The Osher Günsberg Podcast

Sophie Hardcastle is an artist, author and all-around adventurous soul from Sydney Australia. She shot to fame when she published her first book - Running Like China, a memoir of a life interrupted by madness. It chronicles her struggle with coming to terms with her own mental illness and life with a brain that operates differently than others. Her second book is a young adult novel called Breathing Underwater. Sophie is also an exceptionally talented artist, currently studying at Sydney College of Art - and she's just been awarded a $100,000 scholarship to continue her studies for a year at Oxford University. She's a remarkable, thoughtful, funny, and strikingly smart young woman and I'm so happy she came around to share her story with me this week. You can follow her on Instagram sophie_hardcastle, let her know you heard her on the show. A trigger warning up top - we do discuss self-harm in this episode so about twenty minutes after we start the interview you'll hear us talking about the northern beaches - if you skip forward until you hear me talking about my hearing damage, you'll have emerged safely on the other side. Come enjoy a cup of coffee around my beautiful Parker Table, in the super-comfy Eames chairs - with Sophie Hardcastle.

Nathan Cavaleri is an Australian musician, who you can follow at nathancavaleri.com or on Instagram at Nathan_Cavaleri. Nathan first came to the attention of Australia when he was still a kid - he had been diagnosed with leukaemia and the Starlight Foundation sent him over to the UK to Jam with the lead guitar player of the biggest band in the world at the time - Mark Knopfler from Dire Staits. Nathan was a prodigious guitar player, and the footage quickly captured the hearts of Australians - soon enough Nathan - this incredibly talented and charismatic ten year old - was on stage with some of the world's greatest musicians. From Jimmy Barnes in Australia to Booker T & The MG's, BB King - even Michael Jackson. Nathan was an absolute superstar - a household name. But what happened next is where the real story starts. As Nathan explains on his blog at Nathan Cavaleri.com he went through some dark times, and today he shares some of those dark times with me. I really can't thank Nathan enough for this - I always feel it's a great gift to us when someone opens up about their struggle, as it can help those struggling to know they're not alone. So before we go any further if there's anything you hear in this chat that resonates or makes you feel unstable, please don't hesitate to call lifeline on 13 11 14. Ok, put the kettle on and enjoy an afternoon chat with wonderful human, incredible guitar player and fellow cavoodle owner - Nathan Cavaleri.

This week's episode is a best of, mixtape, audible burrito with the lot all focused on comedy. This podcast has hosted many great comedians, and here are just a few. Peter Helliar is an Australian comedian best known as the bloke on the end of the desk every night on the news program "The Project". He's also a producer, a director, a writer and an actor. I asked Pete about the first time he got an inkling that he might end up doing what he now does so well. Next up we have Alice Fraser - a comedian, writer, and ex-lawyer from Australia. She's also host of the wonderfully cerebral podcast "Tea With Alice" which I'm happy to have been a guest on. Alice has a very interesting story, a story about following what you believe in, finding your truth - and what monetary rewards balance against that truth or even the joy of that journey. We do get a little philosophical here, but not before discussing, in depth, the topic of swearing. This chat is best enjoyed out of the company of sensitive ears! Chas Licciardello is part of the incredibly successful Australian satire collective The Chaser. For over 15 years they've been calling out hypocrisy, lies and general bloviating by our public figures and making us either laugh or be outraged while they do it. Never one to shy from commitment to a joke, Chas has been arrested numerous times, received death threats and has even been assaulted in the street - all for the sake of satire. I asked him here whether his fearless approach to comedy has been tempered in any way since having kids. Tommy Little is a comedian, radio guy and TV host from Melbourne, Australia. You can catch him regularly in Australia on The Project on a Friday Night, on radio as the 'Tommy' half of 'Carrie and Tommy', and he's always touring around the nation doing standup. Here we discuss what he was like as a teenager, and what got him started in comedy. Our final snippet in this episode is from an exclusive podcast - this one only went out to Patreon subscribers to this podcast. It's with Adam Richard, an incredibly funny Australian comedian, TV guy, broadcaster and wonderful human. He's made a living out of being funny for a while now, and so we talk about the craft and the business of comedy. So please enjoy this compilation of great moments we've shared on the show with some of Australia's finest comedians.

This week's episode is another mix-tape of some great conversations I've had on the podcast. This time we're focusing on people who managed to turn the thing that they love into reality, and what it took to make that happen. First up is Ben St. Lawrence, an Australian middle-distance runner, a two-time Olympian and an all around interesting guy. Ben's not the first Olympian I've had on the show, however his story - his particular triumph over adversity and refocus of his life is one worth hearing. After Ben we'll hear from Jane Lu, the founder and CEO of mammoth fashion startup Showpo.com. This is easily one of my favourites - because everyone loves a story of triumph. Of closing the door on something in order to open unknown other doors, leading to the life you really want to live. Next is Taylor Steele, one of the most iconic and prolific surf film makers of our time. Through his film Momentum, released in 1992 - a then twenty year old Taylor captured a new and dominating style of surfing that hadn't really been seen before as he filmed young surfers that would go on to become household names in the surf world: Shane Dorian, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox and of course Kelly Slater. Finally is the amazing Dr Glen Richards. Glen is a vet, entrepreneurial mega-success and a shark on the Network Ten hit show Shark Tank. It's Dragon's Den in the UK and Shark Tank everywhere else. He grew Greencross from a single vet practice to an ASX-listed company with clinics and pet stores all over Australia. So please enjoy this mega-episode of the show, about the origin stories of great successes. May it give your day some uplift, and maybe even inspire you to create something amazing.

This week's episode is a supercut, a compilation, a best of, a mix tape! It features some of the best moments of the show over the last year or two that share the theme of overcoming adversity. We start with the Hon. Leeanne Enoch, Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy and Minister for Small Business in the seat of Algester in Queensland. Leeanne is the first Aboriginal Australian Woman to be elected into the Qld Parliament, a woman who grew up On Country in North Stradbroke Island and then in Woodridge housing commission on the southern fringes of Brisbane. She shares here how, as a kid, she made sense of her relatively low socioeconomic circumstances. We then move on to Deng Adut. In his recent book "Songs of a War Boy" Deng describes in chilling detail the life of a child soldier - which includes horrific first hand accounts of battle, torture, death, and the kind of barbaric brutality that only humans inflict on other humans. When he was twelve, he was rescued by his older brother and smuggled out of Sudan into Kenya where he met an Australian couple that helped him and his brother come here to start a new life - and that new life is what we talk about here. Carly Findlay is next; Carly is an appearance activist, blogger, and writer who was born with Ichthyosis. This basically causes her skin to renew itself at an incredibly fast rate, leaving her susceptible to dryness, inflammation, itchiness, and gives her a noticeably red complexion - which is also shiny because she has to constantly apply paraffin to her skin so as to alleviate the pain and discomfort. We then hear from Lola Berry, a nutritionist, author, blogger, speaker and advocate for happiness. She even wrote a book about happiness. She's a woman who has inspired hundreds of thousands of people all around the world to be kinder and more caring to themselves through food and nourishment - not just of their bodies but of themselves as a whole. A trigger warning at the top here. Sexual assault is a part of Lola's story and she talks about that today. I hope you get some value out of this special episode, dedicated to the challenge of overcoming adversity.

Eric Barker is a screenwriter, blogger and author from Los Angeles California. His successful blog is at bakadesuyo.com that's also his Twitter handle @bakadesuyo. Eric reached out to me and asked if he could come on to talk about his latest book "Barking up the wrong tree" The surprising science behind why everything you know about success is (mostly) wrong. We spoke last week over Skype and he offered a real insight to a few nuggets of wisdom that will hopefully help you find success either in your own personal venture, your home life, your family life, or even your work for someone else's business. Either way, his work seems rooted in finding happiness as a part of success - rather than collecting money as a goal of success. He's a great guy and I'm stoked he had the time to chat with me. If you dig it make sure you reach out to him and tell him you heard him here.  Enjoy this chat with Eric Barker.

Bridie O'Donnell and I have known each other since our high school days. She has gone on to become a Doctor and a world record breaking professional cyclist. Bridie has some great things to say here about elite sport, becoming motivated and staying healthy. I'm grateful to be able to bring this conversation to you, because it's not someone I've just met, with me getting to know my subject as I interview them - this is me and someone I go way back with who happens to be a very interesting human being. If there's anything Dr Bridie says in this podcast that really motivates you, I'm sure she'd love to hear about it - you can catch her on Twitter at @bridie_od. Please enjoy this Skype conversation with the brilliant Dr Bridie O'Donnell.  

Matt Draper is an Australian photographer who's work centers on capturing aquatic animals in their natural patterns of behavior. You can follow him on Instagram at @MattDraperPhotography. I wanted to chat to him not only because I love to scuba dive and I'm fascinated by the ocean and all in it - but also because he's a man who's figured out how to get paid to do what he loves to do. If there's something that you're incredibly passionate about, and you'd love to make it your career - listen to the path that Matt took to get to where he is. Listen to the steps he took, the back and forth from working to make money for equipment and travel to shoot, to finally taking the leap to going full time. His journey may not be on the same axis as yours, but I'm sure the arc of it will be inspiring. I loved talking to Matt, he's a great human and he's completely made me want to get the mask and snorkel on and get wet again. I'll say this up top: Matt describes free diving experiences and breath-holding concepts that require a lot of training and are highly skilled things to do. Don't attempt the kind of stuff he's talking about. Don't do what I did and hold your breath, then go down to ten metres like I describe here. Apparently that's a dangerous and stupid thing to do. But do pull a mask and snorkel on, and do go and get wet, do go and have a look at the environment that encompasses more of this planet than the environment we live on and in. I hope you enjoy this conversation that I had over Skype with Matt Draper.

@danilic is a writer, director, comedian and satirist from Australia who is currently the Executive Producer at Fusion in the US, he's done a heap of work in Australia notably "A Rational Fear" and all his work on the ABC & SBS. He's worked for Al Jazeera in the US as well and is a very smart and funny man in a new world of exciting digital broadcasting. He's a returning guest on the show so we get straight into it, but if you're interested in his background check out the first time he visited my house back in 2013 - we get into it a lot then. Dan and I spoke via Skype while he was in Canada sorting out some Visa issues, which we get in to as we go along - but I have to tell you, the bathrobe he was in looked like the best bathrobe in the world. If you like what you hear make sure you follow him on twitter @danilic and let him know. So come to my office in Bronte that was able to connect via Skype to the other side of the planet with the extraordinarily smart and funny Dan Ilic.

Jack Heath is the CEO of SANE Australia, where I am fortunate to sit as a director on their board.   Jack started with a career in politics while the Labour government was in power here in Australia, and after a tragic incident where his cousin died by suicide - Jack started the Inspire foundation in 1997. Now known as Reach Out, It was the world's first online mental health service for young people.   After over a decade there, and successfully launching Reach Out in Ireland and in the US - Jack now is the CEO of SANE Australia, which works to help the nearly four million Australians affected by a complex mental illness.   There's been a great amount of work done in our community around awareness and destigmatization of Anxiety and Depression, and indeed we now live in a different world in regards to both of these illnesses.   However, there's nearly 700,000 Australians that live with a Complex Mental Illness diagnosis. This includes Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, Eating Disorders, and schizophrenia.   This week in Australia it's schizophrenia awareness week.   Whatever you think about when you think about schizophrenia, I'm asking you to open your mind to be changed. Schizophrenia is not a death sentence, there is help and treatment available and indeed a rich and fulfilling life is still available.   I guess the biggest misconception about schizophrenia is that a diagnosis means you'll be a danger to yourself and others. In fact the latest research out of Sweden shows that the possibility of someone with schizophrenia being violent is far less likely that previously thought, which is a finding that allows both medical personnel and indeed law enforcement to focus their limited resources on the very few patients that do pose a risk to themselves and others.   Now a trigger warning right up here at the top.   Jack's story involves talking about the death by suicide of his cousin, and Jack discloses incidents of sexual abuse that happened to him while he was still a child.   Again if you need to speak to someone - please hit pause on this and call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or SANE Australia on 1800 18 7263   Ok. This is a heavy conversation, but it's an important conversation.   You ready?   OK. Come to my kitchen, sit at my vintage parker table in my super-comfy Eames dining chairs, and enjoy this cup of tea and a chat with CEO of SANE Australia Jack Heath.

Taylor Steele is one of the most iconic and prolific surf film makers of our time. Find him on instagram @taylorsteele. Through his film Momentum, released in 1992 - a then twenty year old Taylor captured a new and dominating style of surfing that hadn't really been seen before as he filmed young surfers that would go on to become household names in the surf world: Shane Dorian, Rob Machado, Taylor Knox and of course Kelly Slater. As a film, it documented a complete shift in style and propelled these surfers into absolute idol status among fans. Fast forward 25 years later, and Taylor has a new film out called Proximity featuring some of the surfers that he featured back in that first film. It comes out May 12th in Australia for a limited release and will then be released digitally - but I must urge you to catch it on the big screen. I've seen this film twice now, once on my desktop and once on the big screen and I have to say it's easily the most beautiful surf film I've ever laid eyes on. If you've never surfed, or always wondered about what would drive someone to compete in the world of professional surfing or indeed dedicate their lives to traveling the world and seeking out the most rare and untouched waves they can find - this is a fantastic film. Pairing surfers from different generations together and sending them on journeys to the four corners of the globe in the midst of the four seasons of the year, Taylor has documented again what it means to surf, what it means to compete as a surfer, and what it means to put your life on the line in the search to ride in harmony nature itself. I can't recommend this movie enough if you've always been curious about surfing - you could watch it and then consider yourself schooled about why people would do it. Taylor is a remarkable guy, by his own admission shy and quite specific, I can't thank him enough for the hour that he gave me in his hotel room earlier this week. He even let me rearrange the furniture so that I could get a better position to suit the microphones. So come now to the tenth floor of the QT hotel on Market Street right in the middle of Sydney, a long way from where both of us were born - for a look into the mind of someone who has always lived a life he loves, a live of creating, and a life that plays a huge role in the surf industry today -  because he essentially wrote the theme song to an entire generation of surfers.

​Dr Mark Cross (@DrMCross) is a psychiatrist, author, television presenter and fellow board member of SANE Australia. For many years he ran the youth ward at Campbelltown Hospital in Sydney, however he's moved on from that to focus on other things. He's best known in Australia for his SBS TV show "Changing Minds", which worked to destigmatize community attitudes to mental illness - and he produced a book of the same name. Mark and I sit together on the board of SANE Australia which works to help more than 4 four million people in Australia who are affected by complex mental illness including OCD, borderline personality disorder, bipolar, PTSD, eating disorders and schizophrenia. I'm grateful to be a part of the board there, and relish working alongside Mark and other board members to help change attitudes in our society about complex mental illness, and help show that a diagnosis does not necessarily mean you're a danger to yourself and others - and that a rich and full life is indeed still available for you. Mark has a fascinating story, and I'm grateful he took the time to speak with me and indeed to be so open with his story. Come and sit as Mark and I pick away at the last of the catering left after a board meeting, and enjoy a chat in a boardroom in Paddington Sydney on a blue autumn afternoon.

Mia Freedman is a publisher, author, podcaster, mother and all-around media-mogul. She started her career in the then highly-competitive Australian magazine industry, and soon became youngest-ever editor of Cosmopolitan magazine at the age of 24. In the middle of this career explosion she fell pregnant, and set a course for her the rest of her career which would see her balancing work, family, and the numerous attacks in the press that come with being a smart, outspoken and strong-willed woman in the public eye. Along with her husband, Mia runs the incredibly successful website Mamamia.com.au, which is a part of the Mamamia Women's Network. This is the second time Mia's been on the show, she came on back on Episode 30, and a lot has changed, which we do go into. Mia's new book is called "Work Strife Balance" and is learnings from her experience of running a massive media company, being a public figure, and being a mother of three kids at the same time. Her book is out now and I thoroughly recommend you grabbing a copy, particularly if like me you're drowning a little bit in all of the busyness that has somehow consumed our lives in the last few years. You can find Mia on twitter & instagram @miafreedman and do let her know if you hear anything that resonates with you here. Come now to a third floor converted warehouse in Sydney which bustles with the sound of about one hundred employees, while we chat in her purpose built podcast studio over a nice cup of black tea.

Mark Maloney is one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs, from a family of similarly excellent business people. His father built many different companies including an incredibly successful mining logistics company The Mac. However Mark is also successful in his own right  - working as an investment banker in London before heading back to run The Mac before floating it on the stock exchange in 2007 and being a part of making his whole family multi-millionaires overnight. But Mark's story isn't all about the incredible amounts of hard work that he put in, nor about the giddy amount of success he achieved - it's also about how having more money than he could spend failed to make him happy, and how he ultimately found that happiness. Mark has since branched out into other industries, including the fabulously successful Sumo Salad food franchise - which has kept me fed for many a flight around the wide brown land that's for sure. I'm very grateful to Mark for coming over to my place to do this - he's an imposing figure at well over six ft tall - and sat down for a frank an honest conversation at my kitchen table over a bit of dahl and a cup of tea.

Michael Ware is a legendary international war correspondent originally from Brisbane, Australia. Through his career, Michael's style has always been a first-person, front row seat to some of the most confronting and dangerous situations on this planet. From modern-day witch-hunting in Papua New Guinea, to profiles of deadly Mexican drug cartels, to going in to Afghanistan only weeks after 9/11 and being one of the few Western journalists to live full-time in Iraq during the war. He was the Bureau Chief for Time Magazine in Baghdad before switching over to television for CNN, also in Baghdad. Needless to say, Michael has seen the worst the world can dish up. And during this conversation, he openly gives first-hand accounts of some of the things he's witnessed during war. This week you may have seen cruise missiles being launched from a US destroyer hundreds of kilometers from their targets in Syria. This is not the kind of war Michael has seen. He talks about the fog, the horror, the gore and the death he has seen. Not to sensationalize it - but to describe it, so that you and I may know what it is we're asking for when our leaders decide to send troops into a country in our name. So here's a warning right up top. This discussion goes to some dark places. I'll say right now, if you have any difficulty hearing what Michael talks about, please do call lifeline in Australia on 13 11 14 - or whatever 24hr counseling line is in your part of the world. It's a tough story to hear but it's an important story to hear because if you're listening to this, you won the genetic lottery. Whatever stars and planets aligned I don't know - but you're listening to this on an internet connected device somewhere in the world that is safe. And that is not how the majority of the world live. Michael's struggles with his demons are well documented, and when I first met him on a rooftop in NYC back in 2012 - he was very open about his PTSD. It was pretty obvious from his body language that I don't press him on what caused it, but I'm grateful that five years later he and I were finally able to talk. We met in a wonderful old hotel in Sydney, right in the middle of the city. He was in town to talk about his new documentary series Uncensored, where he embeds himself into some of the most risky groups of people on the planet. From militant pro-Russian biker gangs, to the hill tribes on PNG, to the much-hated paparazzi of L.A., Michael brings a first-hand account of what he sees. The show is in Australia on National Geographic and it's bloody incredible. Do what you need to see it. We do talk about the first episode with the Russian Bikers, but don't worry we won't spoil it for you. This is a heavy chat, but it's important for you to hear. I had a coffee beforehand, but you - like Michael, may need a drink as we go. So hold on - because this is me and one of Australia's finest, Michael Ware.