In this week’s episode, I sit down with Tommy Hicks, Head of Cultural and Community at Indigenous Energy Australia, recorded at the First Nations Clean Energy Network Summit on the Sunshine Coast.

Tommy shares his journey as a proud Noongar and Narungga man working at the intersection of culture, community, and infrastructure. He opens up about the importance of storytelling, relationship-building, and place-based knowledge in driving genuine progress across the clean energy and infrastructure sectors.

Together, we explore what it means to put relationships before projects, how to stay grounded while leading in fast-paced industries, and the challenges and opportunities of scaling impact while staying true to community values. We also yarn about identity, resilience, and the lessons Tommy has learned as a young business leader creating pathways for the next generation.

This is an inspiring conversation about culture, leadership, and why centring Aboriginal ways of knowing and being is critical to building a healthy, sustainable future for all.

Resources & Links

First Nations Clean Energy Network
https://www.firstnationscleanenergy.org.au/

Tommy Hicks Linkedin

Website: www.blackmagicwoman.com.au

Follow us on Instagram - @blackmagicwomanpodcast

The Black Magic Woman Podcast is hosted by Mundanara Bayles and is an uplifting conversational style program featuring mainly Aboriginal guests and explores issues of importance to Aboriginal people and communities. Mundanara is guided by Aboriginal Terms of Reference and focusses more on who people are rather than on what they do.

If you enjoyed this episode, please ‘Subscribe’ on Apple Podcasts or ‘Follow’ on your Spotify app and tell your friends and family about us! If you’d like to contact us, please email, info@blackmagicwoman.com.au

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Actor, presenter and podcaster Matty Mills is a proud First Nations and queer storyteller whose energy lights up every room. Known for his “sparkly” persona on screen and stage, Matty also brings honesty and depth to conversations about healing, culture and mental fitness.

In this episode, host Mundanara Bayles sits down with Matty for an open conversation about identity, belonging and the courage it takes to reclaim your story. Matty reflects on reconnecting with family, navigating grief and the role therapy played in strengthening his mental health. He speaks candidly about breaking through in the media, the pressure of representation and refusing to be boxed in by stereotypes.

Matty’s story is one of persistence, authenticity and cultural pride. From hosting red carpets to working with Baz Luhrmann, and now co-hosting First Things First with Brooke Blurton, Matty continues to use his platform to amplify First Nations and LGBTQIA+ voices.

This conversation is a reminder that behind every persona is a human story - of vulnerability, courage and connection. As Matty shares, building mental fitness means finding the strength to show up as your whole self and creating space for others to do the same.

Resources and links
Find out more about Gotcha4Life at www.gotcha4life.org and follow us on Instagram and Facebook @gotcha4life and Black Magic Woman Podcast on Instagram @blackmagicwomanpodcast.

Follow Matty on Instagram @itsmattymills.

About the podcast
Hosted by award-winning Indigenous businesswoman and Gotcha4Life Board Member Mundanara Bayles, and produced in partnership with Black Magic Woman, Mental Fitness Conversations centres First Nations voices in powerful conversations about culture, connection and what truly sustains mental fitness.

Content note
This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges which may be confronting. Please practise self-care and reach out if you need support. Services available 24/7 include 13YARN on 13 92 76 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hi, i’m Mundanara Bayles, host of the award-winning Black Magic Woman Podcast, where I celebrate the voices of First Nations people, leaders, and changemakers who are shaping our communities today. With honesty, laughter, and deep connection, I invite you into yarns that help us all learn, unlearn, and walk together towards a more just future.

🎙️ Tune in now and hear the stories that inspire, challenge, and uplift — told through a Blak lens.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.