The Real Secret to Financial Independence | Troy Collins Interview

Former NRL Star Brent Tate On Staying Mentally Strong After Devastating Injuries

Brent reflects on how his lifelong love of rugby league began in childhood, when his mum signed him up to channel his energy, and how the game shaped his identity, friendships, and career. He and the host explore the idea that influence is primarily about daily behaviors and setting an example, especially for children, teammates, and colleagues, rather than just words or status. Brent also speaks candidly about the pressures of professional sport, the physical toll of repeated serious injuries, and how his resilience and self-talk were tests of character he refused to fail, with support from influential mentors like Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Mick Devere, and his brother-in-law Steve Price.   Takeaways:    1. Influence is behavior, not title Influence shows up in what you consistently do—your routines, discipline, and how you treat people—more than in what you say or the position you hold. Kids, teammates, and colleagues “watch” you more than they “listen” to you. 2. Resilience is a daily test of character Brent viewed his serious injuries as tests of character he refused to fail. Through self-talk, self-motivation, and disciplined action (showing up to rehab, doing the hard work), he kept coming back, building his “willpower muscle” over time. 3. Great leadership creates belief and clarity Coaches like Wayne Bennett, Ivan Cleary, and Paul Green influenced Brent through structure, clear roles, high standards, and genuine care. Strong leaders give people confidence, clear expectations, and a standard of excellence that lifts performance and culture.   Quotes:   1. On willpower and resilience “Willpower, it's like they say, it's a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it gets.” Description: Brent sums up his philosophy on resilience here—treating willpower as something you train every day, especially through rehab and setbacks, not something you either “have” or “don’t have.” 2. On what influence really is “When I think about influence, it's behaviors, and people observe and watch behaviors… that's the biggest influence of all, how you act and the behaviors that you display on a daily basis.” Description: This captures the core theme of the episode: influence isn’t about titles or speeches, it’s about the small, consistent actions others see you take. 3. On discipline, standards, and culture “When people talk about culture, culture’s behaviors at the end of the day… if you've got good standards and good behaviors, well, you've got a great culture.” Description: Brent boils “culture” down to something practical and controllable—everyday standards and behaviors—making it highly applicable for both sports teams and organizations.   Timeline: 0:00 – Brent on injuries & self-talk Using setbacks as tests of character, daily self-talk, willpower as a muscle. 1:00 – Podcast intro & Brent’s career highlights Anton introduces the Leaders of Influence / Find Your Influence podcast and runs through Brent’s NRL, Origin, and Test career. 4:00 – How Brent fell in love with rugby league Childhood memory in Toowoomba, mum signing him up, watching Bulldogs vs Wests, and never looking back. 5:40 – Rugby league shaping character and behavior Mum threatening to take league away, behavior turnaround, how the sport set him on a better path. 6:00 – What rugby league has given (and taken) him Friendship circles, providing for family, joy of watching footy, and acknowledging the physical costs. 8:20 – Defining influence: behaviors over words Influence as daily behavior, routines, fitness, and how kids and colleagues copy what you do (“monkey see, monkey do”). 10:30 – Key influences and mentors Wayne Bennett, Craig Bellamy, Mick Devere’s professionalism, and being deliberately paired with disciplined role models. 11:50 – Family influence: Steve Price and support network Emotional reflection on his brother-in-law Steve Price, the importance of good people in your corner. 13:20 – The pressure cooker of professional sport Public scrutiny, constant pressure (e.g., Reece Walsh), and the “rope off the chest” feeling when he retired. 16:00 – The magic of the Maroons jersey What it feels like to run out for Queensland, deep emotional connection to Origin and Suncorp. 17:40 – Injuries, pain, and long-term impact Lasting knee issues, being unable to run, and the physical toll of a long NRL career. 18:20 – Comebacks, mindset, and inner drive Doctors and physios helping, but why the hard work must come from within; seeing rehab as a test of character. 20:00 – Self-influence and mental strength Daily self-talk, self-reassurance, discipline to do the work, and strengthening willpower over time. 21:00 – Stepping into leadership at the Warriors Craving a leadership role, Ivan Cleary pushing him to “find your voice,” calling out soft options. 23:20 – Leadership, confidence, and readiness Moving from being ready to lead to actually speaking up and influencing the group. 23:50 – Senior leadership and parenting as leadership Leadership groups at Warriors and Cowboys; parallels between parenting and leadership. 25:45 – Lessons from great coaches Wayne Bennett’s “better humans make better footballers,” Paul Green’s standards and excellence, and structure and routine. 27:05 – Culture = behaviors and standards Simple definition of culture: daily behavior when people walk through the door; the standards and behaviors that drive performance. 29:10 – Hard work, discomfort, and reward Discipline, early mornings, extra work, and the idea that “nothing worth getting comes easy.” 30:55 – Life after footy and corporate ambitions Enjoying the corporate world, board role at the Cowboys, Fox commentary, and wanting to keep making an impact. 32:00 – Staying connected to the game & media Why staying connected eases retirement, pros and cons of media, and rugby league as entertainment and constant storylines. 33:50 – Host’s recap of influence and leadership themes Anton summarizes Brent’s story, early influences, resilience, leadership lessons, and staying connected to the game. 37:30 – Brent’s closing motivational thoughts Willpower as a muscle, controlling what you can control, and the quotes he lives by. 38:10 – Episode close & call to action Anton’s outro: subscribe, share, and mention of the Leaders of Influence book and framework.   Conclusion:    Brent Tate’s story illustrating how influence, resilience, and discipline play out in real life—not as abstract ideas, but through daily choices. From his mum’s decision to sign him up for rugby league, to mentors like Wayne Bennett, Ivan Cleary, Paul Green, and Steve Price, Brent shows that the right people and standards around you can shape your character and career. His perspective that “willpower is like a muscle” and that culture is simply “behaviors and standards” offers a clear, practical blueprint for leaders in sport, business, and at home. Ultimately, Brent’s journey—from an injured player constantly fighting back to a corporate leader, board member, and commentator—reinforces that nothing truly worth having comes easily, and that we each have more control than we think over the person and leader we become.

Why Great Leaders Don't Need to Control People with Gen Dohrmann

Gen Dohrmann, CEO of Table Tennis Victoria, shares her journey into sports leadership, explaining how a background in communications and marketing across multiple sports led her to her current role. She describes the recent overhaul of table tennis membership structures in Australia, expanding beyond simple “social” and “competitive” categories to better reflect different levels of play and introducing a free “fan and fun” membership to capture the many informal players outside the formal system. Gen emphasizes that influence for her is rooted in clear communication and getting genuine buy‑in so others come on the journey with her, especially when balancing the needs of traditional members and new participants. She highlights key influencers in her own career, particularly former CEO Jamie Parsons, mentor Carol from Women’s Sport Australia, and her parents, and how they encouraged her leadership aspirations and board involvement at a relatively young age. Now, Gen is focused on “handing the ladder down” by mentoring younger professionals (especially women in sport), sharing her story publicly, modeling flexible leadership as a part‑time job‑share CEO and mother, and contributing to the Global Institute of Sport advisory board to help grow pathways into sports careers. Takeaways: Influence is built on clear, honest communication. Gen sees influence as getting genuine buy‑in by communicating the vision, strategy, and reasoning behind decisions so people feel part of the journey, even when changes are unpopular. Female leadership in sport needs visibility and pathways. Her drive to lead was sparked by seeing too few women applying for CEO roles in female‑dominant sports, and mentors like Jamie and Carol helped her step into board and executive positions earlier than she thought possible.   Quotes: On influence and communication "Influence is so important to be able to do what you do and do it well. You need to have the buy-in of others, and I think that communication plays such a key role in this." On women stepping into leadership "That for me was like a lightning bolt of like, okay, well that's not good enough; like, females can do this job, and a female sport should be represented by a female at the helm."   Timeline: 0:00 Updated membership model at Table Tennis Victoria 1:25 Leaders of Influence podcast intro 2:15 Introducing CEO Gen Dohrmann 3:54 Gen reacts to her bio and sets the scene 4:40 What influence means to Jen as a leader 6:14 Gen’s career journey into sports administration 8:55 Deciding to pursue CEO roles and female leadership 10:25 Balancing traditional members and new participants 11:14 Detailed breakdown of the new membership categories 17:00 How Gen pays it forward and supports her team 19:46 Being a mum, job-share CEO, and female leader in sport 20:06 Never saying no to a coffee and helping early‑career talent 24:19 Building pathways into sports careers 25:42 The most important character trait of a good leader 26:02 Empathetic leadership versus old-school authoritarian styles 27:18 Leading by example at tournaments and “all hands on deck” 28:18 Communicating hard decisions with transparency 29:18 Real-life example: cutting and reinstating prize money 31:14 Making prize money fair and equitable for women 32:14 Call for sponsors and supporting community table tennis 32:31 Wrapping Gen’s impact on women’s sport 33:19 Can you make a living playing table tennis? 34:35 Pathways, overseas competition, and Brisbane 2032 34:51 Role of Table Tennis Australia and home Olympics opportunity 35:38 Future talent and excitement for a home Games 36:14 Host’s recap of Gen’s leadership and influence 38:05 Gen’s closing quote: “Those that need to know, know” 39:04 Podcast outro and call to action for listeners   Conclusions: Gen Dohrmann’s story is a powerful example of how modern leadership in sport is built on empathy, clarity, and a genuine commitment to lifting others. From reshaping Table Tennis Victoria’s membership model to better reflect how Australians actually play, to challenging the status quo on female leadership and board representation, she shows that influence is less about titles and more about how effectively you communicate, include, and develop people. Guided by mentors and now mentoring others, Gen “hands the ladder down” to the next generation of women in sport while proving that flexible, family-friendly leadership at CEO level is not only possible but highly effective. Her journey underscores that when leaders are transparent in tough calls, willing to get hands-on with their teams, and intentional about creating pathways, they don’t just grow a sport—they change its culture.

The Biggest Mistake Parents Make About Academic Success with Melissa Williams

Melissa Williams, an award-winning global authority on adult learning, joins leadership expert Anton Guinea to explore how true influence is built through learning. Melissa shares her journey from believing she was “dumb” at school to becoming CEO of a successful learning organization, thanks to discovering the FORMAT model and her own learning preferences. Together, they unpack the difference between influence and manipulation, the power of intent, and why creating a love of learning is one of the greatest gifts a leader, parent, or educator can give. They break down the four learning preferences—why, what, how, and what if—and show how designing for all of them transforms engagement, confidence, and results. The conversation also dives into psychological safety, handling mistakes, and practical ways leaders can build cultures where people feel supported in learning, growing, and taking risks.   Takeaways: 1. Influence vs. Manipulation Comes Down to Intent Influence and manipulation can look similar on the surface—both change how people think or act—but the key difference is the intent behind them. Leaders must constantly check their motives and use their power responsibly. 2. Learning Works Best When You Honor Different Preferences Melissa’s use of the FORMAT model (why, what, how, what if) shows that people learn in different ways and sequences. When leaders, trainers, and parents design conversations, meetings, or training to touch all four, engagement and retention go up dramatically. 3. Psychological Safety Fuels Growth and Performance A powerful leadership move is to respond to mistakes with “What happened?” and “How can I support you?” rather than blame. This builds trust, encourages risk‑taking, and creates a culture where people feel safe learning, experimenting, and improving. Quotes: "The only difference between manipulation and influence is intent." Description: Melissa highlights that what truly separates healthy influence from manipulation isn’t the tools or techniques, but the motive behind them. "Learning is simply the making of meaning, and meaning is always personal." Description: She reframes learning as a deeply individual process of connecting new information to past experience, which explains why the same lesson lands differently for different people. "If a leader can actually encourage their people to embrace learning through authentically doing it themselves, then you come together as a team whilst you're leading, whilst you're growing." Description: Melissa underlines that the best leaders role‑model learning, turning growth into a shared team journey rather than a top‑down directive.   Timeline: 00:00 – Opening: Melissa’s view on learning vs. grades 00:53 – Show intro and Melissa’s background and awards 05:03 – Growing up “dumb” and discovering the FORMAT model 08:56 – Definition of influence and intent vs. manipulation 10:54 – Authenticity, mistakes, and learning like riding a bike 16:45 – The four FORMAT learning preferences (why, what, how, what if) 20:09 – Brain, VAK styles, and how we code learning visually 23:37 – Learning as “the making of meaning” 25:44 – Who influenced Melissa and seeing herself in adult learners 30:12 – Pebble in the pond: the ripple effect of teachers and leaders 35:12 – “Bouncy boys,” non‑judgment, and respecting learning preferences 40:04 – Melissa’s definition of leadership and psychological safety 43:34 – Two culture‑shaping questions: “What happened?” and “How can I support you?” 44:55 – Parenting, leadership, and learning as a lifelong gift   Conclusion:   Melissa Williams leaves us with a powerful reminder that learning is less about grades and more about meaning, confidence, and possibility. When leaders, teachers, and parents understand how people learn—and design experiences that honor different learning preferences—they don’t just transfer knowledge; they ignite potential. Influence, as Melissa frames it, is about intent and about artfully guiding others to see and act differently without ever stripping away their agency. And leadership at its best creates a safe space for people to say, “I stuffed up,” and still feel supported in growing. If there’s one takeaway to carry forward, it’s this: when you commit to your own learning and create spaces where others can safely learn, experiment, and make meaning, your impact ripples far beyond what you’ll ever see.

The Storytelling Secret Every Brand Misses with Gabrielle Dolan

Leadership coach Anton Guinea interviews storytelling expert Gabrielle Dolan about how storytelling functions as a core leadership and influence skill, not a “nice to have.” Gabrielle explains that stories make messages “sticky” by creating emotional connection and long-term memory, drawing on examples from First Nations cultures, safety storytelling, and her work in change management and values communication. She outlines a simple framework—be crystal clear about your message, choose a personal story, keep it tight (60–90 seconds) with a clear beginning–middle–end, and finish with an inviting, reflective close rather than a moral. Through stories about leaders she’s coached (including a once-skeptical CFO and a values-driven “touch the wall” moment), she shows how sharing authentic and even vulnerable experiences humanizes leaders, builds trust and credibility, and brings organizational values like “doing the right thing” to life in day-to-day decisions.   Takeaways:   1. Stories make messages “sticky.” Storytelling creates emotional connection and locks ideas into long-term memory, which is why people remember stories from a presentation or tour long after they’ve forgotten the facts and figures. 2. Leadership, influence, and values live in stories, not slogans. You can’t meaningfully communicate values like “doing the right thing” or “safety first” with posters and bullet points alone—concrete stories (like the “go back and touch the wall” example) show what those values look like in real decisions. 3. A simple story structure beats polished slides. Be crystal clear on your message, choose a short (60–90 second) often-personal story, start with time and place, give it a clear beginning–middle–end, and end with a reflective question or thought rather than “the moral of the story is…”   Quotes:   "Get into the habit of saying, would a story help me communicate this more effectively?" Description: Gabrielle encourages leaders to make storytelling a default consideration whenever they need to deliver an important message, whether at work or at home. "Stories make your messages sticky." Description: This captures Gabrielle’s core point that stories help people actually remember and act on what you say, unlike standalone data or bullet points. "Leadership is a verb, it's not a noun, and it is certainly not a title." Description: Gabrielle’s definition of leadership emphasizes action and influence over role or status, aligning with her view that anyone can display leadership through how they show up and communicate.   Timeline:   00:00 – Storytelling as a leadership skill 00:55 – Anton’s intro and Gabrielle’s bio 03:35 – Why Anton invited Gabrielle on the show 03:57 – What influence means to Gabrielle 05:29 – Discovering storytelling in change management 06:05 – Why humans are wired for stories 07:22 – Emotion, memory, and “sticky” messages 10:03 – Storytelling as a learnable leadership skill 10:49 – PowerPoint vs. stories 12:24 – Gabrielle’s simple story framework 15:18 – How to start and end a story well 16:47 – Who influenced Gabrielle most 18:55 – Early resistance to storytelling in business 21:33 – The skeptical CFO who became a CEO 23:07 – Vulnerable storytelling and brand change 26:19 – Learning from others’ failures 28:33 – Safety culture and “safety shares” 29:52 – You can’t communicate values without stories 30:53 – Values, behaviors, and lived examples 33:08 – The “go back and touch the wall” story 36:25 – Using stories to guide real decisions 37:09 – What leadership means to Gabrielle 38:37 – Leadership as a verb, not a title 40:53 – A non-example of leadership in action 43:26 – Anton’s wrap-up and key lessons   Conclusion:   Gabrielle Dolan shows that storytelling isn’t a soft extra for leaders but a core tool for influence, culture, and values in action. By making stories short, clear, and often personal, leaders can turn abstract ideas—like safety, integrity, and “doing the right thing”—into vivid moments people remember and act on. When leadership is treated as a verb, not a title, the stories leaders choose to tell (and live) become the most powerful way they earn trust, shape behavior, and create lasting impact.

Lisa Walker and Natashia Telfer Chose Fulfillment Over Money | Here's Why

Canberra-based community care leaders Lisa Walker and Natashia (Tash) Telfer share how their personal histories. Lisa’s transition from high-level government finance roles into family-run care businesses, and Tash’s battle with stage 4B Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 18, shaped a leadership style built on kindness, culture, and advocacy. They discuss what influence means beyond social media likes: creating long-term, positive impact on vulnerable clients and on the nurses and support staff whose careers they help shape. Through their work at National Community Care, they’ve moved long-term “bed-blocker” patients with tracheostomies from hospital into community homes, designed their own specialist training where none existed, and repeatedly fought underfunding in the NDIS, often sacrificing their own financial comfort rather than compromising safety or dignity. Using tools like DISC profiling, strong governance, and modern HR/rostering systems, they hire and develop people for values first, skills second, fiercely protect a healthy culture, and invest heavily in staff wellbeing. Their story is also one of a profound partnership: two contrasting DISC profiles in a “yin–yang” dynamic who have navigated divorce, domestic violence, IVF, postnatal depression, and neurodivergence together, turning those hardships into fuel for a mission-driven, people-first approach to leadership and care.   Takeaways: 1. Influence = Long-Term Impact, Not Likes Lisa and Tash define influence as the lasting, positive change you create in people’s lives and careers, not popularity or social media metrics. 2. Culture Is Built by Who You Let In (and Who You Don’t) They hire for values and common sense over resumes, protect their caring culture fiercely, and remove “culture killers” even when it’s hard. 3. Advocacy Means Putting Clients Before Profit They repeatedly fight systems (like NDIS underfunding), create their own clinical training when none exists, and even sacrifice their own finances to ensure clients get safe, dignified care.   Quotes: “We can teach you skills and we can teach you learnings and how to do things, etc. But we can't teach you the culture – you need to either fit in, or, you know, don't be here, don't break it.” On why they hire for values first and protect culture fiercely. “Do good and the good will come – we've always put our people, whether that's our clients or our staff, always first.” On leading with service, even when it costs them financially in the short term. “It's probably only been in the last two, three years that we've actually gone, they're not really tethered together anymore. We're literally in the one dinghy… we are now in the one boat.” On how their partnership has deepened from two separate leaders to a single, united leadership team.   Timeline: 00:00 – Lisa’s early life, caring upbringing, and shift from government finance roles to wanting more human impact 01:03 – Anton’s podcast intro, show purpose around leadership and influence, and introduction of Lisa 02:48 – Introduction of Tash, her background in disability and community services, and leadership roles 04:30 – Reveal that Tash is an author and brief intro to her book “Project Kind” 04:39 – Tash explains why she wrote “Project Kind” and how lessons and kindness shape her work 05:27 – Tash defines influence as a positive impact beyond social media likes and spreading that through their team 06:43 – Lisa expands on unseen influence, long-term impact on students and team members 08:07 – Story of a long-term staff member whose career and life kept circling back to their organization, “feels like home” 09:01 – Another staff story about their youngest employee, inspired by the care given to her grandmother 10:05 – The grandmother’s relatives visit the office to express gratitude for the care provided 11:03 – Anton asks who influenced them to become kind and caring leaders 11:04 – Lisa’s detailed story: mum as a nurse, early assistant nurse work, government career, then taking over the family agencies 13:38 – Tash’s “complete opposite” path: rebellion, rejecting uni, then stage 4B Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis and treatment experience 17:10 – Discussion of culture: family culture, culture of care, culture killers, and how deliberate they are about culture 18:23 – Hiring philosophy: can teach skills but not culture, importance of common sense and advocacy for vulnerable people 19:16 – Anton links “don’t break our culture” to leadership principles and comments on their strength of conviction 19:36 – DISC profiling of their team, Anton guesses their profiles, and they reflect on people-focused profiles in care 19:58 – How opposite DISC profiles can repel yet complement; Lisa’s directness balanced by Tash’s systems and processes 20:55 – Using their DISC differences as a yin–yang leadership model 21:01 – Lisa’s leadership growth from “iron fist” to more collaborative, empathetic leadership with her teams and kids 22:28 – Anton ties DISC back to communication as the foundation of strong culture 23:14 – Who they are most proud of: Lisa names Tash and explains why 23:24 – Story of the Beyond Blue event: Tash freezes on stage and Lisa carries the presentation 24:13 – Contrast to now: Tash speaks internationally, on TV, and at major events like the Australian Embassy in Paris 25:38 – Their boats/dinghy metaphor: moving from tethered boats to being in the same boat together with their families 26:37 – More on the “same boat” idea and rowing together, even if sometimes in circles 27:02 – Anton relates their styles back to DISC in practical decision-making terms 27:41 – Example: performance management and termination decisions, Lisa as decider, Tash ensuring process and care 28:13 – Protecting culture and clients while following due process and supporting staff 28:40 – Beginning of the COVID/TV story: their work didn’t stop during lockdown, and they had long-term “bed-blocker” clients to move 30:53 – Tash’s detailed account of the tracheostomy clients’ situation, delays and promise to get them out of hospital 31:24 – Long fight to create a community home, design, furnish it, and get clients moved safely during COVID 34:45 – Intention to become an RTO and gift their tracheostomy training package to raise national standards 34:49 – How the Today Show segment came about; Lisa nominates Tash and her husband to help them buy a home 35:28 – Tash and her husband receive fifteen thousand dollars toward a deposit, eventually buying their own family home 36:28 – Ongoing advocacy: NDIS significantly underfunds a client, they keep providing care at their own cost 37:17 – Refusal to return clients to hospital or risk nurses’ registrations despite funding pressures 37:45 – “Do good and the good will come”: they accept personal financial sacrifice to protect clients and staff 39:02 – Lisa’s persistent campaigning to local MPs and ministers to recover 18 months of unpaid services 40:50 – Systems and tech investment: implementing AI-enabled HR and rostering tools to free staff for care 41:08 – Anton reflects on how fortunate clients are to have Lisa and Tash as advocates 41:15 – Example of another provider returning a similar client to hospital, contrasted with their philosophy 42:36 – How they prioritise people over flash: industrial-area office, reinvesting in training and staff instead of status 44:36 – External partners: HESTA, Amanda Thompson, Nutrition Australia, helping staff with money, super, nutrition, and shift work 45:06 – Anton’s closing reflections on their story of influence, impact, advocacy and kindness, plus his calls to action for listeners   Conclusion: Lisa Walker and Natashia (Tash) Telfer show what real influence looks like when kindness, courage, and culture sit at the center of leadership. Their stories move from personal hardship—serious illness, family breakdown, financial pressure—to a shared mission of lifting standards in community care, even when that means fighting systems and sacrificing their own comfort. They redefine influence as long-term impact: shaping staff careers, keeping high-needs clients safely at home, and challenging a funding and regulatory environment that often falls short. Supported by a complementary DISC “yin–yang” partnership and strong governance, they’ve built an organisation where values come before profit, advocacy is non-negotiable, and “do good and the good will come” is more than a slogan—it’s the way they operate day to day.