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.
Janine Shepherd. Holy snapping ducksh*t, where do I even start? This woman’s story isn’t just about resilience, it’s about rebirth. From Olympic hopeful to being hit by a truck and told she’d never walk again… to becoming a pilot, flying instructor, and now deep in her PhD on the in-between spaces of life - literally and spiritually. We spoke about that space between life and death (yeah, she took a trip there) - what she saw, how she came back, and the powerful choice she made to live again... not despite her disability, but because of it. We unpacked identity, forgiveness, shame, spirituality, language, and what it means to consciously re-story your life when the old one falls apart. Honestly, this has got to be one of my favourite kind of chats! You'll love her. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au JANINE SHEPHERD Website: janineshepherd.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As my feet begin to hit the ground after last week's speaking event I landed in this very human chat on resilience, the kind you actually feel in your bones, with Harps. We opened with the usual chaos, long nails, zero filters, and shenanigans... and from there we went straight into the good stuff. We talked about walking your talk when life is messy, why personal development isn’t a brand but a practice, and how sometimes life is just a total you-know-what and you still need to show up for an hour and be amazing. I shared the behind the scenes on my keynote build, the resistance (oh yeah, there was plenty of that), the almost pull-out, and the moment it all clicked. We swapped stories on freezing, failing, riding the wave anyway, and choosing the room that grows you, not the room that claps for you. It’s raw, honest, and actually useful. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I sat down with Matt Formston and came away both humbled and absolutely wired. Matt’s story is next level... losing most of his sight as a kid, getting shoved into hard places, then using all of that grit to become a world class athlete, speaker, executive and dad. We talk about the ugly bits too... getting lost for a decade, raging at bullies, and learning to stop fighting everyone. There are mad moments, breath holds of nearly six minutes, big wave surfing, and his plan to chase freediving records... but the gold is in the practical stuff: accountability, ruthless time management, making plans from your future self back to today, and the quiet daily work that actually moves the needle. This is raw, useful, and weirdly comforting. If you want a blueprint for owning your life, not waiting for permission, and getting really good at the hard stuff, this convo is for you, kids. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Cam McDonald is back, and we’re diving deep into what really drives behaviour... in kids, classrooms, and us grown-ups too. Cam breaks down how stress, environment, movement, food, and connection shape focus and behaviour. We unpack why punishment doesn’t work, why every kid (and adult) has their own 'best learning environment,' and how the right kind of AI could transform education - not by replacing teachers, but by helping them understand what each student actually needs. We also talk trauma, physiology, and why you literally can’t heal if you’re stressed. This one’s a fascinating mash-up of neuroscience, compassion, and common sense with plenty of light-bulb moments. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I’ve known Holly since the boxing gym days when she was belting pads like an absolute weapon. Now she’s the founder of Wable, a social app built for neurodivergent humans to find love, friends, work and real support. We talk couch-to-global-startup, capital raises, late nights pitching investors from the car, imposter noise, and the grit it takes to keep moving when you’re wrecked. She shares the crap bits too… the sexism, the self-worth rollercoaster, and why empathy and obsession might be a founder’s real edge. We also go there on domestic violence and how speaking up can shift shame into strength. Holly’s humble, sharp, a downright legend, and building something that actually changes lives. BIG love for this one! Go Hol x SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au HOLLY FOWLER Website: hellowable.com TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I sat down with Keith Banks and, mate, what a ride. From joining the cops at 17 to going deep undercover in the 70s drug world, then tactical ops, corruption, grief, survivor guilt, and the long road out of PTSD. We got into the messy middle most people skip over… the drinking to sleep, the hypervigilance, the identity crash, and the moment a stranger handed him a psychiatrist’s card that changed everything. This one’s about the real cost of being the tough one, why empathy and vigilance can coexist, and how vulnerability is not just a buzzword, but the way back. If you’ve ever tried to white-knuckle your way through pain, this ep will land. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au KEITH BANKS Website: keithbanks.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kel’s back from Italy, jet lagged and pasta-happy, and we get into the real guts of confidence. We talk travel as a reset, ditching the Apple Watch, eating the damn spaghetti, and remembering how good life feels when you stop performing and just live it. Kel shares how she went from second-guessing herself to using her voice at work, online, and in life. We get honest about external validation, doing it scared, and why the action often has to arrive before the feeling. It’s warm, human, a bit cheeky, and a solid reminder that confidence is less sparkle, more reps. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This one’s a raw and real continuation of the chat Mark and I had in episode 952. Mark’s back in the hot seat talking burnout, identity and doing the bloody work when your brain would rather watch cats play piano. We unpack the homework his coach set him, how much of his worth had hitched itself to work, and what it takes to sit in the mess without judging yourself. We talk fear of loss, walking your talk, Ben and Jerry’s, and why writing it down is where the truth shows up. For me, it was a mirror. For him, it was a line in the sand. Small shifts. Long game. Less performing. More honest living. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
I think you know the gist by now... Bobby and I have fallen into quite the rhythm of kicking off every podcast with an unlikely chat about cats, but once we get that out of the way we launch into a fun banter on all things comedy, keynotes, keeping your pants on (maybe), and learning new skills. Enjoy! SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When oncology nurse and mum of three, Lauren Rayner, found a lump on her neck, she never imagined it would flip her world upside down. Diagnosed with a rare and aggressive stage 4 neuroendocrine carcinoma, she was given 14 months to live - but Lauren wasn’t having it. In this raw and powerful chat, she shares what it’s like being both the nurse and the patient, why she calls Australia’s health system “the Hunger Games of cancer,” and how she ended up in Germany fighting for her life with treatments that aren’t even available here. Today, her scans show no evidence of disease. This one’s about hope, advocacy, and the fight to stay alive in a bullsh*t system that doesn’t make it easy. Donate to Lauren here https://give.rarecancers.org.au/.../helping-lauren-rayner Follow Lauren @l_k_rayner SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches/ Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark LeBusque dropped back in for an impromptu chat this week and we went straight to the guts of it. He’s had a massive year, hit burnout, and is here to say it out loud. We unpacked the quiet creep of overdoing it, nervous systems on the red line, the ego hit when your worth is tied to your work, and the awkward bit where you’re the person who teaches this stuff and still end up cooked. Right now, Mark's pulling guitars off the wall again, doing more local, less travel, and finding joy that isn’t tied to invoices. It’s honest, a bit messy, and very human. Regulation over hustle. Enough over more. And I have a feeling it's a chat that will be relatable to many right now. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tiffaneecook/ Facebook: facebook.com/rollwiththepunchespodcast/ Instagram: instagram.com/rollwiththepunches_podcast/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dr Bruce Perry is back! Every time I chat with him, I end up walking away with my head spinning (in the best possible way). This time we’re unpacking why everyone feels so bloody fried right now... and well, how doom scrolling, violent content on our feeds, and the pressure to be 'resilient' 24/7 sure isn't helping. Bruce explains why our brains literally can’t function properly when we’re overloaded, and why the 'do hard shit' version of resilience is rubbish. Real resilience is built like strength training - small doses, spaced out, with recovery in between. We also get into dissociation and how it can save your life in trauma but also be a creative superpower... plus why so many of us are stuck in relational poverty even though we’re more 'connected' than ever. This chat will change the way you think about toughness, trauma, and how you look after yourself in a world that just won’t slow down. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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.
My third place, the St Kilda PCYC, is closing its doors after more than 75 years, and it hit me harder than I expected. That gym wasn’t just a space to train, it was where strangers became mates, where effort felt like belonging, and where so many versions of me have walked in and out over the past decade and a half. Waking up to that news felt like grief – the same kind of ache I’ve felt losing people and pets I loved. Bobby and I dig into what third places really mean – those spots beyond home and work that anchor us, give us identity, and connect us to something bigger than ourselves. We talk about why losing them feels like losing part of who we are, why care and community should never be treated as side notes, and how the walls that hold us become woven into our story. If you’ve ever had a place that felt like home the moment you walked in, or lost one that left a hole in your chest, this conversation will hit home. It’s about belonging, grief, and the reminder that people and places shape us far more than we realise. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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/tiffaneeandco See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Kylie Lynch came in swinging on all things women's sport, and I’m all for it. VFLW player, coach, and host of the 4TG podcast, she’s using an ACL year to build leaders, not excuses. We talk identity beyond the jersey, why your mind is your gym, and how choosing purpose can look like a 60k pay cut that actually buys your life back. Kylie breaks down permission vs initiative, the trap of chasing linear 'success,' and why coaching the person beats chasing stats. We dig into women’s sport as a smart investment, not a sympathy project, the culture shift needed on and off the field, and what real leadership looks like when you blend feminine and masculine styles with zero ego. Oh and my fave… sport as a rehearsal space for life. Mouthguard in, gals! SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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.
Dr. Carrie Jones isn’t just another voice in the hormone space... she’s been prescribing and teaching HRT for over 20 years, and it shows. In this episode we cover some epic ground when it comes to perimenopause and hormone replacement therapy with straight talk on what works, what doesn’t, and why so many women are being dismissed or mismanaged. We dig into the real differences between bioidentical vs synthetic hormones, why progesterone is usually the first to decline, how testosterone fits into women’s health, and the messy reality of managing symptoms when cycles start shifting all over the shop. Dr. Carrie shares the side effects to look out for, what doctors often get wrong, and why it’s okay (sometimes necessary) to 'cheat' on your GP. If you’ve ever wondered whether HRT is safe, whether you're too young, too old, when's the best time to start, or why you’re still feeling flat on it, this is the conversation you've been waiting for.SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au CARRIE JONES Website: drcarriejones.com 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.
We set out to talk deadlifts and gym bro nonsense… but before I knew it, we’d skipped the weights entirely and started lifting something way heavier - the big questions of faith, spirituality, and existence itself. What began as banter turned into a deeply honest dive into Harps’ innermost thoughts on God... from religious upbringings to strange unexplainable moments, and the kind of conversation that rarely make it to the mic. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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.
Mel Knuckey jumped on to share a hell of a story. Tasmanian mum of two. Community worker. Sleepless for weeks. Misdiagnosed. Admitted. ECT to survive. And the part that lit both of us up... no one checked perimenopause until a therapist suggested it. Mel gets raw about the psych ward, the guilt, the rebuild with her kids, and the power of HRT to pull her back to herself. This one is about self-advocacy, stigma, and why we need our blokes, our GPs, and our mates across what perimenopause actually looks like. It’s heavy, hopeful, and practical. Mouthguard in. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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.
Bloody hell, what a ride this one was. Grant Dooley took me from Melbourne’s west to warships in Shanghai, from the embassy floor during the Jakarta bombing to the guilt of changing a flight that later went down in flames. He’s worn Navy blues, translated in Chinese, raised kids under razor wire, carried survivor’s guilt, and poured it all into his memoir Bomb Season in Jakarta. This chat cracked open resilience, trauma, the weight of silence, and the relief of finally speaking the unspeakable. It’s raw, human, and full of wisdom about buckets, bombs, and not ignoring the signs your body gives you. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: testartfamilylawyers.com.au 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.
Kristy Mutsaers
Great conversation Tiffanee. I think you managed to present the Magician and the person perfectly. Credit to you. Brett where would we be without you!? I hate to think.
Mathew Phillips
Awesome podcast. Well worth a listen.
Mathew Phillips
Such a fantastic podcast. Great guest and an amazing host!