the best version of yourself.
Sava's personal journey fuels his belief that you have the power to be an outstanding human being, which he shares with the world.
2:00 The beginning of his journey, the people pleaser.
5:30 Losing contact with the most important person, you.
6:15 The moment that changed his life, the letter divulging the affair and his biggest lesson.
9:55 The 4 key components we all have within our hearts, faith, Love, Hope and Forgiveness. Forgiveness is not about forgetting, it's about releasing. It's a daily process.
15:00 The current relationship with his ex wife and the roles and responsibilities we have as parents. How do your children view you?
17:40 The role of spirituality in life and work and the power of faith.
20:00 Integrity and positivity, what are they?
22:40 Can you relate to these challenges? Losing your job you see as your identity and broken trust. Sava shares one of the biggest fears beyond 50......I don't want to die alone.
28:40 Creating peace in your day/life. It's not about making time but understanding the value of your time.
31:30 Boom, Crash Opera....what happens when you get home?
34:10 Culture in the workplace. The 2 biggest challenges and the importance of vision.
39:20 Leadership is about actions with integrity. Sava discusses mental well being and emotional resilience.
42:20 Sava shares his top 3 tips live a life true to yourself with integrity, positivity and self awareness,
To learn more about Sava's work, reach out to him by email at sava@savapolitis.com.au
On this episode we shower you with a big dose of optimism and get you to look at your cup, not as half full or half empty, but overflowing!
Victor Perton is the Chief Optimism Officer at The Centre for Optimism.
The Centre for Optimism is 8000 people in 82 countries and asks people “What makes YOU optimistic?” and “What makes YOU feel Optimistic?”
Prior to taking on the optimism mission, Victor was a barrister, 18 years a member of the Victorian State Parliament, Trade Commissioner in North and South America; and senior adviser to the Australian G20 Presidency.
Victor is a Board Member of Yarra Valley Water and Vicwater.
The foundation for the formation of The Centre for Optimism was a two year “Australian Leadership Project” which concluded Australian leadership was pretty good so why the negativity in Australia?
Victor’s Eureka moment came in 2017 – the problem was not the problem of leadership but the fog of pessimism. His book, “Optimism: The How and Why”, sums up that journey.
As a speaker, Victor promises his audience they will leave laughing or singing or both. All the links to the exercises and resources are at the bottom of the show notes.
2:00 Victor turned the tables on me and asked me "what makes me optimistic"
2:43 Why and where does all the optimism originate? Hear is fascinating history which goes back to pre Russian revolutionary Czarist Russia
4:17 His grandmother always said she always wanted to outlive communism. Hear her amazing tales of hardship and persecution whilst never losing hope.
7:22 Optimism is a state of mind, not the state of the world.
10:43 The boarding house with rats in Richmond, the stench of burning rubber and the peering possum. The migrant life.
13:40 Why Victor entered politics
20:00 The Tax Commissioner and Victor's mum.
23:30 Victor was the first politician in Australia to have a website and his foresight into the future of communication
29:00 The power of laughter.
30:00 The changing face of politics and the 24 x 7 news
35:00 Changing 1 life at a time, a powerful chance encounter in jail and a perspective changing question we can all ask.
42:00 The power of gratitude and a very simple exercise which for many, is better than anti-depressants.
46:00 The catalyst for The Centre of Optimism.
52:00 Enjoy some 'Optimistic Exercises'
55:30 Ultimately, Optimism is a choice
59:50 You make your own memories. Very few of us have an accurate memory. Our memories are re cast in the stories we re tell. The memories adapt to the stories dependant on how we recite the memory, be it in a positive or negative light.
1:01:00 Victor's interesting perspective regards the media and the news.
5 Minute Survey – What makes you Optimistic? https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Optimism2023
What is Optimism? https://www.centreforoptimism.com/whatisoptimism
My Best Self https://www.centreforoptimism.com/your-best-possible-self
My Optimism Superpower - https://www.centreforoptimism.com/superpowers
MONEY, MONEY MONEY. On this episode I chatted with Daniel Marshall, Financial Coach, Speaker and Entrepreneur.
After working in the Steel & Mining industry as a Mechanical Engineer for 10+ years, Daniel decided to take a leap of faith and follow his passion.
Daniel combined his love for personal development and personal finances and created his dream career.
Daniel is now a Financial Coach, Speaker and Online Entrepreneur who works with millennials to help them build habits that will set them up for long-term financial success. Daniels contact details are at the bottom of the notes.
5:25 The connection between finances and personal development. The gift from his mum which started his journey.
8:35 Our financial habits, it comes down to what our parents taught us.
10:00 Buy Now, Pay Later.....a recipe for disaster.
11:00 The book which should be taught in school. 'The Richest Man In Babylon'
11:35 The danger of the 'Microwave Mindset'
14:25 How to build good financial habits
16:35 The importance of goal setting.
18:10 The Passive Income fairy and the ugly truth.
22:00 Creating a side hustle is not an option, its a must.
26:30 Mindset controls everything. Money is 80% psychology and 20% mechanics
29:00 The 2 most powerful words in the english language and how they effect your wealth.
Email daniel@danielmarshallcoaching.com
Website https://danielmarshall.com.au/
My guest on this episode is known as the Queen of Joy.
Cindi Cohn is the author of the bestseller More Joy and a motivational speaker.
After facing her own struggles with her mental health, Cindi climbed her way out and found joy along the way. She now helps other women who feel stuck in their circumstances transform their mindset so that they can live a life of freedom and joy.
Cindi holds a Master’s degree in counseling and education and as a counselor of addiction, she has helped thousands of families overcome and transform their life situations.
Cindi can be heard as a regularly featured guest on numerous television stations, podcasts and radio shows spreading messages of joyful living. She can also be seen spreading joy on numerous stages, from churches, corporations and schools. Cindi leads workshops and trainings which have included large companies and nonprofits from Michaels to Wounded Warriors, and Fortune 100 companies such as Amazon and TikTok.
3:00 From depression to the road of joy. One toe at a time.
4:30 The importance of journaling and how it led to the book.
6:30 Joy, becoming a global movement.
7:30 The more joy you give out, the more comes back. It works the same with negativity.
8:34 The morning ritual sets your day. Your productivity and your mood. Cindi shared her morning routine.
9:30 Cindi shared THE most powerful story of forgiveness. Definitely provides perspective!
11:43 Avoid your phone as long as you can in the morning and regular tech detox.
14:30 The power of reframing your circumstances.
16:20 Organisational Cultural toxicity and burnout. People want more than a job, they want purpose.
21:00 Children, bullying and social media. If you are not giving your kids attention, they are going to get it elsewhere.
25:00 Bring more joy to your family. 'Protect your peace' You must make it a priority.
29:50 Mental health suggestions for business owners. The importance of a support network.
33:50 Cindi's top 5 tips to create more joy in your life today.
On this episode, I chatted with business powerhouse, Simone Douglas who shared her many years of business wisdom and dropped a ton of golden nuggets!
Simone is the Publican & Licensee of the Duke of Brunswick Hotel & The Port Admiral, Executive Director for BNI Adelaide North, CEO of Digital Marketing AOK, Owner of the cafe - dob on King William and a best-selling author with her books "Seriously Social" and “The Confident Networker”.
She also sits on the branch council for the Australian Hotels Association SA Branch and is co-founder of the Hospo Owners Collective. Her businesses have garnered more awards than can be comfortably included in a bio, and her passion for supporting business, community, and industry is well known. Simone's down-to-earth attitude makes her someone that people feel comfortable around and she loves supporting others to be successful.
1:37 Where did her entrepreneurial streak come from. At a very early age she learnt she could do whatever she wanted.
3:10 When is enough? She is fitting as much as possible into this short life.
4:50 Simone's recipe for self care. Work/life balance is rubbish, its work/life harmony
6:52 Reward psychology. the importance of small and regular rewards.
9:00 Recruitment and retention of staff in bare talent pool. Do you position yourself as an employer of choice?
14:20 Keeping and attracting customers in the current challenging environment. They key is building community and going beyond the transaction.
18:11 Businesses 2 biggest challenges beyond 2023. The importance of community.
23:35 The key attributes to her success. her responses will surprise you.
26:50 What Simone looks for when acquiring businesses. "I was looking for office space and I bought a pub!"
33:00 Simone's 'why?' What's yours? Her strategy for for when she has had enough and wants to go home.
35:30 You can't change the circumstance but you can change your response.
37:15 What advice would Simone give her 20 year old self? "Your worthy...do you and don't worry about others"
AI, Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm! Whether we like it or not, it is here to stay and grow. It's evolving at a geometric rate. So how is it affecting business and how can we use it to our advantage.
On this episode, I chatted with Dave Demczuk from Atria Systems. Dave is a seasoned IT professional with over 25 years of experience in the industry. His interest in AI systems began in the early 2000's with some of the first publicly available generative learning algorithms. His expertise lies in demystifying complex technological concepts, particularly in the realm of small business. Dave has a unique ability to translate the intricacies of AI into layman's terms, making it accessible and understandable for all.
Dave shared his knowledge and experiences, offering listeners a fresh perspective on the practical applications of AI in the business world with a focus on ChatGPT and upcoming Microsoft features for business professionals.
All the sites mentioned and more are at the bottom of these notes.
2:25 You'll be surprised to know, AI has been a part of our daily lives for many years already.
4:00 AI has exploded, particularly Chat GPT
4:26 What is Chat GPT?
5:35 How is Chat GPT impacting our business? It reached over 100M users in January.
7:30 What AI wont do (at the moment!) Wont replace physical activities
8:22 AI and creative tasks. What tools are available for creating images and PowerPoint. This is massive for anyone who produces content.
12:30 AI's impact on the 4 day week. Amazing for productivity.
15:00 What businesses are currently best served by AI. Who are the early adopters?
20:36 AI, The Terminator and Skynet.....how far can this be from reality? This is a scary story.
| AI Platform | Type of AI | Address
| OpenAI's ChatGPT | Natural Language Processing (NLP), Conversational AI | OpenAI
| Microsoft's Copilot | Code Completion AI | Microsoft Copilot
| IBM's Watson | NLP, Machine Learning, Conversational AI | IBM Watson
| Midjourney | Text to Image Generation | https://www.midjourney.com/
| Runway Gen2 | Text to Video | https://runwayml.com
| Text-to-Video-Synthesis-Colab | Text to Video Synthesis | GitHub Repository
US air force denies running simulation in which AI drone ‘killed’ operator | US military | The Guardian
Youtubers that give good AI information:
AI Revolution - YouTube
Matt Wolfe - YouTube
In this powerful episode, Eli Scheier shared his fascinating journey of self discovery from being an institutional day trader on Wall St to a jail cell to being a shepherd in the Middle East to studying Yoga and Meditation in India to eventually finding his way to Tulum, Mexico where is established 'I Am Love' Meditation and Workshop Retreats.
Eli has a master's Degree in Clinical Psychology of the Spiritual MInd Body from Columbia University and having studied the practice of Yoga, Meditation and Stillness in India at Yoga Vidya Gurukul, Trimbal; Anand Prakash Ashram, Rishikesh and Tushita Meditiation Centre, Dharamsala, Eli offers an abundance of knowledge from many teachers and cultures.
Highlights include:
1:20 Wall St to Mexico. "There was a fork in the road, and I took the wrong fork" Eli Scheier. Was Wall St really as bad as depicted in 'The Wolf of Wall St'?
14:00 Spiritual path.
17:00 Spirituality meets Psychology.
22:00 Having presence and 'that' little voice. It's either a track of love or fear.
25:40 The purpose of meditation
28:10 With our thoughts we create our world. The 4 keys, Intention, Certainty, Self Love and Super Power
30:20 Self Love. If we can't love ourselves, how can we expect others to love us?
33:30 Where and how to start changing your life.
37:10 Within every culture and every religion, the #1 rule is Love Thy Neighbour as You Would Love Thyself.
38:50 Everybody you meet, you meet for a reason. The universe is trying to send you a message.
43:00 The importance of affirmations
For more information on Eli's work head to his website at https://iamloveretreats.com/
WHEN YOU USE THE POWER OF THE MIND, YOU CONTROL THE EXPERIENCE.
Heather Sasaki experienced intense personal growth through surviving torture, child abuse and school bullying and Conny Cruz was on her own healing journey after many years in the jungle which is the New York Corporate Real Estate and Construction market. Through their own personal journeys, both found Hypnotherapy and a deep desire to help others.
Heather is the founder of ‘Heather and Hearts Healing’, Certified Trauma Release Hypnotherapist, Past Life Regression Therapist, Rapid Transformational Therapist and has over 11,000 hours of Meditation Coaching.
Conny is the founder of ‘Deep Dive and Thrive’, Certified Hypnotherapist, Rapid Transformational Therapist, Certified Time Line Therapy and NLP Practitioner and together they are the hosts of the popular podcast, 2 Naked Hypnotherapists
On this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’, Heather and Conny shared their journey and we stripped bare to the naked facts and fictions of Hypnotherapy.
2:55 Heather's story of childhood abuse and torture
5:40 Chronic back and hip pain can be related to emotion pain and or trauma
11:24 What is Hypnotherapy and how it works
12:30 You are in multiple hypnotic states every day
17:00 Our subconscious mind is the root cause of all our limiting beliefs
18:50 What Hypnotherapy IS NOT and how our subconscious is running 95% of our behaviours
25:00 Why you cant be manipulated during hypnotherapy
32:30 The distinction between acute pain and chronic pain and how hypnotherapy can help
37:13 What is procrastination, why we procrastinate and strategies that help you now
40:40 The importance of our words and the impact in physical manifestations
44:00 The best times of the day to meditate, read your affirmations and the science behind it.
47:00 Why your subconscious is sabotaging your success
"WE ARE A COLLECTION OF PATTERNS AND HABITS"
Dr Gail Crossley-Craven, known as Dr CC, has an established and successful career. Gail is expert in leadership, human performance and professional development; the pillars on which she has built her career and by which she lives her life.
She has a strong belief in life-long education and she truly ‘walks her talk’…hence her long list of academic and professional qualifications in education, psychology and business. She works to bring out the full potential of people and makes time for you when you need it most.
Gail is founder of Crossley-Craven Consulting and has instructed and inspired people through writing, teaching, college and university lectures, training, business seminars, conference speaker, consulting to small business, personal counselling and educating clients all over the world
.
The highlights of the program:
5:00 What id 'The Great Resignation' and the idea of 'group think' The 2 areas we must all work on.
9:15 Professional Development vs Personal Development and the interconnection between the 2.
12:40 The million dollar question, what and how do I find my purpose and Gail's advice on maybe why you haven't found or cant find yours.
18:53 Gail explored 'Victim Mentality' and why many people choose that. Are we unconsciously supporting this in others?
21:00 Leadership, what it is and what it isn't. It's lonely and isolated at the top. Real qualities, training, support, mentorship and the importance if communication.
32:00 Vicarious Trauma, what it is?
38:48 Validation vs Justification
Gail is living proof of the benefits that ongoing personal and professional development, and determination has on people. As one of her clients said many years ago, “Everyone needs a Dr CC!”
ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO LOSE WEIGHT AND KEEP IT OFF?
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE GREAT LIES WE ARE SOLD AROUND DIETING AND NUTRITION?
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Fitness and Wellness expert Leslie Urbas shared the truth, lies and other fun facts about nutrition, fitness and wellness in a world that seems to worship 'bad apples' and fad frenzies in the market place.
Leslie has been featured in globally recognized brands such as:
- Under Armour
- fitbit
- Authority magazine
- myfitnesspal
In an industry worth over $80 Billion, you can expect there is a fair amount of confusion over what is fact and what is fiction.
Leslie shared:
- What are the 2 biggest lies we are told.
- The myths we have been told to believe around weight loss.
- The secret to real weight loss and diet control.
- Her 5 step program to losing the weight and importantly, keeping it off.
- the REAL fact behind meal replacement and protien shakes.
- Vegan is not always healthy. What processed products are you actually eating?
- Middle age weight gain. Fact or myth?
- Does intermittent fasting really work?
- Tips to quick and easy, healthy meal prep.
For more information about Leslie and her work, head to her website at
www.LeslieUrbas.com and follow her on social media.
THE WAY WE FEEL COMES DOWN TO 2 THINGS.
- The words we say to ourselves
- The pictures we make in our head.
After the death of her alcoholic and abusive husband, Diane Konkin went on to establish her business, Advanced Mind Health, a Rapid Transformational Therapy TM, specializing in intrusive emotions and addictions
On this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’, Diane shared her story of healing and the amazing work she currently does helping people.
2:35 Her alcoholic, abusive husband and her unexpected emotions after his death.
5:39 What is RTT and the research done by Stamford University.
12:52 95% of our actions are driven by the subconscious mind.
17:30 Diane took us through her process
21:56 Our beliefs our formed in our subconscious up to the age of 7.
27:30 A really great lesson for everyone in the coaching space around client selection. How committed are they?
31:00 Diane cleared up for me how a super successful business person can suffer from low self-esteem.
36:00 You can never truly understand unless you have been through it.
38:00 The 3 steps to getting over any addiction. #1 Rule of the mind is will always do exactly what it thinks you want to do.
Sarah Reimann was a high school dropout at 15, overcame domestic violence, depression, divorce and drug abuse all by the time she was 20. and has gone on to forge a professional career and is now a sought after business advisor, financial expert and speaker.
On this episode of A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist, Sarah shares her inspiring story.
After 15 years as a qualified tax accountant and business owner, she knows and understands the challenges business owners face with managing staff, juggling all the balls and keeping up a healthy lifestyle.
Now, as a Certified Business Advisor, Financial Expert and Motivational Speaker, Sarah provides consulting and training to business owners and teaches them how to understand the story behind their numbers, so they have the strategies and control they need to reduce stress and make smart business decisions.
3:25 Sarah shared her story domestic violence
7:21 The important life lessons she learnt. How her experience, whilst not pleasant, gave her resilience and the power of perspective.
11:39 Sarah shared her 'mid life' crisis and what lead her to follow her true passion and calling.
14:05 The regular, common problems she sees and the importance of systematizing.
15:45 Understanding your numbers, particularly cash flow and profit to help business owners with decision making
18:50 The importance of defining your market.
20:00 Strategic planning, goal setting and budgets. Do your team know and understand your business mission and vision? Having your team on board lead to better overall outcomes. Sarah shared the staggering number of businesses that don't have clearly defined goals!
25:00 The importance of self care and making sure you schedule time away to work on the the business and recharge your batteries. The dangers of micro management.
29:00 Is your business saleable? Are personal brands saleable. Sarah shared her thoughts.
36:00 Financial literacy in our youth. The dangers of easy credit, Afterpay, Zip Pay. Where financial literacy should start.
For more information about Sarah and her work, head to her website at https://www.sarahreimann.com.au/ . You can also follow her on her social media channels.
Mike Gregga has been conducting training of all kinds for over 20 years and more than 10 years training Intelligence Analysts for the US Military. Mike has extensive experience with accredited courses, certifications and formal curriculum models.
With this extensive experience and combined with his 'superpower' of creating completable course and coaching content at the speed of simplicity, Mike is passionate about and is now helping his clients make course content simple, clear and efficient.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Mike shared much of his extensive experience and knowledge around course and content creation.
4:20 How do you 'train' an Intelligence Analyst? "We are susceptible to believe that which we already have convinced ourselves to be true" The need for clear simple thinking logic and understanding biases and how they work.
6:40 How he transitioned into his own business and fascinating insights about working for the US Government.
14:10 The skills and lessons he learnt in the US Military which have had the most profound impact on his business.
17:00 How to optimize your online content.
21:30 The biggest roadblocks in creating your online course. Less is more. Mike shared a staggering statistic around course completion rates of participants!
27:00 An online course cannot convey mastery. Understanding the utility of a program and how it should be a lead up to higher ticket programs.
33:00 Understanding 'Certification' and 'Accreditation' With such a plethora of online courses, these terms have become diluted.
If you are a course / content creator or looking to become one, this episode is a must! For more details about Mike's programs, visit his website at greggamedia.com
"CREATE CONTENT YOUR AUDIENCE WILL FIND EASY TO CONSUME ON THEIR WORST DAY"
After turning her 45 minute video and a training manual into 2 books and helping a client turn 3 hours of Zoom calls into 32 videos and 2 years worth of social media assets, Sally A Curtis saw a opportunity to help other businesses.
Sally helps turn existing content and collateral into new profitable brand assets. Her mission is to amplify your voice, message and your impact across all the services. Sally creates leverage by maximising your visibility, saving you time and accelerating your speed to the market.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Sally provided an endless stream of golden nuggets including
10:00 Editing tools to help with video editing Perfect Recall and Headliner for podcast audio grabs.
12:00 The need to think more intuitively and not practically when repurposing content. Create methodical systems to minimise your time required.
15:00 The image positions the viewer. The importance of selecting the right image and where to find suitable images. 123rf.com and canva .com
18:35 Becoming a recognizable brand. Your audience and clients have an expectation of you.
22:00 Sally shared a great scheduling tool and the only one she currently uses. loomly.com which allows up to 10 platforms. The importance of reusable brand assets and scheduling 3 months in advance.
26:00 The importance of frequency and quality of posting. Consistency is king. How often does your audience need to consume your content. Test and measure. 3 keys. Know your audience. Provide massive value. Watch the data.
33:30 Sally shared her insights into Lead magnets and where the trend is. The market is fatigued and they want bite size actionable content. "Create content they will find easy to consume on their worst day"
39:00 Understand what your customers preferred method of consumption is.
Ebook into bite size tiles into videos into audio
This episode is jam packed with easy, actionable steps to take the stress out of creating an abundance of strategic brand assets.
Odell Bizzell's entrepreneurial career started in 1999 when Odell and his best friend started a small candy company that earned them over $75,000 while earning an academic scholarship to a top university.
Odell is a business coach that teaches entrepreneurs and small business owners how to double their income with public speaking and has been featured in the USA Today, Yahoo Finance, CNBC.com, and 200 media outlets.
He’s also the author of 10 books and as a motivational speaker he has partnered with over 240 colleges, organizations, and even the military to teach communication skills to emerging professionals in 45 states.
Odell has been featured on some of the same programs championship athletes and celebrities such as Dave Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, & ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Odell shared his experiences and wealth of knowledge. Highlights include
2:08 Amazing story of the candy enterprise and the most valuable business lesson he learnt.
5:28 How he transitioned from being a candy entrepreneur to a highly sought after speaker and business coach.
8:10 Being a chapter in front of your audience, not a lifetime.
9:50 Key lessons the candy venture taught him and how it related to growing his business. He solved the problem, offered variety and people liked him.
14:05 The key component for a successful message and the importance of practice. "professionals practice more than they perform"
21:18 How he dealt with Covid and the value or reconnecting with your customers.
30:50 The importance of teaching speaking and communication skills in schools
42:00 The key element to being a successful speaker and communicator.....Knowing your audience.
This episode is jam packed with valuable content which is applicable irrespective of what your business is.
Learn more about Odell at www.OdellSpeaks.com
Follow Odell on social media
Facebook @OdellBizzell
Twitter @OdellBizzell
Instagram @OdellBizzell
Sally Carruthers confessed to being a 'hot mess' in her 20's. Organisation was not her strong suite and nor was it top of the list of priorities but after more than 5 years in the Royal Australian Airforce which included overseas deployment, all that changed.
Being forced into a strict regime of personal organisation whilst in the military, Sally saw the benefits and soon was a convert. Not only was she a convert but she went on to form her business, 'Organised by Sally' where she fulfils her passion by helping busy woman and overwhelmed families declutter and organise their homes so they can focus on enjoying life and what really matters.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Conversationalist', Sally shared
- How her experience in the military paved her path
- What she finds to be the main reasons for clutter
- Typically, what main items are the source of clutter
- The emotional toll and stress can cause on both individuals and families
And to finish of, Sally gave her top 5 tips declutter and stay decluttered!
- Find a home for things
- Make it a positive experience
- Start small, grow your declutter muscles!
- Complete the task
- Identify the source and eliminate or at worse, reduce it.
For more information about how Sally can help you or you family, head to her website at
https://organisedbysally.com.au/
"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU GET GOOD AT"
Kristen Miller
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Conversationalist', I chatted with the delightful and inspirational Kristen Miller.
Kristen is an internationally acclaimed business mentor, strategist and personal power alchemist. She specializes in personal brands and small companies with teams of under 20. She works with her clients to have fun while implementing sustainable growth systems, engaging high performance team dynamics, and creating conscious leaders so that more people can make big money while running small businesses.
Kristen was vulnerable enough to share her 'rock bottom' 2015. We got serious but we also shared lots of laughs.
The episode is jam packed full of gems including:
👉 Be careful what you get good at - habits are habits whether empowering or disempowering for you
👉 Why most people's million $$$ barriers are rooted in their mindset
👉 How her 8-figure clients also have inner demons to overcome like the rest of us (we're all human and we're all multi-dimensional beings)
👉 Her x2 daily rituals that personally incorporate into my life experience since then
👉 "Your habits create your harmony (or disharmony), but your rituals create your results
👉 A 3-column Beliefs + Results exercise she does with her MMM clients so that they can identify the belief systems driving the results they're currently getting which they DON'T want... and how to release them to reclaim authority over the mind
👉 Why everyone has an energetic signature even if they're unaware of it, and how we measure it with the map of consciousness as a logarithmic scale
👉 Why she believes in the P2P philosophy - no longer the outdated B2B or B2C marketing mindset
As someone who specializes in personal brands and small companies from solopreneurs to small teams of <20, she works with clients so they can:
👉have fun while implementing sustainable growth systems,
👉engage high performance team coaching dynamics, and
👉create conscious leaders so that more people can make big money while running small businesses
And more!
Sue Giacobbe and Dan Kuss are on a mission to help people and teams flourish at work–with professional development programs that enable them to be more effective and successful. They believe that when you develop your individuals to strengthen your teams, your organisation will flourish along with the individuals. Specifically, administration teams, who sometimes fall between the gaps when it comes to Professional Development. Drawing on their collective experience in the education, healthcare and corporate sectors, they love to help people live an engaged, balanced and motivated life, where they do their best work. On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' I chatted with this dynamic duo of coaching and personal development.
I asked them:
- How they came together
- Biggest challenges organisations face
- Signs of team dysfunction
- How they deal with gaps between team members specifically skills and values
- Why admin teams within organisations have fallen through the training and upskilling 'gap'
PARENTING IS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST JOBS ON THE PLANET!
and to make it even tougher, no training manual is provided when our little bundles of joy arrive. You somehow think you have it worked out until the next one arrives and the confronting reality sets in that you don't!
On this episode of A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' I spoke with Holly Nunan, mother of 3, an international best-selling children's author, and a highly sought-after motivational speaker and trainer.
Holly is fast becoming the leading authority globally on conscious parenting, teaching parents, teachers, and caregivers all over the world how to raise children who are self-aware, and full of self-esteem, self-belief, self-love, and self-worth.
Her ability to teach an audience, and deliver a message that resonates with their soul is unparalleled. Her work doesn’t just “inspire and motivate”, it leaves a lasting impact on the lives of those who are fortunate enough to cross her path.
Thousands of parents have attended Holly’s workshops, retreats, and online training, and are astounded by the instant improvements in the behavior of their children, just by making simple adjustments in the language they use.
Holly teaches how to parent from a new perspective, which takes the exhaustion out of parenting, and brings harmony back into the home. Holly's principles breed a deeper sense of connectedness between adults and children, leaving each feeling more empowered and at peace.
ANNETTE FOUND REFUGE FROM THE BULLYING IN HER SCHOOL LIBRARY.
With a Kindle called ‘her best mate’ and borderline obsession for reading, Annette Densham, writer, journalist, storyteller was destined to have a career centered around delicious, wonderful words. From hiding in the school library as a 10-year-old determined to fill more reading cards than her classmates (her record is three in one term) to meeting deadlines as a journalist, Annette’s innate curiosity has driven her love for storytelling. When she is not reading or writing stories, this multi-award-winning PR and business awards specialist is working with professional service providers to cement their position as a market leader through strategic planning and good old fashion storytelling.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' I had a thoroughly enjoyable chat with Annette who shared her journey. Amongst other things, we chatted about
- The importance of businesses telling a great story to connect with their market. People connect with people through their stories, not the company or products.
- Her health challenges and recent weight loss surgery which has had a remarkable positive impact on previous other health conditions such as Asthma.
- Her new book 'How To Eat A Shit Sandwich and Keep Smiling'
A very entertaining and open lady.
Does your business run you or do you run your business? Can your business run without you? How many hours do you work in your business?
In this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist, successful CEO and Businesswoman turned elite business coach and mentor, Tammy Edwards shared her success steps and strategies. on how, from very humble beginnings, she built and sold a multi-million dollar business.
Tammy had a clear plan. Starting with no staff and in only 15 short years, Tammy sold Tuckfields to the first person SHE wanted to sell it to at the price she wanted. Tammy regularly took time off (including one continuous 3 month period) and with the systems she had in place, the business ran itself. In fact, at the time of the sale, she was regularly only working 11 hours per week.
What is even more remarkable about her story is that she started with no money and NEVER borrowed any to build it. The growth was funded purely by profit.
Tammy shared:
- The importance of having people in her corner
- Having a clear plan from the get-go
- Her staff selection process
- The importance of protecting your profit
and right at the end, a very valuable lesson with the difference between capacity and availability.
Tammy has walked the walk and is very qualified to talk the talk. She is now an elite business coach and has created Tammy's Table, an inclusive and supportive community of like-minded business owners who are determined to run, rather than be run by their businesses.
For more information about her coaching and Tammy's Table head to her website
www.tammy-edwards.com.au/
11 YEARS SINCE BEING DIAGNOSED WITH A RARE CANCER, DESIREE FRASER CONTINUES HER BATTLE. Only about 80 people a year are diagnosed with ADENOID CYSTIC CARCINOMA, a rare cancer with no cure. Many other cancers demonstrate a higher probability of survival as the period of remission and being cancer-free increases.
Where patients with ACC are not classified as 'being in remission' but with 'No Findings Present' (NFP) and the longer they are NFP, the probability of the cancer returning increases.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Conversationalist' I caught up with Desiree to see how she was progressing after our initial 'Cuppa' a year ago. (to listen to the original interview click HERE )
After having income protection insurance and full private health cover, Desiree is now $60k out of pocket, has had 60 medical procedures and is currently on a waiting list to reconstruct her jaw which has all but disintegrated as a result of the radiation therapy.
And through all this, Desiree continues her tireless work with her foundation, Without a Ribbon.
Desiree's story is one of courage, resilience and service for fellow cancer 'warriors'
Whilst raising funds for her charity is vital to continue it's valuable work, raising awareness is critical! PLEASE, PLEASE SHARE THIS TO HELP RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS AND OTHER RARE CANCERS. IT WILL COST YOU NOTHING. PLEASE.
WOULD YOU RECOGNIZE UNDUE INFLUENCE AND COERCIVE CONTROL?Christopher Karvountzis was born into the secretive religion know as the Jehovah's Witnesses and spent his first 30 years a part of this group.
In this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Christopher shared his compelling and emotional journey from experiencing control of every aspect of his life to his attempted suicide and eventually, his leaving as a gay man, disowned by former friends, community, and family.
I asked him:
- The origins of his families involvement
- What tactics of undue influence and control were employed
- The circumstances of attempting to end his life
- The consequences of his acknowledgment of his sexuality and much more.
Christopher has had a professional career spanning the wine, property development, government, and private industry. A constant theme of his career has been transformed through learning, empowerment, and experimentation. To date, Christopher has assisted businesses to drive transformative innovation through product and service redesign in the public and private sectors.
Going forward Christopher’s work will assist in educating the public on the dangers of cults and high control groups, helping them to identify the tactics techniques they use to manipulate, recruit, and retain members and also assisting service providers to understand and empathize with clients who may be experiencing negative consequences of membership.
Very soon he will be launching a website with tools, resources, and links so watch this space.
HOW IS THE MENTAL HEALTH IN YOUR WORKPLACE?
The current pandemic has created an environment no one could have ever imagined. Lockdowns and working from home have become the new norm and the toll on our mental health is high.
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' I chatted with Sophie Bretag, experienced People, Culture and HR Leader, Founder of Metta Leaders and Kindness Consultant and Mindful Mentor. Sophie was also a finalist in the 2020 'Leadership HQ National Women in Leadership Award'
Sophie shared:
- Simple strategies both employers and employees can implement to improve mental health both in the workplace and at home
- Low or no cost Employer Assisted Programs to support workplace mental health
- The ROI for the employer and much more.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF AND STAND OUT ABOVE THE SOCIAL MEDIA NOISE?
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', I chatted with Samantha Riley, Authority Positioning Strategist, Best Selling Author, Speaker, and host of 'The Thought Leaders Business Lab' podcast.
What was the one constant in marketing she had seen over her 27 years?
How do you build 'trust' when you are starting out?
Samantha shared her thoughts on those and many more questions and told me why 'collaboration' is such an important business strategy.
Samantha has built multiple businesses over the last 27 years, and grew her first 7-figure business from the ground up before she was 30.
With a wealth of knowledge, Samantha works with experts to be positioned as the trusted thought leader people turn to, and has a passion for helping people to create their business so they can live their life by design.
ARE YOU USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD A BRAND AND BE KNOW AS AN EXPERT IN YOUR AREA OR JUST TRYING TO SELL? How adept are you to change? How is your customer experience?
On this very early episode, before it was an official podcast, I had a cuppa with Kym McGuinness State Manager realestate.com.au. Whilst this was recorded at the outset of COVID, the content is still relevant to all businesses but particularly the Real Estate sector. The sound quality was not as good in the early days. I'm pleased to say, it's MUCH better now.
Kym had some great insights from his journey and some really strong messages. With a resume like this, his knowledge and expertise is definitely worth listening to.
Kym’s career in sales and sale management started in Telco at Answer Page/ Hutchison Telecoms, selling pagers (before mobile phones), then introducing mobile tech to SA.
He then moved to AAPT as State Business Sales Manager and helped roll out one of the first fibre networks through the CBD as well as service business’s telecommunications needs through their telecommunications carrier service.
More recently, Kym has been the State Manager at realesate.com.au for over 15 year, witnessing the explosion of digital media in the real estate sector during that time.
**He is skilled in digital strategy, negotiation, business planning, advertising/marketing and change management. Kym is passionate and dedicated to making the customers experience outstanding whilst achieving REA’s company objectives.
These are just some of the questions I asked Kym:**
Common theme, Initiating major change….. were there common barriers /objections?
COVID-19 has created major challenges in the industry regards opens and auctions.
You told me some time ago, that you have lived in the same suburb for over 20 years and no 1 agent “owned” the area.
Attention on our devices and social had increased by 60% yet I don’t see anyone taking advantage? I see “look at this home” or come to my open” but I don’t see anyone building a brand or an audience, someone that would be the “go to” agent
With tech we broadly group users into 3 categories. early adopters, middle majority, Laggards, where do you put the Real Estate industry as a whole?
What do you see as the next “big thing/ change” in the real estate industry?
One message to agencies and agents?
WHAT DO YOU GET WHEN YOU CROSS A FORMER LITIGATION LAWYER, PROFESSIONAL CORPORATE MAGICIAN, AND A PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER?
You get Gary Edwards!
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' I shared a cuppa with this talented, articulate, and all-around great guy! He was kind enough to share parts of his journey, life's lessons, and his battle with depression.
Gary's CV is very impressive indeed. In addition to having been a Commercial Litigation lawyer and now a Professional Corporate Magician, Professional Speaker, and Communication Coach, he:
- Has worked with the SA Police to develop conflict resolution programs and done research work with police hostage negotiators
- Is a Certified Speaking Professional, the highest designation award by the peak body for professional speakers in Australia, The Professional Speakers Association
- Is 3 x SA Chapter President
- is the 2021 winner of the PSA's highest honor, The Nevin Award, awarded for outstanding service to professional speakers and the speaking profession
WOULD YOU GO TO JAIL TO PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION SOURCE?
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', I chatted with former investigative ABC journalist, Chris Nicholls.
After receiving credible information from an informant on the condition of anonymity, Chris broke a story about corruption around gaming legislation at the ministerial level. After being 'hung out to dry' and defying a judge's order to divulge his source,
Chris was jailed in 1994 for 4 months. His sentence was the longest handed to a western journalist for withholding his source.
Chris shares his story on how he shared a cell with the people he had previously been reporting on during his career and how uses the lessons from his experience. Now as a professional speaker with his message 'The Power of One' Chris is a Crisis Leadership Consultant and Leadership mentor. His strong message is one person, one action can make a difference. For more information on Chris's work follow him on LinkedIn
Social Media is a minefield for many small businesses but it is a vital part of marketing in today's digital world.
Do you struggle to post regular content? Are you freaked out by Instagram Reels?
What to post, where to post it, and how often to post are just some of the questions we posed to Natalie Paraskevopoulos, Director of Digitale, Social Media and Creative Agency on this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist'
Natalie knows her stuff.....her clients include EOS by Skycity. Bickfords, Alexis George and Ray White Real Estate just to mention a few.
Natalie definitely cleared my 'muddy social media waters'
Also to help you with your social media content, get your FREE ContentPlanner from Digitale at https://www.digi-tale.com.au/
HE WAS SHOT 14 TIMES IN THE LINE OF DUTY and clung to life for 3 hours before being rescued and rushed to hospital.
In this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', Derrick McManus shared his harrowing story and how it lead him to found 'The Australian Centre for Human Durability'and the amazing work he currently does.
Derrick explained the difference between Durability and Resilience and Risk-Taking vs Risk Management with clear explanations and parallels from his experience and our everyday lives.
A fascinating interview with an amazing man with an even more remarkable story!
On this episode of a Cuppa with The Con Versationalist, I chatted with former Special Operations Engineer with the Australian Special Forces and now Director of Adelaide based psychology company, Bolton Brothers. The stories he shared were confronting, to say the least.
Nathan was deployed twice to Afghanistan with the Australian Special Forces. Responsible for the search and clearance of IED’s (Improvised Explosive Devices) A high-stress, high-stakes role…responsible for the lives of his mates from a threat that no one could see. A role, that ended up taking a heavy toll on his mental health and wellbeing and almost cost him his life.
Unable to speak, he suffered in silence, ashamed of the man he had become.
His mission is to use the lessons of his past to open up the discussion of mental health and raise awareness of how it can affect us all. We all bear our own struggles, but at times, our struggles can become so overwhelming…that they ultimately impact our very way of life.
His passion now lies in sharing stories that delve into the heart of who we are, opening up the discussion of pain, struggle, and the remarkable resilience of the human spirit. A message shared from an unlikely source…a message from a soldier once living at the upper echelon of hyper-masculinity.
Having once stood behind the mask of “Stoicism”, he has born witness to its strengths on the battlefield. But also has lived through its flaws, here, back home, in trying to cope with and overcome the impact of war and live through the minefield of everyday life.
Mental Health is a crisis within our community and the work Nathan does is invaluable. Please help raise awareness and share.
In this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', I get under the covers (metaphorically speaking of course!) with Australia's Leading Love and Relationship Expert, Dr Lurve.
In this fun filled, jam packed episode Dr Lurve gave a really interesting approach on how to re-invigorate a stagnant relationship and get the action back in the bedroom. Definitely not something I saw coming!
Social media and technology are here to stay. Dr Lurve gave us her thoughts regards its use in the current dating scene and also the impact on your existing relationship. Some very interesting revelations.
Are you single again? Divorce, death of your partner or just calling it quits from a long term relationship. When IS the right time to get back in the dating game?
For these and more, listen in and subscribe to make sure you don't miss any episodes.
For regular Love and Relationship advice, follow Dr Lurve on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LurveDr
and for more about my Speaking and Communication Training and Workshops, including loads of free resources to help you become a better speaker and communicator, follow me at https://www.facebook.com/theconkoutsikas or visit my website at conkoutsikas.com
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist' we had a "plain english, no political bias' explanation on this years Federal Budget from Alison Kennedy, A K Tax Services. Alison is a 20+ year industry professional whose credential include:
- Chartered and Registered Tax Advisor / Agent
- Public Accountant
- Fellow of The Institute of Public Accountants and Tax Institute of Australia
- Masters in Professional Accounting from the University of New England
- Winner 2019 Outstanding Achievement Award, Institute of Public Accountants Practice of the Year Awards in South Australia and Northern Territory
Lets just say she knows her stuff! Doesn't matter what your demographic, there is something here for you. Just some of the areas she talked about:
- Individual and Company Tax Rates
- The Temporary Full Expense of Asset purchases including the pitfalls for cars!
- Super Contributions
- Aged Care
- First Home Owner Info along with the Single Parent First Home Buyers Scheme requiring only 2% deposit and much more.
As always, our discussion was of a general nature and you should always seek professional advice related to your specific circumstances and desired outcomes.
"Everyone wants to be famous until it's time to be famous"
Debbie Andrews, Casting Agent, Former Agent to 'A Listers'
On this episode of 'A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist', I was joined all the way from Galveston, Texas by Debbie Andrews. Debbie has been involved in the entertainment industry for decades and has previously represented Hollywood 'A Listers' such as Matthew McConaughey, Charlize Theron, Hillary and Hayley Duff, Farah Fawcett and Angelina Jolie just to mention a few! We chatted about how she got into casting and the key ingredient directors and casting personnel are looking for to fill a role. Debbie also shared why there are soooo many shows / series on the various mediums, how Covid has affected the industry and much more. Debbie was honest and open, such a delight to talk to.
Not only has Debbie been involved in the casting of a multitude of popular TV shows, she also has Hollywood blockbusters including Captain Marvel and Jumangi - Welcome to The Jungle on her impressive and very extensive CV.
If her entertainment credits weren't enough, Debbie is an adoptive mother to 30 yo identical twin girls, has fostered 7 children, wrote and championed The Transracial Adoption Bill and has been a horse 'mum' to over 2 dozen rescued and rehabilitated horses. WOW!
If you are involved in Real Estate in any capacity or looking at entering the market, you don't want to miss this!
The current Australian Real Estate Market is a hot topic. We are experiencing growth not seen in over 30 Years. I wanted to talk to an expert to find out out what is going on and when and how will it end. My guest was Bronte Manuel from Toop and Toop Real Estate. If you are wondering why you should listen to Bronte, have a look at his and Toop's credentials at the end of this episode description.
Bronte shared why the market is goings nuts and more importantly is this sustainable.
He had strong tips for both buyers and sellers and he even shared what suburbs you should look out for if you are looking to buy. He even mentions them by name!
His industry achievements include:
• 2018 Winner, Real Estate Institute of South Australia (REISA) Auctioneering Championships
• 2018 Winner, REISA Local Residential Salesperson of the Year (Eastern/City)
• 2017 + 2018 Winner, Top 5 Australasian Auctioneering Championships
• 2015, 2016, 2017 Winner, REISA Auctioneering Championships
• 2014 Winner, Golden Gavel Auctioneering Championships
The Golden Gavel success made him the award’s youngest ever winner, while he’s also the only auctioneer to win the SA title three years straight.
Under his guidance, in his role as Owner and Director of Residential Sales , Toop &Toop continues to be one of Australia’s most awarded real estate agencies. The business was recently inducted into the Real Estate Institute of Australia’s Hall of Fame for the third time, the first agency to achieve that feat. It received that recognition after winning the Large Residential Agency of the Year Award, Marketing Agency of the Year and Innovation Agency of the Year award at the national level for three straight years between 2016-19. Toop&Toop also claimed the No.1 crown in 2014.
On this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist", I had the pleasure of chatting with Ted X speaker, best selling author and well being educator Annie Harvey from The STILL Effect. Annie is doing valuable work in many sectors including health care professional's, teacher's and student's just to mention a few.
This current time is particularly challenging to peoples mental health and Annie shares some great tips. None the least being the importance of experiencing a minimum of 3:1 ratio of positive emotions to negative emotions and how ultimately, we make a choice. Check out Annie's facebook page at www.facebook.com/annieharveystill and you have to check out her Ted X talk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auysQyvYsS0 to get a great belly laugh.
On this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist" I did my best Mike Sheehan impersonation and took a trip down memory lane chatting with former SANFL(Glenelg Football Club (SANFL) and VFL (Essendon Football Club) great, Steve Copping. Steve is multiple premiership player and state representative and he shared some wonderful stories about his playing days having been coached by and played with legends of the game such as Neil Kerley, Kevin Sheedy, Stephen Kernahan and Peter Carey just to mention a few! I asked him what motivated him to play VFL...."You need to compete against the best to become the best version of you" he told me. The lessons here transcend far beyond sport. This one is a gem!
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Renee Catt is a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, NMAS Mediator, Divorce and Trauma Coach. She is certified as a Richards Trauma Process Practitioner, Mediator, Certified Master NLP & Hypnotherapy Practitioner. On this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist" she shared how her high conflict divorce led her to help others to do divorce "differently" Renee is highly regarded and has regularly featured in main stream media including The Today Show and The ABC. We talked anxiety and depression and Renee shared some frightening statistics around the divorce rate of second marriage's along with the emotional and mental health issues of children in high conflict divorces. A fascinating chat with an amazing lady making a real difference.
I encourage you to check her out at www.reneecatt.com and also follow her on social media.
What “Personality” type are you? What “Personality” type is your partner or children? Do you wonder why they do and act certain ways?
I had a fascinating and eye opening chat on this episode of “A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist”. I was joined by successful business woman and Personality Expert and Coach, Kate Mason. Kate shared:
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How discovering hers and her husband’s type helped their relationship.
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The importance of understanding your children’s type, irrespective of their age.
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The transition from being “in love” to “love” and how that impacts your behaviour
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The key is not trying to change a person’s personality but to understand it and communicate.
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The 5 Love languages and much more.
2 Books which Kate highly recommended were:
“How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk” by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish
“The 5 Love Languages” by Gary Chapman
For more information about Kate’s work and her workshops email her at pkmason@chariot.net.au.
Are you dealing with grief or do you know someone who is?
This is must listening on this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist". I had an, at times, emotional chat with Jodie Atkinson who is Jodie Atkinson - Grief Recovery Specialist and author of "Have You Met My Grief" She shared with me her story how her husband passed away from Pancreatic Cancel within 37 days of diagnosis and how it ultimately lead her to do her work in grief recovery. Jodie shared
that people grieve for situations other than death.
The 6 myths of Grief
STERB's Short Term Energy / Emotional Relieving Behaviour's and so much more.
This is important work Jodie does, so I urge you to share. We all, at some point in our lives will be touched by grief.
Jodie's contact details are
web jodie-atkinson.com.au The website is now live since our chat.
email info@jodie-atkinson.com.au
facebook JodieAtkinsonGriefRecoverySpecialist
Drug use as a 15 year old leading to addiction is not reserved for poor and dysfunctional families. Mark Sandercock was raised in a loving family and attended a good school but began experimenting with marijuana which spiralled, ultimately leading to a meth addiction which he hid from his wife for years whilst working in a corporate role. Sadly this is not an uncommon story. Mark Sandercock from Magnificent Mindset - Relationship & Mindset Coaching opened up on this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist" about his hidden drug addiction. How it went from recreational to a serious addiction and how, with the support of his wife, he beat it and went on to follow his passion. We talked about Hypnotherapy and the main cause of relationship issues and much more. Thank you for your openness and vulnerability Mark.
Do you feel you're just existing and that the life of your dreams is just that......a distant dream. A life meant for others and not you? Join me on this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist" with Bernice Allan, Certified Master Coach, & Practitioner of NLP, Time Line Therapy and Hypnotherapy as she shares the story of her amazing transformation in just 7 short years. Bernice went from grossly overweight, regularly eating fast food, smoking and drinking to numb the pain, depressed and with no vision of what was possible to completely transforming her life. Bernice lost a whopping 45kg, no longer smokes or consumes alcohol, only eats whole, healthy food. Bernice followed her dreams and now lives her purpose working with (coaching) heart centred entrepreneurs who are passionate about making a positive impact in the world. She helps them breakthrough fears and limiting beliefs that are holding them back from taking inspired action towards their hearts desires, getting visible sharing their message on social media, organic marketing and branding. Bernice shared exactly what motivated the change and the steps she took. Bernice is living proof that anything is possible if you believe it is and you have a vision for your life.
Bernice has transformed the lives of people all over the world and she is living proof that anything is possible! Follow her on her socials and see the impact she is having on peoples lives.
On this episode of "A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist" I chatted with Nicholas Boundy aka DJ M4Sonic. Nick shared his meteoric rise from being discovered by Sia after his Youtube video was watched by tens of millions of people all over the world to being flown to New York City to meet with Sia and her production company virtually overnight! Nick had a recording contract with Sony/Ultra Music and has toured the USA, Asia, Europe and Australia, having performed to millions at festivals including Tomorrow World, Life is Beautiful, Sterosonic and the 2015 "Warped" Tour, what was the largest travelling rock tour in the USA since 1995. He shared his thoughts on how the music industry has changed and more importantly, where he feels it is heading. He also had some very wise words if you are an aspiring musician. After those heady days of touring the globe, Nick has now established Global League, his own independent label, to support budding musicians. Listening to Nick was entertaining and it really highlighted some synergy between the music industry and business in general.
How would you deal with being diagnosed with an incurable rare cancer? On this episode of “A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist” I chatted with Desiree Jeffries who’s life was turned on its head after becoming part of a club which no-one would want membership to and which only has about 80 new members a year. Desiree shared her emotional journey from diagnosis to finding her purpose and founding Without a Ribbon Inc. She gave us an insight into not only the emotional side but the harsh financial cost. Desiree also shared some incredible stats and how a particular drug is on the PBS for certain groups of cancers but THE SAME drug costs thousands of dollars to other cancer patients.
I encourage you to share this interview to raise awareness of the amazing , tireless work which Desiree and her charity do and in the hope that someone out there who needs support sees it.
For more information visit www.withoutaribbon.org, contact them at help@withoutaribbon.org and follow them on Facebook and LinkedIn
The death of her husband as a result of an aggressive and inoperable brain tumor lead her to ask more questions and really challenge the information she was given. An extremely informative and thought provoking episode. Irene shares
- How her perceived "healthy' diet was in fact not healthy.
- Wet a slice of bread you eat and squeeze it.....wonder why you are having intestinal issues?
- The effect of stress on our Magnesium and how prescribed medications can deplete our bodies of vital vitamins and minerals.
- Health is not a "one size fit's all" and the consumption of "miracle" products may work for some but NOT all and much more.
Her strong and simple message, "the less processed your food is, the better it is for you".