Brave Journeys with Tammi Faraday

There are many episodes on BRAVE JOURNEYS where I have cried, but not today.  Today is about celebrating life, love & finding unbridled gratitude & joy in the ordinary.If I told you that my next guest is terminally ill with Stage 4 cancer & has also been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, it would be reasonable to assume this is a deeply sad episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS.  But its anything but!!!  In fact, I'll be amazed if you walk away after listening to this beautiful conversation with former radio executive & all-round legend of a human being, the magnificent Mel Dzelde, & not choose life & also choose to make every second count with delight, festivity & wonder.  Mel certainly does!!!  She's inspiring & empowering & I'm so honoured & thrilled to share this platform with a woman who's a beacon of goodness, happiness & appreciation, even when she knows there may not be much time… which if you think about it, is our actual truth every day.  We don't know what's around the corner, but at least we can be shown by the MASTER how to revel in what we have, while we have it.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Mel hereFind Mel on TwitterFollow Mel on Facebook hereFollow Mel on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Mel DzeldeAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

What would you do if your worst private heartache was on the front page of every newspaper around the world?  Kate Nason knows…Seven years into her marriage, Kate discovers her husband was cheating on her with multiple women. Then, the unimaginable happens. It's January of 1998 & Kate wakes to the news that one of her husband's mistresses was having an affair with none other than US President, Bill Clinton. The press surround Kate's home, clamouring for details about her husband's affair with a White House Intern, transforming Kate's private heartbreak into public mortification.Kate's new memoir, “Everything is Perfect”, uncovers the little-known side of one of the world's biggest scandals, unveiling a cautionary tale about the ways we deceive ourselves, when we allow ourselves to be deceived by those we love.  It's also an intimate look at the impacts of infidelity, the fallout of gaslighting, and a deep insight into the silent, stoic wife at the press conference. Confession time beloved BRAVE JOURNEYS family, I've always felt inordinate compassion for Monica Lewinsky and the way her life was all but decimated after her affair with President Clinton.  He walked away relatively unscathed.  She was brutalised, derided and the butt of late-night talk shows ever since.  It was never OK.  And her work in the anti-bullying space is to be commended.  No-one is simply their worst mistake.  But as you'll realise from this astonishing episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS, Kate was also collateral damage and her life was literally blown up through no fault of her own… BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Kate hereFind Kate on TwitterFollow Kate on InstaFind Kate's incredible Audiobook memoir, “Everything is Perfect” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS: Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Kate NasonAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

My next guest, Kenneth Feinberg, literally stopped me in my tracks.  Ken is a prominent attorney, a world-renowned MEDIATOR and the one time chief of staff of the late U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy.  But when we all stood still on 9/11 after one of the most horrific terrorist attacks the world has ever seen, Ken stood up and wanted – indeed asked - to be counted.Ken was appointed as the Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund just a few weeks after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.  In this role, Ken met with nearly every family who was a victim of 9/11 at the absolute height of their grief.  He listened.  He empathised.  He held space for their sorrow.  He travelled the length and breadth of the country to make it easier for families to meet with him.  He enlisted the support of others, including clergy, when victims' families were simply too broken to apply for their share of the Fund.  He even offered to fill in the forms on behalf of the victims.  Whilst Ken could never return a father to a grieving child, or a son to an inconsolable mother, or a husband to a pregnant wife, what he could do was ensure that some of victims' dreams would continue in their absence and that financial hardship would not be another challenge for these all, but shattered, families.  Ken presided over this unprecedented Fund that ultimately awarded over $7.1 billion DOLLARS of public taxpayer money to the families of 2,983 killed and approximately 2,400 physically injured and maimed, in the most devastating of ways on 9/11.The administration of this Fund took 33 months.  Ken Feinberg was never paid a cent for his efforts, insisting he take on the role on a pro bono basis.  His epic story, now memorialised in his memoir – WHAT IS LIFE WORTH – has inspired the extraordinary Netflix film WORTH starring Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci.On a more personal note, from the first instance I had the pleasure of coming across Ken, I have been overwhelmed by his warmth, generosity and his impeccable character.  His Solomonic efforts in fighting for fair for every single claimant is just incredible.So it is with immense humility and gratitude that I welcome Kenneth R Feinberg to the BRAVE JOURNEYS family.This is Ken's story…. BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Ken hereFind Ken's books hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaDefinition of "mensch" -a person of integrity and honour.Follow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS: Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Kenneth R FeinbergAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and

Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms.  One of them, without any shadow of a doubt, is my next guest, the truly inspirational Rebecca Faye Smith Galli.  Just nine days after her divorce was finalised, Becky, a then 38-year-old mother of four, two of whom with special needs, wakes up at 2am with strange, shooting sensations in her legs.  By 9pm, she's paralysed from the waist down from a condition called transverse myelitis, a rare spinal cord inflammation.  But this isn't the first time Becky needed to rethink what's possible.Becky's life until that point includes a journey through losses that would have brought anyone else to their knees, including the tragic death of her seventeen-year-old brother; two miscarriages; her daughter Maddison's autism diagnosis; her son Matthew's ultimately fatal degenerative disease; the sad demise of her marriage and the devastating loss of both her parents in quick succession.  Despite such unspeakably cruel blows, Becky always maintained her belief in family, in faith, in unconditional love, and in learning to not only accept, but to also embrace a life that had veered down a path far different to the one she had planned – as captured in her astonishing memoir – Rethinking Possible. Becky's journey is ultimately about the power of love over loss and the choices we all make that shape our lives & our perspectives —especially when forced to confront the unimaginable.Tissues are strongly advised.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Beck hereFind Becky on TwitterFollow Becky on InstaFollow Becky on Facebook hereBuy Becky's remarkable Memoir, “Rethinking Possible” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS: Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Rebecca Faye Smith GalliAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

By her own account, Carolyn Moor had it all. She & her architect husband Chad, had two gorgeous little girls, their own business & a house they designed & built in Orlando. On Valentine's Day 2000, they talked over a romantic dinner & fantasized about what dreams would come next.  While they were driving home, a car struck theirs. Chad tragically died from his injuries. And Carolyn was left a 37 year old widow, with two little girls to keep afloat.Dazed, heartbroken, terrified of what the future would hold & grief-stricken, Carolyn struggled to find the mentors & resources she needed to model the healing & growth she desperately sought. This lack for her, ultimately led to the establishment of the Modern Widows Club in Carolyn's very own living room in 2011.Apart from being the President, Founder & Development Director of the Modern Widows Club, Carolyn is also an award-winning interior designer, interfaith minister, TEDx speaker & widows health consultant. Carolyn's participated in the UN Commission on the Status of Women, the Global Leadership Network & has been featured as an exemplar of resilience in the Wall Street Journal & on the Oprah Winfrey Show.  Carolyn's also the host of the Healthy Widow Healthy Woman Podcast, & was a consultant on NBC's breakout hit, New Amsterdam.  Her tireless work & advocacy on behalf of widows has been recognised globally.This is Carolyn's story….BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Carolyn hereFind Carolyn on TwitterFollow Carolyn on InstaFollow Carolyn on Facebook hereWatch Carolyn's incredible Ted Talk hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Carolyn MoorAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

TRIGGER WARNING!!!Leslie Morgan Steiner is a New York Times best-selling author, columnist for The Washington Post, consultant and thought leader on women's leadership, work-life balance, inspirational parenting, overcoming adversity and surviving violence against women.  She is a graduate of Harvard and earned an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Her corporate experience includes The Washington Post, Johnson & Johnson, Leo Burnett and Seventeen Magazine. She's also the survivor of intimate partner violence and terror that almost cost her, her life as captured in her 2009 New York Times bestselling book, Crazy Love and her extraordinary Ted Talk that has been seen by more than 6 and a half million people.Leslie recently completed her fourth nonfiction work, The Naked Truth, a memoir which explores female aging and sexuality after motherhood and divorce.  From surviving domestic violence and devoting much of her life to helping others who face a similar hell to the emancipation and sexual awakening she experienced after the end of her second marriage – it's unlikely that we'll run out of things to chat about.This is Leslie's story…Please note that this episode of Brave Journeys talks graphically about coercive control and domestic violence and isn't remotely suitable for little ears.If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you're in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14. And for sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services please call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 phone services.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Leslie hereFind Leslie on TwitterFollow Leslie on InstaFollow Leslie on Facebook hereWatch Leslie's incredible Ted Talk hereFind Leslie's books hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode here NEED MORE INSPIRATION? Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here CREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Leslie Morgan SteinerAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect

My next guest, Dr Lucy Hone is a global authority and celebrated Ted Speaker in the area of resilience.Lucy is an Adjunct Senior Professor at the University of Canterbury, a co-director of the New Zealand Institute of Wellbeing & Resilience, a published academic researcher and best-selling author and blogger for Psychology Today.Having been trained at the University of Pennsylvania, Lucy went on to attain her PhD in public health at AUT University in Auckland and now assists organisations - from government departments, to leading law firms and schools - to design and implement wellbeing and resilience initiatives that create sustained and meaningful change.But in 2014, Lucy's life was turned upside down, when her beautiful 12-year-old daughter, Abi, was killed in a freak car accident. In the blink of an eye, one of the world's leading resilience experts found herself flung to the other side of the equation, waking up with a whole new identity. Instead of being the resilience expert, she was suddenly thrust into the heinous and unfamiliar world of being the grieving mother whose life had been smashed to smithereens. Lucy's best-selling book “Resilient Grieving” which was originally titled, “What Abi Taught Us” has helped countless people get through their darkest days and her TED talk, The Three Secrets of Resilient People, has had over 3 million views and been recognised globally as one of the top 20 TED Talks of 2020.She is the living example that it's possible to grieve and live at the same time.This is Lucy's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Lucy hereFollow Lucy on Twitter hereFollow Lucy on Insta hereWatch Lucy's remarkable Ted Talk hereBuy a copy of “Resilient Grieving” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on Insta Join the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS: Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Lucy HoneAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula FergusonBRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. 

TRIGGER WARNING!!!Proud Gunaikurnai woman, Veronica Gorrie, had spent a lifetime in fear of the police… and with good reason.  Ronnie's grandmother, Linda, was stolen from her family as an eight-year-old in 1941, along with her three siblings.  And Veronica's beloved father John was forcibly taken at birth from his then 16-year-old mother Linda & placed in an orphanage.After watching her friends and family suffer under an inherently racist law-enforcement system, Veronica bravely signed up for training to become one of a handful of Aboriginal police officers in Australia, with the hope of creating a sense of safety and trust for Aboriginal communities, and for her three children.In this incredibly powerful episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS, Veronica speaks frankly about a childhood replete with brutality, alcoholism and sexual assault, the impact of intergenerational trauma, her lived experience of systemic racism & intimate partner violence & the torment of making her way in the white, male-dominated police force, as captured in her book, Black & Blue: A Memoir of Racism & Resilience.In the era of Black Lives Matter, as policing & deaths in custody in Australia come again under the microscope, it's time to dispense with platitudes and focus on an honest, transparent journey of enlightenment. No more tokenism, no more box ticking. We must all commit to learning and become educated about the shameful history and egregious injustices the Traditional Custodians of our nation have endured. We must listen and we absolutely must do better. It is such an honour that Veronica agreed to join me on BRAVE JOURNEYS.This is Ronnie's story…Please note that this vitally important episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS talks graphically about the stolen generation, sexual abuse and domestic violence and isn't remotely suitable for little ears.Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples should please be aware that this episode may contain the names of people who have passed away.If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you're in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Follow Ronnie on Twitter hereBuy Ronnie's incredible book, Black and Blue: A Memoir of Racism & Resilience hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes here CREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Veronica GorrieAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg, Ursula Ferguson.And a special shout out to the beautiful Zandy Alter.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal a

TRIGGER WARNING!!!My next guest, Stephanie Giese is a mother of five, a celebrated writer, a prolific blogger - recognised as one of HuffPost's most viral bloggers of the decade & was named a BlogHer Voice of The Year - a former teacher and a tireless advocate for children and families living with mental illness. Stephanie and her husband Eddie are foster, adoptive and biological parents.  They adopted their first child Nicholas at 13 months. When Nicholas turned three, he started blaming an imaginary friend he called The Other Nicholas for terrifying things he did that he couldn't remember or explain. By the time Nicholas turned seven, professionals were starting to use words like "psychotic break" and "crisis unit." And by the age of twelve, he'd been admitted to paediatric psychiatric hospitals on four occasions.Stephanie's just published memoir, All I Never Knowed, which has been launched to critical acclaim, is the true story of the Giese family and the fight for Nicholas as he struggles with severe mental illness. Written at Nicholas' behest and told from the perspective of his extraordinary mother, Stephanie intimately shares the years & the enormous toll of navigating her child's mental health crisis.  It's also the story of the unbreakable love between a mother and her son, as well as a husband and his wife.  And it's a love letter to each family struggling through mental illness; each child battling the scars of trauma; and each parent questioning their worth.This is not an episode that any parent or prospective parent can afford to miss!!!This is Stephanie and Nicholas' story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find more about Stephanie hereFollow Stephanie on Facebook hereFollow Stephanie on on Twitter hereFollow Stephanie on Insta hereBuy Stephanie's remarkable book, All I Ever Knowed hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Stephanie GieseAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Stephen Jon Thompson is a distinguished leader and Tech Executive whose job it is to find the most elite talent in artificial intelligence for the world's most cutting-edge technology & consumer companies - Including; Nike, Amazon, LinkedIn, Apple & Google.So, it might be reasonable to assume Stephen was born into a beautiful family, with a silver spoon in his mouth, had an IVY league education & that his stratospheric career trajectory was written in the stars.  But this is BRAVE JOURNEYS  my friends & we all know by now that that's not how this extraordinary man's life began.You see, at nine years of age, Stephen was abandoned with his four younger siblings in a Nevada motel by his drug-addicted mother.  His childhood was filled with abuse, violence, a revolving door of men, neglect, foster homes, Juvenile Hall, & a poverty so extreme, its seriously remarkable he survived.  And yet, he has done so much more than just that.Today, apart from being a giant in the tech recruitment space, Stephen is a board member of Students Rising Above a not-for-profit organisation that is dedicated to the cultivation & development of extraordinary youth who are low-income, 1st generation college students who've demonstrated a deep commitment to education & strength of character in overcoming tremendous odds of poverty, homelessness & neglect. This is Stephen's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Stephen hereFollow Stephen on Facebook hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Stephen Jon ThompsonAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Laura Cathcart Robbins is an acclaimed culture writer, storyteller extraordinaire & now beloved host of The Only One in the Room Podcast.Laura's survived post-natal depression; struggled through debilitating addiction and divorced her high-profile, Hollywood juggernaut, ex-husband.  And when life felt very much rock bottom, Laura met her long-time love and collaborator Scot, in rehab… as you do… & has been sober now for 13 years.   Laura's also a 2018 LA Moth StorySlam winner and sits on the advisory board for the San Diego Writer's Festival, the Outliers HQ podcast Festival, as well as being the founding member of Moving Forewords, the first American memoirist collective of its kind.   Laura's articles in The Huffington Post and The Temper on the subjects of race, recovery, and divorce have garnered her worldwide praise.  Laura's gorgeous in every way, she's as honest as the day is long and I'm absolutely thrilled she's here.  Did I mention her voice is mellifluous?  Ok, OK, a little bit of a girl crush is clearly going on… This is Laura's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Laura hereFollow The Only One in the Room Podcast hereFind Laura on TwitterFollow Laura on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Laura Cathcart RobbinsAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg & Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING!!!From the age of eight, Dr Michelle Stevens was brutally tortured and enslaved, raped, and pimped out to countless men by a sadistic paedophile; a man who passed himself off as her father.After suffering more than ten years of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, Michelle escaped and with superhuman strength, Michelle chose not to give into despair and vowed - that no matter what - she was going to fight for a good, decent, normal life.  But the journey to that “good life” was paved with agony and heartache including psychological breakdowns, suicide attempts and the disorienting onset of Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder).Michelle went on to study writing at New York University and earned her doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University, where her thesis was honoured as the “Dissertation of Distinction.” Michelle has presented her research to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation and the Los Angeles County Psychological Association, where she also received an award for Outstanding Research and her writing about trauma has appeared in the New York Times, Time, People, Psychology Today, The Huffington Post, Good Housekeeping, and The Hollywood Reporter.Michelle has penned a remarkable memoir - Scared Selfless: My Journey from Abuse and Madness to Surviving and Thriving and she's also the Founder and Executive Director of Post-Traumatic Success, a non-profit organization dedicated to the education and inspiration of those affected by psychological trauma. It is with immense awe and gratitude that I have the honour of welcoming Dr Michelle Stevens to the BRAVE JOURNEYS family… and in case you had any doubts, she is a living miracle… Please note that this incredibly powerful and important episode of Brave Journeys talks graphically about sexual abuse and suicide and isn't remotely suitable for little ears.If anything you hear during this episode is triggering in any way, please reach out to someone who can keep you safe.  And please remember if you're in Australia, you can phone Lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.And for sexual assault, domestic and family violence counselling services please call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 for 24/7 phone services.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find Michelle on Twitter hereFollow Michelle on Insta hereFollow Michelle on Facebook hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Michelle StevensAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Abo

Are you in for a treat BRAVE JOURNEYS family? Today's guest is a bona fide superstar.  But that's not why I love him.  And I really do love him.36 hours after Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins syndrome - a rare genetic disorder that effects the development of the cheek bones, jaw, chin and ears -  his parents abandoned him in the hospital, claiming they were “horrified by Jono's physical appearance” …and they never looked back.If you've read the book or seen the incredible film Wonder starring Julia Roberts & Mandy Patinkin, you will know that the principal character Auggie - played by the extraordinary actor - Jacob Tremblay - was born with the same condition.But Jono's tragic start to life doesn't define him; it's been the making of him.Today at 36, Jono and I discuss, well, absolutely everything from parental rejection to being put in the foster system at two weeks old and formally adopted at age 5 by his magical mum, Jean.  We talk about bullying, finding self-love, falling in love and becoming a global ambassador for the LOVE ME, LOVE MY FACE FOUNDATION that supports children and their families with Treacher Collins.Jono is adored the world over for his optimism, wicked sense of humour, humility, remarkable sense of gratitude, and what he teaches us about making the world a more compassionate place.Put it like this - If you don't feel like pumping your fists in the air, being extra kind today and thankful for all your blessings, then I'm sending Jono round to your place… NOW.This is Jono's story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Jono hereFollow Jono on Facebook hereFind Jono on Twitter hereFollow Jono on Insta hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Jono LancasterAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Doctor Mark Cross has worked in psychiatry for three decades and specialises in treating young people, complex PTSD, women's mental health & anxiety disorders.Mark's also a senior Lecturer at the University of NSW & a conjoint lecturer at Western Sydney University.  He sits on the Board of SANE AUSTRALIA - whose mission is to improve the health of those living with complex mental health issues, as well as reducing stigma & in 2015, Mark received the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists NSW Branch Meritorious Service Award for his “significant contribution” to psychiatry.And if that's not enough of a professional pedigree, Mark was the lead psychiatrist on the ground-breaking series Changing Minds for the ABC - that followed patients in the locked ward of the Mental Health Unit of Liverpool Hospital.Mark's fundamental message is that mental illness is exactly that, an illness, not a character defect. He wants us all to be unafraid to speak about how we are REALLY doing. Oh, and did I forget to mention – he's also lived with anxiety all his life and refers to himself as the “anxious shrink”.  How could he NOT be a guest on Brave Journeys???  Free therapy for me!!!  Woo Hoo!!!This is Mark's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Mark hereFind out where to buy Mark's incredible memoir, "Anxiety: Expert Advice from a Neurotic Shrink Who's Lived with it All His Life" hereFollow Mark on FacebookWatch Mark's incredible weekly community vodcast, The Anxious Shrink, hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Mark CrossAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Susan Burton is the one-time producer & now editor of the Pulitzer Prize winning weekly public radio show and podcast - This American Life - heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations across America; with another 2.5 million people downloading the podcast each week.  Susan's radio documentaries have won numerous awards, including an Overseas Press Club citation, & The film Unaccompanied Minors, which was directed by Freaks & Geeks creator Paul Feig, is based on one of her personal essays. And Susan's writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Slate, The New Yorker, & she's a former editor of Harper's. Susan graduated from Yale in 1995.  So as far as professional pedigree goes, she's incredibly inspiring.And yet, despite all the successes & achievements, Susan has silently lived with anorexia & binge eating disorder since she was 13 years old.  Now in her 40s, Susan bravely shares with me - as she has in her incredible memoir EMPTY - that food's been the source of her anxieties for as long as she can remember.And whilst Susan's working towards recovery, she's the first to admit, she's still a work in progress.This is Susan's story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Susan hereFind out where to buy Susan's incredible memoir, "Empty", hereListen to This American Life hereFollow Susan on Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Susan BurtonAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Eilene Zimmerman noticed that the man who'd loomed large in her life for nearly 30 years - her ex-husband and father of her two children – PETER – seemed increasingly out of sorts.  He'd been looking progressively thin, seemingly preoccupied, couldn't shake flu like symptoms and was becoming a more and more unreliable parent to their kids.Eilene assumed Peter's appearance and erratic behaviour was due to stress and overwork.  As a senior partner at a prominent law firm, he'd been working more than 60 hours a week for more than 20 years. But putting that aside, Peter seemed to have it all: a high-flying legal career; an exquisite waterfront property; luxurious cars, and other largesse that came with his affluent uber-successful life. But when their son Ethan returned from a few days at Peter's beach home, he shared with his mum, Eilene, that his dad was very sick, but despite desperate pleas, Peter refused point blank to go to hospital.After two days of trying to reach Peter, Eilene drove to his house and made a shocking discovery.The man she knew and loved for almost three decades had been living a secret life; one that started with pills and ended with opioids, cocaine and methamphetamine.  You see, Peter was prosperous and powerful in the eyes of everyone else – but at the end of the day he was a man with demons and a lethal addiction that ultimately cost him his life. And Eilene, Peter's ex-wife, was left to pick up the pieces; all the pieces.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Eilene hereFollow Eilene on InstaFollow Eilene on FacebookFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Eilene Zimmerman Audio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Never before in the history of humankind has it been possible for a woman to give birth to an infant who is genetically unrelated to her.  Never before has it been possible for a woman to be the genetic parent of children to whom she has not given birth.  Never before has it been possible to bring children into the world in more than 30 ways.  Never before has it been possible that a child born can have more than two genetically related parents.  Never before has the issue of choice had such kaleidoscopic implications – particularly for the children born of these advancements in medical science.So with that in mind let me paint a picture for you – it's the 1960s in South Africa, when my next guest, Fiona Darroch's parents - sought the assistance of gynaecologist/obstetrician, Dr Norman Walker, to start a family.  Dr Walker assured Fiona's parents that by mixing sperm samples, it would help Fiona's dad's sperm to fertilise her mum's eggs.  But before you vigorously shake your heads with disbelief - remember, we're talking about the 60's, when Drs - let alone specialists - were Godlike… and their advice was gospel.  Dr Walker then told Fiona's parents to go home, make love and forget it ever happened.  And that's exactly what they did.37 years later, Fiona uncovered the truth about her conception.  Not only was the man who raised her not her biological father, but she also discovered that she and potentially HUNDREDS, yes HUNDREDS, of her siblings, were the outcome of what is known as fertility fraud.Today, Fiona is a clinical psychologist who works with many adults who, like her, were Donor Conceived & are struggling through the avalanche of heartache & unanswered questions when they discover that the families who raised them are not the people who gave them life.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Fiona hereWatch Fiona on SBS's Insight Program hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Fiona DarrochAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respe

When Joe Hyman left his parents at the airport for a year away at a religious seminary, he was carrying so much more baggage than just his suitcase.  His then hidden gay identity, dragged behind him wherever he went.  A few months before leaving for his gap year abroad, Joe found what's known as a conversion therapist online, falsely peddling a so-called cure to same sex attraction.  And as time went on, it became clear that this quackery that includes humiliation, degradation and the vilification of his parents, wasn't going to change who Joe was.In this episode Joe and I speak about growing up in an Orthodox world; the horrific abuse that is conversion therapy; and the irreparable damage it causes.  We also chat about Joe's quest to find a space where his sexual identity as well as his love for his faith, could both find their home.It's important that I preface this episode by saying that this incredibly vital conversation is not about besmirching any religious community – because Joe's story, like so many others, can be found in virtually any and every faith community - but rather, to shed some genuine light and gain some profound understanding, of how people, irrespective of religious affiliation, find their place when they are LGBTQ+.  As always, I come to this conversation from a place of compassion, love, respect and authentic curiosity and it's in that spirit that I am so thrilled to introduce Joe.  BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Joe hereFollow Joe on TwitterFollow Joe on Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Joe Audio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

What happens when the love of your life — your husband, your best friend, the father of your 3 week old baby - who's gorgeous, funny, tall, exotic, and wonderfully attentive; the person you've basically banked your whole life on, turns out to be a psychopath? This was the agonising question facing my next guest - JEN WAITE – as captured flawlessly in her international best-selling memoir, A Beautiful Terrible Thing.  In today's episode, Jen and I chat about her heartbreaking discoveries, every life-destroying lie, and what happens to a human being once they discover that the person they've built their entire life around, never really existed.Jen's is a shocking tale of betrayal, brokenness and rebuilding when the rug has been completely pulled out from under you.This is Jen's story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Jen hereFind out where to buy Jen's incredible memoir, "A Beautiful Terrible Thing", hereFollow Jen on TwitterFollow Jen on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Jen WaiteAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

If you're a parent, pulling your proverbial hair out at the life force that is social media – you really don't want to go anywhere for the next hour.  My next guest, Kirra Pendergast, will tell you exactly like it is; she won't pull any punches; she won't sugar coat a thing; but she also won't make you feel like a lousy, negligent parent for not knowing more than your kids do.  And believe me, when it comes to the world of social media, they know more than you ever will.  So now the “why”?  Where does Kirra's wisdom come from?  Is it because she once was a high-flying cyber-security expert at the top of her game?  Well sure.  But that's not the whole story.  Because being a cyber expert didn't stop Kirra from being cyber bullied so malevolently by an ex-business associate that it very nearly cost her, her life. After a two-and half-year smear campaign, Kirra reached breaking point.  She found herself sitting in her car, having the “worst kind of thoughts you could possibly have.”Kirra's attempt to seek justice against her abuser all but wiped out her bank accounts and by the time she found herself alone in that car thinking the gravest thoughts, she had $68 to her name.  But it's what she did with that $68 that might just spare our children from not only the horrors she's endured, but will empower parents to protect their kids in a way that actually works.Kirra's the oh so cool, straight talking auntie your kids need to keep them safe on social.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Kirra hereFind out more about the Safe on Social Toolkit for schools & parents hereFollow Kirra on TwitterFollow Kirra on InstaResource for parents from the eSafety Commissioner about having “hard to have conversations” with kids here Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Kirra PendergastAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Believe me when I say this is one of the most egregious cases of a miscarriage of justice you'll ever hear.SABRINA BUTLER SMITH's story can only be described as your very worst nightmare.  At 17, Sabrina was a young, single mother to two children including her beautiful baby boy, Walter.  When Walter was nine months old, Sabrina came home after a jog and found him in his crib not breathing. After a frantic half an hour desperately seeking help from neighbours and applying the CPR she was instructed to give, Walter arrived in the emergency room, but the doctors were unable to revive him.Instead of consoling the heartbroken teen mother, the doctors wrongly accused Sabrina of child abuse.   And after a 4 hour brutal police interrogation, Sabrina was charged with murdering her baby boy.  In March 1990, Sabrina was wrongfully convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death.Six and a half excruciating years after her wrongful conviction, Sabrina was granted an appellate trial with the support of her new lawyer - my former guest, Clive Stafford Smith. During the appeal, it was found that Walter had tragically died from a genetic kidney disorder. In 1995, Sabrina was the first woman ever in the history of the United States to be exonerated from Death Row.  The only thing that kept this remarkable young woman going was her faith and the knowledge of one thing: she was innocent.  They say the truth will set you free.  But even for the exonerated, hell remains a place on earth.This is Sabrina's story …BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Sabrina hereFind out more about Witness to Innocence hereWatch “Kids Meet a Death Row Exoneree” hereFollow Sabrina TwitterFollow Sabrina on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Sabrina Butler SmithAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. 

If you've ever second guessed yourself, hated yourself or harmed yourself because you weren't a certain number on a scale.  If you've ever been humiliated because of your size or praised when you shed kilograms in a hope to fit in and be good enough.  If you've ever deluded yourself that living a life of deprivation makes you somehow more virtuous, more desirable, more worthy - then you've absolutely landed at the right episode.Virgie Tovar started life as an effervescent, confident child who adored her body until the word, the insult, the denigration of being FAT was poured all over her like a torrent of shame.   Well, she's taken back the word.Virgie is a fat activist; podcast host of Rebel Eaters Club; the author of 'You Have the Right to Remain Fat' & 'The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color'; and she's one of America's leading experts and lecturers on weight-based discrimination and body image.Virgie received the Yale University's Poynter Fellowship in Journalism; famously started the hashtag campaign #LoseHateNotWeight and in 2018 gave a ground-breaking TedX talk on the origins of the movement.Virgie's making a real difference in a world that tells our children every second of their lives that they'll be more acceptable in society if only they tweak this, or shed this, or enhance this.This is Virgie's storyBUT BEFORE YOU GOFind out more about Virgie hereListen to Virgie's Podcast hereFollow Virgie on TwitterFollow Virgie on InstaBuy Virgie's remarkable book “The Self-Love Revolution: Radical Body Positivity for Girls of Color” hereBuy Virgie's remarkable memoir “You Have the Right to Remain Fat” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Virgie TovarAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cu

If you've ever wanted to know what deep, profound, abiding, altruistic, passionate, inspirational love looks like – this is the episode for you.Jason Rosenthal enjoyed a wonderful but quiet life. He was happy to have his extraordinary wife – Amy Krouse Rosenthal - the celebrated children's book author, memoirist, filmmaker and all-round glorious human being, settle in the spotlight.Then, on Valentine's Day 2017, Amy penned a love letter to him, like no other.“I have been married to the most extraordinary man for 26 years,” she wrote. “I was planning on another 26 years.”But that wasn't in the stars. At 51 years young, Amy was in the final stage of ovarian cancer.The love letter-cum-dating profile to which I refer, ran as a New York Times Modern Love column, under the heart-stopping headline, “You May Want to Marry My Husband.” In it, Amy wanted to give Jason her public blessing to rebuild his life with their three children and find love again.Ten days later, Amy died.This is Jason's story...BUT BEFORE YOU GOFind out more about the Amy Krouse Rosenthal Foundation here Buy Jason's memoir hereFind Amy's NY Times Modern Love Column hereFind Jason's NYTimes Modern Love Column hereWatch Jason's Ted Talk hereWatch Amy's Ted Talk hereFollow Jason on TwitterFollow Jason on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Jason B RosenthalAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Sometimes you come across a person whose story breaks your heart, but whose will and determination for good – despite, or perhaps in spite – of the horrors they've faced, will ensure that they'll leave the world better than they found it.Fred Guttenberg's story will make you press pause on this episode and go and love the ones you love harder than you've ever loved them before – but it's what Fred has done with his unbearable tragedy that will embolden, you, me and hopefully all of us who are privileged to hear him, to become better people and live more purposeful lives.Fred was a successful businessman for whom family was his EVERYTHING – as a father, husband, son and brother.  But extraordinary circumstances would change the shape of Fred's world forever.Fred's brother, Dr Michael Guttenberg, one of the 1st responders on 9/11 at the World Trade Centre, was trapped with a team of doctors at the bottom of one of the towers as it collapsed.  The room where they hid out did not collapse, and Michael and his team of physicians, spent 16 days at Ground Zero taking care of others.  As a result of the exposure, Michael was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which he battled until October 2017, when he tragically passed away at 50 years of age.Fred was still grieving the loss of his adored brother when the unthinkable happened – his beautiful, kind, magical daughter Jamie, was gunned down - as one of the 17 victims brutally murdered in the shooting that took place at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida on Valentine's Day 2018.Since Jaime's death, Fred has been fighting tirelessly to pass gun violence prevention legislation, and to honour Jaime's life with the non-profit organisation -  Orange Ribbons for Jaime.Whilst this isn't my tragedy – believe me when I say, this is everyone's tragedy.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Fred hereFind out more about Orange Ribbons for Jaime hereFollow Fred on TwitterFollow Fred on InstaBuy Fred's incredible memoir, “Find the Helpers”, hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Fred GuttenbergAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

When Professor Gemma Carey was 12 years old, a man twice her age would sneak into her bedroom on a weekly basis and sexually assault her.  When Gemma was seventeen, she took the perpetrator to court without anyone else knowing and had him placed on the child sex offender's register.  Perhaps most startling is that for 20 years, Gemma's mother had known about her daughter's abuser.But why hadn't she acted to protect her daughter?  Could the genesis of this unspeakable betrayal be found in Gemma's mother's own family history?This is Gemma's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Gemma hereFollow Gemma on TwitterFind out more about Tam here: Find Gemma's incredible memoir, "No Matter Our Wreckage" hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Professor Gemma CareyAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Dr Matt Morgan is an intensive care specialist, scientist, teacher, self-professed geek and now best-selling author. But to me, Matt's a profound philosopher, helping the world make sense of what it means to live, to survive, to give your all, & to show up when you don't think you can.  He thought I wanted I to chat to him about his worldwide bestseller – CRITICAL: STORIES FROM THE FRONT LINE OF INTENSIVE CARE MEDICINE.  Now that I've read it, I want to speak to him about, well… absolutely everything.This is Matt's story…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Matt hereFollow Matt on TwitterFollow Matt on Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Dr Matt MorganAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Caro Llewellyn was living a dream life in her adopted home of New York, directing an international literary festival and even calling Salman Rushdie “boss”. Then one ordinary day, running in Central Park, she lost all sensation in her legs. Two days later she was diagnosed with MS.But Caro wasn't a stranger to life's blows. Her father Richard contracted polio at the age of twenty and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. Dignified, and ever resourceful, Caro's dad was determined to make every day count, not least by seducing his nurse while still confined to an iron lung & then marrying her.But when Caro was herself blindsided by illness, cast adrift from everything she depended on - she was furious, toxic and humiliated. Cos surprise surprise grace isn't hereditary – it's a choice.Only by reflecting on her father's extraordinary example, was Caro able to choose courage and find a way forward, rebuilding her life shard by shard.And if you have any doubt as to the extraordinary calibre of this remarkable human being you're about to hear, in 2020 Caro was appointed CEO of Wheeler Centre and her incredible memoir, Diving into Glass, was shortlisted for the Stella Prize.This is her story…Today's episode of Brave Journeys is brought to you by TIDEE – Professional Organisers – helping bring calm to your everyday.Find TIDEE on Insta here: @tideelifeBUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out about Caro, the CEO of the Wheeler Centre hereFollow Caro on TwitterFind out about Caro's incredible, award winning memoir - “Diving Into Glass” hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Caro LLewellynAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Greg Fleet - or Fleety to comedy lovers around the world - has been one of Australia's most successful comedic exports for almost four decades.  For much of that time, he also lived with a devastating heroin addiction.The rap sheet of his many deceptions during the haze of his habit, included touring an incredibly successful show about his miraculous recovery.  The only problem was, he was completely, desperately and hopelessly addicted at the time.From Rock bottom to rehab, to recovery and back again.  From broken relationships to global success, to collateral damage across the board.  And did I forget to mention, a father - HIS father -  who feigned his own death?  Yes, all of the above form the tapestry of Greg's extraordinary life.Heads up, Greg's been clean now for a number of years so if you call him a former junkie, he might bristle.  But if you call him a reformed “heroin enthusiast” … he's likely to give you a hug and a guttural giggle.This is the story of Fleety…Please note that this episode of BRAVE JOURNEYS talks about illicit drugs and addiction and isn't remotely suitable for little ears.  Today's episode of Brave Journeys is brought to you by TIDEE – Professional Organisers – helping bring calm to your everyday.Find TIDEE on Insta here: @tideelifeBUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Greg hereFollow Greg on Twitter Buy tickets for Greg's extraordinary play Twins - that he wrote, directed and stars in as himselfFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Greg FleetAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg. BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

When Joselin Linder was a teenager, her beloved dad, Dr William Linder, became mysteriously sick in his 40s.  His doctors, as well as medical professionals across the US and around the world, watched his body slowly decline.  But there were no answers.  By age 49, he was dead. One of the world's leading genetics research teams - at the Seidman Lab at Harvard Medical School – discovered that Jos too had inherited the same genetic mutation that had not only killed her father, but five other members of her family.For perhaps the first time in medical history, this population (known in scientific terms as a FOUNDER POPULATION) has been isolated and through the efforts (and immense sacrifices) of Jos and her family, the gene won't be passed on to a 5th generation. But those living with the gene - including Jos and her sister Hilary - are still fighting to find a cure.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Jos here Find more about The Family Gene hereFollow Jos on InstaFollow Jos on TwitterJos' Article in The New York TimesJos at TedXFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Joselin LinderAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Mark Lukach courageously shares the story of how his future changed unexpectedly at 27 years of age, when his wonderful wife Giulia - with no history of mental illness - was first hospitalised on a psych ward after a devastating mental health crisis. Mark first wrote about Giulia in the New York Times "Modern Love" column (Tam's all-time favourite column) & again in a piece for Pacific Standard Magazine that went viral. He's also shared their remarkable journey at The Moth Main Stage AND at a TEDx conference.  You'll be able to find all these links below. Mark's international bestselling memoir - My Lovely Wife In The Psych Ward  is about how mental illness re-shaped their young marriage & ultimately affirmed the power of their mesmeric love. Mark & Giulia were simply meant to be.  Their abiding love is something that will stay with me - and I dare say you too - long after the haunting depictions of the psych ward will. This episode of Brave Journeys talks about mental illness and suicide. If anything you hear has a triggering effect, please reach out to someone who can help keep you safe. Or please remember if you're in Australia, you can phone lifeline at any time on 13 11 14.  Today's episode of Brave Journeys is brought to you by TIDEE – Professional Organisers – helping bring calm to your everyday.Find TIDEE on Insta here: @tideelifeBUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Mark here Follow Mark on InstaMark's Article in Pacific Standard Magazine that went viralMark at TedXMark at The Moth Main StageFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Mark LukachAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Dr Nicole Brooks is pure sunshine.  A beaming smile and down to earth nature that belies the gravity of the work she does… day in, day out.  You see, at 15 years of age Nicole, lost her beautiful mum, Susie, to cancer.   And she's taken that tragedy and profound loss and converted it into devoting her life to cancer research and improving the lives and health outcomes of patients.  Nicole holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours and a PHD in foetal physiology in obstetrics and gynaecology from the University of Melbourne.  And now, as the program manager of The Molecular Oncology and Cancer Immunology (MOCI) group at Epworth Healthcare, she, and her brilliant colleagues, aim to provide patients with access to cutting-edge genomic testing.Today's episode of Brave Journeys is brought to you by TIDEE – Professional Organisers – helping bring calm to your everyday.Find TIDEE on Insta here: @tideelifeBUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Nic hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Dr Nicole BrooksAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Where should I start with today's guest – apart from confessing that he's a lifelong hero of mine?  Clive Stafford Smith is one of the world's most distinguished Human Rights lawyers and the Founder of ‘Reprieve' - a UK based legal NGO that defends marginalised people who are facing human rights abuses, often at the hands of powerful governments.   Clive's dedicated over 25 years working on behalf of defendants facing the death penalty in the US.  He only takes on cases of those who can't afford a lawyer & he's assisted in the representation of over 400 prisoners and prevented their execution in 98% of cases.  In 2000, Clive was awarded an OBE for ‘humanitarian services' and has won a raft of awards in the field of human rights that would take an hour alone to read out.   But it's his own journey to becoming one of the world's most feted civil libertarians which really has me spellbound.  And please don't be fooled by his very regal British accent.  Whilst, Clive most certainly is an intellectual giant; he's an intellectual giant with a heart of gold & a wicked sense of humour who believes that human beings – all human beings - deserve humanity and compassion. Yep … he's extraordinary.  Buckle up dear friends, cos this episode is epic. BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Clive hereClive at TedX Exeter here Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Clive Stafford SmithAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

For Isabelle Oderberg, professional success was a given.  A trailblazing journalist who'd spent 15 years pioneering digital journalism and going toe to toe with Rupert Murdoch at expansive boardroom tables.  But on the personal front, success, was not, well… so assured.  When Isy decided at 34 that she wanted to become a mother, she had no partner to embark on that journey with.  Having courage in spades, she decided to go it alone.  Then, as luck would have it, she met her Mr Right.  But on their path to parenthood, Isy endured seven, yes seven, devastating pregnancy losses.  That's seven babies she and her husband never got to meet.Isy's now courageously writing a book about conception and pregnancy loss aptly called, “Hard to Bear” to help others experiencing the crushing grief that takes hold, when there's no baby at the end of a pregnancy.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Isy here Follow Isy on TwitterFind more about Hard to Bear hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayWith thanks to my special guest: Isabelle OderbergAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Christie Tate, is a Chicago-based lawyer, mother & now an author of an oh so personal memoir - GROUP: How One Therapist & a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life - that's literally taken the world by storm.  GROUP tells the story of Christie: A brilliant over-achieving, self-lacerating young law student, graduating top of her class, who wants to die & enters GROUP therapy to save her life.  “GROUP” is Christie's first book & has just been selected for Reese Witherspoon's 'Hello Sunshine' book club. BUT BEFORE YOU GO… Find out more about Christie here Learn more about Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life, here Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Christie TateAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

For Jan Marshall, life was good. She'd worked hard, set herself up financially and was hoping to share her future with a special someone. Having never partnered, she did what millions around the world do… she turned to online dating.  After just a few short days of being approached on a dating site, Jan was certain she'd met “the one”. She accepted a proposal of marriage to a man she'd never seen and within 72 days of connecting online, she sent money, ALL her money – and then some – to a professional scammer.How did it happen? How does an intelligent, rational person, who'd lived an immaculate life, fall prey to such a wholesale deception?  She's certainly not alone. BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Jan here Learn more about Romance Scam Survivor: The Whole Sordid Story here  Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Jan MarshallAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

As psychologist and filmmaker Eve Ash investigates her parents' story and in doing so, she uncovers shocking family secrets that literally upend her life.You see, Eve's beloved parents, Martha and Feliks, both lost their entire families in the Holocaust, including their spouses. Broken, Feliks and Martha met after the war and emigrated together to Melbourne in 1949. Feliks then became a gentle and loving father, dedicated to the family business. Eve grew up with her older sister, Helen, in a prototypical post-war suburb, with all the comforts any child could want, and yet, somehow, she always felt “different”. After their parents died, Eve and Helen, travelled to the Ukraine to uncover details of the horrific pogroms that wiped out their family. On their tour of discovery, Eve talked to friends and family in Europe, the USA, and in Australia to find out more about her parents. Her mother, Martha emerges, as a talented artist and devoted wife and mother, but also a flamboyant and flirtatious woman who was bored by suburban life and often said ‘some secrets you must never tell anyone'. Having narrowly escaped execution by the Nazis and losing her mother and husband in horrific circumstances, Martha made a new life in Melbourne that featured a whirlwind of parties and gaiety, but always hid a deep dark secret: her love affair over fifteen years with a man she met on a bus. For Eve, the truth came out in a stunning way. In January 2008, she received an email from a stranger who claimed to be her sister. When they met, Eve was startled by how much the stranger looked like her. A DNA test confirmed that they were, indeed, half-sisters. This woman's father was a man named ‘Dixie' who Eve had known as a child. And, in fact, he was the mysterious man on the bus that Eve had spotted in Martha's home movies. Following this bombshell, Eve set out to find Dixie, who was working full-time in Melbourne as a land surveyor at the age of 83. He is a defiant non-conformist who had ten children with six different women, and Eve strives to make sense of this piece of her story. In doing so, Eve finally manages to connect the dots of her life, from the Holocaust atrocities to her mixed emotions about her fathers. She gets to the truth of her own identity, resolving the feelings of “differentness” that have always stalked her.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Eve hereFollow Eve on Facebook hereWatch the Trailer to Man on the Bus hereLearn more about Man on the Bus hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Eve AshAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal

Hollywood actor, Katherine Kendall, is most known for her roles of Dorothy in Jon Favreau's “Swingers” and The Counselor, in the cult classic “Firefly”.  But as one of the first women to bravely come forward about being sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein - silence breaker, change agent and seasoned warrior, Katherine - is now one of the leading advocacy voices for victims of sexual assault and abuse. She's currently hosting her own podcast called “Roar with Katherine Kendall” which focuses on stories of courage and resilience. Well, on BRAVE JOURNEYS, we certainly know all about that…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Follow Katherine on InstaFollow Katherine on TwitterListen to the “Roar with Katherine Kendall” podcast here Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Katherine KendallAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Leanne Czerniecki is one of those people whose capacity to give, and to love, is limitless. Apart from surviving two bouts of cancer, retraining from corporate law to the highest level of paediatric nursing, being a devoted mother to three children, becoming an egg donor to give the gift of parenthood to infertile couples – she and her husband then courageously opened their hearts and their home to a child whose formative years were filled with unspeakable horrors and tragedy. With love and time, patience and untold investment, they have created a beautiful family of 6.  Some people amaze, some inspire, and some are just bloody exceptional…and yet when she was asked to come on the show her first response was, “…but I'm just so ordinary”. If she's ordinary, I'm an amoeba…BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Leanne Czerniecki Audio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Rachel Berger is one of Australia's favourite stand-up comedians and raconteurs. A woman of remarkable insight and depth. Scotland's List Magazine has referred to her as the “sharpest comedian” - irrespective of “gender or hemisphere”.She's loud. She's brash and she takes no prisoners.Child of Holocaust Survivors. Single for most of her life. No children. And she now calls the Bushlands of Tasmania home (or Berger's Bush as it is now affectionately known) … but only after fast and reliable internet connection was assured. There are no cows to sacred for this Berger.Her road to the stage has been anything but linear… just the way we like it. And she's using her gift for comedy to heal trauma survivors.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Follow Rachel on Facebook hereFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Rachel BergerAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Award winning author and teacher, Gabbie Stroud, speaks frankly with Tammi Faraday about why she left teaching… or perhaps more accurately why teaching left her. You see, Gabbie was the teacher everyone wished they had and more importantly, the one we wish our children had.In her smash hit memoir Teacher, Gabbie shares with incredible vulnerability and candour about why she became a teacher, the personal price she paid to be the above-and-beyond-teacher she was and what finally took her to the brink and made her leave the career that had once been her calling.  Gabbie's profound impacts on those lives she touched in the classroom still endure today.BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Gabbie hereFollow Gabbie on Twitter hereFollow Gabbie on InstaFind out more about Tam hereFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Gabbie StroudAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Asher Packman was a global communications juggernaut when a series of significant events led Asher to totally redefine his purpose.  BUT BEFORE YOU GO…Find out more about Asher hereFollow Asher on Twitter hereFollow Asher on InstaFollow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi Faraday With thanks to my special guest: Asher PackmanAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

Australian Broadcaster (Radio & Television); Investigative Journalist; TV, Radio, Feature film and Documentary Producer; Storyteller; Mental Health Advocate; Board Member; Recovering Lawyer & Mama of Four - Tammi Faraday, learns from others how to navigate life's invariable challenges where there's no clear answer, but bravery has propelled them forward. With compassionate curiosity, reciprocal candour & vulnerability in spades, Tam uncovers her guests' brave life journeys, with the hope of empowering you to realise life's difficulties don't have to define you ... they're often the making of you.Let's find our inner brave together!!Tam xxx Follow Tam on InstaFollow BRAVE JOURNEYS on InstaJoin the conversation and chat about the episode hereNEED MORE INSPIRATION?Find other BRAVE JOURNEYS episodes hereCREDITS:Creator, Host & Executive Producer: Tammi FaradayAudio Editor: Zoltan FecsoWith very special thanks to George Weinberg and Ursula Ferguson.BRAVE JOURNEYS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we record this podcast on, the Yaluk-ut Weelam Clan of the Boon Wurrung who are part of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respect to their Elders, both past, present and emerging and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.