Advertise on podcast: Challenges That Change Us

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Claire Torkington has lived a life. That means there have been big highs, as well as some big challenges. Besides dealing with burnout, and fighting fires as a firefighter, Claire has lived through numerous other close calls and just avoiding multiple deadly incidents, including 3 terror attacks. Her career spans the globe as she has moved and adjusted to whatever life has thrown at her. Now she works with Ability Enterprises, a not-for-profit, social enterprise providing meaningful employment opportunities to marginalised individuals living in regional Queensland. In this episode she shares: -      Her childhood experience moving around the world -      The major attacks and disasters she happened to live through -      What she learnt from living through these incidents -      How she ended up looking after her dads mum in the UK and how that changed er life -      Her time as a firefighter -      the moment she collapsed -      The realisation she made about her mental health -      What she does when she realises she is going down the path of her health getting bad -      The mantras and lessons she has taken from her challenges Key Quotes "By the time I got to the gate of the complex, I was physically ill." "I was actually on a plane on September 11th flying to New York, and we were pulled out of the air..." "I refused to accept initially that this fall over moment was anything to do with my mental health whatsoever or stress." More about Claire Find out more about Ability Enterprises here. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey all! We had a bit of a glitch with this weeks episode. It will be coming soon, but until it does I wanted to take a walk down memory lane and highlight an episode that has stayed with me ever since we recorded it. This one is powerful and such a great listen, and even if you have listened before I think there would be whole new takeaways from a second liusten. And if you haven't listened. enjoy! Trigger warning: Domestic violence, sexual assault, mental health While abuse within the family is something we have discussed on this podcast, one topic we have not covered as much, which often goes hand in hand, is the abandonment many children go through in this experience. Dante Amato is renowned in the Personal Development space for the deeply nurturing and transformational spaces she holds. She is a Business Mentor, Transformational Life Coach, Spiritual Guide and Energy Practitioner. But besides being a coach, Dante is a woman who has walked the path of trauma and triumph, gaining valuable insights that fuel her mission to help others. From an early age she experienced abandonment, abuse, manipulation and trauma which extended far into her life. As an adult she has done a loooot of healing and work, but her story is one that I think will resonate with a lot of people. In this episode she shares: Her experience of being abandoned by her mum as a childThe experience of spending time with her unstable mother as a childHer experience with domestic abuse in her mother’s homeHow her brother was manipulated and let down by their motherHow her relationship with her husband helped herWhat happened when she was diagnosed with infertilityWhat her journey to heal was likeThe thing that kept her going through recovery when things got really hardHow she developed her voice in adulthoodThe way she was able to work through her angerWhat she is doing now to help others Key Quotes “I had to completely cut my mother off. Really intentionally and energetically remove her from my life.” “The constant thought that I had was that I just need to do everything that I can to make her love me.” “When bad things happened, we would never ever speak about them.” More about Dante Dante’s website: https://www.danteamato.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanteamato/?hl=en Minibook: https://www.danteamato.com/mini-book-of-self-discovery You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites: www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Challenges That Change Us – Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Trigger warning: suicide, depression, acts of war. Many of us have seen war movies, but nothing can truly explain the horrors and intensity of war. So we can only begin to understand the mental impact that going to war can have on the brave soldiers who are involved. Dave Payne has carved a difficult path from the frontlines to the boardroom.  He has served as a leader in Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, as a security supervisor at the Regional Processing Centre on Nauru. Dave has battled PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. He has since rebuilt his mind, body, spirit, and purpose. Now, bringing this skill set to Lifespan Supplements as Director, Dave delivers top quality health products that help people live stronger, longer, vibrant, and more purposeful lives.  He also uses his hard fought and won skills to support and enrich the lives of veterans through Sage and Sovereign Group, as well as his Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) coaching business. In this episode he shares: -      His early upbringing in Australia with his parents and why it was good and paved the way for him to have the life that he has now -      The things that built resilience in his youth -      What life in the military was like -      The accident he had while off duty -      How he was made to go back to military work when he hadn’t recovered -      His time in Iraq and the horrors he witnessed -      How he realised he was in trouble while back home on leave -      The damaging response he was given when he opened up about his struggle -      How bottling up his feelings lead to drinking Key Quotes “I just felt this, like a hole just appeared in me. These thoughts and feelings were creeping in. There was lots of sadness.” “They were testing chlorine bombs…and it just literally melts skin. It just melt human.” More about You can find out more about what Dave does via the Lifespan Supplements website. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trigger warning: suicide, depression, acts of war. Many of us have seen war movies, but nothing can truly explain the horrors and intensity of war. So we can only begin to understand the mental impact that going to war can have on the brave soldiers who are involved. Dave Payne has carved a difficult path from the frontlines to the boardroom.  He has served as a leader in Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, as a security supervisor at the Regional Processing Centre on Nauru. Dave has battled PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. He has since rebuilt his mind, body, spirit, and purpose. Now, bringing this skill set to Lifespan Supplements as Director, Dave delivers top quality health products that help people live stronger, longer, vibrant, and more purposeful lives.  He also uses his hard fought and won skills to support and enrich the lives of veterans through Sage and Sovereign Group, as well as his Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) coaching business. In this episode he shares: -      His early upbringing in Australia with his parents and why it was good and paved the way for him to have the life that he has now -      The things that built resilience in his youth -      What life in the military was like -      The accident he had while off duty -      How he was made to go back to military work when he hadn’t recovered -      His time in Iraq and the horrors he witnessed -      How he realised he was in trouble while back home on leave -      The damaging response he was given when he opened up about his struggle -      How bottling up his feelings lead to drinking Key Quotes “I just felt this, like a hole just appeared in me. These thoughts and feelings were creeping in. There was lots of sadness.” “They were testing chlorine bombs…and it just literally melts skin. It just melt human.” More about You can find out more about what Dave does via the Lifespan Supplements website. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.    Trigger warning: sexual abuse   For many survivors of child sexual abuse, the moment the truth comes out can almost be another form of trauma while for others it can be cathartic. In fact as Alison Mau knows very well, the needs of survivors are infinitely varied. Alison is an award-winning journalist with more than thirty years in major television, radio, and print media roles. A long-time advocate for gender equity, in the wake of the global #metoo movement, Alison created a ground breaking investigative journalism project at NZ’s largest news platform in 2018. Over five years, the #MeTooNZ project published dozens of major investigations and supported hundreds of survivors to tell their stories, leading to widespread change in the way sexual harassment is reported by media. In many ways her experience helped her when it came to exploring and sharing her own personal experience with childhood sexual abuse. In 2023, Alison co-founded Tika, a tech-first access to justice charity designed to remove the barriers survivors experience when seeking justice and accountability. Her #1 bestselling memoir, No Words For This, was released in April 2025.   In this episode she shares: -      How her curiosity, optimism, and likely undiagnosed ADHD have shaped who she is -      Why she wrote No Words for This and the lack of language around sexual harm -      The decision to tell her family’s story and why leaving it out felt dishonest -      The unexpected impact of the book and how it helped survivors feel less alone -      Her role leading Me Too NZ and changing how survivor stories are reported -      What trauma-informed journalism looks like in practice -      How a phone call from her sister brought buried childhood abuse into the open -      The relief and complexity of discovering she was no longer alone -      Why justice and healing are not one-size-fits-all for survivors -      How she transformed anger, struggle, and grief into advocacy and systemic change Key Quotes   “I spent my whole life pushing it down just so I could survive, until one moment made it impossible to stay alone with it.”   “Struggling isn’t weakness, it’s what happens when you’re carrying something that was never meant to be carried alone.”   “The hardest part wasn’t what happened to me, but learning to believe it wasn’t my fault.”   More about Find out more about Tika here.   You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Welcome to 2026! For many 2025 was a pretty hard year, and some of you may have just been knuckling down and powering through, often even being the support for those around you whilst also desperately trying to keep your head above water. I wanted to do this episode to help those of us who have fallen into the role of being ‘The Strong one” find a way to an easier 2026. In this episode I shares: -      How we can take a moment to pause -      What it means to be the strong one and why people become the strong one -      The cost of always being the strong one -      What happens when the strong one finally can’t be strong -      What is a more positive kind of strength -      A simple strategy to begin shifting the pattern Key Quotes “Over time strength stops being something you do and it becomes someone you are.” There is a hidden cost of being the strong one.” “Your body often knows the cost long before your mind does.” You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  What is it like to be a narcissist? And how can. Narcissist do good in the world? This week we are continuing our conversation with 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist Lenny Kravich. After an abusive upbringing, Lenny realised a long time ago that he might be a narcissist, and that realisation shaped an entire journey of discovery and development that he then went on. In this episode he shares: -      What the word narcissist means for him and what his experience with it is -      How he made a decision that changed the way he viewed and interacted with people -      What happens when he lets himself down -      How he came to write his book -      What impact did writing the book have on him -      The lesson he still has to learn -       Key Quotes “I am very manipulative about how I get attention.”   “It screwed up a lot of things in my life.” More about Lenny Find his website here. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  We have heard from the victims of generational trauma from it’s victims, but what about the people who perpetuate it, until they finally realising what they are doing? That is the story of Lenny Ravich, a man who experienced abuse as ‘punishment’ and passed it on to his children until he realised what he was doing and worked hard to make the change. Lenny is an 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist whose life work bridges humour, healing, and human connection. His message lands with lightness and truth – shaped by decades of lived experience, not theory. Lenny doesn’t just talk about joy – he lives it. In this episode he shares: -      What it was like for him growing up and the violence he experienced from his parents -      How he perpetuated generational violence -      His relationship with his sister and reconciling with her -      how a conference and gestalt therapy led him to realisations about himself -      Gestalt therapy and realising awareness and mindfulness -      An experience that led him to fully accept himself -      What was his process of changing after his realisation -      His experience of deep listening and how it has impacted his life Key Quotes “Aa person could tell me they're dying in 3 days and I would joke about it.” “It was all about me, anything that came up, it was all about me.” “I didn’t tackle my narcissism it's still there but I’m aware of it happening More about Lenny Find his website here. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Lara Hamilton is an Australian Trail Runner, Ski-Mountaineer, DJ & Vocalist, and Digital Growth Hacker and is currently training for the Skimo 2026 Winter Olympics Trials. She was also diagnose with Ankylosing Spondylitis, also known as the ‘young person’s arthritis’. Lara’s journey of elite athlete, to battling an undiagnosed condition, to finally receiving a diagnosis and working back to her Olympic dream is absolutely awe inspiring. Outside of training and the incredible amount of sports and music she does, Lara wants to make an active impact on athlete climate education and sustainable outdoor practices. One way I can assist in the digital world is to make athlete climate sustainability resources. In this episode she shares: -      What her childhood and family life was like -      Her experience with music and her creativity outside of sport -      The highlights of her career so far -      How her struggle to believe in herself impacted her -      Her biggest lessons from childhood that she's pulled into what she does today -      How being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis affected her journey -      How she manages having this lifelong condition that gets worse over time -      Tools she uses to enhance her performance -      Tools she uses to manage anxiety -      What ski mountaineering is and what is her experience with it Key Quotes “Opportunities are gonna open up to you if you believe in yourself and if you don't, fake it.” “If you smile at people and you stand tall, it makes other people bright and happy too.” More about Lara Check out Lara’s website and follow her on Instagram. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. Trigger warning: Alcoholism Imagine starting a journey of alcoholism and addiction from the age of 5. That was the case for John Griffith who still remembers the life altering impact of the first drink he had as a child and how it lead to over a decade of addiction and reliance before he finally became sober at 18. Now, living a continuous sober life since April 1991 at the early age of 18 John is familiar with the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction. Whilst achieving success in the private sector, the cornerstone to John's life has been working with those suffering from alcoholism. He is a CEO with a hands on approach towards Sunrise Way residents and a belief that providing tools for living and re-immersion into the community is part of the long term solution.  In this episode he shares: -      Why one of the first most significant events in his life was first trying alcohol -      What some of the tough lessons he had to learn in life were -      How alcohol impacted his life -      His experience going to a 12 step program and how it offered him hope -      How trauma can affect the lives of the people around him -      The work he's doing now and how his challenges led him to that -      Some of the challenges he faced during his work -      What message he has for people in a similar situation who need help Key Quotes “I wasn’t looking for somewhere to get sober I was just looking for somewhere safe to stay.” “When I got sober at 18 and a half, I had the emotional maturity of a 4 or 5 year old.” “My life was painful sober and I would drink to feel ok.” More about John Find out more about Sunrise Way via their website. You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. This week is actually a bit of a different style of episode. Normally, we interview a guest on a challenge they faced, but today is just you and I. I wanted to spend some time reflecting on the year, on the incredible conversations that we've had. Every story, every tear, every quiet pause of challenge, and what it's taught me and all of us about what it truly means to grow through challenge. When I first started this podcast, I believed in the power of storytelling to shift us, to move something inside That logic can't quite reach. But this year I witnessed something deeper. I saw how challenge doesn't just test us. It absolutely can transform us. It reshapes the way that we see ourselves, the way that we see our loved ones and the way that we live our lives. In this episode I share: -      How challenges transform people, not just test them, and the importance of our community’s honest, raw stories. -      The theme of Recovery and rebirth we learnt from Yumi, Caroline, and Diana’s experiences and what it shows us -      How Sarah, Dr. Adam Fraser, and Bo’s stories illustrate that growth comes from stepping into discomfort, self-trust, and daring to face the unknown. -      Why Tara, Steve, and Kevin demonstrated that loss reshapes life, requires feeling the pain, and can be transformed into purpose and resilience. -      How Andrew and Jordy’s stories show that rebuilding life after trauma takes time, patience, and many small choices. -      Courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s continuing to show up, breathe, and make choices even when life is uncertain or painful. -      Transformation doesn’t happen in grand gestures; it comes from tiny, daily decisions that slowly shape who we are becoming. Key Quotes “The greatest gift you can give your children is learning to love yourself.” “I don’t ever get over trauma. You learn to walk alongside it. To give it space, but not the steering wheel.” More about You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. Trigger warning: Childhood sexual abuse, alcohol addiction   Our identity and how we see ourselves has a huge impact on our lives. But what if huge incidents in our early life caused us to create an identity that was harmful and complex and actually untrue to who we really are? Nikole built a multi-million dollar company from scratch, and nearly lost herself in the process because of how her own self identity controlled her narrative. Now sober, self-led and sharp as ever, she’s rewriting what success looks like beyond the hustle. Her story isn’t clean. But it’s real. And it’s hers.   In this episode she shares:   -      Her early childhood and how she was abused by a family member -      How her brother was hit by a car and passed away at 17 -      How her brother’s death was the catalyst that split the family -      The months and years after her brother’s death and how she was introduced to alcohol -      The destructive impact of her drinking and living with an inaccurate self identity -      Her father’s death at 50 -      Having her house burn down shortly after giving birth -      What happened when she entered the psych ward and why it didn’t meet her expectations -      What she did to recover when she realised her drinking was impacting her marriage -      Her experience with the retreat/rehab in Bali -      How she made $12 million in one year -      Understanding the pros and cons of the parts of herself that have developed from her trauma   Key Quotes “I was abused during my childhood by a family member.”   “At my brothers wake I was introduced to alcohol...and that was it.”   More about Nikole Check her out via her website or Instagram.   You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. The journey of fighting cancer is so much more than just: finding out you have it and then getting treated. This week’s episode is part 2 of our chat with Melanie Staudt, an incredible woman who overcame breast cancer and all of its challenges. For this week’s episode Melanie will be sharing the challenges in recovery, post recovery and what happens when the cancer comes back. Melanie is 51 years old, lives in the US in Ohio and is married with two girls age 22 and 18. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2021. It was three years of intensive healing and has had no evidence of disease for a year and a half. She continues to work on physical, mental and spiritual health and looks forward to life’s next chapter.  In this episode she shares: -      Her second experience of cryoablation -      The long term weight and energy of cancer treatment -      Managing the fear and stress post cancer and how it impacts relationships -      Learning to take care of herself and ask for and accept help -      The story of how her doctor missed her active cancer -      Using a trial treatment and having to get a mastectomy -      Finding a lymph node in her sternum -      What helped her to stop detaching from her body -      Her lessons taken away after this experience Key Quotes “I felt like a failure, I felt like I had made all the wrong decisions.” “People that haven’t been through can’t understand.” More about Melanie You can contact Melanie via Facebook or Instagram. The pre surgery meditation link she mentioned is here.   You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here. Cancer has a devastating effect both on those it afflicts and those around them. For Melanie Staudt her cancer journey was full of challenges that often felt insurmountable. Melanie is 51 years old, lives in the US in Ohio and is married with two girls age 22 and 18. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in February 2021. It was three years of intensive healing and has had no evidence of disease for a year and a half. She continues to work on physical, mental and spiritual health and looks forward to life’s next chapter.  In this episode she shares: -      Why she identifies most with a monarch butterfly -      What happened for her in the early days leading up to breast cancer discovery -      Getting her biopsy and preparing for bad news -      How the initial bad news led to positivity in her life -      The moment she got more bad news and her experience of detaching from her body -      How she discussed her reservations about chemo with her husband -      What her treatment options were and what she decided -      When she saw a naturopathic doctor and her experience with craniosacral massage -      When she got imaging done and got the all clear Key Quotes “I couldn’t process anything, it was like I was out of my body.” “I probably spent between 20 and 40 hours a week researching breast cancer.” More about Melanie You can contact Melanie via Facebook or Instagram. The pre surgery meditation link she mentioned is here.   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Try our FREE burnout quiz. Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Steve Pocock’s life has been shaped by early loss - and by what can grow from it.  He was ten years old when his family fled their farm in Zimbabwe, one of thousands displaced during the country’s land reform era. The experience left deep scars that took a lot of time to heal from but also planted a conviction: that dignity and hope are worth rebuilding, even from the hardest places.  Steven joins us on the podcast to show just how far you go grow beyond the trauma in your childhood. His conviction became a calling. From Papua New Guinea’s highlands to the mountains and coasts of Timor-Leste, Steve has spent his career helping others rebuild - working with governments, entrepreneurs, and communities to grow small businesses, strengthen markets, and create jobs that restore purpose.  At the heart of Steve’s journey is a simple belief: that we honour what we’ve lost by building something better - that real impact is measured not in projects or profits, but in the restoration of dignity, purpose, and possibility. In this episode he shares: Some background about Zimbabwe,His upbringing there, and the loss of his friendHis experience of their farm being invadedHow things got harder before they got better after he moved to AustraliaHis experience with depression and being hospitalisedHis professional football experience and spinal surgeryThe goal he made to make a positive impact in the worldHow writing an article spring boarded his career to what it is todayHis time working in PNG working under an aid programReturning home to Zimbabwe to tackle some of the country’s biggest challengesWhat happened when he went to Timor-LesteSome of the biggest life lessons he's taken away from these experiences Key Quotes “If I’m not going to fight for them who is?” “If you start something you have no choice but to finish it.” More About Steve Follow Steve on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.   You can get involved with the podcast online   On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeus Or on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeus If you want to contact the podcast, email us here: [email protected] Or check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com   If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.