B.O.P I Decided

S01| E12 Meet Wes Shirlaw - a unassuming gentle businessman and owner of SMS Plumbing

Wes is a very unassuming gentle businessman. He loves sailing, family and his business…. Now!

Version one of Wes’s business was very much around organic and unplanned growth. He grew because more work came his way. He eventually got BUSY - Buried Under Saying Yes. He had got to a point in business where he was “Sick and tired of being sick and tired”. 

I once mentioned to Wes, “Something changes when something changes”. Wes knew he wanted something to change. So Wes set about planning and life he wants to live in, through a Business on Purpose and now, through Version 2 of his business, he is beginning to achieve it. He is enjoying his business now and not just there to endure it anymore. 

It is a privilege to work with Wes and SMS Plumbing, a local Newcastle Business, and today in our 'I Decided' conversation we share about life and business transformation in a simple and honest conversation. 

Wes is married with two boys and his greatest desire is to be a great husband and father. He also desires to be a great leader to his team at SMS Plumbing and help them achieve their dreams as he pursues his.

I hope you enjoy this new episode!

S1 | E11 Meet Alan Nebauer: Australian Yachtsman and Owner of Global Projects Yachting

Alan’s next sailing adventure was to sail around the world alone in the BOC Challenge, a single-handed yacht race. 27000 nautical miles of sailing in 4 stages Alan started the race in September 1994. Alan and 19 others sailed out of Charleston Harbour, in South Carolina USA and after 181 days at sea, Alan arrived back to see the lights of Charleston again after an epic voyage. Many times not knowing if he could but knowing inside that he would.  The complete story of the voyage is laid out in his book “Against All Odds”. 

Alan raised the funds from multiple contributors and community support. Alan started building his Yacht,  “Newcastle Australia” with a huge step of faith and belief this would happen. Through many trials and tribulations, he built it. He sailed to the start line in South Carolina halfway around the world to begin his solo BOC Challenge Race arriving 1 ½ hour before the cut-off time. So I guess you could say he has sailed 1 and a half times around the world that year. 

Alan didn’t win the race, he placed 4th, but won the hearts and respect of all who sailed with him in the race. Alan won two medals for seamanship. The first for saving the life of a fellow competitor and the second for sailing jury-rigged around Cape Horn.

Alan’s alternator died, his computer failed, he could not receive weather reports or fleet updates for several weeks, had to deal with 50-foot plus waves, cyclonic winds, snow, hail, being dismasted, losing a rudder, seas that rolled the boat over and over, surviving the doldrums and missing his wife and family for nine months of racing during preparation for the race and during the race. 

I invited Alan into this podcast series because of all the people I know, Alan depicts someone for me who decided to plan a life he wants to live in. He is the most determined person I have ever met. 

I enjoyed Part 2 of the discussion with Alan just as much as the first, I hope you enjoy as well. 

S1 | E10 Meet Alan Nebauer: Australian Yachtsman and Owner of Global Projects Yachting

Alan is an avid sailor and a very practical no-frills type of person. When I asked him to share with us on this podcast he said ”Well I haven’t really done anything that special!”. By the end of this podcast, parts 1 and 2, you will begin to realise how understated that comment was. 

I first met Alan in the early 90s. From the first time we met, I noticed something different about Alan. He had a quiet demeanour but a fierce determination and a passion for sailing.  

A few years earlier Alan had met his wife Cindy and within 10 weeks they were married and set off to sail across the Pacific to the USA and Canada.  As they hadn't really known each other long before they were married, Alan and Cindy got to know each other extremely well over the next 6 months on this epic voyage across the Pacific. 

Alan and Cindy lived on their boat, a Top Hat 25 ft small cruising yacht, for several years while attending Bible College and working in Canada and the USA. After college Alan sailed regularly up and down the West Coast of the USA professionally delivering boats for yacht builders and brokers to their new owners. They sailed back to Australia via Mexico and the Pacific Islands with Cindy and their infant daughter Anny. 

Settling back into the Lake Macquarie area and working in a family business for a time, Alan felt the seas calling him again. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with Alan, and I hope you enjoy Part 1 of our conversation. 

S1 | E9 Meet Dr Susanne Knowles, Chair & Founder of the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches

Susanne Knowles is an educational, counselling and organisational psychologist and the Chair and Founder of the Australian Institute of Professional Coaches. With a PhD in Management and three Masters degrees in Education, Psychology and Business Administration, she is focused on assisting individuals to achieve their personal and professional goals, motivating teams to peak performance, and supporting organisations to increase employee engagement, retain talent and improve profitability. Susanne has held teaching positions at various Universities, held senior executive positions in government and private sector organisations and served as a Board member on several government, not-for-profit and professional services firms. Susanne’s PhD thesis, which she completed at the University of Queensland, investigated how organisations develop and embed a coaching culture for competitive advantage and cultural change.

Susanne's aim in founding AIPC was to position coaching as a developmental process which promotes self-awareness and insight, leading to personal discovery and growth. We had a very insightful and interesting conversation that I hope you enjoy.

S1|E8 Meet Geoff Passfield: tradie teacher and businessman who decided to make a difference

Geoff Passfield is a very ordinary bloke. He completed his trade as a motor mechanic and went on to be a teacher in the mechanical trades at TAFE. Enjoying the teaching more than the trade, Geoff retrained as a secondary school teacher in the areas of industrial arts, design and technology.

Geoff went back into teaching in the local area before feeling a call to go to Bourke. He took up a position at Bourke High School to re-establish this faculty as a Head Teacher until last year when, due to wanting to stay vaccine free, Geoff like many other very valuable teachers was dismissed. They were dismissed for no other reason than they believed, “My Body is my Choice.” When the current Liberal government made vaccination mandatory for teachers, police, the fire and ambulance departments, nurses, and doctors in fact all health professionals, Geoff had to reinvent his life.

Together, Geoff and his wife Pip own Newcastle Florists at Maitland and he slotted back into a support role for Pip until an opportunity arose to serve people in a different role. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he'd become the local representative for United Australia for the Hunter Region. Geoff has lived and been connected all his life to the Hunter region and is passionate about this homeland. He feels responsible to represent its people and their future. Due to the labour stronghold in this region, he believes the people are no longer represented as well as they could be. 

Enjoy my conversation with Geoff Passfield; The tradie teacher and businessman who decided to make a difference in the world of politics.

S1|E7 Meet Dr. Ralph Gourlay, Director of Surgery at Calvary Mater Hospital, and a great mate of mine.

Dr Ralph Gourlay is the Director of Surgery at Calvary Mater Hospital. He is the Supervisor of Surgical Training and has over 20 years experience in Breast and General Surgery.

He is appointed at Hunter Breast Screen and Lake Macquarie Private Hospital and has been involved with Breast Cancer Clinical Trials for 22 years.

Dr Gourlay set up the original multidisciplinary breast cancer clinics in the Hunter and is an active member of the multidisciplinary team meetings now.

He studied at the University of Newcastle and graduated with Honours. He then undertook international training in leading breast units in Cardiff Wales and Sheffield England.

In 2013 Dr Gourlay was a finalist in the Alumni awards in the category of Regional Leadership.

Over the last 5 years, Ralph has pursued further training in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery and has introduced these techniques to The Calvary Mater and his private practice and has been a strong advocate for making breast reconstruction much more widely available in our community.

He also is a senior specialist with appointments to Newcastle Melanoma Unit and Newcastle Endoscopy Centre and is a Conjoint Lecturer at the University of Newcastle.

S1|E6 Meet Mark Ramsland; Newcastle lawyer, Husband, Dad, and Eagles supporter

Born in Sydney but raised in Newcastle, Mark attended Macquarie University and was admitted into practice in 1992 and has worked in Newcastle since 1995 initially as an employed solicitor with Baker Love Solicitors. In 1996 Mark opened his own law firm. In 1999 he incorporated into his practice the longstanding Newcastle law firm of Borthwick, Wilson, Smith and Bates.

Mark is married with 2 adult children and spends his free time with his family and friends, enjoying heavy metal music, weight training as well as being an avid Sea Eagles supporter!

S1 | E5 Meet Simon Ashley, Founder and CEO of ATUNE Health Centres

Simon is the CEO of ATUNE Health Centres, Newcastle's leading integrated health care centre. Since its inception, ATUNE has grown from a single employee in 2006 to over 60 team members with 2 locations and 17 different health professions and is now a multi-award-winning centre.

Simon has experienced illness during his life and it was through this lived experience that he had a vision of what better healthcare could look like. Simon could see how improvements could be made to a person's healthcare journey if lifestyle factors were considered in a holistic way. He is incredibly passionate about health and seeing individuals, and the community, discover the truth about their health, restoring lives one at a time.

S1|E4 Meet Assoc. Prof. Mark Baker from the School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy at UON

Assoc. Prof. Mark Baker is a University of Newcastle Research Fellow in the Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science.

For the last 20 years, Mark has been extensively researching infertility, reproduction, contraception, the beginning of life, the formation of embryos, how to work with infertile men rather than only have a primary focus on women when families are hoping to conceive and how to make it possible for couples to conceive more naturally than the process of IVF which saves millions of dollars and produces more natural outcome for couples wanting to start their family. 

Mark is a passionate person about life. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark for many years. We have surfed and fished together. He is very humble and unassuming in his walk through life but is passionate and brilliant in his field of expertise. It was an honour to be able to interview Mark.

S1|E3 Meet Jasmine Allanson - Founder of Inspire Ability, loving wife and mum

Jasmine founded occupational therapy business, Inspire Ability and has grown it to a team of 13 across two clinics. Outside of work, Jasmine is a loving wife and adoring Mum to three beautiful children.

Jasmine has a strong faith and love for God and this has been a constant strength and encouragement in her life.

Many times in her life, Jasmine has felt that tap on the shoulder to take on some pretty courageous steps and these challenges have allowed her to live a very exciting life here in Australia and abroad - travelling around the world to over 20 countries for voluntary mission work and on vacation.

Jasmine has always held a special passion for working with children with Autism and Sensory Processing Disorder and has completed extensive research into these areas. She is a passionate advocate for understanding children’s sensory needs uniquely and helping them to have well-regulated sensory systems as the foundation for engagement in learning activities.

We had a wonderful and inspiring conversation that I'm sure you'll enjoy.