Jeremy Cookson, proves age is no barrier. After a long, successful career delivering major projects for ad agencies and leaving a senior corporate role at LotteryWest, Jeremy finally found the time and financial freedom to pursue a passion project of his own. He is the founder of AskPro, an innovative platform that connects Australian nonprofits with high-level corporate expertise.  In this episode, Jeremy opens up about the raw realities of starting a business later in your career. He shares everything from the initial 'blind terror' of someone stealing his idea, to getting bogged down in unfamiliar new technologies, and how he pushes through those tough weeks where he just wants to put the project down and step away.

Lynsey McDonnell proves that it is never too late to chase a spark of inspiration, even if you spend your days immersed in spreadsheets and financial reports. Lynsey, is a successful Chief Financial Officer, a dedicated mother, and now, a published debut author. Her journey to publication is nothing short of magical, or as she likes to call it, an instance of the story choosing the writer rather than the other way around. It all began with a random glance at the West Australian newspaper in January 2018, where an article about the 150th anniversary of the Hougoumont, the last convict ship to arrive in Western Australia, caught her eye. This sparked a deep dive into the incredible history of the Fenian Irish soldiers on board, specifically the captivating story of John Boyle O'Reilly. John was tried for treason and sent to Western Australia, where he oversaw road construction and eventually found himself entangled in a forbidden romance with a warder's daughter. Lynsey masterfully weaves this fascinating historical narrative with a compelling contemporary dual-timeline involving a heritage-listed Fremantle cottage and an Irish radio producer named Rebecca. In this episode, Lynsey opens up about the gruelling but rewarding path to traditional publication with Hawkeye Publishing. She shares how the skills she honed as an accountant surprisingly aided her writing, how she handled the harsh realities of literary rejections, and the terrifying vulnerability of finally holding her physical book in her hands.

On this episode of Max's Island, 19-year-old Levi explores with us the profoundly life-altering journey that began with a shocking leukemia diagnosis at just 11 years old.  Levi opens up about the physical toll of his chemotherapy, particularly how the drug Vincristine damaged his muscles and stripped him of his ability to play the active sports he loved.  However, as Levi notes, closing that door … opened a new one: a deep passion for motor bikes and mechanics that make them work.  He shares how fixing broken motorbikes became a vital coping mechanism during treatment, eventually leading to getting a Make-A-Wish workshop in his mum’s backyard … a place he still uses every weekend.

Digby Scott shares his transformative journey from living on "autopilot" to fully embracing a life of conscious choice. Digby takes us back to a massive epiphany he experienced at age 22 while sitting outside the Colosseum in Rome. It was there he realised he wasn't bound to the linear, traditional path of becoming a chartered accountant that had been laid out for him. Instead, empowered by a profound sense of freedom, he chose a life of adventure—traveling from Rome to Greece and then to the US, and even working the hardest job of his life as a commercial salmon fisherman in Canada. Digby also discusses how traveling solo to Ireland and writing in his journal helped him map out the core requirements for his professional life (working with people in a fast-paced environment where he could help others). This simple act of sense-making propelled him into a successful career in recruitment in London and New Zealand.

Alan Ferris’s career journey is a masterclass in the art of reinvention and the relentless pursuit of purposeful leadership. Alan started his career in the state public service at just 17 years old, ultimately climbing the ranks to act as a Director General. But it is what he did next—and how he chose to rebuild his professional identity across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors—that truly defines his story. Alan shares with us 3 key things:- 1. The Courage to Walk Away:‍ ‍ 2. The True Essence of Leadership: 3. Navigating Growth vs. Identity:

Mike House, a former survival instructor turned leadership consultant, shares his dramatic experience during the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns, where an 18-month pipeline of “live” consulting work vanished in just three days. Instead of giving in to panic, Mike leaned heavily on his background in survival training to adapt and stack the deck in his favor. Recognizing that he couldn't control the immediate business environment, Mike pivoted to offering pro-bono support conversations for leaders struggling under the immense duress of the pandemic. This selfless act not only provided immediate value to his community but eventually blossomed into deep, long-term commercial relationships years later.

Nadia Lopez completely shatters the idea of a picture-perfect personal growth journey. At 31, recovering from a tough breakup and admitting to being a highly anxious "people pleaser," she threw herself into a daunting 14-day solo trip to Japan. Her biggest mental breakthrough didn't happen during a serene, cinematic moment; it happened when she got lost near a bamboo forest, sat down in the heat, and cried her eyes out. Why? Because she realized, for the very first time, that no one was there to tell her off or make her feel guilty for her day not going as planned. She was entirely in charge of her own life. Nadia's story reminds us of a fundamental truth: We don't grow in comfort; we grow by pushing through discomfort.

Claire McGlew’s story is a profound journey of adaptation and defying the odds. She initially studied to be an opera singer in Western Australia before transitioning into music education with a strong desire to help kids who, like her, didn't fit the traditional educational mould. However, despite excelling in her university practicums, Claire faced severe discrimination; schools bluntly refused to hire her simply because she is blind and uses a guide dog. Instead of letting this defeat her, Claire adapted. After noticing the profound psychological benefits her private music students were experiencing, she packed up her life and moved from Perth to Melbourne to pursue a master's degree in music therapy—a move she made even while recovering from a traumatic health battle and severe PTSD. Claire quickly realized that the very sensitivities the classical music world viewed as a disadvantage were actually her greatest strengths in a therapeutic space.

Ali Horriyat describes Compassiviste through the lens of an octopus. While the "main brain" has a vision, each "tentacle" (program/initiative) has its own "mini-brain" that acts independently yet in perfect cohesion with the whole. This decentralized approach allows for specialized impact—be it in art, film, or direct aid—without losing sight of the central mission of compassion.

In 2016, businessman-turned-charity founder Ali Horriyat gave away his entire personal fortune of almost $100m. This was not just a meaningless distribution of cash to satisfy an ego charged desire for personal fulfilment, but it came from a real belief in a better way to shift the social impact dial. He is one of the great moral and social thinkers of our time. In this episode we re-visit his story from 2 years ago and use it as an example of the antithesis what’s happening in the world today. I hope to take the time to reflect on what Ali did and relate this to the current actions of others.