Wake Up Project: Inspiration + Courage + Kindness

What is it that you love most about your closest friend? How does this friend treat you when things aren’t going as planned? What words do they use to support you? Can you imagine if you had this kind of relationship with yourself? In this episode, Jono Fisher shares how kindness towards yourself can transform how you live, love and show up in the world. It’s an ongoing practice, but it’s the one that makes all the difference. Welcome to this “Mini-Podcast” - short reflections (around 5-10 mins long) with ideas, tools and resources to help you live a more mindful, brave and kind life.

Rich Fernandez is one of the pioneers bringing mindfulness into some of the world’s biggest companies such as Facebook, SalesForce, LinkedIn, Ford and Starbucks. In this conversation, Rich shares his very personal journey as a young boy, through to scaling mindfulness at Google, hanging out with Eckhart Tolle and the moment he took a leap from his dream job to move from a “career to a calling”. The clarity of his communication and integrity will help you see the huge potential work cultures have by embracing the power of mindfulness for wellbeing, innovation and engagement. Rich Fernandez is the co-founder of Wisdom Labs. He was the head of executive education at Google and combines nearly two decades working at organizations such as Google, eBay, and J.P. Morgan Chase with his deep expertise in cognitive psychology, human performance science and organizational systems to deliver transformational people development solutions in business settings. Rich now focuses on the science of mindful wellbeing, resilienc

What’s one of the most profound experiences a human being can have? Jono Fisher recently met Dr. Dan Siegel at one of the Wake Up events and he shared what he is believes is one of the most profound experiences a human being can have. And it has nothing to do with big bank balances or fancy goods :-) Welcome to the first “Mini-Podcast” - these are short reflections (around 5 -10 mins long) with ideas, tools and resources to help you live a more mindful, brave and kind life.

Seane Corn is one of the most inspirational people around. In this conversation she explores deep and sometimes difficult topics with tremendous honesty, warmth and humour. She shared about her upbringing, how she found yoga and how this relates to spirituality, activism and personal transformation. As one of the most sought-after yoga teachers in the world, Seane views yoga as a path to whole-hearted, engaged and fearless living. Her eloquent and down-to-earth nature will help you find the courage and inspiration even in the most difficult and painful circumstances. Seane Corn is one of the world’s most influential yoga instructors. She has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network, the Today Show and been on the front cover of over 25 magazines. She is the co-founder of Off The Mat, Into the World®, a training organisation that uses the power of yoga to ignite grass roots social change and has raised over $4 million for social causes. She is the “National Yoga Ambassador” for YouthAIDS and was honored with

Rob Bell shakes up how we see religion and spirituality. Rather than focusing on dogma or beliefs, Rob prefers the world of mystery, art, wonder and living in the moment. He offers a refreshing view of how to cultivate a spiritual life that focuses on love, grief, loss, taking care of ourselves and embracing all the messy parts of being human. Rob said, “Often times when I meet atheists and we talk about the god they don’t believe in, we quickly discover that I don’t believe in that god, either.” Rob Bell is a New York Times bestselling author, international teacher and highly sought after public speaker. TIME magazine named Rob Bell one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2015, Oprah invited Rob on her “ Life You Want Tour ” with Elizabeth Gilbert, Mark Nepo and Deepak Chopra. Along with Brene Brown, Rob is a founding member of the “ The Compassion Collective ” raising over $1 million for the European refugees crisis.

Michael Cheika believes a great team is made up of different types of characters - lovers, fighters, jokers, hard men, quiet types and bookworms. Rather than trying to maintain a certain image based on the media, Michael shares how important it is to be true to yourself and what you believe. This includes knowing when to be gentle, tough and never taking yourself too seriously. Michael Cheika is the coach of the Australian Rugby team. He is also the coach of the New South Wales Waratahs, a husband and father of four children. He’s played rugby, has ran a highly successful fashion business and is the only coach to have won the major rugby competitions in both the southern and northern hemispheres.

Daniel Petre sees a ‘good life’ as being determined by generosity, caring for one another and acknowledging our shared frailty as humans. Rather than being exclusively focused on wealth or achievement, he reminds us of the need to value our emotional worlds, our families and cultivating what matters most to us. He has wonderful insights and stories on working shorter hours, the value of spending time with children and how helpful it can be to seek out professional help when needed. Daniel is a genuine, smart and warmhearted man - and one of the bright lights in the Australian business community. Daniel Petre is one of Australia’s most successful businesspeople and has been at the forefront of the Australian technology industry for 20 years. He’s a philanthropist, author and father of 3 daughters. He was former Head of Microsoft in Australia and was the first Australian Vice President of Microsoft international. Daniel was the founding Chairman of Ecorp, was four years on the PBL Board and brought the likes of

Michael Traill is passionate about applying business skills to care for the lives of people in need. During this conversation, Michael shares his thoughts on the importance of service, social conscience and his spiritual life. We hear about his experience doing rites of passages with his sons, taking family sabbaticals and how he naturally gravitates to people who are open, emotionally available and vulnerable. Ultimately, Michael reminds us of our pressing need to craft a new narrative. One that appeals to our common humanity - and who we really want to be as a community. Michael Traill was born in the small industrial country town of Morewell in Victoria. He graduated dux of his school, got an MBA from the Harvard Business School and by age 41 was running Macquarie Bank’s venture capital arm, overseeing $400 million worth of investments. One morning, in the late stages of a $20 million investment, he found himself not feeling the usual rush of adrenalin and excitement. On this occasion, he was more concerne

Tanveer Ahmed believes the nature of masculinity is in great transition - and many men aren’t coping well. He shares that men are scoring higher on the markers of ‘emotional distress’ including suicide, substance abuse, online addiction, violence - and even eating disorders. To help facilitate this “gender transition”, he believes men need more opportunities for open conversations and easier access to the skills of emotional intelligence. In a vulnerable moment, Ahmed shared the personal embarrassment of being publicly exposed on ABC’s Media Watch for plagiarism. He also shared about the value of second chances, vulnerability and the need for good support networks. Dr. Tanveer Ahmed is the child of Bangladeshi immigrants. He is a psychiatrist, author and media personality who has contributed to the likes of ABC, SBS, the Sydney Morning Herald and Channel 7’s Sunrise show. In 2008, the Prime Minister's Committee acknowledged Tanveer as one of a hundred ‘future leaders in Australia under the age of 40’. His fir

Graham Long wears two watches. One is his regular watch. The second belonged to his son, James. It stopped at one minute to midnight during the first year of James’ death – a reminder to live in the present moment. Graham doesn’t care what car he drives, how big his house is or whether you think he’s doing a good job. He also believes that people are not problems to be solved, but people to be met. He reminds us to let go of the ‘expert mode’ and meet people in the ordinary moments of life. This is what he calls ‘the invitation into the awesome’. Graham Long is a community leader, accomplished author and CEO and Pastor of the renowned Wayside Chapel in Kings Cross. For over fifty years, Wayside has provided unconditional love, care and support for people on and around the streets. Graham has touched the lives of thousands of Australians and created a community free of judgment and the normal barriers that divide society into ‘us’ and ‘them’. Graham’s motto for Wayside is 'Love Over Hate' and he believes that

David Koch is very clear about what he stands for. He believes being born in Australia is like winning the “embryo lottery” - and how important it is to use our time, talents and money to give back to society. Kochie recognises that life can be challenging, but it can also be simple. He reminds us of the importance of family, being grateful, being kind and not taking ourselves too seriously. He has great stories and insights on the power of looking beyond ourselves to see how we can make a difference to those around us. David Koch, nicknamed ‘Kochie’, is arguably the best known person on Australian TV. He is a journalist, business owner and financial commentator. He is the co-host of Australia’s number one breakfast TV show Sunrise with millions of people waking up with him every morning. He was named the Father of the Year in 2007, is the chairman of Port Adelaide Football Club, the founder of the Koch Centre for Youth - and the Reader’s Digest named him one of the 50 most trusted Australian’s. David is most

At some point in your life, you have to decide whether you're going to live according to what others expect, or what you feel is right. During this conversation, Michael Usher shares how important it is to be yourself and to not be afraid of showing your emotions. He shares the importance of being vulnerable and asking for support when life gets tough. He has practical insights into the importance of family, children and mates - and how many of the people he has interviewed remind him of what really matters in life. Michael Usher is a leading Australian reporter for 60 Minutes. He has covered many of the major stories of our time including September 11, the ebola crises, three olympic games, the war in Iraq and the MH-17 crash. Michael has pioneered many new formats including being the first host of the leader’s debate between Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott in 2010. He has three children and calls Sydney home.

By openly sharing his life experiences, Jack Heath gives other people permission to be themselves. He has a passion for removing stigmas and reminds us that by coming back to stillness we can calm our minds and reconnect us to our basic human goodness. Jack shares how rewarding it is to have honest and vulnerable conversations with each other and our children. In the end, Jack believes that real success is all about being genuinely kind and happy. Jack Heath was the senior advisor to both Prime Minister Paul Keating and Kevin Rudd. He was the founder and Global CEO of the Inspire Foundation and today is the CEO of SANE Australia. He has received a number of awards including a Centenary Medal and Ernst & Young’s Australian Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2007. Jack is married to Catherine and has two children Lucy and Jamie.

Nigel Marsh makes a very clear distinction difference between being “successful” and being “admirable”. Rather than having all our emphasis on financial measures, Nigel believes we should be celebrating more everyday things like being kind to other people and committing to loving relationships with our partners and children. He also points out that sometimes the best things in life are often when we don’t get what we want. Nigel has been a leading CEO, is the co-founder of Earth Hour, the founder of the Sydney Skinny and author of three best selling books - Fat, Forty and Fired; Overworked and Underlaid; and Fit, Fifty and Fired-Up. His TED talk has been viewed nearly 3 million times and remains the most viewed ever talk given outside America. Nigel is a husband and father of four beautiful children.

Cameron Clyne viewed his role as CEO as only a small part of who he is as a whole person. Cameron values people beyond their job titles and always sought to create work environments where people felt cared for, respected and treated with dignity. He see’s the great value in men showing physical affection to their kids and how important it is for men to maintain friendships to support each other during difficult times. Cameron also shares the importance of implementing activities like swimming, yoga or walking as tools to help cultivate mindfulness. Cameron is one of Australia’s most respected business leaders and a husband and father of two children. He served as CEO of the National Australia bank from 2009 until 2014 - guiding the bank through the most difficult years of the global financial crisis. At 46 years of age, Cameron made the surprise decision to retire to be able to spend more time with his wife and children. At his press conference he said “I would like my marriage to last longer than my time as