The Wisepreneurs Podcast

• Making Space for Deep thinkers with Meredith Fuller OAM

  Psychologist Meredith Fuller returns for her fourth Wisepreneurs conversation to address a challenge facing many experienced professionals: feeling invisible at work despite making substantial contributions. Drawing from over 45 years counseling individuals who "don't quite fit," Meredith explores why reflective, introverted thinkers struggle in organizations that reward rapid-fire responses over deep insight. She introduces the concept of "liminal space"—that uncomfortable transition period between who you were and who you're becoming—and reframes it as productive territory rather than professional limbo. Listeners will learn practical language for articulating pattern recognition capabilities, understand how physical sensations function as legitimate business intelligence, and discover concrete strategies for making invisible work visible. The conversation connects to Jean Boulton's complexity science framework, showing how organizations function as adaptive systems rather than machines, and why your need for processing time produces insights others cannot generate.Books & AuthorsJean Boulton - The Dao of Complexity (referenced in episode introduction regarding organizations as adaptive systems vs machines)Carl Jung - Referenced for work on shadow work, reflective self, and archetypal selfGabor Maté - Mentioned for work on addiction and the need for feeling loved and valuedRelated EpisodesEpisode 78: Mayumi Kataoka on forest therapy and why your brain needs trees (complementary discussion of slowing down and attunement)Concepts & FrameworksLiminal Space - The transitional period between identities or states of being; productive uncertainty rather than professional limboCongruence - Maintaining authentic self across all contexts (work, rest, home, with friends, with colleagues); being comprehensively true to yourselfEmbodied Intelligence - Physical sensations and somatic awareness as legitimate business dataThe Fallow Period - Necessary reflection time where nothing much appears to be happening before breakthrough thinking emergesHeart-Mind Integration - Chinese concept that rejects Western mind-body dualism; thinking and feeling as unified processReflexive Interweaving - Creating stability through patterns that repeat but adapt, maintaining core identity while responding to context Practical ideas for independent professionals building practice on their own terms. Arrives Tuesday. Subscribe free at wisepreneurs.com.au Support the showConnect with Nigel Rawlins website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs Please support the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/newStay one step ahead with The Wisepreneurs Insider newsletterAs a subscriber, you'll get: Sneak peeks at upcoming must-listen podcast episodes and guests Bonus wisdom straight from recent guest experts Marketing tips to attract your ideal clients Productivity hacks to streamline your independent business And more exclusive insights are delivered right to your inbox! Don't miss out on these invaluable resources Subscribe now and gain the edge you need to survive and thrive as a wisepreneur https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter

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• Mark Trinham: Building Sustainable Art Practice Through Environmental Values and Collaboration

  Mark Trinham has spent 30 years building a thriving full-time art practice without formal business training—creating large-scale public artworks, running a successful collaboration company, and maintaining creative independence. In this conversation, Mark reveals how he moved from illustration and graphic design into public art and sculpture, developed a sustainable business model that keeps him booked 18 months ahead, and learned when to say no after decades of saying yes to everything.You'll discover how Mark positions accumulated expertise in environmental connection and place-based storytelling as premium capability, why collaboration amplifies rather than dilutes artistic voice, and how he's now creating space for fine art practice after 30 years of commissioned work. This isn't intended to be a motivational interview about following your passion—the intent is to provide you with the practical insight into what it takes to build recognised expertise, navigate pricing without business training, and sustaining creative work across several decades. And, to actually do that and succeed as an artist.Resources Mentioned, all in AustraliaOrganizations & Networks:Regional Arts VictoriaSurf Coast Arts - TorquayVenues & Creative Spaces:Ashmore Arts, TorquayCowrie Market, TorquayProjects & Artworks:Torquay Mosaic Sundial (1995) - Mark's first public art projectDiamantina Shire Land Art, near BetootaWildlife Collector Cards Project (2009-2014) - 135 A3-sized realistic paintings of local wildlife for LandcarePublications:Bush Tails, The Quest - written by Ali Cork, illustrated by Mark TrinhamMusic:Moonah (band) recently released fifth CD "Ghost Country" (EP). Lucy and The Night Sky - Nine-piece band that Mark and his Moonah bandmates backed as supporting musicians.Nightjar Independent Arts Festival - Arts market with food vendors and live musicContact & Portfolio:Instagram: @marktrinham - Mark's primary platform for current work updates and postsFacebook: Practical ideas for independent professionals building practice on their own terms. Arrives Tuesday. Subscribe free at wisepreneurs.com.au Support the showConnect with Nigel Rawlins website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs Please support the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/newStay one step ahead with The Wisepreneurs Insider newsletterAs a subscriber, you'll get: Sneak peeks at upcoming must-listen podcast episodes and guests Bonus wisdom straight from recent guest experts Marketing tips to attract your ideal clients Productivity hacks to streamline your independent business And more exclusive insights are delivered right to your inbox! Don't miss out on these invaluable resources Subscribe now and gain the edge you need to survive and thrive as a wisepreneur https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter

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• Jon Younger Why Keep Working at 73? On Talent, Wisdom, and Interesting Questions

  At 73, Jon Younger has spent his career understanding how talent evolves—from HR executive at Exxon to business builder to independent advisor on the future of work and AI. In this conversation, Jon addresses the positioning challenge experienced professionals rarely voice: how do you justify premium rates when younger consultants cost less and AI handles routine knowledge work?Jon explains why accumulated professional judgment creates diagnostic capabilities that remain valuable despite automation, how the traditional four-stage career model breaks down in the AI era, and what systematic business architecture independent practitioners need beyond corporate scaffolding. You'll learn specific frameworks for using AI as cognitive amplification rather than content generator, why freelancing requires treating your practice as genuine business rather than hobby, and how to maintain intellectual engagement while managing finite energy in later career stages.This episode provides immediately applicable frameworks for positioning crystallised intelligence as competitive advantage, not obsolete experience.Resources MentionedThinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel KahnemanRBL Group (Robert Baker Lawrence Group) Matt Mottola of Human Cloud on freelancing and future of work researchOutlier AI (owned by Scale AI) Turing, Brain Trust Surge AI Kaklachra MercorChatGPT Plus and Claude ProGleicher's Formula for ChangeCareer Stages ModelThe Hamming QuestionContact Jon YoungerLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-younger-phd-57a41455/ Practical ideas for independent professionals building practice on their own terms. Arrives Tuesday. Subscribe free at wisepreneurs.com.au Support the showConnect with Nigel Rawlins website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs Please support the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/newStay one step ahead with The Wisepreneurs Insider newsletterAs a subscriber, you'll get: Sneak peeks at upcoming must-listen podcast episodes and guests Bonus wisdom straight from recent guest experts Marketing tips to attract your ideal clients Productivity hacks to streamline your independent business And more exclusive insights are delivered right to your inbox! Don't miss out on these invaluable resources Subscribe now and gain the edge you need to survive and thrive as a wisepreneur https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter

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• Mayumi Kataoka: When Your Brain Needs Trees, Not More Productivity Hacks

  In our hyperconnected world, we respond to time scarcity by optimising, accelerating, and implementing more productivity systems. But what if the solution isn't doing more—it's doing less?Mayumi Kataoka, a certified forest therapy guide based in Sydney, takes professionals on three-hour walks that cover barely 1.2 kilometers. Participants consistently report losing track of time and finding clarity they didn't know they were missing.In this conversation, Mayumi shares her journey from IT professional and martial arts instructor to nature photographer to forest therapy guide, revealing how each phase built the observational capacity she now brings to her practice. She explains the science behind Shinrin-yoku (Japanese forest bathing), why our genes expect natural environments, and how systematic sensory engagement creates measurable cognitive benefits.Connect with Mayumi KataokaWebsite (Individual Practice): forestminds.comWebsite (Collective): foresttherapycollectivensw.comLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/forestmindsResources"Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkerman Challenges conventional productivity by exploring life's brevity (4,000 weeks if you live to 80) and advocating for acceptance of limits."The Extended Mind" by Annie Murphy Paul Examines how thinking extends beyond the brain through tools, environments, and bodies."The Distracted Mind" by Adam Gazzaley and Larry D. Rosen Explores how modern technology fragments attention and reduces cognitive performance.OrganizationsJapanese Forest Therapy Society Original institution developing Shinrin-yoku practices, maintaining certified sites throughout Japan, and supporting global research into forest bathing benefits.International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance Provides forest therapy guide certification and research. Based in Melbourne.Key ConceptsShinrin-yoku (Forest Bathing): Japanese therapeutic nature immersion practice backed by 40 years of research.Biophilia Hypothesis: E.O. Wilson's theory that humans have innate tendencies to connect with nature, evolved over 2 million years.4E Cognition: Understanding cognition Practical ideas for independent professionals building practice on their own terms. Arrives Tuesday. Subscribe free at wisepreneurs.com.au Support the showConnect with Nigel Rawlins website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs Please support the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/newStay one step ahead with The Wisepreneurs Insider newsletterAs a subscriber, you'll get: Sneak peeks at upcoming must-listen podcast episodes and guests Bonus wisdom straight from recent guest experts Marketing tips to attract your ideal clients Productivity hacks to streamline your independent business And more exclusive insights are delivered right to your inbox! Don't miss out on these invaluable resources Subscribe now and gain the edge you need to survive and thrive as a wisepreneur https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter

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• Anna Burgess Yang on Business Resilience and Smart Automation

  When Anna Burgess Yang was diagnosed with a brain tumor just weeks before surgery, her three years of systematic business building became the difference between collapse and continuity. In this conversation, Anna shares how strategic financial planning, smart automation systems, and operational frameworks allowed her FinTech writing business to run for two months without her active involvement. She reveals the specific tools, workflows, and thinking that transformed her solo practice from vulnerable to resilient—from Zapier automations that generated social media content to the financial buffers that eliminated money stress during recovery. This episode offers practical guidance on building sustainable solo businesses through emergency planning, automation architecture, and strategic tool selection. Essential listening for any professional concerned about the precariousness of independent work.Resources MentionedAutomation and Productivity Tools:Zapier - Automation platform connecting apps and workflows (most expensive tool Anna uses but saves significant time) https://zapier.comMake.com - Alternative automation platform mentioned by Nigel as more affordable for non-US users https://www.make.comAirtable - Database platform for tracking client work and content library https://airtable.comTrello - Project management and content planning tool https://trello.comBuffer - Social media scheduling platform https://buffer.comChatGPT Pro - AI tool for content generation and categorization https://openai.com/chatgptCanva - Graphics creation tool https://canva.comLoom - Video recording and sharing platform https://loom.comNote-Taking and Knowledge Management:Reflect - Note-taking app Anna uses (Obsidian competitor with bidirectional linking) https://reflect.appObsidian - Free note-taking app mentioned by Nigel https://obsidian.mdBusiness and Accounting:Google Workspace - Email and productivity sui Practical ideas for independent professionals building practice on their own terms. Arrives Tuesday. Subscribe free at wisepreneurs.com.au Support the showConnect with Nigel Rawlins website https://wisepreneurs.com.au/Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelrawlins/Twitter https://twitter.com/wisepreneurs Please support the podcast https://www.buzzsprout.com/2311675/supporters/newStay one step ahead with The Wisepreneurs Insider newsletterAs a subscriber, you'll get: Sneak peeks at upcoming must-listen podcast episodes and guests Bonus wisdom straight from recent guest experts Marketing tips to attract your ideal clients Productivity hacks to streamline your independent business And more exclusive insights are delivered right to your inbox! Don't miss out on these invaluable resources Subscribe now and gain the edge you need to survive and thrive as a wisepreneur https://wisepreneurs.com.au/newsletter

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