In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I’m joined by Annie, the voice behind The Londoner in Sydney — a blogger and storyteller sharing honest reflections on life in Australia and the quieter journey of finding her own authenticity along the way.

What began as a fashion blog has evolved into a meaningful platform exploring travel, belonging, identity and self-expression. In our conversation, Annie shares how moving to Australia shaped her in unexpected ways, what it meant to let go of the need to fit in, and how travel has become a powerful mirror for self-discovery.

Together we explore the idea of the “Australia effect,” the pull toward slower living, and the ways nature, community and meditation have helped Annie reconnect with herself and create a life that feels more aligned.

What We Cover

• How The Londoner in Sydney first came to life
• Annie’s shift from fashion and marketing into travel storytelling
• What originally drew her to Australia and why it became home
• The deeper meaning behind “the Australia effect”
• Letting go of the need to fit in and learning to live authentically
• The evolution of her online community and honest storytelling
• Why so many Australians travel overseas before exploring their own country
• Hidden gems across Australia that hold special meaning for Annie
• How travel can become a mirror for identity and personal growth
• The role meditation and spirituality play in Annie’s life today
• Tools she uses to navigate anxiety and procrastination

Where to Find Annie
Instagram: @thelondenerinsydney
Website: londonsydney.com
Podcast: The Expat Reality Podcast
YouTube: The Londoner in Sydney

If this episode resonated with you, please share it with someone who may need a reminder that authenticity isn’t about fitting in — it’s about coming home to yourself.

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I’m joined by Steve Collins, founder and CEO of My Way Up. Steve is an exercise physiologist with extensive experience in health, human performance, and gut health, and his approach is grounded in evidence-based practice with a focus on long-term wellbeing rather than quick fixes. We talk about how Steve’s own health challenges became the catalyst for his work, why stress is an underrated driver of gut and skin symptoms, and how to think about collagen and gut support in a way that’s practical, sustainable, and truly inside-out.

What We Cover

• Steve’s path into health and wellbeing, including his time working on Harley Street in London
• The moment gut health became impossible to ignore and how it showed up through skin, IBS symptoms, and inflammation
• How stress impacts digestion, bowel regularity, bloating, and the gut–skin and gut–brain connections
• Why food often gets blamed when the real issue is the digestive system underneath it
• The Three Rs philosophy at My Way Up: relieve symptoms, repair the gut and gut wall, restore the microbiome
• What makes My Way Up Collagen Restore different, including the inclusion of a research-backed prebiotic
• The difference between grass-fed (bovine) collagen and marine collagen, and how to choose what suits you
• Probiotics vs prebiotics, and why prebiotics can be a powerful lever when introduced gently
• A powerful client story about rebuilding health through fundamentals like nourishment, calm, and consistency
• What living from the inside out means to Steve, plus the daily practices that keep him grounded

Where to Find Steve

• My Way Up: mywayup.com
• Steve’s book: Gut Health for Life (available via mywayup.com)

Closing Share Line

If this conversation resonated, please share it with a friend who’s navigating gut or skin struggles — and if you can, leave a quick review so more people can find Inside-Out Connections.

Pelvic health is central to our strength, stability, sexuality and confidence — yet so many women were never taught how to care for it. In this episode, Kim Vopni (The Vagina Coach) shares how pelvic floor health impacts everything from exercise performance and back pain to bladder and bowel control, prolapse risk, and sexual pleasure. We talk myths, why so many women dismiss symptoms, and the practical foundations that help you feel empowered in your body at every life stage — especially through perimenopause and post-menopause.

What We Cover

• Kim’s origin story and why pelvic health became her life’s mission
• Why pelvic health is the foundation for quality of life, longevity and confidence
• The biggest myths: it’s normal, it’s just ageing, or surgery is the only fix
• Kegels explained: why most women do them wrong, and why breath matters
• Core breath basics: inhale to expand, exhale to lift and engage
• Training the pelvic floor dynamically and integrating it into workouts
• The link between pelvic floor dysfunction and low back pain
• Tight versus weak pelvic floors and why holding tension can worsen symptoms
• The Buff Muff Method: applying fitness principles to pelvic floor training
• Lifestyle foundations that matter: hydration, constipation, and bladder irritants
• Night-time waking and bladder “training” (and how to interrupt the urge cycle)
• Pelvic health, sexual pleasure, confidence and communication with partners
• Surgery: when it can help, and why prehab and rehab are essential

Where to Find Kim

• Website: VaginaCoach.com
• Socials: @VaginaCoach
• Buff Muff program: BuffMuff.com
• Book: Your Pelvic Floor (available via major bookstores and online)

If this episode helped you feel more informed, share it with a woman you love — because these are the conversations that change lives from the inside out.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah De Jonge, founder of 1000 Hearts — a kindness project that began in Hobart and has grown into a global community of makers and givers. Sarah shares how a tiny, handmade felt heart can carry comfort, courage, and connection from one person to another — and why kindness isn’t just a nice idea, but something that can genuinely soften our health, our homes, our relationships, and our inner world.

We talk about the deeply personal season that sparked the first hearts, the powerful stories that came back from recipients, and what Sarah has learned about tenderness, self-kindness, and living in alignment with your values.

What We Cover

• Why “every moment of life asks for kindness” — and what Sarah learned supporting people through grief, fear, and diagnosis in hospital settings
• The origin of 1000 Hearts: a handmade gesture created for a memorial service, and how it turned into a global ripple effect
• The intention behind the first hearts — comfort, compassion, and something tangible to hold onto
• The moment Sarah realised she was on a path to something “magical” (and the stories that confirmed it)
• Two unforgettable impact stories: a six-year-old boy finding courage at bedtime, and hearts reaching those affected after the Manchester concert attack
• The “heart fell from the sky” moment — and why Sarah trusts these hearts land where they’re meant to
• What makes a pocket-sized heart so powerful: hand-made intention, hope in humanity, and kindness as something contagious
• The science Sarah loves: why kindness feels good in the body (and why it’s good for us)
• How 1000 Hearts spread organically — without pushing, chasing, or forcing a “big movement”
• Recognition, sustainability, and staying aligned with mission (and avoiding “mission creep”)
• Where Sarah hopes to take 1000 Hearts next: accessibility, sponsoring schools/charities, and strengthening the foundations
• Who gets involved: schools, hospitals, community groups, aged care, and individuals around the world
• The family behind the scenes: Sarah’s daughter wrapping thousands of community hearts
• What Sarah stitches into each heart — love, hope, courage — and her honest “light and dark” balance
• Making your own hearts: where to start, free templates, and why it can become wonderfully addictive
• The moment Sarah almost gave it away — and what anchored her back (including the leap to go full-time in January 2024)
• What the hearts have taught Sarah about tenderness, self-kindness, and living from the inside out
• Sarah’s season of life: transition, menopause, empty nest, and choosing rest and presence over constant busyness
• Sarah’s message to women: learn what self-kindness really is — beyond “treats” — and practice unconditional compassion

Where to Find Sarah

• Website: 1000hearts.com.au
• Follow and connect via the 1000 Hearts social channels (linked on the website)

If this episode moved you, share it with someone who could use a little softness today.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jane Langof, an internationally accredited Feng Shui Master who has spent decades helping people understand how the energy of their home can influence their health, mood, sleep, relationships and overall wellbeing.

Jane shares what Feng Shui truly is — and what it is not. We explore why placement and energy flow matter, the biggest misconceptions in the West, and how even subtle shifts in your environment can create meaningful changes in how you feel day to day.

This conversation moves beyond décor and trends and into the deeper relationship we have with the spaces we live in. Jane explains how clutter, mirrors, lighting, layout, bedroom positioning, kitchen design and even entrance flow can either support or deplete us.

What We Cover

• What authentic Feng Shui really means
• Jane’s journey from accounting into Feng Shui and design
• Who her typical clients are and why Feng Shui is relevant to everyone
• The biggest Feng Shui “no-no’s” when it comes to placement and flow
• Why front door alignment, mirrors and clutter matter more than we realise
• Bedroom non-negotiables for sleep and nervous system calm
• Why too much open plan living can increase overwhelm and anxiety
• Kitchen energy, nourishment and reducing chaos in the busiest room of the home
• How poor flow and stagnant energy can show up as stress, worry and lack of clarity
• The difference between superstition and true Feng Shui principles
• Smudging, scent and clearing residual energy in a home
• A real client story where small changes led to a dramatic life shift

Where to Find Jane

Website: https://www.fengshuiconcepts.com.au

Instagram: @fengshuiconcepts

Jane’s book: Feng Shui — A Homeowner’s Guide to Abundance

In this episode, I’m joined by Rachel Crethar, a clinical hypnotherapist and Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) facilitator who helps people release subconscious patterns and reconnect with who they truly are.

Rachel shares her journey from a 20-year career in advertising, to running a crystal business, to stepping fully into hypnotherapy — a reminder that every pivot can quietly guide us closer to purpose. I also share my personal experience of working with Rachel and how one session around public speaking shifted something deeply for me.

We explore how beliefs formed in childhood shape the way we move through the world as adults, why so many people carry a quiet sense of “not enough” or “not belonging,” and how these old stories can show up in our confidence, relationships, eating habits, skin, gut, and ability to be seen.

Rachel explains what RTT actually is, how hypnotherapy helps rewire neural pathways, why repetition and integration are essential for change, and why creating nervous system safety is a crucial part of lasting transformation.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that often the thing we think we need to "fix" isn’t the real issue at all — and that reconnecting with ourselves is where real change begins.

What We Cover

• Rachel’s personal “reconnect” moment after post-natal depression and searching for healing through multiple modalities
• Her pivot from advertising to crystals to hypnotherapy — and why each step mattered
• What Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT) actually is and how it differs from stage hypnosis
• Why beliefs formed between ages 0–7 can run our adult lives
• Common subconscious themes: “I don’t belong,” “I’m not enough,” “I can’t have it all”
• How these beliefs can show up through emotional eating, confidence issues, skin conditions, gut issues, and visibility blocks
• Why hypnotherapy is often a “last resort” after talk therapy and physical treatments
• How RTT works to create new neural pathways and why clients receive a personalised recording
• Why Rachel recommends listening to the recording for up to 90 days
• The importance of integration, action, and nervous system regulation alongside subconscious work
• Money blocks, visibility fears, and inherited beliefs around success and safety
• Why word-of-mouth referrals and connection calls matter when choosing a practitioner
• Rachel’s extraordinary client stories — including anxiety, eczema, relationships, and life transformation
• Daily reconnection practices: meditation, journaling, and asking simple guiding questions

Key Quotes

“You need to be a willing participant — this is a trust exercise.”
“Beliefs formed in childhood can quietly run the rest of your life.”
“The mind-gut-skin connection is very real.”
“Your energy is precious — choose who you allow into that space carefully.”
“Make self-reconnection your number one priority.”

Where to Find Rachel

• Instagram: @rachelcrethar
• Website: www.rachelcrethar.com
  
  

In this episode of Inside-Out Connections, I’m joined by Dr. Vivienne Lewis — clinical psychologist, senior lecturer at the University of Canberra, and author of Positive Bodies, Loving the Skin You’re In, Nobody’s Perfect, and Eating Disorders: A Practitioner’s Guide to Psychological Care.

We explore why so many women and girls drift into body self-disconnection, how body image struggles can show up across every life stage (from late primary school to menopause and beyond), and the small compassionate steps that help us return to ourselves — from the inside out.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why body dissatisfaction can feel “normal” (and why it matters to challenge that narrative)
• What’s often underneath body image distress: shame, guilt, control, and fear of judgement
• Early signs in childhood and adolescence — and what to watch for as a parent
• Why the teen years can be the “perfect storm” for body image and disordered eating
• Pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause: navigating body change with more function-focused thinking
• Common myths about eating disorders — and why you can’t tell by looking at someone
• The risks of chasing quick fixes (including weight-loss medications) without addressing the inner relationship with food and self
• How “healthy eating” can slide into restriction, food rules, and moralising
• Practical language swaps parents can use to model body respect at home
• When to seek support — and why earlier is often better

Guest Bio

Dr. Vivienne Lewis is a clinical psychologist and senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Canberra. She specialises in body image and eating disorders, with over two decades of experience supporting people of all ages to reconnect with their bodies. Vivian is the author of Positive Bodies, Loving the Skin You’re In, Nobody’s Perfect, and Eating Disorders: A Practitioner’s Guide to Psychological Care.

Resources Mentioned

• Butterfly Foundation (Australia’s National Eating Disorders Foundation) — information, helplines, and support pathways
• Support options discussed: GP referral, psychologist, and dietitian (especially for relationship-with-food support)

Where to Find Dr. Vivian Lewis

• University of Canberra (search “Dr Vivienne Lewis” to find her profile and work)

In this episode, we explore breathwork as a powerful way to regulate the nervous system, release stress and stored emotion, and reconnect from the inside out — with Eddie Nelson, founder of BRED.

You’ll hear Eddie’s personal journey from anxiety, panic, and intrusive thoughts to feeling calm, clear, and embodied through breathwork, why breath is the fastest “remote control” for your state, and how combining breath with movement can help you drop out of your head and back into your body.

In this episode, Eddie talks about

• what breathwork is (and why it can feel like coming home to yourself)
• her journey into breathwork and how it helped her move through anxiety and overwhelm
• the BRED method: breath + movement + presence (and why “ticking off wellness” doesn’t work)
• how movement supports lymph, energy, and embodiment — especially when you feel overstimulated
• how “breathing shitty” (shallow chest breathing) impacts mood, digestion, and reactivity
• using triggers as teachers — and what to do when you’re activated (hello road rage)
• the physiological sigh for anxious or triggered moments (and how many rounds to do)
• why so many women struggle to use their voice (sighs, moans) and the conditioning behind it
• the difference between breathwork and meditation — and why breath can be the perfect gateway
• a simple daily practice for beginners: coherence breathing (in for 5, out for 5)
• down-regulating vs up-regulating breath techniques (calm vs energy)
• a short guided breath practice you can do along with Eddie during the episode

Where to find Eddie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bredmethod/
Website: https://www.dailybred.com.au/?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnCziu8jyUHB7Chm2NRlSDlsxMJgWMhpUpby3Dvis_czSsdOxNAidaG5E6_Mk_aem_0Cb0RIE0EbsN2X8XAQ1suQ

Join host Tracey-Anne on Instagram: @inside_out_skingutcoach