No Business Being A Castano

Amy Castano and Jono Castano

Former life-partners and now business partners and friends, Amy and Jono Castano explore the stories of individuals who have proven ‘good comes from bad’.

  1. 07/25/2025

    Poppy Reid: What Happens When You Don’t Want Kids

    In a bold role reversal, multi-award-winning journalist and Curious Media co-founder Poppy Reid takes the guest seat to explore life’s most confronting question: What if you choose not to have kids? In this raw and radically honest episode, Poppy opens up about growing up without maternal instincts, the societal pressures that come with opting out of parenthood, and how she navigated dating, marriage, and divorce while holding firm to her values.Poppy reflects on the staggering data showing a generational shift in reproductive choices — including the stat that nearly half of 18–34-year-olds without children don’t plan to have them — and unpacks how financial reality, creative ambition, and emotional integrity shaped her decision.Plus, we dive into the future of media, as the co-founder of The Brag Media (Rolling Stone AU/NZ, Variety Australia) Poppy’s chats about her pivot from print to podcasting, her deeply personal new show Untypical with Michael Theo, and why she believes legacy doesn’t require motherhood.This episode is for anyone questioning the traditional life script, or rewriting it on their own terms. Timestamps 01:05 – Why Poppy never wanted kids—and how people reacted 06:00 – Navigating dating, boundaries & aligned values 09:45 – What if your partner changes their mind about kids?13:15 – Why her first marriage fell apart (and what she owns) 17:30 – From Rolling Stone to Curious Media: a career built on passion 22:00 – Why podcasting is the future (and how she’s doing it differently) 26:40 – Poppy on working with Love on the Spectrum’s Michael Theo 30:00 – The power of asking the real questions 34:10 – Hens + bucks = one party? Poppy’s wedding plans 37:20 – Tuesday blues, Netflix recs & surprise highs and lows Follow Poppy:instagram.com/itspoppyreidinstagram.com/curiousmediahq Follow Jono & Amy:instagram.com/jonocastanoaceroinstagram.com/amycastano

    43 min
  2. 07/18/2025

    Inside Ben Lee & Ione Skye’s Unfiltered Love Story

    In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Amy and Jono are joined by Ben Lee and Ione Skye, partners in life, parents, and co-hosts of the podcast Weirder Together. What starts with a hilarious Adam Levine pep talk quickly unfolds into a raw, insightful look at long-term love, public vulnerability, and making space for individuality inside a relationship.Ben and Ione open up about their unconventional love story, getting married in small-town India during Ben’s guru era, and how they’ve grown creatively and emotionally over two decades. They talk about parenting in the digital age, navigating fame then vs now, and why building a relationship that respects both difference and change is the real secret to staying together.Timestamps:01:10 – Ben & Ione's unlikely meet-cute06:00 – Transitioning from friendship to romance08:15 – Getting married in India & spiritual detours11:45 – Navigating change in a long-term relationship15:30 – The podcast: Weirder Together's origin story19:00 – Parenting daughters in the age of Instagram23:45 – Ione on memoirs, vulnerability & being truly seen28:30 – Ben on individuality, ego & shared creative space33:00 – Highs, lows & Castano moments of the weekFollow Jono & Amy: instagram.com/jonocastanoacero instagram.com/amycastanoinstagram.com/benleemusic instagram.com/ioneskyelee instagram.com/weirdertogetherofficial curious.media instagram.com/curiousmediahq Follow Ben & Ione:Stay curious:

    35 min
  3. 07/09/2025

    Fire Alarms, Compression Socks & WAG Life

    In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Amy and Johnny are fully unfiltered—from kitchen fires and Uber confessions to emotional goodbyes and public rendezvous (yes, that kind of rendezvous).Amy gets real about her partner Aaron’s big overseas move—sharing what it feels like to love someone deeply while watching them chase their dream from afar. Johnny, meanwhile, tries to impress his partner with a home-cooked meal and ends up triggering a full-blown building evacuation. (Spoiler: don’t cook steak on high heat with no ventilation.)Then it’s time for Please Don’t Cancel Us—a rapid-fire segment where the duo gives hot takes on everything from first-date etiquette and thong bikinis to socks during sex and full glam at the gym. It’s honest, chaotic, and laugh-out-loud funny.Plus, Amy’s love for heat packs hits new heights, Johnny gets called out for his Uber rating, and there’s a truth or dare moment that… let’s just say, might make you rethink dinner dates forever.Timestamps:01:10 – Aaron’s big move & Amy’s emotional week03:30 – Johnny’s fire alarm fail: how dinner became a building-wide drama07:00 – Hi-Lo-Castano: love, tears & heat pack obsessions10:00 – Please Don’t Cancel Us: first kisses, dating etiquette & pineapple on pizza17:45 – Socks in bed (and during sex?): compression gear gets weird22:00 – Full glam at the gym: survival or showing off?25:00 – Sunday surcharges, trolley etiquette & Uber stories29:45 – Uber rating showdown & the truth-or-dare payoff32:00 – Wrap-up, raspy vocals & Adele love lettersFollow Amy & Johnny:instagram.com/amycastanoinstagram.com/jonnycastanoStay in the loop with Curious Media:instagram.com/curiousmediahq

    33 min
  4. 07/03/2025

    Fuzz Ali on Saying Yes, Showing Up, and Losing 37 Kilos

    In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Jono and Amy sit down with Fuzz Ali—writer, podcaster, and multimedia personality—for a raw, funny, and deeply moving conversation about identity, visibility, and learning to live fully.Fuzz opens up about growing up between Fiji and Australia, confronting mortality from a young age, and why that awareness shaped his appetite for discomfort, storytelling, and saying yes to life. From television and fashion to food, advocacy, and online visibility, Fuzz shares how he's built a rich, multifaceted career rooted in culture, creativity, and compassion.They dive into his 37kg weight loss journey, his work as an ambassador for Down Syndrome NSW, and why inclusion is more than just a buzzword—it’s a daily practice. With warmth, humour, and hard-won wisdom, Fuzz reminds us what it means to take up space, challenge the status quo, and find joy in the mess of becoming.Timestamps 02:00 – Growing up with death as a daily reminder 07:40 – What makes the Instagram feed (and what doesn’t) 14:30 – Fiji, Australia & navigating multiple cultural identities 18:30 – Rejection, inner child wounds, and survival mode 23:50 – Down syndrome advocacy & building real inclusion 30:00 – Facing online hate with humour and clarity 35:10 – Why food became his favourite storytelling tool 42:00 – Health, weight loss, and rediscovering strength 50:30 – Party pies, silk rolls & launching a food brand 53:00 – Foot injuries, dog training, and favourite gossip of the week 56:00 – Final reflections on self-worth, legacy, and acceptanceFollow Jono & Amy: instagram.com/jonocastanoacero instagram.com/amycastanoFollow Fuzz: https://www.instagram.com/fuzz.ali/Stay in the loop with Curious Media: curious.media instagram.com/curiousmediahq

    1h 4m
  5. 06/18/2025

    Answering Your Wellness DMs – Fasting, Fatigue & Feeling Good at Any Age

    In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Amy and Jono swap interviews for inboxes—diving into listener-submitted wellness questions that span fasting fads, emotional weight loss, and what to actually do in the gym when you’re 63 and starting fresh.Amy opens up about her own transformation: a multi-year journey that began with emotional healing and ended with feeling stronger, clearer, and more at home in her body than ever. Jono, meanwhile, brings the PT science—breaking down inflammation, strength training for diabetics, and why supplements and recovery matter more than smashing yourself five days a week.From raw egg days to berberine, this is a warm, honest, and sometimes hilarious chat about what it really takes to feel good in your body—especially when life feels chaotic, health trends are everywhere, and you’re just trying to figure out where to start.Timestamps:01:10 – Fasting: helpful tool or slippery slope?06:40 – Amy on emotional healing & holistic weight loss10:50 – Inflammation, fatigue & smart training14:40 – Cardio vs. weights: what finally worked for Amy18:00 – How to start again at 63 (and why it's never too late)20:45 – Type 2 diabetes, strength training & blood sugar balance22:30 – Ice baths, awkward breakups & wellness full circleFollow Jono & Amy:instagram.com/jonocastanoaceroinstagram.com/amycastanoStay in the loop with Curious Media:instagram.com/curiousmediahq

    24 min
  6. 06/11/2025

    From TV Icon to Whiskey Maker: Larry Emdur’s Next Chapter

    In this episode of No Business Being A Castano, Jono and Amy catch up with Aussie TV legend Larry Emdur for a hilarious, heartfelt, and totally unfiltered conversation about life in the spotlight—and what comes after. Larry reflects on his unconventional rise in television, from becoming the youngest national newsreader (at 3am in board shorts) to decades of hosting game shows, morning programs, and dodging cancellation after cancellation. But it’s his latest pivot that surprises everyone: building an award-winning whiskey brand, Ben Buckler, from a birthday passion project into a booming business. They dive into everything from imposter syndrome and media burnout to longevity, marriage, fitness at 60, and how a joke about a Logies tattoo turned into a public obsession. With signature self-deprecating charm, Larry opens up about reinvention, relationships, and finding freedom in not taking yourself too seriously—even after four decades on screen. Timestamps01:10 – Why he’s never been asked to show his butt more than now04:30 – The accidental birth of Ben Buckler Whiskey09:15 – How it went from 60 bottles to a global business overnight13:00 – Reinvention after rejection: getting axed and bouncing back17:40 – Surfing, morning routines, and chasing clarity at 4am22:00 – Fitness over 60: training hard, seeing no change, doing it anyway27:00 – Marriage, fatherhood, and the napkin that started it all32:20 – Imposter syndrome at the Logies and the power of perspective36:10 – Making whiskey unboring—and why Larry’s all in41:30 – Tattoos, Westfield encounters, and day one of a new chapter Follow Jono & Amy:instagram.com/jonocastanoaceroinstagram.com/amycastano Follow Larry:instagram.com/larryemdur Check out Ben Buckler Whiskey:benbucklerwhiskey.com Shout out to this episode’s sponsor, Melrose FutureLab: melrosefuturelab.com  Stay in the loop with Curious Media:curious.mediainstagram.com/curiousmediahq

    34 min

About

Former life-partners and now business partners and friends, Amy and Jono Castano explore the stories of individuals who have proven ‘good comes from bad’.