Cut Through

Cut Through

Cut Through is a podcast for people who are tired of noise, outrage, and shallow thinking — and want clarity instead. Hosted by Christian Co, the show features honest, long-form conversations with thinkers, leaders, and everyday people who have lived through failure, doubt, faith, ambition, loss, and rebuilding. Together, they explore the ideas that shape a meaningful life — identity, purpose, power, truth, culture, work, and belief. While especially relevant for young men navigating adulthood in a fragmented culture, these conversations are for anyone who wants to cut through the noise and

  1. 25. Boom. Bust. Built Again.

    8h ago

    25. Boom. Bust. Built Again.

    What do you listen to more: your fear, or your purpose? In this episode, Christian sits down with entrepreneur and business leader Warwick Schmitz for a conversation that cuts through hustle culture, self-help clichés, and the illusion that success solves the deeper questions of life. Warwick isn’t speaking from theory. He’s built and lost businesses multiple times. He started his first company at 20, went bankrupt more than once, rebuilt from rock bottom, worked labouring jobs to support his family, and eventually built businesses operating across Australia — to the point where buying an aircraft became a practical business decision, not a luxury.   But the most interesting part of his story isn’t the success. It’s what happened when success disappeared. After losing everything financially, facing bankruptcy, and then watching his wife battle cancer with two young boys at home, Warwick was forced to confront a question most young men spend years avoiding: What actually holds you together when your own strength isn’t enough anymore? This conversation explores: Why failure may be a better teacher than success.The hidden cost of comfort and safety.Why modern men are drowning in noise but starving for meaning.The difference between information, wisdom, and purpose.How resilience is less a personality trait and more a decision.Why faith became less of an idea and more of a necessity for Warwick.How prayer, peace, and purpose changed the way he approaches business, family, and risk.Whether you’re building a business, questioning your direction, wrestling with anxiety about the future, or simply wondering if there’s more to life than achievement and consumption, this episode offers something increasingly rare: An honest conversation about ambition, suffering, meaning, and faith from someone who’s lived through all four. Warwick’s credibility doesn’t come from credentials or theory. He left school early, never attended university, built national businesses, led major projects inside large organisations, survived multiple bankruptcies, rebuilt repeatedly, and now leads companies across multiple states. His perspective was earned the hard way — through responsibility, failure, rebuilding, and decades of experience carrying the weight of employees, family, and business decisions.   The challenge he leaves listeners with is simple: Cut through the noise. Work out what actually matters. Build your life around that.

    1 hr
  2. 24. I Had It All By 25. But…

    Jun 19

    24. I Had It All By 25. But…

    Most people chase success believing it will finally make them happy. But what happens when you actually get there? Loren Justins is the founder and CEO of Netconn Technology — a business he started in his early 20s and has built over more than 25 years. After dropping out of university, Loren went on to build a successful technology company, work with major organisations, mentor young leaders, write for Golf Digest, travel to over 60 countries, and become an early supporter and associate producer of the global series The Chosen. By his mid-20s, Loren had achieved many of the things young men spend their lives chasing — money, cars, success and freedom. But he discovered success doesn’t answer life’s biggest questions. In this episode of Cut Through, Loren shares: • Why achieving your goals won’t automatically make you happy• The hidden pressure and guilt that can come with success• Why money, cars and status don’t create lasting fulfilment• The real cost of building a business young• Why trust matters more than talent in business and relationships• How to find mentors and surround yourself with the right people• Why losing opportunities can become your biggest turning points• What young people need to understand about AI, careers and the future of work• Why some incredibly successful people still feel empty• How to discover what actually matters before it’s too late• How losing his mum and facing his own health battles challenged his faith• Why following Jesus has given him hope, purpose and peace This isn’t just a conversation about building a successful business. It’s about building a life worth living. Watch the full conversation on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/ZGFXklGQLtk

    1h 7m
  3. 23. Leaving My Gang Almost Got Me Killed

    Jun 12

    23. Leaving My Gang Almost Got Me Killed

    Josh Gonzalez grew up in a good home. He wasn’t supposed to end up in gangs. But as a teenager in South-East Sydney, Josh was pulled into the streets, surrounded by violence, drugs and a culture built around respect, loyalty and reputation. What started as hanging around older guys became something much deeper. A search for brotherhood, identity and a place to belong. Before becoming a pastor, Josh was involved in gang life, selling drugs, battling addiction and chasing success through rap music. His music was gaining attention, with a potential record deal and overseas tour opportunities opening up. On the outside, it looked like he was getting closer to everything he wanted. On the inside, everything was falling apart. His marriage was breaking down, his addiction was taking over, his past was catching up with him, and after a violent confrontation with his former gang, Josh reached the lowest point of his life. But that moment changed everything. In this episode of Cut Through, Josh shares the real story behind gangs, street culture and why so many young men are searching for meaning in the wrong places. We talk about: • Why young men chase respect and status• What gangs provide that society often fails to give• The power of your environment and the people around you• How success can leave you feeling empty• Drugs, addiction and trying to escape yourself• Why Josh believes Jesus gave him what nothing else could This isn’t just a story about leaving a gang. It’s a conversation about the question every young man eventually has to answer: What are you building your life on? Watch the full interview:https://youtu.be/TYQLpZzxJH0

    1h 8m
  4. 22 . I Got My Dream Life… It Wasn’t Enough

    Jun 5

    22 . I Got My Dream Life… It Wasn’t Enough

    Spotify Description: Josh Newbegin had what many young men dream of. Travelling the world. Snowboarding in Whistler. Chasing adventure. Living with freedom. But after finally getting the life he thought would make him happy, he discovered something confronting: It was fun… but it wasn’t fulfilling.   In this episode of Cut Through, Christian sits down with Josh Newbegin — men’s coach, speaker, founder of Kaizen Coaching Solutions, and host of the Unchained podcast — who now works with men, leaders, schools, organisations and groups to help people build healthier mindsets, stronger identity, and a deeper sense of purpose.   Josh shares his journey from chasing pleasure and success, to burnout, emptiness and finally discovering what was missing underneath it all. After years of trying to prove he was “enough” through achievement and helping others, Josh reached a breaking point that forced him to rebuild his understanding of identity, masculinity, faith and purpose.   We explore why so many young men today feel lost despite having more comfort and opportunity than ever, why pleasure alone can’t satisfy, the crisis of modern masculinity, and why finding meaning matters more than chasing the next dopamine hit.   Josh also opens up about his return to faith — not as a set of rules that restricted his life, but as a framework that helped him understand who he was created to be.   If you’ve ever wondered, “Is this all there is?” — more money, more experiences, more success, more fun — this conversation is for you. In this episode: Why achieving your dream life can still leave you emptyThe difference between happiness and true fulfilmentWhy young men are struggling with purposeWhat healthy masculinity actually looks likeHow to stop proving yourself and start living from identityWhy asking for help is strength, not weaknessHow faith, mindset and habits can transform your life

    59 min
  5. 21. Will AI Kill The University?

    May 28

    21. Will AI Kill The University?

    What happens when AI can write essays, replace jobs, and teach you almost anything online for free? Is university still worth it — or are young people being sold an outdated system? In this episode of Cut Through, we sit down with Malcolm Coulson, Vice Chancellor of Avondale University, educator, leadership expert, and long-time researcher in human development and learning, to unpack one of the biggest questions facing this generation. Malcolm has spent decades working in education, leadership and student development, and now leads one of Australia’s faith-based universities. Throughout the conversation, he brings both institutional insight and personal honesty — talking not just about degrees and careers, but about identity, purpose, service, relationships, mental health, and what actually makes a meaningful life.   We explore:• whether university is becoming obsolete• the jobs AI will and won’t replace• why human connection still matters more than ever• how universities are responding to AI and academic integrity• why many young men feel disconnected and directionless• how social media and influencer culture are shaping identity• the difference between information and transformation• why success without meaning can still leave people empty• faith, science, purpose and the search for truth Malcolm argues that the future won’t belong to people who simply collect information — but to people who can think deeply, communicate well, serve others, and build meaningful human relationships. He explains why education is ultimately about becoming someone, not just getting qualifications.   This isn’t just a conversation about university. It’s a conversation about what it means to build a life that actually matters in the age of AI. Full video Interview also available on Youtube: https://youtu.be/O-fsZwXjtWU

    1h 6m
  6. 20. Is Your Life Just A Performance?

    May 22

    20. Is Your Life Just A Performance?

    Most young men today aren’t lazy. They’re overstimulated, distracted, and starving for meaning. In this conversation, Dan Purdy breaks down why so many guys feel lost — even while chasing success, money, validation, and “self-improvement.” Drawing from decades leading teams inside Fortune 500 companies, mentoring young men, building businesses, and walking through personal pain, Dan shares a brutally honest framework for rebuilding your life from the inside out.   This isn’t surface-level motivation. Dan talks openly about heartbreak, identity, loneliness, faith, ambition, journaling through crisis, moving across America to rebuild his life, and the dangerous trap of performing for approval instead of living with purpose.   You’ll hear: Why social media validation is quietly destroying young men’s sense of identityHow broken homes, absent role models, and constant comparison leave people directionlessWhy success alone never satisfies — even after career wins, money, and achievementThe habits, friendships, and mindsets that either build your future or slowly sabotage itHow to actually discover purpose instead of waiting to “feel inspired”Why resilience, discipline, community, and faith matter more than motivationThe story behind Dan’s FIRES framework: Financial, Internal, Relational, External, and Spiritual growthPowerful personal stories about suffering, family, prayer, and holding onto hope in impossible situations  Dan isn’t speaking as an influencer trying to sell a fantasy. He’s lived through corporate success, personal failure, reinvention, leadership, fatherhood, and deep adversity. He’s worked across six Fortune 500 companies, built multiple businesses, mentored executives and young men, and spent years studying how belief systems shape identity and purpose.   If you’ve ever felt successful on paper but empty underneath… if you’re tired of drifting, doom scrolling, numbing yourself, or pretending to have it together — this conversation will hit hard. Because the real question isn’t “How do I win?” It’s: “Who am I becoming while I chase it?”

    1h 7m
  7. 19. Pleasure is Destroying Your Purpose

    May 15

    19. Pleasure is Destroying Your Purpose

    Why are so many young men feeling lost, isolated, overstimulated, and disconnected from purpose? In this powerful conversation, Dr. Eric Walsh joins Cut Through to unpack the crisis facing modern men — from pornography addiction and social media overstimulation to loneliness, masculinity, discipline, identity, and faith. Dr. Walsh isn’t speaking from theory alone. He’s a physician, public health expert, pastor, international speaker, and former health official who has worked with governments, advised around US presidential administrations, spoken to hundreds of thousands globally, and treated patients battling addiction, anxiety, depression, broken relationships, and loss. His perspective combines science, psychology, culture, and spirituality in a way few voices can. This episode dives into:• Why pleasure is replacing purpose• The collapse of mentorship and meaningful masculinity• How pornography rewires the male brain• Social media, dopamine, and emotional immaturity• Why so many young men feel unnecessary• Loneliness, isolation, and fear of relationships• The spiritual hunger beneath modern anxiety• Faith, science, atheism, and the search for meaning• How suffering, discipline, and service build character• Practical ways to rebuild purpose and direction Dr. Walsh also opens up about personal loss, public controversy, career collapse, family tragedy, and the spiritual convictions that carried him through dark seasons. This isn’t surface-level motivation or recycled self-help advice. It’s a conversation for young men trying to make sense of modern life — especially those who are secular, skeptical, searching, spiritually curious, or quietly asking deeper questions about meaning, identity, and purpose. Some of the most powerful lines from the episode: “Once you move purpose out of a life, it is often replaced with a seeking of pleasure.” “Pornography is as addicting as any chemical substance.” “People want to be around you when you have direction and purpose.” “If Christ is in the vessel, you can smile at the storm.” Whether you agree with everything said or not, this episode will make you think differently about what it means to become a man in a culture designed to keep you distracted.

    1h 7m
  8. 18 . The Mindset AI Can't Beat

    May 8

    18 . The Mindset AI Can't Beat

    What happens to young men when AI starts replacing jobs, universities lose value, and the future feels increasingly unstable? In this episode of Cut Through, we sit down with Justin Stafford — tech entrepreneur, engineer, founder and CEO of BlueShift, a software company building enterprise systems used by major Australian and global brands. Justin has spent more than two decades working at the forefront of technology, building teams, scaling products, hiring engineers, and navigating the rapid rise of AI and automation. But what makes this conversation different is that Justin isn’t just another Silicon Valley-style futurist. He’s deeply technical, highly analytical, building autonomous systems and experimenting with emerging technology in the real world — while also being a husband, father, disciplined builder, and person of faith. We talk about: whether AI is genuinely reshaping humanitythe jobs and careers most at riskwhy universities are losing relevancethe widening gap between adaptable people and those falling behindside projects, discipline and building leverageentrepreneurship, resilience and failurehumanoid robots and the future of workwhy Justin believes we may be living in a simulationhow a highly technical founder still rationally believes in Godand where young men can find meaning and purpose in an increasingly artificial worldThis isn’t a hype-driven AI conversation. It’s a grounded discussion about how to remain valuable, disciplined and fully human in a world changing faster than most people are prepared for. If you’re a young man trying to figure out: what future to buildwhat skills still matterhow to avoid drifting through lifewhether faith still makes senseand how to not get left behind…this episode is for you.

    49 min
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About

Cut Through is a podcast for people who are tired of noise, outrage, and shallow thinking — and want clarity instead. Hosted by Christian Co, the show features honest, long-form conversations with thinkers, leaders, and everyday people who have lived through failure, doubt, faith, ambition, loss, and rebuilding. Together, they explore the ideas that shape a meaningful life — identity, purpose, power, truth, culture, work, and belief. While especially relevant for young men navigating adulthood in a fragmented culture, these conversations are for anyone who wants to cut through the noise and

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  • Creator
    Cut Through
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cut Through
  • Show Website
    Cut Through