Men In This Town: The Podcast

In the season finale episode, I welcome Minh Bui Jones to the studio, a man who made his way over to Australia as young boy, while finding refuge from Vietnam in the late 70’s with his family. To summarise his story in any way does it no justice, so I’ll leave it to you to have a listen for yourself. But to me, it's a story of compassion and perseverance, something we can all do with a little right now.

In this episode, I welcome Tyrone Pynor to the studio, a man that caught my eye during this past fashion week here in Sydney and I knew I had to have a chat with him. Currently working his way up the ranks in the Australian media industry, the now radio presenter at Triple J is on a journey of finding out who he wants to be in this world, and expressing it through his personal style is just the beginning. 

In this episode, I welcome Richard Kavanagh to the studio, a multi award winning hair stylist, turned tech entrepreneur, who epitomises the definition of rebel, in every sense of the word. Having grown up with a conservative upbringing in New Zealand during the 80's, Richard rejected the academic vision his family had for him and in doing so, threw himself into a world of self exploration through fashion, drugs, and rock n'roll. Although his creative spirit shined through, it was his lack of discipline that made him feel lost, that is until he found the art of karate to bring him back in line and prepare him for a creative career most people would die for.

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome fellow photographer, Frederick McHenry to the studio. Originally from South Atlanta, Frederick always felt like he was being put into a box growing up. He knew there was more outside of where he was being told to stay and it took crossing the Pacific Ocean and landing himself in South Korea to see what he had been missing. Freddie XX, as he's known on the gram, takes us on a wild journey in this episode, sharing how he went from selling designer streetwear in college to make extra cash, to then modelling it, and now shooting it for the likes of Hypebeast and GQ Japan.

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Baden Hitchcock to the studio, a dancer with the Bangarra Dance Theatre, whose creative upbringing — thanks to his mother's loving encouragement — presented him with opportunities that have brought him around the world. With family in Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait Islands, music, singing and dancing are second nature, making it a wonder to his family how he made it into a living. We chat about growing up with these strong women in his life, his teenage wardrobe that consisted of homemade garments and hand-me-down's inherited by his Russian violin teacher's dead husband, and how all this made him the man he is today.

In this episode, I welcome Matthew Backer to the studio, a Sydney based journalist turned actor whose recent credits include Young Frankenstein, and probably the most fun gig you can get, host of the Australian children's program, Play School! We chat about his journey in the industry, how finding his tribe helped him discover who he is and his love for 90's teen drama, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Mark Campbell to the studio, a man whose creativity has taken him from the big screen, down to the printed page, and everywhere in between. Currently the Creative Director and Publisher at Harper Collins Australia, Mark had learned to navigate his skills by being an eager learner, always willing to try new things. Whether it was dying his hair bleach blond as teen or jumping into a major film production straight out of school, it's these questionable and amazing experiences that kept him curious about life, and wanting to find what other creative tools were out there for him to try. 

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Jack Phillips to the studio, a journalist, turned content maker that now calls Sydney home. Having grown up in East London via Essex in the late 90's and early 2000's, football and lad culture seemed to be the only way to relate. Shaved heads and Puma tracksuits were the uniform and footballers like David Beckham were the inspiration. Like many of us, it took heading out to University for Jack to see what else was out there and work out who he wanted to be. After some experimental haircuts and the discovery of TOPSHOP, it was his first job at Monocle magazine where he saw what a life of style could truly look like, but it would take a bit of effort to get there.

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Chris Burt-Allan to the studio, a former management consultant, turned fashion influencer, turned sustainability advocate. Having spent time living overseas, jet setting around the world and working with luxury fashion brands, Chris had truly made it to the top of his game, but soon realised there was nowhere else to go once you hit the top. While questioning the ethics of the industry in which he worked, and wanting to find more meaning in it, Chris wondered if there was more he could do with his new found influence, even if it meant bitting the hand that fed him. I know I can relate. 

In this episode of the podcast, I welcome Tirrell Cherry to the studio, an American born Sydney sider whose military kid upbringing saw him live a gypsy like life, learning to call anyplace home. A social being at heart, Tirrell’s work always gravitated towards people, from styling hair in Atlanta, to teaching spin in New York City, now in Sydney, his work focuses on the inside, as a mindset and manifestation coach. We of course chat about all of this, plus his love for music in his work, his colourful personal style, including how he brought his early surfer vibe look from tropical Hawaii to urban Atlanta and stuck to it.