44 years ago, Mark met his wife Christine while engaging in youth work in townships, prisons and various church groups. In 1988, after studying in the US, Mark and Christine founded a church and school in the town of Empangeni, Kwa Zulu Natal. In 1990, they moved to Durban starting Grace Family Church. Over 30 years Mark played a leadership role in bringing Grace to its current status which includes 5 campuses, a large staff compliment and a diverse congregation.

Recently, after over 30 years of ministry, Mark has had to navigate retirement from his pastoral role.

In this episode, Mark unpacks the four phases of retirement with us, which he does so while sharing his own story of navigating retirement in a vulnerable and authentic way.

There is much to learn from those who have gone before us, so wether you are approaching retirement or have a long way to go, I know that you will take a lot out of this insightful conversation with Mark.

Links:

The Four Phases of Retirement TED Talk.

Mark Van Straaten's You Tube Channel

Insights from Mark on money and retirement and three things he resisted when retiring.

The Middle Podcast is hosted by Travis Gale, founder of The Middle.

Find out more about how The Middle can support you, your team or organisation to develop the grit and resilience needed to overcome challenges and achieve ambitious goals.

Links:

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In this episiode, we talk to professional South African mountain bike rider, Omphile Motaung.

Omphile found out at an early age what it takes to navigate adversity. After losing her Dad at age 8, she then lost her mom to cancer at age 14, resulting in her entering into the foster home system.

Omphile talks openly with us around what it took for her to break through her limitations, both self imposed and imposed by others. Her story reveals the way endurance events can teach us so much about who we are, and how mentorship is critical to release potential. Not only that, Omphile also shares with us her vision to see the next generation find themselves through the world of endurance, as well as her passion for making a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer.

A truly inspiring and encouraging conversation with Omphile Motaung.

The Middle Podcast is hosted by Travis Gale, founder of The Middle.

Find out more about how The Middle can support you, your team or organisation to develop the grit and resilience needed to overcome challenges and achieve ambitious goals.

Links:

Website
facebook
instagram
youtube

In this episode, we return to one of our previous guests, Madz Deysel, as we continue with a focus on mental health. Our previous conversations with Madz got a lot of traction and feedback so it is a pleasure to have her back again!

In this conversation with Madz, we talk about the idea that if you can define it, you can defeat it. As Madz says, depression is something that starts with an unprocessed thought. So often, people are struggling but are unsure as to the cause of their struggle or it simply feels to complex. This may result in a never ending journey which leaves people feeling defeated.

Madz unpacks practically what it means to define it and how defining the cause supports our ability to deal with it and improve out mental health.

The Middle Podcast is hosted by Travis Gale, founder of The Middle.

Find out more about how The Middle can support you, your team or organisation to develop the grit and resilience needed to overcome challenges and achieve ambitious goals.

Links:

Website
facebook
instagram
youtube