In this episode of Defining Boundaries, Peta sits down with Jan Francke, a geophysicist, inventor and self described explorer who has spent more than 35 years working with ground penetrating radar and near surface geophysics.

Born in Vancouver and raised between Canada and Australia, Jan shares how curiosity, competition with himself, and a desire to explore what others were not looking at shaped his unconventional career path. From mineral exploration in the Arctic and Africa to scanning beneath Mayan temples in Mexico and working inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, Jan explains how he designs custom radar systems for environments where standard tools are simply not enough.

The conversation explores innovation, risk taking and the importance of education in a rapidly evolving industry. Jan reflects on modifying equipment when the market did not yet offer what he needed, the responsibility of communicating science clearly, and the challenge of maintaining rigour in a world often drawn to spectacle.

Together, Peta and Jan unpack the breadth of ground penetrating radar applications, from mining and infrastructure to autonomous vehicles and even lunar exploration. They also discuss curiosity as a driving force, the role of resilience in a global career, and why after three decades in the field, there is still so much beneath the surface waiting to be discovered.

This episode is a fascinating conversation about science, exploration and the power of asking better questions.

You can find Jan on LinkedIn and through his global geophysics work.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jan-francke-gpr/

In this episode of Defining Boundaries, Peta Cox sits down with Rebecca Formanek, a Category A Hydrographic Surveyor and offshore professional, to talk honestly about building a career guided by curiosity, resilience, and a deep connection to the ocean.

From growing up on the NSW South Coast to mapping the seafloor on research vessels across Australia, the United States, Europe, and the Pacific, Rebecca shares her unconventional journey into hydrographic surveying. The conversation explores life offshore, the realities of working in high-pressure and remote environments, and the challenges of navigating a non-linear career path in a highly specialised field.

Together, Peta and Rebecca unpack what hydrographic surveyors really do, from multibeam and seafloor mapping to deep-sea and riverine work, while also diving into the human side of the profession. They discuss mental resilience, self-doubt, learning on the job, and the importance of mentorship, adaptability, and staying curious in an industry shaped by rapid technological change.

This episode is an honest and grounded conversation about following what pulls you, backing yourself into unfamiliar spaces, and building a career that doesn’t always follow a straight line.

You can find Rebecca on LinkedIn

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-formanek/⁠

In this episode of Work Worth Doing, Peta Cox sits down with Tam Relia, CPA, financial coach, and founder of Cents & Solutions, to unpack what financial wellbeing really means for business owners, and why understanding your money is about far more than profit.

Tam works with women and small business owners who are passionate about their work but were never taught how to truly understand, manage, or feel confident with their finances. Drawing on over 15 years’ experience across construction, defence, energy, and retail, Tam shares what she sees behind the numbers: stress, burnout, survival mode, and business decisions driven by fear rather than clarity.

Together, Peta and Tam explore financial literacy, mindset, and emotional relationships with money, from cash flow and pricing to paying yourself, building buffers, and creating calm, confidence, and control in business. They discuss why so many capable professionals struggle financially, how poor financial understanding fuels anxiety, and what leaders can do differently to build sustainable, people-centred businesses.

This is an honest, practical conversation for anyone who loves their work but wants their business to feel less stressful, more intentional, and aligned with the life they actually want to live.

You can find Tam on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tam-relia/

In this conversation, Peta Cox interviews Brett Grocock, a Mine Surveyor leader with over 24 years of experience. They discuss Brett's unconventional journey into surveying, the importance of mental health in high-pressure environments, and the significant technological advancements in the industry. Brett shares his experiences working in various locations, including Kalgoorlie and internationally, and emphasizes the value of mentorship and building a strong company culture as he transitioned into entrepreneurship. In this conversation, Brett Grocock shares his journey of building a successful business while prioritizing employee wellbeing and fostering a family-first culture. He discusses the importance of having business acumen, the challenges of mental health in the industry, and the need for resilience. Brett emphasizes the significance of empowering the next generation of surveyors and planning for the future of the business, all while maintaining a sense of humor and camaraderie within the team.

In this episode of Work Worth Doing, Peta sits down with Josh Stone, engineer turned business owner turned coach to talk honestly about the state of our industry and what it really takes to build sustainable, people-centred consultancies. From the “race to the bottom” in fees to burnout, leadership, culture, and redefining self-worth, Josh brings real insight shaped by decades of experience across engineering, surveying, planning, and architecture.

Together, we explore how professionals can reclaim their value, set healthier boundaries, build stronger teams, and create businesses that support both their people and their purpose. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, undervalued, or stuck in old patterns, this conversation offers clarity, practical tools, and a reminder that meaningful change starts with speaking up and backing yourself

Josh has a podcast called The IGNITE Podcast with Josh Stone

You can find Josh on LinkedIn

www.Linkedin.com/in/joshstone-aus/

Work worth doing is a defining boundaries side series exploring the human side of technical industries. Hosted by Peta Cox, founder of WiSE network and Collective. These conversations look at leadership, culture, well-being and the future of our workforce. This series challenges, old norms and invites listeners to push boundaries, lead with purpose and create work that truly matters. I hope you enjoy this side series. Peta.

We’re not just surveyors, we add a lot of value in a lot of different ways.

Join two old surfies talking about the ocean, sharks, the love of the water and surveying..

Born and Bred on the North Shore of Sydney, Dave Lovell, our quiet mild mannered Director and Surveyor at CMS Surveyors talks about how he ended up in Surveying, from mining Engineering to running a company, with over 80+ staff with life long friend. On the soap box about technology eradicating mentoring and training but making surveying easier and more accessible. Touching on the importance of lifelong learning, knowing your stuff, being a mentor not just a surveyor and what you need to grow your business.

Some cracker one liners were quoted, "Have the right Mindset & you will get far, find the right company for you and Never be Afraid to be Challenged" …

Lastly, Don’t get stressed on the little things!

Find Dave on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-lovell-a94b80a/

CMS Surveyors:

https://www.instagram.com/cmssurveyors

https://www.linkedin.com/company/cms-surveyors-pty-ltd/?originalSubdomain=au

You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠ ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/

Somewhere at an undisclosed location, there may have been a catch up of friends for a someone's 40th birthday...

Darren (Booth) & Tom (Casey) drove the 4.5+ hours each to be here so I thought we should have a casual catch up...

They may or may not have had a couple of beers before I arrived...

Some interesting topics were discussed. Some silly buggers had!

All in all this is just a catch up between friends caught on tape.

I hope you enjoy this off the cuff chat between friends....

You can contact me at: ⁠https://www.petacox.com⁠ ⁠@definingboundaries⁠: https://www.instagram.com/definingboundaries/?hl=en ⁠@surveygeekgirl⁠: https://www.instagram.com/surveygeekgirl/?hl=en ⁠LinkedIn⁠: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peta-cox Music by Paul Greene: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenepaul/ ⁠ Red Shelf Records/Sounds Delicious Australia: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/soundsdeliciousaustralia/