The Risktakers Podcast

In this adventurous episode I chat with yacht-living adventurer, graphic designer, entrepreneur and risktaker Joel Pringle. As well as being a super talented designer helping his clients tell powerful brand stories with his hand crafted drawings, Joel is passionate about helping people create and live the life of their dreams and he knows how to do this from experience. He's had massive challenges in life, including an incredibly difficult childhood, but has completely turned his life around and loves teaching others how they can do this too. Joel and his partner Eve were living in Melbourne and decided they wanted a different kind of life. It all started with a conversation which sparked their wild imaginations. They put their plan into action, both started online businesses, worked incredibly hard then packed up their lives, purchased a 35-foot vintage sailing yacht, named 'Opal', decked her out with beds, a galley kitchen and fabulous workspaces, and moved to the Whitsundays which is where they are based now. A side note, they did all this BEFORE learned to sail -- so this is just another example that ANYTHING is possible! Joel is passionate about teaching people how to see their wildest dreams become reality and we'll talk about how he does this. This is a longer episode, and it's a truly beautiful conversation. It's a pleasure to share a portion of the story of Joel's life, it's filled with so many nuggets of gold. The first half is Joel sharing his story and in the second half he shares his brilliant practical business advice. In this podcast Joel shares: How he survived a rocky childhood with no stability (including 9 schools and at times living in a car and a tent), The definition of what “surrounding yourself with good people” looks like for him, How our biggest failures can turn into our greatest freedom, How he and his partner dreamt and imagined their new life living on a yacht on the Whitsundays, Why the simplification of our lives is so powerful and how this brings connection, The beautiful story of faith around redefining his family, How he and his partner, both struggling financially, put their heads together, used their unique skillsets and launched two cracking businesses, Why it's paramount to have a good balance between self-care and also keeping yourself accountable, Why he changed his business model, totally changed his target market, How he deals with negative criticism, Why doing “everything” is not the answer and honing in on a niche is a game-changer, Practical tips to discover what your strengths and passions, And specific, practical steps of how he built his unique and thriving business. Here's to the Risktakers!I hope you are inspired by Joel's story. :)Much love, Nat xo Connect with Joel via:Instagram: @joelpringleVisit Joel's website HERE

I have been following Jess' journey for six years so it was just fabulous to have this conversation and celebrate her inspiring story. A PR and marketing queen with a background in fashion publicity and marketing education, in 2015, with a passion for people and building connections Jess Ruhfus bit the bullet, took a risk and launched her own company, Collabosaurus. Collabosaurus is a match-making platform for brands and businesses, designed to make collaboration easier. She's got a brilliant business mind and we chat all about the highs and lows she's experienced over the last six years, and how this gorgeous baby of hers has now attracted over 7500+ brands including Porsche, ASOS, Pinterest, The Iconic, Olay, Topshop & one of the largest global retailers in the U.S. AMAZING! Jess won the 2019 B&T ‘30 Under 30' award in Entrepreneurship, which is a massive achievement, she's spoken for Apple, Vogue, General Assembly, ADMA & The College of Event Management and she's the host of the Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast. You're going to love her. In this podcast she shares, How a three-month trip to San Francisco in 2018 almost broke her but ended up being the catalyst to an idea that catapulted her business, How she almost quit, then Apple called to invite her to speak at an event, Why it's okay to be embarrassed about your first product launch, How we are ALL "faking it till we make it", How her biggest turnaround happened after Gap and Walmart signed up to Collabosaurus, Why listening to her gut and body has led her to where she is, What hearing ‘"NO" from 140 investors taught her, Why perfectionism and unrealistic expectations are killers and how being kind ourselves is essential, Why brand matchmaking is such a smart way to market your brand, Why mentorship is a game changer for her, Her experience of launching her business into the American market and how it was different than she expected, How she hustled her way into her first job that opened big doors, How after six years she made one decision, ASOS signed up, and changed everything, She also gives fab practical first step strategies to take your risk and create your dream life. Here's to the Risktakers!I hope you are inspired by Jess' story. :)Much love, Nat xo Connect with Jess / Collabosuarus via:Instagram: @collabosaurusVisit Collabosaurus website HEREListen to The Stop Collaborate and Listen Podcast HERE

I was so excited to record this podcast while Noah was on location at Walt Disney World in Florida where he's been commissioned by Disney and has a very special art exhibition! Noah Elias is an artist, author, creative coach and entrepreneur. Based in Orange County, California, Noah is a risktaker from way back, he bravely started selling his art door-to-door on a bike at sixteen years old and now he's an artist for Disney, Universal Pictures, Lucasfilm, to name a few. He designed Suki's vehicle in ‘2 Fast 2 Furious' and he's passionate about leveraging the power of our unique story to change the world. Noah founded his own university, Noah University, as well as an annual workshop called ‘Reimagine' in California, to help creative entrepreneurs see BEYOND the limits of possibility and build their own brand and business. We met in 2015 and he's been a great mentor in my life since then. He's recently created one of the most unique portraits of Walt Disney that has ever been created, ‘Storytellers' which has just been released. His greatest joy is encouraging and helping others build a life of impact and discover why they are on this planet, which is why we get along so well. :) In this podcast Noah shares: What he's currently doing on location at Walt Disney World in Florida and the incredible painting of Walt Disney he just commissioned for Disney, How he took a massive risk and pitched his car design to the director of The Fast and the Furious (he designed Suki's pink car!), How knowing our “WHY” adds depth and power to our story and brand, How to pitch ideas and create opportunity where it doesn't exist, How to bring your family into your business and your dreams, Why living and thinking “as if” completely changes our mindset and therefore our actions, How pain, failure and challenges can open the best doors, How we can change our perspective and view the challenges of life as opportunities, Why risk in life is a non-negotiable, Why fun is a necessity in life and reminds us of who we are, How leveraging the power of our unique STORY can change the world. Here's to the Risktakers!I hope you are inspired by Noah's story. :)Much love, Nat xo Connect with Noah via:Noah Fine Art: noahfineart.comLearn more about Noah's projects hereNoah's WHYNoah's Books: Fearhunters // 31 Disciplines of Highly Creative PeopleNoah University: noahuniversity.comInstagram: @noah.j.elias + @noahfineartTwitter: @noahfineart

This is a really special episode, recorded just at the end of 2020. No parent ever expects to lose a child. This is the exceptional story of Liz Dawes. Incredibly brave, courageous and positive, Liz lost her 18 year old son Connor to paediatric brain cancer in 2013. In this episode, Liz shares about the beauty of her son's life and Connor's Run, the remarkable legacy she has created for Connor. Eight years on, she has grown Connor's Run and The RCD Foundation to be the biggest paediatric brain cancer foundation in Australia and Connor's life is powerfully encouraging and impacting families all across the globe. Her TED Talk has inspired many. Towards the end of our chat we share a beautiful moment as Liz talks about living with grief and the paradox of hope and pain. I'm so thankful for this powerful conversation, it gives us a beautiful perspective on the precious gift of life. A little bit about Connor // In September 2011, 17-year-old Connor ran from his home in Sandringham to the boat sheds on the Yarra. He'd started his training for the upcoming rowing season early, as he wanted to make the Brighton Grammar 1st VIII. Not loving running, he did the 18.8 km because he was determined to be the best he could be. Two months later, Connor was diagnosed with an anaplastic ependymoma. Despite major surgery, massive physical and mental rehabilitation, intense radiation later chemotherapy -- Connor never stopped smiling. Liz started Connor's Run as a tribute to Connor's life and over the past 8 years, Connor's Run has evolved into Australia's biggest event for paediatric brain cancer with thousands of young runners now participating in the event. Liz was named in Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence 2018 and was nominated for Australian of the Year Award 2017. In today's episode Liz shares: Tales of her brave and cheeky son Connor, whom she lost to childhood brain cancer, How she and her family coped with tragedy and what life is like for her now, How tragedy and pain can actually lead to something beautiful, That blessings that can happen amidst tragedy, The risk she took to bravely create the most beautiful legacy for Connor's (that has turned into the largest event for brain cancer awareness in the WORLD), How despite being in a global pandemic, over 4,000 people rallied together and raised 1.3 million dollars, How Connor's life is now encouraging and impacting families all across the globe, How she has found hope and connections with other families facing similar journeys, How she navigates grief and continues to take risks and dream big. Here's to the Risktakers.I hope you are inspired by Liz's story. :)Much love, Nat xo Connect with Liz via:Instagram: @rcdfoundationhttps://www.connorsrun.com/https://rcdfoundation.org/https://www.lizdawes.org/Liz's TED Talk - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRMqOy2zgd4&feature=emb_logo

I was so excited to record this conversation with Bruce a few weeks ago just after his new Melbourne venue, 'The Commons' at Ormond Collective opened! 30 years ago Bruce Keebaugh, and his wife Chyka, had a wild idea -- to create a Melbourne based catering and events company that would push the boundaries in delivering incredible, unforgettable experiences. And The Big Group was born. Their passion is "to make people HAPPY and bring JOY", and their team do this so brilliantly through delivering phenomenal experiences that celebrate life's biggest moments. The Big Group has played a large part in the success of Australia's vast array of major events over the past 25 years, including the Australian Open, Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival and the Grand Prix, and to date they've hosted over twelve and a half thousand of the most extravagant and elaborate events, parties and weddings. The events and hospitality industry has suffered greatly during COVID, but Bruce and his team have been resilient and determined, they've thought creatively and outside the box and the result has been stunning. A huge dreamer and big risktaker, in today's episode Bruce shares: How he faced the most challenging year for his company and created something beautiful out of it, The importance of treating his team like family and his great love for them, Stories of his childhood that cultivated his great love for gathering people together, The love story behind the launch of this remarkable company, The Big Group, which has brought moments of JOY to so many lives, His daily strategies that keep him on game and help him take big risks, (As well as my favourite!) the brave and heartwarming risk he took at his whimsical new Melbourne venue “The Commons”. Here's to you, Risktaker.Cheering you on.I hope you enjoy!Much love, Nat xo

I'm thrilled to introduce you to risktaking connoisseur, Thankyou Co-founder Daniel Flynn.In 2008, uni students Daniel Flynn, Justine Flynn and Jarrod Burns saw a need, took a crazy risk and launched a Social Enterprise called Thankyou Water. Created to close the gap between the 736 million people living in extreme poverty around the world AND the $63 trillion spent on consumer products each year. 12 years on, they've mobilised a movement of MILLIONS of people who've each taken small steps to create BIG change.AND…… they've just taken their most astronomical RISK yet in a campaign to end world poverty like we've never seen: It's called No Small Plan, and it's BIG. In this episode Daniel shares: Why it takes 2 years to launch a ThankYou campaign, Why the bigger the risks the the more grounding you need, Pioneering and risktaking require massive support and cannot be done alone, Why taking a risk requires a deep personal internal journey, How he met President Obama AND had the biggest challenge of his life in the SAME day, Why pain and failure need to be redefined and are actually a sign of success, As well as all the details of their groundbreaking invitation to bring the world's biggest companies together to end world poverty in their new campaign... NO SMALL PLAN. Here's to the Risktakers. I hope you enjoy! Much love, Nat xo

Let me introduce you to the lovely Carla Coulson. This risktaking QUEEN is an international photographer, author and creative coach. Carla's stunning work has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Gourmet Traveller and and she's published 8 books with Penguin. Carla is passionate about empowering women and encourages thousands through her brilliant creative mentoring course, YES YES YES.In this episode we have a beautiful conversation about :The risk she took, packing up her life at 35 and moved to Italy, Why she's not afraid of failure and how fear can help us move forward, The magical thing that happened after her publisher asked her to do something wild, That living our truest most beautiful and joyfilled life is simpler than we think, And we go behind the scenes of some of her most beautiful book collaborations. Here's to the Risktakers. I hope you enjoy! Much love, Nat xo

Hi my friend I'm Nat! It's so lovely to meet you. :) I'm on a mission to inspire 1 MILLION people to achieve the RISK they've always DREAMED of. When we were little, we would always take risks and dream big, we'd do what brought us so much joy, but somewhere along the way we lost that part of ourselves. But it's never lost. It's STILL in us. So I've gathered big dreamers and massive risktakers to share their stories of mountain top moments and also the moments of pain and failure, to encourage us to remember how amazing we are and that it's never too late to achieve these big dreams in our hearts. I hope this podcast inspires and encourages you to realise how brave and uniquely special you are, and that YOU have something beautiful to bring this world. Here's to you and all the brave and courageous souls! I'm counting these risks so tag #1millionrisks and email me your risk (natbox.com.au) so I can add it to our official Risk List. So much love to you :) Nat xx