Challenges That Change Us

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Trigger warning: sexual abuse For many survivors of child sexual abuse, the moment the truth comes out can almost be another form of trauma while for others it can be cathartic. In fact as Alison Mau knows very well, the needs of survivors are infinitely varied.Alison is an award-winning journalist with more than thirty years in major television, radio, and print media roles. A long-time advocate for gender equity, in the wake of the global #metoo movement, Alison created a ground breaking investigative journalism project at NZ’s largest news platform in 2018. Over five years, the #MeTooNZ project published dozens of major investigations and supported hundreds of survivors to tell their stories, leading to widespread change in the way sexual harassment is reported by media.In many ways her experience helped her when it came to exploring and sharing her own personal experience with childhood sexual abuse.In 2023, Alison co-founded Tika, a tech-first access to justice charity designed to remove the barriers survivors experience when seeking justice and accountability.Her #1 bestselling memoir, No Words For This, was released in April 2025. In this episode she shares:-      How her curiosity, optimism, and likely undiagnosed ADHD have shaped who she is-      Why she wrote No Words for This and the lack of language around sexual harm-      The decision to tell her family’s story and why leaving it out felt dishonest-      The unexpected impact of the book and how it helped survivors feel less alone-      Her role leading Me Too NZ and changing how survivor stories are reported-      What trauma-informed journalism looks like in practice-      How a phone call from her sister brought buried childhood abuse into the open-      The relief and complexity of discovering she was no longer alone-      Why justice and healing are not one-size-fits-all for survivors-      How she transformed anger, struggle, and grief into advocacy and systemic changeKey Quotes “I spent my whole life pushing it down just so I could survive, until one moment made it impossible to stay alone with it.” “Struggling isn’t weakness, it’s what happens when you’re carrying something that was never meant to be carried alone.” “The hardest part wasn’t what happened to me, but learning to believe it wasn’t my fault.” More aboutFind out more about Tika here. You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. Welcome to 2026! For many 2025 was a pretty hard year, and some of you may have just been knuckling down and powering through, often even being the support for those around you whilst also desperately trying to keep your head above water.I wanted to do this episode to help those of us who have fallen into the role of being ‘The Strong one” find a way to an easier 2026.In this episode I shares:-      How we can take a moment to pause-      What it means to be the strong one and why people become the strong one-      The cost of always being the strong one-      What happens when the strong one finally can’t be strong-      What is a more positive kind of strength-      A simple strategy to begin shifting the patternKey Quotes“Over time strength stops being something you do and it becomes someone you are.”There is a hidden cost of being the strong one.”“Your body often knows the cost long before your mind does.”You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. What is it like to be a narcissist? And how can. Narcissist do good in the world?This week we are continuing our conversation with 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist Lenny Kravich.After an abusive upbringing, Lenny realised a long time ago that he might be a narcissist, and that realisation shaped an entire journey of discovery and development that he then went on.In this episode he shares:-      What the word narcissist means for him and what his experience with it is-      How he made a decision that changed the way he viewed and interacted with people-      What happens when he lets himself down-      How he came to write his book-      What impact did writing the book have on him-      The lesson he still has to learn-      Key Quotes“I am very manipulative about how I get attention.” “It screwed up a lot of things in my life.”More about LennyFind his website here.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. We have heard from the victims of generational trauma from it’s victims, but what about the people who perpetuate it, until they finally realising what they are doing?That is the story of Lenny Ravich, a man who experienced abuse as ‘punishment’ and passed it on to his children until he realised what he was doing and worked hard to make the change.Lenny is an 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist whose life work bridges humour, healing, and human connection. His message lands with lightness and truth – shaped by decades of lived experience, not theory. Lenny doesn’t just talk about joy – he lives it.In this episode he shares:-      What it was like for him growing up and the violence he experienced from his parents-      How he perpetuated generational violence-      His relationship with his sister and reconciling with her-      how a conference and gestalt therapy led him to realisations about himself-      Gestalt therapy and realising awareness and mindfulness-      An experience that led him to fully accept himself-      What was his process of changing after his realisation-      His experience of deep listening and how it has impacted his lifeKey Quotes“Aa person could tell me they're dying in 3 days and I would joke about it.”“It was all about me, anything that came up, it was all about me.”“I didn’t tackle my narcissism it's still there but I’m aware of it happeningMore about LennyFind his website here.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. Lara Hamilton is an Australian Trail Runner, Ski-Mountaineer, DJ & Vocalist, and Digital Growth Hacker and is currently training for the Skimo 2026 Winter Olympics Trials.She was also diagnose with Ankylosing Spondylitis, also known as the ‘young person’s arthritis’.Lara’s journey of elite athlete, to battling an undiagnosed condition, to finally receiving a diagnosis and working back to her Olympic dream is absolutely awe inspiring.Outside of training and the incredible amount of sports and music she does, Lara wants to make an active impact on athlete climate education and sustainable outdoor practices. One way I can assist in the digital world is to make athlete climate sustainability resources.In this episode she shares:-      What her childhood and family life was like-      Her experience with music and her creativity outside of sport-      The highlights of her career so far-      How her struggle to believe in herself impacted her-      Her biggest lessons from childhood that she's pulled into what she does today-      How being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis affected her journey-      How she manages having this lifelong condition that gets worse over time-      Tools she uses to enhance her performance-      Tools she uses to manage anxiety-      What ski mountaineering is and what is her experience with itKey Quotes“Opportunities are gonna open up to you if you believe in yourself and if you don't, fake it.”“If you smile at people and you stand tall, it makes other people bright and happy too.”More about LaraCheck out Lara’s website and follow her on Instagram.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Trigger warning: AlcoholismImagine starting a journey of alcoholism and addiction from the age of 5.That was the case for John Griffith who still remembers the life altering impact of the first drink he had as a child and how it lead to over a decade of addiction and reliance before he finally became sober at 18.Now, living a continuous sober life since April 1991 at the early age of 18 John is familiar with the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction. Whilst achieving success in the private sector, the cornerstone to John's life has been working with those suffering from alcoholism.He is a CEO with a hands on approach towards Sunrise Way residents and a belief that providing tools for living and re-immersion into the community is part of the long term solution. In this episode he shares:-      Why one of the first most significant events in his life was first trying alcohol-      What some of the tough lessons he had to learn in life were-      How alcohol impacted his life-      His experience going to a 12 step program and how it offered him hope-      How trauma can affect the lives of the people around him-      The work he's doing now and how his challenges led him to that-      Some of the challenges he faced during his work-      What message he has for people in a similar situation who need helpKey Quotes“I wasn’t looking for somewhere to get sober I was just looking for somewhere safe to stay.”“When I got sober at 18 and a half, I had the emotional maturity of a 4 or 5 year old.”“My life was painful sober and I would drink to feel ok.”More about JohnFind out more about Sunrise Way via their website.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.This week is actually a bit of a different style of episode. Normally, we interview a guest on a challenge they faced, but today is just you and I.I wanted to spend some time reflecting on the year, on the incredible conversations that we've had. Every story, every tear, every quiet pause of challenge, and what it's taught me and all of us about what it truly means to grow through challenge. When I first started this podcast, I believed in the power of storytelling to shift us, to move something inside That logic can't quite reach.But this year I witnessed something deeper. I saw how challenge doesn't just test us. It absolutely can transform us. It reshapes the way that we see ourselves, the way that we see our loved ones and the way that we live our lives.In this episode I share:-      How challenges transform people, not just test them, and the importance of our community’s honest, raw stories.-      The theme of Recovery and rebirth we learnt from Yumi, Caroline, and Diana’s experiences and what it shows us-      How Sarah, Dr. Adam Fraser, and Bo’s stories illustrate that growth comes from stepping into discomfort, self-trust, and daring to face the unknown.-      Why Tara, Steve, and Kevin demonstrated that loss reshapes life, requires feeling the pain, and can be transformed into purpose and resilience.-      How Andrew and Jordy’s stories show that rebuilding life after trauma takes time, patience, and many small choices.-      Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s continuing to show up, breathe, and make choices even when life is uncertain or painful.-      Transformation doesn’t happen in grand gestures; it comes from tiny, daily decisions that slowly shape who we are becoming.Key Quotes“The greatest gift you can give your children is learning to love yourself.”“I don’t ever get over trauma. You learn to walk alongside it. To give it space, but not the steering wheel.”More aboutYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Trigger warning: Childhood sexual abuse, alcohol addiction Our identity and how we see ourselves has a huge impact on our lives. But what if huge incidents in our early life caused us to create an identity that was harmful and complex and actually untrue to who we really are?Nikole built a multi-million dollar company from scratch, and nearly lost herself in the process because of how her own self identity controlled her narrative.Now sober, self-led and sharp as ever, she’s rewriting what success looks like beyond the hustle.Her story isn’t clean. But it’s real. And it’s hers. In this episode she shares: -      Her early childhood and how she was abused by a family member-      How her brother was hit by a car and passed away at 17-      How her brother’s death was the catalyst that split the family-      The months and years after her brother’s death and how she was introduced to alcohol-      The destructive impact of her drinking and living with an inaccurate self identity-      Her father’s death at 50-      Having her house burn down shortly after giving birth-      What happened when she entered the psych ward and why it didn’t meet her expectations-      What she did to recover when she realised her drinking was impacting her marriage-      Her experience with the retreat/rehab in Bali-      How she made $12 million in one year-      Understanding the pros and cons of the parts of herself that have developed from her trauma Key Quotes“I was abused during my childhood by a family member.” “At my brothers wake I was introduced to alcohol...and that was it.” More about NikoleCheck her out via her website or Instagram. You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.The journey of fighting cancer is so much more than just: finding out you have it and then getting treated.This week’s episode is part 2 of our chat with Melanie Staudt, an incredible woman who overcame breast cancer and all of its challenges. For this week’s episode Melanie will be sharing the challenges in recovery, post recovery and what happens when the cancer comes back.Melanie is 51 years old, lives in the US in Ohio and is married with two girls age 22 and 18.She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2021. It was three years of intensive healing and has had no evidence of disease for a year and a half. She continues to work on physical, mental and spiritual health and looks forward to life’s next chapter. In this episode she shares:-      Her second experience of cryoablation-      The long term weight and energy of cancer treatment-      Managing the fear and stress post cancer and how it impacts relationships-      Learning to take care of herself and ask for and accept help-      The story of how her doctor missed her active cancer-      Using a trial treatment and having to get a mastectomy-      Finding a lymph node in her sternum-      What helped her to stop detaching from her body-      Her lessons taken away after this experienceKey Quotes“I felt like a failure, I felt like I had made all the wrong decisions.”“People that haven’t been through can’t understand.”More about MelanieYou can contact Melanie via Facebook or Instagram.The pre surgery meditation link she mentioned is here. You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Cancer has a devastating effect both on those it afflicts and those around them.For Melanie Staudt her cancer journey was full of challenges that often felt insurmountable.Melanie is 51 years old, lives in the US in Ohio and is married with two girls age 22 and 18.She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2021. It was three years of intensive healing and has had no evidence of disease for a year and a half. She continues to work on physical, mental and spiritual health and looks forward to life’s next chapter. In this episode she shares:-      Why she identifies most with a monarch butterfly-      What happened for her in the early days leading up to breast cancer discovery-      Getting her biopsy and preparing for bad news-      How the initial bad news led to positivity in her life-      The moment she got more bad news and her experience of detaching from her body-      How she discussed her reservations about chemo with her husband-      What her treatment options were and what she decided-      When she saw a naturopathic doctor and her experience with craniosacral massage-      When she got imaging done and got the all clearKey Quotes“I couldn’t process anything, it was like I was out of my body.”“I probably spent between 20 and 40 hours a week researching breast cancer.”More about MelanieYou can contact Melanie via Facebook or Instagram.The pre surgery meditation link she mentioned is here. On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. Steve Pocock’s life has been shaped by early loss - and by what can grow from it. He was ten years old when his family fled their farm in Zimbabwe, one of thousands displaced during the country’s land reform era. The experience left deep scars that took a lot of time to heal from but also planted a conviction: that dignity and hope are worth rebuilding, even from the hardest places.  Steven joins us on the podcast to show just how far you go grow beyond the trauma in your childhood.His conviction became a calling. From Papua New Guinea’s highlands to the mountains and coasts of Timor-Leste, Steve has spent his career helping others rebuild - working with governments, entrepreneurs, and communities to grow small businesses, strengthen markets, and create jobs that restore purpose.  At the heart of Steve’s journey is a simple belief: that we honour what we’ve lost by building something better - that real impact is measured not in projects or profits, but in the restoration of dignity, purpose, and possibility.In this episode he shares:Some background about Zimbabwe,His upbringing there, and the loss of his friendHis experience of their farm being invadedHow things got harder before they got better after he moved to AustraliaHis experience with depression and being hospitalisedHis professional football experience and spinal surgeryThe goal he made to make a positive impact in the worldHow writing an article spring boarded his career to what it is todayHis time working in PNG working under an aid programReturning home to Zimbabwe to tackle some of the country’s biggest challengesWhat happened when he went to Timor-LesteSome of the biggest life lessons he's taken away from these experiencesKey Quotes“If I’m not going to fight for them who is?”“If you start something you have no choice but to finish it.”More About SteveFollow Steve on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook. You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Welcome to part 2 of my chat with Sarah Davis, the absolute powerhouse who went from working in banking to completely throwing herself out of her comfort zone.In this episode we return to Australia to discuss what happened when she decided to cycle across Australia and how her decision to get out of her comfort zone made her decide to do 52 uncomfortable things in 52 weeks.In this episode she shares:-      The challenge of choosing her next adventure-      Why she picked cycling across Australia-      The purpose attached to her challenge of cycling across Australia-      What went wrong during the cycle-      Why road trains were the biggest risk and what they are-      The challenge of losing Leif, the 21yo cyclist she met along the way-      How losing Leif changed the trajectory of their trip-      What she took away from this experience-      Her next adventure-      Her challenge to do 52 uncomfortable things in 52 weeks-      What were her takeaways of this experience-      What were the things she said no toKey Quotes“I noticed that being out of my comfort zone wasn’t as familiar.”“My comfort zone had gone from the back garden to the size of a national park.”“Failure isn’t fatal.”More about SarahFind out more about Sarah via her website, Instagram and LinkedIn.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Imagine being an introvert who works in banking and deciding to be the first women to lead an expedition down the Nile where you face attacks from crocodiles, hippo’s and more.That’s what happened to Sarah Davis who, in her forties and in search of more out of life, she decided to step away from her corporate life & attempt to paddle the length of the Nile.She survived hippo attacks, being arrested & detained in Burundi & running lethal rapids. Now, her expeditions in Oman, Australia and more have given Sarah insights into what it takes to overcome fear, thrive through uncertainty & succeed in challenging environments. Her best-selling book, Paddle the Nile: One Woman's Search For a Life Less Ordinary was published in July 2022.In this episode she shares:How she was a desperately shy and quite childWhat brought her to AustraliaThe vulnerability she felt from sharing her blogWhat happened when her passport got stolenHer experience going back into bankingWhy she decided to pursue an expeditionThe risks and preparation she had to learn aboutWhat she did in advance to mitigate the risksSeeing big white bags of contraband next to the riverHow the rapids worried her due to a near drowning experienceHer experience being attacked by a hippo on day 6The pep talk she gave herself to get throughThe other challenges she encountered on the expeditionGetting food poisoning the day before the last dayThe lessons she now carries with herKey Quotes“I felt like I had a really beautiful piece of clothing that just didn't suit me.”“The intel we got was that they were going to detain me if I went there.”“This huge hippo’s bitten into the back of the raft. I'd never felt real primal fear before.”More about SarahFind out more about Sarah via her website, Instagram and LinkedIn.You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.This episode is a bit different to our normal ones.A lot of you have been repeatedly asking me to cover Imposter Syndrome and how to fight it, so I’m delighted to welcome back Clifford Morgan to get his expertise on the subject.Cliff is a leadership expert and endorsed organisational psychologist with over seventeen years of service with the Royal Australian Air Force. His years of service leading and coaching people, both in uniform and out, bring a wealth of experience that provides a unique perspective to assist his clients. During this time he has trained hundreds of leaders to use coaching skills to develop people and lead more effectively. As a coach Clifford has worked with CEOs, military commanders, government executives and business and community leaders across a wide variety of industries.In this episode he shares:What is imposter syndrome?The archetypes of imposter syndromeHow to differentiate the archetypesWhat does 'overwork' mean and look like?What are the basics of your life to be brilliant at first?Some coping mechanismsWhat it means to adopt a maskThe difference between adjusting and maskingWhat is happening in the brain with imposter syndromeWhy building a body of evidence can helpHow finding strong allies can help combat imposter syndromeHow to intercept your negative thoughtsWays to reframe failureKey Quotes“A lot of high performers have imposter syndrome.”“The more social groups that we're a part of, the less likely we are to be depressed or have mental health issues.”“Are you doing it from a place of fear or for the benefit of someone else?”More about CliffordFind out more with Clifford via his website.For Cliff's course on Impsoter syndrome go here.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Trigger warning: Domestic violence, PTSD, child deaths’Domestic Violence does not discriminate, and sadly the systems and law enforcement don’t always protect us.One person who knows that all too tell is Courtney Burchard. Courtney is a former Forensic Scientist and Queensland Police Officer with 15 years of service. After being medically retired in 2024 following a complex PTSD diagnosis, she has embraced her lived experience as both a survivor of Domestic Violence and institutional betrayal. Courtney now uses her voice to raise awareness around trauma, resilience, and mental health, sharing her journey through the power of poetry.In this episode she shares:Her experience joining the policeHer experience working in forensicsThe lead up to having PTSDHer experience with DV and how dangerous it gotHow she was experienced with DV applications and hers still didn't go throughThe symptoms of trauma she experiencedHow working on Hannah Clarke's case triggered her PTSDHow her career endedHer panic attackWhat happened when she saw a doctor about her PTSDThe process of starting medication and therapyHer healing journeyThe grief around leaving the police forceWhat has surprised her about this processWhat needs to change around DVKey Quotes“I had to tell my male boss intimate details.”“He still has access to a firearm.”“After the relationship had ended there was an incident where this person has broken into my home.” More about CourtneyFollow Courtney on InstagramYou can find Small Steps 4 Hannah, the charity started by Hannah's parents on Instagram here.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Coming back from a deadly illness and stroke is big enough challenge in itself, but the equal challenge that many don’t think about is having to survive with the disabilities from that incident, in a world that does not make any space for disability.That is what Lisa Cox has had to do and not only has she manage that, she has made it her mission to remove the barriers and systemic injustice faced by people with a disability,Lisa Cox OAM is an author, university researcher, TEDx speaker and internationally awarded thought leader. Her work is focused on changing social attitudes about disability using world's most powerful industries - like media.In this episode she shares:Her early lifeWhat happened when she had a stroke at 24Her first memories of this experienceHow she found out her leg would be amputatedHow she had to relearn how to do basic everyday tasksHer worst day in recoveryThe process of coming to grips with what happenedWhat happened once she was out of hospitalGetting back into the gymThe process of balancing grief and gratitudeHow because of her disability she met her husbandTeaching herself to type again with her new fingersHaving perspectiveGetting back on the dating sceneThe social expectation that she had to lower her standards to find someoneWhat shopping for a wedding dress with her disability was likeThe ableism she encounters in life nowHow her now husband was patted on the back for proposing to a disabled womanWhat life looks like nowHer work in rebranding disabilitiesKey Quotes“There's this idea that once you acquire a disability your life will be tragic.”“All of my organs shut down and every cell in my boy died.”“I realised I had a tonne of internalised ableism.”More about LisFind out more via her website.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SINGAPORE workshop : Engagement and burnout in the workplace INDIA workshop: High Performance Leadership SummitTo sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Trigger warning: suicide, domestic violence, depressionIntergenerational trauma can be an incredibly hard cycle to break, especially if it forces you to live through verbal abuse, manipulation and torment for your entire childhood. For Yummii Nguyen, this was her reality, yet her story is not just one of survival, but of learning to love herself and breaking generational cycles so her children could inherit freedom instead of pain. What makes her story extraordinary is not what she survived, but what she built. She is the founder of Meet Fear, with Love and a guide to leaders, entrepreneurs, and parents who appear to have it all, but quietly know, “I’m not free.” . Through her Mastermind, Higher Self Mastery program, and private mentorship, Yummii helps people who have already done the work finally soften their nervous system, meet fear with love, and live from wholeness and their Heart.In this episode she shares:Growing up as the child of an affair and being told she was unwantedReconciling a father who was revered in the community but violent and emotionally troubled at homeThe mental health battles that began at 12, when she no longer wanted to liveThe moment she first experienced unconditional loveHow the birth of her son became a turning point in her healingWhat it takes to love yourself when your body and mind only know survivalKey Quotes“Freedom isn’t what you achieve. Freedom is who you are when there’s nothing left to prove.”“I realised the cost of not loving myself was going to be carried by my children. That’s when everything changed.”More about YummiiFind out more about Yummii via her website, Instagram, Facebook and check out her free training for parents.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.I’m so excited to be welcoming back Allan Parker to share his personal story of overcoming an extraordinary challenge to being able to learn, and to also share some amazing pearls of wisdom on neuro plasticity and learning.Alan Parker OAM is a distinguished micro‑behavioural scientist, negotiator and educator whose major achievements include developing Australia’s first tertiary degree in negotiation, serving as an adjunct professor on the University of Western Sydney’s Master’s program in Dispute Resolution, and being awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2020 for his contribution to business and dispute resolution. He is a bestselling author (Switch On Your Brain), author of The Negotiator’s Toolkit and Would Could Might (2024). On top of this he has presented and facilitated in 60+ countries, and has led influential, large‑scale negotiations and sector reforms while also building a long‑standing practice delivering practical brain‑health and negotiation training across corporate, regional and rural communities.In this episode he shares:His eye impairment that made learning difficult as a childHow his parents alcoholism affected him growing upHow he learned to listen and compensate for his inability to readHow vision work and training unlocked his reading and learning.The neuroscience of breathing, oxygen, hydration and their effect on attention, emotion and memory.Peripheral vision as a tool to reduce internal narrative/default-mode thinking and improve presence.Stress as a social risk and why he thinks we are addicted to adrenaline/dopamine/drama.His practical behaviour tips to improve brain healthThe importance of communication and leadershipKey Quotes"I was born with an eye condition that meant I didn't read until I was 30, and yet I'm a terminal enthusiastic learner.""I remember the very moment, Ali, that I watched my father beating my mother. And I made a conscious decision in that second that I would never violate, hit another human being. Ever.""I had to sit down and explain him that I couldn't read."More about AllanYou can find out more about Allan here.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. Trigger warning: Domestic violence Many of us have heard how hard it can be to live in a domestic violence relationship, but not all of us realise just how hard it can be to leave.And by ‘leave” we mean how to financially and emotionally stay alive with no support or home while a violent partner tracks you down.This is part 2 of our chat with the incredible Diana Connell, who escaped a long term domestic violence relationship with her two children.Diana has dedicated her life to pushing for systemic reform in housing, domestic violence, and women’s economic security. Through her work with Global Sisters, she is involved in the Little Green Houses project, making home ownership a reality for women who have experienced domestic violence. Through McAuley Community Services for Women, she has been deeply involved in the co-design of the ground breaking Safe at Home trial in Geelong. In this episode she shares: Why St Vincent’s and McDonalds were how they survived in the early days after leavingHow she got out of the dire situation they were inThe difficult moment where she had to make her kids get work for them to surviveHow they ended up in a safehouse in MelbourneHer fear that he would find them and what happened when he didThe disappointing charge her ex faced even though her son had filmed the attackThe way her ex tried to intimidate them after he tracked them down  Her life now and how she got out and things got betterThe sad truth about recovering from this kind of abuseHow a lawyer helped her out from the debt her ex had left her withWhat she does now to help others in similar situations Key Quotes“ We were homeless for a good 6 months...We’d say, well this place isn’t used, so we’d live there. I guess we were squatters.” “He tracked us down there…he made sure we knew he was there, he took our spare key. It’s all that thing about scaring the living shit out of us.” More About DianaFollow Diana on her art instagramFind out more about how Global Sisters can women here. You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. If you would like us to work with your team book a 30 min chat HERE.Trigger warning: Domestic ViolenceDomestic violence is a scourge on our society and the brave survivors who have lived through it are some of the strongest in the world, and that can definitely be said for Diana Connell.Diana is a survivor advocate, speaker, and ceramic artist, passionate about creating change for women and children. After surviving more than two decades of family violence and homelessness, Diana has dedicated her life to pushing for systemic reform in housing, domestic violence, and women’s economic security. Through her work with Global Sisters, she is involved in the Little Green Houses project, making home ownership a reality for women who have experienced domestic violence. Through McAuley Community Services for Women, she has been deeply involved in the co-design of the ground breaking Safe at Home trial in Geelong.In this episode she shares:-      Her background, where she grew up, and what it was like in her family-      What it was like meeting her ex-partner, the initial phases-      When she got pregnant with her first child and everything changed-      Post-childbirth and time in a mental hospital-      Birth of her second child-      Staying on the farm-      How the isolation increased after he moved her to an Australian farm-      What her life looked like in Australia-      How things escalated once in Australia-      How she tried to keep it from her children and protect them-      How the abuse escalated against her son-      How her husband and how it led to more abuse for her son-      The medical complication that made leaving even harderKey Quotes“Everything that I did or said became something for him to put me down about.”“If I had said something I'd hate to think what would have happened.”More About DiannaFollow Diana on her art instagramYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.com Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.