On this episode of It’s Never About Money, I am joined by Daron K. Roberts, a former NFL coach and award-winning college professor. Named as a “Top 20 Global Speaker” in 2024, Daron’s clients range from professional sports teams to Fortune 100 companies.

Join us as Daron shares his inspiring journey from law student, to NFL coach, to being a “Top 20 Global Speaker”. This episode explores the challenges of major life transitions, the value of genuine support, and the importance of aligning professional pursuits with personal passions. Daron’s reflections on family, identity, and reconnecting with his heritage add depth to a conversation packed with insights on personal growth, building meaningful connections, and navigating career pivots with intention and authenticity. Enjoy!

The post Punting on Purpose: Finding Meaning Beyond the NFL [Daron K Roberts] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

On this episode of It’s Never About Money, I am joined by Rachael McLennan, the CEO and co-founder of People for Purpose. For over a decade, People for Purpose has championed outstanding leadership and governance in Australian charities—a cause close to Rachael’s heart.

In our conversation, Rachael shares her inspiring journey into philanthropy, her experiences as the founding CEO of Australian Philanthropic Services, and her insights on how strong leadership can transform charitable organisations. We delve into the significance of governance, the role of mentorship in empowering young people, and the growth of private philanthropy in Australia.

Rachael also talks about her personal connection to social impact, her experiences as an MBA student specialising in this field, and how she balances her passion for her work with being a mother of three.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about leadership, philanthropy, and making a difference in the not-for-profit sector.

The post Leading with Purpose: Transforming Australia’s Non-Profit Sector [Rachael McLennan] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

On this episode of It’s Never About Money, I am joined by Shaun Maslyk, a trained and practising Certified Financial Planner® and Certified Financial Behavior Specialist®. Shaun integrates psychology, positive psychology, and coaching psychology theories to help people understand their money stories and flourish beyond their finances.

In our conversation Shaun shares his journey into financial psychology, the relationship between money and happiness, and the concept of financial flashpoints – highly emotional events from childhood that shape our financial behaviours. We also discuss the PERMA model of well-being, which includes five key pillars: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement. 

This episode is a deep dive into the intersection of money, psychology, and well-being, offering valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their relationship with money and live a more meaningful life.

The post Money Stories: Unpacking Financial Psychology [Shaun Maslyk] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

In this episode of It’s Never About Money, I welcome Peter Winneke, author of Give While You Live. With over 20 years of experience in strategic philanthropy, Peter has established more than 100 philanthropic family foundations and has served in leadership roles with several prominent foundations in Australia.

In our conversation we discuss the importance of impactful giving and the current state of the philanthropic sector in Australia. Peter offers insights on best practices to enhance charitable contributions, shares his journey into philanthropy, and the culture of family giving.

Tune in for an enlightening discussion on generosity and legacy building!

GIVEAWAY:

We’re giving away 10 copies of Peter’s book, ‘Give While You Live’! The first 10 people to email joe@itsneveraboutmoney.com.au with a suggestion to retitle our Special Report (currently titled “Your Roadmap to Charitable Giving”) will receive a copy of this incredible book!


To join the waitlist for our special report for families: Your Roadmap for Charitable Giving – head to: https://itsneveraboutmoney.com.au/join-the-waitlist-charitable-giving/ 

The post Building a Legacy of Generosity [Peter Winneke] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

In this episode of It’s Never About Money, I am joined by Dr Alain Bestavros, a renowned oncologist and haematologist, based in Montreal, Canada. He has been a cornerstone at the Integrated Cancer Centre at Laval, and also serves as an adjunct Professor and leading researcher at the McGill University. He also happens to be my cousin.

In this wide ranging and at times deeply personal conversation, we discuss the causes of cancer, how it can impact a person’s life and those around them, the links between stress and cancer, and how it is possible to find meaning when faced with the worst news imaginable. 

The post Talking with a Cancer Expert: Why It’s Not All Bad News [Alain Bestavros] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

There are so many health books out there. Just like how there is a plethora of habit forming and behaviour change books. But why aren’t there any books that delve into both topics?

Well, I’m here to say that there is. And it’s called The Health Habit by Dr. Amantha Imber.

Dr Amantha Imber is an organisational psychologist and founder of behaviour change

consultancy Inventium. She hosts the top ranking podcast How I Work, which has had over 5

million downloads. 

Amantha is the author of three international bestselling books: Time Wise, The

Innovation Formula, and The Creativity Formula. Her latest book that came out earlier this year, and the one I am currently reading, is The Health Habit.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on health habits and explores impactful strategies that may be lesser-known or underutilised. It goes beyond the common advice of eating more vegetables and avoiding phone use in bed. The aim is to identify habits that can have a significant impact on sleep, movement, and nutrition.

The second part of the book addresses psychological barriers that hinder behaviour change. D. Imber identifies four common barriers or “habit hijackers.” The first is motivational barriers, where individuals feel obligated rather than motivated to make a change. The second is relational hijackers, which involve the influence of people and social norms that divert individuals from their health goals. The third is environmental barriers, where the physical environment poses challenges to desired habits. The final barrier is cognitive barriers, which include feelings of overwhelm, exhaustion, or burnout that limit resources for change.

The book aims to help individuals develop a personalised plan that combines health with habit forming strategies to overcome their specific obstacles. By implementing these strategies, individuals can make their new health habits stick for good.

I am thoroughly enjoying reading The Health Habit, I couldn’t recommend it enough. If you want to get yourself a copy, head down to your local bookstore to head to Amantha’s website. 

To hear the full conversation with Dr. Amantha Imber, listen to episode 55 of It’s Never About Money.

The post Exploring Health, Habits and Careers [Dr Amantha Imber] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

In so many ways, this episode with Alastair Henry affirmed exactly what It’s Never About Money is all about.

In our conversation, Alastair told his story, with its many twists and turns, learnings and unlearnings, and eventually a firm resolution: being successful doesn’t necessarily make you happy, but being happy makes you successful.

Alastair immigrated to Canada from England by himself when he was 19. He became a typical yuppie – family, house in the suburbs, and a big job in the corporate sector. Following London Life’s Freedom 55 plan – he retired at 57 and went to live in the country.

A year later, disillusioned with the passivity of retirement, he shed his material possessions and went to live for two years with a small First Nations band in a remote fly-in location in the Northwest Territories, Canada.

Cultural differences and a challenging environment ignited in him fresh perspectives, inspired a new way of being, and fueled his soul searching. The experience changed the direction of his life which he wrote about in his memoir: Awakening in the Northwest Territories.

Alastair initially looked at the Łutselkʼe Dene First Nation people through the lens of his upbringing, steeped in Western capitalist ideals. However, as he spent more time with them, he realised that they ‘live in the moment’ and ‘find happiness in simple things’. They do not worry about the future, or strive for material success. Instead, they focus on being content with what they have and the community around them.

Since that experience, Alastair has been motivated to continue to help others, volunteering all around the world in countries like Bangladesh, Guyana and Jamaica. He’s also backpacked with his partner through Central America and Southeast Asia, co-writing three more books: Go For It – Volunteering Adventures on Roads Less Travelled, Budget Backpacking for Boomers, and Tides of Change. He’s also written a fiction titled The Soldier and The Orphan.

Alastair’s journey exemplifies the transformative power of embracing change and finding fulfilment. By immersing himself in different cultures and mindsets, he gained a deeper understanding of others and their way of life. 

The byline of his first memoir sums it up absolutely perfectly: One Man’s Search for Fulfilment. 

To hear the full conversation with Alastair Henry, listen to episode 54 of It’s Never About Money.

The post One Man’s Search for Fulfilment [Alastair Henry]  appeared first on It's Never About Money.

This podcast episode was a truly fascinating one. The episode traversed the topics of health, community, personal development and technology.

My guest was Stephen Scheeler, former Facebook CEO for Australia and New Zealand, and co-founder and CEO of the Omniscient A.I. – the world leader in using A.I. to decode the human brain.

He shared the following article with me, giving background on Omniscient A.I. and its potential to change the world for the better.

________________

AI and the coming revolution in human brain health

Recent (and emerging) breakthroughs in AI and neurotechnology are making the once impossible possible: providing humans with an exponentially-deepening understanding of the human brain as a data processor and supercomputer at the very centre of human experience and existence. 

The field of connectomics (decoding the brain through AI) is quickly emerging as an operating system for the human brain – and is likely to be one of the most significant and impactful technology developments in human history.

In essence, connectomics AI enables an understanding of the human brain down to the level of brain networks and brain circuits – enabling, among other things, individuals to literally see mental illness, learning disabilities and neurodegeneration within an individual’s connectome.

Connectomics AI is as massive a leap in humankind’s understanding of the brain as Roentgen’s discovery of X-rays in 1895 was for the understanding of other organs and structures of the human body. Using AI to decode the brain through connectomics is one of the most impactful technology breakthroughs of the 21st century. 

The ‘so what’ of this is profound. For example:

• Potential for historic, game-changing breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness, learning disabilities and neurodegeneration (which effect >2B people every year, and cost the global economy >10% of global GDP); 
• Potential for huge, rapid advancements in areas like learning & development and intelligence augmentation; 
• Potential for the concomitant leveling of historically intractable social and economic inequalities for medically-underserved and economically-deprived populations around the world.

Connectomics AI technology is truly game-changing for human well-being, quality of life and prosperity… but there are a number of obstacles and risks which may stand in the way of 8 billion humans benefiting equally and rapidly from its full potential. These include:

• Cost – must be affordable to all who would benefit from it, and reimbursable through insurance / public health systems;
• Access – must be available where people can readily gain access;
• Training/Enablement – medical professionals must have the right training, and at the right levels, to enable universal access;
• Data rights – brain data rights must be well-defined, but should strike a balance so as not to inhibit the rapid development and spread of connectomics AI technologies to those in need;
• Regulatory blockers – regulatory (eg medical, data, privacy) settings need to be properly nuanced in order to ensure beneficial connectomics AI technologies are not unduly inhibited from rapid advancement to as many people as possible;
• Misuse & unintended outcomes – there is significant risk of misuse and unintended outcomes from connectomics AI technologies – by government, military, corporations, individuals and the medical establishment. These risks and outcomes should be well-researched and openly-debated, and frameworks should be put in place to mitigate misuse and harm to individuals and societies

To give one simple, audacious goal: Omniscient want to eliminate mental illness from the planet by 2100 through connectomics AI.

This is akin to eradicating smallpox or polio, or ensuring universal access to sanitary sewage systems. 

Like access education and clean water, I see access to connectomics AI technology as a universal human right.

There is a lot of discussion going on today about the potential benefits and dangers of AI. But there is very little discussion about connectomics AI and its potential to profoundly change the world for the better. 

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What does it mean to pursue meaning over money?

Is it really a binary? Is there meaning OR money?

Can you do both? Can money buy you happiness?

It’s not very often that you come across someone whose philosophy is completely aligned with your own. But this week, I sat down and had an amazing conversation with someone whose ideas and values mirrored my own.

Travis Shelton is a professional financial coach, speaker, writer, and host of the Meaning Over Money podcast. 

Travis helps businesses and families have a healthy relationship with money, not necessarily to have more, but rather to live a more meaningful life by pursuing work that matters and creating an impact on others. 

He works with a wide range of people from professional athletes, executives, teachers, and lawyers to business owners. While each person’s journey is different, there are common themes when it comes to the emotional, relational, and psychological aspects of money. 

A lot of our conversation could be boiled down to one concept: the pursuit of meaning over money. It doesn’t really need to be pointed out, but this is the core concept of both our podcasts.

In the episode, Travis talks about polarising or seemingly contrasting notions, like meaning Vs money. He explains that these notions just simply aren’t correct. Pursuing meaning doesn’t mean you’re going to live a life of poverty. 

“If you pursue money, you just might find it. You very well could find it. But if you choose meaning, you will find meaning. And you will have a deep meaningful life and you may have some money along the way.”

But what about the adage ‘money can’t buy happiness’. Well, the truth is that it can… to a certain point. We need money to ensure our basic needs are met – to pay bills, have food and water, and a roof over our heads.

Our conversation is brimming with insight and thought-provoking philosophical thought. Writing about it simply won’t do it any justice. Have a listen for yourself!

To hear the full conversation with Travis Shelton, listen to episode 49 of It’s Never About Money.

The post Meaning, Money, Fulfilment, and Impact [Travis Shelton] appeared first on It's Never About Money.

What does it mean to pursue meaning over money?

Is it really a binary? Is there meaning OR money?

Can you do both? Can money buy you happiness?

It’s not very often that you come across someone whose philosophy is completely aligned with your own. But this week, I sat down and had an amazing conversation with someone whose ideas and values mirrored my own.

Travis Shelton is a professional financial coach, speaker, writer, and host of the Meaning Over Money podcast. 

Travis helps businesses and families have a healthy relationship with money, not necessarily to have more, but rather to live a more meaningful life by pursuing work that matters and creating impact on others. 

He works with a wide range of people from professional athletes, executives, teachers, and lawyers to business owners. While each person’s journey is different, there are common themes when it comes to the emotional, relational, and psychological aspects of money. 

A lot of our conversation could be boiled down to one concept: the pursuit of meaning over money. It doesn’t really need to be pointed out, but this is the core concept of both our podcasts.

In the episode Travis talks about polarising or seemingly contrasting notions, like meaning Vs Money. He explains that these notions just simply aren’t correct. Pursuing meaning doesn’t mean you’re going to live a life of poverty. 

“If you pursue money, you just might find it. You very well could find it. But if you choose meaning, you will find meaning. And you will have a deep meaningful life and you may have some money along the way.”

But what about the adage ‘money can’t buy happiness’.Well, the truth is that it can… to a certain point. We need money to ensure our basic needs are met – to pay bills, have food and water, and a roof over our heads.

Our conversation is brimming with insight and thought provoking philosophical thought. Writing about it simply won’t do it any justice. Have a listen for yourself!

To hear the full conversation with Travis Shelton, listen to episode 49 of It’s Never About Money.

The post The Pursuit of Meaning [Travis Shelton] appeared first on It's Never About Money.