Sparks Journal

Josh Sparks

The Sparks Journal is a podcast at the intersection of purpose, creativity, and cultural impact. Hosted by Josh Sparks, it features deep conversations with visionary leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers who are reshaping how we live, work, and create. Each episode blends soulful storytelling with practical insights to help you align vision with purpose and turn inspiration into lasting impact. Subscribe to The Sparks Journal and join us each week, for new episodes exploring the ideas and stories that spark transformation.

  1. 1 ENE

    Joshua Sparks & Mark Bilton CoLab | Healthspan, Being Human, and Purpose

    Many leaders and creatives feel run down, disconnected, or unsure how to sustain their energy and purpose over the long term. Others may appear highly successful from a distance, yet find themselves quietly asking, Is this really all there is? In this special Podcasters CoLab, I sit down with Mark Bilton - internationally renowned CEO, Independent Chair, and Strategist, the host of 'Lead Well, Live Well’ podcast, and the author of multiple books on leadership, faith and purpose driven entrepreneurship - to explore healthspan, being human, and finding purpose in a demanding world.  This episode is a true collaboration, recorded for both Sparks Journal and Lead Well Live Well podcasts. Together, we unpack what it really means to live well over the long term. Not just how long you live, but how well you live. We talk about healthspan, not as a trend or biohacking obsession, but as a practical way to stay energised, clear-headed, and present for the people and work that matter most. In this episode, you will hear: • What healthspan really means and why it matters more than lifespan • Why leaders must care for their physical, emotional, and relational health • How purpose, identity, and wellbeing are deeply connected • The role of habits, consistency, and self-leadership over time • Why being human is not a weakness in leadership, but a strength This is a grounded, honest conversation between two good friends who have spent decades working with leaders, creatives, and entrepreneurs.  It is practical, reflective, and deeply relevant if you want to lead well without losing yourself along the way.

    1 h y 55 min
  2. 07/12/2025

    Samantha Wills | Brand Magic: Storytelling, Intuition & Creative Commercialism

    Samantha Wills - creative entrepreneur, bestselling author of Of Gold and Dust, designer behind her iconic jewellery brand, and creator of the Marigold children’s series - joins The Sparks Journal for a powerful conversation about creativity, intuition, imposter syndrome and building a life that feels true. From selling handmade jewellery behind the bike sheds in Port Macquarie to becoming one of Australia’s most recognisable creative founders, Samantha’s story is defined by creative exploration, the power of intuition, grit and resilience, and above all, the courage to follow your own path. In this conversation, we explore the creative intuition that shaped her career, the emotional truth-telling that defined her brand, and the remarkable courage it took to close the business that made her famous at its commercial peak. Samantha discusses: • the childhood “green lights” that revealed her creative identity• building the Samantha Wills world before social media• why creativity is a form of intelligence - especially for children• designing for your actual customer rather than your aspirational one• the power of storytelling, enchantment and “surprise and delight”• the iconic wooden jewellery boxes - and why taking irrational risks matters• imposter syndrome: why she never “beat” it, but learned to live beside it• fear, procrastination and her inch-by-inch method for building momentum• sensitivity as a creative superpower — and the toll of the hustle years• the scaffolding of female friendships and why they are an unfair advantage• choosing the right business partner through values, not spreadsheets• the crossroads moment at the Omega Institute that changed everything• closing her global brand at its peak to honour her health and her legacy• writing The Marigold Effect and creating for “the little girl she once was”• creativity as intuition, spirituality and a way of seeing the world This episode is for creatives, founders and anyone learning to trust themselves more deeply - a practical and deeply resonant exploration of intuition, courage and the beautiful, risky work of building a life that feels true.

    1 h y 11 min
  3. 18/11/2025

    Scott Gooding | The Alchemy of Reinvention: Grit, Growth & Turning Fear Into Fuel

    Chef, author, My Kitchen Rules alum and Good Farm Shop co-founder Scott Gooding is one of those rare people who has done the deep inner work to turn a difficult start into a life of meaning, discipline and love. Scott spent his childhood living in English pubs - surrounded by drunk adults, chaos and the ever-present possibility of violence. It forged a tough exterior, a readiness to fight and a constant sense of vigilance. That same energy might have consumed him. Instead, over decades, he learned to reframe and redirect it: Aggression into ambition Anxiety into anticipation Fear into fuel In this wide-ranging and emotionally honest conversation, we explore: Growing up in pubs: learning to read danger, hold his ground and the cost of living on high alert Sliding-door moments: key points where he consciously chose not to escalate, and in doing so, chose a different man to become Reinvention in Australia: booking a ticket, leaving the old persona behind and building a new life from scratch Seven years of chronic back pain: losing the athletic identity he’d built, moving through depression, and finding empathy and perspective on the other side My Kitchen Rules and stage fright: why he almost scared himself out of it, what it took to get through filming while “white-knuckling” anxiety, and how the show became a springboard rather than a vanity play Saying yes for a year: the deliberate decision to say yes to every opportunity for 12 months to dismantle long-held self-limiting beliefs Good Farm Shop with Matilda: creating a business rooted in “healthy comfort food” that reflects his values around nourishment, care and community Fatherhood and masculinity: how all of this inner work shows up in the way he parents - as a present, emotionally available, deeply engaged dad Scott doesn’t present as a guru. He’s disarmingly humble, quick to laugh at himself, and the first to say he’s not “the best” at anything. But in that humility lies his real genius: an unwavering commitment to show up, to work, to keep going, and to use every challenge as a chance to grow. For founders, creatives and leaders, this episode is a blueprint for: Integrating your past rather than running from it Building true resilience instead of just performance armour Honouring your opportunities - and the people you love - by continually walking towards what scares you If you’re navigating your own reinvention, trying to turn a rough beginning into a life of depth and contribution, Scott’s story will stay with you long after the credits roll. Subscribe to The Sparks Journal for more conversations at the intersection of creativity, courage and commercial reality.Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, or watch the full series here on YouTube.

    1 h y 30 min

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The Sparks Journal is a podcast at the intersection of purpose, creativity, and cultural impact. Hosted by Josh Sparks, it features deep conversations with visionary leaders, artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers who are reshaping how we live, work, and create. Each episode blends soulful storytelling with practical insights to help you align vision with purpose and turn inspiration into lasting impact. Subscribe to The Sparks Journal and join us each week, for new episodes exploring the ideas and stories that spark transformation.

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