Get Off The Bench podcast showcases people who have backed themselves and are having a go, in the hope that others will be inspired to ‘get off the bench’ and do the thing they’ve always wanted to do.
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In March 1994, Charlene Pell sustained second- and third-degree burns to 64% of her body, including her face, in a private airplane crash that killed her fiancé. She spent seven months hospitalised, underwent 49 surgeries and five-and-a-half years in rehabilitation. Charlene is now the founder of Facing Forward, a nonprofit empowering people with facial differences.
After 30 years of coaching leaders, something extraordinary stood out to Tom - people were thinking in extremes and limiting their opportunities to make progress. Once Tom developed The Shift Effect, leaders starting moving ahead with time steps and before they knew it they had achieved their goal.
At a very young age Matt Cicanese was diagnosed with meningitis, which left him a deaf/blind child. Matt also has ADHD and is on the spectrum. While some might see these challenges as negative, they have helped Matt discover a whole other world through the lens of a camera, leading to supporting others to see the wonderful.
We are all afraid of something, but to what degree do we let that control our lives? Sahrit was paralysed with fear about everything, and a job opportunity in Greece helped her address the fear of flying. She then took on roller-coasters, gorillas, and even became a mermaid!
Chris Avery believes you can’t outrun the past, but you can definitely run toward a better future. After dealing with adversity as a child, and embracing dugs as a young adult, Chris decided that ownership was the only way forward. He took up running as an experiment, and 4 years later he’s still going strong, and will soon do a lap of America.
In his early 20’s, Toss Bertsch was completely derailed after his rock-bottom habits took a turn for the worst. At that point he had a choice - continue the life he was living, or find a way to let his personal agency lead him down a new path. He chose the latter and has spent the past 30 years continually working on his own growth, and coaching leaders, teams and individuals to do the same.
Starting her athletic career as a rodeo champion, then switching the saddle to mountain bikes, Leah Garcia soon earned solid accolades - 3 x World Champion Qualifier, North American Champion, Basque National Champion (Spain), and the only American woman to race the prestigious Tour de France. But with a diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy at 28 years old, Leah desperately went in search of products that could help, eventually founding her own beauty company - Nulastin®.
When Jill Chalsty founded Overcoming Obstacles in 1992, she wasn’t planning for the grief she would encounter 30 years later. Dealing with breast cancer, lung cancer, and the death of her beloved husband, Jill decided ‘Travelling with Purpose’ might heal the pain - it didn’t. But returning home set the healing journey in motion.
For many people, networking events are more scary than public speaking - but all that can change with just a few simple tweaks. Dalene Allen is the founder and CEO of Networking Naturally, and she says that listening, curiosity and generosity out-trump business cards every single time. Her business and networking skills have also earned her 16 pink Cadillacs!
When you’re raised in the rough end of Memphis, Tennessee, your life could go one way or the other. But when you know you were born to be a leader, you can change the cycle and change the world. Bishop Kevin Foreman knows life is always one decision away, and his decision to work for God and for good has brought joy to thousands
When James Oliver took a trip to China and was worried about where he would get his protein from, he created a couple of hundred protein bars top sustain him. Little did he know this would be the start of a protein bar journey that would offer a truly clean bar that packs a protein punch.
Drew Norton had a rude awakening when his 6 month old baby required CPR from his wife. He then had another moment when he realised his current job was leaving him feeling empty. Drew then leant hard into the mantra ‘life is too short’, and built his own business that could help him more effectively balance time, money and memories.
Ryan Christensen spent 23 years in the US Marines working as a Russian Linguist, which led him to become a counter-terrorism contractor with the CIA. Embracing a diagnosis of ADHD, Bipolar, and Autism, Ryan began to questions why he could never find happiness despite many yeas of therapy and other modalities. Then one day he realised - when we can operate from the Optimal Belief System, everything becomes OK.
Around 15 years ago, Matt Parker was offered a job in Northern Thailand, managing a children’s home with 48 girls aged 8-18. He accepted due to his humanitarian and philanthropic beliefs and principles. What he uncovered would lead him to unimaginably dark places, and almost by accident, he stumbled upon a way to save lives.
I haven’t done a podcast for 4 months, and some other things had to fall by the wayside this year due to tiredness. Turns out it was more about re-fusing and trying to figure out what really matters. Sometimes we still don’t get the answers we went looking for.
Long known as one of the world’s finest Jazz Pianists and singers, Rick DellaRatta is also the founder of Jazz for Peace. Born as a result of Rick witnessing the devastation of 9/11 first hand, Jazz for Peace has lead to over 850 concerts across the Globe to help the world's most outstanding causes, educational presentations, and instrument donation programs for children.
The Victorian region of Latrobe Valley is home to some of the highest rates of domestic violence and unemployment in the state. Aisha’s passion to reduce these figures, is fuelled by her own story of escaping domestic abuse and having to rebuild her own life from crisis to confidence. Now she’s sharing her blueprint with those who need it the most, showing her participants that the tools they need are already within them. But Aisha needs more support to reach those most in need.
Would Nepal be a great place to host a women’s retreat? Logistically, no. Nepal surprised me by being the catalyst to a volcano of emotions and mental anguish. The snow capped Himalayas cracked open my container of humility and gratitude, and seeing them with my own eyes moved every millimetre of me being. But what about religion? Have we lost the true meaning and intention? I think so.
Starting in martial arts at just 6 years old, Stuart Wade failed his first black belt attempt at 8 years old. He knew he never wanted to feel the pain of that again so put his will and determination to the test and spent the next 30 years in elite sports and World Championships. This led him down many paths of serendipity and he now helps elite business owners to get out of their own way.
What happens when you sit around a table with strangers who all have good intent, but different interpretations? Language matters and it matters a lot. What’s more important is how you choose to show up and what you choose to contribute to help achieve an outcome.
What happens when you submit your manuscript with zero expectation of the outcome? All I can say is wow!! I’d forgotten I’d written some of this stuff and it makes me wonder how many people are out there constantly looking forward and forgetting about the great work they’ve done to get to where they are today.
Jeff Morgan shares his transformative journey from a life of crime to becoming a life and mindset coach, emphasising the need for emotional intelligence and self-awareness. He highlights the impact of early trauma and the importance of role models in personal development. Jeff advocates for understanding and supporting individuals who have faced adversity, promoting empathy and community over judgment.
Elleesha King, a paramedic and registered nurse for 10 years, discusses her entrepreneurial venture, Pulsatile Innovations, and its flagship product, Pulse Tile. The device aims to improve cardiac arrest outcomes by providing clear instructions on CPR need and direction, even for non-medically trained individuals. Pulse Tile, which detects a pulse and guides CPR, complements defibrillators. Elleesha shares the challenges in developing the product, including raising funds and navigating regulatory requirements. She emphasises the importance of early CPR, noting that delay can reduce survival ch
Last year presented many challenges for us, and so in an effort to reduce stress and manage much easier, we are implementing small changes that will dramatically improve the time we will have to spend together and to do the things in life we feel are most important.
Kyle smith, a clarity consultant and developer of Neuro Linguistic Somatic Experience, discusses the importance of mindset and language in personal development. He emphasises the shift from a victim mentality to a victor mentality, highlighting the impact of self-talk and the need for clear, solid communication. Kyle explains the three-phase approach: getting unstuck, addressing past emotional intensity, and celebrating progress. He identifies four main causes of resistance: judgment, rejection, self-sabotage, and fear. Kyle also stresses the significance of words in shaping reality and introd
