Sunsmith Podcast Sunsmith

We delve into the alluring world of flowers with Marta Sanderson. Marta is the founder of La Bomba Floristry, which specialises in installations, styling, weddings, events, and is opening a retail store in Vancouver BC, as this episode goes live.

By starting a business that is so aligned with her inner sense of self, you’ll hear how Marta has reached a grateful and almost peaceful point in her life. Instead of working in a corporate hierarchy as a successful producer, where often the loudest voice wins, Marta finally surrendered to the more sensitive side of her personality.  She was more creative and in tune with the natural world than the advertising, music, fashion, film and TV industries would allow for. Now, with this business as the vehicle, she fully allows herself to be absorbed and held by Mother Nature’s jewels of the plant world… flowers. 

Her love for the flowers is intoxicating and you can hear the passion explode out of her when she describes all the facets of a flower including their lifespan, beauty, and their unique individual offerings and gestures.  We unpack a lot during this chat including; the challenges with sourcing locally vs. importing flowers, sustainability within the industry, showing up for the local community with a clear point of view, why hiding behind instagram is just no longer an option for her, and how motherhood has given her this renewed strength to take risks and be brave.

I found it really inspiring how instead of living on a hamster wheel of deadlines, stress and depletion, Marta now lives symbiotically with the Natural World and its seasons, which is much more nourishing and fulfilling than she could have ever imagined. 

SEASON SPONSOR:
Season One of the Sunsmith podcast is supported by women’s surf lifestyle brand Salt Gypsy and surfboard company Global Surf Industries.
To receive 15% off all Salt Gypsy apparel and accessories head over to saltgypsy.com, and use the code SUNSMITH at check out.
To receive 15% off all Salt Gypsy surfboards head to surfindustries.com, this offer is available on their Australian, New Zealand and United States websites, use the code SUNSMITH at checkout.

EPISODE SPONSOR:
La Bomba Floristry is offering 15% off their online store labomba.ca, and new retail store in Vancouver BC. Online use the code SUNSMITH at check out, or if you're heading into the retail store mention this episode of the sunsmith podcast. This offer is available until the 1st of August 2022.

SHOW NOTES:
Sunsmith -  www.sunsmith.co / @sunsmith_co
La Bomba Floristry - www.labomba.ca  / @labomba_floristy
Japanese Flower Arrangements - Japanese Ikebana
Sustainable floral design packaging - Arga-Wool

Dr. Bree Talbot dedicates her life to ensuring the survival of Australian Wildlife. As the Foundation Vet at the new Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, she is responsible for the welfare of any animal that comes through the door. Not a job for the faint hearted.

Our conversation is educational and also emotive. Scientific yet humanistic. We cover it all. From sobering statistics, such as Koalas in NSW & QLD having now entered the endangered species list, to dealing with death on a daily basis.  From the devastating effects of natural disasters on our beloved Aussie animals (including the 2019 / 2020 Australian bushfires and recent Northern Rivers of NSW floods), to the stark reality that Vets have one of the highest suicide rates of any profession.  We hear how Dr. Bree uses dark humour to combat this and keep persevering through the emotionally hard times. 

But it’s not all doom and gloom, Bree’s commitment and passion for Wildlife is as true as the sun rising every morning. Knowing that there are women out there like Bree has given me hope for the welfare of our nation’s animals. She throws herself into the role wholeheartedly, without holding back no matter what the challenge. How does she manage such a demanding full time role, that is soon to be a TV show (which we cover off in the chat) with three young children under the age of four?! As you’ll hear there are sacrifices she’s had to make along the way…

Enjoy the inside scoop of life as a Wildlife Vet and perhaps think about how your experience on Earth as a Human, affects the life of other sentient beings we share this planet with.
SPONSOR:
Season One of the Sunsmith podcast is supported by women’s surf lifestyle brand Salt Gypsy and surfboard company Global Surf Industries.
To receive 15% off all Salt Gypsy apparel and accessories head over to saltgypsy.com, and use the code SUNSMITH at check out.
To receive 15% off all Salt Gypsy surfboards head to surfindustries.com, this offer is available on their Australian, New Zealand and United States websites, use the code SUNSMITH at checkout.

SHOW NOTES:
Sunsmith.co / @sunsmith_co
Dr. Bree Talbot  / @drbreetalbot
Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital / @byronbaywildlife
WWF Report - Australia’s 2019-2020 Bushfires: The Wildlife Toll

Advanced certified freediver Bree Heaney has a simple yet emblematic life motto; Hunt, gather, grow and craft. This mantra is what propelled her into the daring world of freediving and other seemingly risky adventures. Many of her peers think freediving is a dangerous pastime, yet for Bree choosing an activity involving calculated risk, and a need to be entirely present and connected to herself and her environment, is effectively what saved her from living a life crippled by fear. 
Bree divulges that after experiencing severe anxiety as a child, then a few ‘failures’ as a teenager, adventuring in the wilderness was the catalyst that gave her the confidence she needed to move through those fears.  It also gave her courage to break through society’s preconceived idea of what a successful life looks like for a female (working hard, earning money, getting married, having kids etc.), and now she lives on her own terms. 
Once she started spending more time in the ocean, she started to care more, and as you’ll hear, she is a fantastic role model when it comes to living a sustainable lifestyle.  As a self proclaimed shark advocate, we also talk about shark encounters and what life under the big blue can offer a curious human. We learn that one must be humble and prepared, when entering into Mother Nature's underwater realm. She explains the importance and power of breathwork and letting go of the ego, as there is a huge element of surrender involved with freediving.  To finesse her underwater breathing skills she trains under the watchful eye of the reputable Nam Baldwin, who has coached the likes of world surfing champions Steph Gilmore and Mick Fanning.  Bree has also learnt to dive and hunt underwater from one of the most successful freediving women in the world, Kimi Werner (aka Kimi Swimmy). 
My chat with Bree will hopefully give you the courage to go out and try something new, and also be #MovedByNature. 
SHOW NOTES:
Links:
Sunsmith / @sunsmith.co
Bree Heaney / @breeesea
Nam Baldwin - Elite Performance Coach, Innovator, Speaker / @nambaldwin
Kimi Weaner - Freediving underwater huntress / @kimi_swimmy
Shark Girl - @sharkgirlmadison
Seed & Sprout
Sponsors:
Episode 04 Sponsor - KIWA Dive Weight Belts - Receive 15% off sitewide using the code SUNSMITH at check-out @kiwadive
Season 01 Sponsor - SALT GYPSY - Receive 15% off sitewide using the code SUNSMITH at check-out @saltgypsy

Lou Davies chose a profession which is rooted in the concept of helping others. As an Occupational Therapist working in the mental healthcare space, she is on a mission to help women become the best versions of themselves. Paradoxically, the many years of supporting others and the stress from working in a broken system, ensued that her own mental health started to waiver. However, she recognised the warning signs and made a bold move to leave her ‘successful’ career, and took a sabbatical from professional work-life to travel the world in a van, embarking on some serious self-reflection.

After spending this quality time in the wilderness, she came back with a new perspective. One which marries her vast experience as a mental healthcare clinician, with the power of nature. As a progressive, big-picture thinker and someone with a budding entrepreneurial spirit, her new business was created to help people on their road to recovery in a more effective and approachable way.

Lou is also one who treads lightly, and throughout our chat we hear her insightful and somewhat hilarious tips and tricks on travelling with sustainability in mind.  Her van life adventure was one of awe and wonder, and as she unpacks the journey for us, we are left with a sense of confidence to go out and embark on our own dreams of exploration.

You're going to love getting to know Lou. This episode is full of laughs, insight and raw emotion. 

NOTE - Since recording this episode Lou has had a beautiful baby boy and put her business Rise and Refine on pause while she navigates and enjoys being a new Mum. Her social channels and website and not currently operational, however you can reach out to her via email at - lou.davies1@me.com

SHOW NOTES:
Links:
Sunsmith / @sunsmith.co
Lou Davies / @loudavo23 /lou.davies1@me.com
Books:
Yuval Noah Harari - Sapiens; A Brief History of Humankind
Alisa Vitta - Womancode; Perfect Your cycle, Amplify Your Fertility, Supercharge Your Sex Drive, and Become a Power Source
Alisa Vitti - In The Flo; Unlock Your Hormonal Advantage and Revolutionize Your Life
Dr. Libby Weaver - Rushing Woman’s Syndrome

Darci is a bad-ass yogi, spreading the word of yoga to the masses with gusto and grace. She runs and facilitates yoga teacher training programs across Australia (and now online for the global community), is a personal development mentor, an entrepreneur and a mother.

In an industry which can sometimes be perceived as pretentious and intimidating, Darci is the opposite, she is the most authentic yogi bear you will ever come across. She has a gift. The gift of relaying this 5,000 year old ancient tradition, to people in the 21st century, making it relevant and relatable. Her candid approach draws you in and many find themselves joyously on the path with her to self actualisation, although she is sure to remind you, you will never actually get there.

Our conversation flows through an array of topics, including; what the essence of yoga is, how leaning into the practice can help navigate life’s big tests, being triggered by the word ‘spirituality’, how Mother Earth holds us if we let her, letting go of expectations especially during Motherhood, Darci’s reckless youth taking drugs and partying and what an Ayahuasca experience in South America is like!

I hope you are able to feel Darci’s realness during this episode and you're compelled to dabble in the practice of yoga too, as you’ll hear, it takes many forms suitable to all different types of people.

SHOW NOTES:

Links:

Sunsmith / @sunsmith.co

Australia Yoga Teacher Training  / @australiayogateachertraining

Darci Charli Dee / @darcicharlidee

Gold Coast Yoga Centre

Books:

Dr. Lisa miller - The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life

T. K. V. Desikachar - The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

Research:

Dr. Kenneth Kendler

Founder of women’s sustainable surf-goods brand Salt Gypsy, Danny Clayton is a true pioneer in the women’s surf industry.
Danny is as transparent as it gets when talking about challenges and how to overcome them. We unpack the nitty gritty of running a small business with limited resources, and how to achieve this without compromising on sustainable and ethical values. We delve into how social media plays a necessary yet challenging role for any business owner in a space where body image is at the forefront. It was also encouraging to hear Danny share how she is invested in helping other women get better educated to operate businesses, particularly around the topic of finances.
Recently, her brand won the Break Out Brand of the Year, at the SBIA Awards in partnership with Global Surf Industries, for designing surfboards for, wait for it.. females. Her brand continues to grow, as she offers business mentoring as an adjunct to the surfwear side of the business, always keeping community at the heart of the brand.
The end of our chat takes a unexpected, vulnerable turn, where Danny share’s that she lives with a life threatening illness every. damn. day. She is a force to be reckoned with, balancing healthy boundaries with the skill of tenacity, daily.
Danny is intelligent, humorous and extremely dogged. A fierce role model for those of us also trying to nudge (or smash through) that formidable glass ceiling.
Big thanks to Danny at Salt Gypsy for sponsoring this episode, if you’d like a Salt Gypsy discount, sign-up to our newsletter to get the code.
SHOW NOTES:
Sunsmith / @sunsmith.co
Salt Gypsy / @saltgypsy
Fashion Revolution
ECONYL Fabric - Regenerated nylon waste
Calvin Coolidge - 30th president of the USA, Read quote here.
Outerknown - Sustainable surfwear brand
Patagonia - Sustainable outdoor brand
Natasha Tonic - Hemp activewear/swimwear