Rowena shares with Helen how endings can shape us, not by what they take away, but by what they leave behind. She reflects on stepping away from familiar paths and learning to pay attention to what resonates. In turn, Helen offers her own experiences and questions, and together they explore how identity, meaning and movement unfold in a workscape when certainty slips away.
Kim shares how rediscovering her spinning wheel during COVID opened a new chapter in her workscape. What began as a revived hobby became a small, self-funded fibre-arts venture. She reflects on the satisfaction of tangible making after years in consulting, applying lean principles and safe-to-fail experiments to her creative process. Her story is about finding joy in work that blends craft, community, and play. Check out Kim's online shop at eBay: https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/kb2697
Nick shares on how becoming a house husband became one of the gigs in his current workscape. He talks about redistributing responsibility with his spouse, rebalancing priorities and navigating what it means to contribute in different ways. Rather than a fixed identity, Nick sees his roles—both paid and unpaid—as flexible and subject to ongoing negotiation opening up new possibilities for his life partnership and workscape.
Emma muses with Helen on what it really means to be a self-directed learner. Together they unpack how curiosity, courage, and intentionality fuel learning beyond formal education. They explore the "what," "how," and "why" of learning that’s led by the individual—not imposed by others—and share personal reflections about their learning experiences and observations.
Eps 62: Deb Marks on transitions from employed to self-employed and back again by Published by Questo
Brayden shares how he navigates his workscape while living with physical impairments, offering a candid look at the real challenges and practical adjustments that make meaningful work possible. He speaks openly about what being “abled” means on his own terms, and reflects on what peers and managers can do—from recruitment to day-to-day support—to genuinely include and empower someone like him. His story invites deeper understanding, not just accommodation.
Soph shares her journey of embracing neurodiversity as a strength and a cause. She explores challenges and ways workplaces can better support neurodiverse individuals and mental wellbeing, including learning about mental health first aid. Her experiences inspire action for inclusivity, showcasing the value of diverse thinking and creating spaces where neurodiversity is celebrated.
Premila shares her journey of rethinking her career path, stepping into mentorship, and finding fulfillment in shaping her own workscape. She reflects on the transformative decision to design her career on her terms, rather than climbing traditional corporate ladders. Through stories of early mentorship experiences and participation in board governance, Premila offers insights into embracing self-directed growth, confronting self-doubt, and helping others unlock their potential.
Geeta Pyne shares her experiences of fostering collaboration and supporting others in their workscape. She highlights the value of building trust, creating connections, and helping people unlock their potential. Geeta reflects on the power of embracing growth, offering practical insights for anyone looking to cultivate personal fulfilment in their work.
Delia shares how three defining threads of core values have shaped her learning, her quests and her activism in a life that is 78 years young. These threads providing an intentional focus to what’s meaningful to her. With a healthy dose of reflection and journalling, she follows a simple framework that provides wisdom for how to participate in life and in groups with clarity of purpose.
Darryl Carr shares his journey as introvert who has become a connector extraordinaire. With Helen Palmer, he talks about the power of building professional relationships. He emphasises a community-centric mindset and the value of shared experiences. With practical tips and personal insights, Darryl offers inspiration for anyone looking to expand their workscape village and grow professionally.
Em Ruzvidzo shares about her experience of taking a month-long sabbatical from work. It was a time of introspection that helped her gain valuable perspective for what comes next in following her passions. It's not the first time, she's taken time out from work. She learnt in her 20s from her aunt about the value of rest to prevent burnout and maintain alignment with one's purpose.
Troy shares about his personal experience of an experiment to have 30 conversations in 30 days. It's just one of the ways he makes it a priority to connect with others in his workscape because he values deep, meaningful interactions. In his experiences lie insights for enhancing one's networking skills, fostering meaningful connections, and understanding the broader impact of relationships on workscape success.
Logan sees the beauty of life through a unique lens shaped by his love of nature, puzzles, and the connection he finds in playful experiences. He talks with Helen about his interests, sliding door moments and agency. He shares how he crafted an autobiographical game, which is a deep dive into pivotal events and decisions that shaped him. He demonstrates how he embraces vulnerability, introspection and the human spirit's capacity for growth. Learn more about his tabletop game at https://breathingstories.itch.io/logan and his work with game design colleagues at Amble Studio (https://amble.studio/).
Ingrid Jones shares with Helen her transformative journey into daily journaling. She reveals how this practice has enabled her to deeply examine her emotions and reactions, offering her valuable insights for personal growth. Ingrid shares some highs and lows of her life, illustrating how journaling has become a crucial tool for self-understanding and emotional resilience. She offers a taster session for those who want to try out the journalling framework she created and follows. Learn more at https://www.journalwithingrid.com/
Phoebe dances literally and figuratively between Samoan and Western cultures embracing both in her professional world. Her unique way of working is harmonious movement with the rhythms of nature. Drawing on indigenous knowledge, she embodies a gentle consideration of herself and others in her workscape. She moves forward despite fear, towards things that bring fire to her belly. And as a result she has done, and is doing, very interesting and enterprising things with her life. Like the enterprise Living Koko - learn more at https://www.livingkoko.com/
Ali (SU Ambassador) and Helen (SU Founder) celebrate the 50th episode of the series with a special session. They explore what is means to each of them to be intentionally kind and do acts of kindness in their workscapes. They muse about and unpack what kindness could mean in a work context as they seek a meaningful definition as the basis for writing a personal workscape policy on kindness.
Niko gives us a peek into how he created his diverse workscape where he creates marketing content in the automotive industry. He loves cars - they are his passion! His active involvement in various racing activities, draws attention and showcases his talents ... and readiness to walk through doors that open. One of those doors was hosting a podcast series called Car Talk - The YTG Podcast (found on all good podcast channels). It is an ideal way for him to share and fuel his passion alongside his own business Niko French media. Find more of his work at https://nikofrench.com/
Samantha shares her journey of self-discovery and employee empowerment. She's a self-starter and a content creator and this attracted a potential employer. Her content creation activity enables her to express her creative self and to help people through her passion for productivity with Google apps - which she didn’t want to lose in being an employee. In exploring the new employment opportunity, she navigated the complexities of potential conflicts of interest and preserving her rights to her intellectual property. She has insights to share about how she achieved a harmonious blend of self-fulfilment and professional commitment.
Stuart riffs with Helen about taking a personal approach to knowledge management in their workscapes. There are shared stories about gaining knowledge from the experiences and interactions with others, and the value of sharing knowledge to learn. And some interesting tangents taken in curiosity, including emotional aspects of knowing, learning, creating and sharing.