"If we just slow down a tiny bit and pay attention"

Returning to Max’s Island multiple times—as our guest in this episode, Rachael West, is doing—is such a powerful way to express the evolving nature of our lives. Rachael recently spent four months in Berlin testing out a new way of living. Her journey wasn't about a total life overhaul, but rather a chance to reflect through a fascinating observation on human connection, eye contact, and the simple habit of a smile. Join us as we catch up with Rachael West and explore what happens when we slow down, notice the small interactions, and share another story on Max's Island.

Belinda Gosden is a woman who proved that when you truly want something, no rejection or risk can stand in your way. For many years, Belinda harbored a dream of cooking on MasterChef Australia. She applied once. She applied twice…In fact, she was turned down four times But rather than giving up, Belinda doubled down. She took a massive leap of faith: quitting a job she hated, selling her apartment to fund her journey, and literally picturing herself in the MasterChef kitchen holding the trophy. She manifested her spot on national television … and proved to herself that her lifelong love for food was far more than a hobby — as she puts it, 'it's a life.'

Can you imagine spending 12 to 18 months delivering devastating job news to dedicated employees during a major industry downturn. That was the reality for our guest on this episode … Leonie Murray … who after 25 years in senior HR roles across the globe, found herself burnt out, heartbroken, and completely lacking joy in her work. It wasn't until her own executive coach confronted her with one life-changing question—“Where’s the joy in your life?”—that Leonie realised she had to make a drastic change.

Kate takes us through a deeply impactful childhood … painted in three distinct panels. The first is architectural—a childhood spent inside a literal panopticon, a hexagonal state-housing block in 1980s Perth, surrounded by the inward-pressing, incomplete loops of a Radburn-designed suburb. The second is socially influenced—navigating the heavy stigma of a shifting welfare state as the child of a fiercely protective single mother, finding solace not in school, but in brutalist university libraries and piles of classic books. And the third is a rare beacon of agency—the Karawara 'Fun Factory,' a Danish-inspired adventure play-space where kids were handed raw, recycled materials and told to shape their own worlds.

We live in an increasingly complex world. In our post-pandemic reality, many of us have quietly slipped into survival mode—feeling exhausted, insular, and struggling to imagine alternative futures. So how do we break out of this cognitive fatigue? How do we reclaim our agency when our very attention is being systematically shaped by algorithms, devices, and those tiny red notification icons? Kate Rodgers believes the path forward lies in a force we often take for granted: curiosity.

Today we are revisiting the episode with Simon White and his involvement with the main character from the Fine Cotton racing affair. … not only because it’s a really good yarn … but also because next week is the 42nd anniversary of this famous part of Australian sporting folklore. Simon is a veteran journalist who, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ring-in when he was a racing journo in South Australia, was tasked with tracking down the elusive trainer of Fine Cotton, Hayden Haitana—or "H," as his friends called him.

As a second-year apprentice electrician, Keoni found himself trapped by a 240-volt electric shock. In that terrifying moment … where the world went silent … he realised that tomorrow is never guaranteed, and he had not yet taken the risk to truly bet on himself… even at that early age in life. After surviving the incident and seeing that his employer treated him as just another "number in the system," Keoni made a life-altering choice. He abandoned the security of his trade and his guaranteed $800-a-week paycheck, overcame the fear of disappointing his parents, and went all-in on his passion. Today, he runs The Growth Concept Media, a business dedicated to story-led content and redefining marketing by selling the emotions behind a brand. Keoni’s journey proves that sometimes, the biggest risks are the only way to truly live.

Jeremy Cookson, proves age is no barrier. After a long, successful career delivering major projects for ad agencies and leaving a senior corporate role at LotteryWest, Jeremy finally found the time and financial freedom to pursue a passion project of his own. He is the founder of AskPro, an innovative platform that connects Australian nonprofits with high-level corporate expertise. In this episode, Jeremy opens up about the raw realities of starting a business later in your career. He shares everything from the initial 'blind terror' of someone stealing his idea, to getting bogged down in unfamiliar new technologies, and how he pushes through those tough weeks where he just wants to put the project down and step away.

Lynsey McDonnell proves that it is never too late to chase a spark of inspiration, even if you spend your days immersed in spreadsheets and financial reports. Lynsey, is a successful Chief Financial Officer, a dedicated mother, and now, a published debut author. Her journey to publication is nothing short of magical, or as she likes to call it, an instance of the story choosing the writer rather than the other way around. It all began with a random glance at the West Australian newspaper in January 2018, where an article about the 150th anniversary of the Hougoumont, the last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, caught her eye. This sparked a deep dive into the incredible history of the Fenian Irish soldiers on board, specifically the captivating story of John Boyle O'Reilly. John was tried for treason and sent to Western Australia, where he oversaw road construction and eventually found himself entangled in a forbidden romance with a warder's daughter. Lynsey masterfully weaves this fascinating historical narrative with a compelling contemporary dual-timeline involving a heritage-listed Fremantle cottage and an Irish radio producer named Rebecca. In this episode, Lynsey opens up about the gruelling but rewarding path to traditional publication with Hawkeye Publishing. She shares how the skills she honed as an accountant surprisingly aided her writing, how she handled the harsh realities of literary rejections, and the terrifying vulnerability of finally holding her physical book in her hands.

On this episode of Max's Island, 19-year-old Levi explores with us the profoundly life-altering journey that began with a shocking leukemia diagnosis at just 11 years old. Levi opens up about the physical toll of his chemotherapy, particularly how the drug Vincristine damaged his muscles and stripped him of his ability to play the active sports he loved. However, as Levi notes, closing that door … opened a new one: a deep passion for motor bikes and mechanics that make them work. He shares how fixing broken motorbikes became a vital coping mechanism during treatment, eventually leading to getting a Make-A-Wish workshop in his mum’s backyard … a place he still uses every weekend.