The You Project Podcast
The You Project Podcast is a 30-90 minute dose of inspiration and education hosted by Craig with great stories, ideas, strategies and lessons from high-performers in sport, business, science, media and health.
Listen to the Podcast now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts.
LATEST EPISODES
#239: Is Work-Life Balance BS?
Paul Taylor is back and this time he and Craig explore the relationship we have with our job (career, business) and the potential impact (good or bad, positive or negative, productive or destructive) ‘work’ can have on us from a mental, emotional, physical and social perspective. Among other things, they discuss what ‘work-life balance’ (that old chestnut) actually means and whether or not it’s a good metric for creating a healthy approach to our professional life. Oh, and Paul also talks about how a specific skill he acquired in the military (blowing up submarines) hasn’t really been transferable to the corporate world. Surprising, I know.
#238: The Psychology of Eating
I started thinking about this topic when I was the thirteen year-old human Labrador, eating everything he wanted and almost nothing he needed. Usually, when nobody was paying attention. Which might explain why I was called Jumbo, not Craig. Cheesecake anyone? The fascination continued as a young (and somewhat leaner) gym instructor, talking daily with club members about their ‘what, why and how’ of eating. Decades later, it’s a conversation I’ve had literally thousands of times with thousands of people and in my opinion, it’s a crucial piece of the health puzzle that doesn’t get enough air time. If you and food have an ‘interesting’ relationship, this episode is definitely for you.
#237: Culture, Leadership & Inspiration
A while back Craig chatted with Nicole Goodman from the Business Essentials Daily podcast and they had an interesting (and brief) chat around what it takes to create a business environment and culture where people feel valued, important and excited to go to work!
#236: Outside the Echo Chamber
This is the fifth time Bobby has been on TYP and while he’s always great, this was (for me) the best conversation we’ve had. He is truly one of the smartest people I know (and I know a few) and his ability to bring together neuroscience, human behaviour, personal experience, story-telling and humour is quite remarkable. I’ve known him for decades and in this conversation, he shared things about himself (big things) I’d never heard. Among other things, we talk about confirmation bias, challenging beliefs, blind faith, dealing with rejection, self-worth, identity, being wrong, the online battlefield and stories from Bobby’s violent, abusive, dysfunctional childhood. So, not much at all. Enjoy.
#235: Addicted to Almost Anything
Addiction doesn’t only happen around drugs, gambling, booze and sex. It also happens with food. And work. And shopping. And plastic surgery. Being in control. Attention seeking. Fame. Danger. Exercise. Stealing. Gaming. Comfort. The truth is that most of us are (have been, will be) addicted to something at some stage. It might not be one of the more familiar addictions but it’s there, it’s real and it causes us to hide decisions and behaviours because deep down, we know we’re being irrational, unhealthy and/or self-destructive. In this episode of TYP, Craig and his brother from another mother (Geoff Jowett) talk about their issues and more broadly, the capacity we all have to fall into the addiction trap.
#234: How to Build Muscle
My fascination with muscle (size, appearance, strength, power, speed, function, sporting performance, muscular endurance, health, self-esteem, confidence) started forty years ago, as an insecure and curious teenager. Apart from human behaviour, it’s maybe the thing I’ve studied most. Academically, incidentally and experientially. It’s impossible to do this topic justice in ten podcasts, let-alone one, but let’s call this a beginning.
#233: Craig Presenting Live
This episode is the audio from a closing keynote Craig delivered a few years ago at the Australian Health and Wellness Summit in Melbourne. In it, he talks about bringing all the lessons, ideas and concepts shared by the other speakers (throughout the day) together and turning the theory into real-world decisions, actions and outcomes. He’s somewhat inappropriate, somewhat fun and somewhat motivating. So, normal. Enjoy.
#232: Dr Ingrid Nielsen
Ingrid Nielsen was a socially awkward kid born in South Africa in 1947. She became a nun at 16 (for five years). A medical student at 21. A Doctor at 27. Married at 30. A mother at 30. Was a forensic pathologist at 30. She completed more than 7,000 post mortems in 7 years (in Johannesburg). Was married to a cheating husband for five years. Divorced at 36. Became a single mum of three young kids (1, 2 and 4) at 35. Qualified as a Psychiatrist at 39 (after years of further study). Emigrated to Australia at 44. Was a work-aholic until 65. Was depressed for an entire year (at 55). Started working out (and having fun) at 65. Ran her first marathon at 68. Retired for two weeks at 69 and is currently working full-time as a Psychiatrist in a large hospital in Adelaide (at 72). Ingrid is an inspiration.
#231: Rules, Rituals, Tribes and Cults
Simon Hammond is an Australian author, entrepreneur, journalist, business advisor and international keynote speaker. Like Craig, he is fascinated with thinking, rules, rituals, human behaviour and cults. Yes, cults. He’s also interested in why we keep doing what doesn’t work, why we’re slow learners and why we don’t like the brutal truth (so much so, he’s written a book about it). He also believes that many of us are unintentionally training ourselves to be less resilient, less adaptable and more likely to capitulate under pressure. This is a fun and fascinating chat (one that involves the boys planning their own cult).
#230: The Twenty-Year Over Night Success
Peaks. Troughs. Wins. Losses. Breakthroughs. Breakdowns. Life. These days Matt Collins is a journalist, radio host and podcaster but to say that it’s been a challenging journey to get where he is, would be a massive understatement. This a great chat with a regular bloke who has persevered when most would have given up.
#229: Perseverance
So many people are great at starting things. Projects. Programs. Diets. Courses. Transformations. In fact, some people have been starting things for years. Decades even. But finishing those things? Or persevering? Nah, not so much. Some people have been ‘almost’ changing their life for decades. In this episode of TYP, Craig talks about one of the least-sexy components of the personal development journey and why it matters so much.
#228: Learning by Doing
I love talking with people who have turned their theoretical something into an actual something. Their idea into action. Passion into purpose. Intention into outcome. Potential into excellence. People who have dreamed, planned, executed and created in the middle of their insecurity, self-doubt, inexperience and fear. People who have built resilience, competence, confidence and effectiveness through doing what most avoid. For almost forty years, I’ve been watching people from all walks of life, all professions, all academic backgrounds, all personalities and all levels of ability, outwork and out-perform the majority. In this episode of TYP, I chat with Tommy and Josh from ‘The Daily Talk Show’ about what it truly takes to succeed.
#227: The Science of Selling (Why We Buy Stuff)
There’s that (kind of) famous saying that says ‘stop buying things you don’t need, with money you don’t have to impress people who don’t care about you’. Or something like that. My version is a little sweary-er. Adam Ballesty is a clever marketing bloke who has been running campaigns, building brands, developing strategies, leading teams and selling stuff to the masses for years. Sports stuff, fitness stuff, training stuff and booze. Lots of booze. I’ve always been fascinated with marketing because the ‘what, how, when and why’ of selling shit is essentially a study in behavioural psychology.
#226: Goal Setting (a free workshop)
In this episode of TYP, Craig puts on his coaching hat and shares a 12-step goal setting process that he’s been using with clients (and personally) for years. This is practical teaching session with an abundance of ideas, questions and strategies, so you may want to take notes. Enjoy.
#225: Fasting, Longevity and Self-Experimentation
Rebel Dietician Vicky Kuriel is back and this time we go deep on the potential benefits of fasting (in all its forms), instinctive eating, social eating, emotional eating, self-experimentation, biological variability, insulin resistance, type two diabetes (and how to avoid it), living (much) longer through diet and why she has better genetics than her husband.
#224: Beyond the Shame
OMG, this was such a powerful and interesting conversation with a powerful and interesting woman who has found a way to not only survive, but thrive, despite a history of abuse, depression, anxiety, secrecy, self-loathing, guilt and shame. And while it sounds like a heavy chat (and there were moments), it’s ultimately a conversation full of hope, lessons, empowerment, wisdom and love. This is Mares Van Lambaart’s second visit to The You Project and we love her.
mary@thegappgroup.com.au
#223: Melissa Interviews Craig
It’s about time Melissa got to sit in the big chair and ask some questions, push some buttons, do some probing and steer the TYP ship for an hour or so. Among other things, she quizzes Craig on how he plans (if he plans) for each episode, how he trains himself these days, his social media strategy, his messages that are the most difficult to share, when he (personally) grew the most and why so many people don’t achieve their goals. Enjoy.
#222: Disordered Eating to Eating Disorders
Food.. such a small word, such a huge conversation. We humans are interesting creatures when it comes to our rules, rituals, stories and madness around eating. The ‘when, why, how and what-the-fuck’ of food is an exploration into psychology, emotion, sociology, physiology, pseudoscience, real science, culture and marketing. In this episode, Psychologist Jacqui Louder and the man with all the food issues attempt to make sense of it all. Well, some of it.
#221: The Most Inspiring Woman I Know
Jane O’Brien is a special human and I don’t say that lightly. We have been friends and colleagues for years and she is the most inspirational woman I know. And I know many. She inspires me to be a better person. FYI, Jane’s voice has been affected significantly by her illness, so I (highly) recommend that you listen to this episode with headphones on a perhaps the volume up. She is definitely worth the inconvenience. Enjoy.
#220: Use it or Lose It
Exercise Physiologist, High Performance Coach and Fitness Educator Russ Jarrett is back and this time, he and Craig talk about the benefits of decluttering, the value of life-long learning, the age at which it becomes more difficult to ‘get in shape’, cognitive decline (as we age) and how to combat it, hourly rates, perceived value for money, re-opening Russ’s gym post shutdown and how they might (both) change their respective business models, moving forward.
#219: From Inmate to CEO
TYP favourite Mick Hall is back and this time, he and Craig chat about his fascinating journey out of addiction, dysfunction, mayhem and crime into his current life as a parent, employer, business man and owner of a private hospital. This is a chat about building something from nothing. It’s about owning up and stepping up. It’s about the importance of being adaptable. It’s about learning by doing. And finally, it’s about hope, positivity and possibility.
#218: Managing the Madness
At the time of recording this episode (June 2, 2020), Bobby Cappuccio and his wife Aimi were bunkered down in their Los Angeles home in the middle of protests, riots, a 4pm curfew, a military presence (the National Guard), tens of thousands of police on the streets and, to say the least, a highly volatile, unpredictable and unfolding situation. This was an interesting, and at times confronting, conversation chatting with the dude from Brooklyn and his Nigerian wife about all things race, violence, survival, mindset, hope, love and Archie Bunker.
#217: Herding Cats
Ex Richmond (Melbourne, Fremantle) football club(s) CEO Cameron Schwab is back and this time, he and Craig talk about what it takes to succeed and what we can learn from those who find a way to perform at the highest level (it’s about much more than talent and genetics). They also discuss the lessons and lightbulbs in the new(ish) Netflix Documentary Series ‘The Last Dance’, the value and power of being adaptable, herding cats, the complexity of managing and leading elite athletes, whether or not we can be simultaneously satisfied and ambitious and Cam gives us a health update following his recent surgery for prostate cancer. We love Cam. Enjoy.
#216: Unlearning
Did you know that a great deal (maybe most) of human learning happens unconsciously and incidentally? Without any actual plan or intention to learn? And while we might think of learning as something that is typically a structured, conscious and/or academic process, in many cases, it is not. It’s often something that happens despite us, not because of us. Quite often, without our knowledge or awareness. And while we might think of learning as a positive thing, that is not always the case. In fact, some of our learning (and subsequent beliefs and thinking) is the very thing that stands between us and growth, us and success, us and happiness. Sometimes, we need to learn to unlearn.
#215: Surviving the Sh*t Show
There’s a reason we get so much amazing feedback about Paul Taylor; he’s always interesting, funny, inspirational and periodically, inappropriate. And he always tells a good yarn. In this episode, Paul and Craig talk about lessons learned, skills acquired, awareness gained and resilience built in the middle of the shit we didn’t want, plan for or expect.
#214: Toxic Friendships
What’s the deal with ‘friends’ who aren’t actually friendly? People who manipulate, undermine, resent and backstab their alleged friends. How and why is this a thing and more importantly, why do the victims of these crap friends stick around? In this brief episode, Craig flies solo, thinking out loud about the true meaning of friendship, familiarity and proximity, the friendship litmus test, being desperate to fit in and the consequences of inhabiting a toxic friendship.
#213: Learning How to Learn
Dr. Richard Huysmans is an academic, pracademic and for the last two months, home-schooling dad. He has spent his life learning how to learn effectively and helping others do the same. In this episode of TYP, Richard and Craig talk about conscious and unconscious learning, academic and non-academic learning, learning styles, developing a personal learning system, studying vs. learning, going back to formal study and the health benefits of stimulating our brain as we age.
au.linkedin.com/in/
#212: The Corona Mind
Psychologist Jacqui Louder is back on TYP and she’s talking about some of the mental health challenges and consequences of the pandemic. Jacqui discusses some of her own Covid challenges and issues and more broadly, she and Craig talk about brain training, dealing with anxiety, why we’re all control freaks, our ‘survival’ brain, why we struggle in stillness, the psychology of guilt and the addiction we have to being busy. Enjoy.
#211: Self-Awareness and Self-Understanding
What is self-awareness? Why does it matter? How can we improve it? What impact does it have on everything from work, relationships and problem-solving to anxiety, happiness and connection? Why do I do think the way I think, feel the way I feel and behave the way I behave? Where does all this ‘me stuff’ come from and does it serve me or sabotage me? This brief episode is not so much a (typical) podcast, as it is Craig sharing a few thoughts and ideas around self-awareness (internal and external) and the understanding of self. It’s a brief introduction to a very big conversation. Kind of a podcast-ette. Enjoy.
#210: Re-Defining Success
TYP favourite, Geoff Jowett has reinvented himself over the last few years. The one-time high-flying, drug-taking, ego-driven, money-making entrepreneur had all the trappings of success, but none of the experience. The external show was a façade hiding a plethora of personal issues, challenges, addictions and pain. As many of you know, Geoff hit rock bottom and now describes that painful time as the best thing to ever happen to him. In this episode, we discuss the stories we have around money, tapping into the universal intelligence, the healing power of animals, dealing with criticism and negativity, being fully present, why soft is strong, being addicted to drama, getting triggered, the joy of stillness and the freedom of having nothing to prove. This is maybe my favourite Geoff chat.
#209: Change Your Life Forever (Another Free Workshop)
What’s your life telling you? Are you living your purpose, passion and values or are you treading water in your own personal Groundhog Day? Spinning your wheels? Living in a holding pattern? Or maybe worse? Are you over-thinking and under-doing? Wasting your potential? Self-sabotaging your way into frustration and stagnation? Don’t beat yourself up; it’s a pretty big club. We all want to live our best lives but what does that actually mean? And where does our idea of ‘best’ come from? Is a ‘best life’ experience about what’s happening in our external (physical) world or is it more about that non-physical (internal) space? Maybe it’s about both? This episode is not a prescription (of course) but rather, an interesting conversation around what it means to live our best life and how we might go about it.
#208: Change Your Body Forever (A Free Workshop)
This is essentially a one hour coaching and teaching workshop. It’s not so much a conversation as it is, an exploration into what it takes to be the person who ‘gets in shape’ (whatever that means for you) and stays that way. Forever. In it, Craig explores the seven key influencers and determinants of physical transformation. If you’re after some motivational fluff, a self-help cuddle or a back rub, this is not for you. But, if you’re sick of your own bullshit and you’re ready to own up, step up and do the work, tune in.
#207: Out of the Chaos and into the Calm
Jen Forster was a goal-setting, box-ticking, high-performer. She developed and owned successful businesses, gained an MBA, ran 100km races, built her ‘best’ body, ventured to Everest base camp, did lots of cool things and in the middle of it all, she was miserable. From the outside looking in, her life was shiny and impressive but the internal experience, was quite different. This conversation is about Jen’s story out of unconsciousness and anxiety and into consciousness and calm. Enjoy.
#206: Can Science and Spirituality Co-Exist?
Apart from being the wife of AFL Hall-of-Famer Paul Roos, Tami Roos is a superstar in her own right, with a PhD in Parapsychic Science (it’s a thing), a best-selling book and a successful career as a Corporate Speaker and Meditation Teacher. It’s fair to say that Craig was excited to open this particular conversational door and go deep on all things science, spirituality, psychology and happiness. Enjoy.
#205: Stop F*cking Around (The Audio Version)
This brief episode is essentially a coaching session (of sorts), where Craig unpacks the first ten principles (of thirty) from his most popular book. The book his mother calls… the sweary one. Enjoy.
#204: Love Languages, Decluttering & Spice Racks
One-time Journalist, TV Presenter and Sportscaster, these days Brad McEwan is immersed in the ‘helping people’ space and he’s great at it. As an ambassador for Beyond Blue, a mental health advocate, corporate speaker and chief cheerleader for kindness, Brad is someone I love spending time with. In this episode, we talk about everything from friendly strangers and love languages to cyber-workshops, decluttering and his obsession with spices.
#203: Learn, Laugh, Sweat
Luke Milton is a ripper. He’s the ex NRL player who went to the US, established a totally Aussie brand (Training Mate) in the middle of LA, started working with celebrities, got a gig on ‘Revenge Body’ with Khloe Kardashian, set up three training centres (with more on the way) and is building a fitness empire while having fun, keeping it real and creating a space where people are encouraged to learn, laugh and sweat at the same time.
#202: Dr. Cam is Back
Dr. Cam McDonald is back and this episode is seriously fascinating. And valuable. There is so much great information in this chat, you’ll want to listen twice. Along the way, we talk about how, just being around certain people can be good or bad for your health. Why your job might not be a good ‘fit’ for your biology. Why certain colours, clothes, music and environments can boost or suppress your immune system and impact your nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine systems, for better or worse. And lots more.
#201: The Chick Who Throws a Stick
68.92 metres (226 feet). That’s how far Kathryn Mitchell threw her javelin to win the 2018 Commonwealth Games Gold medal. Or as I like to call it, far as f*ck. It’s also the furthest any female in the world has thrown a javelin in the last seven years. Apart from being an amazing athlete and competing at two Olympics and four Commonwealth Games, Kathryn is also a super-interesting, raw, real and relatable person who, like the rest of us, is trying to navigate and negotiate the peaks and troughs, joy and tears, pleasure and pain of the human experience. This chat was not what I expected. It was better.
#200: Lisa Stephenson
These days, Lisa Stephenson is a successful Author, Entrepreneur, International Speaker, Corporate Consultant and Media Commentator but ten years ago, it was a very different story. At that time, Lisa believed she was in the middle of a happy and healthy marriage. That belief was shattered one day when her husband left the house and unexpectedly, didn’t return. In the space of an hour, her life was turned upside down and a new life as a single mother had begun (and continues to this day). This podcast is a conversation about those ten years.
#199: Ten Steps to Almost Anything…
In this episode, I step out of my Corona hammock and put on my coaching hat for a brief personal development session to share ten fundamental ideas and principles. These are concepts which have proven to be relevant, reliable and effective for many of the people I’ve worked with on their individual journeys of education, transformation and liberation.
#198: Bianca Chatfield & Pete Shepherd
For this episode of the TYP, the very tall and charming Bianca Chatfield (6’2”), Melissa Cameron (6’0”) and Pete Shepherd (6’7”) sit down (remotely) with the ‘neither tall nor charming’ Craig, to talk about how they’re all improvising, adapting and overcoming. Among other things, they discuss how their day-to-day thinking, rituals and habits are changing, what they’re learning about themselves, decluttering, becoming a minimalist and what they might do differently on the other side of Corona.
#197: The Body Whisperer
Ian O’Dwyer is a body-whisperer. Well, that’s what I call him. More typically, he might be called a functional movement specialist but I’ve known him for decades and, over and over again, I have seen him do incredible ‘hands-on’ things with (seemingly) broken bodies (including mine) and sometimes, it’s in as little as two or three minutes. I suspect he has some kind of weird healing superpower but at this point, I only have anecdotal evidence. In fact, I’m not a hundred percent sure he’s mortal. Anyway, he has a really interesting backstory and journey and this was a fun conversation with a great Mate.
#196: To Hell and Back
This is the first time I’ve actually cried in a podcast. In part, this is a conversation about despair, abuse, identity, body-image and mental illness but thankfully, it’s also a message of recovery, strength, survival, hope, healing and love. There’s too much in this episode for me to do it justice with a few clumsy words.
#195: Keeping up with the Jones’s
The ex-drug-taking, rush-chasing, fast-talking, money-spending, self-destructing Geoff Jowett is back and thankfully, these days the manic entrepreneur has disappeared and the philosopher, teacher, deep thinker and compassionate human has emerged to share his thoughts, ideas and messages in his (truly) unique style. Among other things, we discuss comparison culture, how animals saved Geoff’s life, acceptance, being a suicidal addict and coming out the other side, where joy lives, starting over and hitting the reset button on life.
#194: The Calm in the Chaos
In this episode, Craig and TYP favourite Bobby Cappuccio talk about the psychology, philosophy, sociology, physiology and practicality of self-managing in the middle of our ever-evolving reality. This chat was recorded on Zoom with a few ‘viewers’ so, there’s a small amount of interaction with the group. Enjoy.
#193 Harps Visits The Daily Talk Show
This episode from the bunker is a conversation I had with Josh and Tommy from TSTD and among other things, we discuss my current technological learning curve, connecting with people who aren’t in the same room, situational awareness, life without a gym, life without hugs, faith vs. knowledge and the art of adaptation.
#192: High Performance, Leadership and Team Work
Founder of ‘Leading Teams’, Ray McLean is one of Australia’s most respected, experienced and sought-after Facilitators, Speakers and Coaches in the space of High Performance, Leadership and Team Work. Ray has worked at the pointy end of both, sport and corporate, with organisations like the Sydney Swans, St Kilda Saints, Adelaide Crows, Carlton Blues, the Australian Cricket Team, the Boomers and Opals (National Basketball Teams), Sydney Kings (NBL), St George Illawarra (NRL) and NSW Waratahs (Rugby Union), the Australian Netball Team (The Diamonds), Sugar Australia, Axeio and Murdoch Partners. In this episode, Ray and Craig reconnect for the first time in decades and have a fascinating chat.
#191: Unconventional Workout Ideas
Over the last fortnight, I’ve been exploring three key questions with people: (1) How do I avoid going crazy? (2) How do I avoid going broke? (3) How do I avoid going backwards with my training? This podcast is about question 3. Not surprisingly (to me), some people are actually getting great results away from their ‘normal’, simply because they’re now stimulating their body in a new way. In this episode, I share some variations (from slight to significant) on some old concepts. Despite the title, not all of my suggestions are specific to exercise. If you’re after some new ideas, a little science and a laugh or two, this is a good chat.