Best Deadset Studios Podcasts (2025)

1
Test your instincts — Richard Harris on embracing risk to rescue teens trapped in a Thai cave 57:53

1y ago57:53

57:53

“Giving anaesthetic in a muddy cave kilometres underground and under water? I never thought that was a good idea.” Experienced cave diver and doctor Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris is no stranger to extreme dives in pitch-black, cramped conditions. But when a call came for him to assist retrieving 12 teens and their coach from treacherous conditions insi…

1
Hoodie economics — How Indigenous systems-thinking could unlock your business potential, with Jack Manning Bancroft 37:04

1+ y ago37:04

37:04

Jack Manning Bancroft was 17 when he walked into Australia’s most prestigious college at Sydney University. Think sandstone buildings, young men wearing suits and gowns to the dining hall each evening. Jack, a talented athlete and student and a Bundjalung man, had been awarded a scholarship to St Paul’s College. The level of privilege he was surrou…

1
Alan Rusbridger on spies, spooks, and the Assange saga 1:00:01

1+ y ago1:00:01

1:00:01

“We bought computers that had never been connected to the internet. Phones were taken out of the room and I unplugged everything, including televisions and fridges. At one point the cabinet secretary pointed out through my window to a block of flats across the water and said, ‘You realise the Chinese will be in there and they’ll have a laser on tha…

1
Twists and tumble-turns – Bronte Campbell’s road to Olympic glory has been anything but a straight line 1:02:38

1+ y ago1:02:38

1:02:38

“I love that moment on the blocks. It’s the most high pressure moment. You can feel your heart beating. Your palms are all sweaty. Often when I’m going down onto the block and they say ‘take your marks’ my hands and legs are shaking. It’s a place of great failure and great success. They’re both possible in that very same moment”. Bronte Campbell co…

1
Ratbag millionaire — Graeme Wood’s adventures with Wotif, tree huggers, and pirates 39:26

1+ y ago39:26

39:26

Graeme Wood knew his planet was in danger even as a little kid. No one had to tell him: he could tell by how rapidly his fishing hauls on Moreton Bay were diminishing each year. But what was a bored kid in Brisbane going to do about it? Come 2014, entrepreneur Graeme Wood sells Wotif, his internet travel booking platform, and for the first time he …

1
Lips are sealed - Poppy King reveals she's back to conquer Australia 55:51

1+ y ago55:51

55:51

“It's nothing short of an Australian small business fairy tale that's about to unfurl.” Poppy King was barely out of high school when she launched her first company in 1991, quickly gaining a cult-like following for her dreamy 1940s Hollywood-inspired matte lipsticks. By 1995 she was Young Australian of the Year, but not long later the company fell…

1
Breaking tradition — Shivani Gopal’s ride from arranged marriage to mentoring mogul 50:33

1+ y ago50:33

50:33

“When my friends were all going out and still doing Contiki tours, I was navigating a divorce.” Growing up in a traditional Fijian-Indian family, Shivani Gopal was given the message that women should be nice, they should serve others, that a woman’s value came from kindness and doing the right thing by others. So when Shivani fell in love as a teen…

1
Boy-like wonder — Trent Dalton sees the humanity where there's none 56:04

2y ago56:04

56:04

Best-selling author and journalist Trent Dalton appreciates things most people wouldn’t give a second glance. Growing up, Trent had no choice but to see the best in people, because if there wasn’t some light in those he loved, the world would be too dark a place to bear. When he sat down to transform that story into his best-selling debut novel Boy…

1
Advertising oracle — Dee Madigan makes the message matter 46:16

2y ago46:16

46:16

The thin timber floorboards and sticky carpet were a thin shield from the noise at the pub downstairs. But a 17-year-old Dee Madigan was trying to drown it all out as she studied for her final high school exams. The room above a bar hardly qualified as optimum living quarters but moving back to the city on her own to get a good education was Dee’s …

1
What if everything changed in an instant? Curveball returns 4:15

2y ago4:15

4:15

One day you can be striding into work in a suit worth thousands of dollars, and the next you can be at home in your pyjamas struggling to connect your laptop to the wifi in time for a job interview well below your pay grade. Tragedy, failure, loss – they’re all part of life’s ups and downs. Life happens to all of us, no matter how much success you’…

1
Keen to make your own podcast? 1:23

2y ago1:23

1:23

Ever wondered how much you could grow your business, if only you could amplify your message? Now that 40% of Australians regularly listen to podcasts, it’s a great way to communicate to your clients and customers. Let Deadset Studios help you make a show! We’re a full-service production company and our team’s made many of the country’s most popular…

1
Going nuclear – King of the airwaves Richard Fidler on lightning strikes and falling for history 1:04:50

2y ago1:04:50

1:04:50

“She helped me completely dismantle a media personality I constructed and wasn’t happy with. It was a media personality I constructed to be a television presenter. To be sort of charming, maybe trying to be funny, trying to be a smartass here and there. But it was a struggle because it wasn’t who I really am.” Richard Fidler’s had more careers than…

1
New buckaroo – Tanya Van Der Water redefines success for her family business 41:55

2y ago41:55

41:55

Legacy can be a bit of a loaded term when it comes to family businesses. If you’re taking over at the helm, how do you honour the legacy of those who came before you? Do you keep things as they were, or should you shake things up? Buckaroo Belts owner Tanya Van Der Water asked herself exactly these questions when her father fell ill in 2013. Unexpe…

1
Sweat and tears – How Michelle Bridges built an empire based on grit 42:58

2y ago42:58

42:58

There’s sweat flying everywhere at the Alice Springs YMCA as a young instructor cheers the class through their workout. Michelle Bridges is learning how to bring the heat, honing her craft as the motivator-in-chief for people looking to turn their lives around. Michelle had been teaching fitness classes and entering bodybuilding competitions while …

1
Settling scores – Brandon Jack uncovers a darker side of Australian sport 39:31

2+ y ago39:31

39:31

The sun’s setting in the Sydney suburbs, but a young Brandon Jack’s still running his science experiment. Or rather, he’s still pretending to run his science experiment. In reality, he’s just kicking an Aussie Rules football around. But when you’re the son of an NRL legend, you have to come up with a good cover story to even go near other football …

1
What would happen if you were a little bit vulnerable? 20:27

2+ y ago20:27

20:27

We get it! It’s scary being your real self out there. Being vulnerable. Laying it all on the line when you’re feeling uncertain, not quite sure if you’ve got it right. We’ve noticed so many Curveball guests have had a moment where they could choose to be the all-knowing tough guy/gal, but instead decide to let their guard down. It might be emotiona…

1
Military might - Kirstin Ferguson's long march to equality in leadership 43:19

2+ y ago43:19

43:19

Once upon a time, a young Kirstin Ferguson wanted to be Australia’s first female Prime Minister. And she figured the free university education and rigorous leadership training of the military would make a good first step. But – surprise! - the Royal Australian Air Force Academy of the 1990s wasn’t the most welcoming environment for an ambitious you…

1
Still fighting — Kath Koschel crosses Australia in search of kindness PART 2 52:52

2+ y ago52:52

52:52

Think back to the toughest challenges you've ever faced - the longest grind, the lowest low... What would you do if, almost as soon as it ended, you were told you had to do it all again? For Kath Koschel, former New South Wales cricketer, this question isn’t hypothetical. She’d already faced loss of her fiancé and was overwhelmed with grief. And af…

1
Empathy wins - How Kath Koschel turned a string of personal tragedies into an empire of kindness PART 1 45:19

2+ y ago45:19

45:19

As Kath Koschel steps behind the crease, she grips her bat just a little tighter than usual: she’s pushing through an annoying but minor back injury. The next thing she sees is the sky. She’s laying flat on her back. She can’t feel her legs. Turns out that back injury wasn’t so innocuous, and Kath’s on her way to the hospital. She doesn’t know it y…

1
Tech titan — Dom Pym’s near-death experiences in life and business 52:55

2+ y ago52:55

52:55

“We’re building it for the people comfortable doing mobile banking, who are living on the edge of the future,” says fin-tech entrepreneur Dom Pym. “All the things we do with Up are different than other banks. Because when you’re carrying your phone in your pocket, doing everything with your finger on your phone, or with your face or your voice, tha…

1
Finish lines – Jana Pittman on the biggest hurdles of her life 49:39

2+ y ago49:39

49:39

Athlete Jana Pittman has spent her life clearing obstacles that arise out of nowhere. Chasing down Olympics gold on the 400-metre hurdles track since she was a teenager, she’s overcome injury after injury, hounded by the media along the way. All for that spot on the top podium to evade her. That kind of determination isn’t uncommon among profession…

1
We’re back after some Curveballs close to home 7:28

2+ y ago7:28

7:28

Were we tempting fate hosting a show called Curveball? Because it feels a little like the universe wants us to have more first-hand experience of adversity. As 2022 began, host Kellie Riordan was champing at the bit to bring you some amazing new guests with stories of resilience. Then the Australian floods in February ruined the Curveball studio (a…

1
New directions – A personal crisis changes Gaven Morris’ outlook as he brings news into the future PART 2 33:38

3y ago33:38

33:38

Gaven Morris has put his doubts aside and stepped into a leadership role at the ABC, but his trials are far from over. While he’s trying to un-learn everything he was taught as a journalist in order to become a more open-minded, proactive leader, life starts to unravel around him. Family illnesses and a workplace tragedy that kills several of his c…

1
And we’re live – Why Gaven Morris launched a 24-hour news channel before it was ready PART 1 29:47

3y ago29:47

29:47

Gaven Morris is the man behind most of the news you consume on a daily basis. As the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Director of News, Gaven’s led many of the country’s top reporters and best-loved programs. But now he’s stepping away from this leadership role, and reflecting on his time in one of the most rapidly changing industries. Journal…

1
Pirouette power — Greta Thomas leaps gracefully from ballet to Bono 48:01

3+ y ago48:01

48:01

The crowd is spilling out of a Bob Geldof event, but one wily ex-reporter has tapped into her performing arts know-how to get backstage. Armed with nothing but a business card and a tiny handwritten message, she’s trying to get her name to rockstar Bono and his new venture, PRODUCT (RED). It might sound ludicrous. And it kind of was. Greta Thomas w…

1
Doing it on purpose — Start cultivating your why 13:44

3+ y ago13:44

13:44

When the ‘why’ is missing, often so is our motivation. Something I’ve noticed about people who bounce back from adversity, is they tend to have a strong sense of purpose – and if they don’t have one when that curveball hits, it sure prompts them to find it! Take Who Give a Crap founder Simon Griffiths – when his body gave out and exhaustion hit, hi…

1
From Tigerland to Ivy League — Peggy O’Neal graduates from football president to University Chancellor 11:27

3+ y ago11:27

11:27

“Education can change your life in a generation.” When RMIT University announced its newest Chancellor would be Richmond Football Club President Peggy O’Neal, those words from her mother might just have been on Peggy’s mind. From the tiny coal-mining town she grew up in, Peggy became the first member of her family to graduate university. Then the f…

1
Soft swerves — Declan Lee scoops himself up from failure to create an ice-cream empire 37:27

3+ y ago37:27

37:27

“The more you fail, the easier it gets. People get scared of failing. I know this is something that anyone entrepreneurial will say, but every time you lose all your money, it becomes easier. Because you know you can pick yourself up.” Declan Lee never chooses the easy path. These days he’s one of four owners of the famous Messina gelato chain, but…

1
Tech visionary — Kate Vale on running Google, Spotify, and now a VC fund 36:09

3+ y ago36:09

36:09

When Kate Vale was appointed Google Australia’s first employee, she didn’t have an office or a mobile phone. She found herself answering her home landline to do business! From humble beginnings she used her HR background to quickly build a team, and grew Google Australia to record revenues and eventually to IPO. Ever the digital pioneer since her d…

1
BONUS — Fable Food takes on more investment as mushroom meat makes it into fast food chains 23:11

3+ y ago23:11

23:11

Remember when Michael Fox first joined us on Curveball? He’d clawed his way back from a bruising collapse of his first start-up Shoes of Prey to build a new company. Fable Foods creates a meat-alternative from shiitake mushrooms and Michael and his co-founders had convinced celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal to be part of their journey. But Covid had…

1
Selling down but not out — How Olivia Humphrey scaled all the way to a sale PART 2 23:09

3+ y ago23:09

23:09

Olivia Humphrey has taken her company Kanopy from her spare bedroom in Perth to San Francisco... and turned down some pretty enticing investment offers along the way. She stuck to her guns, keeping her values front of mind at all times, and it paid off. I mean – it really paid off! Kanopy has sold for an eye-watering price. In part two of this reve…

1
The Queen of Stream — Olivia Humphrey on creating streaming platform Kanopy PART 1 30:41

3+ y ago30:41

30:41

Olivia Humphrey was having lunch in a Napa vineyard when a billionaire stepped in to help turn her genius start-up into a fully-fledged global streaming platform. A former Village Roadshow employee, Olivia came up with the idea to streamline the way universities could secure rights for films and documentaries for students. As streaming took off and…

1
Pep talk — A salary dispute catapults Meggie Palmer into tech solutions for the gender pay gap 47:33

3+ y ago47:33

47:33

Meggie Palmer was one of Australia’s best TV journalists, when she learned she wasn’t being paid the same as her male colleagues. She had a choice. Put up with it or speak up and risk it all. This enormous career gamble almost crushed her. Until she realised it could also be the making of her. Disillusioned with the power of traditional media, and …

1
Pushing beyond the limits — Simon Griffiths on pain, purpose, and profit 50:59

3+ y ago50:59

50:59

Imagine a life where the simple act of sitting sends your body into spasms of pain. Entrepreneur Simon Griffiths likes to optimise for success. But pushing far beyond his limits has come at a cost. And it’s a warning for so many leaders. The Who Gives a Crap CEO opens up for the first time about the lengths he went to cope with chronic pain and ful…

1
The life changing magic of a mentor — Do you need one, how to get one, and what do they do anyway 18:34

3+ y ago18:34

18:34

A funny thing happened during a Curveball production meeting recently. Our junior producer Liam mentioned that his Mum thinks he needs a mentor. Liam explained that he had some in Rachel and Kellie, who work together to oversee the team that brings you Curveball. But Kellie wasn’t sure she was a mentor to Liam. Sure, he’s given feedback. Sometimes …

1
Know when to fold them — How to call time on your dream 11:17

3+ y ago11:17

11:17

Giving in is not the same as giving up. Sometimes, despite your best intentions, things don’t just work out and it’s better to give in to the signs. So many leaders on Curveball have, at some point, found themselves in a tricky situation. And yes, sometimes they’ve pulled through. But what about those times you just can’t pull a rabbit out of a hat…

1
Challenge accepted — Liz Broderick on stepping into your power 58:51

3+ y ago58:51

58:51

Elizabeth Broderick has been fighting for equality since she was in utero. Growing up with a twin sister helped instil a burning sense of fairness in young Liz. She’d go on to become a trailblazing lawyer, Special Rapporteur to the United Nations, and Australia’s longest-serving Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Elizabeth Broderick is a leader who’s…

1
Shutting up shop – When closing the door leads to the open road 45:47

3+ y ago45:47

45:47

“Sometimes there’s a monstrous demonic fire front that’s bearing down on your little town, and your little team... and the only thing that you can do to stay alive, is to quietly and quickly make an orderly exit via stage left.” Wow. Let us set the scene for you here. Marine Hautemont and Rob Malicki sent Curveball that message as they clinked cham…

1
Bold blend — How Justin Dry lost the lot and came back full bodied 56:44

3+ y ago56:44

56:44

Justin Dry lost his house not once, but twice, before he learned to trust his gut. With each loss, the robust Vinomofo founder has picked himself up off the cellar floor and come at it again from a new angle. Dry has aged wisely. He’s grown from the classic idea-machine entrepreneur, through record funding rounds and tough decisions, to responding …

1
Rise up — Dwayne Good’s voyage from tragedy to travel empire 37:30

3+ y ago37:30

37:30

Dwayne Good is no stranger to fighting for survival. Kicked out of home as a teen, and then struggling after the death of his mum, Dwayne drifted until he found himself on an idyllic holiday in Thailand. But it was 2004 and a killer tsunami was about to up-end his life in more ways than one. “The best way to summarize it is confusing. What the hell…

1
Kicking goals — Peggy O’Neal stares down the competition 59:01

3+ y ago59:01

59:01

American lawyer Peggy O’Neal might lead a team of Tigers, but it’s rare to hear her roar. Although you might have heard an enthusiastic “whoop!” or three when her team won those Australian Football League grand finals! That unflappable pragmatism is something the president of Richmond Football Club learned growing up in the Appalachian Mountains of…

1
A new season of thrills and spills from top leaders 3:46

3+ y ago3:46

3:46

Staring down a board coup when they’re baying for your scalp. Taking back control when you’ve sold a stake in your company. Trusting your vision when you’ve lost it all before. Curveball is back and the stakes have never been higher. Join host Kellie Riordan as she navigates her own start-up journey and learns from other leaders about how they thri…

1
INTRODUCING — How I Work, a podcast where leaders talk about how they structure their day 16:24

4y ago16:24

16:24

Everyone has the same 24 hours in a day and yet somehow titans of industry seem to cram more in and squeeze more out. How do they do it? How to entrepreneurs and leaders streamline their processes for maximum productivity? If you love Curveball, chances are you’ll enjoy How I Work, hosted by organisational psychologist Dr Amantha Imber. Each episod…

1
Tough calls — How good leaders make the right decisions when everyone’s a critic 12:04

4y ago12:04

12:04

There’s no 101 at business school on making the right call when you’re under fire. But once you’ve assessed all the information and consulted the right people, you need to make the call. And even though it might not be a popular decision, if it’s the right one for your organisation, you need to see it through. Whether it’s making a decision to keep…

1
Forged in fire — how great leaders use personal adversity to become even stronger 10:37

4y ago10:37

10:37

Losing a parent, watching your kid suffer, or battling a serious illness yourself – the personal adversity many of the country’s top leaders have been through will surprise you. Just because you’re dodging curveballs in your work life, doesn’t mean you’re immune to crises in your personal life. But you know what? The Kate Morrises, Andrew Starks an…

1
Crazy brave — How to channel your inner warrior 8:57

4y ago8:57

8:57

Working 9 to 5 might be Dolly Parton’s way to make a living, but these days work schedules look riskier and less structured for most. Whether it’s starting a new company, fast-tracking your business, or taking the plunge into the unknown, we’ve been learning about bravery on Curveball. How do you move from that moment of fear and take a courageous …

1
Think again — Adam Grant wants to change your mind about leadership 55:38

4y ago55:38

55:38

Leaders were once paid the big bucks to come up with a long-term vision, a strategy that could carry a company for years. Now? The most successful leaders are those who can question assumptions, challenge the status quo, and completely reinvent a strategy on the run. World leading organisational psychologist Adam Grant once trained as a magician. H…

1
Dropping in — Andrew Stark rescues a world surf tour in record time 16:33

4y ago16:33

16:33

Borders shut? Planes unable to land? Quarantine bubbles needed in record-time? Duuuuude! No worries! The very future of the world surf pro is on Andrew Stark’s shoulders. He needs to pull off a record number of events and land a charter plane full of international surfers in Australia, so it’s going to take every ounce of his leadership capability …

1
Turning the tide — How Andrew Stark transformed a crushing wave into the ride of his life 1:03:28

4y ago1:03:28

1:03:28

With his wetsuit zippers blown open, his flotation vest filling fast with water, and his diaphragm heaving, Andrew Stark thought his time was up. But a monster wave on one of Hawaii’s most feared breaks was no match for Stark, a leader who thrives when faced with a threatening swell. Whether it’s mounting world-renowned events at Bell’s Beach or Su…

1
Staging a comeback — Jeremy Fleming’s show-stopping pivot from sets to desks 42:31

4y ago42:31

42:31

When Covid restrictions meant an immediate intermission for anyone working in live entertainment, Jeremy Fleming made a phone call no 40-something likes to make. He called his parents to say the shutdown spelt the end for his business and he’d be moving his family of four in with his parents. Staging company Stagekings lost millions in revenue over…

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