Peak Performance Perspectives
A one-stop resource that covers all aspects of personal and professional development, providing a holistic approach to success Filled with practical and actionable advice from real-world experiences, giving you tangible insights to implement instantly. A deep conversation with a diverse range of guests, ensuring a wide variety of perspectives that go beyond surface-level discussions A professional development toolkit, with practical tools and resources, such as templates, checklists, and guides
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Episode 11: Unlocking Leadership Potential with Ruth Christie
02/27/2025
Episode 11: Unlocking Leadership Potential with Ruth Christie
In this episode, we sit down with Ruth Christie, a Leadership & Personal Development Coach, to explore the power of getting out of your head and embracing a holistic approach to leadership. Ruth shares invaluable insights on identifying and overcoming self-limiting beliefs, along with practical tools that can help anyone step into their full leadership potential. Whether you’re a seasoned leader or just starting out, this conversation is packed with actionable strategies to build confidence, clarity, and resilience. Tune in for an inspiring discussion that will challenge your mindset and equip you with the skills to lead with purpose! 🎧💡 #Leadership #PersonalDevelopment #MindsetMatters About Ruth: Ruth is a leadership coach, consultant, speaker and facilitator with a background in organisational development, organisational change and human resources. She is fascinated by what makes us human and how we can live fulfilling, happy and healthy lives. Ruth works with leaders and teams to create solutions to enhance leadership capability and wellbeing, create engaging team cultures, and implement sustainable change. When you work with Ruth you’ll develop a deeper awareness and understanding of yourself so you can confidently take uncomfortable action in leadership and life. Her philosophy is that being a human is weird, wonderful and often messy, and in order to thrive we need to learn how to handle our humanness elegantly. Ruth applies positive psychology tools and approaches in her work, along with neuroscience-based coaching methods and embodiment coaching. She loves to support and inspire others to create a positive impact, and is always learning from her Chief Wellbeing Officer (her golden retriever Sorley). Website: LinkedIn: Facebook: Instagram:
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Episode #10 Leaning into uncertainty and following your passion
11/07/2024
Episode #10 Leaning into uncertainty and following your passion
Welcome to episode 10 of Peak Performance Perspectives! Today I'm chatting with Melanie Lindquist. I worked with Mel many moons ago when I was a brand manager. We connected instantly over our mutual love of food and our passion for effective comms. In this episode, we talk about leaning into uncertainty, the importance of following your passion and the need to continually evolve, grow and change. To connect with Mel, you can find here on LinkedIn: About Melanie Lindquist: Melanie Lindquist is an awarded media professional who has worked across multiple brands in live entertainment, radio, digital, television and out-of-home media for the past two decades. She currently the Managing Director for Talon Asia Pacific - an independent full service Out of Home agency dedicated to driving client value through teamwork, expertise, creativity, data and proprietary technology. Melanie worked initially as a touring artist Publicist until Southern Cross Austereo enticed her for what would be the first of five roles across three markets with the organisation including Triple M. Her radio career continued with the Australian Radio network leading their Sydney promotions and marketing teams (KIIS, WSFM & 96.1). Melanie’s radio career was recognised with three ACRAs (Australian Commercial Radio Awards) for the industry’s Best Marketing Director. Television came calling when she led the marketing and publicity team for the Nine network working closely with content, sales and programming to develop market-centric strategy to increase viewers and revenue. A ground-up opportunity to learn Digital lured her agency-side to a digital agency start up where she developed the business’ strategy, client service and business development teams and grew the business to nine times the revenue in six years. Her work leading client strategy & audience intelligence teams and then developing the Strategic Planning & Customer Operations unit at Australian's largest OOH organisation, oOh!media, was recognised many times including a finalist nod at the B&T Women in Media Awards (Strategy) and awarded the Australian Marketing Institute’s Certified Practising Marketer of the Year (NSW). In 2021, Melanie relocated to the thriving marketing hub of Singapore and was appointed as Talon’s first APAC Managing Director to lead its expansion into the region. She now works with global brands to deliver insight-led strategy, planning and management for out-of-home media campaigns across Asia Pacific including China, India, Japan and Australia. Melanie has a BA in Communications and a Masters Degree in Business (MBA) and is a graduate of Mark Ritson’s Mini MBA in Marketing and Mini MBA in Management She is a Certified Practising Marketer and Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM).
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Episode #09: Positive approaches to leadership with Simon Harrison
09/16/2024
Episode #09: Positive approaches to leadership with Simon Harrison
My guest in this episode, Simon Harrison, is the boss you wish you had. I met Simon when we both worked at Wollondilly Shire Council. We didn't work in the same department but my role meant that we would often cross paths. We would have long conversations, I learned a lot about his approach to team management and how he actively created a positive team culture. He is a true champion of his people. He has a leadership style that creates high levels of engagement and delivers impressive outcomes. There is so much to be learned from his style and his philosphy. You don't need to be a people leader or have "manager" in your job description to understand the importance of leadership. To connect with Simon via LinkedIn, click here: Make sure to subscribe to this podcast and share with your friends!
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Episode #08: Life, leadership and self-awareness with Katie Quinney
09/09/2024
Episode #08: Life, leadership and self-awareness with Katie Quinney
I love having a podcast! I am really lucky to know some incredible people and the conversations we have tend to be really impactful. Having a podcast means that I can hit record and then share these awesome golden nuggets with the world. I'm excited to share with you this conversation with Katie Quinney, an experienced healthcare leader who uses her wisdom to help others thrive in leadership positions. And if there is one thing our health system needs, it's strong leadership! To connect with Katie, please visit her website: , You can also listen to her podcast here: You can connect with Katie via LinkedIn: If you liked this episode, please share with everyone you know!
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Episode #07: Following what fires you up with Jane George
06/10/2024
Episode #07: Following what fires you up with Jane George
Introducing my wonderful guest, Dr Jane George. This episode is called 'Following what fires you up' because that is exactly what Jane has done. She has followed her passion for being of service, seeing inequality in health care and wanting to do something about it. We talked about the different seasons of life, how to lead with intention, what a new approach to holistic health care could look like and what are some ways to introduce that. Enjoy! About Jane: Jane lives in Ōtautahi (Christchurch) on the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. Jane was labelled argumentative early on and continues to exercise her curiosity and voice questioning inequity and privilege decades later. Training first as an ambulance officer and then as a clinical social worker, she has worked in health and social care settings for over 30 years, across Aotearoa and the United Kingdom. Whilst working in the most rural health district in Aotearoa as the director of their Allied Health professions, she grappled with the challenges of recruiting and retaining health staff. This led to her doctoral research, which looked at the complexities of recruitment and retention of rural allied health professionals. Her research produced a range of recommendations for health systems, leaders, tertiary education providers and registering bodies. Website: drjanegeorge.co.nz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janegeorgenz/
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Episode #06: Empowering people through community engagement with Emily Physick
06/03/2024
Episode #06: Empowering people through community engagement with Emily Physick
Welcome to episode 6 of Peak Performance Perspectives. This one is definitely for my local government peeps. It's a love letter to Local Government. I'm joined by Emily Physick who is a specialist in community engagement and facilitation. Ever feel like you want to make a positive impact but feel powerless to do so? This is the episode for you! About Emily: Emily Physick is the founder of community engagement consultancy Foxtrot and Echo, based in Gippsland, Victoria. She is a facilitator and designer of community engagement strategies, with a speciality in deliberative engagement. Emily spent over 12 years in local government before her move to consultancy, giving her a real understanding and empathy for her clients. She is able to consider the systems they work within, the pressures they face and all the other players involved, and importantly, what they need most from a consultant. Her understanding and empathy extends to the community too. Emily will often approach projects by asking questions about what the community will want to know about a project, how they might hear about it, and the ways in which they might want or be able to provide their input, rather than just what the client wants to tell a community or what the client wants the community to do. When she’s not following her passion for listening to the community, she does enjoy long walks on the beach with her elderly cattle dog and watching Richmond FC ( the AFL, but also Ted Lasso!) Website:
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Episode 5: The anti-silver bullet, practical approach to better health with Chris Desmond
05/06/2024
Episode 5: The anti-silver bullet, practical approach to better health with Chris Desmond
Welcome to episode 5 of Peak Performance Perspectives, where my guest, Chris Desmond, makes health and wellbeing something that is practical and really easy to include in our busy lives. We all know what we should do but sometimes adding that to our daily lives is hard. So this episode is full of practical ways of how to beat overwhelm, get clear on what you are aiming for and how to get started. About Chris: Chris Desmond is a health and wellbeing consultant. He brings almost two decades practicing as a physiotherapist, over a decade working in Occupational health, and a decade of management and leadership experience. He believes that good health is the foundation of good performance in every area of your life. And his goal is to help people develop sustainable health practices that improve their quality of life in the middle of a busy world. He couples health and wellbeing science with behavioral science to drive sustainable improvement. He lives with his two young boys and his high performing life. The juggle of multiple priorities means that he gets to be his own testing ground for his work. Find him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-desmond-44057852/ Chris' website: www.chrisdesmond.nz
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Episode 4: Embracing Challenges and Going Beyond your Comfort Zone with Jo Toon
04/29/2024
Episode 4: Embracing Challenges and Going Beyond your Comfort Zone with Jo Toon
In Episode 4 of Peak Performance Perspectives, we're joined by Jo Toon for an insightful discussion on embracing challenges and the philosophy of pushing beyond our comfort zones. We explore the dynamics of effective teamwork, emphasising the importance of communication and finding common purpose. Jo also highlights the significance of self-awareness and curiosity in our journey towards personal and professional growth. Tune in for valuable insights and actionable strategies to enhance your performance and reach new heights. About Jo Toon: Joanne Toon is an experienced procurement professional, with twenty years of experience on both sides of the “seller / buyer” relationship. She started her career in the UK on the “supplier side” of the fence, where she worked in a small IT company managing the responses to government tenders. In 2009, she emigrated to New Zealand with her partner, and found her first government procurement role at the Ministry of Education. Her pathway has taken her across many ministries and roles, looking after procurement for IT, corporate and professional services as well as social services and commissioning. Along the way, she completed her professional qualifications through the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, has trained and mentored other procurement professionals and wrote textbooks for the 2019 CIPS curriculum refresh. She regularly gives talks to the procurement community, both in New Zealand and overseas. In 2024, she set up her own consultancy supporting small and medium businesses looking to improve their responses to government tenders. Connect with Jo here: and
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Episode 3: Strategy, Curiosity and Making Stuff Better with Steven Youngblood
04/18/2024
Episode 3: Strategy, Curiosity and Making Stuff Better with Steven Youngblood
Episode 3 of Peak Performance Perspectives is all about strategy, being curious, asking really really good dumb questions and making stuff work better. It’s an episode filled with insights and ideas that will help you get your team humming. Enjoy! About Steven Youngblood: Steven Youngblood lives in Wellington, New Zealand with his wife, three children and an annoying cat. Steven has spent 17 years in the public service across a range of agencies, including health, defence, corrections, social development, mental health and other social policy agencies. After several senior roles, he discovered his biggest impact was when he was working on a team or business, rather than within it. This included helping teams and agencies get more from what they already had, and building strong teams that gave useful advice. So he took the leap and set himself up as a strategy consultant, which means he gets to help a wider range of teams within and beyond government. Find Steven on LinkedIn here: Visit Steven’s Website:
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Episode 2: In Conversation with Lisa Heald
04/11/2024
Episode 2: In Conversation with Lisa Heald
Episode 2 of Peak Performance Perspectives brings an incredible conversation with Lisa Heald, Cultural Capability Coach. About Lisa Lisa is, a progressive design thinker, and an educational entrepreneur. Her experiences span different worlds, encompassing bicultural and multicultural backgrounds, which she leverages to enrich her work. Lisa incorporates te ao Māori values into her approach, fostering unity and inclusivity in accordance with the Tiriti relationship. With a lifelong commitment to cultivating healthy and productive cultures across various contexts, coupled with two decades of experience in educational leadership and expertise in Design Thinking from Stanford University, Lisa possesses the strategic capability to empower key individuals in shaping organisational culture to drive progress. Her work is instrumental in both enhancing and revitalising work cultures, resulting in tangible benefits for organisations such as strengthened relationships, aligned vision-values-strategy, enhanced talent attraction and retention, increased innovation, and improved productivity, all of which contribute to bolstering reputation. Connect with Lisa here: Lisa's Website:
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Intro & a taste test of what's to come
04/02/2024
Intro & a taste test of what's to come
Welcome to the inaugural episode of Peak Performance Perspectives! Join host Michelle Jack as we embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth. Together, we'll break free from limited thinking and explore the endless possibilities life has to offer. From Albert Einstein's sage advice to practical insights on embracing failure and uncertainty, this episode sets the stage for an exciting exploration of personal development. So, grab your torch and get ready to illuminate your path to success. Don't forget to share this podcast with your friends – together, we'll inspire and empower each other to reach new heights. Tune in and let's unleash our full potential!
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