Functional medicine is more than a blanket approach to eating the ‘right foods’ or taking a few supplements to help our bodies and minds. Functional medicine is a systems biology–based approach that focuses on identifying and addressing the root cause of disease. Each symptom or differential diagnosis may be one of many contributing to an individual's illness.

Meet Filipa Bellette the Co-Founder of health & wellness practice she runs with her husband, Chris & Filly Functional Medicine, which is best known for ending body burnout in high-achieving parents. Her practice was awarded the Telstra Best of Business Awards 2022 State Winner & National Finalist, and the Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards 2022 National Winner. Filipa’s work and expert advice is featured in media such as Forbes, nine.com.au & Body+Soul.

Her business has worked with over 2,000 burned-out clients in the last 10 years, with her own passion for Mummy burnout coming from her own personal experience of anxiety and body-breakdown after she had her first baby.  She is also a PhD Scholar, author and award-winner writer in Human Rights.

Hear from Filipa on:

1. What is your take on Functional medicine and how does it work for people who see you?

2. What differentiates what your do from say a dietician or a naturopath or are they linked – examples please?

3. How can our body imbalances cause us to feel like Dragon Mum or Zombie Dad as you say?

4. How can people know if their body needs a fine tune if they generally feel OK?

5. Does obsession over new forms of “wellness” mean we can be doing more harm than good long term (fad diets etc)?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Functional medicine?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (1) Filipa Bellette | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/filipa-bellette-73339019/]

Website: www.chrisandfilly.fm [http://www.chrisandfilly.fm/]

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180: The Politics of Functional Medicine - Filipa Bellette 

Do you ever think about your life’s work, the sum of all parts and what that will stand for once you retire or finish your public life as such? Sarah Nelson joins us today as a Chief Legacy Officer an advisor to leaders and teams offering individual and group sessions to create your own legacy statement.

Building a legacy means creating something enduring that can be passed on. This might be a physical business or work toward affecting change through a cause. A business legacy is not simply the “thing,” such as a startup or a product, but also its ability to endure through generations.

My guest Sarah and I have had a few moments of intersecting work and life paths have crossed a few times – St Catherines is my alma mater and in past episodes of this show I interviewed former employee Daisy Turnbull, also founder of Lifeline Bondi and Sarah’s work colleague Carrie Kwan, Co-Founder of Mums & Co has also been on previous episodes of The Politics of Everything. Now Sarah is my guest!

A bit about her. Sarah has a passion for Australian entrepreneurship and bringing the community together. She’s an active member of the community through volunteering for Lifeline Australia, Centennial Parklands and the local P&F. Sarah found legacy through senior roles across government, tertiary and private sector as a way to link brand to operations, reduce risk, scale impact.

She has enjoyed 20 years in brand and project delivery include the retail – starting her career as a buying assistant with Polo Ralph Lauren, moving into marketing communications via a short stint in PR with government for Department of Planning and then the $10 billion redevelopment of Barangaroo, before picking up a operational role with the unprecedented collaboration between NSW University and TAFE NSW with Sydney School of Entrepreneurship.

More recently, she has begun consulting work as Chief Legacy Officer. Guided by her own legacy statement, since 2020 Sarah has been Chief of Staff with Mums & Co, an Australian Community and digital platform supporting business owning mothers. She’s lived in Mumbai, London, Melbourne and New York, and now Sydney is home.

In her words, Sarah says “you are the boss of your life however you are not alone. A good leader communicates. See yourself as the CEO or Prime Minister of your life and constantly share your legacy with your teams and direct reports to bring all aspects of your life into alignment, focus on priorities (such as saving time) identifying gaps (like reducing risk).

In this show, Sarah shares:

1. How do you work with clients in your Chief Legacy Officer consulting role and how does that process work from start to end?

2. Why do you think legacy starts now? Many of us see it almost a “latter life” focus?

 1. Your      own legacy statement is “rebranding Australia through the divine      feminine”. How did this legacy statement evolve and do you see it changing      as your life does?
 2. Is      philanthropy and giving or volunteering the main pillar of a standard      legacy someone will create and shape?
 3. Take away: What is your final      takeaway message for us on The Politics of Legacy?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn (52) Sarah (Chief Legacy Officer) Nelson | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/chieflegacyofficer/]

Instagram Sarah Nelson (@chieflegacyofficer) • Instagram photos and videos [https://www.instagram.com/chieflegacyofficer/]

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179: The Politics of Legacy Sarah Nelson

Today’s guest is passionate about men’s health – but not just young and already genetically blessed men – especially family-minded men who maybe like many busy folks, have neglected third health and wellbeing as they take care of their careers, families and everything else in between.

Gabriel (Gabe) Pluguez is part of a company called Default Kings – a business that helps family-minded men achieve permanent weight loss by changing their subconscious habits. The company has helped over 252 men drop an average of 27 lbs and is projected to surpass $1.5MM in annual revenue in 2023.

He joined another entrepreneur Joey Yochheim who had started his entrepreneurial journey in late 2020 while studying exercise science at John Carroll University and working as a personal trainer. After 8 months of making $0 online, Joey signed his first client in September of 2021. Four months later, in January 2022, he left school to take on entrepreneurship full-time. Gabe and Joey partnered with Jack Bly too and the three of them in the business have since more than tripled their top line.

More than the growth story I am keen to find out why they have been successful and what matters when comes to helping men be fitter and healthier long term.

We discuss:

1. Tell us your fitness and health experience and how it led you to become part of Default Kings?

2. How can online fitness and wellbeing be more than a fad for clients? How do you keep men engaged and motivated long term?

3. In Australia, men die in greater numbers than women from almost every non-sex-specific health problem. Overall, for every 2 women who die, 3 men die [https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/mens-health]. Compared to women, men visit the doctor less frequently, have shorter visits, and only attend when their illness is in its later stages. Is preventative health the missing link?

4. What impact does fatherhood have on men’s wellbeing?

 1. What is secret sauce for Default      Kings to keep kicking goals and succeeding?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Men’s Health?

To contact Gabe:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabepluguez/

Twitter: My Calendar (defaultkings.com) [https://www.defaultkings.com/optin-579768251674134244472]

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178: The Politics of Men's Health - Gabriel Pluguez

By far my youngest guest in the seven years I have hosted The Politics of Everything, Max Mason is only starting his career but is worth chatting to. Like me, he is a former NSW Central Coast resident. Max is a 16-year-old rising star in the world of motor racing. Born in Sydney, Max has always been fascinated by speed and cars. His interest in motor racing began at an early age when he started watching Formula 1 races. Max came to the sport relatively late, only taking up karting when he was 14 years old, and he immediately fell in love with the sport. He quickly proved to be a natural driver, with exceptional hand-eye coordination, quick reflexes, and a fearless attitude behind the wheel. Max's talent caught the attention of his coaches, who recommended that he pursue a career in professional motor racing.

Max has worked tirelessly on his skills, spending hours practicing on the track and studying the strategies of the world's greatest drivers. He competed in various local karting competitions, winning several of them and gradually building a name for himself in the racing community.

In 2022, Max entered the Formula Ford NSW championship, one of Australia's most prestigious racing events. Despite being a rookie, Max quickly proved himself to be a formidable opponent, winning races and setting new lap records. Max's impressive performance was rewarded with the “rookie of the year award”, a recognition of his exceptional talent and hard work.

Max's success there opened doors for him, and he was soon offered a spot in the Euronascar series, a European-based competition in which drivers race in American-style stock cars. Max eagerly accepted the offer, seeing this as an opportunity to hone his skills and gain more experience on the international stage. He moved to Europe with his family, settling in the UK, where he trained with some of the continent's top coaches and drivers.

Max successfully tested GB3, with Arden Motorsport and achieved the fastest lap times across that weekend- showcasing how adept Max is jumping between formula and stock cars.

Max's ultimate goal is to make it to the Formula 1, the pinnacle of motor racing. He knows that this will require years of hard work, dedication, and persistence, but he is up for the challenge. Whether he's racing on a dusty track in Australia or a shiny F1F1-grade track in Europe, Max is always pushing himself to be better, faster, and stronger. And with his talent, ambition, and sheer grit, there's no doubt that Max Mason is destined for greatness in the world of motor racing. He is also a fellow podcaster!

1. Why do you want to pursue a career in racing?

2. What are some of the most unusual aspects of race preparation we may not know about from the outside?

3. What does your daily schedule look like given you are only 16 and still at school! How do you manage that with the travel across Europe and being a normal teen who socialises etc?

4. What was the “big break” moment so far and explain what that means for your career?

5. You have been selected for a driver’s spot for the Euronascar season 2023 following a recruitment day in France in February 2023. Tell us about the experience!

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Racing?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (34) Max Mason | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-mason-1b7629256/]

Website: http://www.maxmasonracing.com/

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177: The Politics of Racing - Max Mason

Big tech has a massive role in our modern existence. Some of it is positive, life-changing even, and some of it perhaps concerning – our digital footprint is everywhere, all day, every day. Have you ever thought there was an option, devoid of going off the grid? I have at times wondered.

Data tracking is the process of selecting specific metrics and events to track, then collecting, organizing, and analyzing the resulting data. A few years ago, both Google [https://www.blog.google/technology/health/covid-19-community-mobility-reports/] and Facebook [https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-facebook-location/in-coronavirus-fight-oft-criticized-facebook-data-aids-u-s-cities-states-idUSKBN21K3BJ] started sharing location-tracking information with various authorities around the world in order to help them plan their COVID-19 containment strategies in the pandemic peak. The aim was to ensure that they were addressing key areas of concern. But it begs the question is that an overreach of their mandate? Privacy pundits did worry!

Enter David Sinclair [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sinclair-grow-together/], Founder and CEO of 4Freedom Mobile. David is a seasoned veteran in the telecommunications and technology industry and has dedicated his career to empowering individuals to take back their digital freedom and protect their personal information.

4Freedom Mobile is a leading provider of privacy software and services, with users in over 80 countries around the world. David's mission is to help people connect, communicate, and live their lives free from tracking and surveillance.

We chat about:

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge facing those in big tech right now and how can that be overcome?

2. Many of us accept tracking and surveillance when we use an App or buy a product or service and can’t see an option if we want convenience and access. How do you view that and maybe an example of what we can do as consumers to empower ourselves more and still stay connected?

3. How did you start 4Freedom Mobile and what is your goal – in particular when it comes to big tech?

4. What role does the government have in protecting our privacy, which has to be balanced by ways they can track say online scammers or drug syndicates? Any ideas on how that can be more equitably achieved?

5. Your favourite big tech platform and why?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Big Tech?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (15) David Sinclair | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-sinclair-grow-together/]

Website: http://4freedommobile.com/

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176: The Politics of Big Tech - David Sinclair 

A new economy sounds great, right? More opportunities for change and equality – and a new paradigm of power. My guest today agrees.

Don Golden is a humanitarian, pastor and founder and impact investment strategist, and fundraising consultant behind Just Capital Quotient (JCQ), a consultancy helping thriving businesses become forces for good. After 30 years of working in the most challenging humanitarian contexts, Don is convinced that a new economy is what the world needs most – and helps more become more profitable and competitive on the way.

He is also an author and a regular media spokesperson, as well as Chief Impact Officer at Threefold Private Equity. This show is one for anyone curious about reframing how the economy works and can be improved on – relevant in such turbulent times where old paradigms like trickle-down economics surely are not something many still aspire to.

Don discusses in this podcast:

1. How would you describe the “new economy”?

2. What is impact investing about and why does it matter?

3. How altruistic vs rational is creating an economy that is just, sustainable and equitable for all?

4. How do you coach leaders on their own inner journey and the applications that has for their companies that you see as different and special?

5. Give us some examples of how managing risk addresses the problem or privilege?

6. How can profit and social equity work best?

7. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of the New Economy?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (1) Don Golden | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-golden-7b629987/]

Website:  https://www.donrgolden.com/

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175: The Politics of the New Economy - Don Golden

One hundred years ago, if you worked in an office, you likely would have been crammed into a large room, sitting shoulder to shoulder with your colleagues in endless rows of desks. Designed to maximise productivity [https://www.theceomagazine.com/opinion/workplace-productivity/], these offices made it easy for managers to supervise staff, but were terrible for morale.

By the 1960s, offices had evolved into a cubicle layout, giving team members small private areas within a larger office space. These three-walled cubicles were intended to create a more personalised experience in the workplace, while still allowing people to converse with colleagues. Unfortunately, this had quite the opposite effect, compartmentalising workers and discouraging interaction. The came open plan workplaces, and hot desking. Then came a pandemic that demanded we work from home more than ever, if our jobs allowed for it.

Since the pandemic, which prompted flexible work arrangements, the function of the office has also shifted to provide more of the experiences we rarely encounter at home – connection, engagement and collaboration, all of which are key elements in creating an inclusive workplace [https://www.theceomagazine.com/business/management-leadership/inclusive-workplace/].

Angela Ferguson is one of Australia’s leading experts on Workplace Strategy and Workplace Interior Design. For more than 20 years she has worked with a diverse range of corporate clients across Australia, Asia and New Zealand to strategise and create workspaces that align with an organisation’s business strategy, culture, brand, technology blueprint and wellness initiatives. Angela has been passionate about the future of work since the early days of her career.

As Co- Founder, The Future X Collective and Managing and Creative Director, Futurespace, Angela brings an intelligence to workspace design that is unique and has a global focus - designing workspaces that consider:

· how the business is situated amongst its competitors,

· the challenges it may be facing from outside forces,

· efficient property strategies and,

· how the ‘experience’ of work can be optimized for both individuals and teams.

She is currently undertaking a PhD at RMIT University in Melbourne titled Design at Work: Writing the Future.

Angela shares her insights on:

1. Why are work emails something we need to manage better and can you give us some examples of how that can be done effectively in a 24/7 digital communications-driven world?

2. What principles underlie a welcoming, motivating, functional and workable space for staff in 2023?

3. How have you come to see that thoughtfully designed workplaces can increase productivity by positively impacting employee well-being and experience? Are there studies that prove this?

4. Workplace design has trends – what are you currently seeing for the next few years as flexible and hybrid work becomes the norm?

5. Do big companies do better when it comes to workplace design flexibility by their nature ad budgets? Some examples of great, purposeful and successful designed spaces you rate?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Workplace Design?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (14) Angela Ferguson | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/msangelaferguson/]

Website: https://www.futurexcollective.com.au/

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174: The Politics of Workplace Design - Angela Ferguson

Kate Kernaghan and I first worked together in 2018, during a time of crisis – in fact one of the worst droughts on record had ravished NSW and its water systems, and we were the comms people who had to navigate a complex world of stakeholders including the NSW state government, farmers and First Nations landowners. Think of long days on the road, testy town hall meetings and some pretty average roadside regional motel stays. It was a bonding time!

Fast forward to 2023.

Kate is the Founder of Factotum Communications, a business created to inspire meaningful connections primarily within the Project Infrastructure industry. She has grown Factotum from solopreneur to a small company employing a team of 8 in the business’s first couple of years. With a vision to attract, develop and share exceptional talent and knowledge, she credits much of the successful establishment of her business to successfully managing expectations on every front, be that community, stakeholder, media, government, clients and importantly her own staff.

At the mid-way point of her Executive MBA studies and on the back of a recent international study tour in Asia and the Middle East, Kate has recently been reflecting on the challenges and opportunities at play in each of those economies. Most intriguing is the role governments play in using regulation (and de-regulation) to signal clear expectations to the market and in turn drive priorities.

Here we discuss managing expectations. Something we all need to do every day in some shape no matter who we are and what we do.

Hear from Kate on:

1. Your bio on LinkedIn says “people pleaser” – is that telling us that you always say yes?

2. Can you recall a time when managing expectations failed for you, in business or personally, and what that showed you?

3. Does being in a service-based business mean the balance is always harder to achieve when it comes to creating space to reimagine expectations on say deadlines or capacity? Share your tips.

4. How do you lead your team to manage themselves better and bring their own flavour to the business you’ve created?

5. What has your Executive MBA so far allowed you to do when it comes to managing expectations from your own self and your ways of working better, and with more agility and more creatively perhaps?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Managing Expectations?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kate-kernaghan-b9bb8478 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-kernaghan-b9bb8478]

Website: www.FactotumCommunications.com.au [http://www.factotumcommunications.com.au/]

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173: The Politics of Managing Expectations - Kate Kernaghan 

Dana Rubin is a US-based consultant, speechwriter, and speaker who’s on a mission to encourage more women to put their views into the public square. She created the Speaking While Female Speech Bank to broaden our understanding of the role of women orators in history. It’s the world’s largest online archive of women’s speeches from around the world and across time, free for anyone to use. In addition to speaking and coaching, she leads workshops that support women to be thought leaders, subject matter experts, brand ambassadors, business developers, and role models for future generations of women and girls.

At the centre of practice is the idea of public voice and the dynamics of power.

For the past few years Dana has researching extensively the history of women’s speech. What she found has completely changed her understanding of how a historical narrative gets created and reinforced through the years. In this case, the narrative in question is that men have delivered the best speeches in history.

She noted virtually ALL the individuals whom we consider great speakers were men: Churchill, Lincoln, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr, John F Kennedy, Ronald Reagan – all men, and I note even mostly white. In her research, Dana soon discovered it's not true. Women have indeed been speaking out, forcefully and eloquently, changing the world with their voices. Now she has worked on a new anthology of American women’s speeches, "Speaking While Female: 75 Extraordinary Speeches by American Women."

Her real mission is to change the way we think about great oratory of the past, and women’s roles as speakers and leaders today.

We discuss:

1. Best women’s speech of all time in your view and why that one?

2. Men and their speeches are most often referred to as the “best or most memorable speeches”. Think JFK, Michael Jordan or Barack Obama. To set the record straight, you created a free online archive with thousands of speeches by women in history, the Speaking While Female Speech Bank (SpeakingWhileFemale.co [http://speakingwhilefemale.co/]). Why did you feel compelled to create such a  global repository?

3. Does looking back somehow help fuel the future? Explain with 1-2 examples.

4. Is this about rewriting history in some way? Explain.

5. What role does greater diversity play such as being of colour, LBTQI+ or even neurodiverse and how will you drive that change on how we see “public voice” that matters?

6. Take away: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Public Voice?

CONTACT INFO:

LinkedIn: (12) Dana Rubin | LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarubin/]

Website: SpeakingWhileFemale.co [http://speakingwhilefemale.co/]

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172: The Politics of Public Voice - Dana Rubin

++ Trigger warning – this episode discusses addiction and alcohol and may not be suitable for all listeners. Should this show raise issues for you please reach out to someone. In Australia that maybe by calling 13 11 14 (Lifeline).

We live in a culture surrounded by reasons to drink alcohol – when cerebrate, when we are sad, and even just because its Friday night.

My guest Sarah Rusbatch is a certified Women's Health and Wellbeing Coach, an accredited Grey Area Drinking Coach and a Key-Note speaker sharing her journey to Sobriety and impact of alcohol on mental health to global audiences. She is also the face behind Perth’s growing Alcohol-Free Movement.

After developing what she describes as 'a dysfunctional relationship with alcohol', Sarah made the decision to remove alcohol from her life in early 2019 and has never looked back. She now works with women across the globe, guiding them from feeling lost, stuck and out of control (something she fully understands herself), to a healthier and happier way of living.

She’s the host of a thriving, global online community (The Women's Wellbeing Collective) which offers a safe space where women feel seen and understood. Sarah meets her clients where they’re at and her programs are designed for real life. She equips women with the tools they need to break the cycle of unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms. Her experience, knowledge and passion has transformed lives.
Each client is uniquely supported on their journey - one day, one event and one step at a time.

Her story and her work may help any one of us who is looking to change our relationship with the bottle so to speak!

Hear from Sarah on:

1. How do you define” grey drinking” and how do you know if that’s something you are partaking in this?

2. Briefly tell us your story of alcohol use and what made you stop drinking.

3. What worked for you may not work for others – have you done some research into different types of alcohol dependency and what does that mean for the work you do now?

4. You advocate for women and especially those over 40 in your programs and coaching – what makes that demographic different when it comes to alcohol use and stopping drinking?

5. What broader changes would you like to see happen to change our ingrained “drinking culture” and make it easier, more acceptable to not drink regularly or at all?

6. Hardest thing about giving up alcohol and why?

7. Takeaway: What is your final takeaway message for us on The Politics of Sobriety?

CONTACT INFO:

Web: Sobriety and Grey Area Drinking Coach, Sarah Rusbatch | Perth, Western Australia [https://sarahrusbatch.com/]

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171: The Politics of Sobriety - Sarah Rusbatch

A weekly podcast series asking newsworthy experts and leaders the tricky questions about the politics of everything that matters to mankind in the 21st century. Host Amber Daines is a former journalist turned media trainer, speaker, and author who is also devoted to raising her young family.