September 8, 2025 • 44 mins
Jenny O’Brien is the founder of Beyond Wellness, a bespoke retreat and concierge service in the Barossa. This episode was part of our podcast trip down in South Australia. Jenny shares her journey from community work to creating Beyond Wellness, the challenges she overcame, and how burnout led her to focus on health and healing. She also talks about the impact of her retreats, the role of nature in wellness, and her vision for helping people reconnect with themselves and find balance.
Check out Beyond Wellness's Website here: https://www.beyondwellnessco.com.au/
South Australia. Celebrate the Simple Pleasures. Visit southaustralia.com.au to discover yours.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jenny Brian, Welcome to the mentor.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Oh thanks for having a remark. Very excited.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
It's pretty bloody cold here has Actually it's cold, but
it's a clear morning. Chriss anything. I can hear the
birds hopefully, I guess can hear the birds all around us.
We're one of those beautiful, chilled out, relaxing places that
I've ever been, and we're here right now in Seplus
Field in South Australia. Actually, I went for drive around
(00:24):
this morning and I just couldn't believe it's I feel
like I've been taken back in time. Like there's beautiful
old homes everywhere. I saw sheep everywhere. It's not something
we normally see in the city and my brain got
a bit of a reset just by looking around. It's
silly but pretty simple. But yeah, I feel quite relaxed.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
And chilled out.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
I don't I don't feel like I need to do
my box breathing. It's been done for me just by
listening to birds. But hand out cookerbarros. Haven't heard many
cooker barrooughs yet because my favorite bird in the world,
like particularly is Australian, but is a cooker bar. I
love Cooker Barrows. I love the fact they get up
before everybody else and they they start making a lot
(01:13):
of noise early, basically to scare off everybody else so
they can go and get whatever it is they're after.
I love Cooker Barrows. I'm so happy I'm in South Stralia.
It's pretty cool. Now your business is Beyond Wellness. We're
going to talk about that at the moment. That's a
big topic these days, especially particularly for me, and so
you're the founder of Beyond Wellness. It's a wellness retreat
(01:36):
concierge service right here in the Barossa Valley.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It certainly is.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's a pretty cool job, a great business, my job.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love my job. I think I have one of
the best jobs in the world.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
And I haven't always been in this space, like we've
been operating since like twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Just before COVID. Yes, wow.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
And with that came as challenges of course, you know,
like the big vision was to establish a retreat center
here in the Barossa.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I'd never had any.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Real business experience, like I've worked in government and not
for profit.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We go there, can we talk tell me where you
did work?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I did?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yes, of course, So I started off in local government
here in Adelaide and then moved across to Melbourne and
worked for the City of Yarra, So that's like where
the MCG is and so within that role was a
lot of like community based work and it was a
very diverse community to over in Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
But I loved it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
When you say worked in government, love government, that's councils,
I guess what you mean, but that is in an
administrative capacity.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
No.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I actually started off in sports and recreations sector and
then moved into major events partnerships, so working closely with
the community to really help better their lives. And that's
sort of what got me into a lot of partnership work,
(03:06):
which I just loved doing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Partnership means what though in terms of what you were doing.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, So partnerships is about partnering the community, understanding what
is needed in community and then working with not for
profit organizations, local community groups and then coming together to
try and figure out how is it that they can
make where they live better.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And so.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
You have to have a fairly strong understanding of the
wish list of the community, correct, But equally you have
to sort of have a bit of an understanding of
what it is that people need just instinctively, like they're
wishless a lot of times is what you don't know?
What they don't know, So they may have wishless. They
mightst say I feel like crossants and you know, donuts
(03:56):
every day. But to some extent you have to be
a bit more forceful personal in what it is that
they need. Sometimes we need to tell the community or
members of the community, what does they need without sort
of being shoved at down their throat.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, and I think, you know, like for a community
like Melbourne and like the inner city part there is
such diversity in terms of those that have and those
that have not.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah, And so how is it you can come.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Together to figure out, well, how is it that you
can create equity or you know, that discernment of giving
people the life that they want to live. Like for me,
and it's sort of been a theme throughout my whole
life is meeting people where they are, you know, genuinely
coming in to listen and then from there going okay, So,
how is it that we can partner to figure out
(04:45):
a way forward? And you don't always get it right,
and you don't always give people exactly what they want either,
So that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So you use the word equity. Equity is an interesting word.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
And if somebody thinks that they want something that someone
else has got a lot of times, unless they've been
exposed to the thing that they think will give them equity,
it's not always as good as it sounds or seems.
A lot most times, you've got to be careful what
you wish for.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
How is it that? How do you or.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
How did you sort of make that discernment and sort
of say, Okay, I know what you're after as a community,
but I don't know if that's sort of something you
are really going to embellish or love once you get
exposed to it.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I mean, how do you do that? Like because you're
you're sort of like.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Godlike nearly Yeah, you know, like it's a pretty heavy
responsibility to make sure that you bring equity to communities. Yeah,
that's a big, big responsibility, particular when the community doesn't
really even know what they want because I haven't ever
been exposed to it.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Well yeah, and I think but sometimes you get to
see how other people are living, or there's opportunity or
you're wanting something more, and I think through when there's talent,
and with challenge and adversity can come innovation and change.
And so for me, how I've always worked is making
sure that you come like listening, like really listening and
(06:11):
being curious. And then from there it's like, okay, well,
trying to get at the heart of what people want
and then figuring out what the path forward is and
then who is it that can come around to the table.
I did an amazing creating Shared Value program in Boston
and that was all around, you know, trying to solve
(06:33):
really hard things. But then how is it that community
come together, government and business where they all play a
part to solve really big challenges. And that's how I've
always driven everything that I do.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Sometimes it comes at a bit of a detriment.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I think it sounds like a lot of deep thinking. Yeah,
a lot of deep thinking, a lot of deep searching.
What told does that take on someone?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I think I can definitely speak from experience.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I moved from working in government to working in a
corporate setting and I was working across Melbourne and Sydney.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
I've been brought up to work really hard.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Be independent, listen to people, and my work ethic is
really strong and with that, I think and I've experienced
like a couple of times of big periods of burnout
because I want to do a good job. Sometimes I
work too independently and keep striving forward. And for me,
(07:50):
when I'm at that period of burnout, it's probably I've
gone well over the point of where I should have
done something previously, and that has led me to sometimes
you know, withdrawing, not always going to the right vices
perhaps and then just keep going. And you know that
(08:11):
sort of stress and burnout is real?
Speaker 1 (08:14):
How do you know?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
And we hear a lot about it often wondered where
a lot of people talk about it actually experience because
it's nearly trending. But how do you know? Because it's
different everybody, But how do you know? How does Jenny
know when she's either approaching burnout or is you don't
know when you're approaching burnout? But it's you know when
(08:36):
you're in burnout because it's already too late.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
How do you know? What are your signs? What are
you looking for? And what does it mean? Burnout?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Like you're completely stuffed, you can't get out of bed,
you're catatonic or what are we talking about here?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I think it's physical or both.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I think it's changed over time during my first period
of burnout when I was working in a corporate setting.
Looking back, I understand what those signs are, like I
withdraw and don't see friends.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
But not purposely.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
You just purposely. But I, you know, looking back, that's
how it felt.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
These are not sleeping first, withdrawal.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, withdraw The second is around like my sleep was impacted.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, not sleeping well?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, not sleeping well?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
What does not sleeping well mean? Like you know, lesson
It's just like a couple of hours in.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
That sleep is more around broken sleep, hard.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
To get to sleep, waking up a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Waking up a lot, and ruminating.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Right like when you're awake.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, so I wake up in the middle of the
night and then start thinking about things and then not
being able to go back to sleep. But I think too,
it's like those thoughts where if you're feeling tired, you're
not looking after yourself very well. I think the thoughts
can start to spiral and perhaps what I'm telling myself
and that voice in my head isn't actually true.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
For example, are you saying you'll be right or are
you saying.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I like a little bit like doom and gloom. I'm
never going to get out of this? How am I
going to? Like?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Life is not good?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Those type it's not.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yeah, And are you abusing yourself with like booze or
something like that?
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Like I would say abusing, But because I worked really
really long hours, I would associate getting home and having
a glass or to a wine.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, I do, But.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
It's almost like that was that cut off point, you
know when you come home and trying to stop and
not doing more work or you know, like.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I associated that sort of switching off with having a
glass wine.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Putting a full stop in your day. Yeah, how do
I put a full stop on the day? I'm going
to have a glass wine? That's that's it. That's the cutoff.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Nothing past that point because you probably can't do much passing.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
And you enoy and you enjoy it, but then of
course then I affection next morning, and then you know,
I would I've always been an exerciser, Like life over
the last few years has definitely changed for me just
because of circumstances, but I'd still get up still thrash
my body, you know, Like I'm very much a type
a personality. So for me, it was like the CrossFit,
(11:17):
going for runs and things like that. So what I
do know is that adrenaline like that high stress cortisol
levels would have been really high. And so you're waking
up in the morning, it's still you're not feeling that great.
It's not like I was hungover, but you're just still
you're not on your game, not on your game. But
I'd still go and do that really high threshold, so
(11:38):
my heart rates up. So for me now understanding because
at that time, I didn't know what was going on
for my body. But I have put things in place
and I now understand what I was doing to myself,
but I didn't know back then.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So just just because two parts of what you just said,
I'd just like to explore a bit more. So. The
first part is, let's call it the markers or the
indicators of it's about to happen. I'm physically so I'm
physically entering into that mode where I'm exhausted, I'm not
(12:12):
sleeping properly. These are the things you would these days
you'll be looking out for, and a lot of people
don't even recognize these things. It just happens, not sleeping
properly overthinking things.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Let's call it.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Ruminating, but like just sort of you know, dialing down
on something that's not good, sort of removing yourself from
your community in other words, less contact with people, friends, family,
et cetera. To some extent. Little it's a little self
destructive self to some extent. Then for some people, what
(12:48):
you say, because I know these sort of people, some people,
what you tend to do then is you then go
even harder the next day, so you're in constant sympathetic driver.
You're constantly in that sort of fight or flight drive,
and you're not balancing it up with your parasympathetic system,
in other words, not going into rest and digest mode.
(13:09):
You're continually on it, and you continually on even when
you're sleep. You're probably not Your heart rate is probably
sitting up in the sixties, probably never getting down to
where it should be. Notwithstanding there you might be fit.
Your heart rate ability is probably not very good. You know,
it's probably hanging around in the twenties or thirties when
(13:29):
it should be up somewhere higher. Probably you're you're respiratory.
You're probably breathing a lot short breaths while you're asleep
and you're not looking for the real signs of where
you should be landing.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know, you should be landing in a different place.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And and of course you know, you get out and
you can these days, you can get out on all
sorts of apps and find out what I should do
in this situation. Once you recognize that this is a situation,
they'll tell you to do, you know, mark, breathe, meditate,
do yoga, you know, do and then you think, oh, stuff,
that's that's not me. But what the it's really sort
(14:08):
of saying to you do is like, just sit down
in this environment, for example, and just breathe out. Yeah,
just have a look around. Yeah, just take stock of
yourself for a second.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What was the.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Moment you found that? Well, do you remember when you
my god, I've got to do something different.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Oh I do. So I read the book My Miracle
Morning by how El Rod.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
But why did you read that book? What encourage you
to read the book?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I started listening to podcasts to be honest, like back,
you know, gosh, we're talking ten.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Twelve years or so many around in those days. No,
there wasn't.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
And I heard about the book My Miracle Morning and
it was all about setting up your day. And I've
always been a morning person and I've always been into
looking after myself, but probably not understanding now what I know.
And so the miracle morning was about getting up, doing
some practice of gratefulness, practicing gratitude, doing some journaling, doing
(15:17):
a little bit of meditation. And then that started me
on this journey. So I just tried it. I didn't
like it at all, but I started to feel a
little bit of benefit. And then I started researching about,
you know, the benefits in your body.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
That's where it all started.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
And then I went through some and then once I
started it was that introspection, you know, like really starting
to slow down, you know when you're journaling things things
come out that you're like, oh, I didn't know that,
and yeah, absolutely, And then also those moments of you
know that meditation, the mindfulness. I remember starting it and
(16:00):
I was like, this is crazy. I do not like
meditation or mindfulness at all. But I persisted with it,
and I started to notice little sort of spaces in
my day. And when I was working in the corporate sector,
I just needed a break. I wasn't taking holidays, and
(16:20):
so I.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Looked for a retreat.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Never been on a retreat before when over to Bali,
as you do. But I went to this Arivedic retreat
and all I wanted to do was to sit around,
get some massages and just to slow down. And what
I found there was just completely different. It was I
went there for a holiday just to relax and really
(16:46):
walking away. Not that I knew it then, but that
was a seed of where I am today.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So what did you learn there? In hindsight? What do
you think you found?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I found because it's like based on the Arivedic traditions. Yeah,
so it's an ancient Indian sort of philosophy, and so
they it's grounded in yoga and meditation, you know, vegetarian food,
but these incredible treatments, like these massage treatments and oil
(17:18):
treatments and just things that.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Would just really ground you.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
You know, you talk about like we're here and that
sort of that connection back to self.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And I just and I met.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
The owner there, and he was one of those people
where he could just look into your eyes and look
into your soul and started to have these really amazing
conversations and started asking me questions and sort of these.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Deep inner workings. He was just like one of those
people that you just like look into your eyes.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
And that really started to luck on lock something for me,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Started to change my life completely.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And then what it did was reinforce the habits that
I was doing before I left Sydney for the holiday
and then came back. And then that led me onto
a totally different path.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So, you know, you're running wellness business now, but like
in terms of retreats and concers, et cetera. But that
decision then to ditch your corporate world and set up
a business that's not something easy to do. It's not
an easy thing to do. That's that's pretty hectic. Yeah,
(18:41):
I mean the corporate world's pretty full on, but the
small business world is emore full on in terms of commitment, time, effort, money, stress,
every other bloody thing.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
As we all know. How did you approach it? Well,
it was.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So I was working for a corporate company for quite
a long many years and I'd been trying to get
a redundancy. Yeah, and finally got one, which is awesome.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
That always helps.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, and so I decided that I wanted to take
a six month sabbat a cool I really take a break,
and so I rented out my apartment in Melbourne. I
went and did a little bit of study in Boston,
intentional to do some trouble and the other side of
it is I wanted to go do some pro bono
work somewhere in the world. But I am a plan
(19:37):
to a fault at times. But I wanted to do
things differently, so I didn't beside the study. I decided
that I would take things.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
As they come anyway.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
So I met some amazing people in Boston and then
it sort of led me to Vietnam and I was
working for a leading not for profit there and I wanted.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
To do three months pro bono work there and it
was the.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Not for profit had about two hundred and fifty not
for profits underneath them, so communist country, you know. Like
so I saw a lot of diversity in the in
the country, and I was working with businesses as well,
so it was like, how is it that business can
contribute to the community, and how is it that community
can work with business And it was never done before.
(20:30):
And part way through the board then offered me a
role to start up a new division there and so
that's where I was working and around the same time. Well,
towards the end of my stay there, my sister got
reported missing and she was wow, yeah, she was living. Yeah,
(20:51):
she was in South Australia, in.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Adelaide, missing in Australia. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
And she had over the time some challenges with addiction,
and so there was a point where you know, she
was living on the streets and like I was taking
its toll on my parents and my family. Yeah, And
so I decided then to resign from my role in Vietnam.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
So, which is how I landed here in the.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Barossa and did And your sister.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Today, Yeah, she's doing well.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
She's fine.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And then but those family moment changes can be quite significant.
How's it affected you know, why you decided to go
into business? I mean, is there an overall effect from me?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Yeah? Well, do you know what I did? So I
had I had already planned to go do two retreats
in Bali. So I was going back to where I went.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Australians take Australians there for it.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, no, no, no, I was.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
So I came back here and so I went back
to the first retreat I went to in a silent retreat,
and at that point when I'd come back, I was,
you know, we've I'd found my sister and that she
was looking to, you know, make changes in our life
and so and really at that point I didn't know
whether that change was going to be sustainable. So I
went back to BALI I had no idea what I
(22:11):
was going to do. Was I going to go back
to Melbourne, go back to my corporate life, or do
I stay here in the Brossa And so I took
a sketch pad, no idea what I was going to do.
I love mind mapping and sort of when I'm at crossroads,
and so I started at the Silent Retreat and I
came up with my business. Never had I thought about
(22:32):
owning my own business, but I knew, particularly after everything
had been through the wellbeing practices and then I was
helping my sister a lot of things. I thought, I'm
going to do this because I'm a strong believer that
you can do, you know, small simple things in your
life as long as it's with consistency, that can help
(22:56):
you be your best. And that's the premise of the business.
And so I came back at that time because I
was still helping my sister. I was living back with
my parents.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
I was forty four at a time, forty.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Four forty five at the time, and so at the
same time of helping my sister, I was set up
in the spare room, had you know, posters and everything yesterday,
and I was sketching out the business like and that's
where it started.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
So yeah, and what would you say at the time, Yeah,
was your biggest challenge?
Speaker 4 (23:39):
My biggest challenge was that because I wanted to build
a retreat center in the Borisa Like that was my vision,
like an actual retreat, like an actual bricks and mortar
beautiful place, because there was nothing really in South Australia
and it's such an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And I believe in this space so much.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
And you know, I think so collaboration and partnership is
a heard of everything that I do.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
That's where your experience is too.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, it is very much. And I believe that all.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Together all the assets, yes, yes, into one place.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Into one place.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
But I didn't know how to establish a business, let
alone a multimillion dollar business. And so for me then
I'm just like, so I go and find as many
people as I can, talk to people and just like
try and figure it out.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
So that was so that's interesting thing that part, that
collaboration piece, because obviously to set up your own retreat
that's expensive. Maybe that's a dream for the future because
there's capital intense. You know, it requires lots of money
and probably not money probably not the best spent way
to set something up side.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Of the business.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
But the collaboration piece or bring the assets together. So
what would the assets be for example, that you need
to bring together to run retreats the way you do?
So what are we talking or type vessets we're talking about.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
So now how the business evolved is I go then
partner with like places like here we're at cabin in
sepples Field, beautiful place set in nature. And so what
I do is partner with the accommodation providers.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
So that's one asset.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
One assay is that.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
So another asset might be for example food food.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Yes, another asset is the deliveries of like I'm not
a yoga teacher or anything like that. So I bring
in like these amazing contractors that can help facilitate.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
And then it is around.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
How do you how do you talk me into it?
Like I would We're at the cabin at the moment,
Why why would? Why would?
Speaker 3 (25:43):
What's you're selling? Like when you when you talk to them,
what do you say, I can make you more money?
I mean, I don't know. Well, what's what's the sell?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
And this is that sounds like this is the sort
of stuff you did when you're in council. Sounds like
this stuff when you're in corporate.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Because I'm trustworthy, I work hard. I come in and
I try and get to know so I don't just
partner with anyone like I work really hard at relationships
and so for me sometimes that takes a little bit
of time, but I think there is value in that
because I have been burnt over the time with partnerships
and so it is around aligning brands and ethos.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It is around like delivering on a promise.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
So get to know them and then get to know them.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Yeah, get to know them understanding what is in it
for all of us. You know, For me about collaboration
is that when you come together, I think the pie
is bigger. And that as long as you understand where
people are coming from and what's important to them and
what's in it for them, and then you come up
with something that can work for it on.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
So do you have sustainability.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It's got to have a future in terms of sustainability,
not to about environmentally as much as talking about business
model as such as sustainable business model. That is, I
can you can continue to bring to you more or
guests who might stay at your assets. It's not going
(27:04):
to be a one off. It's going to be whatever
over and over and over again. So you're convinced can
convince them and obviously going to be convinced yourself that
this is a sustainable business model for them for them
to invest their assets into. Yeah, so like so that
that's not just physical assets like this one here, but
that's also services suppliers. Let's just talk about your suppliers.
(27:28):
How do you what's the ethic that you're tending to
look for relative to your suppliers. So let's talk about
yoga or meditation or well. Then first off, give me
all the names all the things you do supply to
your your customers, your guests.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
So we do everything from yoga pilates to meditation, We
take people on guide to walk through conservation parks.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
We do like corporate well being is a big part
of what we do.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
As well, So we'll go into corporates and help them
design a well being strategy, or come in and do
mindfulness or like the team building and coaching side of things.
So really, when I think about it, it's like, what
are all the parts of your overall health and wellbeing
or how are the opportunities that can give people to
disconnect and then we create amazing services with that. So
(28:23):
we partner with Forestry Essay, so we have license agreements
that allow us to take us into different parts of forest.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
And can I just step up with the objective of
that though, for example to go into the South stral forests,
which I'm sure pretty cool. The objective of that of
and or also the explanation that you give to your
corporate retreat partners is that it's an experience with nature
or it's it about reconnecting with nature or what or
(28:53):
is it curiosity as to what nature can show me?
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Yeah, I think it's all of that.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
It's about like awe and wonder And as you say,
you know, when you're You've just said, as you're driving
here this morning, you're out of the hustle and bustle
of the city. You're taken away from what you would
typically do in your morning, and you're looking around and
you're hearing the birds, and you're like connecting with nature,
(29:18):
and it just gives you a different perspective. And it's
all of those things that we do in the forest.
But it's like, you know, moving your body, Yeah, movement, movement,
like it's deep breath, it's like looking around. But I
think when you take people out of their natural setting
or normal setting, and particularly from a corporate perspective, I
think you think better. It allows you to slow down
(29:40):
and then you get to start to be more creative.
You can connect with the people that are around you,
and when you do do that frequently, it allows you
to be better, allows you to be better as.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
A person, You feel better as a Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
You'd like all of those things. I think we live
in a world now.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Where everything is just going, go, go, go go, and I
think that has its place. But I also think that
when you I always say light where the yin to
the boss is yang in this setting, it's like, how
is it that you can give yourself those opportunities just to.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Slow down and connect.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
And with that, I think you're better at home, You're
better in relationships you're better at work, better performance, all
of those things.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
We've got more to talk about too.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I mean, I actually think that these environments really are
unbelievably disarming. So they disarm you, and I don't mean
in a bad way. I mean actually for me, put
you back more on a natural state. Because the office
environment or the home of environment, which is mostly telephone
(30:45):
based and screen based, they build barriers to proper connection,
Like you tend not to talk to people. Definitely, if
you're working from you don't even see anybody.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
What.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
It's really handy and convenient, and you pick your kids
up or whatever, you can take your dog for walk,
whatever the case may be. It's also quite isolate, isolating,
and I do I can see the sense of what
you're talking about, getting everyone out together walking through the bush,
especially this train bush. I love this train bush. Walk
through the bush, and you know, with the consent of
(31:21):
the forestry commissioner whatever they call themselves here and talking
and just sort of all looking and enjoying the same things.
No phones get I get it, I actually get it,
and I think that's brilliant. So when you bring them
back back back to one of your assets, not your asset,
but the asset you're collaborated with, for example, here, what's
(31:42):
the next thing?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What are they what are you trying to get them
to experience.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Outside of the bushwalk, outside of the activity, physical activity?
Speaker 1 (31:49):
What's next?
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Well, I mean a lot of the things we do
is around organizing multi day retreats and it's just so
interesting to see people. So when they arrive, their shoulders
are up like this, you know, they're looking.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
For stuff to do.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Where's my phone?
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Where's my phone? They look at the program and they'll go, okay,
so I've got a gap here for an hour and
a half. That means I could go for a walk,
I can go into you know, the main street, I
can do this and do that. But we're purposeful in
terms of that downtime, and it's interesting you watch people
(32:30):
and then the next morning they slowly start to sort
of let go a little bit, like let go of
the group. And then we're very deliberate in terms of
the types of things that we do. So it's always
amazing food.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
And what's amazing food to you?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Now?
Speaker 4 (32:46):
I just think, you know, good food that is pretty clean,
but it's you know, quite often Mark, we'll have people
that will they'll tell us at the end of their
retreat stay that they've stashed things like, you know, chocolate
and some chips and things like that, because.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I've kept in my pocket the whole time.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Handmore matic because I think, like sometimes I think people
think about like healthy food is We're going to feed
them carrot sticks and celery.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
It's not that at all.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
It's about good, nourishing, wholesome food that tastes good, that
digests really well. Because I don't think you need to
You don't need to have the green juices and all
of those things to be healthy. It's about what is
that nourishes your body. And then we do some you know,
(33:39):
take people and walks, do some yogat, we run workshops
things around on stress management or you know, how to
breathe or any.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Of those types of things things around purpose.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Does it sound ridiculous how to breathe? I mean, like
I took some of my staff from Sydney up to it.
I'm like, you've got a farm and I've got to
retreat there. And I brought in a breath work guy,
and I had my senior leadership team. There was eight
of us, include myself. I did the same thing I did,
(34:10):
and we did breath work, and like it's an hour
of it of it and none of them ever done before.
And it's quite revealing. My breath work does, yeah, quite revealing,
including to myself and the different responses, but just the
experience for everybody was quite important, I think.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
And also doing it together and looking at each other
in the eye.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
A few times we stop and you stand up and
look each other in the eye and you say something
that you just felt to that person about yourself to
that person, and confronting a bit, but at the same
time very honest, being honest to yourself.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
It's liberating and that's what I find.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Too, if you're open to it.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
If you're open to it. But that's another thing about
the things that we do. Always like meeting people where
they are, you know, sometimes it can be down them, Yeah,
and it's a seed can be planted.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I remember.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
The first retreat I went on. I didn't understand the
impact that it was going to have on me long term.
And I think with when people start to relax and
let down their guard, it allows that vulnerability, and I
think there's courage in that.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
I don't I'm.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Without sort of courage you can't be vulnerable and letting down.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
And I think everyone's the same.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
You know, when you take people out of their environment
or the corporate setting, you're in different clothes, you're doing
different things, and when you have those moments that you
can connect.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I think everyone goes through their challenges. Everyone has hard
things that go on, but we're not always in a safe.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Environment that allows people to be honest. But when you
can understand that the person in front of you is
going through some pretty hard times as well, have that connection,
and I think with that is where a change can happen.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
I don't think it's possible for that your customer, your
guests would however you call them, I guess a guest,
but to actually experience the things you were talking about,
unless you know through your own experience, through your own experience,
exactly what they could be going through. Everyone's got a
specific thing, but you know what the outcomes are. You've
been through it yourself, and you know you've got to
(36:26):
set up this business to deliver some perhaps some solutions,
or at least some precursors to solutions. Obviously, everyone's going
to make their own solutions at the end of the day.
But you know, like, I think it's really important that
when you go down this track, if you know, if
you're a corporate and you want to retreat, or if
you're just a husband and wife, you're someone you want
(36:47):
to retreat yourself on your own, or you want to
do with your family, or you want to mark a
celebration or an anniversary or something. These sort of they're
not just getaways. These opportunities to be introspective in relation
to yourself might be a bit challenging sometimes, but probably
(37:07):
the people who find it challenging are the people who
really need the challenge and probably actually deal with the
challenge the best because a lot of people because they
don't want to challenge to the reasons, because they're so
damn driven that they think that the only thing that
matters is the thing that they're doing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
I'm one of those people.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
I'm like that because I think, well, that's the anything
that matters in the world, what I'm doing right, I'm
not going to give a stuff about anything else. Get
out of them my way, because I'm just driving for
one outcome. And I know that's when you can get
you can become quite vulnerable to yourself. That's sort of
when the problems start to occur and all those things
start to happen, like you just said, isolation, not sleeping well,
(37:51):
lacking mindfulness in relation of what you're doing. You don't
even know, don't even know how to enjoy a cup
of coffee in the morning. The first thing to do
is to throw the coffee down because you need to
hit caffeine. You're not actually smelling it, tastes, feeling it,
et cetera. You're not even sitting down for once for
three I don't even I have three misses sit down
and don't have a couple of copees as well.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Bullshit.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Of course you got three minutes. In fact, you did
not even deserve three minutes as mandatory. You take the
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I couldn't. I couldn't agree.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
More so last year, like over the last probably twelve
to eighteen months, I've had some really hard times, Mark,
and all of my practices, most of them went out
the window because of that exact thing, you know, like
always something to do, you know, looking after a little one,
(38:36):
trying to develop the business, challenges with family, you know,
like all of those things and all of the practices
that helped me stay well. I stopped and you know,
like the question that you asked me.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Earlier around.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
You know, burnout last time, like last year, and like
over the last twelve months, Like that was a different
feeling of burnout. And it was through me actually being vulnerable.
I've never really been good at asking for help, like
in terms of like great for partnerships, great for connection,
(39:15):
all those types of things, but for what I really needed,
being vulnerable, I found that really difficult. And it was
through having some really amazing friends that sort of started
to pick up on that and started to notice the
difference in me and then actually saying, well, actually I
don't feel okay. And through that I started picking up
(39:38):
my practices again, you know, like the because I would
get up Mark, I'm an early riser, you know, I'm
generally up by about four point thirty, and I would
get up and go straight to work, sit at my
desk and work and then work all through the day,
go into the night.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
And that's not good. Like I I know now that
my output isn't great, my thinking isn't clear.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I can't be it can't like, but.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
You know, at the time, I think that that's how
you strive and get ahead. And then I started back
to my practices. Getting up, I do a cold plunge
in the morning, I will do some meditation, do some
journaling and just really reconnecting back to myself and gosh,
like I'm so much better. Like I'm a better mum,
(40:31):
I'm a better business person, I'm more creative and all
of those things. But it's so easy. I think when
you're at that hustle, bustle, go go go, that you
don't realize that you're in that point. But when you
start to do these things that are good for me,
Because my morning routine or my things that are good
for me might be very different to you or anyone listening,
(40:55):
but you have to find what works for you.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
And I'm a really big believer in that.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
So what's thinking about that?
Speaker 3 (41:00):
As many years ago I wrote a book called What
It Takes And in one of the chapters I talk
about I talk about taking a step back from your
life and getting out of the wrestling in the mud
and just have a look at what you're doing, like
literally have an objective step back from yourself and have
a look at yourself. Just take a moment. And I
(41:21):
think I mean I was lucky enough to be able
to do it myself. But I think sort of wellness
retreats or going into environments like this with what I
call a professional person, someone like yourself is running it
with all the assets we talked about before he put
them all together.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
That's another way of actually taking a step back.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
If nothing else, it helps you just reflect quickly, even
if it's just for a moment, and it might just
plant that seat. Hang on, mate, it's now about time
you start to just think about yourself a little bit,
be a little bit selfish. That sounds terrible, but because
I think generosity of some people's generosity can kill them
in the end too much. You know, giving, giving, give
(42:02):
and giving giving, We've got to take a little bit,
you know. That's why they say when you're on there
a plane, like if it's going to carry on, crash
and the oxygen comes down, and give yourself the oxygen first.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
It doesn't mean be selfish.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
It means because unless you've got the oxygen first, you
can't help anybody. If that's your nature, give, give, give generals,
general generous if that's your nature. And also, you know,
work your ass off, work really hard all the time.
Then you've got to give. You be a little bit
selfish sometimes, and I think retreats is a bloody great
way of doing it, particularly here and where we are
in the Bross Valley. I just think that you know
(42:33):
what you're doing beyond wellness is a great thing. And
it's also quite therapeutic for yourself too, because you're in
a constant remind of what you should be.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Doing for yourself.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
It is very much so. And I think too, and
I can't. I'm not very good at like there. I
wouldn't say this in like our marketing in sales, because
it is extraordinary. The change that I see in people
from when they first arrive to when they leave, and
that can be just for two nights, is amazing. Like
(43:01):
you just see people's shoulders drop, they're slowing down. The
conversations that you have. That's probably one of my most
favorite things about hosting retreats is the really deep conversations
that you have with people and you just get to
know them so much more. But then it's the unpacking
of things. It's like the being present, it's being where
(43:23):
you are right now. But also that opportunity because quite
often I think people aren't really happy with what's going
on in their life for many different reasons. And so
with that sort of facing of actually what's going on
and then going okay, well, what could be the small
steps you can start to take in order to change
(43:46):
the way you're living your life? And for me it's
around purpose and connection and impact and quite often the
conversations that we have is like, you know, if you
were we were sitting here in twelve months time, would
you want to be saying the same thing five years time,
let alone ten years time?
Speaker 2 (44:02):
And quite often the answer is no.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
So then how is it you give yourself enough space
and time to think about, well, what would I be
doing differently?
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Well, the wake up call is something that we all
need to have every now and then. Jenny O Brian,
founder of Beyond Wellness, which has written on your shirt
there Beyond Wellness. I think it's been a great conversation and,
by the way, a pretty special moment for me sitting
here in the Bross Valley.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Just absolutely beautiful. Weather's awesome and thanks for giving me
that Timely reminded.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Too, Thank you. It's pleasure.
Jenny Brian, Welcome to the mentor.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Oh thanks for having a remark. Very excited.
Speaker 3 (00:04):
It's pretty bloody cold here has Actually it's cold, but
it's a clear morning. Chriss anything. I can hear the
birds hopefully, I guess can hear the birds all around us.
We're one of those beautiful, chilled out, relaxing places that
I've ever been, and we're here right now in Seplus
Field in South Australia. Actually, I went for drive around
(00:24):
this morning and I just couldn't believe it's I feel
like I've been taken back in time. Like there's beautiful
old homes everywhere. I saw sheep everywhere. It's not something
we normally see in the city and my brain got
a bit of a reset just by looking around. It's
silly but pretty simple. But yeah, I feel quite relaxed.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
And chilled out.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
I don't I don't feel like I need to do
my box breathing. It's been done for me just by
listening to birds. But hand out cookerbarros. Haven't heard many
cooker barrooughs yet because my favorite bird in the world,
like particularly is Australian, but is a cooker bar. I
love Cooker Barrows. I love the fact they get up
before everybody else and they they start making a lot
(01:13):
of noise early, basically to scare off everybody else so
they can go and get whatever it is they're after.
I love Cooker Barrows. I'm so happy I'm in South Stralia.
It's pretty cool. Now your business is Beyond Wellness. We're
going to talk about that at the moment. That's a
big topic these days, especially particularly for me, and so
you're the founder of Beyond Wellness. It's a wellness retreat
(01:36):
concierge service right here in the Barossa Valley.
Speaker 2 (01:40):
It certainly is.
Speaker 1 (01:41):
It's a pretty cool job, a great business, my job.
Speaker 2 (01:45):
I love my job. I think I have one of
the best jobs in the world.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
And I haven't always been in this space, like we've
been operating since like twenty eighteen.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
Just before COVID. Yes, wow.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
And with that came as challenges of course, you know,
like the big vision was to establish a retreat center
here in the Barossa.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
I'd never had any.
Speaker 4 (02:07):
Real business experience, like I've worked in government and not
for profit.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
We go there, can we talk tell me where you
did work?
Speaker 2 (02:14):
I did?
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Yes, of course, So I started off in local government
here in Adelaide and then moved across to Melbourne and
worked for the City of Yarra, So that's like where
the MCG is and so within that role was a
lot of like community based work and it was a
very diverse community to over in Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
But I loved it.
Speaker 3 (02:37):
When you say worked in government, love government, that's councils,
I guess what you mean, but that is in an
administrative capacity.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
No.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
I actually started off in sports and recreations sector and
then moved into major events partnerships, so working closely with
the community to really help better their lives. And that's
sort of what got me into a lot of partnership work,
(03:06):
which I just loved doing.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
Partnership means what though in terms of what you were doing.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Yeah, So partnerships is about partnering the community, understanding what
is needed in community and then working with not for
profit organizations, local community groups and then coming together to
try and figure out how is it that they can
make where they live better.
Speaker 1 (03:28):
And so.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
You have to have a fairly strong understanding of the
wish list of the community, correct, But equally you have
to sort of have a bit of an understanding of
what it is that people need just instinctively, like they're
wishless a lot of times is what you don't know?
What they don't know, So they may have wishless. They
mightst say I feel like crossants and you know, donuts
(03:56):
every day. But to some extent you have to be
a bit more forceful personal in what it is that
they need. Sometimes we need to tell the community or
members of the community, what does they need without sort
of being shoved at down their throat.
Speaker 4 (04:11):
Yeah, and I think, you know, like for a community
like Melbourne and like the inner city part there is
such diversity in terms of those that have and those
that have not.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yeah, And so how is it you can come.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Together to figure out, well, how is it that you
can create equity or you know, that discernment of giving
people the life that they want to live. Like for me,
and it's sort of been a theme throughout my whole
life is meeting people where they are, you know, genuinely
coming in to listen and then from there going okay, So,
how is it that we can partner to figure out
(04:45):
a way forward? And you don't always get it right,
and you don't always give people exactly what they want either,
So that's interesting.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So you use the word equity. Equity is an interesting word.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
And if somebody thinks that they want something that someone
else has got a lot of times, unless they've been
exposed to the thing that they think will give them equity,
it's not always as good as it sounds or seems.
A lot most times, you've got to be careful what
you wish for.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
How is it that? How do you or.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
How did you sort of make that discernment and sort
of say, Okay, I know what you're after as a community,
but I don't know if that's sort of something you
are really going to embellish or love once you get
exposed to it.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
I mean, how do you do that? Like because you're
you're sort of like.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Godlike nearly Yeah, you know, like it's a pretty heavy
responsibility to make sure that you bring equity to communities. Yeah,
that's a big, big responsibility, particular when the community doesn't
really even know what they want because I haven't ever
been exposed to it.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Well yeah, and I think but sometimes you get to
see how other people are living, or there's opportunity or
you're wanting something more, and I think through when there's talent,
and with challenge and adversity can come innovation and change.
And so for me, how I've always worked is making
sure that you come like listening, like really listening and
(06:11):
being curious. And then from there it's like, okay, well,
trying to get at the heart of what people want
and then figuring out what the path forward is and
then who is it that can come around to the table.
I did an amazing creating Shared Value program in Boston
and that was all around, you know, trying to solve
(06:33):
really hard things. But then how is it that community
come together, government and business where they all play a
part to solve really big challenges. And that's how I've
always driven everything that I do.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Sometimes it comes at a bit of a detriment.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I think it sounds like a lot of deep thinking. Yeah,
a lot of deep thinking, a lot of deep searching.
What told does that take on someone?
Speaker 2 (07:03):
I think I can definitely speak from experience.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
I moved from working in government to working in a
corporate setting and I was working across Melbourne and Sydney.
Speaker 2 (07:19):
I've been brought up to work really hard.
Speaker 4 (07:24):
Be independent, listen to people, and my work ethic is
really strong and with that, I think and I've experienced
like a couple of times of big periods of burnout
because I want to do a good job. Sometimes I
work too independently and keep striving forward. And for me,
(07:50):
when I'm at that period of burnout, it's probably I've
gone well over the point of where I should have
done something previously, and that has led me to sometimes
you know, withdrawing, not always going to the right vices
perhaps and then just keep going. And you know that
(08:11):
sort of stress and burnout is real?
Speaker 1 (08:14):
How do you know?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
And we hear a lot about it often wondered where
a lot of people talk about it actually experience because
it's nearly trending. But how do you know? Because it's
different everybody, But how do you know? How does Jenny
know when she's either approaching burnout or is you don't
know when you're approaching burnout? But it's you know when
(08:36):
you're in burnout because it's already too late.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
How do you know? What are your signs? What are
you looking for? And what does it mean? Burnout?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Like you're completely stuffed, you can't get out of bed,
you're catatonic or what are we talking about here?
Speaker 1 (08:49):
I think it's physical or both.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
I think it's changed over time during my first period
of burnout when I was working in a corporate setting.
Looking back, I understand what those signs are, like I
withdraw and don't see friends.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
But not purposely.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
You just purposely. But I, you know, looking back, that's
how it felt.
Speaker 1 (09:13):
These are not sleeping first, withdrawal.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
Yeah, withdraw The second is around like my sleep was impacted.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, not sleeping well?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Yeah, not sleeping well?
Speaker 1 (09:22):
What does not sleeping well mean? Like you know, lesson
It's just like a couple of hours in.
Speaker 2 (09:28):
That sleep is more around broken sleep, hard.
Speaker 1 (09:33):
To get to sleep, waking up a lot.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
Waking up a lot, and ruminating.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
Right like when you're awake.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Yeah, so I wake up in the middle of the
night and then start thinking about things and then not
being able to go back to sleep. But I think too,
it's like those thoughts where if you're feeling tired, you're
not looking after yourself very well. I think the thoughts
can start to spiral and perhaps what I'm telling myself
and that voice in my head isn't actually true.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
For example, are you saying you'll be right or are
you saying.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
I like a little bit like doom and gloom. I'm
never going to get out of this? How am I
going to? Like?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Life is not good?
Speaker 3 (10:16):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:16):
Those type it's not.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Yeah, And are you abusing yourself with like booze or
something like that?
Speaker 4 (10:21):
Like I would say abusing, But because I worked really
really long hours, I would associate getting home and having
a glass or to a wine.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Yeah, I do, But.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
It's almost like that was that cut off point, you
know when you come home and trying to stop and
not doing more work or you know, like.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Whatever it is.
Speaker 4 (10:43):
I associated that sort of switching off with having a
glass wine.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
Putting a full stop in your day. Yeah, how do
I put a full stop on the day? I'm going
to have a glass wine? That's that's it. That's the cutoff.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Nothing past that point because you probably can't do much passing.
Speaker 4 (10:56):
And you enoy and you enjoy it, but then of
course then I affection next morning, and then you know,
I would I've always been an exerciser, Like life over
the last few years has definitely changed for me just
because of circumstances, but I'd still get up still thrash
my body, you know, Like I'm very much a type
a personality. So for me, it was like the CrossFit,
(11:17):
going for runs and things like that. So what I
do know is that adrenaline like that high stress cortisol
levels would have been really high. And so you're waking
up in the morning, it's still you're not feeling that great.
It's not like I was hungover, but you're just still
you're not on your game, not on your game. But
I'd still go and do that really high threshold, so
(11:38):
my heart rates up. So for me now understanding because
at that time, I didn't know what was going on
for my body. But I have put things in place
and I now understand what I was doing to myself,
but I didn't know back then.
Speaker 3 (11:51):
So just just because two parts of what you just said,
I'd just like to explore a bit more. So. The
first part is, let's call it the markers or the
indicators of it's about to happen. I'm physically so I'm
physically entering into that mode where I'm exhausted, I'm not
(12:12):
sleeping properly. These are the things you would these days
you'll be looking out for, and a lot of people
don't even recognize these things. It just happens, not sleeping
properly overthinking things.
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Let's call it.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
Ruminating, but like just sort of you know, dialing down
on something that's not good, sort of removing yourself from
your community in other words, less contact with people, friends, family,
et cetera. To some extent. Little it's a little self
destructive self to some extent. Then for some people, what
(12:48):
you say, because I know these sort of people, some people,
what you tend to do then is you then go
even harder the next day, so you're in constant sympathetic driver.
You're constantly in that sort of fight or flight drive,
and you're not balancing it up with your parasympathetic system,
in other words, not going into rest and digest mode.
(13:09):
You're continually on it, and you continually on even when
you're sleep. You're probably not Your heart rate is probably
sitting up in the sixties, probably never getting down to
where it should be. Notwithstanding there you might be fit.
Your heart rate ability is probably not very good. You know,
it's probably hanging around in the twenties or thirties when
(13:29):
it should be up somewhere higher. Probably you're you're respiratory.
You're probably breathing a lot short breaths while you're asleep
and you're not looking for the real signs of where
you should be landing.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
You know, you should be landing in a different place.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
And and of course you know, you get out and
you can these days, you can get out on all
sorts of apps and find out what I should do
in this situation. Once you recognize that this is a situation,
they'll tell you to do, you know, mark, breathe, meditate,
do yoga, you know, do and then you think, oh, stuff,
that's that's not me. But what the it's really sort
(14:08):
of saying to you do is like, just sit down
in this environment, for example, and just breathe out. Yeah,
just have a look around. Yeah, just take stock of
yourself for a second.
Speaker 1 (14:21):
What was the.
Speaker 3 (14:22):
Moment you found that? Well, do you remember when you
my god, I've got to do something different.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
Oh I do. So I read the book My Miracle
Morning by how El Rod.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
But why did you read that book? What encourage you
to read the book?
Speaker 4 (14:43):
I started listening to podcasts to be honest, like back,
you know, gosh, we're talking ten.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Twelve years or so many around in those days. No,
there wasn't.
Speaker 4 (14:52):
And I heard about the book My Miracle Morning and
it was all about setting up your day. And I've
always been a morning person and I've always been into
looking after myself, but probably not understanding now what I know.
And so the miracle morning was about getting up, doing
some practice of gratefulness, practicing gratitude, doing some journaling, doing
(15:17):
a little bit of meditation. And then that started me
on this journey. So I just tried it. I didn't
like it at all, but I started to feel a
little bit of benefit. And then I started researching about,
you know, the benefits in your body.
Speaker 2 (15:33):
That's where it all started.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
And then I went through some and then once I
started it was that introspection, you know, like really starting
to slow down, you know when you're journaling things things
come out that you're like, oh, I didn't know that,
and yeah, absolutely, And then also those moments of you
know that meditation, the mindfulness. I remember starting it and
(16:00):
I was like, this is crazy. I do not like
meditation or mindfulness at all. But I persisted with it,
and I started to notice little sort of spaces in
my day. And when I was working in the corporate sector,
I just needed a break. I wasn't taking holidays, and
(16:20):
so I.
Speaker 2 (16:21):
Looked for a retreat.
Speaker 4 (16:22):
Never been on a retreat before when over to Bali,
as you do. But I went to this Arivedic retreat
and all I wanted to do was to sit around,
get some massages and just to slow down. And what
I found there was just completely different. It was I
went there for a holiday just to relax and really
(16:46):
walking away. Not that I knew it then, but that
was a seed of where I am today.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
So what did you learn there? In hindsight? What do
you think you found?
Speaker 4 (16:56):
I found because it's like based on the Arivedic traditions. Yeah,
so it's an ancient Indian sort of philosophy, and so
they it's grounded in yoga and meditation, you know, vegetarian food,
but these incredible treatments, like these massage treatments and oil
(17:18):
treatments and just things that.
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Would just really ground you.
Speaker 4 (17:24):
You know, you talk about like we're here and that
sort of that connection back to self.
Speaker 2 (17:30):
And I just and I met.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
The owner there, and he was one of those people
where he could just look into your eyes and look
into your soul and started to have these really amazing
conversations and started asking me questions and sort of these.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Deep inner workings. He was just like one of those
people that you just like look into your eyes.
Speaker 4 (17:58):
And that really started to luck on lock something for me,
and it's.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Started to change my life completely.
Speaker 4 (18:07):
And then what it did was reinforce the habits that
I was doing before I left Sydney for the holiday
and then came back. And then that led me onto
a totally different path.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
So, you know, you're running wellness business now, but like
in terms of retreats and concers, et cetera. But that
decision then to ditch your corporate world and set up
a business that's not something easy to do. It's not
an easy thing to do. That's that's pretty hectic. Yeah,
(18:41):
I mean the corporate world's pretty full on, but the
small business world is emore full on in terms of commitment, time, effort, money, stress,
every other bloody thing.
Speaker 1 (18:54):
As we all know. How did you approach it? Well,
it was.
Speaker 4 (19:02):
So I was working for a corporate company for quite
a long many years and I'd been trying to get
a redundancy. Yeah, and finally got one, which is awesome.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
That always helps.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
Yeah, and so I decided that I wanted to take
a six month sabbat a cool I really take a break,
and so I rented out my apartment in Melbourne. I
went and did a little bit of study in Boston,
intentional to do some trouble and the other side of
it is I wanted to go do some pro bono
work somewhere in the world. But I am a plan
(19:37):
to a fault at times. But I wanted to do
things differently, so I didn't beside the study. I decided
that I would take things.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
As they come anyway.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
So I met some amazing people in Boston and then
it sort of led me to Vietnam and I was
working for a leading not for profit there and I wanted.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
To do three months pro bono work there and it
was the.
Speaker 4 (20:09):
Not for profit had about two hundred and fifty not
for profits underneath them, so communist country, you know. Like
so I saw a lot of diversity in the in
the country, and I was working with businesses as well,
so it was like, how is it that business can
contribute to the community, and how is it that community
can work with business And it was never done before.
(20:30):
And part way through the board then offered me a
role to start up a new division there and so
that's where I was working and around the same time. Well,
towards the end of my stay there, my sister got
reported missing and she was wow, yeah, she was living. Yeah,
(20:51):
she was in South Australia, in.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Adelaide, missing in Australia. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (20:56):
And she had over the time some challenges with addiction,
and so there was a point where you know, she
was living on the streets and like I was taking
its toll on my parents and my family. Yeah, And
so I decided then to resign from my role in Vietnam.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
So, which is how I landed here in the.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Barossa and did And your sister.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Today, Yeah, she's doing well.
Speaker 1 (21:24):
She's fine.
Speaker 2 (21:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And then but those family moment changes can be quite significant.
How's it affected you know, why you decided to go
into business? I mean, is there an overall effect from me?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Yeah? Well, do you know what I did? So I
had I had already planned to go do two retreats
in Bali. So I was going back to where I went.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
Australians take Australians there for it.
Speaker 2 (21:47):
No, no, no, no, I was.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
So I came back here and so I went back
to the first retreat I went to in a silent retreat,
and at that point when I'd come back, I was,
you know, we've I'd found my sister and that she
was looking to, you know, make changes in our life
and so and really at that point I didn't know
whether that change was going to be sustainable. So I
went back to BALI I had no idea what I
(22:11):
was going to do. Was I going to go back
to Melbourne, go back to my corporate life, or do
I stay here in the Brossa And so I took
a sketch pad, no idea what I was going to do.
I love mind mapping and sort of when I'm at crossroads,
and so I started at the Silent Retreat and I
came up with my business. Never had I thought about
(22:32):
owning my own business, but I knew, particularly after everything
had been through the wellbeing practices and then I was
helping my sister a lot of things. I thought, I'm
going to do this because I'm a strong believer that
you can do, you know, small simple things in your
life as long as it's with consistency, that can help
(22:56):
you be your best. And that's the premise of the business.
And so I came back at that time because I
was still helping my sister. I was living back with
my parents.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
I was forty four at a time, forty.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
Four forty five at the time, and so at the
same time of helping my sister, I was set up
in the spare room, had you know, posters and everything yesterday,
and I was sketching out the business like and that's
where it started.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
So yeah, and what would you say at the time, Yeah,
was your biggest challenge?
Speaker 4 (23:39):
My biggest challenge was that because I wanted to build
a retreat center in the Borisa Like that was my vision,
like an actual retreat, like an actual bricks and mortar
beautiful place, because there was nothing really in South Australia
and it's such an opportunity.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
And I believe in this space so much.
Speaker 4 (23:57):
And you know, I think so collaboration and partnership is
a heard of everything that I do.
Speaker 1 (24:04):
That's where your experience is too.
Speaker 2 (24:05):
Yeah, it is very much. And I believe that all.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Together all the assets, yes, yes, into one place.
Speaker 2 (24:11):
Into one place.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:13):
But I didn't know how to establish a business, let
alone a multimillion dollar business. And so for me then
I'm just like, so I go and find as many
people as I can, talk to people and just like
try and figure it out.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
So that was so that's interesting thing that part, that
collaboration piece, because obviously to set up your own retreat
that's expensive. Maybe that's a dream for the future because
there's capital intense. You know, it requires lots of money
and probably not money probably not the best spent way
to set something up side.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Of the business.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
But the collaboration piece or bring the assets together. So
what would the assets be for example, that you need
to bring together to run retreats the way you do?
So what are we talking or type vessets we're talking about.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
So now how the business evolved is I go then
partner with like places like here we're at cabin in
sepples Field, beautiful place set in nature. And so what
I do is partner with the accommodation providers.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
So that's one asset.
Speaker 2 (25:17):
One assay is that.
Speaker 1 (25:18):
So another asset might be for example food food.
Speaker 4 (25:21):
Yes, another asset is the deliveries of like I'm not
a yoga teacher or anything like that. So I bring
in like these amazing contractors that can help facilitate.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
And then it is around.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
How do you how do you talk me into it?
Like I would We're at the cabin at the moment,
Why why would? Why would?
Speaker 3 (25:43):
What's you're selling? Like when you when you talk to them,
what do you say, I can make you more money?
I mean, I don't know. Well, what's what's the sell?
Speaker 1 (25:51):
I mean?
Speaker 3 (25:51):
And this is that sounds like this is the sort
of stuff you did when you're in council. Sounds like
this stuff when you're in corporate.
Speaker 4 (25:56):
Because I'm trustworthy, I work hard. I come in and
I try and get to know so I don't just
partner with anyone like I work really hard at relationships
and so for me sometimes that takes a little bit
of time, but I think there is value in that
because I have been burnt over the time with partnerships
and so it is around aligning brands and ethos.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
It is around like delivering on a promise.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
So get to know them and then get to know them.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Yeah, get to know them understanding what is in it
for all of us. You know, For me about collaboration
is that when you come together, I think the pie
is bigger. And that as long as you understand where
people are coming from and what's important to them and
what's in it for them, and then you come up
with something that can work for it on.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
So do you have sustainability.
Speaker 3 (26:44):
It's got to have a future in terms of sustainability,
not to about environmentally as much as talking about business
model as such as sustainable business model. That is, I
can you can continue to bring to you more or
guests who might stay at your assets. It's not going
(27:04):
to be a one off. It's going to be whatever
over and over and over again. So you're convinced can
convince them and obviously going to be convinced yourself that
this is a sustainable business model for them for them
to invest their assets into. Yeah, so like so that
that's not just physical assets like this one here, but
that's also services suppliers. Let's just talk about your suppliers.
(27:28):
How do you what's the ethic that you're tending to
look for relative to your suppliers. So let's talk about
yoga or meditation or well. Then first off, give me
all the names all the things you do supply to
your your customers, your guests.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
So we do everything from yoga pilates to meditation, We
take people on guide to walk through conservation parks.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
We do like corporate well being is a big part
of what we do.
Speaker 4 (28:01):
As well, So we'll go into corporates and help them
design a well being strategy, or come in and do
mindfulness or like the team building and coaching side of things.
So really, when I think about it, it's like, what
are all the parts of your overall health and wellbeing
or how are the opportunities that can give people to
disconnect and then we create amazing services with that. So
(28:23):
we partner with Forestry Essay, so we have license agreements
that allow us to take us into different parts of forest.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
And can I just step up with the objective of
that though, for example to go into the South stral forests,
which I'm sure pretty cool. The objective of that of
and or also the explanation that you give to your
corporate retreat partners is that it's an experience with nature
or it's it about reconnecting with nature or what or
(28:53):
is it curiosity as to what nature can show me?
Speaker 2 (28:55):
Yeah, I think it's all of that.
Speaker 4 (28:57):
It's about like awe and wonder And as you say,
you know, when you're You've just said, as you're driving
here this morning, you're out of the hustle and bustle
of the city. You're taken away from what you would
typically do in your morning, and you're looking around and
you're hearing the birds, and you're like connecting with nature,
(29:18):
and it just gives you a different perspective. And it's
all of those things that we do in the forest.
But it's like, you know, moving your body, Yeah, movement, movement,
like it's deep breath, it's like looking around. But I
think when you take people out of their natural setting
or normal setting, and particularly from a corporate perspective, I
think you think better. It allows you to slow down
(29:40):
and then you get to start to be more creative.
You can connect with the people that are around you,
and when you do do that frequently, it allows you
to be better, allows you to be better as.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
A person, You feel better as a Yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:54):
You'd like all of those things. I think we live
in a world now.
Speaker 4 (29:58):
Where everything is just going, go, go, go go, and I
think that has its place. But I also think that
when you I always say light where the yin to
the boss is yang in this setting, it's like, how
is it that you can give yourself those opportunities just to.
Speaker 2 (30:13):
Slow down and connect.
Speaker 4 (30:14):
And with that, I think you're better at home, You're
better in relationships you're better at work, better performance, all
of those things.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
We've got more to talk about too.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
I mean, I actually think that these environments really are
unbelievably disarming. So they disarm you, and I don't mean
in a bad way. I mean actually for me, put
you back more on a natural state. Because the office
environment or the home of environment, which is mostly telephone
(30:45):
based and screen based, they build barriers to proper connection,
Like you tend not to talk to people. Definitely, if
you're working from you don't even see anybody.
Speaker 4 (30:58):
What.
Speaker 3 (30:59):
It's really handy and convenient, and you pick your kids
up or whatever, you can take your dog for walk,
whatever the case may be. It's also quite isolate, isolating,
and I do I can see the sense of what
you're talking about, getting everyone out together walking through the bush,
especially this train bush. I love this train bush. Walk
through the bush, and you know, with the consent of
(31:21):
the forestry commissioner whatever they call themselves here and talking
and just sort of all looking and enjoying the same things.
No phones get I get it, I actually get it,
and I think that's brilliant. So when you bring them
back back back to one of your assets, not your asset,
but the asset you're collaborated with, for example, here, what's
(31:42):
the next thing?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
What are they what are you trying to get them
to experience.
Speaker 3 (31:46):
Outside of the bushwalk, outside of the activity, physical activity?
Speaker 1 (31:49):
What's next?
Speaker 4 (31:50):
Well, I mean a lot of the things we do
is around organizing multi day retreats and it's just so
interesting to see people. So when they arrive, their shoulders
are up like this, you know, they're looking.
Speaker 2 (32:05):
For stuff to do.
Speaker 1 (32:06):
Where's my phone?
Speaker 4 (32:07):
Where's my phone? They look at the program and they'll go, okay,
so I've got a gap here for an hour and
a half. That means I could go for a walk,
I can go into you know, the main street, I
can do this and do that. But we're purposeful in
terms of that downtime, and it's interesting you watch people
(32:30):
and then the next morning they slowly start to sort
of let go a little bit, like let go of
the group. And then we're very deliberate in terms of
the types of things that we do. So it's always
amazing food.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
And what's amazing food to you?
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Now?
Speaker 4 (32:46):
I just think, you know, good food that is pretty clean,
but it's you know, quite often Mark, we'll have people
that will they'll tell us at the end of their
retreat stay that they've stashed things like, you know, chocolate
and some chips and things like that, because.
Speaker 1 (33:08):
I've kept in my pocket the whole time.
Speaker 4 (33:09):
Handmore matic because I think, like sometimes I think people
think about like healthy food is We're going to feed
them carrot sticks and celery.
Speaker 2 (33:17):
It's not that at all.
Speaker 4 (33:18):
It's about good, nourishing, wholesome food that tastes good, that
digests really well. Because I don't think you need to
You don't need to have the green juices and all
of those things to be healthy. It's about what is
that nourishes your body. And then we do some you know,
(33:39):
take people and walks, do some yogat, we run workshops
things around on stress management or you know, how to
breathe or any.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Of those types of things things around purpose.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Does it sound ridiculous how to breathe? I mean, like
I took some of my staff from Sydney up to it.
I'm like, you've got a farm and I've got to
retreat there. And I brought in a breath work guy,
and I had my senior leadership team. There was eight
of us, include myself. I did the same thing I did,
(34:10):
and we did breath work, and like it's an hour
of it of it and none of them ever done before.
And it's quite revealing. My breath work does, yeah, quite revealing,
including to myself and the different responses, but just the
experience for everybody was quite important, I think.
Speaker 1 (34:27):
And also doing it together and looking at each other
in the eye.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
A few times we stop and you stand up and
look each other in the eye and you say something
that you just felt to that person about yourself to
that person, and confronting a bit, but at the same
time very honest, being honest to yourself.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
It's liberating and that's what I find.
Speaker 1 (34:49):
Too, if you're open to it.
Speaker 4 (34:50):
If you're open to it. But that's another thing about
the things that we do. Always like meeting people where
they are, you know, sometimes it can be down them, Yeah,
and it's a seed can be planted.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
I remember.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
The first retreat I went on. I didn't understand the
impact that it was going to have on me long term.
And I think with when people start to relax and
let down their guard, it allows that vulnerability, and I
think there's courage in that.
Speaker 2 (35:22):
I don't I'm.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Without sort of courage you can't be vulnerable and letting down.
Speaker 2 (35:29):
And I think everyone's the same.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
You know, when you take people out of their environment
or the corporate setting, you're in different clothes, you're doing
different things, and when you have those moments that you
can connect.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
I think everyone goes through their challenges. Everyone has hard
things that go on, but we're not always in a safe.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
Environment that allows people to be honest. But when you
can understand that the person in front of you is
going through some pretty hard times as well, have that connection,
and I think with that is where a change can happen.
Speaker 3 (36:05):
I don't think it's possible for that your customer, your
guests would however you call them, I guess a guest,
but to actually experience the things you were talking about,
unless you know through your own experience, through your own experience,
exactly what they could be going through. Everyone's got a
specific thing, but you know what the outcomes are. You've
been through it yourself, and you know you've got to
(36:26):
set up this business to deliver some perhaps some solutions,
or at least some precursors to solutions. Obviously, everyone's going
to make their own solutions at the end of the day.
But you know, like, I think it's really important that
when you go down this track, if you know, if
you're a corporate and you want to retreat, or if
you're just a husband and wife, you're someone you want
(36:47):
to retreat yourself on your own, or you want to
do with your family, or you want to mark a
celebration or an anniversary or something. These sort of they're
not just getaways. These opportunities to be introspective in relation
to yourself might be a bit challenging sometimes, but probably
(37:07):
the people who find it challenging are the people who
really need the challenge and probably actually deal with the
challenge the best because a lot of people because they
don't want to challenge to the reasons, because they're so
damn driven that they think that the only thing that
matters is the thing that they're doing at the moment.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
I'm one of those people.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
I'm like that because I think, well, that's the anything
that matters in the world, what I'm doing right, I'm
not going to give a stuff about anything else. Get
out of them my way, because I'm just driving for
one outcome. And I know that's when you can get
you can become quite vulnerable to yourself. That's sort of
when the problems start to occur and all those things
start to happen, like you just said, isolation, not sleeping well,
(37:51):
lacking mindfulness in relation of what you're doing. You don't
even know, don't even know how to enjoy a cup
of coffee in the morning. The first thing to do
is to throw the coffee down because you need to
hit caffeine. You're not actually smelling it, tastes, feeling it,
et cetera. You're not even sitting down for once for
three I don't even I have three misses sit down
and don't have a couple of copees as well.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
Bullshit.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
Of course you got three minutes. In fact, you did
not even deserve three minutes as mandatory. You take the
three minutes.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
I couldn't. I couldn't agree.
Speaker 4 (38:15):
More so last year, like over the last probably twelve
to eighteen months, I've had some really hard times, Mark,
and all of my practices, most of them went out
the window because of that exact thing, you know, like
always something to do, you know, looking after a little one,
(38:36):
trying to develop the business, challenges with family, you know,
like all of those things and all of the practices
that helped me stay well. I stopped and you know,
like the question that you asked me.
Speaker 2 (38:50):
Earlier around.
Speaker 4 (38:53):
You know, burnout last time, like last year, and like
over the last twelve months, Like that was a different
feeling of burnout. And it was through me actually being vulnerable.
I've never really been good at asking for help, like
in terms of like great for partnerships, great for connection,
(39:15):
all those types of things, but for what I really needed,
being vulnerable, I found that really difficult. And it was
through having some really amazing friends that sort of started
to pick up on that and started to notice the
difference in me and then actually saying, well, actually I
don't feel okay. And through that I started picking up
(39:38):
my practices again, you know, like the because I would
get up Mark, I'm an early riser, you know, I'm
generally up by about four point thirty, and I would
get up and go straight to work, sit at my
desk and work and then work all through the day,
go into the night.
Speaker 2 (39:58):
And that's not good. Like I I know now that
my output isn't great, my thinking isn't clear.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
I can't be it can't like, but.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
You know, at the time, I think that that's how
you strive and get ahead. And then I started back
to my practices. Getting up, I do a cold plunge
in the morning, I will do some meditation, do some
journaling and just really reconnecting back to myself and gosh,
like I'm so much better. Like I'm a better mum,
(40:31):
I'm a better business person, I'm more creative and all
of those things. But it's so easy. I think when
you're at that hustle, bustle, go go go, that you
don't realize that you're in that point. But when you
start to do these things that are good for me,
Because my morning routine or my things that are good
for me might be very different to you or anyone listening,
(40:55):
but you have to find what works for you.
Speaker 2 (40:57):
And I'm a really big believer in that.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
So what's thinking about that?
Speaker 3 (41:00):
As many years ago I wrote a book called What
It Takes And in one of the chapters I talk
about I talk about taking a step back from your
life and getting out of the wrestling in the mud
and just have a look at what you're doing, like
literally have an objective step back from yourself and have
a look at yourself. Just take a moment. And I
(41:21):
think I mean I was lucky enough to be able
to do it myself. But I think sort of wellness
retreats or going into environments like this with what I
call a professional person, someone like yourself is running it
with all the assets we talked about before he put
them all together.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
That's another way of actually taking a step back.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
If nothing else, it helps you just reflect quickly, even
if it's just for a moment, and it might just
plant that seat. Hang on, mate, it's now about time
you start to just think about yourself a little bit,
be a little bit selfish. That sounds terrible, but because
I think generosity of some people's generosity can kill them
in the end too much. You know, giving, giving, give
(42:02):
and giving giving, We've got to take a little bit,
you know. That's why they say when you're on there
a plane, like if it's going to carry on, crash
and the oxygen comes down, and give yourself the oxygen first.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
It doesn't mean be selfish.
Speaker 3 (42:12):
It means because unless you've got the oxygen first, you
can't help anybody. If that's your nature, give, give, give generals,
general generous if that's your nature. And also, you know,
work your ass off, work really hard all the time.
Then you've got to give. You be a little bit
selfish sometimes, and I think retreats is a bloody great
way of doing it, particularly here and where we are
in the Bross Valley. I just think that you know
(42:33):
what you're doing beyond wellness is a great thing. And
it's also quite therapeutic for yourself too, because you're in
a constant remind of what you should be.
Speaker 1 (42:40):
Doing for yourself.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
It is very much so. And I think too, and
I can't. I'm not very good at like there. I
wouldn't say this in like our marketing in sales, because
it is extraordinary. The change that I see in people
from when they first arrive to when they leave, and
that can be just for two nights, is amazing. Like
(43:01):
you just see people's shoulders drop, they're slowing down. The
conversations that you have. That's probably one of my most
favorite things about hosting retreats is the really deep conversations
that you have with people and you just get to
know them so much more. But then it's the unpacking
of things. It's like the being present, it's being where
(43:23):
you are right now. But also that opportunity because quite
often I think people aren't really happy with what's going
on in their life for many different reasons. And so
with that sort of facing of actually what's going on
and then going okay, well, what could be the small
steps you can start to take in order to change
(43:46):
the way you're living your life? And for me it's
around purpose and connection and impact and quite often the
conversations that we have is like, you know, if you
were we were sitting here in twelve months time, would
you want to be saying the same thing five years time,
let alone ten years time?
Speaker 2 (44:02):
And quite often the answer is no.
Speaker 4 (44:05):
So then how is it you give yourself enough space
and time to think about, well, what would I be
doing differently?
Speaker 3 (44:12):
Well, the wake up call is something that we all
need to have every now and then. Jenny O Brian,
founder of Beyond Wellness, which has written on your shirt
there Beyond Wellness. I think it's been a great conversation and,
by the way, a pretty special moment for me sitting
here in the Bross Valley.
Speaker 1 (44:27):
Just absolutely beautiful. Weather's awesome and thanks for giving me
that Timely reminded.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
Too, Thank you. It's pleasure.
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