Success x Happiness

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Oct 2026

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Real conversations with inspiring people to help us all achieve success and happiness in our own lives and live our potential.

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October 28, 2026Episode 18559 min

“If I’m Gonna Die, I’m Gonna Die Trying” | Joe Surace - EP185

Doctors gave him three days to three weeks to live, and some of them begged him not to try the chemo. Joe Surace was a Melbourne-born photographer and fruit-and-veg lifer working 70-hour weeks on the Sunshine Coast when, at 39, a back pain his doctors kept calling sciatica turned out to be an extremely rare testicular cancer that had spread to his lymph nodes and taken over 70% of his liver. Given a 30% chance with aggressive chemo in ICU or palliative care, he chose to die trying. What followed was 133 days in hospital, a body down to 40 kilos, emergency lung surgery, and a recovery that started with six steps. - Get in touch with Joe Surace https://www.joesurace.com.au - Joe’s Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? “Success today means having a good life surrounded by amazing friends and family, sharing great times, going to bed knowing you don’t have any enemies. Twenty years ago it would have been the nice house, all the money. That stuff’s nice, but being rich in good friends, connections, family, good times — to me, that’s success.” What does happiness mean to you? “That’s an easy one. It’s sitting on a cruise ship looking at the beautiful ocean sail by with an amazing sunset, cocktail in hand, good friends nearby. I’m in my absolute element.” What’s your normal morning routine these days? “Within the first half hour, a shot of espresso — a nice little black coffee. I tend to wake up anywhere between 4:30 and 6 most mornings, and I usually try and get a good dog walk in before work. The beach at least three or four days a week.” What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? “Be kind, be nice, don’t be an asshole. We can all just get along, be kind and show a bit of empathy. That’s another thing cancer taught me. And be positive.” Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? “Dr Long. He just loves not only trying to treat the cancer, but, like me, trying to help people thrive beyond it.” - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:43) – Chapter 1 | Forklifts At 14, A Photography Studio At 22, Back Pain Dismissed As Sciatica, The MRI That Found Cancer And The Hiccups That Nearly Killed Him (00:38:00) – Chapter 2 | 133 Days In Hospital: 40 Kilos, Six Steps, Emergency Lung Surgery, A Mobility Scooter, Three Stairs To Twenty And Learning To Be Grateful (00:56:20) - Quick Fire Questions (00:58:27) - Outro - #podcast #cancersurvivor #testicularcancer

October 21, 2026Episode 18452 min

Powderfinger's Drummer On 20 Years In Australia's Biggest Band | Jon Coghill - EP184

He spent 20 years behind the drum kit of Powderfinger, and says it all felt "moderately normal". Jon Coghill grew up on the Sunshine Coast wanting to be Luke Skywalker, then Michael Jackson, before a drum kit at 12 and a drunk night pogo-dancing into a UQ rehearsal room put him in front of a three-piece band who'd remember him 18 months later at his audition. The same week he auditioned for Custard. What followed was Double Allergic, Internationalist, Odyssey Number Five, Vulture Street, and a band that chose to stay friends over writing another great record. In this episode you'll learn why the day-to-day is the goal, what 15 years of high performance actually costs, and how to walk away from the thing that made you. - Get in touch with Jon Coghill https://www.joncoghill.com.au - Jon's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Probably some type of happiness, but there's different parts of your life that you're trying to be happy with. So if you can balance each one — the adult one, the parenting one, the one when you become a child — all of those different personalities, happiness in each of them, maybe. Nearly impossible." What does happiness mean to you? "That's about balance too, isn't it? I reckon it's incremental. As long as you don't have too high expectations and you can see the good shit. It's about seeing the good shit. When your kid comes home and makes a joke — now that makes me happy." What book would you most recommend? "It's not so much a self-help book. It's just the most phenomenal, immersive writing I have ever come across — Don Winslow's The Force. It takes you into a character that is phenomenally messed up and twisted. You just wonder how the heck did this author get into this character." You've got to invite four people to dinner, living or dead, but not friends or family. Who are you inviting? "Mitch Mitchell, Keith Moon — all drummers — and Stevie Wonder, who's a great drummer as well. But apparently Stevie's one of the funniest people in the world." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "My mate Dan Monday would be good. He's always really interesting. Get Kevin Rudd." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:48) – Chapter 1 | Luke Skywalker, Michael Jackson, A Drum Kit At 12 And Pogo-Dancing Into Powderfinger's Rehearsal Room (00:14:31) – Chapter 2 | Four Days A Week In A Condemned Building: The Brisbane Scene, Regurgitator And Why The Day-To-Day Is The Goal (00:21:54) – Chapter 3 | Nearly Dropped: The Grunge Dud, Juice vs Powderfinger, Double Allergic, Pick You Up And Success That Creeps Up On You (00:32:18) – Chapter 4 | What 15 Years Cost: Sacrifice, Bernard's Solo Break, Deciding To Leave, ABC Journalism, Film And Fatherhood (00:48:09) - Quick Fire Questions (00:51:15) - Outro - #podcast #powderfinger

October 14, 2026Episode 18352 min

Doing The Job vs Being Seen To Do It: A Minister Explains | Mal Brough - EP183

He grew up with an outside dunny on a dirt road south of Brisbane, and ended up sitting in John Howard's cabinet. Mal Brough's dad had polio from age four, ran the family corner store opposite a three-teacher primary school, and lost every election he ever ran in. Mal joined the army on a whim at 18, walked away in 1987 to become a milkman, built a hairdressing wholesale business on the Sunshine Coast, and only joined the Liberal Party after ringing talkback radio to tear strips off the government over a wage subsidy. He then cashed in his super, took a holiday on his mortgage and went 12 months without income to win the new seat of Longman in 1996. In this episode you'll learn what Canberra actually looks like from the inside, why a backbencher is not "the government", and why your first loyalty is always to the people who sent you there. - Get in touch with Mal Brough https://www.linkedin.com/in/mal-brough-1363a3335/ - Mal's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Happiness — being content, seeing your family do well, your kids, your grandkids, and sometimes just being able to help someone else in a quiet little way because you've had that privilege and experience to do things." What does happiness mean to you? “Just being content. Happiness is fleeting. It's not about joy every day. It's about being happy with who you are, being satisfied with who you are, content with who you are, and trying to be the best person that you can be. That's enough." What's your normal morning routine these days? "Down to Alex Surf Club. Hopefully have a swim — if you can call what I do swimming, a bit of a dip. Talk to some really great people like Hayden Kenny down there. Just feeling privileged to look around and go, we live in this clean, healthy, safe environment with good people. I think I've already gone to heaven." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "Stop and listen." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "Glenn Ferguson. He's had a very interesting life. He was a copper, he's now a lawyer, and a lot in between. He's also the chair of the Falcons, who came within a sliver of winning the grand final." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:45) – Chapter 1 | The Brough Emporium: Daisy Hill, An Outside Dunny, And Joining The Army On A Whim (00:09:58) – Chapter 2 | Hairdressing Products, The GST, A Talkback Call And Going Broke To Win Longman (00:16:02) – Chapter 3 | The Class Of '96: Pauline Hanson, "You're Only As Good As Your Opposition" And What A Backbencher Can Really Do (00:33:59) – Chapter 4 | Losing Longman, Winning Fisher, The Ashby–Slipper Affair And The Rise Of The Political Class (00:48:37) - Quick Fire Questions (00:51:31) - Outro - #podcast #politics #sunshinecoast

October 7, 2026Episode 18256 min

ATAR vs Real-World Skills - What Actually Gets You Hired | Rob Steffler - EP182

Rob Steffler gave every Year 10 student 30 days to build a business. After a decade running the DeLorean Project at Glasshouse Christian College and helping lead Silicon Coast and Forward Fest, he's seen what school misses. You'll learn whether entrepreneurship can be taught, when to go all in on an idea, and why you should hold the problem tightly and the solution loosely. - Get in touch with Rob Steffler https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-steffler-50779196/ - Robr's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Taking the opportunities you have and making the most of them. Using what you have and doing something that matters, adding value to the people around you at the time. And a big part of success is not leaving your loved ones in the wake." What does happiness mean to you? "It's more of a feeling when you sit there and go, are these my people? Am I doing something that matters? Am I leaving the people and places better off than they were before I was around? The school venture and innovation hub are great, but if my family's not happy, I don't think we can be successful or happy." What's your normal morning routine these days? "I've got three teenagers at the moment, so very seldom is anything about me. I'm up anywhere from 5am to 6am and try to get to the gym, and have failed miserably at that recently. Then it's lunches and uniforms and getting kids out the door." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "Don't be complacent. Don't accept the situation you're in as what it has to be, especially if it's not where you want it to be. Have the courage to challenge the status quo, have the curiosity to figure out how to do things better, and don't be defined by age and stage." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "Owen Bowling. What a story, and he's a local. Health and fitness, bootstrapped a couple of companies, working on some really cool stuff now and getting traction after some hard yards. Just a great human being with a great story." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:48) – Chapter 1 | Bootleg Hoodies To Silicon Coast: Startups, VC And Why The ATAR Missed Its Moment (00:21:18) – Chapter 2 | The DeLorean Project, A School Inside An Innovation Hub And The Teen Founders Of SafetySight (00:51:37) - Quick Fire Questions (00:55:22) - Outro - #podcast #education #entrepreneurship

September 30, 2026Episode 18148 min

Networking Is Like Dating. Here's Why That's Good | Georgie Kollis - EP181

She built her career by showing up to everything, but at her most successful she was also at her lowest. Georgie Kollis went from commission-only charity sales to Billabong, Ray White and finance, then rebuilt herself through discipline, the 75 Hard challenge and the Like-Minded networking community she founded. In this episode, you'll learn how to network with intent, remove barriers and find mentors who will change your path. - Get in touch with Georgie Kollis https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgie-kollis-769226207/ - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Georgie's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Knowing yourself and what makes you tick and makes you happy. It's taken a long road to get there, but knowing what makes you tick and knowing what your boundaries are, that's success to me." What does happiness mean to you? "Showing up for your loved ones and your colleagues, and being positive every single day. Choose your partner and your colleagues wisely. Culture is everything, paycheck's not. Make sure where you rock up every day and the person you go home to make you just as happy." What's your normal morning routine these days? "Up at 4.30, or 5 to 5.30 in winter. I do a river walk every single day, off the back of 75 Hard, then a coffee, often a catch-up with someone, before I log on to work." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "Have mentors. You'd be surprised how humbled people are that you want their time and attention. Reach out to the people you want to be like, because they will give you the time back." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "Dan Sowden. He's been at Ray White Maroochydore for over 20 years, flies under the radar and has so much knowledge on how he's shaped culture in his offices in such a volatile industry." - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:40) – Chapter 1 | Greek Roots, Commission-Only Sales And Networking With Intent (00:24:51) – Chapter 2 | Rock Bottom, 75 Hard And Building Like-Minded (00:45:05) - Quick Fire Questions (00:48:02) - Outro - #podcast #networking #75hard

September 23, 2026Episode 18053 min

Expelled From 3 Schools, Retired From Footy At 19: How LJ Silulu Rebuilt Himself | EP180

He grew up in a biker-gang family where being seen meant being hard, and it took a bloody nose in an under-9s scrum to earn his father's first "proud of you". LJ Silulu, founder of Your Legacy Project, was expelled from three high schools, lost his rugby league identity to a snapped ankle at 19, and spent his twenties drinking and fighting in mining camps before a black-vomit morning in a donga made him look in the mirror and ask if he could do better… - Get in touch with LJ Silulu https://www.instagram.com/thriving_sons/ - LJ's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Once upon a time success looked like financial success. Now that I have a family, success to me is to have raised beautiful children who are living their greatest lives, and to be on my deathbed and have them around me. That would be a successful life." What does happiness mean to you? "Always family. Happiness is myself and Shirall. She's my best friend, greatest supporter, greatest love, who gave me these three children. Happiness is our life together." What's your normal morning routine these days? "I stopped focusing on morning routines at baby number two. I stick to non-negotiables now: daily cold showers, gym three times a week, and nightly walks my oldest son and I started the last two weeks. We walk the three boys, the youngest falls asleep in the pram, and my oldest and I just talk." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "We need more good men to stand out and more fathers to be present. You might be raising your own sons, but there are other sons out there that need you. And it's not about raising hard, strong boys. Boys are allowed to be compassionate. You can't talk about it, you have to show it." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "My friend Ryan Tyrrell, an ex-professional rugby union player. We grew up in the same town and our egos didn't let us be friends. We reconnected a few years ago and it was 'dude, me too, my dad, me too.' He's been on a big journey and more men need to talk about their struggles." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:45) – Chapter 1 | Otara, The Stormtroopers And Learning That Being Seen Meant Being Hard (00:09:36) – Chapter 2 | The Uppercut That Made Dad Proud, Three Expulsions And The Principal Who Saved The Footy Boys (00:19:00) – Chapter 3 | Snapped Ankle At 19, The Black-Tar Mirror Moment And 100 Push-Ups Before A Drink (00:30:33) – Chapter 4 | Becoming A Father And Unlearning The Warrior (00:35:10) – Chapter 5 | Walking Out Of The Gym, Healing Eight-Year-Old LJ And Building Your Legacy Project (00:47:07) - Quick Fire Questions (00:52:18) - Outro - #podcast #fatherhood #mensmentalhealth

September 16, 2026Episode 17955 min

The One Question That Exposes What You Actually Want | Shirall Silulu - EP179

She's the registered psychologist who went from working with offenders in drug and alcohol clinics to coaching leaders in boardrooms. Shirall Silulu, founder of Honouring Minds, shares how a curious kid who made her mum label every item in the kitchen ended up specialising in trauma and attachment, and why she now believes most leadership is performance. - Get in touch with Shirall Silulu https://www.instagram.com/honouringminds/ - Shirall's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "It's not an external thing for me. It's reaching a point of having enough. Enough money where I don't have to worry about things, enough love, enough happiness, enough joyful moments, enough time, enough space. I've got enough." What does happiness mean to you? "Beautiful moments of deep connection, where nothing else exists in the world and the only thing that exists is what's happening right in front of you. Whether it's with my kids, my friends or my husband, I can feel it in every single cell of my body. And it's not there all the time." What's your normal morning routine these days? "I'm a co-sleeping, breastfeeding mother, so I've often got two children in the bed with me. In whatever capacity I have, I try to connect in with myself first with a few minutes of automatic writing. Then I get up about six, have a coffee and breakfast with the kids. My husband and I have designed our lives so we're both usually home in the morning." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "You are here for a purpose, and life will test you in ways that also help you to remember what your purpose is." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "My friend Dr Hayley Quinn, also a psychologist on the Sunshine Coast. She works particularly with women in leadership, helping them with capacity, mindset and self-care. She's very wise." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:32) – Chapter 1 | The Kid Who Labelled The Kitchen: Criminology, Drug And Alcohol Work And The Birth Of Honouring Minds (00:08:41) – Chapter 2 | The Eulogy Question, The Capacity Jar And The Lighthouse Leader Framework (00:29:02) – Chapter 3 | Mark It And Own It: Leading On A Bad Day And Being Ambitious Yet At Peace (00:37:20) – Chapter 4 | Breathing, Borrowed Capacity And Why Performing Leaders Hit The Wall (00:50:50) - Quick Fire Questions (00:55:15) - Outro - #podcast #leadership #psychology

September 9, 2026Episode 17851 min

From Brazil To Alaska: Why Every Leader Fails The Same Way | Dave Watson - EP178

He flies between mine sites in Brazil, Chile, Alaska, Canada and West Africa teaching leaders one uncomfortable truth: your brain is not on your side. In this episode you'll learn why the same leadership problems show up in every country, culture and boardroom, and how to stop letting a prehistoric supercomputer make your decisions for you. - Get in touch with Dave Watson https://neurolead.net.au - Dave's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Whatever I'm doing, I'm able to do things that fulfil me, that I'm proud of, and inspire people and be a role model." What does happiness mean to you? "Seeing other people being content and happy and achieving things. Emotional contagion is a real thing for me, especially around the people that mean the most. If they're happy, energised, enthusiastic and achieving things, that's my definition of happiness." What's your normal morning routine these days? "Up at five, a bodyweight workout with my water weights, ab roller and skipping rope, ran up and down our hill a couple of times, shower with the last 30 seconds cold, four eggs with sauerkraut, olive oil, salt and pepper, made the girls' lunch, then a coffee with Jackie when she woke up." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "Understanding and leading self is hard. But if you do that well, you will live a life free of shame, guilt and regret." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "Graham Twine, GT, founder and MD of Suncoast Fresh. He is a ball of energy and super interesting. Or Billy Bennett, a TV reporter." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro (00:00:45) – Chapter 1 | Same Brain, Every Country: Synthetic Dopamine, The End In Mind And The Three Pages That Rebuilt Him (00:24:56) – Chapter 2 | Leadership Is Hard, Problems Are Good: Gratitude, Kangaroos And Beating Your Own Brain (00:48:27) - Quick Fire Questions (00:51:16) - Outro - #podcast #leadership #mindset

September 2, 2026Episode 17745 min

82 Minutes: The Goal That Nearly Broke Me | Solo - EP177

In this episode, we replay the keynote I delivered at RMX 2026 on the art of enduring: what Ultraman actually is, why the athlete out front is only 20% of the result, and the 82 minutes I chased and never got. You'll learn why your biggest competitor is yourself, why exhaustion isn't evidence of commitment, why hard is the price of becoming capable rather than proof you're going wrong, and how to stay stubborn on the destination while staying curious about the route. - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:36) – Chapter 1 | Dead Last At 16 To World Record Holder: What Ultraman Is, Why You're Only 20% Of The Outcome, And Choosing The Hill (00:18:35) – Chapter 2 | Hawaii, A DNF And A Record Broken By Someone Else: Embracing The Climb And Changing The Course (00:45:13) - Outro - #podcast #endurancemindset #highperformance

August 26, 2026Episode 17648 min

36 Years In Litigation Taught Him One Thing... Walk Away | Kyle Kimball - EP176

He spent 36 years fighting other people's battles before realising the only fight that mattered was the one with himself. Kyle Kimball started his own firm at 27 in Mooloolaba, and built it into one of the Sunshine Coast's most respected litigation practices before selling to his younger partners and walking away. In this episode you'll learn why it's not your dog in the fight, how to write the Abraham Lincoln letter you never send, why most fights aren't worth having, why every dispute is really about identity rather than money, and why the only thing you control is yourself and how you respond. - Get in touch with Kyle https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylekimballkadvisory/ - Kyle's Quick Fire Answers What does success mean to you? "Peace." What does happiness mean to you? “Fleeting. Happiness is a byproduct of things that occur. It's outside your control." What's your normal morning routine these days? "We don't have curtains, so whenever the sun's up, I'm up — usually around seven. I haven't woken up to an alarm in years unless I've got an early flight. Down the beach, have a swim, come back, coffee, maybe back to bed if I'm really cheeky. Then I'll write in the mornings. Go for a mountain bike ride, come home, write again. That's my day." What piece of advice would you put on a billboard for the world to see? "Look at yourself first. And understand yourself. It helps with so many other aspects of your life." Who would you suggest as a future guest on the show? "Michael Dada. He's mercurial, he's got his fingers in a million pies, and he's very good with people." - Listen To The Podcast https://pod.link/1683066164?view=apps&sort=popularity - Find Us On Social Media https://www.instagram.com/sxhpod - Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction (00:00:37) – Chapter 1 | Navy Dropout To Articled Clerk: Falling Into Law And Learning It's Not Your Dog In The Fight (00:12:36) – Chapter 2 | Starting A Firm At 27: Three Decades Of Ownership And Knowing When To Get Out (00:20:10) – Chapter 3 | Handing Back The Identity: Losing Faith In The System And The Six Months After (00:32:22) – Chapter 4 | 35 Years In Litigation: What Everyone Gets Wrong About Conflict (00:39:06) – Chapter 5 | The Best Decision The Firm Ever Made: Listening, Sadie And Staying Strong Mentally (00:46:05) - Quick Fire Questions (00:48:15) - Outro - #podcast #law #sunshinecoast

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