Darren has been a teacher, theatre director, counsellor, three-time mayor and now CEO of the Gippsland Climate Change Network. He also talked so much in school they gave him his own desk, which feels less like a punishment now and more like early career development.

In this conversation, we talk about leaving the safe path, taking risks, theatre, politics, climate change, community work, and why change takes more than sitting on the sidelines. We also talk about listening to people you disagree with, finding the third way, looking after yourself when things get hard and why getting older might be better than people think.

Courtney has worked as a hairdresser for ten years and has listened to more life stories from behind a salon chair than most people hear in a lifetime.

In this conversation, we talk about growing up creative, receiving a diagnosis on the spectrum as a teenager, leaving school to start a hairdressing apprenticeship and building confidence through work. We also talk about great bosses, tough lessons, the reality of salon life, the stories people share from the chair and why listening is one of the most underrated skills a person can have.

Tahlitha is full of life, blunt in the best way and for reasons unknown, loves policies and procedures.

In this conversation, we talk about being a shy kid, moving schools, finding confidence through banking, and what happens when a toxic manager slowly drains the joy out of work. We also talk about leaving an industry after ten years, stepping into youth justice, and how the right work can make you feel like yourself again.

This episode is about finding your voice, knowing when resilience has turned into tolerance, and choosing work that brings your energy back.