Our Byron Community with Chris Hanley

Hosted by Chris Hanley

Business Investing

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Our Byron community is a podcast that explores the unique and diverse community here in Byron Bay. From how people ended up here to the thriving business scene, we cover a wide range of topics that make our community so special. We dive deep into the stories and experiences of locals, and share insights on everything from sustainability and wellness to art and culture. Whether you're a longtime resident or a visitor, join us as we celebrate and explore all things Byron!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 19, 2026Episode 1650 min

Andy Dubois – Endurance, Belief & the Business of Coaching Ultra-Runners

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Andy Dubois, an online ultramarathon running coach, to explore how a surveying career and a mid-life crisis of sorts led him to a life built entirely around endurance sport. Andy shares his path from a young surveyor in Adelaide who was "bored out of his brain" at 22, to a personal trainer in London, to eventually building an online coaching business almost by accident — after a client emailed asking if he coached ultramarathons, and he said yes before he'd technically done it. We dig into what it actually takes to get someone from the couch to finishing 100 miles, the difference between genetic potential and grit, and why belief — not just training — is often what separates people who finish from people who fall away. Andy shares the story of coaching a Hong Kong client from overweight beginner to competitive racer within a few years, and one of his proudest coaching moments: helping a young athlete become the youngest person to run the length of India, raising money for charity along the way. He finishes with his favourite local spot — the goat track up to the Byron lighthouse, which he says he's run hundreds of times and never gets sick of. If you'd like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

August 5, 2026Episode 1435 min

Courtney Adamo – Motherhood, Blogging & a Leap of Faith to Byron

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Courtney Adamo, co-founder of the global parenting site Babyccino Kids and author, to explore her journey from a tulip farm in rural Washington State to raising five kids in the Byron hinterland. Courtney shares her origin story — growing up in a big Dutch American farming family, moving to London at 22 after two months of dating her now-husband Michael, and building a life there over 12 years and four babies. We dig into the leap of faith that brought her family to Australia: selling their London home and everything in it and setting off on an 18-month round-the-world trip with four young kids that Courtney calls "the best year of my life." She recalls the exact moment — driving a rainbow-lit road between Bangalow and Byron — that she knew this would be home. Courtney also opens about pioneering the "mummy blogging" world back in 2007, long before social media existed, and how she's carried that same spirit of connection through to her Substack today, now writing about parenting teenagers instead of toddlers. She finishes with her favourite local spots, from Broken Head in whale season to a hidden family holiday hideaway down the coast. If you'd like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

July 29, 2026Episode 1554 min

Kerry O'Brien — Community, Journalism and Politics

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Kerry reflects on his early life growing up in Queensland, sharing stories of family, schooling, and the strong influence of his forebears who came from England, Ireland and Scotland. Chris and Kerry explore how those family roots, along with a deep sense of community and belonging, helped shape Kerry's values, curiosity, and understanding of the world from an early age. The conversation follows Kerry's journey into journalism and the experiences that defined a remarkable career covering some of Australia's most significant political and social moments. They discuss the importance of listening, asking thoughtful questions, and earning trust, as well as the changing media landscape, the challenges of misinformation, and the growing need for respectful public conversation. Kerry also reflects on the role community plays in bringing people together, the responsibility of journalism in strengthening democracy, and why curiosity and integrity remain as important today as they were at the beginning of his career. It's a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about family, school, community, journalism, and politics. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

July 15, 2026Episode 1237 min

Damian Kassabgi – Politics, Identity & the Making of an Adviser

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we sit down with Damian Kassabgi, a political adviser and public policy specialist, to explore his remarkable journey from the migrant suburbs of Sydney's inner west to the corridors of Australian politics. Damian shares the story of his parents — an Egyptian father who fled rising tensions in the Middle East and a Chilean mother who escaped the Pinochet coup — and how their unlikely meeting (over a parking dispute) shaped a childhood split between Marrickville West and the Sutherland Shire. We dig into what it meant to grow up as "the only brown kid with a funny surname," joining the Labor Party at just 17, and landing his first job as a junior adviser in Bob Carr's office at 22. Damian pulls back the curtain on the real work of political advising — from the messy politics behind splitting up Telstra to build the NBN, to why the best politicians are the ones who never stop showing up for their community. He also shares his personal Byron 101-to-mastery guide, from coffee at Sparrow to secret swimming holes no one will tell you about. This is part one of a two-part conversation — part two will go deeper into Damian's professional life beyond politics. If you'd like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

July 2, 2026Episode 1148 min

Janelle Saffin – A Life of Service & Advocacy

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Janelle Saffin — NSW Minister for the North Coast, long-time local member, and passionate advocate for the Northern Rivers. They talk about Janelle's working-class upbringing in Ipswich, leaving school at thirteen, and the experiences that shaped a lifetime of public service. From finding a home in Lismore over fifty years ago to working in human rights across Timor-Leste and Myanmar, Janelle reflects on the values that have guided her journey through community work, law, and politics. The conversation also explores leadership during the 2022 floods, the importance of bipartisan collaboration, housing, regional development, and what it takes to build stronger, more connected communities across the Northern Rivers. A thoughtful conversation about resilience, public service, and the future of the region. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

June 17, 2026Episode 1049 min

Christian Tancred — Community, Creativity & Youth Culture

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Christian Tancred — General Manager of the Byron Youth Service and The YAC. Christian shares his journey from growing up in Orange NSW obsessed with surfing, to working across community development, youth culture, filmmaking and mental health advocacy. They talk about the experiences that shaped his path, including losing a close friend at a young age and later travelling around Australia raising awareness for suicide prevention. The conversation explores the evolution of The YAC, the role of creativity and youth culture in building connection, and the challenges young people are facing today around social media, mental health, isolation and identity. Christian also reflects on Byron Bay’s community spirit, volunteerism, and the importance of creating safe spaces where young people can feel supported and connected. A thoughtful and grounded conversation about resilience, community, youth support, and the changing culture of Byron Bay. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

June 3, 2026Episode 956 min

Patti Lowry – A Lifetime of Travel, Adventure & Byron Bay Stories

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Patti Lowry to hear the remarkable story of a life lived across continents and decades of change. Born in England during the war and raised in Canada, Patti reflects on losing her mother early, travelling through Europe in the 1960s, hitchhiking across Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, marrying in Jerusalem, and eventually making her way to Australia. Patti also shares stories from Byron Bay’s early days, buying the old Arts Factory site in the 1990s, and watching the region evolve into the community it is today. A fascinating conversation filled with history, adventure, resilience and nostalgia for old Byron. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

May 21, 2026Episode 841 min

Ed Mason | Pushing The Limits

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with endurance swimmer and Northern Rivers local Ed Mason for a fascinating conversation about ultra-distance swimming, mindset, pain, and pushing the limits of what’s possible. Originally from the Mid North Coast and now based in Brunswick Heads, Ed shares his journey from studying arts and law in Sydney to building a remote career in legal publishing while chasing a life centred around surf, nature, and adventure in the Northern Rivers. The conversation dives deep into Ed’s extraordinary cold-water endurance swims across New Zealand’s massive alpine lakes — including a brutal 40km crossing of Lake Taupō and another freezing challenge across Lake Tekapo. Ed opens up about swimming through darkness, injury, exhaustion, and extreme cold, while reflecting on mental resilience, pain management, and the strange beauty of testing yourself in the harshest environments. A powerful and honest conversation about endurance, discipline, nature, and discovering what the mind and body are truly capable of. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

May 7, 2026Episode 759 min

Mel Macpherson - Life in Chapters

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Our Byron Community, Chris sits down with Mel McPherson for a deeply personal conversation about adventure, reinvention, creativity, and finding belonging. Growing up on Sydney’s Northern Beaches before moving through Avoca and eventually Byron Bay, Mel reflects on the chapters that shaped her life — from boarding school and film school to working alongside legendary surf filmmaker Jack McCoy on Blue Horizon, and building a career behind the camera across television, surf films, adventure productions and international events. Mel also shares stories from her years competing in surf boat rowing, winning four Australian titles, and explains how surf club culture gave her a lifelong sense of community and connection. The conversation explores much deeper themes too — leaving behind the life she thought she was “supposed” to want, navigating heartbreak and major life changes, choosing a different path, and ultimately finding a place in Byron where individuality, creativity and intuition could thrive. Chris and Mel also dive into her passion for restoring old homes, including the remarkable transformation of a century-old abandoned farmhouse "Longfield" in the Byron hinterland that many locals knew as the “haunted house on the hill.” An honest, thoughtful and inspiring conversation about trusting intuition, embracing change, and creating a life that feels truly authentic. If you’d like to share your story or provide feedback, please contact us via email at chrishanley@byronbayfn.com

April 22, 2026Episode 647 min

Cameron Arnold – Building Tourism & Shaping a Destination

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Chris sits down with Cameron Arnold — long-time local, tourism operator, and one of the key figures behind the evolution of Byron’s visitor economy. They talk about Cameron’s early years growing up in Sydney, losing his father young, and finding his way through island life, hospitality, and eventually into Byron Bay in the early ’90s. From running hotels and building one of Australia’s first festival glamping operations to decades spent shaping tourism across the Northern Rivers, Cameron shares a lived perspective on how the industry has changed. The conversation explores the realities of tourism in a place like Byron — the opportunities, the pressures, and the need for clear direction around what kind of destination this community wants to be. They also get into the idea of “product,” what’s missing locally, and how culture, environment, and community can be better reflected in the visitor experience. A grounded and insightful conversation about tourism, community, and the future of the Byron Shire