Next Of Kin Podcast Casey Beros

Michael Crossland is one of those people you meet and instantly feel like you’ve known forever. He’s unbelievably likeable, but it’s more than that - it’s something I can’t quite put my finger on but my best stab at it is this; Michael is a bit of a unicorn. He’s knowledgable without being a smarta$$. Humble without being sickly self-deprecating. Funny without being performative. Polished without being scripted. And his vulnerability, access to emotion (even when telling stories he must’ve told thousands of times at this point) and generosity of spirit is second-to-none. 
Rather than having multiple degrees like the experts I often interview, Mike’s education has come from the school of life. And boy, has it delivered him some lessons. I feel so fortunate to be in a position to package him up and share him with you today.
We learn (a heap), laugh (a lot) and cry (a bit, then a bit more). I wanted to know:
* [03:00] Do little things still piss Mike off, or is he too enlightened now? 
* [04:30] Is life happening to us or for us? Asking for a friend… 
* [06:40] 96% empty, 4% full. Meet baby Mike, the toughest toddler in Coffs Harbour circa 1984 
* [10:00] Lucky #25 - the drug trial that almost took, then saved, little Mike’s life 
* [13:20] ‘Forgiveness is a remarkable tool, regardless of whether they’ve asked for it’ - how to prioritise our own self worth over how others value us 
* [18:00] What happened when Mike got so busy trying to create an amazing life he forgot to protect the one he already had 
* [20:30] Are we living or just existing? Mike’s blueprint for longer, happier, healthier years
* [27:00] Want the 1% life? Then we need to do the work the other 99% won’t
* [27:50] Greg Norman, $10 and a can of VB 
* [31:40] That time Mike let down the most important woman in his life, and how he made it up to her 
* [35:32] Show us how to fish, don’t just give us the fish! How Mike’s charity is changing the future for families in Haiti 
* [41:00] Struggling to find your purpose? Maybe you’re overthinking it 
* [44:40] How our internal dialogue determines our day - getting micro around thoughts and language 
* [48:15] Let’s play a game! Casey shoots some of our most common negative thoughts at Mike and lets him Mike-ify them 
* [50:38] The luckiest man on Earth. How Mike and his beautiful wife were given the ultimate gift 
Loved this conversation? Please share this episode with someone you care about (and tell them to grab the tissues).
Wanna watch our cute heads while we talk to you?! Enjoy us on Youtube here…
Connect with us:
⚡️ Follow Michael on Instagram here
⚡️ Buy Mike’s book Everything Will Be OK here
⚡️ Support his charity work in Haiti here
⚡️ Follow Casey on Instagram here
⚡️ Find out more about Casey’s work here
⚡️ Want more Casey? There are very limited copies of The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide To Better out in the wild as well as Amazon, Booktopia and Audible, or hit this link for a signed copy sent to your door
No trigger warnings on this one, but we do discuss illness and some scary health challenges. If you need support, please know Lifeline is there 24/7 on 13 11 14 or you can call 13 YARN (13 92 76). Beyond Blue is available on 1300 224 636 and you can also access their online counselling service here.
I also stumbled on this incredible resource the other day and wanted to share the details again here for anyone in need. Australia’s Griefline - free and confidential counselling and support to people experiencing grief and loss across Australia, inclusive of remote, regional, rural and metropolitan regions - on 1300 845 745 or here 24/7.


Get full access to Next Of Kin at nextofkin.substack.com/subscribe

If there’s one thing I know, it’s that there is no one on the planet who is ever going to be a bigger or better advocate for your health than you. It’s why I’ve dedicated my career to helping us all live longer, happier, healthier lives - because I want as much time with the people I love as humanly possible, and I want that for you too.
But there are some deep flaws in our healthcare system, and while it’s not up to us to fix them, it is up to us to know how to work around them. This conversation is dedicated to empowering you and the people you love to do just that.
This is one of the most important episodes of Next Of Kin I will probably ever deliver. Even if you’re well right now, especially if you’re well right now, I implore you to take one hour of your precious time to listen to it AND to share it with someone you love.
Dr Michela Sorensen is a GP and advocate for women’s health, mental health and regional health. She’s also an interviewer’s dream who both dominates her field and speaks in soundbites (making my job VERY easy). But more than all of that, she’s an 11/10 person AND she’s got one hell of a story to tell.
In our chat, we discuss:
* [02:15] What it’s like being a GP in Australia right now and what that means for us as patients
* [07:36] Is the system set up to support doctors and patients appropriately, and why can’t all doctors bulk bill?
* [14:15] If you live regionally, rurally or remotely in Australia, you fare more poorly than those of us in the big smoke. What can we do to close the gap?
* [17.56] Why health literacy is your most important tool in navigating the healthcare system
* [25.46] Stop putting your health (way) down your to-do list
* [26:43] Why hasn’t Telehealth fixed our issues around access to healthcare?
* [29:48] What you’re most likely to die from if you live in Australia
* [33:49] Your defence and offence players (and MVPs) when it comes to your health
* [35:53] The minimum viable intervention when it comes to exercise (hint: it’s way less than we think!)
* [39:04] The lost parents club: Michela shares how her beautiful Mum shaped her
* [48:56] That time Michela went to the dentist, and walked out with cancer
* [55:30] The exception to every rule: Michela’s rollercoaster ride through cancer as a healthy 34 year-old Mum of two
Loved this conversation? Please share this episode with someone you care about!
Connect with us:
⚡️ Follow Michela on Instagram here
⚡️ Learn more about Michela’s work here
⚡️ Follow Casey on Instagram here
⚡️ Find out more about Casey’s work here
⚡️ Want more Casey? There are very limited copies of The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide To Better out in the wild as well as Amazon, Booktopia and Audible, or hit this link for a signed copy sent to your door

For 24/7 support, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13 YARN (13 92 76), or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 and you can access their online counselling service here.
You can also access Australia’s Griefline - free and confidential counselling and support to people experiencing grief and loss across Australia, inclusive of remote, regional, rural and metropolitan regions - on 1300 845 745 or here 24/7.


Get full access to Next Of Kin at nextofkin.substack.com/subscribe

Let’s face it - life has no shortage of trauma. And now we’re not just experiencing it, we’re watching it unfold all day, every day on a 24-hour news cycle. In this thoughtful and insightful chat, psychotherapist, counsellor and trauma mentor Nikki Heyder breaks down the ins and outs of trauma and shares some of her own for us all to learn from along the way.
Nikki says many of us are “kind of stuck in a state of numbness but hopelessness… so the world is no longer joyful.” If that sounds like you or someone you love, this is a must-listen. While T/trauma is a serious topic, this conversation is full of all the best stuff - vulnerability, hope and so.much.light.
Nikki knows her stuff, even training with the world-renowned Dr Gabor Mate. In our chat, we discuss:
* [03:20] What is trauma?
* [04:00] Big T versus little t trauma
* [06:20] The ACE study and how childhood T/trauma shapes our adulthood
* [08:05] T/trauma is unique and personal
* [10:09] Beware the allure of ‘healing your trauma in 5 days’
* [10.38] Will the concept of repair save the day for our kids?
* [15.56] How T/trauma plays out in us
* [18.05] What to do if this sounds like you
* [19:20] Who to turn to and who to turn away from
* [23:46] Feeling indecisive? Maybe it’s your ‘functional freeze’ response
* [26:46] Reintroducing… your intuition
* [29:10] Practical, tactical tools for a cooler, calmer nervous system
* [31:40] Are you in ‘shutdown mode’?
* [34:35] Cultivating a new voice + responding to our humanness with compassion
* [37:37] Can we all just lay on the ground for a bit? Asking for a friend
* [39:05] T/trauma in healthcare
* [40:44] T/trauma, grief and loss
* [43:24] T/trauma and the breakdown of relationships
* [46:15] T/trauma around money, feat. Nikki’s harrowing lived experience
* [53:10] A message for anyone in, or getting into, business
Loved this conversation? Tell us in the comments and share this episode with someone you adore!
Connect with us:
⚡️ Follow Nikki on Instagram here
⚡️ Get individual therapy with Nikki here
⚡️ Join her Baseline program for nervous system regulation here
⚡️ And check out her certification in Compassion Focused Coaching here
⚡️ Follow Casey on Instagram here
⚡️ Find out more about Casey’s work here
⚡️ Want more Casey? There are very limited copies of The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide To Better out in the wild as well as Amazon, Booktopia and Audible, or hit this link for a signed copy sent to your door
Facing financial hardship? Call the National Debt Helpline on 1800 007 007
For 24/7 support, please call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline on 13 11 14 or 13 YARN (13 92 76), or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 and you can access their online counselling service here.



Get full access to Next Of Kin at nextofkin.substack.com/subscribe

Dr Gina Cleo is one of those people you can’t help but love. She’s sparkly. Kind. Smart. And - my personal favourite - an open book.
A traumatic betrayal rocked Gina’s world, and after many years teaching others how to harness habits for long-term behaviour change, she had to relearn her own… and rebuild herself from the ground up.
She’s living proof of slow, steady commitment to building a better life one habit at a time, and I can’t wait to share her with you. In our chat, we discuss:
* [00:57] Gina’s personal metamorphosis (fasten your seatbelt, folks)
* [04:00] The trauma of betrayal
* [09:00] The role of habits during life’s toughest times
* [11:30] Habits versus willpower
* [18:00] How I finally broke my alcohol habit
* [23:00] Habit barriers and facilitators
* [25:00] Whether your mood could be derailing your habits (and your bank balance) 
* [32:00] The power of intentionality and how it can help stop mindless scrolling
* [36:25] “But have you TRULY tried?” Gina calls me out (big time)
* [41:30] Non-negotiable habits of high performers
* [51.00] Starting small with micro habits
* [53.00] Preventing the inevitable backslide into bad habit territory
“You will fall off the wagon. Changing our habits is a process of two steps forward, one step back - don’t be disheartened by that. The less you do something, the less habitual it becomes.” Dr Gina Cleo
Love our chat? Join the comments and share this episode with someone you love!
Connect with us:
⚡️ Join Gina’s FREE habit training here
⚡️ Follow Gina on Instagram here
⚡️ Buy her incredible book The Habit Revolution here or I listened over on Audible
⚡️ Follow Casey on Instagram here
⚡️ Find out more about Casey’s work here
⚡️ Want more Casey? There are very limited copies of The ‘Bad’ Girl’s Guide To Better out in the wild as well as Amazon, Booktopia and Audible, or hit this link for a signed copy sent to your door


Get full access to Next Of Kin at nextofkin.substack.com/subscribe