The Charles Kovess Show

Charles Kovess

5.0 (1)
Self-Improvement
Updated Semiweekly

A show about self-awareness and passion.

6d ago · 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
Jun 27 · Video

Ep #255: The Future of News Belongs to the People - with Sam Anthony

Charles sits down with Sam Anthony, founder of YourNews.com, a citizen-powered news platform built to fill the void left by the collapse of legacy media. Sam shares his journey from the trading floors of Chicago to downtown Florida, and why he believes the future of news will be written by ordinary people, not media institutions. What they cover: The conversation ranges across the state of mainstream media, the rise of creator-based platforms, the power of hyperlocal news, and what it really takes to build something from scratch as an entrepreneur. Sam explains why legacy media is not just declining but structurally unable to survive the shift to creator platforms - and why that is actually good news for the rest of us. Just as YouTube disrupted television, YourNews.com is building a model where anyone can become a local news reporter, without a journalism degree, a media job, or anyone's permission. They also dig into equity crowdfunding as a way of keeping media ownership in the hands of ordinary people rather than the institutions that currently control the narrative, and what that means for the long-term independence of the platform. Charles draws a fascinating parallel to life 500 years ago, when people only knew what was happening in their own village - and raises the question of whether being less plugged in to global media might actually reduce unnecessary anxiety. The conversation wraps with a candid discussion about entrepreneurial risk, self-belief, and why failure simply does not feature in Sam's thinking. Key takeaways: Legacy media is not going to survive. The advertising dollars follow the eyeballs, and the eyeballs are on creator platforms.YourNews.com currently has over 6,000 citizen journalists across the US, with 1.7 million visitors in a single month.The platform allows hyper-local advertising down to a single postcode, making it far more valuable to local businesses than national media.Anyone can become a citizen journalist on YourNews.com at no cost - click "Become a Citizen Journalist" at the bottom of the site.To access the platform from outside the US, you will need a VPN set to a US location. Charles recommends ExpressVPN.Sam is currently raising capital through an equity crowdfund on Highlander.ai - search "the future of news belongs to the people" on the Startups page.Connect with Sam Anthony: YourNews.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
Jun 20 · Video

Ep #254: Practical Strategies to Hold Politicians to Account

In this week’s episode I tackle a subject that affects every one of us: how we hold politicians accountable for their behaviour both while they are in office and after they leave public life. Looking at current events in Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom, I question why so many politicians appear to escape scrutiny despite decisions and actions that have profound consequences for the lives of ordinary citizens. I explore the difference between incompetence and corruption, the importance of identifying and documenting bad behaviour, and why I believe citizens must take greater responsibility for shining a light on politicians who abuse power or accumulate unexplained wealth. I share practical strategies that individuals can use to publicly record, expose and challenge conduct that undermines trust in government, while encouraging conviction politicians who genuinely seek to serve their communities. I also discuss the growing influence of bureaucracy, the challenges facing democratic systems, and why values, integrity and personal responsibility matter more than ever. Ultimately, I argue that better politicians lead to better lives for all of us, and that it is up to citizens, not just the media or official watchdogs, to demand higher standards of behaviour and accountability. As always, I finish with a couple of practical health recommendations that have benefited me personally, including liquid oxygen supplementation and the simple practice of humming to support wellbeing and energy levels. My hope is that this episode inspires you to become more engaged, more aware and more passionate about protecting the freedoms and values that matter most. 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

261
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2026 The Charles Kovess Show
Show Website

The Charles Kovess Show