A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist Con Koutsikas

 
HOW IS YOUR BANK ACCOUNT LOOKING?
For many, it’s not anywhere near as abundant as they would like it to be. 
So, how would you feel if I told you there is a direct relationship between your mindset and your bank account… 
Your mindset in fact, magnifies money. 
My guest on this episode to share his knowledge and expertise is  one of Australia’s leading transformational coaches, Rik Schnabel. 
Rik is a businessman, leader, mentor, author, and coach with his transformative company,  Life Beyond Limits. 
Coaches from all over the world respect his expertise and flock to be trained and mentored by him. 
When you’re looking for a behavioural expert, Rik IS the man.  With over 38,000+ coaching hours, Rik turns the impossible into possible and the ‘cant’s’ into ‘cans.’ 
Rik is not just theory, he is in fact, living proof. 
Back in 2002, he was about to be fired and at the bottom of the sales ladder when he had an epiphany. 
An epiphany which had him become the best salesperson in the company’s history! He effectively untrained his own brain and today, he coaches others to design their best life and ultimately live out their dreams. 
 
Rik dropped gold nuggets throughout the interview and shared: 
 
1.    His background and life around money leading up to  2002. 
 
2.    With $27 in his bank account and a child on the way, he was sick and tired of being sick and tired.  He shared his thoughts and painted a picture, his mindset / state leading up to the epiphany?  We are only motivated by Pain or Pleasure. 
 
3.   We talk about ‘we are only 1 decision away from a different life’  What decision did you make?   What path /actions did you subsequently take? 
 
4.   He explained the relationship between your mind set and money.   Does it work both ways?  Your mindset in fact, magnifies money, both abundance and lack. 
 
5.    People don’t work for money; they worry for Money!  That blew me away. 
 
6.    Its not what you think about but HOW you think about it. 
 
7.   The comment he often gets from people.   ‘Oh, but you don’t understand, my circumstances are different…… 
 
8.    How and when was our brain trained and how do we ‘untrain’? 
 
9.    What are some tools / strategies the audience can start to implement now?  Rik shared and explained his ADD concept.  Accept, Decide, Detach 
 
To learn more about the amazing work Rik does and how he can help you, check out his website here: 
https://lifebeyondlimits.com.au/ 

On This episode, I am joined by literary royalty,  My guest  is Australia’s bestselling author and regenerative agriculturalist, Rachael Treasure


Rachael has been dubbed an agricultural activist, farm feminist and literary pioneer and has worked as a rural journalist, radio broadcaster, jillaroo, professional wool classer, veterinary nurse, stock camp cook, high country cattle drover, truffle sniffer dog handler and family farm manager.


Rachael sparked a publishing boom in 2002 when her first novel Jillaroo woke the world up to contemporary women’s stories beyond the city lights   ‘Jillaroo’  has become an iconic work of contemporary fiction, changing the face of Australian publishing, and kick-starting a boom of rural women’s fiction.


Her 8th novel “Milking Time” is due for release in May 2024


She is also co-founder of Ripple Farm Landscape Healing Hub, a 100-acre regenerative farm in Southern Tasmania that showcases Natural Sequence Farming, soil health principles, ecological restoration, and holistic farming. 
Rachael shared: 
Her fascinating upbringing and how she arrived at now.

‘an agricultural activist, farm feminist and literary pioneer’, is that how you would describe yourself?

You have certainly had some interesting jobs.  including, jillaroo, professional wool classer, veterinary nurse, stock camp cook, high country cattle drover, truffle sniffer dog handler and family farm manager.  How did these all come about? 
Where did the passion for writing come?   And at what age? 
As a rural journalist she saw an absence of contemporary rural women from Australia’s narrative and resolved to write a best seller about the women in her rural world.  Whilst its fiction,  Who were you inspiration?

Her 8th novel “Milking Time” is due for release in May 2024

In addition to be being a best selling author, you have written a screen play and have self published but you have also entered the world of adult entertainment………an adult colouring in book ’50 Bales of hay’   I love the play on words, what was the inspiration behind this?

Manifesto for new path in agriculture ‘Down the Dirt Road’ 
She also saw a growing disconnection emerging between nature and people, and a decline in human and landscape health due to modern industrial agricultural practices. Rachael uses storytelling in popular fiction form to awaken mass consciousness towards caring for our planet, particularly within agriculture. 

Rachael sells meat, eggs and other produce directly to conscious consumers via Open Food Networks – an online system offering an alternative to major supermarkets.To learn more about Rachael, her views on agriculture and to buy her products, head to her website https://www.rachaeltreasure.com/

We are constantly being reminded of inflation and the cost of living crisis. 
My guest on this episode is Personal Budgeting Queen, Author and Radio Host,
Samantha Boardman. 


Samantha founded ‘Spending Made Easy’ in July 2016, after being made redundant from her corporate job 12 months before.  


At Spending Made Easy they are experts at budgeting, and they take all of the stress, worry, panic, uncertainty, and often sleepless nights out of your mundane and tedious day-to-day finances and budgeting.  


Sam absolutely LOVES what she does and has even written a book called “Budgeting Is Crap” (because it is, right?).  


Sam is on a mission to get as many people as possible with a Spending Plan! Spending Plans change lives! 


Sam is also a regular contributor on a new internet radio station; “Podcast City Radio” 


Sam shared the following: 
·         How it all started.
·         Budgeting is crap.  Samantha explains why.
·         The  ‘a cost-of-living crisis’
·         What are some of the biggest challenges people have when they come to you.
·         Buy now, pay later, Afterpay etc.  instant gratification.   Parent s did not buy until they had saved the money.
·         The danger of payday loans
·         The importance of couple’s communication and working toward a common goal.  Also, transparency 


And Sam shared her  top 3 tips. 
1.      Always start with your outgoings NOT your income.
2.      Don’t be embarrassed, ask for help!
3.      Have a plan. (Fail to plan, plan to fail)

To reach out to Samantha, here are her details.

Website; https://www.spendingmadeeasy.com.au/
 Email; sam@spendingmadeeasy.com.au

Click below to follow her on her social media.
 Facebook
Instagram
 Podcast

Theo Venter is the only person known to have survived 22,000 volts and 1,200 amps through the heart and lived to see another day.
 
When Theo removed his insulated gloves while working on a damaged transmission pole, he made a decision that would impact himself and his family in ways he couldn’t have imagined.
 But why did Theo, an experienced linesman, make what the safety industry would tell us was a poor decision?
As a result of his experience, Theo’s purpose was clear……….to save others from having to experience something so horrific.
Theo has formed the six bedrock foundation pillars, extricated from his story, that will transform a workplace culture on a deeper cellular level.
“Just Another Day” takes an in-depth look at the way in which workplace culture dictates safety, breaking through the many myths and misunderstandings associated with our safety industry.
Theo is also the co-author of Get Real and Convenience Kills. 
 Here is what we chatted about.:


Tell us a bit about your background and how you became a Linesman? Its February 13th, 2006.Tell us about ‘that day’ The obvious question is ‘why’?Were there any circumstances which impacted or influenced your decision?Talk us through what followed.   
The impact on his relationship.What work did you do to defeat the black dog?  He chose to believe there was hope.What are your 6 bedrock foundation pillars?You subsequently did significant research speaking to thousands of employees, senior leaders including executive leaders and hundreds of incident investigation,  what did you find? How much pressure is there for people to make ‘expedient’ choices?Theo also shared his '6 Pillars'


Agreement - Personal AccountabilityGut FeelDream about the perfect day, we spend too much time dwelling on crap!Take 5 brave secondsStop, Pause, FeelHave a symbol of your 'why'
For more information about Theo and his unbelievable story, head to his website at https://theoventer.com/

A recent study by the mental Health Foundation in the UK found that in the past year, a staggering  74% of people have been so stressed that they have been overwhelmed or unable to cope.
My guest on this episode is Rebekah King, The Brain Changer.    Rebekah is a 
·         Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)Master Practitioner
·         Hypnotherapist
·         Speaker and life coach.
 As a  former corporate professional who, for years, navigated  depression and anxiety.
Rebekah reached what seemed like an insurmountable low. A pivotal encounter with a renowned Australian Coach, led Rebekah to delve deep in to understanding her mind's mechanisms, where she embarked on a transformative journey to rewire her thinking. 


Her own remarkable journey inspired Rebekah to effect radical shifts in her life, becoming a source of strength and inspiration to others seeking liberation from anxiety and self-limiting beliefs. 


Drawing from her experiences and coupled with her impressive qualifications, she now guides  people in retraining their brains, facilitating  immediate and profound transformations, earning her the moniker, ‘The Brain Changer’. Her clients have seen incredible shifts that have completely transformed the trajectory of their lives for the better, moving from feeling stuck, anxious and unhappy to motivated, calm and confident.


Unlocking your beliefs: the key to personal and professional transformation
Manage stress amid anxiety and sort out your life.
The essential ABC to retrain your brain
The power of language:  eliminate anxiety and transform your life through words
Unlock the secrets of behaviour change with neuroscience. 
 
We discussed:
Her story, dealing with depression and anxiety.  In her words, "I didn't want to live, but I knew I didn't want to die".What did the LOW look like for her.People with depression.    That’s sounds easy BUT, you don’t understand…… Job, kids, demands of family etc.Our constant stress, and how our body normalises it.First step to change.Hypnotherapy.   Peoples perception vs what it really isThe power of language…I am, self deprecating humor Instant gratification.   People looking for a pill rather than doing the workGreat question “for what purpose”In order to move forward we have to be open to the idea that there is a solutionRebekah's ABC ,


A             Awareness         Stillness, meditation, journalingB             Brain ,      Understanding how it worksC             Choice, we have a choice in everything we do.To learn more about Rebekah's work or to reach out, here are her links
Email         rebekah@moonbeammonday.com.au
Website  https://www.moonbeammonday.com.au/

THIS EPISODE MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE………BOWEL CANCER…..
Now that I have your attention, once considered an old persons disease, there is an alarming increase in both diagnosis and death in younger people.  Here are some frightening  statistics:
1.        Bowel Cancer is now the #1 death by cancer of 25-30 year olds
2.       This is up from #9, 40 years ago.
3.       Now the 4th most common cancer, there has been an 11% increase in under 50’s 


My guest on this episode of ‘A Cuppa with The Con Versationalist’ is Nick Lee, Chairman of The Jodi Lee foundation,  corporate health expert and co-director and partner of Healthy Minds.            
 
With a beautiful family and working as a director of multi-national consumer goods company, Nick Lee had good reason to be happy and optimistic about his future. That changed in an instant when his wife Jodi was diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer at the age of 39. After battling with the disease for 2 years, Jodi passed away in 2010. 
 
We all face critical hurdles in our lives, but when we do it is how we react that determines our future health and happiness. After Jodi’s death Nick made the brave decision to leave his job and use his experience to do all he could to stop others suffering a similar experience. He established The Jodi Lee Foundation to inspire others to protect themselves against bowel cancer and make positive choices to improve their health. The work of the Foundation has saved many Australian lives. 
 
Nick was a 2015 SA Australian of the Year finalist, and was awarded the 2013 Social Entrepreneur of the Year (Central Region) by Ernst and Young. In 2022 Nick was awarded The Medal of the Order of Australia. Nick receives this recognition for his service to the community through the not-for-profit sector (Jodi Lee Foundation) and commitment to raising awareness for the early detection and prevention of bowel cancer. 
During this eye opening and captivating interview, 
·         Nick shared his story.
·         What were the symptoms and what you should be looking out for.
·         Was there a delay in diagnosis and is there an ‘age barrier’ to diagnosis?
·         The dramatic increase in cases and deaths in under 50’s  and even more alarmingly, under 30’s
·         The valuable work of the foundation through research, education and support.
·         There is a 99% survival rate if there is early detection.
·         The importance of screening and questioning your doctor.
 
For more information about the life saving work the Jodie Lee Foundation do, head to their website at https://jodileefoundation.org.au/