Challenges That Change Us

Trigger warning: domestic violenceToday we are joined by someone who has truly lived a life of challenges, lessons and intriguing turns.From navigating violence in the home as a teenager, to being a woman in the military when they had only just started accepting women back into the technical fields, Stephanie Burns has seen a lot.In 1973, Stephanie became one of the first women trained as an engineer by the U.S. Army Signal Corp. Graduating #1 in her class, she received orders to be trained as a military instructor. After leaving in 1976, she worked in corporate roles before starting her own training company in 1981, with NASA as her first client. Others, such as, ABC-TV and presenting at computer Expos in cities throughout the US followed, focusing on helping adults adapt to the desktop computer revolution. The experience working with adults as students fuelled her intense curiosity about the development of new skills and knowledge, taking advantage of the adult brain and nervous system. This led her to make a complete shift from the tech industry to the fields of human behaviour and adult education. A move to Australia in 1987 led to the development of the Learning to Learn program and many others, presented in corporate, government and education sectors. This program, along with others, and numerous books, have impacted many thousands.In this episode she shares:Her journey to getting into the militaryWhy she became an independent contractorWhat made her realise that adults in school behave like childrenThe challenge of teaching higher ranking adults in the militaryThe influence of Stephanie's father and intense pursuitsThe importance of a supportive communityHow a family change led her mother to abuseWhat happened when her mum thought she was doing drugs and submitted her into a heroin outpatient centreHer journey to find her dad at 15 when she was kicked out of her mum’s homeKey Quotes“I thought, she's gonna bloody kill me. She's gonna kill me and she's not gonna know she did it."“In my first class were 30 men, they all outranked me, they were older than I was and they were physically bigger.”More about Stephanie BurnsFind her books and email info via her website or go to her facebook or linkedin.You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites: www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

What exactly does it take to go from not being able to run to the end of your block, to running ultr marathons?Desiree Stanley is the host of the Pockets of Knowledge podcast, and she discovered exactly what it would take to go from a non-runner to completing multiple ultramarathons in her 40s/. Desiree's entrepreneurial spirit drives her various ventures, showcasing adaptability and commitment to turning ideas into reality. As a digital creator and Amazon Influencer, she crafts engaging narratives that invite followers into her world. Her shopping adventures are not just about acquiring items but celebrating the joy of discovery and well-crafted deals. Through her dynamic journey, Desiree's experiences embody resilience, creativity, and an unyielding pursuit of a life rich in passion, purpose, growth, and discovery in the chapters yet to unfold.In this episode she shares:-      What motivated her to begin began running at the age of 40-      How she overcame her dislike of running-      Her running progression.-      The importance of setting small, achievable goals and gradually building up to larger ones.-      Why each race distance was a new challenge-      The important mindset tools that running taught her-      The value of shared experiences and encouragement during tough training sessions.-      How the discipline, grit, and problem-solving skills she developed through running translated to other areas of her life.Key Quotes "I ran my first 5K in 2011, my first 10K in 2012, a half marathon in 2013, and my first full marathon in 2016."“I couldn’t even run from my front door to the end of the block without being winded.”“Just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean it’s impossible. It may take longer than we think it’s going to take... but it happened ultimately. So it was hard, it was achievable, it wasn’t impossible.”More about DesireeFollow her on Instagram or listen to her podcastYou can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.au For her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au@trialtitudeperformance

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024Trigger warning: Domestic violence, sexual assault, mental healthWhile abuse within the family is something we have discussed on this podcast, one topic we have not covered as much, which often goes hand in hand, is the abandonment many children go through in this experience.Dante Amato is renowned in the Personal Development space for the deeply nurturing and transformational spaces she holds. She is a Business Mentor, Transformational Life Coach, Spiritual Guide and Energy Practitioner. But besides being a coach, Dante is a woman who has walked the path of trauma and triumph, gaining valuable insights that fuel her mission to help others.From an early age she experienced abandonment, abuse, manipulation and trauma which extended far into her life. As an adult she has done a loooot of healing and work, but her story is one that I think will resonate with a lot of people.In this episode she shares:Her experience of being abandoned by her mum as a childThe experience of spending time with her unstable mother as a childHer experience with domestic abuse in her mother’s homeHow her brother was manipulated and let down by their motherHow her relationship with her husband helped herWhat happened when she was diagnosed with infertilityWhat her journey to heal was likeThe thing that kept her going through recovery when things got really hardHow she developed her voice in adulthoodThe way she was able to work through her angerWhat she is doing now to help othersKey Quotes“I had to completely cut my mother off. Really intentionally and energetically remove her from my life.”“The constant thought that I had was that I just need to do everything that I can to make her love me.”“When bad things happened, we would never ever speak about them.”More about DanteDante’s website: https://www.danteamato.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanteamato/?hl=enMinibook: https://www.danteamato.com/mini-book-of-self-discoveryYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites: www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024For many of us reading and writing seems pretty common place. So much so that we might not even consider what it must be like to navigate our modern world without an ability to read and write.Graham Neville dropped out of school in year 10 and ever since, he navigated he world with a very minimal ability to read and write up until his 50’s. For his entire life he hid this from the world, sharing his secret with only a select few.But with covid lockdowns and the world increasingly moving online he realised he had to make a change, but even he couldn’t have predicted the massive effect this move would have on his life.He was asked to appear on the SBS program Lost For words, has been a guest speaker on numerous occasions and his personal life has also benefitted from the boom in self confidence he has experienced as well.In this episode Grahame shares:-      His early career life after he dropped out of school-      His early struggles with reading and writing-      What his life was like without reading and writing-      How he hid is inability to write and read-      Why the fear of getting found out was so serious for him-      How he finally took the step to change things-      how doing the course got him on tv-      The scary experience of being in Sydney with no support for weeks-      The surprising support he received-      The avenues and opportunities he has gotten since-      The huge change in his self confidenceKey Quotes “The fear was overwhelming.” “When it came to reading and writing I just delegated.” “The first book I read was cat in the hat, and now I'm reading the barefoot investor.”More about GrahameYou can watch Lost For Words season 2 here: https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/tv-series/lost-for-words/season-2You can get involved with the podcast online On facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites: www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024Trigger warning; domestic violenceIt’s so often the case that one trauma can result in an entirely different one down the track.That is the case for Marleen Mour, a 38yr old single mum who ran away from Egypt and an unwanted engagement at age 19 to build her life in Australia.She battled obesity, binge eating and self-loathing for decades before she finally discovered the power of self love for Permanent weight loss and lost 49kg/ 108lbs which she’s kept off for 13 years now, even after becoming a mum.Today she’s helped over 1,000 women of all ages to Permanently lose weight by healing their relationship with food, their bodies and themselves.In this episode she shares:-      Why her mum took her children and escaped to Australia for 4 years-      How her difficult home life created emotional eating for her-      The huge opportunity that helped her finance her escape-      How her family repeatedly attempted to prevent her escape-      How she managed to make it to Australia with $100 cash-      Why her eating problems continued and grew after she moved to Australia-      The climactic moment that she realised how badly she was treating herself-      The journey she went on to process her emotions rather than eat them,-      How her journey has evolved to a point where she helps others with their emotional eating-      The tools and strategies she point in place to manage her emotional eatingKey Quotes“I thought I'd left the abuse behind but here I was abusing myself”“The night of my flight my mum dead bolted the doors and took the keys until my flight took off without me.”“We think we're unhappy because we're overweight but really we’re overweight because we're unhappy.”More about MarleenWebsite: http://www.marleenmourcoaching.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marleen.nourYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024Trigger warning: sexual assault, hate crime, attempted murderIn this episode we will be discussing the experience of David Keck, a man in the U.S. who was brutally attacked 9 years ago and left for dead, simply because he was gay. The experience of a hate crime is something not all of us will ever truly understand but the lessons David has to share can help us all. Believe me when I say that David’s story will shock and then also inspire you. Now David uses his experience to help others. As a professional Life Coach, David draws on his experience working with clients who have faced Borderline Personality Disorder, survivors of hate crimes, survivors of domestic violence, and PTSD. He is also one part of the “The Process Of Healing Podcast” (Formerly Surviving Podcast) where they to shed light on the struggles faced during and after traumatic experiences by sharing interviews with survivors, experts and answering listener questions.In this episode he shares:His personal experience being gay as a young man and how it helped himThe early stages of his night before the attackWhat is believed to have happened as part of the attackThe aftermath of the attackThe harsh journey after he was released from hospitalThe prejudice that happened with the police forceThe shockingly short amount of time his attacker spent in prisonThe dark space he was in after the attackWhat the early stages of his road to recovery looked likeThe pivotal moment that helped with his recoveryHow he took control of his life againKey Quotes"I had someone who was on trial, telling my mother what I looked like taking my last breath, describing my lips turning blue, saying that I looked like a fish out of water."“The only revenge I thought that I could get was to live.”“He spent about 2 hours sexually assaulting and beating me…and called the mother of his children and confessed to murder.”More about DavidThe podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-process-of-healing/id1572182113Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/processofhealing_pod/You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024Trigger warning,: domestic violenceWe all know I am obsessed with discussing resilience on this podcast and the many ways it can show up.One area we haven’t really covered though is the challenge of redefining ourselves in Mid Life when we can go through some of the biggest changes of our lives. And overcoming those changes can take some real resilience.Jo Clark is one of those really resilient people who has not only gone through it, but is now helping others to do the same. Jo's life once moved at breakneck speed. She juggled the demands of work, family, and keeping everything running smoothly. She guided her children through school, cared for dying parents, and coped with their loss. After decades of teaching, she hit burnout while also navigating the challenges of perimenopause. And amidst it all, Jo and her family moved to a new town. Now, all of her inner transformation work, decades of teaching experience, studies and mentoring expertise have all led her to create a heart-led business that supports women through this phase of life.In this episode she shares:-       Her childhood experiences of domestic violence-       What it was like living on the land in remote Australia-       The challenge of transitioning from the land to a different lifestyle-       Her experience with empty nest syndrome and Resilience-       Why Midlife is a time for reflection and re-evaluation of one's values and life choices.-       How grief can be multi-layered and complex, and it can impact different aspects of lifeKey Quotes"Open conversations about domestic violence are crucial""Experiences of adversity can shape a person's resilience”More about JoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/joclarkcoaching/Website www.Joclarkcoaching.comPodcast: Redefining Midlife: https://www.joclarkcoaching.com/podcastYou can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.comIf you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website:http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites: www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au

Do you love High performance then check out our 3 day summit in October this year, only 30 places: https://events.highperformanceleadershipsummit.com.au/october-summit-2024Listeners of the podcast know I have been diagnosed with POTS or Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. This is something many people can spend years suffering through before ever getting an official diagnosis, and one man who knows that well is Caelum Schild.Caelum, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with over 12 years of experience in hospital rehabilitation, private practice, and GP clinics.After his own battles with POTS and other health conditions, he founded Lofty Health and Wellness to offer specialized allied health services for individuals with conditions like POTS, ME/CFS, EDS, fibromyalgia, long COVID, and other invisible illnesses.In this episode Caelum shares:The early injuries that got him interested in how the human body worksWhat hyper mobility is and why it is a sign of something moreWhat made him aware there was something different with him and his bodyThe time his POTS symptoms were confused as depression over the loss of his sisterHow he figured out he was misdiagnosedWhat a bad day looked like for him at the start of his journeyThe narratives he told himself as he struggled with his healthHow he manages the fear and uncertainty that comes with POTSHow he got involved with the pots foundationHow the stresses of life have made his POTs worseThe reason why he does what he doesThe fundraiser he is doingKey Quotes “I would just have to go to the toilet and have a lay down, at 9 o’clock in the morning.”"That extra stress and then the impact on your sleep and then you just find that you don't have that energy come the end of the week and it just starts to disrupt everything."More about CaelumYou can find out more about his services: https://loftyhealth.com.au/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loftyhealthandwellness/You can get involved with the podcast onlineOn facebook in our community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/challengesthatchangeusOr on Instagram: @challengesthatchangeusIf you want to contact the podcast, email us here: support@challengesthatchangeus.comOr check out our website: www.Challengesthatchangeus.com If you want to find out more about what Ali does, check out her business via the website: http://www.trialtitudeperformance.com.auFor her other business you can find it through the websites:www.altitudefitnessarmidale.com.au