Over the Back Fence

This week Nicola and Di are excited to bring you the first episode of our new financial series, Over The Money Fence with Roger Montgomery. This series aims to help you take control of your finances with clarity and confidence. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by investing, unsure about what’s happening in the markets, or you just want to make a smarter decision with your money then you are in the right place. We will be joined each month by financial expert Roger Montgomery, who you may remember from our 100th episode. Roger is the Founder and Chairman of Montgomery Investment Management, has over 30 years’ investing experience and a highly respected financial commentator featuring on various ABC programs, as well as his popular column in The Australian newspaper. He is also the author of best-selling investment guidebook Value.able. In this conversation we chat about a really important topic - where should you invest when markets feel wild and you feel scared? Roger gives us such reassuring and calming advice about what we need to pay attention to, what we can tune out, and why it’s important to take your time when it comes to making financial decisions. He is able to explain the share market in a way that’s not only understandable, but interesting and talks to us about the difference between speculating and investing. We also talk about other ways of investing that aren’t as volatile as the share market, including private credit, gold and term deposits. Roger gives us a brief overview of the pros and cons of each of these investments, and why you might choose one over the other. We also have a meaningful chat about what’s really important in life, and that true value lies in the relationships we have with the people we love. We learnt so much from Roger in this episode, and more importantly we already feel more calm and confident when it comes to our finances. Roger also set some homework for us all this month - get all of your investments down on paper, make sure you know where all your money is, and find out what return they’ve been generating for you. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear Di, Nicola and their producer Sam chat about what impacted them from this conversation - believe it or not, there are tears already. This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. Find out more about Montgomery Investment Management here - https://montinvest.com Learn more about Roger and read his articles here - https://rogermontgomery.com Buy Roger's book Value.able here - https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/ Follow Roger’s YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomeryFollow Roger on X here - https://x.com/rjmontgomery Follow Roger on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/Follow Roger on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/ Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/ Follow Nicola and Di on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the fascinating Feng Shui expert, Kelly McCloskey. Kelly has been transforming her client’s spaces and lives for the past decade and helps them to create environments of love, growth, financial abundance and wellbeing. She is one of only a handful of individuals in Australia who has trained under masters of San Yuen Yuen Gua Feng Shui, a method that can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. In this conversation, we hear all about the fascinating world of Feng Shui, which is essentially the energy of a house or space. Kelly explains about the 9 different sectors of Feng Shui, which everyone has in their homes and how to find out what they are so you can get the most out of the space you’re in. Kelly gives us great tips on some of the simple things we can do in our homes to make sure we have good energy (chi) flowing through our space and are attracting the things we want in life. You’ll have to tune in to hear those. She tells us how powerful artwork can be in the home, and the incredible story of how she has manifested everything that’s ever been on the wall behind her bedhead. Di also shares her own amazing story of how she was told to take down paintings of single women in her home, because it was blocking the energy of love, and shortly after, she met a man. We had so much fun chatting with Kelly. There was good energy all round in the studio that day and we hope you can feel the good vibes as you listen. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Kelly on IG here Find out more about Kelly’s work here Follow Kelly on TikTok here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di celebrate their 100th episode!! To mark this special occasion, Nicola and Di chat with the successful and relatable Roger Montgomery. Roger is the Founder and Chairman of Montgomery Investment Management, has over 30 years’ investing experience and a highly respected financial commentator featuring on various ABC programs, as well as his popular column in The Australian newspaper. He is also the author of best-selling investment guidebook Value.able. We really wanted to have Roger on our podcast because he has a gift for making investing andfinances so easy to understand, and he keeps things relevant and fun. He is full of wise advice and has even been described as the Warren Buffet of Australia. Roger is also a family man, with a beautiful wife and 3 children, who we get to hear more about in this interview. In this conversation Roger helps us understand how we can become more aware of our attitude towards money and how it forms when we’re really young. He shares with us a great little test you can do with your kids, which will give you a good idea of whether they’ll be a good saver when it comes to money, or whether they’ll spend it. Roger chats to us about the money challenges that women in their 50s and over are facing, with divorce rates going up and many women being faced with a situation they weren’t expecting, and having to learn how to navigate their financial future, which can feel a bit daunting at times. We talk about why it’s so important to learn more about managing your money, slow down rather than being rushed into a financial decision, surround yourself with people you trust, and be more empowered when it comes to your money. We also get to hear a little bit of Roger’s personal story, the jobs he had as a kid and the values his mum instilled in him at an early age. Roger shares the beautiful story of how he met his wife on the ferry when he was 27, and they’ve now been married for 26 years. Di brings up her fear of the stock market, and Roger gives her some great, calming advice. The good news is, this is the very beginning of our conversations with Roger, who is going to teach us everything we need to know about finance and help break down some of the fears we might have when it comes to money or investing. We are thrilled to announce we will be doing a monthly series with Roger called Over the Money Fence, which is going to help us all feel more confident about managing our money. Happy 100th episode! We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did and we want to say a huge THANK YOU to all our listeners who have been with us from the beginning, and to those who have joined along the way. We could not do this without you. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Find out more about Montgomery Investment Management here - https://montinvest.com Learn more about Roger and read his articles here - https://rogermontgomery.com Buy Roger's book Value.able here - https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/ Follow Roger’s YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomeryFollow Roger on X here - https://x.com/rjmontgomery Follow Roger on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/Follow Roger on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/ Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/ Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discount See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and incredible Sally Loane. Sally has had a remarkable career from starting as a journalist in print media, moving into broadcasting with ABC radio, before jumping into the corporate world and establishing herself as a non-executive director on several boards - including being the first woman on the board at the NSW Waratahs in its 135 year history! She is currently the Chairman of Destination NSW and sits on the board for several charities and other organisations. She is such an inspiring woman, who has consistently reinvented herself and believes in stepping up courageously when new opportunities present themselves. In this conversation, we go right back to Sally’s childhood and what it was like growing up in Tenterfield, spending her mornings being homeschooled by mum, and her afternoons in the paddock with dad. She shares how her country upbringing taught her so much about resilience, which she would come to rely on later in life when she experienced great loss. We talk all about Sally’s early career in journalism, her time as a political reporter, the mentors she had along the way and how terrifying it was for her to make the switch from print to broadcasting and being live-on-air with the ABC. We also find out that Di was one of Sally’s loyal listeners from her days at the ABC and has been a bit of a fan girl ever since. We chat about Sally’s career transitions and reinventions and how she finds the confidence to keep taking on the next challenge. Sally is also passionate about women’s financial independence and so we talk about finance, why it has been a taboo topic in the past, and she shares some great tips for women to look after their financial health and how it’s never too late to contribute to your super. This was such a wonderful conversation with Sally, and we could have talked with her for hours. It was just like chatting with a girlfriend. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Sally on IG here Follow Destination NSW on IG here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the Instaqueen of Palm Beach, Suebelle. Suebelle has gained an incredible following on social media and has become an icon of style, captivating her fans with her daily outfits, fashion tips and hilarious sense of humour. In this wonderful conversation, we hear all about Suebelle’s fascinating life - growing up in Texas, moving to Boston and becoming a first-grade teacher by day and a PlayBoy Bunny by night, before changing careers and working in travel, where she met her first husband in Honolulu. After what Suebelle describes as ‘a nice little divorce’, she went on to meet the love of her life, Richard, who she had 38 beautiful years with before he passed away earlier this year. Suebelle shares so many great stories from her life - including that time she kissed Ronald Reagan at the White House and told him how adorable she thought he was! Suebelle also tells us why she loves Palm Beach so much, what she gets up to with her posse of girlfriends, her favourite places to go and why she loves her followers on Instagram and always makes the time to be kind to her fans. And of course, we also get some great tips on fashion, entertaining and dating from this Palm Beach queen. We had so much fun chatting to Suebelle and could not wipe the smiles off our faces - as Suebelle says, it’s all about being positive and not taking yourself too seriously. We couldn't agree more! We hope you love this episode as much as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Suebelle on IG here Follow Suebelle on FB here Follow Suebelle on TikTok here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discount See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the multi award-winning journalist and editor, Robyn Foyster. Robyn has had an extraordinary career in media for the past 38 years, including being the Publisher and Editor of Australia’s three biggest flagship magazines - The Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day and New Idea. In 2007, Robyn was voted Editor of the Year, and in 2015 she was voted as one of the 30 most powerful women in media at the B&T Women in Media Awards. She’s also worked as a TV producer on hugely popular shows in the UK, LA and Australia, and now she’s turned her attention to the world of tech and AI and is the founder of Women Love Tech, The Carousel and Game Changers. In this conversation we get to hear some incredible stories from Robyn’s career - including a life-changing trip to the Sahara desert, as well as the time she snuck back-stage at the Oscars and bumped into Harrison Ford, and how it felt to be the first person to put the Spice Girls on TV when she was working in London. Robyn shares what it was like to be the Editor-in-Chief of the iconic Australian Women’s Weekly, and the responsibility she felt to the history of that magazine and its loyal readers. We also have a great chat about tech, the reason Robyn loves it as a new and exciting way to tell stories and how AI is the second revolution. Robyn gives us some great tips for how we can approach AI and that it’s never too late to learn! We had so much fun interviewing Robyn in the studio and we hope you feel as inspired as we did after listening to all she has to share. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Robyn on IG here Follow Women Love Tech on IG here Check out Women Love Tech here Check out The Carousel here Check out Game Changers here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with champion netballer Cath Cox AM and author and comedian Carolyn Swindell, co-hosts of the No Dribble podcast. Cath is one of Australia’s most successful netballers, having represented Australia in 108 appearances from 1997 - 2013 and winning multiple gold medals and world championships. Meanwhile Carolyn had a career that spanned 2 decades in corporate, politics and professional sport, before she turned to stand-up comedy at the age of 49. Together with Liz Ellis, they are hosts of the hilarious No Dribble podcast, which is like listening into a conversation on the sidelines of a netball game - where they talk about all things life, friendship, family, wine and netball. In this conversation we hear all about Cath and Carolyn’s friendship, and how Carolyn made a plan to get to know Cath and LIz because she figured they’d all be friends if they met in real life - and she wasn’t wrong! Cath talks about her long career playing netball, and why she started playing in the first place - which was really all about the friendships, fun and socialising. We chat about her transition from netball into media and commentary and what that’s been like for her. We also hear about Carolyn’s fascinating career story and how at the age of 49, she decided to give stand-up comedy a go. She shares some funny stories about throwing herself in the deep end and the mistakes she made along the way. This conversation really is a funny chat between girlfriends. Everyone shares their funniest plane stories, some memorable moments from the podcast and we also talk about body image and aging - the good news is, it keeps getting better! We had so much fun on the couch this week with Cath and Carolyn and we hope you laugh along as much as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow No Dribble on IG here Listen to the No Dribble podcast here Follow Cath on IG here Follow Carolyn on IG here Buy Carolyn’s book We Only Want What’s Best here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with an Earth Angel, Sarah Grynberg who has interviewed some of the most incredible people including Matthew McConaughey, Jay Shetty and Dr Gabor Mate to name just a few. Sarah is a mindset coach, international speaker and world-renowned podcast host. She is also the author of a brand new book, Living a Life of Greatness - steps to a fulfilling existence, and loving mum to her 2 kids. In this inspiring conversation, we hear how Sarah built a career for herself in media, and was living what many people would describe as a glamorous, dream life - she was the producer of one of the most successful breakfast radio programs in the country, but on the inside, she was miserable. Sarah describes how in this period when she was feeling low and flat, she turned to personal development books and began implementing the tools she was learning and her whole life started to change. She also describes the way she manifested her dream job - as the executive producer of the Hamish and Andy podcast. This led to Sarah starting her own podcast, A Life of Greatness, which has become super successful with Sarah interviewing hundreds of amazing people who are dedicated to carving out lives of greatness. We have so much fun chatting to Sarah about some of the incredible people she’s interviewed including Dr. Joe Dispenza, Johann Hari, Dr. Andrew Huberman and Sarah’s personal favourite - you’ll have to tune in to hear who that was! Sarah also shares some really helpful tips for how people can begin to make positive changes in their life, and how to get unstuck from negative thoughts. She shares what she’s learnt about relationships and the importance of not just reading self-help books, but actually practising and implementing the changes. This was such a beautiful conversation about the power each and every one of us has to create the life we want, follow our dreams and live our own life of greatness. We absolutely loved having Sarah in the studio and we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Sarah on IG here Buy Sarah’s book Living A Life Of Greatness here Listen to Sarah’s podcast here Join Sarah’s newsletter here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredible Liz Courtney. Liz is an internationally acclaimed film director dedicated to accelerating awareness and action around climate solutions.She’s also a talented speaker, author and the winner of several awards including the Women Changing the World in Media award and the 100 Women of Influence Australia awards. In this fascinating conversation, Liz tells us about her career transition and the sliding doors moment where she went from working in PR and marketing to becoming an award-winning filmmaker in her 40s. From her first project for the ABC making a film about Sculptures by the Sea, Liz tells us about the life-changing opportunity she got to direct a documentary in Antarctica with 40 teenagers, which is what ignited her passion for climate activism. That experience led Liz to embrace her inner adventurer, swap out the stilettos for snow boats and create her next documentary series, The Tipping Points, which took her all over the world. Liz shares the most amazing stories about some of her adventures in Antarctica, Greenland and what it was like living in the Amazon for a month. Liz is full of optimism and hope for the future and she believes that we have an incredible opportunity to turn things around and make some real progress towards reducing our carbon footprint and saving the planet. She shares some great tips for everyone on the little things that we can all do to make a positive difference for the environment. This was such a wonderful conversation with a truly inspiring woman. We hope you learn as much from Liz as we did and feel inspired by her stories and ideas. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Liz on IG here Follow Liz on LinkedIn here Learn more about Liz's films here Buy the book Women Living Fearlessly here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the extraordinary Layne Beachley AO. Layne is widely regarded as the most successful female surfer in history. She is the only surfer, male or female, to claim six consecutive world titles, and she then went on to win a 7th world title in 2006 before retiring from the World Tour in 2008. Since retiring, Layne is a highly sought after speaker and is the co-author of a new book Awake Academy: Know yourself, grow yourself to live a happier, more purposeful life, which she wrote with Tess Brouwer. Layne and Tess’ book, as well as their online courses and events, give people life-changing tips and tools to turn ideas and intentions into actions, so they can become the champions of their life. This is a really powerful episode where Layne opens up about her personal challenges and the adversity she’s had to overcome since the very early days. Layne shares all about her childhood, being adopted at birth, and then losing her mum at the age of 7 when a cosmetic surgery went horribly wrong. A year after her mum died, the local kids were starting to ask questions about why Layne looked so different from the rest of her family, and so her dad sat her down at 8 and told her she was adopted. Layne talks about how learning that she was adopted shattered her sense of self, and in that moment, at the age of 8, she decided that the only way she would be loveable was if she became a world champion at something. This was the fuel that propelled Layne to become the most successful surfer in history, but Layne talks about the moment a friend opened her eyes to what was really driving her, and how whilst she was externally successful, it was an unhealthy and unsustainable success that was driven by an inner fear and lack of worthiness. We talk about the inner work that Layne had to do to overcome her fears and recognise her innate worth, and the practices and tools she now lives by to be healthy, happy, purposeful and have sustainable success. This is such a powerful and deep chat, but it is also FULL of laughter and light. Layne is an absolute joy and this conversation had the perfect mix of everything - you get to ride the waves of Layne’s life with us. We hope you enjoy it! This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Layne on IG here Follow Awake Academy on IG here Buy Layne’s book Awake Academy: Know yourself, grow yourself and live a happier, more purposeful life here Find out more about Layne’s online courses here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredibly talented Rachel Griffiths. Rachel really needs no introduction - having starred in so many award-winning films and TV shows, including Brothers & Sisters, Six Feet Under, Anyone But You, Hilary and Jackie, My Best Friend’s Wedding and the iconic Muriel’s Wedding, she is quite simply Australian acting royalty. Her talent has been recognised with countless awards including 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, a Golden Globe award, a further 3 Golden Globe nominations, 4 Emmy nominations and an Academy Award nomination for her role in Hilary and Jackie. She’s also a writer, producer and director, the wife of painter Andy Taylor and in her own words, an imperfect mother of 3. In this episode we hear about Rachel being born in Newcastle, growing up in Melbourne, but how a day trip to Sydney’s Palm Beach in the 90s, led to her falling in love with the landscape and buying a house that day - making her one of our neighbours. We chat to Rachel about the early days of her career - what it was like starring in huge films like Muriel’s Wedding and My Best Friend’s Wedding, her intense 10 year studio contract in the US, and what it was that made Rachel choose to move back to Australia with her family. Rachel gives us insight into how much the industry has changed over the last 30 years and the differences between movie stars of the 90s and the younger generation of actors today. We also talk all about her new TV series, Madam, which is based on the true story of a woman who decides to set up an ethical brothel in New Zealand. We get into a really interesting discussion about the sex work industry, the economics of it and how it is so closely connected to the loneliness epidemic. Rachel also opens up to us about her kids, what she believes makes her marriage work, and why she thinks Esther Perel is amazing. This was one of those conversations where it felt like we were all girlfriends having a chat and we laughed so hard, that Rachel’s watch thought she’d been doing a HIIT workout! We hope you find it as much fun as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Rachel on IG here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the dynamic Pete Simson. He’s an entrepreneur, a farmer, a philanthropist, the co-founder of RedBalloon and a loving father to his 2 children. Pete is also a single man in his 60s, navigating the world of online dating and we wanted to get his thoughts and insights into what this has been like for him as well as any tips he might have for our listeners. Pete shares with us some of the highs and lows of online dating including some funny stories of dates that went wrong. He also shares the different lessons he’s learned, the psychological principles that help him to notice red flags, such as attachment styles, and the things he’s on the lookout for when it comes to dating profiles and meeting up with a potential match. In this episode, you’ll also get to hear more of Pete’s story - growing up on a farm in rural Victoria, and the fateful day he got home from school as a 10 year old and saw that his family home had burnt down. There are tears in the studio as Pete recounts that day, and shares stories from his childhood. We talk about his entrepreneurship as the co-founder of RedBalloon, the company he built in 2001 with his wife at the time, and how they were ahead of their time as an online gifting experience company. And we chat about what Pete is up to now - an exciting new film project that is shedding light on white collar domestic violence and raising awareness around this important issue. We had such a great time with Pete in the studio - he’s full of energy and the conversation just flowed. We hope you enjoy this chat as much as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow Pete on IG here Books Pete referenced in this episode: Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens Davidowitz Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the bold and dynamic Erika Cramer aka The Queen of Confidence. Erika is a confidence coach, keynote speaker, best-selling author and podcast host who has transformed her story of trauma and adversity into a journey of healing and success. In this episode Erika shares her incredible personal story, and the extremely difficult circumstances she’s had to overcome and heal from in her life. When you hear what Erika has been through, you’ll be so inspired by how she’s been able to transform her life and the wisdom she has to share. Erika has the most wonderful energy and shares real, no BS tools that you can use in your life to step into courage, live with confidence and attract the life that you want. Not only that, she keeps things fun, and we were all laughing in this chat. We also talk about Erika’s new book, Becoming Magnetic, and the 5 phases that help you to naturally draw in the right opportunities, people, and experiences that align with who you really are. This was such a fun interview and we hope you feel as inspired and uplifted listening to Erika as we did. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow Erika on IG here Buy Erika’s book Becoming Magnetic here Buy Erika’s book Confidence Feels Like Sh*T here Listen to Erika’s podcast here Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Over The Back Fence! It’s 2025 and we’re so excited to be kicking off Season 3 with you all. This week Nicola and Di chat about their summer break - what they got up to over the silly season, the holiday fun, including trips to Melbourne and the most exciting news of all, that both of them have recently met someone - so stay tuned to hear more about their brand new romances. After Nicola and Di have their summer catch-up, they interview our most popular guest, David The Medium, who’s back for a third time. We check-in with David on the incredible predictions he made for 2024, many of which came true, and get him to give us the latest on what he’s predicting for 2025. His word of the year is revolution because David tells us there will be a lot of change, with old things that no longer serve us being dismantled, and new opportunities being birthed. You’ll also get to listen in on a powerful reading that David does for Nicola and Di where he’s able to connect with their loved ones who have passed, and they have some thoughts and guidance to pass on to the ladies about their new relationships. David also talks to us about the importance of managing our energy and how we all need to pay attention to our inner circle and the people we’re spending our time with. He has some helpful insights for us all to hear. We always love having David The Medium join us on the show and we continue to be blown away by his spiritual readings and psychic predictions. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did! This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF20 at checkout to receive a 20% discount on any purchase. Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow David The Medium on IG here Visit David’s website here to join his manifestation events, book a private reading or buy his daily guidance cards Buy your Eir Women products here. Use code OTBF20 at checkout for a 20% discountSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Nicola and Di this week as they reflect on 2024 and their favourite moments and highlights from some of the incredible guests they’ve had on the podcast this year. They’ve been lucky enough to chat to psychics, actors, comedians, journalists, doctors, psychologists, artists, life coaches, entrepreneurs, sailors and the list goes on. It’s true what they say, variety really is the spice of life. Share in some laughs and stories, as we remember some of our favourite moments from Season 2. We want to thank all of our guests for sharing their stories (and their hearts), our team at DM podcasts for their constant support, and most importantly our listeners - we love creating this show for you and we’re thrilled that you tune in each week. We wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and we can’t wait to be back in 2025 with even more amazing conversations for you to enjoy. Thanks for being part of our Over The Back Fence community. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF15 at checkout to receive a 15% discount on any purchase. Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the authentic and entertaining Cameron Daddo. Cam has been part of the Australian entertainment scene since the late 80s. He became the youngest prime-time game show host in Aussie TV history for Perfect Match and since then has gone on to become an award-winning actor, broadcaster and singer-songwriter. He’s also the author of a new book - Keep It Smooth: Life Lessons In Confidence and is passionate about men’s mental health, which led him to set up his non-profit organisation My Men’s Team. In this wonderful chat, we talk about so many different things. There’s laughter, tears and everything in between. We go right back to Cam’s childhood and the struggles he went through as a kid because he had a stutter. Cam talks about how he couldn’t even say his own name and how his stutter caused him so much anxiety. We also hear about the incredible teacher who reframed everything for Cam and how that changed his life. We chat about the early days of Cam’s career and what it was like after being such a successful actor in Australia, to move to LA and start all over again as a complete unknown and experience hundreds of knock backs and rejections. Cam opens up about his marriage with Ali, and is honest about the affair he had with his Models Inc co-star in the 90s, and how grateful he is that Ali was willing to stay and work on rebuilding their marriage. Cam is candid about how much therapy helped them work through everything and shares how they continue to work on their marriage - even after 33 years. Cam shares so many hilarious stories from his acting days and time in LA, as well as the adversity he went through after losing almost everything in the financial crisis of 2008. This difficult time prompted Cam to write an open letter to other men at the school his kids attended, inviting anyone going through similar struggles to talk. This led to the first Men’s Team, which is now a non-profit organisation, and is a place where men can come together, talk, listen and learn to become more resilient. We also chat about Cam’s brilliant new book, Keep It Smooth, and the different things he’s learnt about confidence throughout his life. This is such a wonderful conversation and we loved having Cam in the studio. He took us on a ride of highs and lows and we hope you get as much out of listening to it as we did. Enjoy. This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF15 at checkout to receive a 15% discount on any purchase. Follow Cam on IG here Buy Cam’s book Keep It Smooth - Life Lessons in Confidence here Listen to Cam and Ali’s podcast Separate Bathrooms here Find out more about My Men’s Team here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow Eir Women on IG here Find out more about Eir Women here and use code OTBF15 at checkout See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with one of the top global thought leaders in mental health, Mitch Wallis. Mitch is most well known for being the founder of Heart On My Sleeve - a leading global mental health movement that helps people drop the brave face and be real about how they feel. He is also the author of Real Conversations, a powerful book which helps you connect with confidence and create healthy, supportive relationships. Mitch truly is an expert in his field, with a master's degree in clinical psychology, he's been an advisor to the United Nations on the topic of youth mental health and won a Man of Impact award by GQ. Not only that, Mitch is a talented speaker who has delivered talks to tens of thousands of people, and we were so lucky he shared so much of his wisdom in this episode.  In this chat, Mitch gives us powerful ways that we can all learn to have meaningful and real conversations with one another, and how it is that we can truly connect. He explains the difference between talking and connecting, and why it is that if you try to fix someone's problem, you will only make things worse. As Mitch says, the goal of a real conversation is not to fix a problem, but to understand the person.    We hear about the 5 key mistakes that people make when they're trying to connect with someone, and why we need to take a counter-intuitive approach. Mitch gives us so many ideas for how we can avoid these mistakes and learn to truly understand and support people. Mitch also opens up about his own personal struggles with mental health, his lowest moments and the words from his mum that saved his life. We talk about the loneliness epidemic and how it's vital that we prioritise connection, and Mitch reminds us how we can all do that.  This was an incredibly powerful and inspiring conversation and we learnt so much from having Mitch in the studio with us. We hope you love it as much as we did, and we encourage you to share this special episode with your loved ones as everyone can benefit from hearing this.  This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF15 at checkout to receive a 15% discount on any purchase.  Follow Mitch on IG here Follow Heart on My Sleeve on IG here Buy Mitch's book Real Conversations here Listen to Mitch's Podcast here Find out more about Mitch's work here Find out more about the Heart on My Sleeve movement here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow Eir Women on IG here  Find out more about Eir Women here and use code OTBF15 at checkoutSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredibly inspiring changemaker, Taryn Brumfitt. Taryn is an award-winning filmmaker, bestselling author and speaker on a mission to help people redefine the way they think about themselves and to end the global body-hating epidemic. She is best known for founding the Body Image Movement and her inspiring documentaries Embrace and Embrace Kids. Taryn has reached more than 200 million people with her inspiring work and in 2023, her efforts were recognised nationally when she was named Australian of the Year. In this chat we get to talk about how it all started back in 2013, when Taryn posted a non-traditional before and after photo of herself that went viral. Her intention was to show some friends of hers that were struggling with their own body image, that even though she had reached her ‘perfect bikini body' through dieting and bodybuilding, she was actually happier when she let go of that extreme way of treating her body and learnt to embrace her body exactly as it was. What Taryn didn't know at the time was that the photo would go viral, reaching tens and tens of millions of people, leading to worldwide media attention and changing her life forever.  We hear about the deeply moving emails and messages that Taryn received from people all over the world sharing their own stories of body hatred and Taryn was determined to help these people and spread the message of self-love and body acceptance far and wide. Taryn has some wonderful tips in this episode for how you can begin to reframe the way you see yourself and start to focus on the way your body feels and what it can do for you, rather than simply your appearance. Taryn also shares what some of the pivotal moments along the way have been like - from winning Australian of the Year, to addressing the National Press Club in Canberra, and getting an invite to a State dinner at The White House with President Biden. This was a wonderful conversation with a brilliant woman who is doing such important work in the world. We loved chatting with Taryn and we hope you enjoy listening to her wisdom as much as we did.  This episode is proudly sponsored by Eir Women. Use code OTBF15 at checkout to receive a 15% discount on any purchase.  Follow Taryn on IG here Join the Embrace You community here Find out more about Taryn's work here Buy Taryn's books here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Follow Eir Women on IG here  Find out more about Eir Women here and use code OTBF15 at checkout Listen to Lisa Walker's episode hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the interesting and entertaining Jordanna Levin. Jordanna is the best-selling author of several books including Make It Happen and her latest book, All Signs Point To You. She's also a gifted astrologer and host of the popular podcast, Lunar Lover.  In this chat we get to talk about all things astrology! Jordanna gives us great insights about the qualities of the different star signs, explains what a natal chart is, and why we can't just rely on a person's sun sign when we're trying to find a compatible partner. We hear a bit about Jordanna's dating life, what she's learnt about herself and which star signs she's attracted to and feels the most compatible with. Jordanna also shares with Di and Nicola who she thinks might make a good match for them. She has a great tip for how to know which signs you're compatible with - and it's not one we've heard before, so you'll want to stay tuned for that.  We also talk about what astrology tells us is on the cards for next year, and hear Jordanna's predictions for 2025. This was such a fun and fascinating episode and we hope you love learning about astrology as much as we did.  Follow Jordanna on IG here Listen to Jordanna's podcast - Lunar Lover - here Buy Jordanna's latest book All Signs Point to You here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the hilarious and fun Claudia Bursill aka Miss Double Bay. Miss Double Bay is Claudia's alter ego and she's best known for her take on the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and influencer culture and her razor sharp memes and deadpan humour. She's the queen of satire and is also the co-host of the popular podcast, Certified Yappers, with her friend Roj.  In this chat we hear the funny story of how Miss Double Bay started, when a mouldy avocados review that Claudia did as part of a university assignment went viral and earned her the nickname, Miss Double Bay. Claudia talks about how she started the instagram account a couple of years later and it began to really gain popularity during covid. Initially the account was completely anonymous and nobody knew who Miss Double Bay was, but after a couple of years, as things were really taking off, she decided to come clean and reveal who she was.  We have a good laugh about the latest trends in this episode. From personalised dog harnesses, to what's happening on the dating scene with run clubs, and communal ice bath sessions - Aussie culture at its finest. Claudia also tells us about her other Instagram account where women submit the cringe worthy things they see and hear on the dating app Hinge - she shares a few voice notes with us in the studio, which we hope you'll find as funny as we did.  We also talk about our philosophies on life - having a good laugh, not taking things too seriously, treating people kindly, having positive energy, an attitude of gratitude and a focus on fun! This conversation made us laugh so hard and we hope you enjoy listening to the silliness.  Follow Miss Double Bay on IG here Follow Hinge Boiz on IG here Listen to Claudia's podcast - Certified Yappers - here Buy your own Miss Double Bay Water Bottle here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and encouraging Dr. Kristin Neff. Kristin is an Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and is one of the world's leading experts in self-compassion. Kristin was the first person to conduct research on self-compassion more than 20 years ago and she created a scale to measure it, which is used by thousands of practitioners all over the world. She's written numerous academic articles as well as several books on the topic and has been recognised as one of the most influential scholars in the field of psychology. Well over 5000 studies have been conducted on self-compassion by various scholars since her ground-breaking articles were first published in 2003. She really is a trailblazer in this field.  In this conversation, Kristin describes what self-compassion actually is, the benefits of practising it in your life, and she shares some simple yet powerful tools which you can use to build your self-compassion.  She talks about the important difference between self-pity and self-compassion, and why self-compassion is actually a gift that benefits everyone. Despite being known as self-compassion, as Kristin explains, it's not all about the self, it's actually a powerful force that connects us to other people and acknowledges our common humanity.  Kristin gives some really practical tips for how you can get started and the good news is - the benefits can be felt immediately. Our producer Sam also shares with Kristin how her work on self-compassion changed her life. There were tears in the studio that day. We are so grateful to Kristin for this conversation and we hope you love this episode as much as we did.  Follow Kristin on IG here Find out more about Kristin's work and access free self-compassion tools here Take the free self-compassion test here Order Kristin Neff's books here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the always fun and entertaining Leanne Nicol and we have an exclusive giveaway for one lucky Over The Back Fence listener, so stay tuned to hear all the details. Leanne is a former school principal, now certified Master Coach, who you may remember from our first chat with her, 100 First Dates . In that episode, Leanne shared with us the story of finding love again in her mid-forties and the funny highlights from all the dates she had to go on to ultimately find her husband.  In this bonus episode, we hear the story of what happened after Leanne left the podcast studio that day. She was feeling inspired by the energy in the room, so arranged to grab a coffee with our producer Sam, and that conversation led to a career change for Leanne, and one she is truly loving.  Leanne tells us about the coaching work she's doing through her business, Fierce Hearts, and how she loves empowering people to be the best version of themselves. We talk about the benefits of coaching, some simple tools to help you make a mindset shift and we also discuss the differences between coaching and therapy or counselling.  And of course, because it's Leanne, we couldn't help but chat about the latest dating trends.  You'll also hear in this episode about our exclusive competition which you can enter. Leanne has generously decided to give away one place in her upcoming Jump Start Your Fierce Heart coaching program to one of our lucky listeners, to help kick start a positive change in your life. Could it be you? You've got to be in it to win it!  Jump Start Your Fierce Heart - Exclusive Giveaway - Competition Details How to Enter: 1️⃣ Follow both @overthebackfencepodcast and @fierce_hearts on Instagram2️⃣ Tag 1 friend3️⃣ In the comments tell us the positive change you'd like to make to your life in the next 3 months What You'll Get: 1 x Discovery call A small group program with 3 x 1.5-hour weekly Zoom sessions 3 x Accountability check-ins 1 x Workbook - that includes group session details, action plans and reflection and consolidation exercises Coaching by a certified Master Coach A safe, supportive space with like-minded people Be challenged, supported, and held accountable     Value: $990 Entries close: 14 November 2024. Winners will be announced on our Instagram story and contacted by us to arrange the prize. Follow Fierce Hearts on IG here Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Listen to our first interview with Leanne - 100 First Dates here  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and inspiring Chip Conley. Chip is an entrepreneur, speaker and New York Times best-selling author. Chip spent the first part of his career in the hospitality industry - he founded Joie de Vivre Hospitality in 1987, which became the 2nd largest operator of boutique hotels in the US. After selling his company in 2010, Chip went on to become the global head of strategy for Airbnb, transforming it from a fast-growing start-up to the world's most valuable hospitality brand. His next step was to follow his new passion to reframe the concept of ageing, and help people navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. He founded the world's first midlife wisdom school, Modern Elder Academy (MEA). He is also a loving father to his two sons.  In this conversation, we hear how Chip had a near death experience that made him question the way he was living his life, and he decided he wanted to do something new in the second half of his life. He became dedicated to helping people navigate midlife in a new way, shift their mindset to be pro-aging and realise their best years are ahead of them.  Chip shares some great advice for what people can do to find more meaning in midlife, the importance of being willing to learn new things, be a beginner again and how to focus on having a growth mindset. We also hear about the fun things that people get up to at his MEA schools in Baja and Santa Fe - we can't wait to get there.  Chip is so inspiring and fills people with so much hope that the best is yet to come. We absolutely loved chatting with him and we hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did.  Follow Chip on IG here Find out more about the Modern Elder Academy here Buy Chip Conley's book Learning to Love Midlife here Find out more about Chip's work here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the entertaining and multi-talented Tottie Goldsmith. Tottie has been part of the Australian performing arts industry for 4 decades, with an incredible career that spans music, film, television, radio and theatre. In the 80s, Tottie became known as Melbourne's IT girl, and was part of the pop group, The Chantoozies. Over the next few decades she appeared on so many iconic Australian TV shows including Young Doctors, Prisoner, Neighbours, and The Sex/Life series to name just a few. Tottie is also a proud mum, a marriage celebrant and the niece of our beloved Olivia Newton-John. In 2020 Tottie was awarded an OAM for her contribution to charity and the performing arts.  In this episode, we hear all about Tottie's unconventional upbringing and some of the incredible stories from her childhood. She was born in the 60s to a legend of the Australian nightclub industry, Brian Goldsmith and the model and actress Rona Newton-John. We hear the heartbreaking story of how Tottie's mum left her and her 2 siblings, when Tottie was only 2.5, to pursue a career overseas and the huge impact that had on Tottie's life.  Tottie opens up about the absolutely beautiful relationship that she had with her aunt Olivia, who was always looking out for her and loving her in ways that her mother wasn't able to. Olivia was a true angel in Tottie's life.  Not only that, but we hear some fun stories from Tottie's love life and the lessons she's learned along the way through the relationships she's had. Tottie is someone who really has done a lot of work on herself, and is committed to continuing to learn and grow. It's inspiring to listen to. We had so much fun in this chat with Tottie - it was absolutely like having another girlfriend with us over the back fence. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Follow Tottie on IG here Support the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness and Research Centre here Find out more about Tottie's work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the brilliant and inspiring Heather Mitchell. Heather is one of Australia's most acclaimed actors, with a career spanning 4 decades. She has appeared in hundreds of theatre productions and her film and television credits are countless, including series such as Love Me, Fake, and The Unusual Suspects and films like The Great Gatsby, Muriel's Wedding and Palm Beach. Heather also has a brilliant memoir, Everything and Nothing, where she shares so many personal stories from her life outside of acting, and we dive into some of these in this episode.  In this conversation Heather talks about how she is 66 and absolutely loving it! She shares her belief on why it's a privilege to get old, and that she's enjoying life more and more each day. As someone who lost their mother at a young age, and has overcome breast cancer herself twice, Heather really sees the true gift that it is to be able to get old, and has such a refreshing perspective on ageing.  We hear the beautiful love story of how Heather met her husband Martin, and the psychic who predicted it the day before - you'll really want to tune in for this story, because it's incredible.  Heather opens up about what it was like losing her mother at 17, and the pivotal moment in her life where she unknowingly had a conversation that would convince her mother not to tell anyone she was sick and dying. We also get the inside scoop on what happened with Heather and Sam Neill, and how a recent interview they did together was the first time they ever talked about why their relationship ended, and what they learnt from each other was pretty amazing.  This episode is full of so many wonderful stories and we had such a lovely time talking to Heather. She is a kind and gentle soul, with a spirit and energy that radiates. We hope you love listening to her.    Follow Heather on IG here Buy Heather's Memoir - Everything and Nothing - here Learn more about the Groundswell Foundation here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the fascinating and one-of-a-kind Molly Jane. Molly is an oracle, who is able to read and interpret energy, which helps people to align, gain clarity and upgrade their energy. As she explains in this interview, Molly really is at the forefront of a brand new modality, and she believes that in 10 years time, the type of work she does will become totally normal, and people will understand the importance of taking care of their energetic body, as well as their physical body.  In this chat we find out what it means to be an oracle, how Molly can read people's energy and simple things that anyone can do to make sure they are clearing their energy, and paying attention to the people and places that align with their energy, so they can feel lighter and brighter.   Molly shares a great and practical tool - the blueprint - for how you can work out what's truly important to you and set better boundaries for anything that doesn't align with your blueprint, so that you aren't weighed down by them.  Molly also does a reading for Di during the chat, so you can experience a taste of what it's like to have an energetic upgrade - you'll want to listen into this.  This was such a fascinating conversation with a truly special woman. We loved chatting to Molly and we hope you get as much out of it as we did.  Follow Molly Jane on IG here Find out more about Molly Jane and her work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the fun, creative and ambitious Lisa McGuigan. Lisa is a fourth generation winemaker from Australia's Hunter Valley, blazing a new trail in wine, whilst paying homage to the work of her father, grandfather and great grandfather. You'll hear in this interview that Lisa has a rebellious spirit, which meant she carved her own path, leaving behind the wine industry and pursuing a career in hospitality. Lisa excelled in this field, but as the years went on, she realised she couldn't deny her genes and that winemaking is in her DNA. We're so lucky she returned to the industry, because Lisa makes some absolutely incredible wines. She designed and directed the launch and meteoric rise of Tempus Two, one of Australia's most loved and successful wine brands and is now the founder of Lisa McGuigan Wines and Vamp. There were lots of stories and laughs in this chat as Lisa brought some wines into the studio so Nicola and Di could have a wine tasting as they talked about her life. Lisa recalled the day she had a run-in with her father when she announced she wouldn't be going into winemaking, which resulted in her being shipped off to Swiss Finishing School. What started as a punishment became a formative experience, and Lisa had a ball living in the alps and learnt a lot about herself in that one year alone.  Lisa shares the twists and turns along the way in her career - including the 20 years she spent working in hotels, the decision to return to winemaking in her own creative way and the adventures of starting her first brand Hermitage Road, which later became the famous Tempus Two. We also hear about Lisa's latest brand, Lisa McGuigan Wines and her one-of-a-kind cellar door experience at Vamp.  This is a truly inspiring conversation with a woman who sees an opportunity and grabs it with both hands. She is an unstoppable and innovative force and we had so much fun (and delicious wine) with her in the studio. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.   Follow Lisa McGuigan on IG here Follow Vamp on IG here Buy Lisa McGuigan wines here Vote for us in the Australian Podcast Awards here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's episode is a little bit different as it's a chat with Nicola and Di in the studio about their recent trip to LA. We get all the highlights from the Summit Of Greatness event they attended, hosted by Lewis Howes - one of the most inspiring and successful podcasters globally, who has an audience of millions.   We hear about the key lessons they took away from some of the incredible speakers at the event, including scientist and teacher Dr. Joe Dispenza and relationships psychotherapist Esther Perel. Both Joe and Esther are New York Times best-selling authors and their work has touched and changed the lives of millions of people - we're excited to share some powerful moments from both of them with you.  Nicola and Di also share their favourite moments from La La land and the ways they've been inspired to keep learning, growing and making positive changes in their lives. We hope you'll feel uplifted and inspired by this conversation.   Follow Lewis Howes on IG here Listen to the School of Greatness podcast here Follow Dr. Joe Dispenza on IG here  Follow Esther Perel on IG here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the genuine and inspiring Ronni Kahn AO. Ronni is a social entrepreneur who founded the food rescue charity, OzHarvest. She is a passionate advocate and activist and her mission to fight food waste and feed hungry people is supported by some of the world's finest chefs. Ronni is an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and was named Australian Local Hero of the Year in 2010. Her journey is the subject of a feature film,  Food Fighter and her memoir, A Repurposed Life, has recently been published. In this conversation, Ronni tells us the remarkable story of a trip back to South Africa to visit an old friend that uncovered Ronni's purpose and changed the course of her life forever. She shares how it all began with OzHarvest, and how her passion is fuelled by purpose and Ronni considers it a privilege to be able to do the work she does in the world and make an incredible impact.  As well as Ronni's passion to feed the hungry, we also talk about her activism around food waste and the little-known fact that food waste is the second biggest contributor to global warming, and costs the Australian economy $36.6 billion dollars a year. Ronni shares with us some simple ways that we can all reduce our food waste and help her achieve her mission for Australia to halve their food waste by 2030.  Ronni is a great storyteller and we hear all about some of the incredible people she's collaborated with - from top international chefs to the patron of UK Harvest, none other than Queen Camilla herself.  To celebrate the 20 year anniversary of OzHarvest and bring awareness to the fact that 10 million Australians on any given day are in need of food, Ronni and her team are holding a Unite To Feed Australia concert on the 7th of November in Sydney, and she'd love for you all to be thaere! You can buy your tickets here.  We absolutely loved chatting to Ronni in the studio and hearing her uplifting message about the power each and every one of us has to make a difference in the world, no matter how big or small. We hope you love it too and that we can sing along with you Back Fencers at the concert in November.  Follow Ronni on IG here  Follow OzHarvest on IG here Buy Tickets to the OzHarvest - Unite To Feed Australia Concert here Buy Ronni's Memoir - A Repurposed Life here  Find Out More about OzHarvest here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the energetic and vivacious Susan Bratton. Susan is an intimacy expert to millions and has been helping people improve their intimate relationships and sex life for the past 2 decades. Susan has written thousands of magazine and website articles, as well as over 40 books and programs to help people experience shame-free, frequent sexual pleasure, which she believes is a vital element of being alive. Susan also regularly appears on TV and podcasts from all over the world. She has been married for over 30 years and has so much to share.  In this conversation Susan talks about how she got started as a sexpert, as a married woman in her 40s who was deeply unhappy with her sex life and wanted to do something about it. As Susan and her husband started going to therapy and attending sex workshops, they learnt so many skills and became closer than ever, which made Susan passionate about teaching everything she was learning to others. She went on to create a media company, and write dozens of books and programs that have helped millions of people.   Susan shares so many juicy tips with us in this chat - it is full of ideas for how you can improve your love life, including a sex bucket list and what Susan likes to call hot sex dates. We hear about Susan's desire dozen - the 12 things you can do to increase your pleasure and get more from your relationship.  We also talk about how Susan is feeling now that she's in her 60s - the good news is, she's absolutely loving it and having the best sex of her life!  We had so many laughs in this episode because it's full of cheeky chat, but it's also super informative and helpful. We hope you have a giggle along with us and get as much from this conversation as we did.  Follow Susan on IG here  Download Susan's FREE Sex Life Bucket List here Download Susan's FREE Sexual Soulmate Pact here Get Susan's Tips, Videos and Articles here  Find out more about Susan's work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we are bringing you something a little bit different - Nicola and Di recently headed off to Hamilton Island Race Week and interviewed a collection of world-class sailors whilst they were there. This week's episode brings you all 4 of those inspiring chats.  First up we talk to Alice Parker - a remarkable 30-year old navigator who's raced in 4 Sydney to Hobarts, as the only female on an all-male crew, as well as several world championships that have taken her to many different countries. We hear about Alice's best moment at sea, as well as the most frightening, which happened during one of her Sydney to Hobarts. Not only is Alice an incredible young sailor, she's also a physiotherapist and is back studying at uni again to upskill in some maths and physics. You'll want to hear Alice's answer for who she wants to meet at the back fence because it's truly beautiful.  We then get the chance to chat with Mark Richards, the sailor and boat builder that many listeners would know as the long time skipper of Wild Oats, who has won the Sydney to Hobart a stunning 9 times! We hear the amazing story of how Mark got started in sailing and how he credits it to being adopted by the right people. Mark tells some great stories about his friendship with Bob Oatley, the comradery of the sailing community as well as his greatest achievements and most harrowing moments at sea.  Our third conversation is with the dynamic sailor girl Nic Douglass. When you listen in to this chat you'll hear just how much passion and enthusiasm Nic has for sailing. Having just returned from the Olympics where Nic was part of the team commentating for the crowds on-the-ground in Marseille, we hear how the work she does now and the media company she started actually came after she was at one of her low points when she didn't qualify for the London Olympics in 2012. Nic is proof that sometimes it's the low moments in our lives and careers that become turning points and lead to really great opportunities.   Finally, we talk to the incredible Stacey Jackson who has sailed in a whopping 16 Sydney to Hobarts and is nowhere near stopping! Not only that but Stacey has also competed in a 9-month round-the-world race not once, but twice including conquering Cape Horn, which is known as the Mt Everest of the sailing world. We hear what it was like the first time Stacey sailed around the world and the most incredible story of how her crew survived after their mast broke shortly after they'd rounded Cape Horn on her second trip around the world. Stacey was also the skipper on Wild Oats when Julie Bishop famously jumped off the back of the boat after the start of the race in Sydney.  This week's episode is full of so many great stories and wonderful personalities. It was so much fun recording on location up in Hamilton Island and we really hope you love tuning in to this one.   Follow Alice Parker on IG here Follow Wild Oats XI on IG here  Follow Palm Beach Motor Yachts on IG here Follow Sailor Girl Nic Douglass on IG here Follow Stacey Jackson on IG here Follow Hamilton Island Race Week on IG here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the joyful and inspiring Lisa Walker. Lisa is the co-founder of Eir - a women's wellness company which creates supplements for women over 40 to help them feel well and full of joy. After a career in beauty and health marketing, Lisa spent years fine tuning the stories of other brands and celebrities including Canon, Invisible Zinc, Skinstitut, Lisa Wilkinson and Dr Chris Brown. Whilst she was working at Canon, Lisa met her business partner Kate, and the idea for Eir was born. Following the tragic loss of her husband in 2022, Lisa found a new sense of purpose and fulfilment in building her company and helping other women find midlife health for longevity to get the absolute best out of the 2nd half of their lives. Lisa is also the proud mum of 2 young boys.  In this chat we hear about Lisa's year of YES - which was a decision she made on her 49th birthday, 1 year after her husband Ben had passed away, to commit to a year of yes. Yes to joy, to life, to love, to friends, to experiences.  Yes to new beginnings. We hear lots of the great stories from that year - all the different things Lisa tried, from fly fishing to pole dancing, and what her favourite experience was. We also have a fun time chatting to Lisa about the dating scene in her 50s, the courage it takes to put yourself back out there and whether she's open to meeting someone new.  Lisa also shares her thoughts on grief - how she's coped through this difficult time, the tools that have helped her along the way, how she processes her grief and the lessons she continues to learn. We had such a wonderful time in the studio with Lisa. It was an inspiring conversation that covered challenging things such as alcoholism and the loss of her husband, but also joyful and uplifting stories of finding a renewed sense of purpose in midlife. A real chat about what it's like being human and the emotional rollercoaster that can be at times. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  Follow Lisa Walker on IG here Follow Eir Women on IG here Find out more and order Eir Women products here Read Lisa's Year of Yes article here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the world-renowned psychotherapist, relationship and empowerment expert, Terri Cole. Through her best-selling books, online courses, YouTube videos, podcast episodes and psychotherapy practice, Terri has taught thousands of people how to improve their relationships, communicate effectively, set better boundaries, truly be seen and finally live free as the most authentic, most empowered version of themselves. In this conversation, we hear Terri's career story and how she went from being a talent agent to the top supermodels in the world in the 90s, to completely shifting gears and becoming a licensed therapist. We're so glad she did, because Terri has gone on to become an expert in boundaries and relationships and she has a gift for taking complex psychological concepts and making them super easy to understand so you can take action and make positive changes.  We got a real taste of that in this interview, where Terri gives us a masterclass in what boundaries are, why they're important, why so many of us have no idea how to set them or communicate them and she gives us the tools and language to become a boundary boss. Terri shares how it all goes back to childhood and the boundary blueprint we grew up with. We also get to hear about her new book Too Much, which is about breaking the cycle of high-functioning codependency, which Terri explains to us in simple terms.  Terri also shares the wonderful story of her first date with her husband, and how she insisted on finding someone who was willing to go deep and who had done years of therapy - Terri was in luck, because when they met, he'd been in therapy for 20 years! She shares with Nicola how it's possible to meet a man like this if that's what she wants to attract and it's all about the energy she emanates.  We absolutely loved chatting with Terri. She's been on the top of our dream guest list for the podcast since the very beginning, and we hope after listening to this episode you'll understand why. She is wise, insightful, helpful and a whole lot of fun as well! We hope you love hearing from Terri as much as we did.  Follow Terri Cole on IG here Pre-order Terri's new book Too Much here Buy Terri's book Boundary Boss here  Find out more about Terri's work and online courses here Listen to Terri's podcast, The Terri Cole show here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the insightful family law expert Nikki Parkinson. Nikki is a divorce and separation coach who guides and supports people through this difficult time and helps them create a clear and practical pathway to navigate their separation. She has 25 years of experience with the family law system, as well as her own personal experience of divorce and as a mother of 3, Nikki also knows what it's like to navigate co-parenting and how to take care of yourself through the challenging times.  In this conversation, we hear how Nikki believes you really can turn a breakup into a breakthrough, if you're willing to do the work, reflect on what you've learnt and make the changes you need to make. Nikki shares how she works with her clients, and that it's really about understanding their unique needs and taking a holistic approach. Nikki opens up about her own personal story of divorce, including the mistakes she made along the way that we can learn from. She gives great tips and practical advice for what to do if you find yourself in this situation and why she believes time is our most precious commodity.  Even if you never have to go through a divorce or separation, this chat is full of great ideas for how to communicate well in any relationship, the benefits of being clear on the values you want to live by and the importance of treating yourself with kindness and self-compassion. Everyone can take away something helpful from this conversation.  We really loved chatting to Nikki and we hope you enjoy listening to this episode.  Follow Nikki and the Divorce Hub on IG here Find our more about Nikki's work and divorce coaching here  Follow The Divorce Hub community on Facebook here Follow The Divorce Hub on LinkedIn here  Listen to Nikki's Divorce and Separation podcast here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with our first ever return guest, David The Medium. We were lucky enough to kick off season 2 with an amazing episode with David full of predictions for the year ahead, so we were thrilled to have him back in the studio with us. For those who are new to David's work, he is one of the most renowned Australian mediums and psychics, and he recently became the first medium to appear on Sky News Australia, on the popular show Power Hour with Gabriella Power.  In this conversation we hear all about David's incredible Live show at the Sydney Opera House, and what it's like to walk out on stage in front of 400 people with no script and connect in real time with the spirits of their loved ones who have passed away to deliver messages of love and support from the other side.  David shares what he believes happens after we die, and gives us a beautiful way to think about the collective consciousness that we all return to in the afterlife.  We also get David's practical tips for manifesting and how you can attract whatever you want into your life by following some simple steps.  And to top it off, we catch up on Nicola and Di's amazing European holiday adventures, including some classic stories of the Italian men and how they used their charm to try and romance the ladies - you'll even get to hear a voice note that one of them sent our lovely Nicola, so stay tuned for that.  Big thanks to David for joining us in the studio again, it's always special chatting with him and we hope you love it as much as we did.  Follow David The Medium on IG here Find out more about David's work including tickets to his live events Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the talented and brave Vikki Petraitis. Vikki is best known as a true crime writer and Casefile podcaster, who created The Frankston Murders series. Casefile is one of the most popular true crime podcasts around, topping the Apple charts with millions of downloads per month, so it was a thrill to get to hear some of the incredible stories from Vikki herself. As well as writing 18 books and having a top-rating podcast, Vikki is also a school teacher by day, which is where she has honed her wonderful storytelling abilities.  In this conversation, we dive deep into The Frankston Murders and hear how Vikki still gets a bit spooked to this day about what went on in the suburbs of Melbourne back in the early 90s. Vikki shares how she was out on patrol with police on the night of one of the victims, Natalie Russell's murder, and how that motivated her to tell the story as a local community member. We talk about the way that the police disregarded the evidence at the time and the danger of what happens when women aren't believed.  We also chat about how this book became a Casefile podcast, and the power of podcasting in not only sharing stories, but in some cases, making a real difference and getting laws changed. This was certainly the goal for Vikki - the Casefile team decided to release the podcast in 2023, the year that serial killer Paul Denyer was due for parole, and through their hard work they managed to get his parole bid denied and a law changed in parliament so that he can never apply again.  Vikki shares her theories on why she thinks many women are fascinated by true crime podcasts, her own addiction to writing true crime stories and why she believes that podcasts are one of the most powerful platforms around.  This is such a fascinating conversation with Vikki and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with her. We hope you love it as much as we did!  Follow Vikki on IG here Buy Vikki's latest book The Unbelieved here  Listen to The Frankston Murders on the Casefile podcast here  Find out more about Vikki's work and true crime books here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the multi-talented journo, radio host, celebrity commentator and podcaster Jonathon Moran - better known as J.Mo. J.Mo is Australia's authority on all things entertainment, from film to TV, music and everything in between. He has more than 20 years experience in journalism and hosts the top rating national Confidential on Nova radio show with Tanya Hennessy. He is also Chief Entertainment Writer at The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph and Host of the new podcast Mental as Anyone. In this conversation, Nicola asks J.Mo about the juicy world of celebrity gossip and how he really gets the stories, who his ‘inside sources' are and why some stories end up in the media, even though the facts were never checked with the person involved.  J.Mo tells us about the idea for his podcast, Mental As Anyone, that we are all a little bit mental, and that no matter who you are, you're going to have challenges and tough times to work through - none of us are alone. J.Mo shares that this is really a passion project for him to open up more conversations around mental health, particularly among men. We hear about some of the inspiring episodes he's had so far with guests like Guy Sebastian and Robert Irwin. J.Mo also generously opens up about his own struggles with mental health, the journey he's been on with it for years and how he's finally found tools that help him, which is why he's so passionate about having conversations with others, normalising these struggles and sharing practical tips that could help others.  We had such a great time chatting with J.Mo in the studio. We talked about so many things - light and deep - and had a lot of laughs together. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  And of course, If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or suicidal thoughts and needs support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.  Follow J.Mo on IG here Listen to J.Mo's podcast Mental As Anyone here Find out more about J.Mo's work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and inspiring Jacinta Tynan. Jacinta is a well-known journalist, presenter, author, speaker and founder of The Spiritual Book Club. She is also a single mother to two boys, which is something she shares more about in her new book, The Single Mother's Social Club.  In this conversation Jacinta shares what it was like for her when she became a single mother, how lonely and difficult it can be, but why ultimately she saw it as a gift and an opportunity for her to reflect deeply on her life and grow in the ways she needed to.  Jacinta talks about the importance of being present with your emotions and allowing them to pass through you, because the only way to process emotions is to feel them fully. Nicola and Di also open up about their own relationships ending, and what it was like becoming single parents much later in life. They were both able to move through the difficult times and come to a happier place, where they are loving life in their sixties on their own terms.   We also hear about Jacinta's new business, The Spiritual Book Club - an online book club for anyone who loves books about spirituality, personal growth, presence and surrender - books that expand your mind and help connect you to your higher self. Jacinta has already interviewed some incredible authors for the book club like Gabby Bernstein and Deepak Chopra, and she's just getting started. We loved having Jacinta at our back fence. It was like having a good chat with a girlfriend and she shared so many pearls of wisdom. We hope you love this episode as much as we did.  Follow Jacinta on IG here Find out more and join The Spiritual Book Club here  Get tickets to The Spiritual Book Club in conversation with Luke McLeod event in Sydney, July 25th here Buy Jacinta's book The Single Mother's Social Club here Find out more about Jacinta's work and books here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with writers, podcasters, and friends Laura Jackel and Cathy O'Brien. Laura and Cathy met when they both applied for a role at Mamamia through a program called The Encoreship, which gives opportunities to women to get back into the workforce in a meaningful way. When the recruiters at Mamamia couldn't pick between the two, they offered Laura and Cathy the chance to job share. This led to a beautiful partnership and friendship, and now Laura and Cathy have created their own podcast, The Change, to discuss the changes in life that shake, break and make us.   In this conversation we hear what it was like to work at Mamamia, some of the funny moments in the office and the type of stories they got to write. Cathy shares more about her incredibly popular article about what it was like to be in her early fifties and feel like she was becoming invisible, and how she is now becoming more confident and finding her voice.  We also hear about Laura's first story that she wrote for Mamamia, which was the inside scoop on what it was like to go to an elite sex party - you'll want to stay tuned for the juicy details on that one!  We chat to both Laura and Cathy about the changes that they've been through and noticed in midlife, why they're passionate about this topic and how their podcast came to be. Laura and Cathy also turn the tables on Di and Nicola and ask them about the big changes in their lives and what they've learned along the way.  This is such a fun conversation and we really loved being in the studio with Laura and Cathy. We hope you'll find that listening to this episode is like being in a room with a group of girlfriends for a fun and meaningful chat. Enjoy.  Follow The Change podcast on IG here Follow Laura on IG here Follow Cathy on IG here Read Cathy's article on feeling like she's becoming invisible hereRead Laura's article on what really goes on at an elite sex party here Listen to The Change podcast here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and exceptional Dr. Frank Anderson. Frank is an author, psychiatrist, therapist, speaker and trauma specialist who's spent the past three decades studying neuroscience and trauma treatment. His latest book, To Be Loved, is a deeply moving memoir that explores how Frank triumphed over trauma in his life and now he shares with us his message of love and healing.  In this conversation, we hear about Frank's difficult upbringing - being sent to therapy as a child for 6 years because he was gay, which at that time, wasn't acceptable in his family. Frank shares how he learnt to completely shut down his emotions and play the part he was ‘supposed' to play to fit into society. Thankfully, through all the work and healing he's done, Frank now has a beautiful family life with his husband and 2 children.  Dr. Frank breaks down what trauma really is, which is something that at least 70% of humans experience in their life. He talks about how it's important to do the work and understand how our past experiences are influencing our current behaviour. As Frank says, you either repeat it, repress it or repair it.  Dr. Frank shares with us a powerful framework - the 5 T's - for how we can heal from trauma and that ultimately, love and connection is the best pathway to healing.  This is such a moving and powerful conversation, and Dr. Frank is a true example of how anyone can turn their life around and heal no matter what they may have been through. It was so inspiring to learn from Dr. Frank and we were so grateful for his insights. We hope you love this conversation as much as we did.  If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health or suicidal thoughts and needs support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.  Follow Dr. Frank on IG here Buy Dr. Frank Anderson's book To Be Loved here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the beautiful and bubbly Tahnee Cook. Most people know Tahnee as one of the brides in the 2023 season of Married at First Sight (MAFS). Before MAFS, Tahnee worked as a content creator and PR manager and she is now the host of her own wonderful podcast, Chuffed, where she talks all things love, career and life and interviews a variety of guests with interesting stories to share.  In this conversation Tahnee gives us a glimpse behind-the-scenes of what it was like to be on MAFS. She talks about how it was a really positive experience for her and how she feels lucky she was matched with someone who she was compatible with at the time, and that they weren't a couple who the producers tried to create drama with or paint them as a villain. Tahnee lets us know her theory for how they pick the couples on the show and she talks about the more awkward moments - like when they had to swap couples.  We also hear about life after MAFS for Tahnee, her decision to go to couples therapy with Ollie, but why in the end it didn't work out. Tahnee is very honest about how she doesn't like the modern-day world of dating apps, the problems she has with them and then she asks Nicola and Di for any dating or relationship advice they would share with someone like Tahnee in their 20s.  Tahnee also shares about her new podcast Chuffed, and we hear about the juicy conversation she had with David The Medium (one of our favourite podcast guests here on OTBF) and how everything he predicted came true.  Tahnee is absolutely full of life - her energy and bubbly personality is infectious and we had such a fun time chatting with her. We hope you love her as much as we did.  Follow Tahnee on IG here Follow Chuffed on IG here Listen to Chuffed here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the dynamic and inspiring Tory Archbold. Tory is a highly respected businesswoman, CEO, and founder of Powerful Steps, a global platform for women making a significant impact. Her impressive career spans over 24 years in brand building, public relations, digital media, and events, working with some of the world's most influential celebrities, entrepreneurs, and CEOs. She is also the author of a wonderful book, Self Belief is Your Superpower.  In this conversation we hear how Tory started her first business at 24 through a coffee date strategy where she would meet with 3 different people every week. She shares how she experienced a lot of rejection, but how she sees rejection as a positive thing that ultimately shows you what it's possible to create. Tory knew that she was capable of creating something great, so despite the rejections, she chose to believe in herself anyway. Tory grew her business to be one of the most successful brand and communications agencies in Australia, launching some of the biggest international brands like Zara in the Australian market. We chat about what it's like to be in flow - when you're clear on your vision, your passion and your purpose and when you're anchored in your values, so many opportunities and doors will open up for you. We hear about these moments in Tory's life, and the incredible possibilities that appeared when she was living in alignment with her values.  Tory shares the life-changing moment when she was listening to Drew Barrymore speak about her dream of one-day having a talk-show, and Tory realised that she also wanted a different life for herself and that she was finished with her career in PR. This led to Tory starting her second business, Powerful Steps, at the age of 44 which helps other women to step into their power and achieve their full potential. This was such a fun and meaningful conversation with Tory and we could have chatted to her for hours. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.  SPECIAL OFFER To get the incredible giveaway offer that Tory mentioned in this episode - access to her Network Like A Pro masterclass that gives you a series of video lessons and workbooks to help you build your profile and connect with others, go to her website here and enter the promo code POWERUP444 at checkout and you'll get this $99 masterclass for FREE. Offer only valid until 24th July, 2024.  Follow Tory on IG here Buy Tory's Book Self Belief Is Your Superpower and access free bonuses here Find out more about Tory's Powerful Steps Community here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the truly remarkable Julie Randall. Julie's story is one you won't want to miss. In 2012 Julie was diagnosed with advanced stage four metastatic melanoma and given only months to live, but she promised her heartbroken teenage daughters she would survive. Thankfully for us, her family, and the world, she did. Julie now spends her time giving back and as an ambassador for various cancer charities, she's working hard to make as much money as possible to support more research to find cures for this insidious disease. In this incredible conversation, we get to hear Julie's story of survival - from the life-changing moment just after her 50th birthday when she had a brain seizure in the office, to being given a terminal diagnosis, to a fight against all the odds to find a way to stay alive for her kids and her husband Scott.  As Julie shares each step of her journey, you'll hear how much determination, optimism and perseverance it took for Julie to survive. It's an uplifting story of hope and strength and we felt so inspired having this conversation with her. We highly recommend her best-selling memoir, Patient 71 and we know you'll love Julie as much as we did. Please share this episode with anyone who needs an uplifting story of hope in their lives.  Follow Julie on IG here Find out more about Julie and her work here Buy Julie's book Patient 71 here  Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the hilarious Vince Sorrenti. Vince is one of Australia's most successful and popular comedians, with a career that has spanned over 4 decades. As well as his incredible work as a stand-up comedian, Vince has an enormously long list of radio and TV credits and has written 2 feature films, including an award-winning environmental documentary. He's also a big family man, and we get a glimpse into what life is like at home with his beautiful wife Kate and their 4 children.  In this conversation we chat about how comedy has changed over the years and whether political correctness and wokeness has gone too far. Vince shares why comedy is essential and why he believes that comedy is the answer to a lot of the challenges life throws at us.  We hear the story of how it all started for Vince - as an architecture student at Sydney University, he began doing skits in uni revues and fell in love with comedy and the stage. Vince talks about his first stand-up gig in the 80s and how he's never looked back. We also spoke about Vince's creative process - where he gets his ideas from and how he puts together a show.  Vince shares a couple of stories from his latest stand-up show I'm Offended, and we were in stitches. There's nothing quite like a good belly laugh, and we were so lucky to have a bunch of those in the studio with Vince. We hope you laugh as much as we did.   Buy tickets to I'm Offended here  Find out more about Vince and his work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the wise and down to earth Gary Gorrow. Gary is a Vedic Meditation teacher, Ayurvedic health coach, mindfulness expert and co-founder of the world renowned retreat, Soma Byron Bay. Gary has worked with thousands of people from all walks of life and is dedicated to empowering people with simple techniques to tap into their inner stillness. In this enlightening conversation, Gary talks about what mindfulness actually is, and how it differs from meditation. He explains how meditation is a powerful tool that helps a person to go inwards and connect with their spirit. Gary also shares why he believes learning to live more inwardly and awaken our inner lives is the most important thing we can do, and how it can help us to reach the 200% value - where we have a beautiful balance of 100% outer life and 100% inner life.  Gary talks about why we need to redefine how we think about spirituality, and that it's really about connectedness. Our connection to self, connection to spirit, connection to nature, connection to others and connection to the moment we're experiencing. We also talk about the 5 main causes of suffering and why it is that humans can get so caught up in negativity. Ironically though, he explains how suffering is our greatest teacher.  This was such a powerful conversation and we could listen to Gary's wisdom for hours. We hope you get as much from this episode as we did. Enjoy.  Follow Gary Gorrow on IG here Follow Soma Byron on IG here Find out more about Soma Byron and book a retreat here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the remarkable and inspiring Dr. Ginni Mansberg. Dr. Ginni has been a practising GP for almost 30 years, and she has a special interest in menopause, which led her to write her bestselling book - The M Word: How to Thrive in Menopause. She also has a graduate diploma of journalism and makes regular appearances on TV - our Australian listeners may know her from her work on Sunrise, Embarrassing Bodies Down Under and Medicine or Myth. As if that wasn't enough, Dr. Ginni is also the founder of a cosmeceutical skincare company, Evidence Skincare, and a workplace training company called Don't Sweat It - Menopause in the Workplace. Not to mention, she is also mum to 6 children. In this conversation Dr. Ginni shares so much wisdom about tools that women can use to improve their menopause experience so they can really thrive. She gives us the facts on HRT, talks to us about what you can do if sex has become uncomfortable (which is the case for many women going through menopause), and shares some great tips for how to communicate better with your partner and loved ones during this time.  Dr. Ginni also opens up about what her experience of divorce and being a single mother was like, and how she found love again. She talks about the importance of developing self-compassion, and teaches us about acceptance and commitment therapy - you won't want to miss this!  We could have spoken to Dr. Ginni for hours. She was wonderfully motivating and inspiring and we are so grateful to be able to share this episode with you. We hope you enjoy it.   Follow Dr. Ginni on IG here Follow Dr. Ginni on Facebook here Follow Dr. Ginni on LinkedIn here Learn more about Dr. Ginni and buy her books here Find out more about Kristen Neff's work on self-compassion here Follow Evidence Skincare (ESK) on Facebook here Follow Evidence Skincare (ESK) on IG here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the dynamic and inspiring Judie Johnson. Judie became known globally, when incredible footage of her swimming with orcas was captured in 2018 and went viral. The video went to USA Today, Fox News, Canadian news - in fact, it went all over the world. The YouTube footage of that remarkable moment has had over 30 million views - it's simply extraordinary! Judie shares the incredible story of what happened that day, 5 years ago, on her local beach in Hahei, New Zealand when she went to meet her swim group and nobody else showed up. Judie decided to jump in the water anyway, and not long into her swim she noticed what she thought were dolphins approaching her, but turned out to be a pod of killer whales. You'll have to listen in to hear what went through Judie's mind and what she decided to do next - you won't believe it!  As luck would have it, an Aussie tourist who was on the beach at the time, happened to have a drone with him and quickly pulled it out to film the entire encounter. If you haven't already seen it, you can watch the incredible footage here.  We hear about Judie's zest for life, how active she still is as a woman in her 70s, and how much she loves swimming - she describes it as a place where she can leave all her worries behind.  For anyone that is feeling a little low, or lacking motivation, this episode is an uplifting feel-good story of the power of reconnecting with nature and the benefits of stepping outside of your comfort zone. Judie is full of life and we hope you feel as inspired by her as we did.  Follow Nicola and Di on IG here Watch Judie Swimming with Orcas here Watch the story that featured on New Zealand's Channel 1 News hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the talented and inspiring Mel Wilson. Mel is a journalist, voice-over artist, podcast host and author of the new book, Parenting in Progress, which is full of stories and tips from all kinds of celebrities and experts - as Mel puts it, it's imperfect advice for the biggest role of your life. Whether you're a parent, a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, or none of the above, there's something in this chat for everyone. In this conversation, we hear how Mel juggled her career as a podcast host and voice-over artist with being a single parent to 2 young kids and still managed to write this book in the spare moments she could find on the sidelines of a soccer game, in the back of a taxi, or on a plane - she made every minute count.  We talk about parenting these days - how no one really knows what they're doing, everyone's just trying to figure it out, but the pressure to be perfect has increased so much that it's created these new ways of parenting, such as helicopter parents and snowplough parents. We talk about how much parenting has changed over the decades and Di also shares some funny stories of her own parenting mishaps.  Mel opens up about the challenges of being a single parent, what it was like trying to survive, make a living and raise her kids in Sydney, and how her own parents stepped in to help in really practical ways - you'll want to listen in to hear what her dad did, because it might make you cry.  Mel talks about what dating is like after divorce, and her own Over The Back Fence love story - it's such a goodie!  Mel also shares some of the wonderful stories from people like Amanda Keller, Turia Pitt, Taryn Brumfitt, Sarah Harris and Sam Wood, who are just some of the incredible people she interviewed for her book.  This was such a funny and down-to-earth conversation about what it's really like to parent and juggle it all and we loved having Mel in the studio with us. We hope you love it too.   Follow Mel on IG here  Buy Mel's book Parenting In Progress here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the multi-talented and hilarious Wendy Harmer. Wendy has had an incredible career as a journalist, comedian, radio show host, TV personality, and author. Her latest book Lies My Mirror Told Me is a frank, funny and fearless memoir that tells Wendy's story of overcoming adversity to become one of Australia's most loved entertainers on stage, in print, television and broadcasting.  In this conversation, Wendy opens up about her difficult childhood - what it was like when her mum walked out on the family when Wendy was just 10 years old, how her father was left to raise 4 children and the fun and mischief they used to have when he would go away for the weekend and leave them alone in the house.  Wendy shares about her experiences of being bullied at school because of her double cleft lip and palate, which she had until she was able to have facial surgery as a teenager. Despite this challenge, her father was determined that it wouldn't hold her back and always encouraged and pushed Wendy to be out in front. He even wanted her to be the first female Prime Minister of Australia.  We hear the remarkable story of Wendy's career, how she went from journalism, to comedy, to radio - and became both the first female presenter on commercial breakfast radio and the highest paid woman on Australian radio.     There are so many hilarious stories that Wendy shares throughout this chat - including that time she was flown to LA to cover the Oscars as a breastfeeding mother - you'll have to stay tuned to hear what happened that night, and I'm sure you'll be in stitches like we were.  Follow Wendy on Twitter here Buy Wendy's book Lies My Mirror Told Me here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the brilliant and kind Dr. Chris Roberts. Chris is the talented surgeon who performed Nicola's hip replacement in 2023 and helped her go from shuffling around in pain to dancing on table tops again! It's not everyday you get the opportunity to chat with a surgeon about all things body parts and the future of medicine, so we really wanted to get Chris in the studio. He also has a great sense of humour, so there were lots of laughs all round.   In this conversation you'll get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what life is like as a surgeon. Chris takes us through the progress that's been made in his field in the last 60 years and how incredible hip replacement surgery is these days - you'll never guess what they were using for these operations back in the 60s! We also talk about the future of medicine - what's happening with AI and robotics, and where things may be headed.  Chris shares why he became a surgeon in the first place, and what motivates him to keep going - his genuine desire to help people. We also hear the heartwarming story of a 94-year-old man who's life was changed when Chris agreed to operate on him. And stay tuned for Chris' number one tip to keep your bones healthy and strong!  We were so grateful to Chris for making time in his busy schedule to come and chat to us in the studio. It was such an interesting conversation and we had a good laugh. We hope you do too.   Contact Dr. Chris Roberts for any patient enquiries: (02) 9972 9111 or crreception@penorth.com.au Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Nicola and Di chat with the entertaining and gifted Harry T. Harry is a media personality, author, spiritual teacher and world-renowned celebrity psychic. He was born with his psychic gifts, and has been doing readings from a very young age. His clients now include A-list celebrities, royalty, heads of state, media moguls and corporate CEOs. Harry's new book Feet on the Ground, Fingertips in Heaven is a spiritual guide that helps everyone tap into their own intuition, feel empowered and connected to the spiritual realm.  In this conversation, Harry talks about the first time he remembers seeing spirits when he was just 3 years old, and how it was a frightening experience at that age. Harry shares how we are all born with psychic abilities, but some are simply more gifted than others. We chat about how to open our awareness to the spiritual signs that may be around us and tap into our intuition.  We also talk about near death experiences, death dates and life after death. Harry explains how we are all just energy, and that our energy will never cease to exist. Life really does carry on after death, and our loved ones who have passed are only a few feet away in a spiritual realm. He also talks about the difference between prayer and meditation, and why both of these tools are powerful ways to connect.  Harry's energy is absolutely infectious and we loved chatting to him about these fascinating topics. It was a very comforting conversation to know that no matter who we have lost in our lives, they really are still here with us, watching over us. We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. Thanks for listening.   Follow Harry on IG here Buy Harry's Book: Feet On The Ground, Fingertips In Heaven here Find out more about Harry's work here Follow Nicola and Di on IG hereSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.