So How Did I Get Here? with Sam Lax

From hosting a ‘this is your life’ style show for her dad at age 10, to winning a Walkley on her first reporting shift and even finding a missing person before the police - Alice Mathews is a journalist who’s done it all. I was fortunate enough to catch up with her over Zoom way back in May and we had a good old chin wag about her life, how she got into journalism in the first place, some very interesting stories she’s reported on over the years and most importantly, her favourite reddit threads. I had a great time chatting to Alice, so I’m sorry it’s taken so long for you to enjoy listening to her story too - moving countries takes it’s toll on side hustle productivity! To keep up to date with all Alice’s antics as they happen, give her a follow on instagram @alice.k.matthews and of course follow her sterling work on SBS’s The Feed @insightsbs. Thanks as always for listening and I’ll catch you in the next episode!

Julietta Boscolo is a writer, director, actor, improviser and all round lovely human being who I’m lucky enough to do a sporadic comedy radio show with. She tells stories that reveal the original in the overlooked and whether it be through the TV shows, commercials or films she’s directed or written, she inspires audiences to make emotional discoveries about the world and themselves. Julietta’s got awards and accolades coming out of her ears - winning the ‘Emerging Filmmaker Award’ at Melbourne’s International Film Festival for Let's See How Fast This Baby Will Go, an Australian Directors Guild Award for Sam’s Gold; and even having her feature project, The Sound of Light selected as one of only nine international projects, for the Venice International Film Festival’s Biennale College. Back in January I coaxed Julietta into the studio and starting with the origins of her passion for directing - at school and at home entertaining her 5 siblings; we traced her remarkable life and career all the way up to the present day- where throwing off the shackles of stigma and shame she felt from her impoverished childhood has enabled her to tell powerful and unique stories that resonate with audiences around the World. Julietta had much wisdom to dispense on a wide range of topics; from work ethic, to collaboration and her creative process, so this is a definite listen for anyone interested in following a creative path of their own. I had a great time chatting to Julietta so I hope there’s something in here for you too. Without further ado, I take you live to Bondi Beach Radio where our conversation was recorded. Want more Juliette? You can keep up with her exciting projects on her instagram (@hoolib) and website and if you want to watch something right now; an episode of primetime hit drama, Doctor Doctor (The Heart Guy - US) she recently directed has just aired this week on Australia’s C9! Thanks as always for listening

This episode I was joined by the comedic duo behind the instafamous Inspired Unemployed, self proclaimed ‘Aussie battlers’ Jack Steele and Matt Ford. Other than having  great names that make them sound like iconic Formula One drivers, the pair have recently come to fame, taking instagram by storm with their hilarious video skits. The past year has been a whirlwind for the pair and the fruits of their labour have allowed them to leave their jobs and do what was (and still is) something they do for fun, full-time. To date, videos of the guys parodying everyone from surfers and tradies, to policemen and seamen have resulted in partnerships and fetures that they ‘just couldn’t have predicted’. Like for example, being the cover of GQ magazine’s online style issue in partnership with Italian luxury brand Fendi, working with Kayo Sports alongside Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Brett Lee, or having a 4 page spread in Vogue Australia!  The boys joined me in January to chat about their lives, friendship and the genesis of their project that took place in what sounds like a selection of some of the worst Airbnbs the French Alps has to offer! They speak humbly about the work that’s gone into creating the success they’ve seen to date, how they try to soak in and appreciate the barrage of insane opportunities that continue to come their way and their goals for the future.      I had a great time chatting to the lads, so I hope this gives a behind the scenes look at how genuine they both are - as Jack says, what you see is what you get and I’m sure you can agree, it’s great. Whenever you’re in need of a laugh be sure to check out their instagram @theinspiredunemployed Thanks as always for listening and I’ll catch you in the next episode

Scott Findlay has been a professional chef for over 22 years. He’s trained under Gordon Ramsay, started a successful restaurant franchise in Australia and spent nearly a decade on the road, rustling up meals for some of the biggest musicians in the biz - from Beyonce to Paul McCartney as they tour the World playing gigs. He’s great mates with Pink, like family to Rod Stuart, nearly died on a reef break off Tahiti, been to jail in Padang and lived to tell the (hungover) tale of surviving an 8.6 earthquake whilst working as the head chef on an exclusive surf resort in the Mentawi’s.  In short, he’s lived an epic life to date and continues to do so, with his next exciting venture, vegan restaurant Flave, soon to come to Sydney. Scott had many a story (and even a few mouth-watering recipes) to share, so grab a notepad, kick back and enjoy! You can follow Scotty on his personal instagram (scottyfinz) to have a drool at all of his home cooked food, follow Flave (flaveworld) to get in on the ground level of his new and exciting vegan adventure and finally, you can also watch the first episode of the series Scott shot with QOOQ in Paris about his time and recipes cooking for the stars via the link on my website - samaintlax.com Thanks for listening!

This episode I recorded in a park with theatre combat instructor and owner of Sons of Obiwan Saber Academy, Luke Boyton. I met Luke and was introduced to his school whilst filming at Sydney’s Comicon last September. Intrigued by the school’s ethos of teaching its students life skills and resilience through theatre combat and lightsaber skills, I visited their ‘The Temple’ training facility in Tuggerah, New South Wales. I shot a short doc about the school which you can see here. Whilst filming I learned about the great work Luke and his staff are doing through the school, but I also got a glimpse at the fascinating life that Luke has lived so far.      In our chat we trace Luke’s life and influences; from ‘the fire in which he was formed’ - dealing with his mum’s psychopathic behaviour as a child, to DJing professionally around Australia and the World from the age of 15, until later in life when he came to teaching. He’s an incredibly interesting, well-read and humble guy who had much wisdom to bestow, so I hope there’s some pearls that speak to you and if nothing else, a few reading recommendations to get around. I finished Dune recently and give it 3 thumbs up! For those who don’t know; Theatre combat is a safe, non-contact activity that is suitable for all fitness levels and abilities for those aged ten years and above. Sons of Obiwan staff provide training in European Longsword, Balintawak (Filipino Stick Fighting), Spinning and Tricking combined with movement, athletic and performance skills. You can look up Luke’s school and keep up to date with everything they’ve got going on via their website: https://www.sonsofobiwan.com/  Thanks as always for listening and I’ll catch you in the next episode.

Marc Fennell is an Australian interviewer, journalist, tv/radio presenter, author and Rose d’Or nominated documentary maker. He’s also a very kind chap with an infectiously bubbly disposition. In November, he generously cut me out an hour of his time to chat in a park about his illustrious life and career journey to date. He’s worked with with nearly every big Ozzy broadcaster you can think of and has hosted the national current affairs programme, The Feed for SBS Australia since 2013. Marc was introduced to global audiences this year when his Audible original podcast It Burns: The Scandal-Plagued Race to Breed the World’s Hottest Chilli shot up the Audible USA charts. At the time of writing, it has received over 6,500 reviews! He’s reported all around the world, from the 2019 Hong Kong Protests to survivors of ISIS torture and Marc’s one-on-one interviews with celebrities and newsmakers like Al Gore, Tom Cruise and Julian Assange have garnered over 30 million online views and 3 United Nations Media Award Nominations. Marc presents the award-winning ABC Australia podcast Download This Show, SBS Australia’s The Few Who Do and has written 2 books on all things movies. He’s the Creative Director of the not-for-profit group Media Diversity Australia, was named one of the 40 Under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians and was even dubbed “a cheerful Aussie version of Louis Theroux” by The Times (UK). In short he’s an epic guy and I was bloody lucky to sit down for a chat with him!! We cover so much in our conversation; from Marc’s beginnings as an interviewer- just being ‘that approachable looking kid’ at school, to his creative process; how he finds and develops stories, prepares for interviews and even how he attempts to keep balance today, juggling his multitude of jobs with family life. Keep up with him and his exciting work on his instagram @marcfennell Thanks for listening!

This week I was joined by Brent Wilson - founder and director of fashion and lifestyle brand of his namesake. Leaving school for full-time work to become an electrician at the tender age of 15, Brent’s career took an unexpected turn when he volunteered at Sydney Fashion week. In our chat, Brent talks me through the lessons in life and business that he’s learned to date, and how these have helped him build his brand and successful made to measure suiting service here in Sydney. In our chat we talk about the process of suit making, how Brent got his start in fashion, his love of superbikes and cars and what it takes to run a successful business in the fashion industry today. Check out his website if you’re in Sydney and in the market for a new suit and keep up with the tailored perfection at his instagram @mrbrentwilson Don’t forget to share rate and review and as always, Thanks for listening!

Emma Metcalf is first and foremost a wonderful human being. For work, she’s a Senior Producer, Director and Film-Maker with global experience spanning multiple platforms including live broadcast, documentary, branded content and traditional television. She’s worked all over the shop with major brands like Discovery, MTV, Endemol Shine Australia and Red Bull, to help orchestrate everything from live-broadcasts of surf competitions and music festivals to shoots in the most remote parts of Oz involving herding hundreds of wild camel! I’m lucky to have come to know Emma through working with her everyday - she joined Verizon Media in 2018 as a senior producer and general bosslady- responsible for the output of the company’s new in-house studio (her baby). Every week, she ensures Verizon’s Build Series Sydney and Yahoo Finance’s New Investors shows are chokka block with fantastic and interesting guests, as well as producing plenty of other exciting formats and projects. We had a great lunch break chat and covered heaps in this episode. Emma shares how her upbringing on a cattle farm in Australia’s North-East Victoria influenced her work ethos, some career highlights on her journey to date and many pearls of wisdom from her wealth of knowledge and experience gained from well over a decade working as a creative in the media industry. We also talk about the importance of maintaining some form of work/life balance, mental health in the creative industry, mentors and the power of role models in helping encourage the next generation of female power-houses (like herself) in a traditionally male dominated industry. You can keep up with Emma’s incredible work at Verizon with @buildseriessyd and elsewhere at her instagram @bondiproducerchick (although the name may be changing soon as she’s moved down the coast!) Make sure you share with a friend and reach out via reviews if any of Em’s wise words particularly resonated with you and as always, Thanks for listening!

This week I had the pleasure of talking to improviser, teacher, actor, comedian, podcaster and dulcet toned wordsmith, Carlo Ritchie.  He’s one of the founding directors (and current Artistic Director) of Improv Theatre Sydney - Sydney’s first and only dedicated improv theatre school. He’s also one half of acclaimed improv comedy duo ‘The Bear Pack’ alongside fellow ITS director Steen Raskopoulos and the pair have sold out shows at comedy festivals around the world from Melbourne to Edinburgh Fringe and even the coveted Cat Laughs Festival in Kilkenny. Over the course of our chat, we trace the roots of Carlo’s affinity with language and see how this passion guided him through life to the founding of ITS; that 5 years and 840 students later, now has a physical home in Redfern. We talk about his strange obsession with the Titanic, how The Bear Pack was born and of course, he tells me about the year in Poland ‘drinking beer near the brewery and teaching English in the evenings’ that quite literally changed the course of his life. I had heaps of fun chatting to Carlo and I hope you enjoy our chat too! (A little FYI for those that don’t know - Improv aka Improvisation is a collaborative method of creating live, spontaneous theatre. Where people or ‘players’ conceive original scenes in the moment, spontaneously discovering ideas, relationships and worlds – all from a single audience suggestion. It’s pretty dreamy stuff.) If this podcast has left you feeling inspired to do some improv and you live in Sydney - look up a class at the fantastic ITS (improvtheatresydney.com.au), now at its Redfern home, and if you want to keep up with the man himself - you can follow Carlo on instagram @carloritchie If you enjoyed the chat please let me know with a pun infused comment and share the episode with a friend. Thanks for listening!

This week I was joined by Nathan Dalah - one of the young gun co-founders of Australia’s quickest growing healthy restaurant chain, Fishbowl. From the opening of their flagship Bondi store in 2016, Nathan and his business partners Nick and Casper set out with a bold goal - to change fast food and its culture. Specialising in made to order salads with a Japanese twist, the trio’s growing restaurant empire is arguably doing just that - at the time of writing, they have 13 stores; having just expanded out of Sydney and into Melbourne.   At university Nathan enjoyed cooking and hosting, but like a lot of people he didn’t really know what he wanted to do. He changed degrees several times, nearly bought a cafe in the heart of UTS and eventually dropped out altogether to move to America where he was exposed to a ‘new wave’ of quick casual restaurants. Inspiration from these restaurant experiences melded with his love for Japanese cuisine and when Nathan returned to Sydney, he teamed up with his two mates; bringing the sum total of their professional hospitality experience to one bar job; to make a go of it. The rest as they say, is (a very brief) history.  In our chat, Nathan walks me through the Fishbowl journey and offers an insight into what makes the business tick today; from working as a yacht cleaner to earn the first down payment on their flagship store, to the apps, systems, spaces and people that make up the rapidly scaling Fishbowl enterprise. We also talk about the culture the guys have built around their food - complementing their product with design-driven spaces, curated music, house sports teams, run clubs, events and more. Finally, Nathan leaves us with a tantalising glimpse of what’s on the horizon for the business. I left this chat with Nathan feeling super inspired, so I hope it gives you a similar tingle too. If it did, please let me know with a punny food themed review and be sure to share the episode with a friend. Keep up with all things fishbowl at their website, on their instagram (fishbowl_sashimi ) and watch those spaces for their soon to come app too. Music: Young & Reckless - Young Kartz Thanks for listening!

This episode I was joined by Lillian Ahenkan AKA Flex - one hell of a busy millennial bee whose list of skills is longer than the Lord of the Rings movies. She seems to be expanding into new industries and roles each week, so as of the time of writing, I can say she’s an International DJ, TV/video Presenter, Social Media Influencer, Podcaster, Model, Professional Opinion Haver and Author. I had a great time chatting to Flex about her life journey to date; from fashion student drop out to multi-disciplinary media mogul; and we discuss at length the events and influences that have instilled the incredible ethos she emanates today. There’s so many pearls of wisdom ready to resonate with you in this one so make sure you’ve got a notepad on hand and be sure to share the podcast with a friend. You can keep up with all things Flex on her website www.flexmami.com Thanks for listening!

This week I chatted to one of my neighbours. It just so happens that he’s the man behind Bondi Beach Beer - brewer Paul Parks.  After spying a home brew kit in a shop window one day, Paul challenged his mates to a home brew competition. Despite not winning this amateur bout, the fire was lit and Paul sold his wife’s car in pursuit of the perfect brew (a decision that’s still a little sore for her). ‘YouTubing the shit out of it’, he quickly refined his craft beer to a quality worthy of being crowned #31 in the 2018 GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers poll. Now having recently added a lager ‘Bondi Draught’ to the family, Paul has product on the shelves of nearly every establishment in Bondi.    In our chat, the former hospitality veteran and serial entrepreneur takes me through the impressively long list of business ventures that he’s started over the years- including stand-up paddle boards, importing eyelash extensions and yes you guessed it, a drop-shipping a sex toy shop. I hear what Sydney’s Kings Cross was like ‘back in the day’ and what working in DCM, Sydney’s answer to Studio 54 was like too. Paul also walks me through the brewing process itself; how to discover, develop and refine a cracking beer, and what it takes to keep the quality consistent when the business scales to quench more thirsty customers.  We also talk about all the other aspects of running a successful business; From mastering instagram marketing, to creating a culture around something you’re truly passionate about. His future plans for the beer are exciting too... Keep up with the hoppy madness at Paul’s instagram @beachbeerbondi This podcast got you thirsty? Make sure you check out the Bondi Beach Beer website to find out where you can get their brews (spoiler alert - pretty much all of Bondi!) Thanks for listening

Cathrin Machin is an epic human being. Self confessed scotch lover, hardstyle DJ and oh yeah, Australia’s highest crowd-funded artist of all time. Just a glance at her awe-inspiring paintings of the universe will send you into full existential contemplation and her pieces now hang around the World in the homes and offices of prolific scientists, science communicators, and chief officers from top fortune 500 companies. In our wide ranging chat, we connect the dots of Cathrin’s life that have led to her creating the inspiring work she does today. From her childhood spent playing video games with her older brother, to a decade long career at the top of the game design industry that led to a nervous breakdown, and a Perusian iowaska trip that changed her life’s purpose entirely.  She’s got stories for days… Like that time when she wanted to crowdfund $4,000 for an exhibition with friends and instead raised $70,000, or when she made a colossal painting for Space X to get her brother a tour of the factory! Cathrin also shares her wisdom on crowdfunding and how she eventually broke through her own limiting beliefs in order to make what was a therapeutic weekend pursuit into a life mission and new career. We cover so much in this interview and Cathrin’s energy and outlook left me absolutely jazzed, so I hope you enjoy it too! If you find it of value please share with a friend and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts.  Make sure you check out Cathrin’s website and instagram to marvel at her incredible work or better yet, get involved with her next Kickstarter project. Thanks for listening

She’s incredibly vivacious, funny and high achieving; yet she manages to be the most modest and down to earth person you’ll come across. She’s a huge fan of motorsports and amongst other things, currently works for Channel 10’s Australian motorsports program RPM as presenter/reporter covering all things with an engine.  In our chat we cover her expansive career to date; From competing in ‘Search for a Supermodel’ whilst still at school, to working as a model and living around the World and later, of how she broke into the presenting business back in Australia. Amongst many other things we talk about what got her in to motorsports, her love (and qualifications) for wine, how she manifests her dream jobs and the gadgets she can’t live without.  You can keep up to date with all Kate’s mostly motor fueled antics by following her on her instagram and Twitter - @katepeckme.

This week I’m joined by Scott Purcell; one half of the duo that started one of Australia’s largest independent men's lifestyle sites, Man of Many. In the ep we cover all things start up, as Scott takes me from his early days tech tinkering back of house on his MySpace page and how this led to his first business, the sexily named ‘Productive Web Apps’.  Scott talks about the lessons learnt from this venture and goes on to detail Man of Many’s journey over the past 6 years; from what pushed him to take the leap and quit the safety of the 9-5, to the reality of a start-up in its early days; working 20hour days from his room at home and spending pretty all his waking time with his friend and co-founder, Frank Arthur to get the business off the ground.

This episode I sit down with a multi talented man most prevalently known in Australian for being a fantastic Presenter, DJ and all round great bloke, Danny Clayton.

Within the music industry, Chris Greenwood aka Madera Verde has done a bunch. In our conversation at his house in South London Chris talks us through the journey his entrepreneurial spirit and passion for music has taken him on over the years; From humble teenage beginnings trying to sell soggy firewood with a mate in Barnes, to having a pretty sweet summer job in the States DJing in the Hamptons, to returning to London to run his own nightclubs, festivals and everything inbetween. His stories are enough to make you drip with envy and wish you were there with him - like those times he hung out with the Beastie Boys in New York, or when Bjork used to sing at the Giles Peterson & James Lavelle jam sessions he helped facilitate and Wesley Snipes dropped by Bar Rumba for a boogy- you know, the usual days at the office! We talk about his epic vinyl collection and where his collecting habit started - visiting vinyltheques in Brussels with his mum, and amongst many other things we cover the seemingly organic progression towards eventually running Shoreditch based nightclub Cargo for 10 years before being drafted in to co run The Big Chill festival for over 5 years too. You can now find him most days & nights  at Louie Louie, a hybrid cafe/bar/restaurant he co owns in the Walworth Road, SE17. It was a real pleasure to chat to Chris being a huge fan of his radio show and the music he champions (World music 2.0 if you were wondering!), so I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and you take something away from the picture he paints of what it is like to be a part of the ever changing music industry. Want To Hear More of Chris? You can visit his new venue Louie Louie at 347 Walworth Road London SE17 2AL, listen to his monthly SOAS radio show here;(https://soasradio.org/music/podcasts/madera-verde-on-soas-radio), and his weekly radio show on MiSoul here: (http://mi-soul.com/madera-verde/). Chris' Mixcloud archive can also be listened to here: (https://www.mixcloud.com/bonanzamusic/) and I thoroughly recommend doing all of the above!

At the tender age of 24 age he’s already got 6 Guinness world records to his name. The first few of which he gained at the start of 2014 by being one half of the youngest pair to row across the Atlantic ocean- Mind you this was only rowing a mere 12 hours a day for 54 days straight. Reflecting on his achievements with a reporter for the GWR Jamie said "It was the most incredible experience and I'll never get the opportunity to do anything like this again." This though was evidently a lie as just 6 months later he spent a further 71 days at sea skippering a 4 man crew that rowed across the Indian ocean from Exmouth, Australia to the Seychelles gaining him a few more medals for the trophy cabinet. On top of being the World’s youngest double ocean rower he’s ran 7 marathons in 7 days, set up the Wadi Rum Race- an ultra tough 260km race through the deserts of Southern Jordan, founded an expedition company that plans to take people to some of the most wild and remote regions on the planet and to stretch the legs this summer, he walked across Sri Lanka with his girlfriend and fellow adventurer Lauren Molton; who he tells me, he actually met at the start line of their Atlantic row. Birds of a feather indeed! I have the pleasure and privilege of being Jamie’s friend and business partner as we travel about making films together and this podcast was actually recorded on a coach to Stockholm airport as I had to jump at the opportunity of actually having us both together and sitting still for more than 5 minutes! The audio quality isn’t great for this reason (it’ll be much better in future episodes don’t worry!), but I hope you’ll agree Jamie’s stories and outlook are more than enough to merit persevering with it! I had a great time recording with Jamie and as he said afterwards it was the quickest bus journey he’d had in a long time so I hope you enjoy too! Thanks for listening You can find out more about Jamie at his website : http://www.jamie-sparks.co.uk/ The Wadi Rum race:http://www.wadirumultra.com/the-race/ Finally if it’s adventure that tickles you, be sure to check out his incredible expedition company First Expeditions: http://www.firstexpeditions.com

At the time of recording, Steve Crabtree is Editor of BBC Horizon, the world's longest-running science documentary series. After leaving his local school in Barrow-in-Furness with a single O-level to his name, he worked for years at the shipyards painting nuclear submarines, reading comic books and playing in a band with his friends. This all changed when prompted by a round of Thatcher’s industry cut backs, Steve decided to take a creative arts degree and move to London to pursue a career in media. In this meandering interview we discuss the importance of creativity, what to do to keep it alive and how Steve flexed his creative muscles from an early age. We touch upon how he goes about engineering his own dream jobs, the best parts of working on Horizon, his outlook on the future of technology and science and their role in combating environmental degradation and of course Stan Lee’s influence on his entire life!