Seize the Yay

Every now and then, we are lucky to record with a guest at a pivotal moment in their life where a chapter is unravelling in real time. Today, we are lucky to have TWO of those guests just weeks after the explosive launch of their investigative podcast while the project is not only in full swing but unravelling new leads in a way that might actually change history. 

Andy Byrne and Mark Llewellyn are the incredible journalists b...

Today we have a double dose of Sarah in your ears and another wonderful guest who I’ve been long time following, first time calling. With over a million followers, many of you are likely the same, having been touched in some way by her passion for great food and family friendly cooking. 

I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah Pound (otherwise known as Wholesome by Sarah) - best selling author of two cookbooks, nutritionist,...

You know I believe all our guests are impressive and inspiring in their own special way, but some are truly extraordinary humans. As you’ll soon hear, Shiza Shahid fits that definition in every possible way. 

Born in Islamabad Pakistan, her passion for philanthropy and activism was evident even from her teens when at just 14 she started working in women’s prisons and volunteering at a relief camp following a deadly...

Happy New year lovely yayborhood and welcome to our first episode for 2026. I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and holiday period.

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past few years, our first guest will need no introduction but just in case I’m thrilled to have Lia Georgantis with us this week, the dynamic CEO and creative force behind Girls with Gems.

This cult-favourite Australian f...

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibil...

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibil...

What happens when your entire identity is built on being the best in the world? For Jana Pittman, one of Australia's most famous athletes, the singular goal of Olympic gold was repeatedly torn away by devastating injuries and gut-wrenching losses.

You might think her biggest pivot was swapping the running track for the bobsled, becoming one of the very few athletes in history to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

But t...

I talk all the time about guests who I’ve long time followed, first time called and how lovely it is to finally have a proper chat with someone you’ve admired from afar for so long. But then there’s guests who I’ve admired from up much closer and been lucky to know for years, always meaning to have them on the show without us ever actually getting around to it.

Today’s guest is one of those who...

Today’s guest is another voice you are likely to have had in your ears many times with an incredible career spanning over a decade conquering basically every media format there is. From his earliest days, Mitch Churi could be found on the stage, on the airwaves or on a screen near you mastering everything from theatre, dramatic acting and stand up comedy to presenting, podcasting and radio.

From childhood dreams of be...

I spoke in last week’s introduction about the parasocial relationships we often have with the people we follow and today’s guest is another amazing human I’d been Internet besties with for a while before we met. When we did finally cross paths through a Business Chicks event - the foundation of so many great relationships - it was like the podcast universe of Sarahs folding in on itself and felt like we’d kn...

In this day and age, we all enjoy a few parasocial relationships with people we follow but haven’t actually met and in fact most of our guests on the show feel that way before we record. But this week’s guest goes even further beyond that and into the realm of an honorary family member who’s with us in our lounge room, kitchen and sometimes even bedroom every single day…

In the ultimate case of #IYKYK, anyo...

There would be very few Australians who haven’t encountered The Daily Aus at one point or another, consuming the latest headlines from around the world in unmistakably bright colours and a no-nonsense vernacular. Since 2017, TDA has been disrupting the media landscape by repackaging leading news stories in a digestible, engaging way for younger, traditionally news-avoidant audiences. 

What you may not know, however, is t...

Sometimes our guests are incredibly talented experts in a specific field, while other times they are extreme polymaths with ventures spanning industries and themes. Sometimes our guests are renowned public figures with extensively covered careers and other times their achievements are quieter although never less impressive. 

And then, you have Merrick Watts who is all of things at once with his insatiable sense of curiosity dr...

I’ve had a string of special recordings lately with guests I’ve been lucky to know through multiple chapters of their pathYAYS and today’s is absolutely one of those. But this is even more momentous not only because Seize the Yay was our guest’s first ever podcast back in 2019, but because her return comes literally days after some HUGE announcements and this chat was the first time she could speak about it.

I’m not sure I even have words to describe our episode this week and you’ll understand why within the first few minutes - even the journey to our first question is a wild ride. It’s iconic, chaotic, eye-opening, thought-provoking, totally unfiltered and above all, one of the most enjoyable yaps I’ve had in a long time.

I am thrilled to have had the delightful duo, Bec Judd and Jessie Roberts, in the studio t...

You have all definitely heard of the incredible Steph Claire Smith or Steph Miller and, if you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll have heard her on this show not once... nor twice... but THREE times with this episode. I’ve always said having a podcast is such a beautiful way to capture who a person is at a point in time and then, if we do remain in each other’s lives, to look back on past...

It has been an absolute delight to see how many of you share in my passion for espionage or intelligence stories and to hear that you enjoyed our last episode with a real-life Australian spy. One of the most common follow up questions from you has been my top recommendations for spy books, TV shows or podcasts and, funnily enough, my own current favourite podcast was also the one our ASIO Intelligence Officer mentioned as hers.&nbs...

Over our seven years so far of seizing the yay, I’ve found myself repeatedly blown away by some of the rooms it has led me into and some of the incredible people I’ve been lucky to meet. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine one of those rooms would be a SCIF at the headquarters of our national security service, ASIO, or that one of those people would be a real life spy.

For the uninitiated, a SCIF is a Sensitive Com...

Welcome back lovely yayborhood, I hope the new financial year is treating you well. I’m so excited to share today’s episode not only because our guest is infinitely knowledgeable, but also because it ended up a little different to usual.

Anaita Sarkar and I have been mutually fangirling for many years and one of the many things I love about her is her insatiable curiosity. Because of that, she not only preferred...