EJSpark Converstaions
By Ethan Jolley
EJSpark Converstaions May 28, 2020
Rhett Corker // You are not a burden on anyone
I'm slowly meeting more and more Tomorrowman facilitators in this podcast and it was an absolute privilege to have Rhett on talking about his journey to being a speaker of men's health and wellbeing. Initially, when I first attended a Tomorrowman workshop I thought these blokes who are running the workshop are the bee's knees in what it is to be a man, they know their shit and have their life sorted. But as I have slowly talked to each facilitator and for that matter, all my other guests who I highly admire and look up to in every aspect and I have come realise that they are just like you and I. They all have their own story to tell, have had their own shit times which have actually taught them a lot about themselves and have gradually turned into great times. The universe is going to continue to throw challenges at you which will test you in every aspect but I want you to know that you have the power to ace that test and go onto the next level in your life. Think of it as a video game, you can't go onto the next level which may be a much more appealing level until you have consolidated your understandings and passed the test.
It's ok to sit in discomfort, this is something I have struggled with big-time but something I am embracing in my life right now. And as Rhett mentions in this conversation you sitting in that discomfort is not a burden on others. Don't be afraid to reach out to anyone.
You find out more about Tomorrowman at their website https://www.tomorrowman.com.au/ or follow them on Instagram @tomorrowman_au
Josh Ward // R U OK Mate?
I had a great conversation with Josh Ward a facilitator @tomorrowman_au and a young enthusiastic bloke who has had so much experience and exposure to the world already.
Josh and I have a chat about his journey to being the man he is today and about checking up on our mates. Today and every other day we need to be sparking those conversations with our friends, loved ones and those around us.
1 in 4 Australians feel like they have no one to turn to for help. Let your mates know that you are there for them.
Check out Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Women @ https://www.tomorrowman.com.au/ and https://www.tomorrowwoman.com.au/
Kumbi Mukaro's Mindfulness Practice
Kumbi Mukaro Part 2 // Practical advice we can all apply now to elevate our lives
Kumbi in this part of episode 30 takes us through a mindfulness practice that we can use at any interval in our day whether it be in the morning, evening or whenever we are feeling heightened and stressed. She then goes on to explain why a mindfulness practise is so important now more than ever in this day and age of stimulus overload. Kumbi then touches on a lot of other small basic tips we too often forget about but which amplify our inner worlds to the next level and cultivate a joyous sense of what it is to be human.
Kumbi Mukaro Part 1 // Zimbabwe to Australia, cooperate stress to cooperate mindfulness
EPISODE 30 is here!!! WOWEE!! This came around way to quickly and to be honest I so did not think I would be able to meet 30 different people, hear their journey through their various ups and downs and record it for the podcast. I am feeling EXTREMELY GRATEFUL for everyone that I have sat down with to have a chat, they have all taken time out of their day to chat with this random person who messaged them on Instagram or sent them an email. I am also so GRATEFUL for everyone who has tuned in to listen to my podcast. To have just 1 person listen, means the world. I am always worried when I release a new episode until the first person listens then my nerves ease up and I move on to working on the next episode.
Unintentionally for episode 30 there are two parts.
The first part is hearing Kumbi's journey where she touches on her early years of moving away from her home country to come to Australia to study. She's always prided strived for academic excellence and thought that if she excels and lands a job where she walks around with a briefcase then she would be happy. Here's a prime example of Martin's If/then mentality. If I get this, then I'll be happy. Always chasing external things to make you happy, But Kumbi noticed there was something missing on the inside of her. That's when she came across Mindfulness Mediation.
Part 2 Kumbi and I talk about some practical take away tips and advice that we can all apply straight away to lower our stress and anxiety and be the best version of ourselves.
Paul Roos // Former AFL player and coach talks leadership and men's health
I feel extremely honoured to have the opportunity to sit down with Paul Roos, former AFL footballer for Footscray and Sydney who later took over the coaching position at Sydney and lead them out of their 72-year premiership drought. People like Roosy and our parents have a very interesting contrast between what life was like pre-technology and what life is like now with technology. Roosy and I have a chat about some of these comparisons and the effects that technology is having on our mental health. We dive into all things leadership and what makes a good leader which is actually a theme I talk a lot about on this podcast and what a lot of men find hard to do. When then shift into talking around the men's space and Roosy finishes up giving his advice to young leaders out there. Remember we are all leaders in all area's of our lives, a leader isn't someone with a title often the greatest leader is one who has no title.
Follow Roosy on Instagram @paulroos1 and check out one his websites/companies Nurture 360 @ https://nurture360.com.au/team-members/paul-roos
Nic Davidson // Learn more and serve other's
anchor.fm/ethan-jolley/episodes/Sarah-Davidson--taking-control-of-your-life-by-seizing-your-yay-ee05mt
Despite all of his accomplishments the one thing that I really admire about Nic is his devotion to serving and helping other's whether that be through charity work or through helping small business owners in starting up their business. I managed to pop a question in there at the end to find out the motives behind why he devotes a lot of his time to helping other's otherwise it's something wouldn't probably talk about.
Even though Nic is flat out with his business and is online all the time after our recording he stayed on and we had a good ole yarn. That right there made my day and was a stand out. The fact that he had time for me meant the world. This is something to always keep in mind when your catching up with people, be present and don't be in rush. Purposely set aside time for that person so you don't have to race off to another job or event.
You can find him @niccyboy
Cass Dunn // Shifting your energy from crappy to happy
I was so blessed to be able to sit down with Cass Dunn for an hour and have the opportunity to pick her brain on a range of topics. For those that don't know Cass is a Clinical Psychologist, mindfulness/meditation teacher, coach, author of 3 books and one of Australia's leading podcasters who has had the opportunity to speak with some inspiring people from all around the country and the world.
Honestly, this podcast journey of mine continues to blow my mind. I can't even fathom how I have managed to speak with the guests I have spoken with. The one thing that I have learnt so far is that as Oprah Winfrey says "you get in life what you have the courage to ask for". You just never know what the answer is going to be until you ask and if you get a no then you haven't lost anything.
This conversation could not come at a better time for us Victorians who are having to go back into stage 3 restrictions and experiencing stage 4 restrictions. Personally, this week I've been feeling quite flat as my Uni semester was shaping up to be an epic one full of practical trips to amazing outdoor environments with good company. But that's all been put on hold at the moment.
This week I've sat with those uncomfortable feelings, I've allowed my body to rest more than I usually do and I know that these uneasy emotions will pass. Alongside that, I have made sure that I tick off my non-negotiable everyday habits which fill up my cup.
So take some time out for you and be easy on yourself during this section season in our lives.
Please give Cass Dunn a follow on Instagram @cassdunn_xo and listen to her podcast called 'Crappy to Happy'. You can find out more about Cass and the amazing work she does on her website https://cassdunn.com/
Andy Dennis // Masculinity from a homosexual lens
Two things have become very clear to me since speaking with Andy; the first being that you cannot judge a book by its cover at all and the second being that I have some inbuilt implicit biases.
What do I mean by the first statement "you cannot judge a book by its cover", we've all heard this term being thrown around before. In this scenario, I had just met Andy at a Men's Virtual Lock in night, hosted by tomorrow man and Andy was the facilitator. I then arrange to chat over the phone with Andy as I wanted to record a conversation with him around growing up in the country, travelling the world and masculinity. It was midway through our chat that he informed me that he was gay. This is where the second statement comes in. Hearing that, I was a little shocked as I had just experienced him deliver a virtual workshop where 40 males from all over Australia and the world came together and showed some real and raw emotion. I have friends who are gay and I am fully supportive of them and stand by them because they are my mates. I've often had conversations with them around their sexuality and so I'm comfortable with hearing this kind of language. However, this slight shock that I experienced made it clear to me that I still have an implicit bias around homosexuals which seeps into my life even though it is contradicting my beliefs. We all have them and they embed themselves into our subconscious through the social norms of society.
In this conversation, Andy and I talk about what it was like for him growing up as a gay male and the story behind how he became comfortable enough to take off the "straight jacket" and we explore his take on masculinity.
Keep an eye on Tomorrowman or Tomorrowwomen for upcoming virtual workshops. They are well worth it. You can visit their website here: https://www.tomorrowman.com.au/ https://www.tomorrowwoman.com.au/ or follow them on socials @tomorrowman_au @tomorrowwomen_au
EJs Insightful Sparks // Martin Heppell Part 1
Honestly, the entire conversation with Martin was a huge insightful spark and so I found it extremely hard to pick just three. I decided to go along with the theme of the full conversation and spilt this into two parts. I highly recommend you check out the full conversation as it was probably my most favourite and impactful conversation I've had thus far. You can find it here: https://anchor.fm/ethan-jolley/episodes/Martin-Heppell-Part-1--Why-so-many-of-us-do-not-play-our-own-cards-egenhf
My three insightful sparks are:
1. Belonging is when you are in the room with someone you want to be with and you don't have to change who you are.
2. We are all imperfect. Society tells us we need to be perfect/know everything to be accepted or to be successful amongst society.
3. It doesn't matter when you find it, as long as you find it.
Louise Barnett // The food we eat has a significant impact on our mood
Louise Barnett is a trained nutritionist who has practised before moving into youth mental health. I've been looking to interview a nutritionist for quite some time now and one day I was catching up with Louise and we were chatting about food and I found out she was a trained nutritionist. What are the chances hey.
Louise and I chat about the basics around the foods we eat and what they provide us, how to form a healthy relationship with foods, the importance of our gut health, the relationship between our gut and our brain, how the foods we eat affect our mood, the link between an unhealthy diet and depressive disorders and lots and lots of practical advice which you can all implement right now in your lives to improve the quality of your life.
Head over to @headspacehorsham where Louise runs the social media and provides heaps and heaps of helpful tips for looking after yourself and improving your mental health.
Martin Heppell Part 2 // Uncovering life's true GEM of playing your own cards
Here it is, the second part to this sensational conversation I had with Martin Heppell from The Resilience Project.
If you haven't listened to the first episode check it out here:
In this episode, we touch on The Resilience Project's philosophy of GEM (Gratitude, Empathy/Kindness and Mindfulness). By practising these three simple principles daily you are building your mental resilience so that you are better equipped to tackle life's challenges.
We also talk more about failure, normalising emotions, how shame is putting up that barrier to form true connections and what we can do to help our mates. This is such a ripper episode I hope you all enjoy.
Martin Heppell Part 1 // Why so many of us do not play our own cards
I have reached the pinnacle of my podcast journey. This conversation I had with Martin Heppell from the resilience project encapsulated everything I've been probing throughout the various conversations I have had with my guests. At the very start when I released my first episode I wrote down a list of topics that I want to find out more about. Since then each episode I've touched one a couple of the topics. However, this conversation both part 1 and part 2 touched on every single one of the topics. Martin articulated the reasons why (Part 1) and then goes on to explain how you can overcome the issues and learn to play your cards (Part 2).
Topics we cover:
Fitting in vs belonging - Loneliness
Why the school system is failing the youth
The importance of failure in order to build resilience
Comparison
I am a huge fan of The Resilience Project (TRP). I've read Hugh's Book, I've listened to his podcast, I've got their daily journal and I practice daily what they preach. Martin is Hugh's partner in crime and I was over the moon to sit down and have a chat with him. Hugh's book 'The Resilience Project' is the cure to many of life's hardest problems. I definitely recommend you check it out. https://theresilienceproject.com.au/
EJs Insightful Sparks // Jannik Blair
The three insightful sparks that I took away from the conversation I had with Jannik a few weeks back are incredibly powerful once we become aware of them. It's so easy to go with the flow of life and get caught up in what society is driving us towards and what other people are saying. It's hard to take a step back, reflect and align yourself again with the morals and values that are true to you. The three takeaways are:
1. Treat everyone how you would want to be treated. Put yourself in their shoes. Be empathetic.
2. Learn a skill that your tomorrow self will thank you for.
3. Enjoy the process and be 100% present in the moment.
Have a listen to the full-length conversation with Jannik, he is truly a very humbling human being.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Jannik Blair // "Enjoy the journey" - advise from a Paralympian
After a week off from recording an episode, this conversation was the perfect one to kick start and spark these conversations again.
Jannik is a local legend here in Horsham and I remember going through high school hearing about Jannik's tragic farm accident that left him as a paraplegic. I was totally inspired by how he turned that around and went on to become a two time Paralympian for the Australian wheelchair basketball team, a silver medalist recipient at his first Paralympic Games at age 20, a world champion and many other feats. I've never met him in person which is strange to hear with us growing up in the same town and going to the same school, so I was very excited about having the chance to finally sit down meet Jannik and have a good ole yarn.
In this episode, I find out what it takes to go through a horrific accident and become a Paralympian, his mindset and drive that kept him on track, the importance of support and not being treated any differently to abled-bodied people and Jannik's incredible pearls of wisdom that he shares in this conversation.
I hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did. Jannik's Instagram is @jannikblair
Welcome my friend
Over the past few years, I have come to realise how powerful a genuine conversation can be and how much impact it can have. People often ask me now what sparks me; what gets me fired up. I can honestly say that there is nothing that sparks me more than a conversation with someone because a conversation is progress forward, in life. I am a young 21 year old who is curious about the world around me, and what sparks other human beings to make a difference on this beautiful earth of ours. I'm on a quest to master the art of connection, vulnerability, storytelling and conversations all the while sparking my listeners to be themselves and live their best life. One day soon I'll be using these skills to inspire, educate and raise the standards of young Australians through being a teacher.
Follow @ejspark_conversations for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
EJs Insightful Sparks // Darren Pereira
My three insightful sparks this week were extremely hard to decide on as the entire conversation with Darren was extremely insightful and really sparked a lot inside of me. But the three biggest ones that have had a huge impact on my life both in the past and recent are:
1. Set the tone of your day right by getting up early and setting your mornings up for success.
2. Listen to that inner voice inside of you, it's trying to steer you in the direction so that you can fulfil the very reason you were put on this earth for.
3. Gratitude and affirmations allow you to feel that you have enough and you are enough therefore it impossible to be in a state of scarcity.
Have a listen to the full-length conversation with Darren, you'll be surprised by how much it'll elevate your mood.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Darren Pereira// The most important conversation is the one you have with yourself
I have been looking forward to this interview for a while now. I had thought of getting Darren on earlier but I left it until now as exams for us Uni students are coming up and we all need a little pick me up. Darren shares some amazing wisdom which we can all instantly apply to our lives right now for free and that is going to repay us in dividends of love, bliss and joy. We have chat about Darren's childhood and what it was like growing up with a multicultural background and how he was constantly trying to please his parents but he never really was happy in the process, what intuition is and how we can learn to start listening to it and be our true selves, the conversation we have with ourselves will reflect in our outer world, the power of affirmations and gratitude and Darren's top exam tips. I honestly learnt so much in this chat with Darren and I am so thankful for him coming on. We covered a lot in this episode and I believe this one is a powerful one. Stay tuned for me 3 insightful sparks next week. Go check out Darren's Instagram @darrenpereiraofficial or find him on Facebook. He's going to be pumping out some amazing content soon which is going to help us all.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
EJs Insightful Sparks// Ryder Jack
Welcome to the first mini-episode which is a sub-series to my main conversations. In these episode's I will be talking about my insightful sparks or key takeaways from the previous week's conversation.
Make sure you check out the main conversation as there are plenty more insightful sparks that are not covered in this mini-episode.
https://anchor.fm/ethan-jolley/episodes/Ryder-Jack--No-one-is-the-finished-product-eelmel
My 3 insightful sparks are:
1. No one is the finished product, no one is the perfect man or fulfilling the perfect stereotype.
2. All blokes cry we don't need to be ashamed of it!
3. To create a safe space for blokes to be vulnerable, you first need to role model it by being the one to express your feelings first. This opens up the floor and forms a trust which gives permission for the other person to talk about their emotions.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Ryder Jack // No one is the finished product
I am so excited to bring you all this real, raw and down to earth conversation I had with Ryder Jack; a facilitator at Tomorrow Man... a sensational one at that. Ryder has spent most of his life facilitating and inspiring people around him to be the best version of themselves. Passionate about vulnerability, masculinity, mental health and having genuine conversations which is exactly what happened in this episode. This one really gives some good tips on how you can look after yourself, better support your mates and not worry about living up to unrealistic expectations and stereotypes that society places on us. No one is the finished product.
Head over to Tomorrow Man and check out what they are doing in this space. https://www.tomorrowman.com.au/ you can also find them @tomorrowman_ay Also head to their sister channel Tomorrow Women https://www.tomorrowwoman.com.au/ @tomorrowwoman_au
Stay tuned for my 3 key lessons that I took away from this conversation in a separate episode next week.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Episode 20 // Insight into my story and journey thus far
This episode to start with didn't sit right with me. I had the idea of telling my story through the podcast a while ago. But I didn't want to, because I didn't want anyone to think of me differently or treat me above or below them. I wanted to fit in. I've always stuck extremely true to my values throughout life but I have used different masks to portray different area's of my life or to be someone I'm not. Last year all of this started to shift for me once I found my tribe and felt safe being vulnerable amongst friends. This year when I started the podcast and started interviewing people who I looked up to I realised the importance of sharing our own stories. The purpose of this episode is to allow others to feel comfortable to share their stories. I have come to the point where I am extremely proud of my story and my journey and I am even more proud of the man I am today.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Sarah Davidson // taking control of your life by seizing your yay
When I first started this podcast Sarah was the first person who was on my list of people to meet and have a conversation with. I've been following her since she started her podcast and I relate so very well to her philosophy of seizing the yay. We live in a society that is so fast-paced that we as humans haven't fully been able to adapt to and we try so very hard to keep up with it. Sarah felt the pressure and was given signs from the universe to slow down. This was when her life motto of seize the yay came to intuition. Instead of being caught up in seizing the day and hustling to get shit done, Sarah believes we should enjoy the journey, embrace the hard times, and take time out to look after yourself. I thank Sarah for being extremely vulnerable and sharing her story and her struggles.
There was so many takeaways in this episode and I found it very hard to narrow it down to three. But here are my three:
1. Everything happens for a reason, we might not know that reason then and there but through accepting what has happened and actively trying to seek out a way to overcome or better the event we can move on as a stronger human being.
2. It's ok to not know what you want to do. By just doing something you are working towards your true purpose even if you don't like it at the time it's better than doing nothing because the time is going to pass either way.
3. Having mental struggles is not your fault. We live in a society that is just bombarded with external stimulus' that our haven't adapted too. Don't be scared to reach out for help. We would seek out guidance if we had a heart problem or a broken bone, what's the difference with mental struggles.
Find Sarah on Instagram @spoonful_of_sarah or head to her website https://www.spoonfulofsarah.com/about-me/ to check out her podcast and everything else that this incredible women is doing.
Follow @ejspark_conversations on Instagram or ejspark11 on Facebook for regular updates on the podcast and helpful content.
Jacob Weatherley // The journey of strength; redefining what men's strength is
Any conversation in general with anyone fires me up but there is something about having a conversation around men's wellbeing that just really ignites a spark in me. I think it's because these conversations are typically not had enough amongst men. It is definitely getting better but we still have a long way of redefining what masculinity really is. Today's guest is doing exactly that; spreading a message that strength isn't just physical strength it also involves mental, emotional and spiritual strength. Jacob despite all the successes he's had in his life and looking from the outside in you might say gee how hasn't he crumbled. Well just like most of my guests he has had his own failures his own battles but he's come out fighting stronger than ever at the other end.
My 3 key takeaways are:
1. True strength is not about how physically strong you are. There are so many other layers to this term that define what true strength is. Taping into our mental, emotional and spiritual strength truly builds a strong person.
2. During this time of isolation, we need to preserve our mental health. Try something new i.e meditation, journaling, going for a walk by ourselves. Start with by doing them in small increments, for instance, a 5min meditation and don't expect to see instant results as these take time to bring us true fulfilment.
3. To help install these new habits tac them onto an already existing habit like brushing our teeth or having our morning coffee and then reward yourself after completing your new habit with something that you really enjoy.
Go follow Jacob @jacob_weatherley. He's putting out some amazing content and I'm so excited to see where he goes with his new journey.
Blake Worrall-Thompson // Forming a healthy relationship with your ego
What can I say? I finally completed the full set of moMENtum Lifestyle blokes. Blake is a truly inspiring person and one that I gel so well with. Having only recently come out of a rough 18 month period in September where he received hit after hit, he dug deep and found something on the inside of him to keep going. He's now on the path to creating generational change in men and their mindset along with Dylan Roos and Janoah Van Kekem who feature on this podcast. Blake has always been someone who has talked about ego and so in this episode we delve into exactly that. My three key takeaways are:
1. Change starts with self-awareness. If you want to change anything you first need to become self-aware.
2. Our ego is not a reflection of our true selves. It is a reflection of how society has shaped us. The ego too often rules how we live our lives resulting in negative actions and events. We can change this though by first becoming self-aware of ourselves.
3. In any relationship, we shouldn't be trying to control or change the person. If we don't like something then this is often a reflection of our ego talking. We just need to let that person be free and be who they truly are and once we do that our relationship will flourish.
Check out Blake's Instagram @blakeworralthompson and also @themomentumlifestyle. https://www.themomentumlifestyle.com.au/
Tom Cronin // Awakening your true selves in a world of chaos
This is the most powerful episode I have ever recorded. Tom's story from being a financial broker who was a devastating life trajectory, trying to make himself happy through drugs, alcohol and other unsustainable habits makes him very relatable. His body came to a crisis point where it just couldn't take anymore and he was diagnosed with a range of mental health disorders. He stumbled across mediation via a documentary on a successful business person and started looking into different practices. Meditation saved his life. I have one of the most fascinating chats I've ever had as Tom reveals a deeper understanding of topics around life, in a very simple to understand way. He's now a very sought after meditation teacher, film producer, author of a book, has his own meditation app and founder of the stillness project.
My three key takeaways from this episode were:
1. We live in a world of instant gratification where we are constantly seeking the shortest path to happiness. True happiness doesn't come instantly. This is why so many people including myself have struggled with meditation. We expect instant results and change after just 10min. Meditation is not an instant hit of feel-good feelings. Meditation is a slow process that takes time but if you are consistent then you will see a difference.
2. Meditation is the portal to help access what is inherently us. It's unlocking our deeper consciousness. We live in a world where we are constantly going from highs to lows. Deeper styles of meditation transcend our emotions and stabilise them to the point where we feel bliss, love and joy which are deeper levels of states.
3. If there is pain and suffering then it is a cue that something needs to change. Search within yourself not externally for the answer.
You can find Tom on Instagram @tomcronin or go to his website https://www.tomcronin.com/
Dave Doolan// Working for and towards a greater cause than ourselves
Dave is a person who I have recently started regularly sitting down with having a coffee conversation with. After every single chat I have with him I always instantly feel so much better and feel totally grounded. He offers a different perspective on everything and I am totally grateful that he has come into my life. We always have very in-depth chats and this conversation we recorded for the podcast was none the less. Dave is empowered by young people and helping them find their purpose in life and boy has he made an impact on the Bendigo community through his work with Connect Church, Red Frogs and La Trobe University. My three key takeaways from the episode where: 1. We are always searching for answers to the big questions and often these answers come to us through living and believing in a cause that is greater than just us. We don't get joy from having materialistic objects in our life we get joy from working for and towards something that is greater than us. 2. Leadership is a journey. Don't compare your leadership style to someone else's because they are on a different path and at a different stage in their journey. Everyone is a leader and we should all be aiming to raise those in need above us. 3. Finding your purpose comes from looking for a cause that we can exist to. We gotta look outwards. It doesn't end with ourselves, it's about empathy for others. @dave_doolan
Georgia Irvine // It's ok not to have the answer, just trust the process
Since day one of starting the podcast I have wanted to get Georgia Irvine on and have a chat. Her deep passion and drive for the res community and leadership as a whole is infectious and has left me very cautious of how Georgia manages her life. While keeping our 1.5m distance from each other we delved into some really good topics around self-care and looking after yourself in a situation like we are in now. Georgia opens up a lot about her own struggles and sheds some light to how she managed to contain her own demons. My three key takeaways are 1. Recognising the uncomfortable feelings inside of you. Know when you are feeling down, sit in the moment, name the emotion, feel it and then think about how you are going to change it. 2. We have to love ourselves first. The way we talk with ourselves and the things we say to ourselves are the most because if we can't be kind to ourselves then we can't be kind to others. 3. It's ok to not have the answer. Just let life happen, have faith in the process. Everything happens for a reason and there is a positive to every negative.
Sonya Karras // Remaining positive in every situation
I am so grateful that I had the chance to sit down with Sonya on 6th March and have a chat with her about life. She a very special human being and one who I have learnt so much from in the short amount of time that I have known her for. Sonya goes around to 1000s of schools in Australia and travels internationally talking about being safe around drugs and alcohol. But she is not just a drug and alcohol advocate she is a mentor for all the students she meets and is there for every single one of them at every point in their life. All you need to do is look at her social media to see this. With her funny and relatable experiences and her charismatic personality, you can not help but feel warm and fuzzy on the inside and feel like you can conquer the world, after being around her. Sonya and I just have a brilliant yarn about anything and everything. This episode is sure to spark something on the inside of you and bring some good feeling vibes to you. Please give Sonya and follow @sonyakarras as her Instagram is amazing.
Janoah Van Kekem // Elevating your mental performance
This is a must-listen episode. I’ve spoken about Janoah before and I’ve also had his business partner Dylan Roo on the podcast previously. Janoah is a meditation teacher and is doing so much work in the men’s mental health field. In this episode, we talk about the different masks that men try to shape their life around when actually we should be stripping back that mask and revealing our true authentic selves instead. I also get Janoah to talk more in-depth about meditation, it’s benefits, why everyone should be doing some form of meditation and how to start. I even give you all a helping hand by asking Janoah to talk us through a guided meditation for everyone to participate in. You can find Janoah @janoahvankekem and check at @themomentumlifestyle for some amazing content around mental health.
Michael Donehue // Overcoming his battle with depression
From the age of 16, Michael was struggling mentally. Growing up in a small country town he was uneducated and scared about seeing his local doctor for his mental illness as he thought the whole town would find out about his issues. In this episode, Michael tells his story from start till now where he is giving talks to crowds of people about alcohol, drugs and mental health. Although I've heard it three times now I still get something from it and feel extremely grateful for my life and the people around me. Michael and I have a chat about the importance of having coping mechanisms or good healthy habits in place to stay on top of your mental health. We all have the best qualification when it comes to mental illness and that's two ears. We chat about a recurring theme that keeps popping up in all my podcasts and that's the power and the importance of vulnerability and Michael encourages everyone to talk sooner... don't hit rock bottom. You can find Michael and his new clothing line @michaeldonehue and @_journeyapparel_
Daniel Robinson // Failure, rejection and how to hold on
I finally got the chance to sit down with Daniel and pick his brain and find out more about his story. I've heard bits and pieces over the past year and have seen the way he conducts himself but I've never had the chance to chat with him until now and what better excuse than to make a podcast out of it. Daniel has had so many life experiences from studying accounting to going on exchange and travelling the world to being an Outdoor Educator to what he does now which is managing Accommodation Services here at Bendigo. Through hearing his story he talks a lot about failure, rejection, resilience, drawing on experiences to stick with it and hold on until the tough times pass. So many life lessons in this chat with him. I hope you can all take something away from it.
Greg McKinnon // Taking responsibility and how important difficult conversations are
I apologise about the 2-week delay in episodes, but I'm now back and boy I have a good one for you all today. Greg is a 25 year old (as of today) Youth Pastor at the Harvest Church in Horsham who is a very strong advocate for empowering the youth. Something he won't bring up in conversation but I believe is a credit to who he is, is that Greg was the award recipient of Horsham's Youth Citizen of the year in 2015. I've also admired what Greg does in the community and in this episode we unpack that a little more and hear the reason's why he is doing what he is doing. We also talk about taking responsibility for your actions, the importance of having a civilised but difficult conversation with someone who is on the opposing side of your belief, and having an open mind, the youth's biggest challenge which is the fear of being miss understood, and lasting something I love to talk about... gratitude. Please go check him out @greg_mckinnon_
Scott Keating // How to dig yourself out of a hole
Scott is an everyday human who has been through some tough times but has now turned his life around for the better. He shows up every day with a simple message on his Facebook lives on how we can improve our mental health right now. In this episode, Scott and I cover a lot to do with mental health and he discusses how people can come out of their dark places because he's been there and knows what it's like. If this episode has brought anything up for you please speak to someone or have a think about what strategies from this episode you can apply today. I encourage you all to connect with Scott on either Facebook, Instagram and now TikTok by searching Scott Keating
Stefan Bramble // The power of vulnerability and how shame is the precursor for disconnection which is causing mental health problems
I’ve been waiting to have this chat with Stefan the day I met him which was on the 5th Feb. During the session my fellow student leaders and I had with him, he literally verbalised the thoughts that had been going through my head over the summer period. It allowed me to process my busy brain. He is a very deep thinker and at the end of the podcast, we actually talk about how we as a society need to become philosophers and discuss the big esoteric topics in life in a safe environment so we can create a fundamental infrastructure to latch onto to help us understand the isness of being.
There were two words that stood out the first time I met Stefan. Shame and vulnerability. Ever since then these two words have been popping up in my life everywhere I look. Shame is basically the precursor for disconnection. Vulnerability is the birthplace of change, innovation, joy, creativity and fun.
Shame is very isolating and dark but the moment we are vulnerable and spread light onto our shames the less you have. Stefan refers to this as burning your wood.
We delve deep into these two words and hopefully sum it all up at the end on how you can dumb down these big topics and apply strategies to your everyday life’s. Check out Stefan and the work he does on his website http://stefanbramble.com/
Dylan Roo // Men's mental health, 5 pillars to good mental well-being and all things meditation
This was such an epic chat I had with Dylan. Initially, I was just meeting up with him to chat about how I can do more in the space of mental health and in particular men's mental well-being and how Dylan can assist me in that space. From there it turned into recording a podcast about all things mental health and meditation. Dylan opens up about his own past struggles and how his pathway of pursuing a sporting career quickly turned into a pathway of bringing awareness to men's mental health. He explains 5 really keys parts that he believes contributes to a healthy mental state and explains in detail what you the listener can do right now to apply these to your daily habits. We talk about how society isn't necessarily facing a depression epidemic, we are more so facing a loneliness epidemic which leads to mental health problems. Lastly, he talks about everything to do with meditation which I agree with him, is so crucial for your own mental state. Go check out Dylan on Instagram @theonlyroos and also @themomentumlifestyle
Danny Kennedy // Behind the scenes of Danny's hard work ethic
Angelena Roan // a young person going against the social norms
Ang (pronounced Ange) is a 23-year-old, 4th year physio student who has done more things in her short life than most people. I didn’t realise it was her birthday on the day we recorded this, so I am so thankful for her making time to meet me. This was the first time meeting her and I felt like I’d known her for years which is a credit to her open and non-filtered personality. Apart from the constant background noise of birds and children Ang and I have an amazing chat about what sparks her internal flame. A lot of the chat is centred around the youth as both Ang and I are young people, passionate about inspiring other young people. We talk about her life story so far, why taking a gap year is the wisest decision young person could do, the power of self-reflection, how to push past the pressure of society and why you shouldn’t fear failure, how to get your dream off the ground and make it a reality and all things in between. I could’ve sat there for ages talking to Ang. Everyone must follow her on Instagram @ang_foot as she is one hilarious and two very motivating. If you want to listen to more of Ang listen to this Seize the Yay podcast https://open.spotify.com/episode/3p1NZILOkPWukHtmZZekS9?si=pGg6BcjKRfqTRadFKrWk0Q
Skip // Power of positivity and finding your community
This one is a goodie, definitely one for the record books even though I only have 3 now. Skip is the most humble and down to earth human being who has centred his life around the community. He is one of those people who is making a real change to not only his community but to the youth in it by teaching them the power of focus, concentration and defeating fear through his religion of skateboarding. I'm so grateful that he opened up in this podcast on a deeper level because his story gives justice to who he is today. Although the podcast goes for over an hour every minute of it is worth listening to as he talks about: pushing past self-doubt; power of positivity; the importance of community and how to find your's; the reason why there are so many troubled youths out there today; his timeline metaphor to use instead of comparing yourself to others; be nice and be kind to everyone as it will come back to you someday; if you want something so badly there is always something there so turn over every stone and don't give up on searching for it.
Dylan Nicholson // Turning your life around, the world of social media and mental health
Dylan is a 19 year old who had the guts to turn his life around when things weren't feeling right. Now on a journey to "inspire the youth to do whatever they want and not let society tell them otherwise". After making the decision to turn his life around he's tried numerous avenues until he found the podcast and digital creation. He's now consistently putting out positive content on Instagram and has his own podcast where he's interviewed some amazing guests. A genuine bloke and truly inspiring. Check out him on Instagram @dylan.nicholson.journey and have a listen to his podcast at Dyl Journeys Podcast. We talk about the world of social media how it can have a positive and negative effect on people, what Dylan does for his own mental health and how he checks in with his mates, getting past that self-doubt road bloke and the power of surrendering to it, a fantastic approach to setting goals, it's ok to not know your life's purpose and what every teenager should be doing if they don't know what to do in life. I'm so grateful he made the time to come on for my first podcast. Hope you all enjoy it just as much as I did recording it.
Welcome to EJSpark Conversations
Well, here it is the very first episode of the EJSpark Conversations podcast, a podcast which has been in the works for a while now. In this welcome episode I basically just ramble on about all sorts of things so if you're like me and don't like my voice then skip to my first interview which will be up within a week. If you for some reason don't mind my voice then keep listening as I cover why I've chosen to do a podcast, my exterior and interior motives for doing podcasts, the idea around EJSpark Conversations and a little bit of background about myself. I hope you enjoy and make sure to subscribe so you can continue to listen to my fantastic voice. For announcements and all things EJSpark head to @ejspark_conversations on instagram. A conversation is progress so get out there and spark that conversation!