2D AGO

Beyond the Illusion (Magician)

Candlelight. A creaking old house on a South African nature reserve. Wind outside, silence within. We sit down with world-touring magician Sean Borland to unpack the seance that electrified a room, the billionaire who dared him to go bigger, and the exact moment he chose to walk away from a career most performers only dream of. Sean’s path wasn’t luck alone. He left a safe job, trained ten hours a day in rural China, became ambidextrous to sharpen sleight of hand, and learned to thrive on Sydney’s streets where hecklers and chaos forged bulletproof audience control. That grind paid off at an Indonesian resort where a self-made billionaire—who’d once hired David Blaine—pushed Sean to his limits. A single, audacious card call hit perfectly and opened doors to the Hamptons, New York, and elite private events around the world. The heart of our conversation is belief: how suggestion, selection, and silence allow spectators to build the magic inside their own minds. Sean explains why choosing the right participant matters more than any prop, how cultural and venue context change outcomes, and where performers cross the line from theatre into exploitation. In a gripping breakdown of a Victorian-style Oracle Act, he shares how a guest’s question—“Should I leave my husband?”—forced a delicate, ethical response and revealed why the thrill of wonder can’t outrun responsibility. We also explore what comes after: translating performance psychology into ethical sales, resisting the temptation to pose as a “psychic,” and a brutally honest take on mastery. If you’re chasing a career in magic, you’ll hear both the blueprint—commitment beyond motivation, practice that embraces boredom, and real-world reps—and the caution: perfectionism isolates, and success can still feel complete before the spotlight fades. Subscribe for more story-driven conversations, share this with a friend who loves mind games and craft, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. Your support keeps No Ordinary Monday independent and ad-free. Links: WEBSITE - https://www.seanborland.com/ SOCIALS: https://www.youtube.com/c/SeanBorlandInternationalMagician https://www.facebook.com/seanborlandmagician/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-borland-49a1aaa6/ Send a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

1h 18m

FEB 9

From Drift to Direction (Career Coach)

A backpack full of rushes, a late‑night detour, and a cab ride that felt like forever. That near‑disaster on a dog‑trick commercial wasn’t just a wild production tale for Ben Stein; it became a mirror for the life he was building and the future he actually wanted. We bring you inside the highs and hazards of production and advertising, from public‑access beginnings and the award‑winning Paperclips documentary to brand rules so strict they required a last‑minute Yorkie swap. From there, Ben opens up about the deeper engine driving his choices: creativity as escape, growing up with a distant parent and a mum battling depression, and the numbing patterns that followed. He walks us through trying psychiatry and therapy, then finding coaching as a forward‑facing tool that changed behaviour, not just insight. You’ll hear how a three‑week sobriety experiment became a turning point, why he launched Purpose Up as a side project, and what pushed him to choose entrepreneurship after being laid off days after paternity leave. We also get practical. Ben breaks down the real differences between coaching and therapy, shares honest guidance on psychedelics and safer trauma work like RIM, and lays out a clear plan for career change in a tough market: get fluent with AI, build a portable brand through a side hustle, and network like a human so you rise above the algorithmic noise. For aspiring coaches, he’s blunt about training, picking a niche, learning ethical sales, and giving yourself more runway than you think. If you’re sitting in a “safe” job that no longer fits, this conversation offers both cautionary tales and a map. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help more curious listeners find No Ordinary Monday. Links: WEBSITE - https://www.purposeup.com/ BOOK - https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Up-Break-Free-Matters/dp/B0FTW9PGNF Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benstein/ https://www.instagram.com/purpose_up/ https://www.youtube.com/purposeup https://www.facebook.com/coachbenstein/ https://x.com/iambenstein Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

51 min

FEB 2

Surviving an Erupting Volcano (Expedition Leader)

A brother’s warning over the radio. An 80‑metre abseil into darkness. A cone splits, lava surges, and the exact spot rigged with rope is swallowed in seconds. That’s the moment Aldo Kane, former Royal Marines sniper, expedition leader, and on-screen explorer, decided not to commit to the drop inside Nyiragongo's crater, a call that almost certainly saved his life. We unpack that decision and everything wrapped around it: risk, responsibility, and the identity you carry long after the expedition ends. We trace Aldo’s path from elite military training to leading film crews into hostile environments and appearing on camera for Apple TV, Nat Geo, the BBC and more. He explains what a safety lead really does when cameras narrow attention and the world around you turns volatile: build systems, translate danger into choices, and create productive friction so the best idea wins. We dig into decision‑making under pressure, how to act on intuition while you wait for facts, why a bias to action restores control, and when to abandon the first plan without ego. From lava lakes and hurricane‑like thermal winds to CO2 sinks and crumbling calderas, the volcano story anchors wider lessons. The jungle breaks more crews than the cold, deadfall kills more than snakes, and the most dangerous missions may involve people, not landscapes: narcos, illegal wildlife trade, money and ego. We talk about the crash after the shoot, coming home as a parent, and building circuit breakers to protect your life off camera. As the TV industry shifts, Aldo shares how he’s pivoted his expedition mindset into coaching CEOs and leadership teams, proving that courage, discipline, unselfishness and cheerfulness in adversity are performance tools far beyond the field. If this story moved you, tap follow or subscribe, rate the show, and share it with someone who thrives under pressure. Leave a short review with your biggest takeaway. Links: WEBSITE: https://www.aldokane.com/ BOOK: Lessons from the Edge - https://www.aldokane.com/books TV SHOWS: https://www.aldokane.com/media Socials: https://www.instagram.com/aldokane/ https://www.facebook.com/aldo.kane https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldo-kane-32526a136/ Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

1h 9m

JAN 26

What Facing Death Taught Me About Living (Death Doula)

A fear of death can quietly shape an entire life. For Danni Petkovic, that fear was physical and relentless — years of death anxiety, intrusive thoughts, and a nervous system locked into survival mode at the mere idea of mortality. Everything changed when her brother was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumour. What followed was an intimate education in dying: navigating prognosis, care, logistics, legacy, and love in real time. That experience didn’t just ease Danni’s fear — it led her to her calling as a death doula and death literacy educator, supporting individuals and families through end-of-life care with clarity, calm, and humanity. In this episode of No Ordinary Monday, we go behind the euphemisms that surround death and dying. Danni explains how clear language can reduce fear, why death was once handled at home within communities, and what’s been lost by medicalising and outsourcing our end-of-life rituals. We talk openly about voluntary assisted dying in Australia, the practical realities most people avoid — advance care directives, wills, passwords, pets, photos, and personal belongings — and how thoughtful planning can make grief gentler. Danni also shares what it means to sit with someone as they die, to care for the body afterwards, and to help families create rituals that reflect culture, belief, and truth rather than shame. It’s a confronting conversation, but also a hopeful one: planning while well is an act of love, children often cope better with honesty than adults, and talking about death won’t kill you — avoiding it won’t make you immortal. If this resonated, follow and share the show, leave a quick review, and tell someone you love one wish you’ve decided today. Links: https://liminalbeing.com.au/ http://dyingtoknow.au/ Socials: https://www.instagram.com/dannipetkovic/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/liminalbeing https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannipetkovic/?originalSubdomain=au Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

55 min

JAN 19

A Bush Pilot’s Worst Flight Over Papua

Bush Flying in Indonesia: From IT Desk to Remote Mountain Airstrips A tidy flat, a good salary, a steady routine — and a growing knot of anxiety. That was Matt Dearden’s life before he walked away from IT and flew halfway across the world to become a bush pilot in Indonesia. In this episode of No Ordinary Monday, Matt takes us inside the reality of remote aviation, flying for Susi Air across one of the most challenging aviation environments on Earth. What followed was a crash course in flying beyond the textbook: single-engine turbine aircraft, dirt airstrips carved into mountain slopes, jungle valleys that shift from clear skies to dense cloud in minutes, and communities where aviation is the difference between isolation and survival. Flying the Pilatus Porter on the Frontier We explore the aircraft that makes this work possible — the Pilatus PC-6 Porter — a rugged STOL plane designed for short, steep, and unpredictable runways. Matt explains how “pioneering routes” connect remote villages across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands, why cargo can range from medical supplies to fuel drums to live pigs, and how pilots manage risk when terrain, weather, and human decision-making collide. He’s candid about aviation accidents — how they rarely have a single cause, but form chains of small decisions — and the mindset required to keep flying with humility, discipline, and focus in high-risk environments. Alone in Cloud, Low on Options Then the story tightens. Mid-afternoon, alone in cloud, flying on oxygen with fuel drums banging behind him, Matt is hit with sudden nausea. The horizon spins. There’s no autopilot. No outside visual reference. Just instruments, terrain warnings, and willpower. Enjoyed this episode? Follow No Ordinary Monday, share this episode with a friend, and leave a quick five-star rating or short review. Your support helps keep the show independent, ad-free, and focused on extraordinary real-world stories — every Monday. Episode Links: Matt's Website - https://mattdearden.co.uk/ Matt's Book - https://www.amazon.com/Flying-Shangri-really-Worst-Place-ebook/dp/B0DHWCHSNK Socials: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattdearden https://www.instagram.com/indopilot/?hl=en https://www.facebook.com/IndoPilot/ For More Info Visit: https://www.noordinarymonday.com/ep023-matt-dearden-bush-pilot Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

1h 4m

JAN 12

Trapped in a Flooded Hospital in South Sudan (MSF Doctor)

A backpack floats in brown water. The ward is a tent. The air is forty degrees. And still, patients keep coming. We open the year with Dr Lakshmi Jain of Médecins Sans Frontières, who takes us from NHS corridors to a flooded field hospital in South Sudan, where logistics, infection control and compassion collide in the harshest conditions. With planes grounded and supplies tight, she shows how medicine adapts when the plan dissolves, and how a team holds the line when a hospital turns into a lake. We trace Lakshmi’s journey into humanitarian medicine: the early pull of travel and justice, the discipline of mastering HIV and TB in the UK, and a humbling first mission in Kenya amid strikes and neglected TB wards. She shares the nuts and bolts of fieldwork—running out of supplies, living in tents, waking at dawn, mentoring local clinicians—and the mindset shift from textbook certainty to on-the-ground pragmatism. The story of a child with a snakebite, waiting seven days for a runway to dry, becomes a lesson in making the most of a hard ceiling of care without losing heart. Lakshmi also brings us to Bihar, India, where advanced HIV intersects with visceral leishmaniasis and devastating stigma. Here, science meets dignity: undetectable equals untransmissible becomes a lifeline, carried by mental health teams and quiet conversations at the bedside. We talk about hope, family, and what people everywhere want—safety, health and a future—along with clear advice for aspiring humanitarians across roles: doctors, nurses, logisticians, epidemiologists and communicators. If this story moved you, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick five-star rating or review. Your support keeps the feed ad-free and helps us bring more voices from the front lines of healthcare to your ears. Links: https://www.msf.org/ https://www.instagram.com/reels/DHlZjZCCAQk/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lakshmi-jain-3a5b32366/ https://scienceportal.msf.org/api/assets/7846/download/14086 For more information visit Lakshmi's episode page here - https://www.noordinarymonday.com/ep021-lakshmi-jain-msf-doctor Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

55 min

2025-12-29

CIA Counter-Terrorism Analyst: The 3 Most Dangerous Places in the World to Backpack (and How to Get In)…with Brent Giannotta (BACKPACKING & BLISTERS PODCAST)

What are the 3 most dangerous countries to visit for a backpacking trip? And how can you get in? Former CIA Counter-Terrorism Analyst Brent Giannotta joins the show to share his expertise. Carl and Ben also pepper him with every CIA movie reference and conspiracy theory they can muster. Please follow Brent and subscribe to his Substack! Some of the Topics Covered: -Most Dangerous Places to Backpack -Life or Death Backpacking Situations -CIA Conspiracy Theories Enlightened Equipment: Check out the best Ultralight Quilts on the market! GET BONUS SEGMENTS & EPISODES ON PATREON: There are over 50 BONUS episodes of B&B that you can get by supporting us on Patreon. It's safe and secure and it helps us put out more content. To react publicly or privately to any of our episodes post/message on… Facebook Instagram: @BackpackingAndBlistersPodcast Email: backpackingblisters@gmail.com Please check out our website: backpackingandblisters.com Our Favorite Gear Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt Outdoor Vitals Summit Down Sleeping Bag Gregory Paragon/Maven Backpack (Full Comfort) Nemo Tensor Sleeping Pad Therm-a-Rest Neo Loft (for ultra comfort) Jetboil Flash (for larger groups) MSR Pocket Rocket 2 (for solo or smaller groups) Katadyn BeFree Black Diamond Spot Garmin InReach Mini 2 Garmin Instinct 3 Solar Watch Big Agnes Copper Spur Nemo Hornet Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

50 min

2025-12-22

Drilling Into Antarctica's Frozen Past (Polar Scientist)

A storm hits ten hours after the helicopter drop, tents bow under the wind, and the generators choke on spindrift—yet the drill keeps turning. That’s the edge-of-the-map reality behind a rare ship‑to‑helicopter ice core mission to West Antarctica, where we joined glaciologist Dr Peter Neff to chase air bubbles that hold the clearest record of our past atmosphere. We dig into why tiny pockets of ancient air are such powerful climate evidence, how methane and CO2 stayed largely steady for thousands of years before spiking with industrialisation, and why that rate of change matters for heat, oceans, and sea level. Peter breaks down Antarctica’s “three buckets” of science, the stakes at Thwaites Glacier, and what coastal cores can reveal about storms, snowfall, and tipping‑point dynamics that satellites alone can’t capture. From improvising a hand‑controlled generator throttle to coordinating 15 sling loads back to a Korean icebreaker, this is science as endurance, logistics and teamwork. Beyond the tent walls, we talk about trust: why posting raw field clips on TikTok and Instagram connects new audiences to public‑funded research, and how open communication strengthens policy conversations. We explore what new high‑resolution methane records add to climate models, why the biggest uncertainty is human choice, and how leadership across government and business can turn risk into opportunity. For students and career‑changers, Peter offers practical advice on joining the polar workforce and building skills that matter in the field and the lab. Subscribe for more unfiltered stories from extreme jobs, share this episode with someone who loves science and adventure, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What part of the mission surprised you most? Research: https://swac.umn.edu/people/peter-neff https://peterneff.weebly.com/ https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=f--szIYAAAAJ&hl=en Socials: https://www.tiktok.com/@icy_pete https://www.instagram.com/icy_pete https://www.youtube.com/@icy_pete linkedin.com/in/dr-peter-neff-6a4b7429 Send us a text SUPPORT US - NOM is a 100% independent show. Help us keep the lights on by buying us a coffee (or a beer) - https://buymeacoffee.com/noordinarymonday. We're deeply grateful for any level of support. SHOW SOME LOVE - click five-stars on whatever platform you're on, and leave us a review, or tell a friend about the show. WANT TO BE A GUEST? You can submit your own career story through our website at noordinarymonday.com, email us at hello@noordinarymonday.com.

1h 1m

No Ordinary Monday

Beyond the Illusion (Magician)

From Drift to Direction (Career Coach)

Surviving an Erupting Volcano (Expedition Leader)

What Facing Death Taught Me About Living (Death Doula)

A Bush Pilot’s Worst Flight Over Papua

Trapped in a Flooded Hospital in South Sudan (MSF Doctor)

CIA Counter-Terrorism Analyst: The 3 Most Dangerous Places in the World to Backpack (and How to Get In)…with Brent Giannotta (BACKPACKING & BLISTERS PODCAST)

Drilling Into Antarctica's Frozen Past (Polar Scientist)

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No Ordinary Monday

Episodes

Beyond the Illusion (Magician)

From Drift to Direction (Career Coach)

Surviving an Erupting Volcano (Expedition Leader)

What Facing Death Taught Me About Living (Death Doula)

A Bush Pilot’s Worst Flight Over Papua

Trapped in a Flooded Hospital in South Sudan (MSF Doctor)

CIA Counter-Terrorism Analyst: The 3 Most Dangerous Places in the World to Backpack (and How to Get In)…with Brent Giannotta (BACKPACKING & BLISTERS PODCAST)

Drilling Into Antarctica's Frozen Past (Polar Scientist)

Trailer

About

Information