A Wake Up Call

If you have ever wondered: “I feel fine, so why would I book a check-up?” “Is one glass of wine really affecting my sleep and next day?” “Which health checks am I actually meant to be having at my age?” This episode is for you. This week on Ask the GP, Layne and Tess put Dr Preeya Alexander, practising GP, author and AIA health expert, in the hot seat with the health questions high performers Google most and act on least. Preeya starts with the pattern she sees every week: people coast while they feel fine, put off prevention because there is no symptom forcing them to act, then arrive when something is already wrong. Her message is simple: don’t wait for symptoms, and if one does show up, go early. The conversation covers AI and where it helps or fails as a health tool, bowel cancer screening, gut health and the SMILES trial, GLP-1 medications including Ozempic, unregulated peptides, alcohol, sleep and the health checks people commonly miss. You’ll hear about: Why prevention matters even when you feel completely healthy. Where AI health advice can help, where it gets things wrong, and the risks of treating it like a doctor or therapist. Bowel cancer screening: two pinpricks, microscopic blood, free screening from 45, opt-in from 40, and why so many Australians never return the kit. The SMILES trial and how a Mediterranean-style diet improved symptoms of depression. Gut health and Preeya’s simple advice: feed your gut bugs a rainbow. GLP-1 medications: who they can help, where the risks are, and concerns around unregulated peptides. Alcohol and sleep: Australia’s guideline of no more than 10 standard drinks per week, why alcohol can help you fall asleep but disrupt sleep later, and practical ways to drink less. The checks people often miss: heart disease risk assessment from 45, cervical screening every five years, breast screening from 50, bowel screening from 45 and conversations around PSA testing. Preeya also shares her own non-negotiables: colour and variety on the plate, regular movement and protecting her sleep. The episode closes with the AIA Do It For Life toolkit and one simple challenge: choose one action this week and start there. Guest: Follow Dr Preeya Alexander on Instagram @doctor.preeya.alexander Listen to Preeya’s podcast Happy to Health and hear her on ABC’s Health Report Mentioned in the episode: AIA Vitality Age Calculator https://www.aia.com.au/en/health-and-wellbeing/aia-vitality/age-calculator National Bowel Cancer Screening Program https://www.health.gov.au/our-work/national-bowel-cancer-screening-program The SMILES trial, Deakin University Food and Mood Centre Kate Save on Food as a Performance Tool, Episode 42 Join the Awake Collective Community https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s book Know Yourself Grow Yourself https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy _ Sponsor the podcast or book a workshop: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is for general informational, educational and inspirational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological or therapeutic advice. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay professional advice because of something you heard on this podcast. This episode discusses eating disorders, weight-loss medication and alcohol. Nothing discussed is individual medical advice. Speak to your own GP about screening, medication and your personal health. If you or someone you know needs support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “I work with negative people and it really affects how I feel. How do I stop letting them influence my emotions?” “I am in my 50s heading into my 60s. How do I stay strong for the people I love as the years tick by?” “What do you do when things keep going wrong? Not one setback, the whole pile-on, all at once.” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a solo listener Q&A, Part 4, and the thread running through all three questions is energy. Layne and Tess start with the colleague who drains the room: why emotions are contagious, why an emotion lasts about 90 seconds in the body but the story you wrap around it can last for years, and the four default responses to a dream thief (fight, flight, freeze and the one nobody names, fawn). Layne owns hers. Then the tools: check your own energy before you walk in, time the hard conversation for when you are clear, say how it lands instead of pointing the finger, and put down the luggage that was never yours to carry. The second question is about ageing strong. Tess sets out the decade rule (what you do in your 40s hits you in your 50s), the I Am mantra as a mental fitness weight, and the overhead-locker test for the life you want at 70. Layne adds the one-gap-at-a-time rule and a shout-out to Tess's mum, adventure granny, who changed everything in her 70s after one episode of this podcast. The third question pulls a story out of Tess she has never told on the show: the bladder test she could not pass in the spinal ward, the radical acceptance that finally moved her forward, and a cafe, a jug of water and the greatest act of love she has felt. Layne answers with her own pile-on, chronic fatigue two years before her first world title, and the fear that lit the flame. The reframe they land on together: how is this happening for me, not why. You will hear about: Why emotions are contagious, and the 90-seconds-versus-years rule for the stories we wrap around them. Fight, flight, freeze or fawn: how to spot your default response to a dream thief and step out of it. Two energy tools for a negative colleague: fill your own cup first, and hold the hard conversation when you are clear, not depleted. “When you say this, it makes me feel this way”: finding your voice without blame, and why hurt people hurt people. The decade rule, the I Am mantra and the overhead-locker test for staying strong into your 60s and 70s. Links text Mentioned in the episode: Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (Netflix documentary) https://www.netflix.com/title/81214929 Dr Stacy Sims on A Wake Up Call (Episode 13) - the episode that got Tess's mum lifting weights. Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. This episode discusses a period of depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know needs support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (24 hours) or visit lifeline.org.au. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “How does someone come out of the worst thing that ever happened to them more grateful, not less?” “What am I supposed to do with myself once I have finally got the thing I was chasing?” “Why does money stress leak into everything else, even when the numbers are not that bad?” - this episode is for you. Tristan Knowles OAM has been given his odds twice. At nine he lost his leg to childhood cancer. At twelve he found out that the 50/50 his parents and his doctor gave him when the cancer came back in his lung was a white lie, and that his real chance of surviving had been closer to 5 per cent. This week he sits down with Layne and Tess to talk about what that does to a person, and what he built out of it. It runs from a foam cover cut off a prosthetic leg at 17, to gold in Beijing and the email from his coach that was waiting when the team got home, to ranking themselves across 30 separate parts of their sport so that being the best would not make them soft. Six Paralympic Games, a gold medal, back to back world titles, and a definition of success that has nothing to do with winning. Then it goes somewhere nobody expects a Paralympian to go: money. Tristan has spent more than a decade in financial advice, and he makes the case that how you handle money quietly decides how much energy you have for everything else. Financial stress and mental health run in both directions, and most people never touch either because they think it is complicated. You will hear about: ● The 50/50 his parents and his doctor agreed on before he ever asked, and the real number he learned at twelve ● Why cutting the foam cover off his prosthetic leg at 17 was the most liberating thing he has done ● The three questions he uses to define success instead of winning, and why the result is not one of them ● The email waiting after Beijing gold, and how ranking themselves on 30 parts of the game kept the team hungry ● What financial stress actually costs, and the simple split he gives people who think money is too complicated ● The question from Tuesdays with Morrie that he put to Layne and Tess live, and why everyone answers it the same way Guest links Tristan Knowles: https://tristanknowles.com.au Follow Tristan on Instagram @tristanknowles09 Support Australian Paralympians (virtual seat, donations are tax deductible): https://www.paralympic.org.au Awake links Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “How can two people hear exactly the same thing and walk away with completely different stories?” “Why does disagreeing online get personal so fast?” “What do I actually do when something I read online gets under my skin?” - this episode is for you. A few weeks ago Layne and Tess posted a 49-second clip from the podcast. They thought they were sharing a conversation about performance and what it was like to compete in conditions that were never built for you. Instead it reached more than 400,000 people, picked up 41,000 likes, 2,000 shares, 2,000 saves and almost 200 comments, and the comments turned into something none of them expected: a live social experiment in how people hear, judge and defend. So this week they turn the comments off and turn the conversation on. Layne walks through what actually surprised her, which was not the disagreement but the vitriol, and how quickly people stopped arguing with her and started attacking each other. Tess reads out what came back, from the woman sent to the worst break so the blokes could keep the good waves, to the claim that corporate Australia still parachutes in a female CEO when a business is already sinking. Together they pull apart why perception hardens into narrative, why narrative hardens into belief, and why most of us would rather be right than happy. The back half is the useful part for anyone leading a team. Advocacy beats mentorship. Confirmation bias is usually cheaper to fix than hostility. And the three things every performer needs, something to believe in, someone to believe in and someone who believes in them, are exactly what women’s surfing was missing in the 1990s and exactly what it has now. It closes with the AIA Do It For Life toolkit for the moment something online gets under your skin, and the three questions worth asking before you type anything at all. You will hear about: What 49 seconds and almost 200 comments revealed about identity, leadership and judgement, and why turning the comments off was the right call Why people defend identity instead of facts, how confirmation bias quietly decides who gets the seat, and where the scarcity mentality comes from Advocacy over mentorship: “don’t teach us how to surf, show us where the best waves are”, and what real allyship sounds like at work The money myth in sport: whether bigger audiences justify bigger pay, why the flights do not cost less for Serena Williams, and what Layne would have done with pay equity instead of four part-time jobs The AIA Do It For Life toolkit for getting triggered online: why am I triggered, what do I need to decompress, get curious about your response rather than the comment, and the three questions - is it true, is it kind, is it necessary Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awake’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Bring more energy, motivation and connection to your team wakeup@awakeacademy.com.au Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Help is always available, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text on 0477 13 11 14. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “How do people actually do hard things when I can barely find the energy for mine?” “Why does every achievement seem to cost me so much?” “Is pulling back going backwards, or is it the smartest move I can make?” - this episode is for you. Sam Gash was a corporate lawyer when she decided to test the limits of what she was capable of. That decision made her the first woman, and the youngest person at the time, to complete the legendary Four Deserts Grand Slam: 1,000 kilometres across some of the world's harshest environments. She has since crossed India on foot to support education initiatives, traversed Nepal's Great Himalaya Trail, played Australian Survivor and become an AIA ambassador. But this conversation is not about running. Layne and Tess sit down with Sam for a conversation about what it really takes to keep moving when life gets real hard: where unwavering self-belief actually comes from, why she stopped waiting to be invited and backed herself first, and what she learned when a natural disaster left her stranded for 12 days on a 50-day expedition. Sam is disarmingly honest about the cost side of achievement, the invisible rules she is still uncovering, and why she now walks on stage without a bow to put on the story. At its heart this is an episode about capacity and self-leadership: honouring the person you are today rather than the person you were a year ago, finding an easefulness to effort, and using the power of the pause to catch your default settings before they run your day. You will hear about: Why resilience is being adaptive, quicker and with greater ease, and why the reflection after a hard thing (not the hard thing itself) is what builds capacity What the Four Deserts Grand Slam actually involves, and what carrying everything on your back teaches you about your real baseline Why you should not wait to be invited: how Sam sponsored herself when nobody else would, and why action builds confidence rather than the other way around The 12 days Sam spent stranded on the Great Himalaya Trail, and how it rewired what success and finishing mean to her The AIA Do It For Life toolkit: the power of the pause, uncovering your invisible rules, and closing the gap between the person at home and the person in the outside world Links text Connect with Sam Gash https://www.samanthagash.com Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When You Can’t Be Bothered: Motivation, Overwhelm & the Juggle If you’ve ever thought: “Why can’t I motivate myself, even when I know what I need to do?” “How do I keep everything going without burning myself out?” “Why does it feel like everyone needs something from me?” — this episode is for you. This week, A Wake Up Call is back with another listener Q&A, and Tess and Layne are tackling two questions that will feel very familiar if life has been feeling a little too full: how do you find motivation when you simply can’t be bothered, and how do you juggle everything without losing yourself in the process? First, they unpack why losing motivation isn’t necessarily a sign that you’re lazy or failing. Sometimes you’re overwhelmed. Sometimes you’re depleted. And sometimes your body is asking you to stop pushing and start paying attention. Tess shares the “bare minimum” approach that helped her move through a winter slump — including the 3km-a-day challenge that taught her just how loud her excuses could become — while Layne explains why action often has to come before motivation. Start with five minutes. Take one step. Make it achievable. Then let momentum do the rest. Then the conversation turns to the juggle. Layne opens up about a season when she was caring for her dad, chairing Surfing Australia, running a charity, building a business, speaking, filming and still competing — and the moment someone reflected back to her: that’s a lot. What looked like capability on the outside was costing her time with the people she loved, her health and her wellbeing. And underneath all that busyness was an even bigger question: what was the juggle giving her? Together, Layne and Tess explore why being needed, being busy and being the person who can “handle everything” can become part of our identity — and why sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is step out of the middle and realise the world will keep turning without you. You’ll hear about: Why motivation often follows action, rather than the other way around The “bare minimum” tool for days when everything feels too hard How accountability can help create momentum Why losing motivation can be a signal to look deeper How to tell when your busy life has become unsustainable The hidden emotional payoff we can get from being needed What to let go of, outsource or delegate when you’re overwhelmed Why structure can create more freedom A simple physiological sigh to help regulate your nervous system in moments of overwhelm The questions to ask when the juggle starts costing you more than it’s giving you Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book, Know Yourself, Grow Yourself , to live a happier, more purposeful life: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram: @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram: @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram: @awake_academy Awake’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey — not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Help is always available. Call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text 0477 13 11 14 . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “What do the most decorated people in the world actually do differently when no one is filming?” “How do you stay present with your own kids when your job is showing up for everyone else's biggest moments?” “What does your mother know about you that no highlight reel ever will?” - this episode is for you. For more than 20 years, Hamish McLachlan, sports broadcaster, journalist, commentator and AIA Ambassador, has held the microphone while other people have had their biggest moments, sitting just a few feet from Olympic champions, AFL greats, prime ministers and Kobe Bryant. This week Layne and Tess flip the format. Instead of interviewing the broadcaster, they interview the student, taking Hamish through what he calls his own life MBA: the lessons picked up over two decades of watching greatness up close. It opens with a voice note from Hamish's mother, Sylvia, introducing her own son, and from there Hamish works through the people who shaped him: his mother's total absence of hierarchy, his brother Gillon as the first call in any crisis, and the professionals who let him inside their preparation, Bruce McAvaney's ritual before air, Dennis Cometti's scone and tea debrief after every broadcast, and Kobe Bryant choosing his own interviewer from four audition tapes because he refused to leave the last three percent to chance. It becomes a conversation about presence over performance: the sixteen months he took his family travelling instead of chasing the next broadcast, trading FOMO for what he calls JOMO, and the daily habit of choosing good units over bad ones with his own kids. It closes with Hamish reading a message back to his mother, live. You will hear about: Why Kobe Bryant asked to choose his own interviewer from four audition tapes, and what it revealed about leaving nothing to chance The “good units, bad units” habit Hamish uses with his kids to spend each day well, and the day his ten-year-old called him out on it Why Dennis Cometti's post-broadcast scone and tea ritual is a masterclass in presence The difference between a “deal friend” and a “real friend” Why the family took sixteen months off to travel, and the line from his daughter that reframed what happiness actually looks like Links text Follow Hamish McLachlan @hamishmclachlan Watch: Hamish's AIA talk, “The Last Time I Cried”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ny9Y9B5xic Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life: https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awake's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop: https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Help is always available, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text on 0477 13 11 14. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 "Why am I gaining belly fat when I am doing everything right?" 💭 "Why does the diet that worked at 30 stop working at 40?" 💭 "What should I actually ask my GP for beyond the standard blood panel?" - this episode is for you. This week Layne and Tess sit down with Kate Save: accredited practising dietitian, clinical exercise physiologist and founder of Be Fit Food. Kate sits at a rare intersection. She reads food through metabolic flexibility, cognitive output and physical longevity, not weight loss, and she is on a mission to treat food as our most powerful daily performance tool. Her own wake-up call came early. Emergency surgery at 20 for a rare congenital condition doctors said she would not live past 30, after 19 years of being told it was in her head. Years later she found her mum dead at home, after emergency departments sent her home three times with a bowel cancer nobody caught. If you look well and present well, you do not get seen. Then the conversation gets practical: why fat arrives at the waistline after 40 even when you are doing everything right, how insulin resistance builds for 10 to 20 years before a standard test flags it, why muscle is the sink for glucose, how much protein you actually need and in what form, and how busy people fuel for energy, focus and the long game. Layne even hands over her own blood results for Kate to read live. You will hear about: The two blood tests that reveal insulin resistance 10 to 20 years early: fasting insulin and the HOMA index, and why your GP will not run them unless you ask Why muscle is the sink for glucose, and the three-times-a-week strength habit that protects your metabolism as you age Protein done properly: 1.2 to 1.6g per kilo, whole food first, supplements second, and the 2025 trial that showed whole food lifts 45 beneficial gut bacteria The perspective tool Kate uses with her intensive-care doctor best friend on the hardest days The Do It For Life toolkit: vegetables of every colour, leftovers packed the night before, and one health check that predicts your next 10 to 20 years Links text Follow Kate Save on Instagram @katesave and LinkedIn (Kate Save) Be Fit Food: https://www.befitfood.com.au Listener code: WAKEUP35 for $35 off Be Fit Food orders over $100 Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Help is always available call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or text on 0477 13 11 14 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever thought: “How do I get better at being selfish when I always put everyone else first?” “Why is saying no so uncomfortable, even when I know I should?” “How do I set boundaries without the guilt, or without letting everyone down?” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a solo listener Q&A (Part 2), and it goes deeper than Part 1. We asked the Dream Team what they were wrestling with, and the theme was almost unanimous: people-pleasing. One question said it all - “my generosity is my greatest strength and my greatest weakness. I put everyone first and my own health and finances last. How do I get better at being selfish?” Layne and Tess reframe the whole thing. Selfish is not the enemy - selfless is. When you say yes to everyone and no to yourself, the people you love get the fried, depleted, running-on-empty version of you. Showing up “selfish” - protecting your time, energy, health and finances first - is what lets you show up for anyone at all. They get honest about why saying no is so hard: the three fears underneath every yes (letting people down, losing your relevance, and the shiny fix-it version everyone expects), and the three types of expectations - including the stealth ones we quietly place on ourselves. Layne shares how selfishness became a privilege that got her to the top, the story of her dad calling her “a bloody idiot”, and winning seven world titles - five of them in fear - and asks the real question: fuel, at what cost? Tess opens up about being “Tess from Virgin”, performing on a fragile foundation, and what changed when she started filling her own cup first. You will hear about: Why people-pleasing is fear wearing a helpful face - and how to show up “selfish” so you stop reserving the worst of you for the people you love The three fears that stop you saying no: letting people down, a scarcity mentality around relevance, and the expectations you place on yourself The three types of expectations - yours, other people's, and the stealth ones you assume - and why the stealth ones are the most toxic Fill your cup first: do one thing you love every day (15 minutes is enough, and it has to be tech-free) The boundary tool: “no, not now” and “no, not me”, why the guilt is a stepping stone, and knowing your recovery rule (one day is fine, three days is a warning sign) Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Mentioned in this episode: Viktor Frankl - Man's Search for Meaning (the one thing that cannot be taken from you is your choice of how to respond) Dr Kristy Goodwin - researcher on digital overload and focus, and past AWUC guest (“infobesity”, ~74GB of information a day, and the case for micro-breaks) The Seven Doctors 7-Week Challenge - Awake's gentle nervous-system reset program (sunshine breaks, micro rest, the science of why), linked in the show notes Disclaimer Awake Academy is not a licensed mental health service, and this podcast is not a substitute for personalised mental health advice, assessment, diagnosis or treatment. What we share here is general in nature and is designed to offer reflection, insight and practical tools for everyday life. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you have heard on this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “How do I stop identifying with the scared version of myself?” “Why does my inner critic get louder when I am tired, overwhelmed or out of my depth?” “How do I stop comparing myself to others and become the person I actually want to be?” This episode is for you. This week, Tess and Layne answer questions from the AWAKE community about fear, identity, comparison and the relentless voice of the “itty-bitty shitty committee”. They explore what happens when the identities you have built your life around suddenly disappear, whether that is a career, a business, success, appearance or the role you believed you had to play. Tess shares how losing her corporate identity forced her to intentionally rebuild her life, health and sense of self, while Layne reflects on becoming a world champion and learning not to let success, fear or other people’s labels define her. The conversation then turns to negative self-talk and comparison, with Layne revealing the sexism, unequal prize money and resistance she faced while fighting to transform women’s surfing. Her story is a reminder that purpose can carry you through moments when confidence disappears, progress feels painfully slow and the change you are working towards may not arrive for years. This is a conversation about giving fear a voice without handing it the steering wheel, choosing your identity with intention and moving from “I have to” to “I get to” to “I am”. You will hear about: Why fear becomes louder when you are depleted, overwhelmed or feeling unsafe How to recognise the difference between who you are and the labels other people have placed on you Tess’s experience of losing her corporate identity and intentionally creating a new one Using Elizabeth Gilbert’s letter-writing exercise to understand and respond to fear How comparison creates fragile confidence and keeps you focused outside yourself The sexism, pay inequality and resistance Layne faced while fighting for the future of women’s surfing The “I have to, I get to, I am” framework for reconnecting with purpose Why your inner critic may never disappear completely, and how to stop identifying with it How compassion, curiosity and play can soften fear and help you choose what love would do next Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier, more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy AWAKE’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Mentioned in this episode: Elizabeth Gilbert, Eat Pray Love Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey, not to replace professional medical, psychological or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you are experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you have heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “Have I taken wellness and optimisation a little too far?” “Why does chasing the perfect sleep score leave me feeling worse, not better?” “Is outsourcing my life to AI making me more connected — or more alone?” - this episode is for you. This week A Wake Up Call is a solo Health Trends episode. Tess and Layne pull up the cultural wellbeing moments blowing up online and pressure-test them in real time - so you can challenge them, test them, and decide what you actually think. They start with Steven Bartlett's viral claim that three glasses of wine “ruined” him for three days (cue a very Layne take on quality wine), move into Brian Johnson and the millions-spent quest to never die, and land on the statistic that 37% of Gen Z say they could fall in love with an AI companion. Underneath the laughter - wine-maxing, sleep-maxing, life-maxing - is a bigger question: have we swapped intuition for data, and connection for optimisation? This is a conversation about trusting your body over the spreadsheet, choosing quality of life over quantity, and - borrowing Mo Gawdat's two campfires - deciding who we want to be at the intersection AI has put us all at. You will hear about: Why wine-maxing, sleep-maxing and life-maxing can optimise the fun right out of your life - and where the middle ground actually is Changing your relationship with alcohol: trusting your body's visceral yes or no instead of the after-a-hard-day default Brian Johnson, longevity culture and the real question - quality of life vs quantity of life The AI connection paradox: 37% of Gen Z open to falling in love with AI, and why outsourcing connection can quietly deepen loneliness Mo Gawdat's two campfires - the fork in the road with AI, and why who we choose to be matters more than ever Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow AWAKE on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Mentioned in this episode - Mo Gawdat, Scary Smart (book on AI) [add link] Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Description: If you have ever wondered: "Why am I so exhausted by my own competence?" "How do I redefine success on my own terms instead of someone else's?" "Who am I actually waiting for permission from?" - this episode is for you. In this warm, honest and quietly powerful conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Kemi Nekvapil - one of Australia's most respected executive coaches, Penguin author of The Gift of Asking, Power and Grounded Success, a Certified Dare to Lead facilitator trained by Brené Brown, host of the globally ranked podcast The Shift Series, flower farmer, and the woman who has personally coached Layne herself. Kemi has built her life's work on one radical idea: that you are always worthy of the ask. In this episode she unpacks what that really means for the woman who is endlessly capable, the one everyone relies on, who cannot remember the last time she asked for something just for herself. She shares the wake-up call that has threaded through her whole life - learning to ask how does it feel to be here - and the day she walked off stage to a standing ovation and thought, I am so bored. That boredom, she realised, was a full-body yes to change. Along the way she and the hosts explore why risk has seasons, how we get seduced into stepping over our own boundaries, and a live coaching moment where Layne works through her own surfing retirement in real time. This is a conversation about redefining success by how it feels, not how it looks, and remembering that the only person you have ever been waiting on for permission is you. You will hear about: Why being endlessly needed quietly keeps capable women from ever asking for what they want The difference between a full-body yes, a full-body no, and a performance yes Why risk has seasons, and how to find the version of a leap your nervous system can actually take How to redefine success by how it feels, and why 70% peace beats chasing more The one question that ends years of waiting: who am I actually waiting for permission from? Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Connect with Kemi Nekvapil https://www.keminekvapil.com Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 "Why am I switched on all day, but never actually powered up?" 💭 "Why do I feel guilty the moment I try to rest?" 💭 "Why do I keep waking at 3am, wired and exhausted at the same time?" - this episode is for you. In this fascinating and deeply practical conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Dr Kristy Goodwin - one of Australia's leading neuro-performance scientists, a PhD researcher, keynote speaker to Apple, Deloitte, EY and Qantas, and the author of Dear Digital, We Need to Talk. Dr Kristy's mission is to help high performers stop paying what she calls the success tax: the moment achievement starts costing you your health, your relationships and your sanity. And she learned it the hard way. At the height of the pandemic she was coaching leaders on stress and burnout while quietly ignoring the whispers of her own body, until she woke up convulsing on her bedroom floor and was rushed to a code red ward on a ventilator. The diagnosis was not just COVID. It was years of chronic stress. From that hospital bed, she made a pledge to stop living in ways that were incompatible with what she calls our human operating system. In this episode she translates the science into plain language: why you cannot outperform your own biology, why recovery makes you more productive, what your 3am wake-ups are really telling you, and how to empty an overflowing cortisol cup. She also shares, with remarkable honesty, the run of events that recalibrated her values, including her husband's stage four cancer diagnosis and the sudden loss of a close colleague. This is a conversation about listening to the whispers before they become screams, and learning to live and work in a way your brain was actually designed for. You will hear about: Why high performers are the last to know they are burning out, and what the success tax really costs Why you cannot outperform your human operating system, no matter how capable you are How proactive recovery makes you 26% more productive, and what a peak-performance pit stop looks like What your 2 to 4am wake-ups are telling you about an overflowing cortisol cup A practical daily toolkit: phone-free mornings, delayed caffeine, piccolo breaks and protecting your focus Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Connect with Dr Kristy Goodwin https://drkristygoodwin.com Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: “Why do I give my best under pressure sometimes, and completely fall apart others?” “How do I stay calm when everything is riding on this moment?” “Is it possible to rediscover my fire after I have walked away from the thing I worked hardest at?” - this episode is for you. In this episode, Tess and Layne sit down with Kieran Perkins - Olympic gold medallist, CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, and the man who won gold from lane 8 at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in one of the most iconic moments in Australian sporting history. Kieran takes us inside the hours before that race: the panic, the adrenaline hijack, the dark spiral of consequences, and the single question that flipped the switch - “How did I used to do this?” He unpacks the physiology of pressure, the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic drive, and why the only job in any high-stakes moment is to get out of your own way and let your preparation speak. Together they explore the gap between chasing excellence and defending it, the surprising differences between elite sport and corporate performance, and the honest story of Kieran’s own health journey - losing over 30 kilos by first stopping exercise entirely. You will hear about: How Kieran interrupted a full amygdala hijack in the hours before an Olympic final Why defending a title is psychologically harder than chasing one The difference between an athlete’s finish line and a corporate one - and how to close the gap Why Kieran believes you cannot force elite performance on someone who does not truly want to be there How stopping exercise was the first step in Kieran’s 30-kilo transformation The one walk through Melbourne that reminded him what presence actually feels like Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: "Why do I feel like I am performing a version of myself that has nothing to do with who I really am?" "How do I separate who I am from what I do?" "What does it actually take to be vulnerable and still feel strong?" - this episode is for you. This episode airs in Men's Mental Health Week, and it is one of the most important conversations we have had. In Australia, nine people a day take their own lives. Seven of them are men. So we asked Harry Garside - Olympic boxer, author, ballet dancer, poet and one of the country's most outspoken voices on masculinity - one simple question: who are you, underneath everything you have achieved? In this raw, honest and deeply human conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Harry Garside - the boxer who broke Australia's 33-year Olympic medal drought with bronze at Tokyo, a Commonwealth and Pacific Games gold medallist, nine-time national champion and Paris Olympian - for a conversation that goes far beyond the ring. Harry opens up about the moment he wept on national television, telling Australia he had let them down, and asking for a few days to find his strength again. What came back was an avalanche of support. He traces it all the way back to the Reach Foundation walking into his life at sixteen and giving him the first safe space he ever had to be vulnerable as a young man. He shares the contradiction he has lived his whole life: the conqueror he becomes in the ring, and the curious, tender six-year-old underneath who only ever wanted to be loved. He talks about a mother's post-natal depression and the quiet story it planted that he was not lovable, about chasing world-class success to earn approval, and about the part of him that still tries to blow up the good things before they can leave him. This is a conversation about taking the mask off, and trusting that who you are underneath is enough. You will hear about: Why so many men perform a version of themselves that slowly suffocates who they really are How to separate your identity from your achievements, and why your worth was never in the medal The difference between competing in fear and competing in love Why suppressing your intensity makes it dangerous, and how to harness it instead What it really takes to make vulnerability feel safe for men Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 "Why do I feel like I am performing a version of myself that is slowly suffocating me?" 💭 "How do I separate who I am from what I do?" 💭 "What does it take to stop chasing approval and start living from purpose?" - this episode is for you. In this raw, honest and deeply human conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Josh Piterman - the first Australian to perform both Jean Valjean in Les Miserables and the Phantom in the original West End production of Phantom of the Opera - for a conversation that goes far beyond the stage. Josh opens up about the defining moment that launched his West End career: singing Nessun Dorma on the steps of the Sydney Opera House, a performance that found its way to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron McIntosh within two weeks. But behind the marquee billing in London was a man quietly unravelling - running on scarcity, performing for a producer's approval, and placing every measure of his worth in achievement and outcome. He shares the full story of his three-part wake-up call: the feather (burnout), the brick (a fractured larynx mid-rehearsal), and the train (a surfboard that hit the same spot months later, silencing him for a year) - all while his father was diagnosed with brain cancer and he was performing the most emotionally gruelling role of his career. You will hear about: Why burnout is inevitable for high performers who ignore the signals their body keeps sending How to find your authentic self through early childhood play and the bliss body The shift from first mountain (achievement) to second mountain (contribution) - and why it changes everything The science of heart coherence breathing and how it builds emotional resilience from the inside out Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact https://open.spotify.com/track/1vuf0jxcfB7Ry8qeSr7pBp Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “Why does no one talk honestly about what happens to your body after having a baby?” 💭 “How do I stop feeling like sex is the last thing on my list?” 💭 “What does a healthy sex life even look like when everything in my body has changed?” - this episode is for you. In this honest, hilarious and genuinely eye-opening conversation, Tess and Layne welcome Heather Ford, sexologist, women's health clinician and founder of Core Restore Co., for a conversation about the body knowledge most of us were never given, and what changes when you finally have it. Heather opens up about her own turning point: a trampoline park, a toddler, three months postpartum, and the moment that turned shame into purpose. She went back to university, completed a Master's in Women's Medicine and a Master's in Sexology, and built a practice dedicated to making complex, stigmatised medical topics genuinely approachable. Together they move through female anatomy in a way that is equal parts educational and liberating. They cover the pelvic floor as a stress response muscle, the real structure and size of the clitoris, how breathing affects arousal, why lube is non-negotiable, and what happens to sexual health through perimenopause and menopause. Layne shares ten years of navigating menopause with honesty and grace. Tess reflects on rebuilding desire after injury. You will learn about: The anatomy most of us were never taught, and why that gap costs us in confidence and connection How the pelvic floor connects to your jaw, your breathing, your mental health and your orgasm What the research actually says about sexual health, longevity, and why one orgasm a week matters How to have the conversations about intimacy that most couples avoid Links text Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake's transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you're experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you've heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “Why am I working harder than ever and still feeling behind?” 💭 “How do I stop the spiral in my head from running the show?” 💭 “How do I actually perform at a high level without burning my life to the ground?” – this episode is for you. In this energising and practical conversation, Layne and Tess take you to high performance school. They strip back the myth that elite performers are simply more talented, more driven or born different, and reveal the real ingredient: hard work in harmony with your wellbeing, your relationships and yourself. Layne shares hard earned lessons from 20 years as a seven time world champion and her new life in the business world, including the head knocks, the paralysed face, the broken noses she pushed through, and the cost she still pays today in her body. Tess opens up about her noisy brain, the moment she realised her thoughts were not her, and how shortening the time she spends in the struggle has been her biggest high performance edge. Together they share the science of why your nervous system fires every part of your life, why 90 minute sprints exist for a reason, and why most people schedule every meeting except the one with themselves. You will walk away with a five step framework you can apply immediately: getting clear on what matters, protecting your energy, training your mind, building disciplined routines and recovering like it matters. You will hear about: The difference between high performance and hustle, and how to tell which one you are in right now Why your state, not your skill, determines your output The science of matching your energy to the work in front of you How time boxing, life lists and 90 minute sprints transform overwhelm into action Why recovery is a performance tool and not a reward, and how to build it into your daily life Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered: 💭 “What if everything I thought I knew about my health was wrong?” 💭 “Why do I keep pushing even when I know I’m running on empty?” 💭 “How do I slow down without feeling like I’m falling behind?” – this episode is for you. In this candid and courageous conversation, Tess and Layne sit down with Damien Mu, CEO and Managing Director of AIA Australia, for a conversation that is anything but corporate. Damien opens up about wearing a biometric device for 48 hours and discovering his stress recovery sat at 23 out of 100 and his restorative sleep at 6 out of 100 – despite feeling like he had everything under control. Damien takes us behind the role and into the reality: 152 flights a year, four hours of sleep, a first-generation migrant family’s work ethic running quietly in the background, and a deep-seated belief that slowing down was a sign of weakness. He shares what it took to face the data, find his why, and begin the slow, meaningful process of reprogramming a mindset that had served his ambition but was quietly costing him everything. Together they unpack the difference between health span and lifespan, explore AIA’s 5590 model of modifiable lifestyle behaviours, and make sense of what Australia’s growing mental health claims really mean for all of us. But more than the data, this conversation is about presence, parenting, and what it feels like when your son finally leaves the card game first because his cup is full. You will learn: The truth about “healthy” when the data tells a very different story Why the carry-on culture hides the true cost of high performance How a first-generation work ethic can become both a superpower and a quiet trap What 36 percent of AIA’s disability claims being mental health related really means for Australia Why genuine leadership begins with taking care of the leader first Season 3 is brought to you by AIA, a leading life, health and wellbeing insurer supporting healthier, longer, better lives. Protect what matters most, and AIA will help you do it for life. Complete your age calculator here https://www.aia.com.au/en/health-and-wellbeing/aia-vitality/age-calculator Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awake’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode Description: 💭 “Am I going crazy, or is this perimenopause?” 💭 “I’m exhausted all the time but I’m not depressed — what is actually going on?” 💭 “Do I have to grieve who I used to be to become who I want to be?” — this episode is for you. In this warm, honest and genuinely funny Q&A episode, Tess and Layne open the listener inbox and answer the questions you’re too afraid to Google in daylight. From the full truth about perimenopause (yes, brain fog and anxiety are often the first signs, not the hot flushes) to HRT, burnout, health span, friendship, and what it actually means to let go of an identity that no longer fits. Layne opens up about going straight to menopause without realising it, visiting a cardiologist for what turned out to be a hormonal heart rate, and her decision to finally give HRT a full year instead of stopping and starting. Tess talks about prepping for perimenopause before it arrives, why the Flow app has become a relationship tool in her household, and the four-step energy audit she uses when someone says “I’m exhausted but I don’t know why.” You will learn: The real symptoms of perimenopause that have nothing to do with hot flushes — and why so many women are misdiagnosed Why the story you tell about your treatment might be more powerful than the treatment itself How Layne’s relentless pushing through eventually led to chronic fatigue — and what the body whispers before it screams The difference between health span and lifespan, and why your 40s are your most important decade for building the body you’ll have in your 70s Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869 Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy Awake’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_ Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact Disclaimer The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey — not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life. If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast. Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.