The Charles Kovess Show

Charles Kovess

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Self-Improvement
Semiweekly

A show about self-awareness and passion.

Oct 25 · Video

Ep #263. Hungary 1956, 70 Years On: Why the Fight for Freedom Never Ends

On 23 October 1956, university students in Budapest stood up against Russian control of their country. Seventy years later, I’m still moved by what they did. This week’s show is a special one. I’ve just come from a commemoration at the Hungarian Cultural Centre in Melbourne, with a 45-minute musical production put on entirely by volunteers. There weren’t many dry eyes in the room. My parents left Hungary in 1947 and arrived in Australia in 1949. So for me, this is personal. Freedom is in my genes. In this episode, I share: What sparked the 1956 uprising, and why I call it an uprising rather than a revolutionHow Russian tanks returned on 4 November and crushed itThe Hungarian water polo team at the Melbourne Olympics, the famous “blood in the water” match, and my own connection to that team through George KarpatiThe six areas where I fight for freedom: law, health, industrial hemp, comedy, passion and national sovereigntyThen I turn to us, here and now. Freedoms are rarely taken all at once. They’re taken a thin slice at a time, like a salami, until one day you realise it’s gone. I walk through 13 ways I believe our freedoms are being eroded in Australia and beyond, from free speech and proposed digital information laws to banking, health choices, workplace mandates, property rights and the “offence industry”. I finish with my nine calls to governments and people, including protecting our Constitution, making government contracts with big business public, a Royal Commission into the COVID response, and cutting the public service by 20%. These are my views. You may agree, you may not. Either way, I hope this episode makes you think about what freedom means to you. Don’t give away your freedom for security. Life was not meant to be lived in a safety harness. Watch, listen, and share it with someone who values their freedom. Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Oct 17 · Video

Ep #262. Free Reiner Fuellmich: An Urgent Update with Seba Terribilini and Peter Koenig

Today’s conversation is an urgent one. I’m joined by two people who are deeply passionate about one cause: the treatment of Reiner Fuellmich by German authorities. Seba Terribilini is from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. She has been advocating for Reiner full time for nearly three years. Peter Koenig is a Swiss economist who spent more than 30 years with the World Bank, including time working with the World Health Organization. He has been interviewed by Reiner several times and now also speaks up on his behalf. Seba brings us up to date on what has happened in the past week, as she understands it: On 8 October, Reiner was moved from Bremervörde prison with no notice to him or his lawyersHe was given five minutes to pack a toothbrush and a few clothesHe spent seven hours handcuffed in a caged vanAt the new prison, he was placed in a cellar cell with very little daylight, where he spends 22 hours a daySeba says the walls are mouldy, which the prison denies, and one of his lawyers was refused permission to see the cellReiner is 68. Peter points out that Reiner passed the two-thirds mark of his sentence in mid-August, a point at which many prisoners with no prior record would expect to be considered for release. He hasn’t been. Both guests believe Reiner is a political prisoner, and Peter compares his situation to Julian Assange’s. He suggests that the Australian Prime Minister, who helped secure Assange’s release, could raise Reiner’s case with the German government. Seba explains why she became an activist. She was surprised by how few of the prominent people Reiner interviewed have spoken up for him since his arrest, so she decided ordinary people needed to step in. These are strong views, and they’re Seba’s and Peter’s. I share their concern about how Reiner is being treated, and I’m sharing their call so you can make up your own mind. What Seba and Peter are asking you to do: Share this conversation widelyWrite to Reiner, letters and postcards keep him going (his new address is below)Contact your local German embassy, or your local member of parliamentWatch for the film Seba’s group is releasing in DecemberThe new address for letters and postcards is: Dr. Reiner Fuellmich JVA Lingen Haupthaus 3 Kaiserstraße 5 D-49809 Lingen Germany PLEASE NOTE: Only letters and postcards may be sent to this address. Nothing else may be included, except stamps. -For an overview of Reiner’s case: “THE FULL STORY OF DR. REINER FUELLMICH” https://substack.com/@sebaterribilini/note/p-171347044 Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Oct 4 · Video

Ep #261: Why We Bail When It Gets Hard, and What to Do Instead, with Mark Worthington

This week on The Charles Kovess Show, Charles talks with his long-time friend Mark Worthington, author of five books on belief, pain, leadership and love. His latest is Your Ultimate Connection Awaits. Mark spent years as an accountant and auditor and later managed large teams at one of Australia's major banks. By his own account, his life was a roller coaster of jobs, relationships and money gained and lost. Eventually he stopped blaming the world, took responsibility for his own life, and found that love was what was missing. In this conversation, Mark and Charles talk about why so many of us love from the mind rather than the heart, why dating apps make it easy to walk away when things get hard, and what couples can do to keep growing together. In this episode, you'll hear about: The difference between attraction and love, and why Mark believes love can't be controlled or created by the mindWhy the ego heads straight for the blame game, and how the heart works through problems insteadThe "mirror effect" in relationships, where what you put out comes back to youWhy couples can drift apart when one partner is growing and the other isn'tQuestions couples can ask each other about beliefs, needs, values and celebrating togetherHow to raise problems with your partner, and why trusting your intuition matters more than hearing "I'm fine"How Mark teaches his adult children to look at their own part in a problem before they talk to their partnerBuckminster Fuller's idea that the more mistakes you make, the smarter you areMark's three keys to good health, which Charles calls the "E cubed": exercise, eating well and emotionsMemorable moments "I call judgment the great separator.""Love can only be expressed in presence.""I gave the wrong currency in my marriage. I should have given the currency of love, not the currency of money."Emotion is "simply energy requiring motion."Mark's books Where Your Happiness Hides, on the belief structures that shape how we liveShow Me the Harmony, on building workplaces that run on love rather than fearFrom Pain to Possibility, on Mark's experience of learning to work with painThe Truth About Love, on the principles of loveYour Ultimate Connection Awaits, his practical guide to making romantic relationships workFind Mark: https://mark-worthington.com/ All five books are available on Mark's website. Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Sep 29 · Video

Ep #260. From 17 Points Down to Premiers: Building a Team That Believes

This week, I'm sharing my recent guest appearance on the Dental Business Mastery Podcast, hosted by Julie Parker. The topic is one Julie and I talk about every year: what the AFL Grand Final teaches us about great teams. With four minutes and 20 seconds left in the 2026 Grand Final, Fremantle led by 17 points. Some Brisbane Lions supporters were already heading for the exits. Brisbane then kicked four goals straight and won by seven. I was in the MCG members' stand that day, and I've been studying what happened ever since. Coach Chris Fagan described his team with one unusual word: brotherhood. The banner the players ran through carried another: believe. I explain why a team that doesn't believe something is possible will never fully commit to it, and why the real difference between good and great teams is the genuine care team members have for one another. You can't fake it. And it has to start with the leader. While our conversation is aimed at dental practice owners, the lessons apply to anyone leading a team. In this episode: Why Chris Fagan, a former teacher, says he coaches because he loves developing people, and why most businesses would rather hire ready-made superstarsHiring for attitude rather than skills, and why the best-performing companies do itThe difference between skill mistakes and attitude mistakes, and why only one can be repeatedWhy making mistakes is a career-limiting move in most workplaces, and how that stops people growingMy "most valuable mistake" system, with weekly, monthly and annual rewards for sharing mistakes openlyWhy the leader needs to be the first to own up to their mistakesClearing sessions, and how teams deal with the unspoken issues building up between themHow my friend, legendary coach Tom Hafey, used an eight-page questionnaire to truly know every playerMy own work with the Brisbane Lions in 1999 and 2000A small shift in how you lead can change the way your whole team shows up. Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Aug 24 · Video

Ep #259 - Passion Without Funding: How Jeremy McNally Built a Global Humanitarian Movement From His Own Pocket

This week Charles talks with Dr. Jeremy McNally. Jeremy is an entrepreneur. He's also a media executive and humanitarian. He's based in Florida. The conversation covers a lot. Youth unemployment. Electrifying villages in Africa and India. Building businesses that actually help people. Jeremy co-founded Relief Alliance with his teenage son: It's a nonprofit.It provides emergency assistance.It donates food and clothing.It runs youth education programs worldwide.They've done all this without outside funding. Jeremy is also CEO of Tweeble.com Tweeble.com is a new platform. It gives small businesses the media reach big companies take for granted at an affordable monthly price. Jeremy is also President of Gridless Global, an energy generation company. His humanitarian work earned him a USA Congressional award. He was also named 2025 Parent of the Year. Much of the conversation is about the planet's huge challenge of youth empowerment. Charles and Jeremy agree that most young people aren't lacking motivation: they're lacking exposure to the right ideas, inspiration, hope creation and great examples. Jeremy talks about Teen X TV. It's a Relief Alliance program. It gets young people into red-carpet events. And industry mixers. On Teen X TV, youngsters interview well-known guests that exposes them to inspiring possibilities. Jeremy shares his view on schools, that too often they teach a subject without explaining why it matters, thereby killing engagement of the students. The talk then shifts to energy access. This links to Charles's own work as a trustee of the Global Energy Network Institute in Australia. Charles outlines his "10,000 for 10,000" initiative. The idea is simple. Companies sponsor renewable energy projects in just one village that has no electricity. The renewables can be generated through one of the "big 6": solar, wind, tidal, biomass, geothermal or hydro. The sponsorship investment can be anything from $5000 to $500,000, depending on the size of the village. Charles vision is to have 10,000 companies each sponsoring just one village, resulting in 10,000 villages having access to the foundational difference between rich and poor communities: electricity! The renowned Dr R. Buckminster Fuller, recipient of 47 honorary doctorates in his lifetime, proved categorically that electricity access is the biggest difference between rich and poor nations. Charles notes that in each of Africa and India, there are over 300,000 villages that do not have electricity today. Jeremy shares some of his story of his own growth and development. At twenty, he ran a local classifieds magazine. That led him to found McNally Software years later. He credits his grandparents and parents: they shaped his commitment to service. He opens up about his daily habits too. He plans the next day the night before. That way mornings start with clarity, not confusion. Regular exercise helps. So does home-cooked food with his fiancée. This one's for anyone interested in youth development. Or humanitarian work. Or building something meaningful without waiting for funding first. Or making a global impact. Links mentioned: Relief Alliance: reliefalliance.orgTweeble: tweeble.comGlobal Energy Network Institute www.genifoundation.org.au (in Australia) and www.geni.org (in the USA)Gridless Global: gridlessglobal.comVisit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Aug 19 · Video

Ep #258: The Fight Against Antisemitism with Dr Matthew Harper

In this episode of The Charles Kovess Show, Charles sits down with Dr Matthew Harper, a Southern Baptist minister, psychologist and veteran White House correspondent who has covered three US administrations from inside the James Brady Press Room. Matthew brings a rare combination of credentials to the conversation: a PhD in psychology, decades of experience reporting for Christian and pro-Israel news outlets, and 25 trips to Israel that have resulted in close relationships with Israeli leadership. The conversation opens with Matthew's account of daily life in the White House briefing room, including how questions get allocated, the pressures of operating in a small and increasingly crowded space, and how he sees his role as a Christian and pro-Israel voice in a media landscape he believes is often hostile to those perspectives. Matthew speaks candidly about being talked over and belittled by colleagues in the room, and about the psychology of bullying more broadly, drawing on both his clinical training and his faith to explain what he thinks drives that behaviour. From there, the discussion moves into deeper territory: antisemitism, the theological roots of Matthew's convictions about Israel, and his concern that Western nations have drifted from the Judeo-Christian foundations he believes underpin their stability and success. Charles, drawing on his own Catholic upbringing and long-standing interest in the constitutional and cultural parallels between Australia and the United States, pushes Matthew on where these ideas come from and what he believes people can do in response. Matthew expresses strong and clear views on religion, geopolitics and immigration. The episode closes on more personal ground, with Matthew reflecting on discipline, one of Charles's recurring themes on the show. Matthew describes the daily practices that sustain him, built around what he calls an intimacy with his faith rather than ritual for its own sake, and shares a striking story from his early days at the White House that he still regards as more than coincidence. He also mentions a forthcoming book on antisemitism, and recommends Religion and the Individual as a resource for listeners keen to explore the connection between spirituality and mental health further. He finishes with his views on work and retirement (“I don’t believe in retirement”), making clear he has no intention of slowing down. It's a wide-ranging and at times provocative conversation about courage, conviction and what it takes to keep showing up for what you believe in, even when the room or the majority isn't on your side. More from Dr Matthew Harper: imcnews.org Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Jul 25 · Video

Ep #257: Dr Susan Blyskal on Clean Skincare, Faith and Building BHR Skincare

Charles welcomes Dr Susan Blyskal, a trained pharmacist based in South Carolina, USA, and the founder of BHR Skincare, to the show for a wide-ranging conversation about what we put on our skin, and why it matters more than most of us realise. Susan's story starts in her own kitchen more than thirty years ago, when she was pregnant and looking for a safe body cream to help prevent stretch marks. Unable to find anything on the market that met her standards, she formulated her own, a product she still uses to this day and one that eventually became the foundation of BHR Skincare (short for Blessed Healing Remedy). What began as a single product has since grown into a full range of twenty four natural, botanical based items, all free from synthetic fragrance, GMOs, animal testing and harsh chemicals. Charles brings his own long standing interest in health into the conversation, drawing links between Susan's clean formulation philosophy and his broader concerns about microplastics, synthetic clothing and what our skin actually absorbs. Susan explains how she reads every ingredient label herself, why she avoids products with carcinogenic ingredients (including many mainstream sunscreens), and how her mineral tinted SPF came about as a safer alternative. The two also discuss the impact of her anti-ageing serums and creams, and her hair growth system, which she developed after losing hair herself during COVID. The conversation moves through Susan's transition from a long corporate career in pharmacy management into entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a business from scratch, and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in your vision. Charles and Susan also spend time discussing faith, family and the role that prayer and Christian values play in how Susan runs her business day to day. It is a warm, wide ranging chat covering skincare science, entrepreneurship, family and faith, with Charles's characteristic curiosity taking the conversation in a few unexpected directions along the way. Find Susan and BHR Skincare at: bhrskincare.com Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4
Jul 1 · Video

Ep #256: Black Belt, Pacifist, and the Art of Vibrant Living - Daniel Aaron

In this episode, Charles is joined by Daniel Aaron - author, transformational entertainer, spiritual teacher, black belt in judo, and committed pacifist - joining from Hawaii while Charles braves a Melbourne winter morning just days past the June 2026 winter solstice. It is a wide-ranging conversation that moves from breaking hearts open to building belief, from the standard American diet to physical immortality, and from Gandhi's passive resistance to the two simple words - "I am" - that Daniel says are the most powerful tools for creating the life you want. Charles and Daniel explore what it really means to live with passion and purpose, why discomfort is not the enemy of a good life, and how the beliefs we hold about ourselves either open the door to extraordinary living or quietly keep it shut. They discuss why both Australia and America have become what Charles calls "analgesic cultures" - societies conditioned to avoid discomfort at all costs - and why that very avoidance is what keeps so many people stuck. Daniel shares the concept of the Supreme Self Manifesto - a set of conscious "I am" declarations that, practised daily, can shift who you are being at the deepest level. He explains why change does not happen through willpower alone, and why the language we use every day reveals - and creates - our identity. Charles reflects on his own pivotal moment in Kona, Hawaii in June 1993, when two weeks with Robert Kiyosaki at a business and personal development program led him to resign from his successful legal career upon his return to Melbourne - thirty-three years ago this month. Topics covered in this episode include the connection between judo and pacifism, why a broken heart is a prerequisite for an open one, the relationship between physical health and everything else in life, how to shift a belief that is no longer serving you, what success actually means, and why Buckminster Fuller's insight about problems is one of the most useful ideas you can carry with you. You can find Daniel and his work at https://danielaaron.com/. His book, The Art of Spiritual Leadership, is available there, along with his live podcast, The Art of Vibrant Living Show. Visit Charles Kovess' website: charleskovess.com Reach out to Charles via email: charles@kovess.com Discover more about Charles and this show: charleskovess.com/show-notes/ Visit and subscribe to the YouTube channel: youtube.com/@CharlesBKovess Charles also supports the Forever Freedom Movement — visit foreverfreedommovement.com to learn how children trapped in trafficking can be aided. Intro/Outro music credit: Music by bensound.com License code: SVLGLBBT9BLK1ZT4

A show about self-awareness and passion.

Creator

Charles Kovess
Years Active

2020 - 2026
Episodes

263
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 The Charles Kovess Show
Show Website

The Charles Kovess Show