Stand Out Life

Ep97 Jose Bryce Smith - All you have is your health by Ali Hill

Creativity is now the strongest economic currency and Mykel Dixon helps people and organisations rediscover their creative potential, reclaim their creative confidence and redefine their value as creative leaders, teams and brands. A jazz musician by trade with an unconventional career path, Mykel Dixon was awarded Australia’s Breakthrough Speaker of the Year in 2018. Known for bringing with him a grand piano and a backing band, Mykel calls all of us to step into our creativity. Sounds good right…but how the hell do we do that?? We combine intuition and conviction - follow what draws you and commit to action. It’s these two factors that have held Mykel in good stead in his career. As we sat down for this conversation, Mykel jumped up and grabbed a nearby guitar to have with him in the studio. As a result we weave music into this chat and this became a beautiful reflection of what could be described as his motto in life….’what if we just played?’ Mykel was a big catalyst for this podcast commencing in 201

A previous global CEO, COO and current non-executive director, Michelle has owned, founded and headed up many companies in her twenty-five years in the corporate world. An elite athlete in her youth, she’s won awards in sport as well as business and personally overcome cervical cancer. Ever the optimist despite overcoming significant adversity, Michelle is an adult orphan who has also not only dealt with her own mortality but endured great loss from a young age. Michelle is the founder and author of the Wabi Sabi Series which includes a number of books that focus on topics we don't often talk about and a soon to be released podcast. Wabi Sabi is a traditional Japanese philosophy that focuses on finding beauty within imperfections in our lives and gracefully accepting the natural cycle of growth and decay. The first three books in the series are available now at wabisabiseries.com or your favourite online stores. They include topics such as Doctors are not gods; It's okay not to have kids; and Death doesn

Tara Diversi is an Advanced Sports Dietitian and Accredited Practicing Dietitian. She has a fascination with human behaviour having also studied psychology and education. Tara exclusively works with ultra-endurance adventure athletes and marathon swimmers, having supported over 60 English Channel swimmers successfully complete their crossing! Tara has always shared a love for sport, from her surf life-saving days to marathon running to marathon swimming. Competing in many long, cold swims, including the English Channel, Rottnest Channel, Gibraltar Strait and Palm Beach to Manly swim. She understands how mentally challenging sport can be and just how crucial optimal nutrition is to perform at your best. In this conversation Tara shares one of her toughest challenges which was becoming the first Australian female to swim the ‘ice-mile’ - one mile of swimming in water 5 degree’s or less. We also explore this challenge and well as the other challenges she hunts down in her life, and in the business world. We ex

Ariel Garten is a neuroscientist, innovator and entrepreneur whose driving purpose is to empower and help others overcome mental obstacles. She is the co-founder of InteraZan, the makers of Muse: the brain sensing headband. I wanted to dive in and find out more about this technology - it is a wearable headband that assists with meditation and mindfulness by providing bio-feedback from sounds to guide your brain waves. We talk mediation, the benefits, and tips and strategies to integrate this into your life more regularly. Her team’s technology has been featured in over 1000 media pieces, as well as was the feature showcase at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, an installation that allowed over 7,000 people control the lights on the CN tower, Canadian parliament buildings, and Niagara Falls with their brains from across the country. Ariel can be found giving her audiences the tools they need to help them become their best selves. Enjoy this dive into the world of meditation, innovation and technology with Ariel G

Today’s guest has an international background in business, psychology, and coaching - she has spent time with Marianne Williams, Richard Branson as well as running courage-building programs with organisations such as NASA, Shell, Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Google, Salesforce and the UN. We spoke via Zoom across international waters as she is currently living in Singapore and has three children in the US - which provides an interesting perspective on living through a global pandemic. We also spoke the day after her husband had been in quarantine for 30 days after being diagnosed with COVID-19 — and you will hear the excitement she shares about having him about. Margie Warrell is a bestselling author and leadership authority who is passionate about emboldening people to live and lead more bravely. Margie has walked the path of courage many times since growing up on a dairy farm in rural Victoria, Australia. She is a bestselling author, sits on the advisory board of Forbes School of Business & Technology an

The pursuit of balance is an endless pursuit - it’s one that goes round in circles, has us trying to do it all, with the zen calmness of a monk, when the reality is that trying to find balance leaves us feeling exhausted. Is it really achievable or is balance all kinds of B.S? That’s the question that today’s returning guest dived into for her new book, launched today, Balance and other B.S: How to hold it together when we’re having/doing it all. Felicity Harley previously shared much of her story on Episode 8 of this podcast series. She has been a journalist for Australia's leading women's publications for two decades, including a nine-year stint as founding editor of Women's Health. She launched and is currently editor-at-large of whimn.com.au and has appeared weekly on Sunrise. In today’s chat she dives into the research for her book, including interviewing some of Australia’s most well-known women, and leading experts in their field. Of which I’m humbled to have been one. Felicity lives in Sydney

There’s not a single place of work that hasn’t been affected by the current corona virus. With plenty of organisations making the swift shift to work from home, reconfiguring the type of work they deliver, and redefining their strategic plans - it can have you wondering where does workplace culture fit into all this? Michael Henderson has worked with hundreds of organisations as a corporate anthropologist - exploring the cultures of workplaces. He has seen time and time again, that with the right approach to culture and with a passionate and capable leadership team, organisation’s cultures can be ignited to deliver outrageous levels of performance, and deep and meaningful levels of fulfilment. In this conversation Michael shares why diving into our greatest fears will be the thing that liberates organisations, he also shares strategies for leading cultures when you have people work from home. Michael has over 25 years experience in observing, advising and educating organisations on how to enhance their w

Creativity and art can be a dirty word for some of us. Particularly if you wear the art scars of your childhood or early life. Today’s guest, Penelope Bell’s life is told through her expression and connection to art. Growing up in country QLD she become fascinated in the fashion world, as well as fostering her drawing and illustration skills. Leading to what she does now for a job which is fashion illustrations - and her work is beautiful. Interestingly enough though Penny embarked on a project a few years ago to have a year - consciously spending less to create more. We explore the lessons from this year, lessons that had her question the fashion industry, and then reconnect with it in a different way. Penny also shares openly about navigating a sleep disorder, through which one of her ‘prescriptions’ for want of a better word, to managing this disorder is through the art of composting of all things. This conversation with Penny is engaging, connecting, and calls forward the opportunity we all have t

Ep88 - Reconnect by Ali Hill

In this episode I sit down with proud Wiradjuri & Wailwan woman Teela Reid. Teela is a defence lawyer, former teacher, 5 x marathoner and activist. She was awarded UNSW Law Dean’s Women of Excellence List and was appointed tipstaff to her Honour Justice Lucy McCallum in the NSW Supreme Court. Ms Reid was invited to sit in on leadership meetings in Melbourne that began the foundation of the Uluru Statement of the Heart and became a working group leader on Section 51(xxvi) in the Constitutional dialogue process. Teela shares why our constitution needs to change to acknowledge the Indigenous people of this land, and how when we include this significant part of our culture and our history, we are not losing 200 years of history we are gaining an inclusion to the 60,000 years of Indigenous culture. Which is certainly something I want for my kids. Teela’s call is for all of us to be a part of this change. This is an important conversation and one I would encourage you to listen to again and again. Soak up the ho

Welcome to a New Year and a new Season (three) of the Stand Out Life Podcast!

It started with a blog post that he committed to writing twice a week, which lead to over 400,000 subscribers, which then lead in 2018 to the publication of an International best-selling book, Atomic Habits. James Clear unpacks why tiny changes create remarkable results. James’s articles receive 10 million hits each year and his work frequently appears in publications including the New York Times, Forbes, and Business Insider. With the start of 2020 this is a timely conversation to consider what do you want to become this year. In this conversation we dive into the connection between habits and identity, the questions that pull us back to what really matters, and the laws on how to make or break habits. James shares his insights into hacks that will change how you see habits including the 2 minute rule and the power of showing up. Take the time to absorb James’ work and this year could be the true start to a life you never believed possible for you. Map out what’s possible, and step into new habits wi

Carissa Walford has established herself as a true triple threat within the Australian media industry. TV Host, Producer, Journalist and founder of the- In Bed With Carissa Network. An Astra Award-winning TV host, journalist and producer by trade, Carissa is a distinct personality in the music, fashion and entertainment world. Rising to prominence as the female face of Foxtel’s Channel [V], Carissa garnered her broadcasting skills producing and hosting LIVE television programs every week for a staggering five years. Carissa has interviewed some of the biggest international celebrities in the business including Justin Bieber, Harry Styles, Kim Kardashian and Mark Wahlberg just to name a few. Her authenticity and refreshing style of journalism then landed Carissa her very own, half-hour weekly show entitled #VTRENDING, reporting on trending global topics through her own unique lens. Carissa then crossed over into commercial TV hosting two seasons of Channel 9’s half hour film review and red carpet show, Movi

If you think learning how to walk again in your life would be hard, imagining having to do it three times. My guest today, Kath Koschel has faced serious personal, mental and physical setbacks. Her story is one of those stories that last with you long after hearing it - it is both remarkable and down to earth. But it’s her energy, her interest in humans and her….well….kindness that will stay with you much longer, it certainly has for me. There is a point in our conversation that she shares a story about a time with her Dad that gave me goosebumps at the time and epitomises the power that kindness has to heal. It’s this power that prompted Kath to set up the charity The Kindness Factory which has a goal to encourage and inspire 1 million acts of kindness. This conversation will leave you searching for ways you can spread more kindness in your life. Someone who knows what a difference this can make is the amazing Kath Koschel.

A master facilitator, a transformation driver, and an absolute Airline geek - Lynne Cazaly is on a mission to shake down . Her latest book is titled ‘Ish: The Problem with our Pursuit for Perfection and the Life-Changing Practice of Good Enough’. And perfectionism is a problem - it has been known to cause over-thinking, over-working, burnout, sleeplessness, and mental health problems like depression and anxiety….and it’s on the rise. We unpack the role that curiousity plays in order to help us change perspectives and Lynne puts a number of challenges out to all of us in this chat - like what would it be like it if was good enough? How can we experiment more? What if we put our work out quicker - got feedback - and iterated? Letting go of perfectionism is not for the faint-hearted because it will require change, but the invitation to ‘Ish’ more is there and the truth is others may not even realise you are doing it. If you are looking for more time, more enjoyment, and more freedom to let the pressures

Today’s guest is one of Australia’s most sought after high performance coaches - he is the well kept secret of elite athletes including Sally Fitzgibbons, 7 x world champion Steph Gilmore, 3x world champion Mick Fanning, 2 x world champion Chumpy Pullen, sporting teams (such as the Sydney Roosters, Richmond Tigers, and recently worked with the NSW State of Origin team), and many top 1 percenters in the business world.  Nam Baldwin has a gift, one that you will hear throughout this podcast, of simplifying the complicated science behind brain and body performance and delivering it in (if you do the work) life-changing, digestible bites. Nam also has a presence about him - its unique combination of deep of knowledge, absolute focus on getting to the bottom of what’s going on, and a child-like wonder and playfulness that is contagious. He is someone who makes you want to be better simply by being around him….and that presence won’t be lost through this medium of a podcast.  He is also a free-diver, and we unpac

Emigrating from England with her family at the age of 13 cemented adventure into what was to come for the life of today’s guest, Lindsay Rogers. At the age of 25 Lindsay left her dream career, to build the company she couldn’t have dreamed of, Chello. Chello works with small and large organisations, fast growing start ups and government to create and build brands of tomorrow. In 2015 Lindz won the Telstra Young Business Woman of the Year for NSW, and in 2017 was recognised in Forbes 20 under 20 in Media and Marketing. Fascinated by the way we communicate, share and influence Lindsay shares what has surprised her about business, how she continues to navigate her role as a leader in a growing team, and shares tips on how she looks after her own health and her mental in a busy world. Down to earth, and someone that you’ll want to share a coffee with, soak up the warmth that is exuded from Lindsay Rogers. Connect with Lindz at: Website: www.chello.com.au LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lindzrogers/

Listen to the full version of the the Stand Out Life Podcast Episode 79 featuring Dianne McGrath: www.alisonhill.com.au/diannemcgrath

Occasionally there are stories and expeditions that capture your attention more than others. Today’s guest is embarking on an expedition that is out of this world - quite literally. Dianne McGrath is one of only 100 remaining candidates worldwide from an initial 202,586 applicants for the one-way Mars One mission in 2031. We talk at length about this decision and the extraordinary impacts this journey has on how she lives her life right now. For example Dianne lives permanently house-sitting, experiments with her food intake, and embarks on regular bio-hacking experiments. What we uncover though is that Dianne’s innate curiosity has been with her for her whole life. She is a leading sustainability expert in environmental management, food sustainability, and food security. One of her experiments involved living off the scraps that people leave at cafes and restaurants for a whole week - turns out she never, ever went hungry. Dianne’s openness and her curiosity are insatiable. Given her own bio-hacking e