Five career changes before 35. A pattern inherited from her father. A moment where she realized she was living someone else's version of success.

In this conversation, Lata Hamilton shares how she broke free from the comparison trap and learned to lead from her heart instead of her head—and how you can too.

We talk about:

• Why analysis paralysis keeps us stuck (and how to get unstuck)
• The heart-brain alignment that leaders and career-changers desperately need
• Breaking inherited patterns of what "success" looks like
• Finding your worth in an uncertain world
• How to stay creative and hopeful when everything's changing fast

If you're feeling trapped by expectations—your own or others'—this episode is an invitation to remember that your career choices shape everything. The type of work, the people, the lifestyle, the hours, the impact. Your career is the foundation for the life you actually want to live.

With Lata Hamilton, author of Pioneer Your Career Change and Best Independent Consultant 2025.

Connect with Lata:
📖 Book: Pioneer Your Career Change – Available on Amazon (print & ebook) and as an audiobook on Audible and Spotify (narrated by Lata)
🔗 LinkedIn: Connect and follow for career inspiration, change management insights, and future of work content

If you're the one everyone relies on, this one's for you.

Poornima Peri knows what it's like to look like you've got it all together while running on empty. In her late 20s she was working full-time, raising two young children and pushing for the next step up, doing for her manager, her colleagues, her family, her newborn, everyone except herself. By 30 she had hormonal imbalances, significant weight gain, hypothyroidism and autoimmune conditions. Then her mum, who did everything "right", was diagnosed with stage four cancer.

In this conversation with Anthony Hartcher, Poornima shares what actually shifted things for her and her mum, and it wasn't a supplement or a specialist. It was stepping back long enough to see the pattern.

We talk about why high performers are the least likely to recognise burnout in themselves, the difference between waiting for a crisis to force a pause and choosing five minutes a day to reflect, and the simple daily ritual Poornima now lives by: ten minutes for yourself, a short intention-setting each morning, a weekly check-in with your partner, and a to-do list of no more than ten things. She also shares the "listen, pause, assess, reflect, step back" process she uses every day, and why stepping back to let others find their own way is a gift, not a failure.

None of it takes much time. It takes intention.

Connect with Poornima:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/poornima-peri
Instagram: @Poornima Hormone Coach

Joyful Mate™: https://joyfulmate.com

If this resonated, share it with someone who needs to hear it, and until next time, continue to experience more joy, fulfilment and happiness.

This podcast is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice.

"Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine."

If that exchange sounds familiar, this episode is for you.

R U OK? Day falls on Thursday 10 September 2026, and asking the question is only half of it. Most people say they're fine because they don't feel safe, they're worried about being judged, or they don't want to be a burden. Whether they open up depends far more on the state you're in than on the words you use.

In this solo episode, Anthony Hartcher — clinical nutritionist and lifestyle medicine specialist — walks through how to hold a genuine mental health conversation with someone you're worried about.

What we cover:

- Why "yeah, I'm fine" is usually a read on you, not an honest answer

- Getting into a receptive state before you ask — calm, grounded, unhurried

- Naming the change in behaviour you've noticed, so they know they've been seen

- Why you are not there to solve the problem (and why jumping to solutions shuts people down)

- Listening with the single intent to understand

- Suppressed emotion, disconnection, and the fight/flight/freeze response

- Getting to a next step they choose themselves — and following up

- Looking after yourself when the conversation triggers something in you

Chapters:

00:00 R U OK? Day and why the question matters

02:26 Connection, meaning, and why sharing helps us process

04:53 Being in a receptive state

07:18 Staying present without reaching for solutions

09:41 Letting them find their own next step

12:06 How these conversations deepen a relationship

14:34 What not to say, and caring for yourself afterwards

If this one lands, share it with someone who's about to have a hard conversation, and leave a comment with your questions.

Support: this episode is general education, not a substitute for professional care. In Australia, Lifeline is available 24/7 on 13 11 14, and Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Continue to work on yourself, support yourself, and grow.

The Joyful Mate Podcast