Stories and Strategies

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Channel • 11 Shows

Investing

Investing

Updated Fortnightly
Parenting

Parenting

Updated Monthly
Marketing

Marketing

Updated Weekly
News Commentary

News Commentary

Updated Fortnightly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 6 days ago
Business

Business

Updated Bi-monthly
Home & Garden

Home & Garden

Updated Twice Weekly

04/06/2024

The Silent Strength: Confidence for Introverts

Shhh. In this episode of Parenting and Personalities, Kate Mason explores the world of introversion with guest Kate James. They explore the unique strengths and challenges of introverts, debunking common myths and highlighting the importance of self-awareness and confidence. Kate James shares her journey of embracing her introverted nature and offers practical advice for introverts to thrive in an extroverted world. Listen For: 7:58 - Introverts in Social Settings 15:55 - The Role of Confidence in Introversion 21:03 - Parenting Introverted Children 26:43 - Therapeutic Approaches for Introverts Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Connect with Guest: Kate James Website | Instagram | Free Meditations| Email | Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

04/06/2024

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31 min
18/06/2024

Who Am I? Understanding Identity Activation

Who are you really? What an intriguing and thought-provoking question. In this episode, Kate speaks with Michelle Scheibner, a TEDx speaker and author of the memoir "Hush." Michelle shares her journey from a secondary school teacher to a renowned identity activator, emphasizing the profound impact of personal branding. She explains how her exploration of narrative coaching, conversational IQ, and inherited family trauma shaped her unique approach to helping clients discover and leverage their true identities. Listen For: 4:34 - What is an Identity Activator? 11:20 - From Teacher to Career Developer: Michelle's Journey 22:29 - Exploring Personal Brand and Inherited Trauma 26:08 - Empathy and Identity in Focus Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Guest: Michelle Scheibner Website | LinkedIn Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

18/06/2024

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34 min
28/10/2025

How to Make Wellness Work Without Burning Out

What if your health isn’t something you do, but something you are? Kate Mason sits down with wellness journalist and author Casey Beros to trace her path from a Perth uni student obsessed with health reporting to on-air roles with ABC’s evidence-based program Tonic and a dream daily TV gig that was axed 35 episodes in—followed by a grief-soaked reset that clarified her true mission. Casey shares how building Paper Tiger health retreats gave her real-world empathy, why she trusts slow science over fast headlines, and how her “Headlines to Live By” cut through fads: move, eat mostly whole foods, sleep, tend your mental and social health, and see your doctor. She rejects quick fixes (and “expensive urine”), champions agency over obedience in a more horizontal model of care, and offers micro-actions—water, breath, a text to a friend, ten squats—that compound into real change. Listen For :32 What sparked Casey’s lifelong obsession with health journalism? 3:25 How did a bold pitch to Dr Norman Swan open the first big door? 7:12 What did Casey learn creating ABC’s evidence-based show Tonic? 14:51 How did she rebuild after a dream TV job was suddenly axed? 38:07 What “minimum viable interventions” can you start using today? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Connect with guest: Casey Beros | Medical Facilitator | Educator | Communicator LinkedIn | Website | Next of Kin Book | Instagram | X | Facebook | Newsletter Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

28/10/2025

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50 min
17/12/2025

The 4 Christmas Personalities You Already Know

What if your Christmas chaos was actually a personality clash in disguise? Kate Mason unwraps the four classic temperaments, choleric, sanguine, melancholic, and phlegmatic, and how they dramatically show up around the Christmas table. With warmth, humour, and heartfelt wisdom, she explores how each personality type contributes to both the magic and mayhem of the holidays. From the bossy boots with a stopwatch to the sparkle-loving storyteller, and the detail-obsessed decorator to the quietly supportive peacekeeper, this episode is a guide to understanding not only your family, but yourself. Listen For :10 What Makes Christmas Morning So Emotionally Charged? 3:15 Can You Really Change Christmas by Changing Yourself? 6:57 What Does a Choleric Personality Look Like on Christmas Day? 12:07 How Do You Handle a Sparkly, Scattered Sanguine at Christmas? 20:27 What Happens When Temperament Meets Vulnerability? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

17/12/2025

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25 min
22/12/2025

Self-Storage for Blue-Collar Entrepreneurs

Send us a text From blue-collar grind to buying storage facilities, Kevin Stearns isn’t your typical investor, and that’s exactly the point. Joe Downs talks with Kevin, a former oil rig worker and dumpster rental operator who in just six months, went from learning the ropes to closing his first deal No fancy degree, no investor pedigree. Just drive, curiosity, and mentorship. Hear how Kevin went from heavy labor to passive income, why he sold his rentals, and how he’s now on his second deal with eyes on full-time storage domination. For anyone who wonders, “Can I actually do this?” Spoiler alert: Kevin’s journey says YES. WHAT TO LISTEN FOR 3:53 Why did he sell multifamily rentals for a dumpster business? 6:27 What made self-storage the “right” business? 12:44 How did Kevin find his first self-storage deal? 23:23 What’s the biggest lesson after owning a facility for 3 months? Leave a positive rating for this podcast with one click Connect with guest: Kevin Stearns, Owner | CEO | Real Estate Investor at STEARNS INVESTMENTS, LLC Website | LinkedIn CONNECT WITH US Website | You Tube | Facebook | X | LinkedIn | Instagram Follow so you never miss a NEW episode! Leave us an honest rating and review on Apple or Spotify.

22/12/2025

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29 min
26/12/2025

Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines… What the World Misses

What happens when war, resilience, and optimism collide on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean? In this special Boxing Day episode of The Week UnSpun, David Gallagher is off so Doug Downs and Farzana Baduel trade headlines for heart as Farzana shares her recent three-week journey through Sri Lanka, a country shaped by civil war, natural disasters, and powerful recovery. From her work with the Halo Trust, the world’s largest demining organization, to meeting the Prime Minister and local heroes reclaiming their land, Farzana brings vivid stories of courage and transformation. The episode shifts gears into lighter fare with a fun, AI-generated “Board of Advisors,” exploring 2026 PR trends and cheeky questions like everyone’s favorite ice cream. It’s a soulful blend of global awareness, digital imagination, and strategic storytelling, all wrapped in warmth, wit, and curiosity. GPT Board Members (and Good Sports): · Anne-Marie Blake · Catherine Arrow · Candace Kuss · Rod Cartwright · Aaron Berger Listen For :54 Why is Sri Lanka so heavily mined? 3:42 What happens when families reclaim lost land? 4:53 How should Sri Lanka rebrand itself? 7:44 What’s Sri Lanka’s relationship with India like? 8:15 What if you could build your own AI-powered board of advisors? 10:06 What are the top PR trends for 2026? The Week Unspun is a weekly livestream every Friday at 10am ET/3pm BT. Check it out on our YouTube Channel or via this LinkedIn channel Folgate Advisors Curzon Public Relations Website Stories and Strategies Website Request a transcript of this livestream Support the show

26/12/2025

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21 min
23/12/2025

Grief is a Communications Challenge… Not an HR Process

What do you say when there’s nothing to say? Most workplaces think they handle grief through policy, a few days of bereavement leave, a checklist, and a quiet expectation that people will return “ready” to work. But grief doesn’t follow policy. It walks back into the office with someone long before they’re prepared, reshaping their focus, their energy, their confidence and their sense of safety. And while HR manages the paperwork, it’s the hallway conversations, the team dynamics, the awkward silences and the well-meaning but painful clichés that shape a grieving person’s real experience. That isn’t an HR problem. That’s a communications problem. And yet almost no one prepares for it. Teams don’t know what to say. Leaders fear saying the wrong thing. Colleagues avoid eye contact because they’re anxious, not uncaring. In this episode, grief expert Cindy Lang shows why communication is the most powerful support any workplace can offer, and how simple, compassionate language can make the difference between someone feeling invisible and someone feeling understood. Listen For 4:11 Why Is Grief First a Communications Issue, Not Just HR's Job? 6:45 What Is the “Three-C Model” for Grief-Informed Communication? 8:05 How Does Grief Physically and Emotionally Impact a Person at Work? 14:51 What Small Act of Kindness Made the Biggest Impact After Loss? 19:29 Answer to Last Episode’s Question from Marc Whitt Guest: Cindy Lang Website | Facebook | Instagram Rate this podcast with just one click Follow Farzana on Substack Follow Doug on Substack Curzon Substack Stories and Strategies Website Curzon Public Relations Website Are you a brand with a podcast that needs support? Book a meeting with Doug Downs to talk about it. Apply to be a guest on the podcast Connect with us LinkedIn | X | Instagram | You Tube | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Pinterest Request a transcript of this episode Support the show

23/12/2025

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24 min
11/11/2025

How to Set Boundaries with Family During Christmas Chaos?

Is Christmas your calm or your chaos? Kate Mason welcomes returning couple therapists Helen and Shahn to unpack why the festive season so often becomes a pressure cooker and how couples can reclaim it with clarity and compassion. They share their own blended-family reset, choosing Christmas morning at home to create sleep, sanity, and new traditions. From end-of-year exhaustion to old family roles that snap back under one roof, they explain how reactivity takes over and how to stay “untangled” by planning ahead, agreeing on boundaries, and responding by values. You will hear practical scripts like saying “ouch, that is sharp,” advice for united communication with parents and in laws, and survival tips that include pre warning, lightening the alcohol, and offering grace when family of origin ghosts appear. The result is a toolkit for couples who want a kinder, more intentional holiday season. Listen For 3:00 How do you create new Christmas traditions when old ones no longer work? 7:28 Why does Christmas bring back old family roles and tension? 11:00 What should you do if you're stuck with a toxic relative during dinner? 23:42 How can couples set boundaries with their families around Christmas? 30:13 What are the best survival strategies for a smoother festive season? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Connect with guests: Shahn Baker Sorekli, Director | Author | App Founder | Clinical Psychologist | Couples Therapist | Board Approved Supervisor Shahn's LinkedIn Helen Robertson, Director | Clinical Psychologist | Author | Advanced Certified Schema Therapist | Schema Certified Supervisor | Board Approved Supervisor Helen's LinkedIn The 8 Love Links Book | Website | Instagram |TikTok |Tiktok Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

11/11/2025

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41 min
07/10/2025

Caring for a Parent While Parenting Your Own

What if love, loss, and legacy could all live between the pages of a book? Kate Mason sits down with journalist and author Casey Beros to explore the raw, real, and deeply human story behind her book The Next of Kin. Casey shares how she left a thriving life and career in Sydney to return home to Perth and care for her terminally ill father during the height of COVID-19. Together, they discuss the power of advocacy, the complexities of caregiving within families, and the emotional and practical challenges of walking a loved one to the end of life. This episode is not just a conversation about dying—it’s about how to live, love, and prepare better. It's for anyone who’s ever cared for someone or ever will. Listen For 1:05 What happens when life hands you a role you never signed up for? 5:26 How did Casey's father react to his terminal diagnosis? 13:54 Why did Casey write The Next of Kin and who is it really for? 30:50 How do carers avoid isolation and family resentment? 43:40 What are the hidden emotional costs of caregiving for young children? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Connect with guest: Casey Beros | Medical Facilitator | Educator | Communicator LinkedIn | Website | Next of Kin Book | Instagram | X| Facebook| Newsletter Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

07/10/2025

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51 min
04/11/2025

How to Reconnect With Your Partner in Five Minutes

Is your partner your teammate… or just your roommate? Kate Mason dives deep into why so many loving couples start to feel emotionally disconnected—not because of conflict, but because of neglect. With warmth and insight, Kate introduces the "Five-Minute Personality Check-In," a powerful weekly ritual that helps couples realign, reconnect, and stay curious about each other, even when life gets chaotic. She explores how our unique personality types shape how we connect (or clash), revealing practical tools to bridge the gap between introverts and extroverts, thinkers and feelers, planners and free spirits. If your relationship feels more functional than emotional lately, this episode offers a refreshingly simple yet powerful way to find your way back. Listen For 6:57 How do introverts and extroverts experience connection differently? 9:26 How do thinkers and feelers misread each other’s intentions? 11:52 Why does planning the week create conflict for some couples? 14:15 What are the three questions in the Five-Minute Check-In? Leave a rating/review for this podcast with one click Contact Kate: Email | Website | Kate’s Book on Amazon | LinkedIn | Facebook | X

04/11/2025

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19 min

Whether your focus is global, or community-targeted, Stories and Strategies produces attention-grabbing podcasts. We take the time to understand your business strategy and how a podcast weaves into that. Then, we develop content that’s engaging, entertaining, and driven by measurable results. Our team is comprised of seasoned professionals in audio and video production, strategic communications and marketing planning, as well as presentation training.