The Kismet Podcast

Carina Waye
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Welcome to The Kismet Podcast - honest conversations about careers, growth, and the unexpected paths that shape our lives. Hosted by Carina Waye, each episode shares real stories from the people behind Kismet; exploring career pivots, ambition, personal goals, and the moments of fate that quietly change everything. These conversations go beyond job titles, diving into the human side of work, values, and the lessons learned along the way. If you’re navigating your career, building something of your own, or curious about how great people think, grow, and take leaps, you’re in the right place.

  1. 14h ago

    Natasha | Leave the World Better

    Natasha is a Customer Experience Officer at Kismet.Before she got here, she started a petition that got over 2,000 signatures, lobbied both sides of state government, formed the Plenty Valley Clubhouse supporting over 200 families, and was part of a group that successfully pushed for mandatory teacher training in all Victorian government schools from 2016. She did all of this while raising four kids, working full time, running a charity as a volunteer, and staying up half the night writing emails to politicians. She also spent four years in London in her early twentiesworking at Harrods, Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, visited Russia when the Iron Curtain had just fallen, and stumbled into every job she has ever had.   This episode is one of the most incredible conversations inthe pod's history. Natasha is warm, wise, completely grounded and genuinely one of the most impressive people to sit in the studio. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  2. 2d ago

    Caleb | That Movie Guy

    Caleb does not do movie franchises. He is a lock in for a couple of hours kind of guy. Except when it comes to Breaking Bad, which he is rewatching. All sixty-two episodes... He's aware of the contradiction. Caleb is a member of the Customer Experience team at Kismet. He has three cats and a dog, just got his driver's license after years of putting it off, has recently invested money in ETFs he is trying not to look at, and is currently in a David Lynch phase. Carina is campaigning hard for Twilight and Lord of the Rings to kick off Calebs franchise love affair. He has somewhat begrudgingly added them to the list. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  3. Sep 29

    Denise Elgin | If You Know You Know

    Denise Elgin is the Events Coordinator at Kismet and, as fans of Episode 4 will know, the woman beside the man. She grew up in Elwood with her mum and two sisters, spent her late teens and early twenties in the St Kilda club scene, and had been going to Joey's Nightclub for months before she evennoticed Don working there.   She gave him her number on a matchbook. He proposed three months later at a petrol station in Footscray. He had no ring. They were married a year and a half after that.   This episode is Denise's own story. Nineteen years atCoca-Cola Amatil working her way from service to sales to marketing and sponsorship ticketing. Four kids, now three of them adults and one granddaughter named Ava. The Kokoda Trail in 2017, and a Thailand scooter accident. If you haven't heard Don's episode yet, ⁠check out Episode 4 ofThe Kismet Podcast ⁠wherever you listen.   A note before you press play: this episode covers Denise'sexperience with both parents living with dementia. Please look after yourself while you listen. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  4. Sep 22

    Michael Connerley | Fine as a Frog's Hair

    Michael Connerley grew up in Mississippi, became a financial advisor just before the GFC, heard a colleague mention Australia and bought a ticket to leave two weeks later. He spent seven months in a Darlinghurst hostel, got into software onboarding, went through Xplor from 20 people to 80, and bought a cafe in Brunswick during COVID because the timing felt right.Michael is now the Head of Customer Experience at Kismet.A warm, funny and a genuinely lovely conversation. Plus the peanut butter nightmare theory and a live southern sayings masterclass.You can find Slowpoke here.You can find All Things Equal - the not for profit cafe - here. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  5. Sep 15

    Matt Clements | She'll Be Right

    Matt Clements is the Chief Revenue Officer at Kismet. He's had Christmas dinner with Mark Woodland every year since leaving Xplor, and when Mark incorporated the business he tattooed the Kismet heart on his ankle. He wasn't working here yet, but he knew he would be back. This week he is. It's his third week on the job and he turned up to the studio in an official KFC bomber jacket. This episode covers Matt's full story: growing up on a merino wool farm in Armidale, four out of five years of a law degree, finding sales, making his way to Xplor in 2018 as one of the first twenty employees, running 44km every weekend, his cat tattooed across his entire back, and why he doesn't need any more friends thank you very much. This was one of the most fun episodes we've made. Matt is an absolute delight. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  6. Sep 8

    Rex Validakis-Betar | I'm Not Crazy, I'm Just Irish

    Rex Validakis-Betar grew up in a housing commission house in Tweed Heads. He was the first in his family to graduate high school, was told by his careers counsellor not to aim too high, went to UNSW anyway, then Belfast and Galway for a Masters in Human Rights Law, then Oxford for an MBA after getting rejected twice. He hated being a lawyer. He was convinced he was moving to Ireland forever. He had a 250-person farewell party, then he met the love of his life the next day. Rex is now the Executive Director of Commissioning and Strategy at Kismet. He has three boys, one beautiful wife and a healthy chip on his shoulder that he says will never leave him. A note before you press play: this episode covers some sensitive topics including addiction, domestic violence, food insecurity and incarceration. Please look after yourself and tune out if you need to. Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  7. Sep 1

    Kellie Puxty | Be Your Authentic Self

    Kellie Puxty went to uni with no plan beyond loving sport. She ended up on placement at Wheelchair Sports NSW, loved it so much she ditched A-grade tennis to drive an hour west to play wheelchair basketball once a week, then spent five years driving a station wagon full of wheelchairs around New South Wales getting kids and adults with disabilities into sport for the first time. From there: Paralympics Australia, where she built the national talent search program for the Games. Sydney 2000, where she volunteered as a press information specialist standing at the finish line interviewing athletes as they came off the track. Then a dairy farm in New Zealand, Maori culture, meeting her husband Kane, and eventually a frustrating afternoon as a support coordinator that turned into an idea. That idea was Ready Set Connect. Just Kellie and her friend Shelley to start. Thirty events in the first year. One hundred and thirty by the second. Now part of Kismet, running events all over Australia and home to the Kismet Awards for Health and Disability Services. There are also black cockatoos. You'll find out why towardsthe end. Find out more about the Kismet Awards for Health andDisability Services here: https://www.kismet.healthcare/awards Find out more about our Ready, Set, Connect events here:https://www.kismet.healthcare/community Find out more about Rainbow Roos here:https://www.rainbowroos.com.au Follow us! Instagram: @kismethealthy LinkedIn: @kismethealthcare YouTube: @Kismethealthcare Apple Podcasts Kismet   Contact us 📥 carina@kismet.healthcare

  8. Aug 25

    Jaylea | Roll With It

    Jaylea left school at 17 for a pharmacy job in Castlemaine, quit four years later to travel, came back and worked through banking and COVID relief, stumbled into NDIS with zero knowledge, and signed her Kismet contract on her five-year anniversary in the sector. She is now the Escalations Lead at Kismet, just bought her third property in Bendigo on her own, and has very strong feelings about never washing her own hair again. Warm, funny and completely Jaylea from start to finish. Plus a live Tim Riggins investigation that nobody saw coming.

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About

Welcome to The Kismet Podcast - honest conversations about careers, growth, and the unexpected paths that shape our lives. Hosted by Carina Waye, each episode shares real stories from the people behind Kismet; exploring career pivots, ambition, personal goals, and the moments of fate that quietly change everything. These conversations go beyond job titles, diving into the human side of work, values, and the lessons learned along the way. If you’re navigating your career, building something of your own, or curious about how great people think, grow, and take leaps, you’re in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Carina Waye
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    37
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Carina Waye
  • Show Website
    The Kismet Podcast