Advertise on podcast: Defining Boundaries with Peta Cox

In this episode of Defining Boundaries, Peta sits down with Jan Francke, a geophysicist, inventor and self described explorer who has spent more than 35 years working with ground penetrating radar and near surface geophysics. Born in Vancouver and raised between Canada and Australia, Jan shares how curiosity, competition with himself, and a desire to explore what others were not looking at shaped his unconventional career path. From mineral exploration in the Arctic and Africa to scanning beneath Mayan temples in Mexico and working inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, Jan explains how he designs custom radar systems for environments where standard tools are simply not enough. The conversation explores innovation, risk taking and the importance of education in a rapidly evolving industry. Jan reflects on modifying equipment when the market did not yet offer what he needed, the responsibility of communicating science clearly, and the challenge of maintaining rigour in a world often drawn to spectacle. Together, Peta and Jan unpack the breadth of ground penetrating radar applications, from mining and infrastructure to autonomous vehicles and even lunar exploration. They also discuss curiosity as a driving force, the role of resilience in a global career, and why after three decades in the field, there is still so much beneath the surface waiting to be discovered. This episode is a fascinating conversation about science, exploration and the power of asking better questions. You can find Jan on LinkedIn and through his global geophysics work. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-francke-gpr/

In this episode of Defining Boundaries, Peta Cox sits down with Rebecca Formanek, a Category A Hydrographic Surveyor and offshore professional, to talk honestly about building a career guided by curiosity, resilience, and a deep connection to the ocean. From growing up on the NSW South Coast to mapping the seafloor on research vessels across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Pacific, Rebecca shares her unconventional journey into hydrographic surveying. The conversation explores life offshore, the realities of working in high-pressure and remote environments, and the challenges of navigating a non-linear career path in a highly specialised field. Together, Peta and Rebecca unpack what hydrographic surveyors really do, from multibeam and seafloor mapping to deep-sea and riverine work, while also diving into the human side of the profession. They discuss mental resilience, self-doubt, learning on the job, and the importance of mentorship, adaptability, and staying curious in an industry shaped by rapid technological change. This episode is an honest and grounded conversation about following what pulls you, backing yourself into unfamiliar spaces, and building a career that doesn’t always follow a straight line. You can find Rebecca on LinkedIn ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-formanek/⁠

In this episode of Work Worth Doing, Peta Cox sits down with Tam Relia, CPA, financial coach, and founder of Cents & Solutions, to unpack what financial wellbeing really means for business owners, and why understanding your money is about far more than profit. Tam works with women and small business owners who are passionate about their work but were never taught how to truly understand, manage, or feel confident with their finances. Drawing on over 15 years’ experience across construction, defence, energy, and retail, Tam shares what she sees behind the numbers: stress, burnout, survival mode, and business decisions driven by fear rather than clarity. Together, Peta and Tam explore financial literacy, mindset, and emotional relationships with money, from cash flow and pricing to paying yourself, building buffers, and creating calm, confidence, and control in business. They discuss why so many capable professionals struggle financially, how poor financial understanding fuels anxiety, and what leaders can do differently to build sustainable, people-centred businesses. This is an honest, practical conversation for anyone who loves their work but wants their business to feel less stressful, more intentional, and aligned with the life they actually want to live. You can find Tam on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/tam-relia/

In this conversation, Peta Cox interviews Brett Grocock, a Mine Surveyor leader with over 24 years of experience. They discuss Brett's unconventional journey into surveying, the importance of mental health in high-pressure environments, and the significant technological advancements in the industry. Brett shares his experiences working in various locations, including Kalgoorlie and internationally, and emphasizes the value of mentorship and building a strong company culture as he transitioned into entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Brett Grocock shares his journey of building a successful business while prioritizing employee wellbeing and fostering a family-first culture. He discusses the importance of having business acumen, the challenges of mental health in the industry, and the need for resilience. Brett emphasizes the significance of empowering the next generation of surveyors and planning for the future of the business, all while maintaining a sense of humor and camaraderie within the team.

In this episode of Work Worth Doing, Peta sits down with Josh Stone, engineer turned business owner turned coach to talk honestly about the state of our industry and what it really takes to build sustainable, people-centred consultancies. From the “race to the bottom” in fees to burnout, leadership, culture, and redefining self-worth, Josh brings real insight shaped by decades of experience across engineering, surveying, planning, and architecture. Together, we explore how professionals can reclaim their value, set healthier boundaries, build stronger teams, and create businesses that support both their people and their purpose. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, undervalued, or stuck in old patterns, this conversation offers clarity, practical tools, and a reminder that meaningful change starts with speaking up and backing yourself Josh has a podcast called The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone You can find Josh on LinkedIn www.Linkedin.com/in/joshstone-aus/

Work worth doing is a defining boundaries side series exploring the human side of technical industries. Hosted by Peta Cox, founder of WiSE network and Collective. These conversations look at leadership, culture, well-being and the future of our workforce. This series challenges, old norms and invites listeners to push boundaries, lead with purpose and create work that truly matters. I hope you enjoy this side series. Peta.

We’re not just surveyors, we add a lot of value in a lot of different ways. Join two old surfies talking about the ocean, sharks, the love of the water and surveying.. Born and Bred on the North Shore of Sydney, Dave Lovell, our quiet mild mannered Director and Surveyor at CMS Surveyors talks about how he ended up in Surveying, from mining Engineering to running a company, with over 80+ staff with life long friend. On the soap box about technology eradicating mentoring and training but making surveying easier and more accessible. Touching on the importance of lifelong learning, knowing your stuff, being a mentor not just a surveyor and what you need to grow your business.  Some cracker one liners were quoted, "Have the right Mindset & you will get far, find the right company for you and Never be Afraid to be Challenged" … Lastly, Don’t get stressed on the little things! Find Dave on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lovell-a94b80a/ CMS Surveyors: https://www.instagram.com/cmssurveyors https://www.linkedin.com/company/cms-surveyors-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠  ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en  ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en  ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox  Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/

Somewhere at an undisclosed location, there may have been a catch up of friends for a someone's 40th birthday... Darren (Booth) & Tom (Casey) drove the 4.5+ hours each to be here so I thought we should have a casual catch up... They may or may not have had a couple of beers before I arrived... Some interesting topics were discussed. Some silly buggers had! All in all this is just a catch up between friends caught on tape. I hope you enjoy this off the cuff chat between friends.... You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠  ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en  ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en  ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox  Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/

Meet Georgia!!! How often do you get to hear the stories of a young, professional, female registered surveyors? Georgia is the typical, fun loving outdoorsy, adventuring Surveyor. Georgia is a Registered Surveyor at Land Titling Solutions also known as LTS. Born and bred in Nelson, New Zealand, completing her degree at Otago University before moving to Australia and pursuing her registration. Georgia is the 2022 recipient of the Young Surveyor of the Year award at the Excellence in Surveying & Spatial Information Awards (EISSI). We covered all things surveying, registration and championing females in surveying. Tune in for a great chat by Sydney harbour over Lunch. You can find Georgia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgia-rooney-386a45193/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geeeoorgia/ You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠  ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en  ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en  ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox  Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/

An American in Canada!! Meet Jason Halttunen a Survey Technologist from 3D Geomatics in British Columbia. He is a Survey Technologist working at 3D Geomatics. He calls himself a certified Survey Geek, so you can imagine that we got along well. We talk about working in both metric & imperial, and how you survey in other countries, Sammy, who the heck is Sammy?? to the intricacies of pin cushions, boundaries, construction, his dad who is the one who opened his eyes to surveying and lots more. Take a listen to the American who surveys in Canada. You can find Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhalttunen/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geomaticsgeek/ You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠  ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en  ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en  ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox  Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/

Alison was born and bred in Sheffield in the North of England. With a love for Maths she was told she should be a teacher. This thought was not for her, she wanted something more fulfilling. Through various trials and tribulations, Alison found her way to Surveying. Listen on for her adventures of how she ended up in surveying and now is the founder and chief executive for Class of your own, brining Design Engineer Construct!® (“DEC!”) Learning Programmes, to schools which is now one of the UK’s most respected through-school programmes for the Built Environment. Alison is spreading her wings to other countries to implement these programs into schools. Alison is an inspiration!! I'm so glad I had the privilege to chat with her. You can find Ali on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ You can contact me at: ⁠⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@definingboundaries⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Music by Paul Greene: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/⁠

Laren Collen was born in South Africa and now resides in Perth Australia. His journey has gone from surveyor to Surveying & Engineering Industry Lead (ANZ) at Hexagon Geosystems, a company at the forefront of digital solutions that capture, measure, and visualize the physical world. In this role, he collaborates with trusted distribution partners, international product teams, and valued clients to propel the geomatics portfolio of solutions to new heights. Guided by his strategic acumen and unwavering dedication, Laren has become an integral force in driving data-driven transformation across industry ecosystems. Laren's passion for geospatial data has led him to play key roles in various organizations, including being the Western Australian State Chair at the Geospatial Council of Australia. in his spare time Laren enjoys spending time with his family & getting out to do the occasional run.. You can find Laren on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ You can contact me at: ⁠⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠@definingboundaries⁠⁠ ⁠⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠⁠ ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Music by Paul Greene: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/⁠

Listen in to our Sunday night LIVE interview from Cairns. I got to sit down and have an impromptu chat with Jemma Picco, Registered Cadastral Surveyor (Land Surveyor) and her role as the Principal Surveyor at the Department of Resources in Queensland. Amongst all things surveying we also discussed the importance of mentoring formal or informal and being in the position of role model for younger surveyors. We talked about finding old trees and survey marks from surveys in the far north of Australia to managing a team of surveyors. Growing up in Brisbane, attending an all girls school where her careers advisor handed her a book and said look in this section to find you career... From there Jemma attended Queensland University of Technology completing a double degree.

John Zafiropoulos also known to his mates as Zaf. John is a graduate Senior Surveyor working for RPS (Rygate surveyors when we recoded last year) in Sydney. John grew up in Greenacre and growing up he wanted to be an architect. He holds a Bachelor of spatial science with honours from USQ otherwise known as University of Southern Queensland and also a  Bachelor of Construction management. He has been in the industry for 9 years. Before surveying, John was a DJ and a junior site supervisor & labourer. In his spare time John enjoys Video games, karate & Martial arts and going to the Gym. A great delve into studying, working and the challenges of a young surveyor. You can find John on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ Instagram ZafsPodcast You can contact me at: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠⁠⁠  Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠@definingboundaries⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Music by Paul Greene: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠⁠⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/⁠⁠

Recorded late last year....I spoke to Brett who is a Senior High School Geography Teacher and project manager at Wavell State High School just north of Brisbane, who specialises in using geospatial technologies in the classroom. Listen in to this amazing Teacher about how he shares his passion for GIS with his students. Brett hails from Kingaroy, Queensland and grew up in Kumbia. Growing up, Brett wanted to be a Cowboy but then though HPE Teacher would be a better option. He has been in education for 21 years and holds a BA (Geography/Literature) & BEd (Secondary Education). He has won two prestigious awards, in 2021the  QCT TeachX Innovation Award and this year the EQ Showcase Met Regional Teacher of the Year. In his spare time Brett enjoys Golf and GIS. You can find Brett on LinkedIn You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠  ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en  ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en  ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox  Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/