101 episodes of Tall Poppy Talk
and some lessons worth re-sharing!!
101 episodes. That is really special. Thank you, first & foremost.
99 guests (Rod Corban x2, & my solo teaser). 99 individuals who each have shaped me, the podcast, and hopefully a lot of listeners.
The ‘goal’ with Tall Poppy Talk (TPT) is to spark sincere cultural change - for people to celebrate success, to lean into their lofty ambitions with enthusiasm for the ‘what if this works’ rather than the ‘what if I get chopped down.’ It is worth taking a moment to pause & reflect on how this mission is going, before I get too caught up on the next granular thing like interview prep or editing a reel. Let’s celebrate 101. :)
So, with 101 episodes and 99 guests, there have been a lot of inspiring kōreros and key moments that stay with me long after I archive a guest’s final edit into the ‘complete’ folder. Here are ten lessons that have shaped the course of TPT… (tune in to the podcast this week for a solo episode where I dive deeper into this piece!)
Lachie Good: Invest in Yourself.
Cyril Riley: I was already an Artist.
Eleisha Foon: Humility is recognizing your Ambitions.
Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds: If I can Inspire One Person
Jonah Oliver: Build Capacity.
Brad Olsen: Give me the Bigger Boots.
Kim Crossman: Whatever’s meant for me won’t pass me by.
Dan Williamson: Making your Dream a Reality.
Grace Prendergast: What else can I be Good at?
Molly Leishman: Knowing that I Deserve to be in the room.
Lachie Good: Invest in Yourself.
Put some skin in the game and back yourself. If it weren’t for these kind, but clear, words from Lachie I wouldn’t have upped the ante on my production quality. In the past month I’ve upgraded my recording system, dedicated more time to the social media element, and decided to do my very first proper solo episode. I’m all for hyping other people up and saying “LFG!!” but naturally, as any tall poppy pursuer does - I have been hesitating from going full throttle with the podcast. Hiding behind my guests each week is an excellent way to stay out of the direct spotlight, so thank you Lachie - lesson #1 that’s sparked a change in the podcast, “Invest in Yourself.”
Cyril Riley: I was Already in Artist.
Cyril has experienced an insane career trajectory this year. With his hit song ‘Stumblin’ In’ taking #1 spots all over streaming platforms and propelling him into a full-time music making man. Traveling the world, playing in NYC this past weekend, and releasing more and more music with a growing number of fans. So, what is my favourite moment from our interview? When Cyril says, “I was already an Artist.” Before he got global recognition - he was already making music, playing it for people, loving what he did. It wasn’t the external validation that allowed him to identify as an Artist, he already was. So I am a podcaster, you are a XXX, just because it may not be paying the bills doesn’t mean you aren’t what you what to be. Keep doing the thing you love and one day you may just Stumble In to an opportunity like Cyril did.
Eleisha Foon: Humility is recognizing Ambition.
“Humility is a beautiful thing, but humility is also recognizing your ambitions. It’s being self-aware and confident.” Eleisha is an award-winning international journalist and a new friend. She examples beautifully how to be confident in your own skin and grant others the permission to do the same, because she is unapologetic in her ambitions. We can be humble and ambitious, hungry for more while grateful for what we have.
Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds: Inspire One Person
Tūranga answered yes to my cold-email interview request. Many do, but he was one of the first. Whether he’s touring with Alien Weaponry, or building an online community through his cultural content creation, Tǔ is (re)introducing the world to Te Reo Māori language & culture. “If I can inspire our own people, to reconnect to our world and culture… then that’s what it’s all about.” This lesson is a reminder about why I do the podcast. On the days when I’m fixated on download numbers or guest lineups, wondering if the metrics are promising - I think of Tũ and remember it’s all about trying to positively impact one person. That’s how success ought to be measured.
Jonah Oliver: Build Capacity
It should come as no surprise that a world-class high performance psychologist had some profound pieces of wisdom. My favourite part that gave me an ‘aha!’ euphoria, regards the idea of Building Capacity. Think of performance anxiety through the lens of a lactic acid metaphor - at the start of a race, do you anticipate lactic acid will come? Yes. Will it kill you? No. Will you try to avoid it? No. Is it actually a sign you’re doing something right, as it’s part of the process? Yes. So lets try to view performance anxiety the same way - you know it will come, its part of the process, and a sign you’re doing something worth it. In contrast to traditional methods or trying to eliminate or minimize anxiety/worry/fear, Jonah explains that you should instead focus your energy on building capacity around it. That way you can acknowledge the feelings but continue to focus on what you have at hand. The way I see it, is anxiety used to take up 25% of every interview experience but I’ve learnt to grow my capacity around it - and now it takes up about 15%. “It’s not what the emotion is, its your relationship to the emotion.”
Brad Olsen: Give me the Bigger Boots
Bad News Brad. Friend of the show (a phrase he hears often). And undoubtedly a high-performing individual who has always been operating far above anyone’s expectations. As Chief Economist and Principal Economist at Infometrics, Brad is one of New Zealand’s leading economic commentators. Due to his age people initially raised their eyebrows, questioning the legitimacy of someone with fewer years experience, but Brad showcases that you can’t underestimate someone based on perceived limitations from age. If you’re acting “too big for your boots” then as Brad so quickly says - “then give me the bigger boots!!”
Kim Crossman: Whatever’s meant for Me Won’t Pass Me by.
The best part about this lesson with Kim was her authentic struggle with it. What if that role WAS for me? or that job? or that opportunity?! Hindsight is 20:20 but when you’re IN the moment, living it live, it can feel so unjust or unfair or a total waste. Kim is an extremely generous, intelligent and kind Kiwi making her mark on the world from acting, to podcasting, to content creation and more. As someone who probably has a plethora of opportunities whizzing around her constantly it was awesome to hear that she tries to channel this mantra and stay focused. “Whatever’s meant for me won’t pass me by.”
Grace Prendergast: What Else can I be Good at?
We often enjoy doing what we are good at. It feels nice to gain confidence and skill in a certain area. Naturally you can feel comfortable in that space and frightful of venturing beyond it. Grace Prendergast MNZM is an Olympic Champion, multi-Medalist, 5x World Rowing Champion, 15x National Champion, 2x World Record holder… the list literally goes on. Grace isn’t just ‘good’ at rowing, she’s world-class ‘GREAT.’ After the Tokyo Olympic Games, however, she decided to explore “what else can I be good at?” This lesson is powerful and hearing it from Grace only reinforces it deeper - you’re not limited at any stage or phase of life from looking out and thinking about other possibilities. Comfort is wonderful but it can also prevent us from unlocking a whole new avenue. Take it from Grace (the Olympic one, & me).
Molly Leishman: Knowing I Deserve to be In the room.
When we think about high-performing ‘rooms’ to be in, the Grammys is up there. That is exactly where Molly was earlier this year in her capacity as Producer at Human Person (a creative studio in LA), working with SZA. Back when we spoke in Sept ‘23, Molly shared about the growth she’s experienced since starting out in acting at a young age, juggling university & working, and then taking a leap to work in LA when she had a great producing gig going in NZ. By the nature of her industry, she has been surrounded with incredibly talented + experienced individuals, in environments without set ‘rulebooks’ on how to accomplish a creative goal. Molly’s lesson is brilliant because it demonstrates the value of self-awareness. When we find ourselves in moments or situations where we feel out of depth, and imposter syndrome creeps in, it pays to self-reflect and remember - “I Deserve to be In the room.”
THANK YOU! If you’ve gotten this far then you’re a real one, and I hope you have a wicked week. Please keep your eyes & ears peeled for the 101 Tall Poppy Talk podcast episode and let me know what your favourite lessons have been (or any feedback really, I sincerely love hearing from you!!)
What’s in the Pipeline?
Following my solo episode this week (eek!!) we will have a mix of sports, mental skills, entrepreneurship & more. Coming up next week we have Fraser Grut from 10,000 Dreams to double-down on the inspirational long-term-dreaming talk!! & Logan Ullrich from the New Zealand Olympic team, who this year at the Paris Games earned a Silver Medal in the Men’s Coxless Four. Wicked!!