The Price of Entry: Recent Episodes
Brendan Cavanagh
The Price of Entry is all about real peoples true stories and their experiences of getting to where they are now and the ongoing cost of pursuing their given goal, dream, career.
Thank you for your support & enjoy these stories.
JBridgid is a people & culture expert. Her career has led her to become a leader both within the HR industry and within incredibly complex and high stakes organisations. She is incredibly skilled at Cultural change, industrial relations, employee engagement, organisational capability building. She is also a morning person, something that is almost as impressive as her resume. Enjoy.
Jak served in the Australian Army as an Infantry Captain in Afghanistan. During his service he lead young men and women in and out of a number of hostile situations. When it comes to “the price of entry” for a role like this, unfortunately human lives are attached. Enjoy.
Welcome to the wildly wonderful world of a Midwife aka baby catcher. This week we talk with Steph Donker, a Midwife and Nurse who has spent the past few years in the deep end of Midwife life. This is one very special and wonderful job that takes an equally suited person. This is Steph’s story. Enjoy.
So you call your mum to tell her you landed your dream job but before you get a word in she tells you that she is about to sign a lease on a shop in Boronia. What do you do? you convince her to not start a Chinese takeaway as she intended but open a burger restaurant instead. Yep this is a small part of Esthers story. Enjoy.
What is it like to study for years at University to only get to the end of your degree and realise you no longer want to pursue that career? How do you navigate a pivot like that? This week I speak with Josiah Choi who did exactly that and after some more study was offered a grad job at one of the big four accounting firms. This is his story. Enjoy.
So you’ve studied Sports Journalism and you get a gig working for a national sporting agency… and they ask you to “look after” their Facebook page because, to be honest this is pre Instagram days and nobody knows what to do with this new fangled social media thing. Fast forward a few years and you are now running your own social media coaching business after working for a start up then a big corporate media agency running the socials for small time TV shows like Survivor, Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and the smallest of all, the Bachelor and the Bachelorette. This is Edwins story. Enjoy.
After years of study, training, specialist study, further specialist training, more residency time you would think you would be considered a senior member of the team right? or at least not a junior? Think again, Cheryl has maintained an impressively sunny disposition throughout this epic journey towards becoming a fully fledged Obstetrician/Gynaecologist Specialist. Along the way she has encountered, agesism, racism, workplace bullying and just to make it interesting a personal run in with cancer. Despite all this she says it’s not all doom and gloom and loves what she does. Enjoy.
Imagine starting out making surfboards in your parents garage as a teenager to creating a brand that spans dozens of countries only to be taken to court by an international corporate monster. In this David and Goliath battle Cam manages to fight through chronic health issues and emerge to start a new brand all before he is 30. Enjoy.
What is the future of radio? What is it like making the decisions at the top of what people will listen to on the ole “wireless” ? Well it turns out the future is far brighter and more positive than we may have thought. Enjoy.
After 10 years as a Chippy (Australian for professional carpenter) he jumped into the world of cranes… yeah those cranes, you know the ones you drive past and go “How the hell did they get that up there?” Which is usually followed up by “how the hell do they get those down?!” Well we cover all things crane industry in this chat along with the witch craft involved in getting those things up and down 80 stories. Enjoy.
Anyone that believes watching cartoons on a Saturday morning isn’t good for kids clearly have not heard Jason Smiths story. An experience in the aforementioned resulted in a life altering experience that caused Jason to set him self on a trajectory that would not make a mere dent in a global problem but strive to make a genuine impact. Sound pretty impressive right? Well (and I’m am not overstating this) he is one genuinely impressive man who practices what he preaches, 10X over and then some. Side note / full transparency, it has been a struggle of late to fit in time to do the podcast along with technical challenges (new laptop is here now yay!) So this one was recorded during my lunch break on the side of the road in my car so apologies for the poor audio quality on this one. Enjoy.
“What’s PR?” Emily responded to her high school careers councillor when they emphatically stated that she was born to do a job that is 99% of the time is reduced to two letters, PR. So what the hell is PR? Well we talk about that. Along the way we explore the highs and lows of working within the music industry and some of the most well known artists of the last two decades. Enjoy.
Why would a self confessed private introvert start a podcast centred around truth, courage and integrity? On paper that sounds like the opposite of a good idea. Well in this episode Aaron shows incredible courage and shares why he started the Iron Will podcast and talks openly about the issues in the world that motivate fitting it into his busy schedule. Trigger warning, if you are easily offended or struggle to listen to someone with a differing opinion or approach to life than you then this may not be the episode for you. That said, I had a blast with this one. Towards the end we remember we should probably talk about his actual day job as COO working in the transport industry. This was a lot of fun and be sure to check out the Iron Will podcast. Enjoy.
Mark is a Husband, Father & Sparky, in that order. In this episode we explore his transition from being a Tradie on the tools to a Tradie that manages from the office and what that transition was like. From there we venture into what that work life “balance” looks like with three kids under 6 just after moving from Victoria to Queensland leaving 90% of their family and support network behind. They made this move in pursuit of a lifestyle they have dreamed about since they were teenagers. Given we are best mates we obviously solve all the worlds problems. If you make it to the end, well done, you deserve some kind of medal. Enjoy.
Ever wondered what a Civil Engineer is or does? This week amongst crying babies and dying laptops James and I explore his journey to become a Civil Engineer. This is one candid conversation and James pulls no punches when reflecting on his time at university and what he would do differently if he had his time over. Enjoy.
Extraordinarily talented, equally grounded and down to earth Oscar shares his experience from growing up playing guitar in his room to founding and playing in the now ARIA nominated band Holy Holy. His own site articulates his range of work well “Whether in league with the innovative Holy Holy, or on retainer for some of the most exciting acts rotating now, Oscar Dawson is always looking to connect. His art as a musician, engineer and producer is the manufacture of a sonic arc that extends from the heart of the author to that same affecting muscle in the receiver.” Enjoy.
We go on a journey in this episode exploring how Bianca went from a childhood trajectory towards being a Pro-Golfer as a career to hosting one of the premier Melbourne food V-logs / Blogs. Today she is widely respected as an elite digital marketer within the industry but that is just what she does now. What we explore is how did she get there and what was The Price of Entry.
For many their wedding day is the biggest celebration, party and stress filled day of their lives. Sitting at the pinnacle of that day, the show stopper, the thing that all in attendance literally stand and turn to watch walk to the alter is the Bride. For the Bride the dress they are wearing is an enormous part of this event. So what is it like, what is the pressure like being the human being that creates, from scratch, that show stopping gown? What learned is it takes enthusiasm, creativity and a genuine interest in seeing others shine, and that is exactly how I would describe Holly Butler. Enjoy
Craft beer sans the alcohol? How would you react if your mate came to you with this as a new business idea pitch? James and Rob did just that and in this weeks chat they share how their friends reacted, how they made an idea reality and reproduced it around the globe. Enjoy.
Nick is a Bow Hunter & Entrepreneur. He has started Oz Cut Broadheads, Nexxus Bowhunting & Atlas wild. We talk about his transition form working in the mining industry to creating his first product in a mates dads shed. We also touch on the hunting industry and some of the misconceptions it encounters.
Tyson has represented Australia at the 2010 World University Cross Country Champs, was the 2011 Victorian Mile Champion and now heads up Relaxed Running where he coaches runners and those in running based sports to run efficiently. Tyson is also a comedian. We touch on both topics and as you can tell we are good mates and many laughs were had on and off the recording. Check him out on Instagram at Relaxed Running and Tyson Popplestone. Enjoy.
All the way from the USA Mia talks about her recent decision to transition from working in New York as a Fashion Designer as part of a small boutique agency on some huge brands with exclusive and acclaimed releases to making the move to a larger business as a Home Textile Designer in. From copy write to the science behind our clothes we cover off on a topic that we all experience but don’t always think about deeply.
What is it like to risk your life for your country to help another country to see the very thing you risked your life for take over that country. When Jules and I scheduled this chat the Taliban taking over Afghanistan was not even a blip on the radar. We talk about that time along with life post service and even touch on our time on the Bachelorette. Enjoy.
Ever day dreamed about spending a year traveling Australia?
Maybe even considered filming the journey and creating a Youtube journal of your expedition?
Matt & Holly have done just that and even continued on well beyond the one year on the road. Now they tour the country in their beloved Elsie a beautiful Toyota Landcruiser HJ47.
In this episode we do our own exploring of what it actually takes to run a Youtube channel and keep up with a weekly episode schedule all the while dealing with trolls. This is their story so far.
Find their Youtube channel HERE
At 19 he started a meme page & by 22 has a following of over a million. How would 19 year old you have handled getting over 10,000 followers on social media within 3 days of launching? This is Noel’s story, enjoy.
Imagine if someone told 7 year old you that when you grow up your job could be to make toys. Find out what its like to have a nephew that now things you have a direct line to Santa and what it feels like to walk into Walmart and see something for sale that you designed. Emily graciously tolerates my inner child as we explore how she become a toy designer and what that world is like.
Ever wonder what the difference between playing Australian rules Football in Canada versus Australia and is like? I catch up with Jenn and we cover women’s footy and cricket and finish up talking about what was like being a manager at the age of 19 being responsible for a team, most of whom are older than you. This episode also features Jeff the cat.
What possesses someone to resign from a highly sought after job that took 5 years of study and years of working through the ranks to pack it all up and move to the other side of the planet to become a full time Share Trader? Listen to Serina share why she did this and the strength and courage it took and continues to take. This episode is also the first intentional interview for the podcast.
From photographing weddings to women in Tanzania, hear Kims story of how she broke into becoming a full time photographer at a young age, found her self shooting for the top not for profits in the country and some of the adventures and wisdom gained over the years.
What’s been harder on the Music Industry: 2020 or 2021? Jess and I talk through the current reality of our uncertain times as a self employed, full time artist. We also explore the journey to become and continue as a professional musician. You can find her on Instagram as Jwils along with links to her many great projects and work.
Having started his road to becoming an electrician while still in high school Josh covers off on what it takes not only to be a tradie but to become a tradie including just how many finish their apprenticeships.
Dr U-Wen’s research interests include the Book of Revelation, postcolonial criticism, performance criticism, visual exegesis, Asian hermeneutics, and Pentecostal theology. We’ve also been mates for longer than we can figure out therefore naturally this episode covers a lot of ground. We delve into what it takes to obtain a PHD and the reality required to maintain academic relevance. As is our habit when we catch up we also explore some of the current challenges facing the modern Church. Dr Low has his own Podcast called Unveiling Apocalypse where alongside other notable Biblical scholars they unpack one of the Bibles most perplexing books.
Tim is a creative. Thats the best way I can describe him. To list the different mediums in which he expresses his creativity would not do him or his work justice. So what was the price to become a full time self employed and successful creative? We try and talk about that.
The fact that this episode has had to be split in two because it was too large to upload in one go is a good indication that Tony and I either A) talked too much about whisky at the beginning or B) Tony had a wealth (pun intended) of wisdom to share as the Director and co founder of The “Finance Family” a safe, friendly and nurturing environment for ex bank staff to join the finance brokering industry. We talk whisky and the challenges of starting your own business and the necessity of having people in your world that see and call out your blind spots.
The fact that this episode has had to be split in two because it was too large to upload in one go is a good indication that Tony and I either A) talked too much about whisky at the beginning or B) Tony had a wealth (pun intended) of wisdom to share as the Director and co founder of The “Finance Family” a safe, friendly and nurturing environment for ex bank staff to join the finance brokering industry. We talk whisky and the challenges of starting your own business and the necessity of having people in your world that see and call out your blind spots.
There may or may not have been a tear or two shed in this episode as Rohan bravely bares his heart and life learnings that lead him to where he is and what he does now. Were it not for this man this Podcast would not have existed. Rohan prides him self (and rightly so) on "identifying peoples super powers" and helping them become more than idea shared over a few wines at Christmas, speaking from experience. This episode is technically in two parts. In the first part (found in episode 00 Introduction) Rohan flips the script and interviews me about why I wanted to do this podcast and the thoughts behind it. In the second part (this episode) I talk to him about what a leadership coach does but more importantly how he got to where he is now.
In this my first attempt at a podcast I talk with my friend India who after a death within her family found her calling as a Funeral Celebrant. For a first eppisode things got heavy, given the nature of her profession. We cover off how she got into this as a profession and what self care looks like for someone who sometimes has to host funerals for infants and younger.
In the first part of this introduction I briefly reflect on my own journey so far. The second part involves Rohan Dredge flipping the script and interviewing me about The Price of Entry.