Jason Masters was a married father of two children who discovered later in life that he was gay. Jason discusses his journey of understanding his sexual identity and how he had to come to terms with this and aligned his Christian faith with his acceptance of himself. Jason shares the experience of seeking therapy and then having to come out to his wife and how they worked through this significant event as a family. Jason talks about how there is a gap in the support available for teens who disco...
Aug 24, 2018•38 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Scilla Andreen is the CEO & Co-Founder of IndieFlix Group Inc a global screening and streaming service that promotes and supports social impact films to create positive change in the world. IndieFlix screening service books offline community screenings in schools, corporations and communities around the world while IndieFlix streaming offers a monthly subscription based service to access thousands of high-quality shorts, features, documentaries, and series. https://www.indieflix.com/ Scilla ...
Aug 17, 2018•36 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Kate McAlister was a fit and healthy 31-year-old early childhood educator from California working in Hong Kong, when she had a stroke. At first, she was misdiagnosed and sent home with a migraine but eventually after a whole night of vomiting, she went back to the hospital and was finally diagnosed with having a stroke. She shares her difficult journey in relation to returning to work too quickly and realising she needed to head home to stay with her parents to recuperate. Whilst back in The Sta...
Aug 10, 2018•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 50
Sara Tang is the host of ‘Better in Bed’ podcast where she discusses everything imaginable about sex and sexuality. She feels that her podcast is a wonderful medium to bring more sex positive resources to the Hong Kong community, where sex is not always openly discussed. There is somewhat of a social taboo surrounding sex in Hong Kong and Sara is hoping to change this mindset. Sara states that historically, Chinese people were very sexual but it appears that they are much more repressed in this ...
Aug 03, 2018•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Olivia grew up in Hong Kong in a Chinese family. She realised that she suffered from anxiety and depression after she finished university. Her friends did not really understand her mental health issues and she found it difficult to manage her fluctuating emotions. Olivia developed an intense fear of failure and rejection, and was unable to do her job well. It was three or four years before she sought help and she was diagnosed as bipolar with depression and anxiety. Olivia found it very hard to ...
Jul 27, 2018•32 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Has opens up about his life growing up as a gay child living in a strict, conservative Muslim family from Sri Lanka. Being gay was not openly accepted in his family and he ensured that he kept his sexuality private. Growing up he felt conflicted and struggled with his identity. Has does not discuss his personal life or his sexuality with his family. He laments the lack of relationship with his family due to not being able to be completely open. He had his own distressing #metoo experiences as he...
Jul 20, 2018•36 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Tricia Yap is a holistic coach who encompasses physical training, nutrition, positive psychology and lifestyle choices in her work with her clients. She is an MMA fighter and founder of the Warrior Academy in Hong Kong. Tricia has faced her share of difficulties in her life ranging from being bullied as a child in Australia to dealing with an acrimonious divorce, which made her question her self-worth on many levels. She harnessed these negative experiences to redefine her success by overcoming ...
Jul 13, 2018•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 46
Hong Kong's very own Olympic swimmer, Geoff Cheah talks about his experience training as a professional swimmer in the USA and competing in the 2016 Olympics where he won his 50 metre freestyle heat. He has always had to balance is academics and training, and embrace the discipline needed to succeed. Geoff explains the importance and value of peer coaching and helping other young athletes. Geoff shares how he managed to cope with his father passing away at the height of his success and his focus...
Jul 06, 2018•45 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Jules, Tracey and I talk about our personal experiences with menopause and the various ways that we have coped with this significant change in our lives. We discuss many of the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, and explain which ones affected us the most and how we coped with them. We explore the different treatment options available and the best options for us as individuals. We also share our thoughts on a number of different topics including aging, loss of of fertility and our retireme...
Jun 30, 2018•59 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Dennis Philipse talks to us about Hong Kong’s successful bid to win the Gay Games in 2022. This is the first time that the Gay Games will be hosted in Asia and it is a very exciting milestone in the history of the games and also for Hong Kong. Dennis walks us through the bidding process and the excitement the team felt when they won then bid. We explore how this wonderful event will “build lighthouses of hope” in the LGBTQ community, and the positive impact that the Gay Games will have on both H...
Jun 23, 2018•35 min•Season 1Ep. 43
Valentina Tudose joins me to talk about sex with a focus on educating young people so they have more positive relationships. She explains why it is important to educate teens about respect and consent by teaching them about values and the need to have high self worth. We live in a hyper-sexualised society, where sexting and pornography are prevalent. Valentina advises parents’ ways in which they can discuss these issues with their children and educate them on how to develop their relationships s...
Jun 15, 2018•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 41
Dr Andy Cornish from World Wildlife Fund talks to us about sharks and how important shark conservation is for the biodiversity of the oceans as well as from a humanitarian point of view. Dr Cornish is an expert on sharks and shares how is interest in sharks began when he was young. He discusses the culling of sharks for Shark Fin soup and how slowly large hotel chains in Asia are getting on board and banning Sharks Fin soup at their banquets. We discuss the historical context of the consumption ...
Jun 08, 2018•43 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Music has always been a huge part of Kate Targett-Adams’ life. She started playing the Celtic harp as a child and it has been a lifelong passion. Cooking is also another passion of Kate’s and she made it to the finals of Master Chef when she was a young girl. Eventually, she had to chose between her love of music and cooking when deciding her career path. Music won over and Kate has excelled in her career as a singer, songwriter and harpist. She has many performed at many illustrious events, pla...
Jun 02, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 40
I met with fellow podcaster Regina Larko who shares how she became interested in podcasting and the creation of her wonderful #Impact Podcast. She reveals a little about her life story and how she came to be in Hong Kong. Regina is passionate about social issues and this became the focus on her podcast as she felt that she could make an impact on the world. She is an idealist who wants to see changes occur and she believes that “good will always win”. She shares her secrets of how she learned to...
May 26, 2018•50 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Karina Calver talks about understanding, identifying and responding to sexual harassment and sexual abuse. She emphasises the importance of educating children about consent and body safety so that they can understand boundaries as they grow up. Karina is involved in the #metoo movement in Hong Kong and the group have held a number of seminars for women and for people of all genders. Talking helps overcome denial and allows us to acknowledge the truth. Karina is helping people to be the best vers...
May 19, 2018•45 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Lauren had a tough childhood and she became anxious, lonely and was craving attention. This isolation and fear caused Lauren to self harm and experiment with drugs and alcohol. Lauren began modelling and on the outside, everything looked perfect but on the inside, Lauren developed terribly low self esteem and this manifested in a huge struggle with bulimia; an insidious eating disorder. Lauren felt she could not show her weaknesses and believed that she had to be strong for her family, thus it w...
May 11, 2018•52 min•Season 1Ep. 37
At 39, Hazel found herself single and childless, and she realised that she needed to do something if she was to achieve her dream of becoming a mother. She considered her options and decided to go down the IUI and then IVF routes. She walks us through the process of her IVF experience and the implications of deciding on the non-anonymous donor sperm option. Hazel shares the challenges and emotions she faced along the way. She discusses the highs and the lows of her road to motherhood and the pos...
May 05, 2018•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Christina has suffered from depression most of her life. As a child she was the product of an affair and she always felt like an unwanted child. She talks about her life growing up in a Chinese family in Hong Kong where feelings and issues were not openly addressed. This all changed when she moved to New Zealand and she was encouraged to speak up by her teachers and she was able to get help for her mental health issues. Christina shares her break down as an adult back in Hong Kong and how her hu...
Apr 27, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Richard Wickes has created a card game called “Mirror Me” which is a beautifully made game designed to encourage young children to share their emotions and talk about their feelings. Richard lost his daughter to suicide and after this tragic event he wanted to do something to ensure that other young people were able to express their troubles and concerns more effectively. The game creates a non-judgmental; make believe space to develop the healthy habit of talking about feelings and emotions. St...
Apr 21, 2018•34 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Sophia had a very difficult childhood, growing up with a mother who was abusive and mean. Sophia struggled as she was battling an eating disorder that her mum refused to recognise. Her mother constantly belittled her for her looks and her weight and this took its toll on Sophia’s self esteem and confidence. Sophia was sexually harassed by an old family friend and when she found the courage to tell her mother, she did not believe her. Sophia was also raped by her boyfriend and she never told a so...
Apr 14, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 33
The inaugural Human Dignity Festival was held in Hong Kong in 2017 and was founded by Bess Hepworth from Planet Ally. In this podcast, Jules talks to Bess Hepworth, Petter Wallenberg from Rainbow Riots and Para Olympian, Theresa Goh about their activism work in the LGBTQ+ community. Bess established the Human Dignity Festival because she wanted to “create spaces of grace for hearts and minds to change.” Her goal was to bring all of the intersections together and open people’s eyes to “human righ...
Apr 07, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 32
Rebecca Hopkins talks to us about her training in the Brene Brown’s Daring Way approach and her role as a coach. She shares her knowledge about shame and guilt and how we overcome these experiences by knowing our own triggers and sharing with someone who has earned the right to hear our story. Many of us are walking through the world carrying stories that make us feel unlovable. We discuss worthiness and authenticity and the need to create space to listen to others and empathise with them by jus...
Mar 30, 2018•1 hr 25 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Viv McGrath shares her story of how she survived a domestic violent relationship when she was a young mother. She wants us to know that there is life after abuse and how she was able to break the cycle. Viv was inspired by Rosie Batty and her courage when her son was killed by his father at cricket training in Australia. Channel 7, Australia has kindly shared a news clip with us of Rosie being interviewed after the event. Viv has written a book Unbeatable: (How I left a violent man) , her memoir...
Mar 23, 2018•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Karen See from Embrace Worldwide, is an entrepreneur who talks to us about her coaching and consultancy work with a focus on supporting women in leadership. Her mission is to help people be happy, confident, and successful every day. She shares her own personal and professional leadership journey, along with studied principles backed by neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and positive psychology. Karen shares her goal to build a community that empowers and enables people to create and celebrat...
Mar 16, 2018•53 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Foot binding in China began in the 10th century and was banned in 1911 but continued into the 1940’s. Jo Farrell wanted to focus on female traditions of beauty and why women alter themselves to be attainable and accepted in their own culture. She discovered women in China who are still alive today and have bound feet. She has documented these women in black and white photos and often exhibits her work. Jo has formed connections and friendships with many of these women and she has heard their per...
Mar 09, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Psychologist, Dr Monica Borschel talks to us about how our self worth is tied up in our identity and what we value the most in life. She explores why we experience negative self talk and how we might be able to reframe our thoughts by focusing on the positive and recognizing our triggers, then we are able to refocus our energy. Monica shares the key factors that affect our happiness and self worth. Hong Kong is a stressful environment and she explores mental health issues and suicide prevention ...
Mar 02, 2018•57 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Pashmina Pash shares her unusual journey to becoming a writer and published author. After the birth of her daughter at just 26 weeks, Pashmina used journaling as a way to cope with the struggles she faced spending many hours alone coping with a premature baby. By adopting a gratitude mindset and a fierce determination, she became “addicted to making the child whole” and was in denial about the uncertain future that doctors said her premature daughter might face. Pashmina was on bed rest and used...
Feb 23, 2018•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Brad Giadresco shares his experiences as a fire fighter in Adelaide. He talks about the traits that a good fire fighter needs to have, his love of the job and some of the challenges that he faces in his day to day work. Brad was involved in a serious event in 2013 whilst on the job and he opens up and shares this experience for the first time since it happened. With words like explosions, adrenaline, burns and flashover, this is a gripping account of the heroism that Brad sees as just a part of ...
Feb 16, 2018•45 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Sally grew up in an expat family where her older sister was acting out, her parents were quite strict and there was no talk about feelings and love in the home. Sally found ways to become manipulative and to seek attention at a young age and she began to have disordered eating before she hit high school. She then moved on to self harm as a coping mechanism as she did not feel comfortable in her own skin. She was in search of ways to feel happy; by the age of 12 she became addicted to marijuana a...
Feb 09, 2018•50 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Bong Gabriel recently became homeless in Hong Kong due to illness. He lost everything, including his wife, his son and his work as a musician. Bong shares his story with us and how Impact HK made a difference in his life. Impact HK is an organisation which transforms the lives of the homeless in Hong Kong and gives them a second chance. Jeff Rotmeyer, the founder of Impact HK, talks to us about the amazing work that the organisation does to help people in need in our city. He explains how friend...
Feb 03, 2018•40 min•Season 1Ep. 23
