My guest today is one of the most beautiful humans you could ever meet. The divine Tess Brouwer is a practitioner of positive psychology and wellbeing and the CEO of Awake Academy, a business she runs with another formidable human, Layne Beachley.  As a former corporate athlete and now a mum, stepmum and mental wellness mentor, Tess complements Layne’s expertise with her deep understanding of corporate dynamics and mental wellbeing. They are making such an impact on the groups of people they are working within their business, they decided to write a book in order to reach more and I wanted to dive in deeper with her.

Today’s guest is Simone Clow, a visionary at the forefront of creative technology and immersive storytelling. After a dynamic career in visual effects for advertising and film, Simone co-founded Zebrar, Australia’s award-winning creative tech company, in 2017. As CEO, she’s led her team to collaborate with global giants like IBM, Disney, Meta, and Salesforce, crafting transformative, interactive experiences that captivate audiences and elevate brands.

Mark Falzon is a visionary entrepreneur and serial investor with a track record of building and scaling businesses that deliver transformative impact. With over 25 years of experience in founding, managing, and advising high-growth ventures, Mark brings a unique blend of strategic acumen, operational expertise, and an unyielding commitment to making a difference.

As a co-founder of MAD Ventures, Mark channels his passion for innovation and sustainability into fostering businesses that address some of the world's most pressing challenges. From food security and renewable energy to clean technology and social impact, Mark’s work exemplifies the potential for purpose-driven enterprises to deliver both societal benefits and financial returns.

Today, I’m joined by Thomas Nhan Tri Nguyen who has a fascinating story that I wanted to learn more about. From music halls to the battlefield and now boardroom, Thomas (or Tom’s) journey is anything but conventional.

Tom is of Vietnamese heritage. He grew up in Adelaide, the only child of migrants who were fleeing war-torn Vietnam. While his early years were filled with music and academia, he started his working life as a public servant in the Queensland Government. A desire for a greater challenge led him down an unexpected path: the Australian Defence Force.

Today, I sit down with the wonderful Monique van Tulder who has been inspiring mid-life women to shake things up a bit and encouraging them to step into their ‘second-act’ where, after decades of looking after others, they now get to spend time and resources on themselves.

Monique is leading Conversations on Mid-Life Wellbeing. Teaching others on how to expand a mid-life in joy and creating space for themselves. Encouraging them to design their guidebook for A Grown Ups Gap Year.

If you missed last week’s episode, go back and have a listen first as this is Part two! We are back with the Queen of Reinvention herself - the gorgeously talented Valerie Khoo. Valerie is the first guest in a ‘series’ we’re currently running on the show - where all guests will be asked to talk about the same topic, and that topic is REINVENTION!

A recap on today’s guest; Valerie Khoo is an award-winning feature writer who is also CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre - an organisation she founded over 18 years ago. Val does many things - some of which include podcaster, incredible artist and author of seven books. Val & I often have such incredible conversations in our studio and it was fitting that she kicks off this series about Reinvention as she’s had a fascinating journey that’s led her to where she is today.

We are kicking off a ‘series’ for the first time on the show - where I bring on guests to talk about the same topic over the coming weeks, and that topic is REINVENTION! 

It’s a topic I get asked about a lot;  how I reinvented myself, why, the process, and I wanted to talk to others about their incredible transitions and hear about their reinvention stories too. 

So, our first guest in this series is my dear friend, incredible entrepreneur and fellow creative studio buddy, Valerie Khoo who I’m sitting with here in our joint creative studio, Atelier 9 in Avalon. Valerie is an award-winning feature writer who is also CEO of the Australian Writers’ Centre - an organisation she founded over 18 years ago. As you’re about to hear, Val does many things - some of which include podcaster, incredible artist and author of seven books.

Today I get the tables turned on me as we hit a wonderful milestone here on the One Question Podcast. I’m lucky enough to once again sit down with Helene Thomas, a Hobart based creative audio producer with a PhD in journalism.

It’s a frank and honest interview- I was a little nervous before we started as I know Helene has a knack of bringing out stories we often keep under wraps. And as you’re about to hear.. she certainly caught me off guard with a few of her questions. This is a conversation about life, love, the love of life and it’s ultimately a story about living a life more aligned with self and creative reinvention. I hope you enjoy it.

The Elixir of Life - Eternal Youth. We spend billions of dollars every year trying to make ourselves look and feel younger and yet the solution is staring right at us. Apparently, all we need to do is re-introduce PLAY back into our daily lives! 

Tim Jack Adams is a thought leader and speaker in the Wellness Industry. He founded GreenX7 in 2012, an innovative company that created an overarching framework for wellbeing that enables leaders, teams and organisations to thrive sustainably. 

Ariane Beeston is a child protection worker and newly registered psychologist when she gives birth to her first child – and very quickly begins to experience scary breaks with reality. Out of fear and shame, she keeps her delusions and hallucinations secret, but as the months pass Ariane gets worse. Much worse. Finally admitted to a mother and baby psychiatric unit, the psychologist is forced to learn how to be the patient.

Today you’ll meet a truly beautiful and inspirational person. Her work has positively impacted so many kids and families trying to overcome some extra challenges that life has thrown at them. Her name is Michelle Mennillo and she’s spent the past 20 years building a globally recognised occupational therapy business that has transformed the lives of over 10,000 young people and counting.

Throughout your life have you ever felt the need to do something just because someone else wants you to? Perhaps it’s wearing something that makes you feel uncomfortable, or going to a party or an event you really don’t want to.. but how would you feel if that was your career.

Marija Duka is a speaker and workshop facilitator who works specifically with lawyers helping them to uniquely design their careers. She is a commercial lawyer, with both in-house and private practice experience, having previously worked for renowned Australian brands. Marija is also the host of The Career Confidence Podcast, designed for those in the legal profession looking to step out of the traditional path and build fulfilling and purposeful careers. Whilst I have a bit of experience in re-inventing yourself, this is a topic I’m keen to hear more perspectives about, so let’s meet Marija.

Meet Dr Gina Cleo, who is one of the world’s leading experts in habits and is passionate about translating scientific evidence into simple, actionable strategies to help improve health, wellness, mindset, and lifestyle-related habits – long-term. Gina has a PhD in habit change, is an Adjunct Professor at Bond University and is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian. 

Gina’s habit change research has been published in medical journals globally and she has appeared for over 250 news outlets including many of Australia’s major television networks; ABC News, Today Show & Studio 10. She is also a regular keynote speaker and expert panellist at national and international conferences. When she’s not geeking out on new habit research, Gina is running courses through her Habit Change Institute and obsessing over chai lattes. She has also recently published a book, ‘The Habit Revolution’. I have soo many questions…let’s dive in!

With over 3 decades of rich and varied life experiences Belinda Stark’s journey embodies resilience and relentless personal growth. Her life's trials include battling 2 severe bouts of post natal depression, clinical depression, defeating breast cancer, managing fast onset menopause and confronting a 20 year drinking problem in midlife. All of this has contributed to a profound foundation of strength and survival that defines who she is.

She has built a successful retail fashion business & created her own fashion label,  fulfilling a professional dream to provide a platform to support midlife women wanting guidance with fashion and finding their style. This calling to help women feel good inside and out grew louder after her transformational journey during early sobriety.

Lisa Walker, co-founder of Eir Women and mum of two boys, transformed her life and career after the sudden loss of her husband at 47. Determined to honour his memory by living fully, she launched Eir Women to support women over 40 in prioritising their well-being.

At 49, Lisa began a "year of yes," committing to saying yes to every opportunity. This included experiences from fly-fishing to pole dancing, culminating in an extravagant 50th birthday celebration. These adventures brought joy and profound change, making her more confident and resilient.

Tracy Hall is an author, keynote speaker and senior marketing executive. In 2019, Tracy became known as Hamish McLaren’s famous ‘last victim’ thanks to her role in The Australian’s hit podcast, ‘Who the Hell is Hamish?’