Challenges That Change Us

Hey all! We had a bit of a glitch with this weeks episode. It will be coming soon, but until it does I wanted to take a walk down memory lane and highlight an episode that has stayed with me ever since we recorded it.This one is powerful and such a great listen, and even if you have listened before I think there would be whole new takeaways from a second liusten.And if you haven't listened. enjoy!Trigger 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

Challenges That Change Us –Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. Trigger warning: suicide, depression, acts of war.Many of us have seen war movies, but nothing can truly explain the horrors and intensity of war. So we can only begin to understand the mental impact that going to war can have on the brave soldiers who are involved.Dave Payne has carved a difficult path from the frontlines to the boardroom. He has served as a leader in Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, as a security supervisor at the Regional Processing Centre on Nauru.Dave has battled PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. He has since rebuilt his mind, body, spirit, and purpose.Now, bringing this skill set to Lifespan Supplements as Director, Dave delivers top quality health products that help people live stronger, longer, vibrant, and more purposeful lives. He also uses his hard fought and won skills to support and enrich the lives of veterans through Sage and Sovereign Group, as well as his Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) coaching business.In this episode he shares:-      His early upbringing in Australia with his parents and why it was good and paved the way for him to have the life that he has now-      The things that built resilience in his youth-      What life in the military was like-      The accident he had while off duty-      How he was made to go back to military work when he hadn’t recovered-      His time in Iraq and the horrors he witnessed-      How he realised he was in trouble while back home on leave-      The damaging response he was given when he opened up about his struggle-      How bottling up his feelings lead to drinkingKey Quotes“I just felt this, like a hole just appeared in me. These thoughts and feelings were creeping in. There was lots of sadness.”“They were testing chlorine bombs…and it just literally melts skin. It just melt human.”More aboutYou can find out more about what Dave does via the Lifespan Supplements website.You 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

Trigger warning: suicide, depression, acts of war.Many of us have seen war movies, but nothing can truly explain the horrors and intensity of war. So we can only begin to understand the mental impact that going to war can have on the brave soldiers who are involved.Dave Payne has carved a difficult path from the frontlines to the boardroom. He has served as a leader in Iraq and Afghanistan wars and, as a security supervisor at the Regional Processing Centre on Nauru.Dave has battled PTSD, depression, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. He has since rebuilt his mind, body, spirit, and purpose.Now, bringing this skill set to Lifespan Supplements as Director, Dave delivers top quality health products that help people live stronger, longer, vibrant, and more purposeful lives. He also uses his hard fought and won skills to support and enrich the lives of veterans through Sage and Sovereign Group, as well as his Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) coaching business.In this episode he shares:-      His early upbringing in Australia with his parents and why it was good and paved the way for him to have the life that he has now-      The things that built resilience in his youth-      What life in the military was like-      The accident he had while off duty-      How he was made to go back to military work when he hadn’t recovered-      His time in Iraq and the horrors he witnessed-      How he realised he was in trouble while back home on leave-      The damaging response he was given when he opened up about his struggle-      How bottling up his feelings lead to drinkingKey Quotes“I just felt this, like a hole just appeared in me. These thoughts and feelings were creeping in. There was lots of sadness.”“They were testing chlorine bombs…and it just literally melts skin. It just melt human.”More aboutYou can find out more about what Dave does via the Lifespan Supplements website.You 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

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE.  Trigger warning: sexual abuse For many survivors of child sexual abuse, the moment the truth comes out can almost be another form of trauma while for others it can be cathartic. In fact as Alison Mau knows very well, the needs of survivors are infinitely varied.Alison is an award-winning journalist with more than thirty years in major television, radio, and print media roles. A long-time advocate for gender equity, in the wake of the global #metoo movement, Alison created a ground breaking investigative journalism project at NZ’s largest news platform in 2018. Over five years, the #MeTooNZ project published dozens of major investigations and supported hundreds of survivors to tell their stories, leading to widespread change in the way sexual harassment is reported by media.In many ways her experience helped her when it came to exploring and sharing her own personal experience with childhood sexual abuse.In 2023, Alison co-founded Tika, a tech-first access to justice charity designed to remove the barriers survivors experience when seeking justice and accountability.Her #1 bestselling memoir, No Words For This, was released in April 2025. In this episode she shares:-      How her curiosity, optimism, and likely undiagnosed ADHD have shaped who she is-      Why she wrote No Words for This and the lack of language around sexual harm-      The decision to tell her family’s story and why leaving it out felt dishonest-      The unexpected impact of the book and how it helped survivors feel less alone-      Her role leading Me Too NZ and changing how survivor stories are reported-      What trauma-informed journalism looks like in practice-      How a phone call from her sister brought buried childhood abuse into the open-      The relief and complexity of discovering she was no longer alone-      Why justice and healing are not one-size-fits-all for survivors-      How she transformed anger, struggle, and grief into advocacy and systemic changeKey Quotes “I spent my whole life pushing it down just so I could survive, until one moment made it impossible to stay alone with it.” “Struggling isn’t weakness, it’s what happens when you’re carrying something that was never meant to be carried alone.” “The hardest part wasn’t what happened to me, but learning to believe it wasn’t my fault.” More aboutFind out more about Tika here. You 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

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. What is it like to be a narcissist? And how can. Narcissist do good in the world?This week we are continuing our conversation with 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist Lenny Kravich.After an abusive upbringing, Lenny realised a long time ago that he might be a narcissist, and that realisation shaped an entire journey of discovery and development that he then went on.In this episode he shares:-      What the word narcissist means for him and what his experience with it is-      How he made a decision that changed the way he viewed and interacted with people-      What happens when he lets himself down-      How he came to write his book-      What impact did writing the book have on him-      The lesson he still has to learn-      Key Quotes“I am very manipulative about how I get attention.” “It screwed up a lot of things in my life.”More about LennyFind his website here.You 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

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. We have heard from the victims of generational trauma from it’s victims, but what about the people who perpetuate it, until they finally realising what they are doing?That is the story of Lenny Ravich, a man who experienced abuse as ‘punishment’ and passed it on to his children until he realised what he was doing and worked hard to make the change.Lenny is an 89-year-old keynote speaker, author, and Gestalt therapist whose life work bridges humour, healing, and human connection. His message lands with lightness and truth – shaped by decades of lived experience, not theory. Lenny doesn’t just talk about joy – he lives it.In this episode he shares:-      What it was like for him growing up and the violence he experienced from his parents-      How he perpetuated generational violence-      His relationship with his sister and reconciling with her-      how a conference and gestalt therapy led him to realisations about himself-      Gestalt therapy and realising awareness and mindfulness-      An experience that led him to fully accept himself-      What was his process of changing after his realisation-      His experience of deep listening and how it has impacted his lifeKey Quotes“Aa person could tell me they're dying in 3 days and I would joke about it.”“It was all about me, anything that came up, it was all about me.”“I didn’t tackle my narcissism it's still there but I’m aware of it happeningMore about LennyFind his website here.You 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

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. Lara Hamilton is an Australian Trail Runner, Ski-Mountaineer, DJ & Vocalist, and Digital Growth Hacker and is currently training for the Skimo 2026 Winter Olympics Trials.She was also diagnose with Ankylosing Spondylitis, also known as the ‘young person’s arthritis’.Lara’s journey of elite athlete, to battling an undiagnosed condition, to finally receiving a diagnosis and working back to her Olympic dream is absolutely awe inspiring.Outside of training and the incredible amount of sports and music she does, Lara wants to make an active impact on athlete climate education and sustainable outdoor practices. One way I can assist in the digital world is to make athlete climate sustainability resources.In this episode she shares:-      What her childhood and family life was like-      Her experience with music and her creativity outside of sport-      The highlights of her career so far-      How her struggle to believe in herself impacted her-      Her biggest lessons from childhood that she's pulled into what she does today-      How being diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis affected her journey-      How she manages having this lifelong condition that gets worse over time-      Tools she uses to enhance her performance-      Tools she uses to manage anxiety-      What ski mountaineering is and what is her experience with itKey Quotes“Opportunities are gonna open up to you if you believe in yourself and if you don't, fake it.”“If you smile at people and you stand tall, it makes other people bright and happy too.”More about LaraCheck out Lara’s website and follow her on Instagram.You 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

Try our FREE burnout quiz.Grab your burnout workbook HERE. To sign up for our difficult conversations and workplace culture workshop go here.Trigger warning: AlcoholismImagine starting a journey of alcoholism and addiction from the age of 5.That was the case for John Griffith who still remembers the life altering impact of the first drink he had as a child and how it lead to over a decade of addiction and reliance before he finally became sober at 18.Now, living a continuous sober life since April 1991 at the early age of 18 John is familiar with the effects of alcoholism and drug addiction. Whilst achieving success in the private sector, the cornerstone to John's life has been working with those suffering from alcoholism.He is a CEO with a hands on approach towards Sunrise Way residents and a belief that providing tools for living and re-immersion into the community is part of the long term solution. In this episode he shares:-      Why one of the first most significant events in his life was first trying alcohol-      What some of the tough lessons he had to learn in life were-      How alcohol impacted his life-      His experience going to a 12 step program and how it offered him hope-      How trauma can affect the lives of the people around him-      The work he's doing now and how his challenges led him to that-      Some of the challenges he faced during his work-      What message he has for people in a similar situation who need helpKey Quotes“I wasn’t looking for somewhere to get sober I was just looking for somewhere safe to stay.”“When I got sober at 18 and a half, I had the emotional maturity of a 4 or 5 year old.”“My life was painful sober and I would drink to feel ok.”More about JohnFind out more about Sunrise Way via their website.You 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