Comfortable In Your Own Skin

The Power of Choice: From Rock Bottom to Rebel with a Cause

In this episode Jason Blyth, a powerful speaker and change maker, shares his raw life story, from a traumatised childhood and battles with addiction to a turning point in rehab that led him to choose responsibility, faith, and self‑leadership. He critiques systemic failures in child protection and mental health care, explores the difference between masking pain and unwrapping its gifts, and explains how suffering can refine purpose.
Tune in as Andrea and Jason discuss the hero's journey, resilience, the power of inner knowing, and the responsibility of sharing one’s gifts to serve the next generation. The conversation covers practical ideas about integrity, choice, and finding fulfilment beyond quick fixes like medication and distraction, while honouring that help is sometimes necessary.

One Smile at a Time: Finding Belonging with Sally Pymer

Sometimes the smallest gestures hold the greatest power. For Sally Pymer, a smile became more than an expression, it became a movement. After being diagnosed with a chronic lung condition, Sally channelled her energy into exercise, only to discover that addiction doesn't always come via drugs and alcohol. For her true healing came not from pushing harder, but from softening inward.
In this heartfelt conversation, Sally opens up about the journey from struggle to self-acceptance and how meditation, self-discovery, and tools like Human Design helped her reconnect to her body and spirit. Together, we explore what it really means to belong, how to embrace ourselves in every season, and why change always begins with the smallest steps.
A reminder that even in our most fragile moments, we hold the power to bring light- to ourselves and to others- one smile at a time.
 

The Accidental Author: Resilience in Motion with Mark Berridge

Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn that changes everything. For Mark Berridge, a devastating cycling accident didn’t just break bones, it shattered the path he thought he was on. Forced to relearn how to walk, Mark uncovered a deeper truth about resilience: it’s often forged quietly, long before we realise we’ll need it.
In this powerful conversation, Mark shares how his corporate career unknowingly equipped him with the mindset to navigate trauma, recovery, and identity loss. We explore how life’s greatest detours can reveal who we really are, why resilience is less about “bouncing back” and more about transforming forward, and how writing his book became a mirror for his own rediscovery.
A story of grit, grace, and the surprising gifts that come when life interrupts, this episode reminds us that our toughest seasons can awaken the truest parts of ourselves.
 

From Gag Orders to Guiding Voices: Jacqueline Brooker’s Story

What does it take to rebuild your life when the world feels like it’s crumbling around you? Jacqueline Brooker faced not only public humiliation but also the devastation of being blamed for her 2IC’s suicide in 2004. Then, in 2016 after a multimillion-dollar deal with Reece Witherspoon collapsed a gag order left her silenced and shamed again.
In this raw conversation, Jacqueline opens up about the heartbreak, the injustice, and the years that followed, where her character was attacked and her spirit tested. Yet what could have broken her became the path to her true calling. Jacqueline shares how these experiences, though painful and unjust, ultimately guided her toward helping others find and share their own voices.
We talk about the importance of giving ourselves time to process, the futility of chasing revelations before we’re ready, and the freedom that comes when we stop forcing answers and allow them to find us.

Choosing Growth Over Victimhood with Joe Azzopardi

In this powerful conversation, Joe Azzopardi opens up about his years of relentless bullying throughout primary school and the pivotal choice he made not to let others’ opinions define him. Together, we explore the fine line between a growth mindset and a victim mindset, and how reclaiming our power begins with the decision to shape our own story.
This episode is a reminder that while we can’t always control what happens to us, we can always choose how it shapes us.In essence, the power to be more comfortable in our own skin.

The $160K Day That Didn’t Change Everything With Kate Toon

Kate Toon earned $160,000 in a single day but it didn’t bring the fulfilment she expected. In this candid conversation, we dive into why chasing big wins doesn’t always equal happiness, and how often it’s the simple, everyday moments that truly nourish our sense of purpose and joy.
A thought-provoking episode for anyone chasing success, wondering what really matters, and learning to find contentment beyond the numbers.Check out more on this fabulous lady here-https://www.katetoon.com/

The Divine Timing Of Writing With Gail Tagarro

What if the moment that changes your life is simply a one-way ticket overseas? At just 20 years old, Gail Tagarro found herself standing at a crossroads in a foreign country, an experience that would shape her path as a writer, coach, and mentor to countless aspiring authors.
In this conversation Andrea and Gail explore how our greatest gifts often hide in plain sight, disguised as the things that come so easily we almost overlook them. They explore the difference between procrastination and divine timing when it comes to writing, and how to trust the natural rhythm of creative work.
From chasing what you love to using your skills in service of others, Gail’s story is a reminder that the journey to your purpose often begins with a single brave step and continues by listening to the quiet truths within you.
Whether you’re a writer, a dreamer, or someone standing at your own crossroads, this episode will inspire you to see your gifts, honour your timing, and create a life that lights you up.Find out more about Gail Tagarro here-https://bookwritingcoach.com.au/

Sobriety & Self-Discovery: Victoria Vanstone On The Freedom To Feel

In this honest and disarming conversation, Victoria Vanstone shares the turning point that led her to sobriety after a lifetime of normalised drinking. We dive into the cultural conditioning that made excess feel ordinary, her crossroad moment as a mother, and the surprising freedom she found in choosing a sober life. Victoria opens up about the discomfort of not always feeling at home in her own skin—and how quitting alcohol helped her reconnect with her creativity, purpose, and inner strength. Now the author of A Thousand Wasted Sundays and Mummying, Victoria brings humour and heart to the messy middle of transformation. This episode is a must-listen for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol or looking for a reminder that clarity and creativity often come when we stop numbing and start feeling.Find all things Vic here- https://www.soberawkward.com/

Living Life Beyond Shame With Keezia Leigh

In this transformative episode of Comfortable in Your Own Skin, host Andrea reconnects with Keezia Leigh, a remarkable transformational women's coach. They delve into a deep and insightful conversation about the power of somatic healing, self-acceptance, and embracing one's true essence.
Starting with their serendipitous encounter at an inspiring event on the Sunshine Coast, Andrea and Keezia reflect on the past months of growth and change. Keezia shares her journey from experiencing grief and chaos to discovering freedom through self-reflection and somatic practices. They explore themes of magnetism, distraction, and the profound impact of gene keys in understanding personal shadows and gifts.
This episode invites listeners to embrace the complexities of being human, highlighting the beauty of authenticity, vulnerability, and the interconnectedness of life experiences. Join Andrea and Keezia as they discuss the wisdom gained through life’s initiations and the journey towards becoming truly comfortable in one's own skin.

The Origin of Freedom & Opportunity with Eric Em

This week's episode on Comfortable In Your Own Skin is a a powerful episode with Eric Em—a refugee, father, and cultural bridge-builder—to explore his incredible origin story and the sacrifices his parents made to give him the gift of freedom and opportunity. Eric opens up about the silent weight of cultural expectations, navigating the taboo of divorce in Asian communities, and the quiet revolution of choosing a different way.
With raw honesty, he shares how he came to reject the "Asian Tiger parent" mold, recognising that true love is letting go of control. Instead of pushing his only child to meet inherited expectations, Eric is offering him the same thing his parents fought so hard to give him: freedom and opportunity: albeit it in his own way.
This is a conversation about identity, healing, and breaking generational cycles—not with rebellion, but with compassion and conscious choice.