Merrick Watts has never been one to sit still. From radio and stand-up to SAS: Australia, wine judging, and now launching a hydration drink, he’s built a career out of reinvention — powered by what he calls “self-diagnosed obsession.”In this episode, Merrick joins Amy and Jono to unpack what drives him: his obsession with goal-setting, why he thrives on discomfort, and how he views failure as fuel. He opens up about the real reason Merrick & Rosso ended, why he treats weekdays like a Rolls-Royce and weekends like a rental car, and how he balances ambition with family (or doesn’t).You’ll also hear the wild story behind his new Roman-inspired hydration drink, why he talks to his Great Dane like she’s human, and how emotional control on stage separates great comedians from the rest.This one’s funny, honest and full of wisdom from a man who has no plans to slow down — and probably couldn’t if he tried.

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In a bold role reversal, multi-award-winning journalist and Curious Media co-founder Poppy Reid takes the guest seat to explore life’s most confronting question: What if you choose not to have kids? In this raw and radically honest episode, Poppy opens up about growing up without maternal instincts, the societal pressures that come with opting out of parenthood, and how she navigated dating, marriage, and divorce while holding firm to her values.Poppy reflects on the staggering data showing a generational shift in reproductive choices — including the stat that nearly half of 18–34-year-olds without children don’t plan to have them — and unpacks how financial reality, creative ambition, and emotional integrity shaped her decision.Plus, we dive into the future of media, as the co-founder of The Brag Media (Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Variety Australia) Poppy’s chats about her pivot from print to podcasting, her deeply personal new show Untypical with Michael Theo, and why she believes legacy doesn’t require motherhood.This episode is for anyone questioning the traditional life script, or rewriting it on their own terms.

Timestamps

01:05 – Why Poppy never wanted kids—and how people reacted

06:00 – Navigating dating, boundaries & aligned values

09:45 – What if your partner changes their mind about kids?13:15 – Why her first marriage fell apart (and what she owns)

17:30 – From Rolling Stone to Curious Media: a career built on passion

22:00 – Why podcasting is the future (and how she’s doing it differently)

26:40 – Poppy on working with Love on the Spectrum’s Michael Theo

30:00 – The power of asking the real questions

34:10 – Hens + bucks = one party? Poppy’s wedding plans

37:20 – Tuesday blues, Netflix recs & surprise highs and lows

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In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Amy and Jono are joined by Ben Lee and Ione Skye, partners in life, parents, and co-hosts of the podcast Weirder Together. What starts with a hilarious Adam Levine pep talk quickly unfolds into a raw, insightful look at long-term love, public vulnerability, and making space for individuality inside a relationship.Ben and Ione open up about their unconventional love story, getting married in small-town India during Ben’s guru era, and how they’ve grown creatively and emotionally over two decades. They talk about parenting in the digital age, navigating fame then vs now, and why building a relationship that respects both difference and change is the real secret to staying together.Timestamps:01:10 – Ben & Ione's unlikely meet-cute06:00 – Transitioning from friendship to romance08:15 – Getting married in India & spiritual detours11:45 – Navigating change in a long-term relationship15:30 – The podcast: Weirder Together's origin story19:00 – Parenting daughters in the age of Instagram23:45 – Ione on memoirs, vulnerability & being truly seen28:30 – Ben on individuality, ego & shared creative space33:00 – Highs, lows & Castano moments of the weekFollow Jono & Amy:

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