Advertise on podcast: Rambles and Shambles with Ana

Rob was obsessed with tennis growing up, but a chance walk past an Army recruitment office on his way to a job interview changed his plans completely. He joined the Australian Army at 19 and spent almost eight years serving before injuries brought his military career to an end. We talk about the challenges of adjusting to civilian life, his experiences with PTSD and mental health, and how boxing has become an important part of his life. Rob also shares the story behind his coaching business, Resilience Lifting, what it felt like to finally win a boxing match after four consecutive losses, and why, at 46, he’s still looking for the next thing someone tells him he can’t do.

Lisa left school in Year 11 and started an apprenticeship as a chef, eventually finishing top of her class in what was then a very male-dominated industry. She spent more than 20 years cooking before reaching a point where she knew she didn’t want to be doing the same thing ten years later. We talk about starting again in the beauty industry, retraining while working and raising a family, and how her relationship with work has changed over the years. Lisa also shares what decades of customer-facing work have taught her about people, why good teams matter, and why sometimes you need to try something different when what you’re doing no longer feels right.

Alana was the kid making up shows, choreographing dances and convincing her family to sit through her Hilary Duff performances. These days she works in marketing, so the creative side is still getting plenty of use. We talk about studying journalism, travelling solo after uni, starting her first full-time job in an industry she knew nothing about, and learning quickly by asking a lot of questions. We also talk customer service, why people sometimes tell complete strangers their life stories, dealing with the occasional difficult customer, and what people often misunderstand about working in marketing.

Milana moved to Australia after years of coming back and forth for work and eventually deciding she wanted to build a life here. We talk about adjusting to a completely different way of working, being a chronic overachiever, learning that everything doesn’t have to be perfect, and why she thinks your skills are the best thing you can invest in throughout your career. We also go back to a childhood where Milana was brutally honest and never afraid to tell the adults exactly what she thought, and hear how much of mini Milana is still here today.

Bonus Rambles are the in-between episodes, just Ana reflecting on what’s been coming up through the conversations and whatever’s been on her mind between episodes. This one came after chatting to over twenty people. I found myself thinking about responsibility, the way we’re so quick to put people in boxes, and why everyone’s got an opinion on the “right” way to build a life. Just a few things that have been bouncing around in my head lately.

Tonci has spent much of his working life around soccer, storytelling and the Croatian community, but the path there was anything but straightforward. We talk about migrant work ethic, community, personal training, redundancy, podcasting through COVID, and why changing direction does not necessarily mean giving up. Tonci has now added something new to the list: debut author. His novel, The Final Whistle: A Footballer’s Legacy, grew from an attempt to encourage his son to read and became a story shaped by Australian-Croatian identity, soccer and the communities Tonci has spent decades documenting. This episode is about building work around the things you care about, following new ideas, and allowing yourself to begin another chapter. Buy The Final Whistle: A Footballer’s Legacy on Amazon: https://amzn.asia/d/02bJYel0

Ivan grew up in a small Croatian village, went to a school with only a handful of students, and is now finishing his master’s while working across corporate marketing and hospitality. In this conversation, we talk about growing up in rural Croatia, choosing sociology and demographics almost by accident, travelling to Turkey and the United States, and learning how differently people connect across cultures. We also talk about leading a major student cinema project, handling criticism, leaving a corporate job that does not feel meaningful, and being in your twenties without a clear plan for what comes next. This episode is about curiosity, trying different paths, and wanting your work to matter to someone beyond yourself.

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.

Jason can seem intimidating at first, but beneath that is someone deeply caring, fiercely driven, and very thoughtful about life. In this conversation, we talk about growing up in a violent household, learning confidence early and how he went from being a hyper, aggressive kid to someone who now tries to lift other people up. We also talk about failure, masculinity, mental health and why passion matters more than following a path that was never meant for you. This episode is about self-worth, resilience, and what it looks like to choose a better way forward. Disclaimer: This episode includes references to family violence and mental health themes. Listener discretion is advised.

Jonas grew up loving maths and being terrible at art, then built a career in cinematography, a field that looks creative from the outside, but runs on discipline, timing, logic, and getting the shot before the sun moves! In this conversation, we talk about film school, moving from Germany to the US and what it really takes to survive in a tough industry. We also get into rejection, networking, teaching, commercial work, and the strange reality of loving the craft while questioning the career around it.

Reza grew up pulling apart TVs, toys and anything else he could get a screwdriver into, mostly to the horror of his parents. That curiosity turned into a career in engineering, then a life in academia, research and teaching. In this conversation, we talk about childhood curiosity, studying engineering, moving to Australia and why he chose teaching over a more straightforward industry path. We also get into what students don't see behind the scenes, how he thinks about motivation and discipline, learning from failure, and why education can give people a bigger view of what their lives could be.

Manjil grew up in Nepal, became the first in his family to go to university, and moved to Australia thinking he’d land an engineering job quickly. That is not how it went. In this conversation, we talk about strict schooling, family pressure, migration, rejection, bakery shifts, missed interviews, starting again, and the long road into the career he knew he was capable of. We also talk about resilience, leadership, community, and why hope matters just as much as hard work.

Zdenka is one of those people who is equal parts tough and caring, quick to speak her mind but always looking out for others. Raised in a strict Croatian household, she learned early how to work hard, adapt and stand her ground. In this conversation, we talk about school, culture, being different, early work experiences that didn’t always go to plan, and how she found her confidence over time. We also talk about family, motherhood, and the kind of values she’s tried to pass on.