Episodes

  • "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
  • "And woke up on the next Monday ... with nothing to do ... no-one called me, no-one was thinking about me."

    "And woke up on the next Monday ... with nothing to do ... no-one called me, no-one was thinking about me."
    Jun 4 2025
    This episode features a classic example of a person who totally adopted the Max’s Island way … and made a deliberate decision to change everything. As we say on Max’s Island, that moment in life where you made a decision … for yourself. However, in this case … for a range of reasons, it didn’t end there. In fact, it eventually ended back to where it all began. Darren Green made a decision in 2018, after 15 years of running his own successful mortgage broking business … and within a week of him sharing that decision to walk away, with his bosses … it was abruptly over. Waking up on the next Monday morning, he was a free man … or so he thought.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "That's not any marketing genius or anything ... that's just what Gmail would let me have"

    "That's not any marketing genius or anything ... that's just what Gmail would let me have"
    May 22 2025
    Danny Allen and his mates used getting together, over a few beers, as a way of keeping close and yakking over things that mattered to them. A chance meeting with a podcast producer and content creator … at a pub in the Perth northern suburbs … just as they were thinking about starting a podcast for themselves, was the moment of truth for them. They mused over a Podcast name … loosely formulated a plan … and then just relied on the connection they had between themselves … to create 4Beerzin. The natural evolution of this creative endeavour has been strong, consistent and pushes the edges of topics their listeners enjoy.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • "I came home one day, when I was 15 ... and Robert de Castella was sitting on the couch."

    "I came home one day, when I was 15 ... and Robert de Castella was sitting on the couch."
    May 7 2025
    Previously, we learnt how Brad’s passion and commitment was pivotal in starting a successful community radio station. In this episode we continue to peel back the layers of person who has achieved so much…as an elite sportsman, talented media personality and a genuinely good bloke. Brad shares his involvement in the Nollamara Primary school basketball phenomena, the passion for surfing and the diverse media experiences he had on both radio and TV.
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    Less than 1 minute