Roll With The Punches

Imagine what its like growing up in a religious cult... Cait managed to wriggle herself free from the Christian Patriarchy in her mid 20's... breaking free from a rigid belief system and an emotionally abusive father.. Cait was homeschooled, isolated, taught that obedience was love and silence was safety. No choices. No agency. No room for anger, desire, or even curiosity. We talked about courtship instead of dating, emotional purity instead of emotional literacy, and what it does to a person when their inner voice is systematically shut down. We went into leaving family, losing community, rebuilding identity from scratch, and learning how to feel again without apologising for it. Trauma, therapy, trust, boundaries, anger, grief, and the slow reclamation of self all showed up. I loved this conversation around how our upbringing and environments in childhood shapes who we are and how we function as grown-ups.Cait is one hell of a brave human in my opinion... she didn't agree with that label for herself, which in itself was an interesting part of the conversation. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au  TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this chat with Andrea Gullick gets right into the uncomfortable stuff. Loss, identity, control, and the stories we tell ourselves just to keep functioning. Andrea shared what it was like losing her husband suddenly, navigating a baby with cancer, and becoming a young widow while still trying to look like she was coping. We talked about the mask of being strong, how long you can wear it for, and what happens when it finally cracks. We dug into worry, intuition, anxiety, and the difference between sensing life versus trying to control it. How much of who we think we are is actually conditioning. And what happens when the identities you build your life around get taken away. She also walked through the tools that helped her understand her patterns instead of being run by them. Human Design, Gene Keys, and the Enneagram. Not as labels or woowoo, but as mirrors. Ways to see what drives your behaviour when you’re stressed, scared, or trying to belong. This episode isn’t about fixing anything. It’s about noticing. About what’s left when you stop running, stop performing, and actually sit with yourself.   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au  ANDREA GULLICK Website: andreagullick.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Alright, so this one is basically Harps and I coming in hot for 2026 like, hello fresh page, who dis.  We riff hard on the weird psychology of dates, New Year’s resolutions, and why humans act like January 1 is some magical portal when it’s literally just a number on a calendar... not to mention the thing nobody wants to admit, that most people want the reward without the work, and we keep trying to find the outcome without the discomfort. Fresh year, real talk, and a reminder that you don’t need a new calendar to start. You need truth, consistency, and a willingness to do the boring hard stuff when nobody’s clapping.   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au  TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part two with Dr. Carrie Jones and yet again, this one hit the mark. We talked about the part of perimenopause no one prepares you for, the motivation drop, the mood shifts, the weight gain that shows up even when you 'haven’t changed anything,' and the identity wobble that makes you question your own operating system. Carrie broke down what’s actually happening under the hood. Hormones influencing energy, fat loss, recovery, brain chemistry, sleep, joints, even why frozen shoulder seems to love menopausal women. We unpacked intermittent fasting, why so many women burn out chasing male health advice, and how stress, underfueling, and overtraining quietly wreck us in midlife. We also got practical. HRT, testosterone, longevity, labs to ask for, iron being criminally overlooked, and why you’re not broken or weak for struggling. This episode is equal parts science, permission, and a reminder that your body isn’t failing you, it’s asking you to play by new rules.   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au  DR. CARRIE JONES Website: drcarriejones.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Seven years ago Jay Stevens was in a helicopter that plummeted from the sky at Uluru. He fell out of the sky from about 120 metres, shattered his body, ended up with a spinal cord injury, and spent months in hospital and rehab. And instead of making peace with 'that’s it,' he went full mad scientist on his own recovery, obsessively training, visualising, rebuilding pathways, and stacking tiny process wins until he took his first steps FOUR years later. We talk chosen suffering, the hard we pick vs the hard that picks us, and why comfort is the sneaky little thief of progress. We get into the emotional side too, the grief he buried, the PTSD, EMDR, and how he learned to talk himself through the worst memories. This is one of those chats that makes you sit up and go, 'Yeah righto… I’ve been negotiating with myself a bit too much.'   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au JAY STEVENS Website: jaystevenskeynote.org/ TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook: facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/tiffaneeandcoSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Bruce recently joined me for another ah-mazing chat, I thought ya'll might appreciate a throwback to our first conversation on the show... So, here ya go... Enjoy!Is dissociation actually a superpower that's been given a bad rap? Why does trauma make some memories so vivid, yet lock others away in a seemingly inaccessible vault? Can how we view our story determine whether we experience post-traumatic growth vs post-traumatic stress disorder? Did you know it takes as little as a 10-minute traumatic experience at a very young age to permanently change brain biology? Meaning those babies turn into adults whose brains function very differently when it comes to processing stress and trauma. So many incredibly important questions, insight and perspectives and I'm still pinching myself to say that I got to delve into this conversation with the holy grail when it comes to the research around the impact of childhood abuse, neglect and trauma and the developmental effect it has on the brain, Dr. Bruce Perry. Over the last thirty years, Dr. Perry has been an active teacher, clinician and researcher in children’s mental health and the neurosciences holding a variety of academic positions. His work on the impact of abuse, neglect and trauma on the developing brain has impacted clinical practice, programs and policy across the world. Dr. Perry and Oprah Winfrey's recently released book 'What Happened To You' has had over 1 million sales and is one that I've read several times myself. Do yourself a favour and grab a copy after listening to this ep.  Enjoy! SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au  DR. BRUCE PERRY Website: https://www.bdperry.com  TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this chat, Harps and I are talking about how we absorb people without realising it... just by being around them. Their moods, their outlook, their weird little phrases, their emotional vibe (there's an actual term for that... it's called emotional contagion), and how all this stuff seeps straight into our system. No consent form. No conscious effort. Old mate Harps call it 'social osmosis'. It’s basically emotional second-hand smoke. Sometimes it’s toxic, sometimes it’s a deep breath you didn’t know you needed. Have you noticed how some people make you feel better just by existing near you? Even in silence? Yeah, that’s not nothing. Something is happening there. This convo is one of those. One of our all-time favorite Harps-'n'-me chats. Hope it hits you the way it hit us. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.com    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this one I drag our mate Patrick Bonello back in for what starts as a chat about planes and paragliders and in no time at all turns into a masterclass on fear, instinct and why our brains are absolute freaks of nature as we riff on fight or flight, muscle memory and the 'physics engine' in your brain that calculates traffic, balance and punches faster than you could ever think.  SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After Stephen recently revisited the show for our second ah-mazing conversation it reminded me what a hit this first chat we had was with myself and listeners... so in the spirit of dishing up some great content to prompt you to reflect deeply on life, I dare say this one might be just the thing for wrapping up this time of year... 'We're all dying from the moment we are born.' It's the truth, but a truth we never really acknowledge or contemplate. I never could have imagined how much I was going to love this conversation with Stephen Jenkinson. He's a philosopher and a wordsmith, a deep-thinker and an articulate communicator, and he has a way of weaving linguistic magic that took my mind into places it loves to go.  We talk about death and what it means to die. How we wrestle with fear of it and thus in the process of which, do we truly live? As humans we are tiny, fleeting and somewhat insignificant on this earth... What happens if and when we make peace with this concept? Or can we make peace with it at all? SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au STEPHEN JENKINSON Website: orphanwisdom.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

G’day team, this one’s me, myself, and my end of year brain dump. A little Christmas wrap-up where I’m basically talking to the void and hoping it talks back in downloads. I unpack what’s actually shifted this year, not just the highlight reel stuff. The Himalayas still has my heart in a chokehold, the Dandenongs became my weekly nervous system defrag, and jumping into Jacq’s speaking world cracked my routine wide open and handed me a whole new room of people, craft, and courage. I also tell on myself, hard. How I can preach 'white belt energy' and 'you might have to get worse before you get better', then the second it’s go time I’m like... hell no, delete my calendar, fake my death. I went anyway... nearly pulled the pin, got terrified, did it scared, and reminded myself for the millionth time that the fear doesn’t go away because it matters. Then it gets real real. I share the gut-punch of loss, and the strange, brutal beauty of letting grief exist without sprinting away from it. That reminder I keep coming back to in the philosophy that perhaps the good matches the bad in equal measure (and vice versa). We don’t get to numb one without numbing the other. So, I’m trying be conscious to stay present for the whole messy thing.   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Well, this one was a ride. Tom Nash rolled into the studio with zero limbs, two hooks, a pirate vibe, and honestly one of the sharpest senses of humour I've ever tried to keep up with. We covered everything from meningococcal to martinis to Sharknado (yeah, you read that right) and somehow landed on life philosophy that was equal parts hilarious and profound. He talked me through losing all four limbs at 19 like he was describing a flat tyre, then dropped these ridiculous one-liners that had me lolling my heart out. And in the next breath he’s unpacking responsibility, identity, adaptation, and why sweating the small stuff is sometimes exactly the point. This chat was chaotic in the best possible way... funny, deep (even though he swears he’s not deep), and full of these moments that sneak up and smack you right in the perspective. Strap in. This one is an uppercut, kids!   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TOM NASH Website:  tomnash.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jamie Stedman is back in the saddle and we waste zero time going deep. We pick up where we left off last time - shitty childhood, DV, nearly dying, Steve Irwin, all of it - and drop straight into the messy stuff that shapes how we love, parent and show up. Jamie and I talk about the difference between 'getting over it' and just 'getting through it,' why the language we use around our own pain quietly scripts our whole story, and what happens when girls grow up tightroping for acceptance then end up accepting breadcrumbs from blokes who mistake control for love. We unpack coercive control, DV, cops, courts, locker room 'jokes,' Andrew Tate nonsense, and why real love is making someone feel safe enough to leave, not scared enough to stay. We also talk kids, marriage, ego, masks, curiosity and the tiny moments of change he sees in the men’s behaviour change room that keep him doing the work. It’s raw, it’s big, it’s uncomfortable in all the ways it needs to be. Bring your brain, your heart and maybe a mouthguard. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au JAMIE STEDMAN Website:  jamiestedman.net TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mate… this conversation with Mel lit me up. She is a walking spark plug, a human espresso shot, the Energiser Bunny with better lipstick. I knew she had a big story but holy hell, sitting across from her and hearing the layers, the grit, the heartbreak, the humour, the joy… it hit different. We talked about growing up in chaos, carrying responsibilities no kid should ever carry, and somehow finding a way to build compassion instead of bitterness. We talked about addiction, foster care, cutting hair for people who literally have nothing, prison programs, walking the streets with zero fear and an ocean of heart. Mel shares stories that'll crack you open and stories that'll stitch you back together two minutes later. This one is humanity on full display. Messy. Beautiful. Wild. Real.Mel is our real life Wonder Woman who shows us who we could be if we actually saw each other. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au MEL ALSEMGEEST Website:  infectiousbehaviour.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today I sat down with the absolute pocket rocket that is Heidi Horne and we went everywhere from kids having meltdowns to middle aged women building apps and writing books. Heidi is an author, speaker, coach and mum who has spent years teaching everyone from tiny humans to stressed out adults how to actually reset, not just talk about it. We talk about why kids are basically little mirrors for our own emotional tantrums, how easily they love, how quickly they connect, and how much we shut that down once we grow up and get 'sensible'. Heidi shares how she’s gone from tour guiding around the world to teaching meditation, building her One Minute Reset app, writing her second book and throwing herself into founder land at 50 with a bunch of cool tech kids. We jam on energy, friendships, shiny object syndrome, being 'addicted to busy', why boundaries are a spiritual practice, and what happens when you finally start backing yourself 100 percent instead of chasing crumbs. There is imposter syndrome, there is sport, there is hockey with teenage boys, there is a lot of laughing and a fair bit of truth. If you need practical ways to stress less, reset fast and find your childlike spark again, this one will land. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au HEIDI HORNE Website:  heidihorne.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Holy moly, this convo with Dr Libby lit me up like a kid on red cordial. Every time she’s on the show I swear my brain grows three sizes and suddenly wants to eat more iron. We covered everything from perimenopause mayhem to the way adrenaline hijacks our days, to why half of us are out here living like exhausted, over-stimulated, iron-deficient potatoes. And honestly, Libby is so bloody good at weaving science with soul (#SeeWhatIDidThere) that I find myself wanting to text every woman I know and go “hey babe, get your ferritin checked.” We talked about winter blues, our fried nervous systems, the addiction to being ‘fine,’ the privilege of being alive, and the tiny practices that actually change our chemistry. It was deep, honest, hilarious, and wildly grounding.If you want less chaos, more energy, a calmer brain and a reminder you’re not broken... this one’s a must-listen. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au DR. LIBBY WEAVER Website:  drlibby.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maaaate, I thought I was ready for this one. I really did. I’ve heard Jason speak. I know the shape of his story. But sitting down with him in this format was a completely different beast. If you think you've heard some rough rides on this show, this one takes it up a level... There’s something about the way he unpacks his life - the trauma, the chaos, the faith, the identity stuff - that just hits different when it’s not on a stage… just him, sitting across from you telling the truth exactly as he knows it. And mate, it lands. Hard. Every answer felt like it came from a deeper place than the question. There were moments where I could almost feel what he was about to say before he said it.  This episode isn’t heavy for the sake of heavy. It’s powerful. It’s clarifying. It’s weirdly hopeful. And it reminded me why stories like Jason’s matter... not because they’re dramatic, but because they show what’s possible when someone decides their past doesn’t get to call the shots. Buckle up. Even if you think you know his story… you’re still not ready. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au JASON BLYTH Website:  jasonblyth.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever wonder if you’re being too hard on yourself… or not hard enough? Welcome to the club. In this episode Harps and I throw ourselves into the old messy middle where self-improvement meets self-compassion. We call out the way we talk to ourselves and question when does the “you’ve got this” turn into delusion, and when 'being honest' becomes you verbally drop-kicking your own soul.  Typical us... a lil' wisdom, a lil' chaos, a whole lot of laughs. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leon Purton strolled in for a chat in today's ep and we tumbled straight into that familiar territory you and I love... identity, leadership, masks, messy middles, self-belief, crucible moments, and why so many of us chase gold stars instead of growth. Leon unpacked how the Air Force shaped him, how a divorce cracked him open, how perfection cost him connection, and how he rebuilt himself by dropping armour instead of adding more. We danced through stories about boxing, leadership, values, and those little internal kids in us who just want a pat on the head. And mate… did we hit some big realisations about self-belief, surrender, stillness, and the weird way life forces you to grow in directions you never would’ve picked from the safety of your twenties. It was honest, warm, insightful, vulnerable, and bloody funny. A proper good yarn… I hope you love it! SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au LEON PURTON Website:  leonpurton.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one starts with the world's best cookies and ends with an existential gut check, which feels just about right for Roll With The Punches. I'm chatting with Dr Dinesh Palipana, who just casually happens to be a doctor, researcher, advocate, Australian of the Year and absolute legend who is also living with a spinal cord injury after a car accident at 25. We talk about growing up in Sri Lanka between Buddhism and Catholicism, and how that shaped his whole view on identity, labels and what actually matters. He is disarmingly funny, brutally honest and annoyingly humble. We get into discipline, temptation, materialism, food as a sensory lifeline after injury, grief for the body he once had, and the gratitude he feels now simply to wake up in Australia, talk about cookies and not be in a war zone without care. We talk presence, civility, social media, mums as superheroes, his book and the TV series in the works. It is equal parts cookies, poo jokes, philosophy and perspective. I loved this chat. I've a feelin' ya'll will too. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au DINESH PALIPANA Website:  palipana.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This one hit me right in the feels. Sally Pymer and I went full circle... from addiction and trauma to the power of one simple, radical act: smiling. What started as a keynote-writing journey turned into Sally birthing this contagious 'Smiles with Sally' movement that’s flooding social media (and the Bendigo Times) with genuine human connection. We unpacked how a smile can break barriers in hospitals, shift the mood in a room, and ripple into kindness that keeps going. Sally opened up about her own story - growing up with fear, loss, and the drive to prove her worth through exercise - only to discover what she’d really been running from. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s a bloody brilliant reminder that we’re all carrying invisible stories beneath the surface.   SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au SALLY PYMER Website: empoweredwithsally.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree:  linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.