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EPISODE DISCLAIMER

This episode touches on grief, loss, endometriosis, fertility, and mental health. If any of these topics are close to home for you right now we hope this conversation makes you feel less alone, not more overwhelmed.

Everyone's Performing Fine. Nobody's Performing Fine. Christina Pengilly

We're all exhausted by the highlight reel.

In this episode I sit down with Christina Pengilly host of Talk Therapy.. for one of the most honest conversations I've had on this podcast.

We didn't follow a plan. We just talked. And what came out of it was exactly what this space needs more of.

Christina is someone who has lived multiple lives elite basketball player, psychology graduate, small business owner, coach, creator and she's built something real out of every single one of them. But behind the polished online presence is a woman navigating the same fears, doubts, and dysregulation that most of us are too scared to admit out loud.

This one goes deep.

In this episode we cover:

The queen of the pivot ..why Christina has never been willing to stay in something just to prove a point and what that's actually cost her

The basketball identity ... two ACL reconstructions, losing everything she thought she was at 15, and the years it took to find herself again

The psychology degree she stood on stage with and immediately knew she'd never use the traditional way

Why she built Talk Therapy right in the middle of her hardest season .. not after she figured it out

The online space and why the independent narrative is quietly wrecking relationships

Cruise what it actually looks like behind closed doors, how she shows up for him as a man, and why she refuses to speak about him any differently in rooms he's not in

Endometriosis, fertility fears, and trusting your body when everyone around you is moving into a chapter you're not sure you're ready for

The protector pattern and the moment I turned down a Brisbane Broncos contract because of one

Why 10k followers hit different even when you know your worth has nothing to do with a number

What you actually owe the people who created you

And the one takeaway she's taking into the rest of her life from today

Connect with Christina:

Instagram: @christinapengilly

Podcast: Talk Therapy , available on all platforms

Connect with Travis:

Instagram: @the.technician__

If this episode hit you somewhere real share it with someone who needs to hear it. Save it. Send it. That's how we change the culture.

Let's go.

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You're Not Fucked Up. You're Protected.

Most people spend years thinking they're broken. They're not. They're just running outdated protection software from a younger version of themselves that still thinks they're in danger.

In this episode I break down the five most common protectors I see running the lives of high performers..and how they're quietly capping your money, your relationships, and your identity without you even knowing it.

We cover:

• The Peacekeeper — loved by everyone, known by no one
• The Achiever — high functioning panic attack dressed as ambition
• The Lone Wolf — strong as hell, lonely as fuck
• The Performer — charismatic mask, zero belonging
• The Controller — safe, stuck, and missing every opportunity

This isn't therapy speak. This is pattern work. And once you see these running.. you can't unsee them unfortunately my friend..

If any of this lands, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

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Grieving My Kids While They're Still Alive — Luke O'Neill

Some episodes change you. This is one of them.

Luke O'Neill is one of my closest mates ..someone I've known for over 20 years. And for the first time, he sat down and told his story publicly.

Four years ago Luke came home from work and his kids were gone. What followed was 3.5 years of family court, $180,000 in legal fees, ambiguous loss, identity collapse, and a fight to stay alive.. not for himself, but so his kids would one day know they were worth fighting for.

This episode isn't about the system that failed him. It's about the man who had everything stripped away and refused to break.

We go deep on:

• What ambiguous loss actually is ..and why it might be harder than grief
• How Luke future-paced his way through the darkest days
• What real support looks like when someone is suffering
• Why isolation can be healthy..and when it isn't
• The identity death that comes with losing your role as a father
• How love ..not anger ..became the thing that kept him going

This is the conversation men need to be having. No performance. No anger. Just the truth of what it costs to stay standing when everything is taken from you.

Part 2 is coming. There's a lot more story to tell.

If this episode hit you ..if you've been through something like this or you're in it right now ..reach out. To Luke directly at @luke_o.neill_ on Instagram. Or to me at @thetechnician — I'm always open to hearing what landed for you and what questions you want answered in Part 2.

You are not alone in this.

Trigger warning: This episode contains discussions of grief, family separation, mental health, and the emotional impact of family court on children and parents.