Episodes

  • "I remember thinking, constantly ... It's not the things you have ... it's the people around you"

    "I remember thinking, constantly ... It's not the things you have ... it's the people around you"
    Oct 8 2025
    As a teenager, Monique Power was exposed to the death of a friend’s father and this became an early catalyst for her to realise “Life is Short”. She felt there was a need to do things. In her early 20’s, this took her to Ghana, Africa on volunteer work … Quickly, she realised her passion was not necessarily being on the ground, so to speak, but it was in influencing policy to make change … and using her ability and privilege to leverage. She also discovered that “Passion is well received” by others and used this thought for motivation to pursue a higher education in Political Science and International relations on her return to Australia. But just as the degree was being completed, her life changed with the conception of her first child. She was diagnosed prenatally with a very rare disability. The pregnancy was highly challenging and the medical professionals painted a dire picture for her chances of survival at birth. But Monique relied on her ‘passion’ and used this to influence her intuitive beliefs and decision making to guide her, not only during the pregnancy, but also following her daughter’s birth.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "I think you've notice by now ... risk and uncertainty does not phase us as a family"

    "I think you've notice by now ... risk and uncertainty does not phase us as a family"
    Sep 24 2025
    n this final instalment of Deany Jaghdour’s visit to Max’s Island, we begin to learn a little more of her personal discovery of how she thinks and acts in stressful situations. The importance of professional mental health support is highlighted and Deany really learnt more about herself by reflecting on her early childhood memories. But, whilst she was managing her own mental health recovery pathway, the family life was not settled by any means. And in fact, it became more chaotic as they traversed the globe during a short period of time … This included living in Bali on 3 separate times, living in France on two other occasions and in between, staying in Melbourne and actually buying a ‘family” home in Perth. The reasons for these changes were mixed … and included multiple redundancies, taking work out of necessity and also by just “following their whim” that seemed to be the right thing at the time. And whilst all of this was happening, Deany gave birth to a second child … and embraced a real passion piece … where she self published a book for children, explaining the menstrual cycle in mothers.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "What the "F" ... just go ... what are you doing here?"

    "What the "F" ... just go ... what are you doing here?"
    Sep 9 2025
    In the first chapter of this story, Deany Jaghdour met a man, Nabil … moved to Jakarta … married him and started a family. It was a whirlwind decision … and meant a new life, away from Australia. They then moved to Bali to open their dream restaurant … unfortunately it was just as Covid hit. These challenges were being faced by many other businesses in Bali … but since Deany still had her job in Jakarta … they thought they would be able to ride it out and come out the other side. That was until a motorbike accident left Nabil in a critical condition in ICU @ a Bali hospital … who were demanding large amounts of money before commencing treatment … Treatment to keep him alive and then to operate on his critical head injuries.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "I'm very aware that I'm jumping into something unclear ... but it didn't bother me"

    "I'm very aware that I'm jumping into something unclear ... but it didn't bother me"
    Aug 27 2025
    Deany Jaghdour’s visit to Max’s Island was a long one … she stayed longer than most guests … But there is a good reason why… she has a story that has many parts. So, it is split into 3 chapters … each will be released separately. They are individual experiences in their own right … but all form part of a bigger story from a time in her life that has certainly opened her to exciting opportunities, personal and business challenges and confronting emotional highs and lows. These interconnected stories begin with Chapter One, where she meets a man…and moves to Jakarta to be with him … on an impulsive hunch that seemed to be the right thing to do at that time. This all happened within a couple of days of meeting him. Ultimately, they met, they married and started a family within a short space of time.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "and at about 3 songs in, I shouted ... I'm buying a guitar"

    "and at about 3 songs in, I shouted ... I'm buying a guitar"
    Aug 11 2025
    As a returning visitor to Max’s Island, Justin Davies was keen to share the latest story of how he has embraced the creative passion of creating, playing and recording music for all the world to hear. As an acoustic singer-songwriter, he’s known for his lyrical honesty, dry wit, and ability to connect through the strings of his guitar and the stories in his songs. They’re all rooted in real life — drawing from personal experience, observations, and a sharp sense of the world around him. On his last visit to the island, Justin explained how a chance meeting with someone, he initially didn’t know, heavily influenced the trajectory of his career. But on this episode, we’ll learn that his evolution into music has been a much longer and more determined process.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "I actually just passed out ... face first ... onto this poor lady's lap"

    "I actually just passed out ... face first ... onto this poor lady's lap"
    Jul 27 2025
    Elena Brand chose to embrace the Japanese concept of Ikigai to inspire a career ‘shift’ … This was not going to be a full blown change … but more of a re-framing of her existing passions to guide her life’s vision. However, it was not until she began to have vagal faints that her actions became more deliberate. Especially after she fainted into someone’s lap, on a train journey home from work. So, during one of her regular ‘future self meditations’ … an annual course correction … used to inform her thinking for the year ahead and to adopt a very much forward looking lens … things became more obvious. Additional clarity followed with the strong influence of her mentor, who was a leader in nature sustainability. He challenged her with the saying … “If not you … who! If not now … when?”
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "The mechanic refused to service my bike ... because my Japanese wasn't very good"

    "The mechanic refused to service my bike ... because my Japanese wasn't very good"
    Jul 9 2025
    Now living in Osaka, Japan with his partner, Dylan is teaching English to young Japanese students and helping them to develop the language skills to enhance their career opportunities. …and, doing this without any formal teaching qualifications. But that’s not all … he spends his leisure time organising, hosting and performing English spoken, “stand up comedy”. This is not necessarily unique in Osaka, but it is different, especially taking into account the Japanese cultural influences that inform the audiences.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "But, our living costs have halved ... and our lifestyle's actually better."

    "But, our living costs have halved ... and our lifestyle's actually better."
    Jun 22 2025
    Eve Lameks now lives in a small town in south-west France with her husband Rickie. On the surface that may not seem dramatically special, however, to go there not only satisfied a long-term dream but it also was important for their England based business. Their transition story began following the passing of their dear, 100 year old Aunt Tatiana, who they had been her primary carers for eight years. On a previous episode, Eve had shared with the listeners of Max’s Island, the loving but sometimes challenging task of caring for an elderly relative, in a foreign country, as a pair of 30 years olds. This period of time was a significant influence in the way they appreciated life, and was an experience that actually reinforced their dream to follow a way life that really suited them. They saw first hand how this way of life could be achieved, by observing others whilst on a surfing holiday to the south-west of France … and then Eve thinking “ we’ve got great jobs in central London…we’re making really good money … why are we not as happy as these beach bums … hanging out … surfing all the time … somethings wrong”
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    Less than 1 minute