Today we are joined by Tracey Johnson, a CEO whose career weaves together banking, market research, education, and business development into a powerful force for change in healthcare. Tracey’s story is one of convergence. Her early career built a foundation across multiple industries, but it was in the commercialization of medical devices and healthcare solutions that everything clicked. From there, she went on to help shape healthcare at a systems level, founding the Office of Health and Medical Research within Queensland Health, in Australia, and driving global investment into Australia’s healthcare sector. But what makes Tracey’s perspective so compelling is her commitment to real-world impact. Today, as CEO of Inala Primary Care, she and her team work in a disadvantaged community, building and scaling innovative models of care for those who need it most. She is also a Churchill Fellow, and studied healthcare systems around the world, bringing back insights that fuel her advocacy for social prescribing, healthcare neighbourhoods, and smarter use of data to improve outcomes. Key moments in the podcast: 00:00 Forks as Experiments 01:10 Meet Tracey Johnson 02:45 Growing Up in Wide Bay 03:48 Leaving the Small Town 06:14 How Tracey Slows Down 09:07 Spiritual Center and Meaning 11:09 Family Friends Accountability 11:46 Dream Art Gallery Trip 13:08 St Louis Museum as Refuge 16:36 Early Career Influences 18:40 Banking Exit and Purpose 22:37 Forks Values and Reinvention 25:05 Risk Over Comfort: Campers And Climbers 27:51 Choosing Inala Primary Care 31:28 Looking Beyond Your Bubble 33:57 Fill The Box 35:37 Mentors Who Open Doors 38:51 Research Mindset In Practice 42:50 Three Forks Wisdom 46:11 Closing Thanks And Next Episode Here is what stays with us from this conversation: Life is an Experiment: View Every Fork in the Road as a Laboratory for Growth * Embrace Uncertainty: Treat new opportunities not as permanent traps, but as experiments where even “failure” results in valuable data and learning. * Maintain Agency: See yourself as an active agent capable of shaping your own future rather than letting the future shape you. * The Power of “What If”: Stay true to your values and inner drive to explore paths that others may not understand. Build the Box to Fill It: Shifting Focus from Structure to Substance * The Two Halves of Life: Recognize that the first half of a career is often about building the “box”, attaining the house, the title, and the security. * Interior Meaning: In the second half of life, the challenge shifts from protecting the “fabric of the box” to deciding what meaningful contributions go inside it. * Character over Cachet: Prioritize the development of character and the pursuit of “big themes” like dignity and community change over fame or high salaries. Climb, Don’t Just Camp: The Necessity of Continuous Evolution * Avoid Atrophy: Humans, like plants, must keep growing; staying in a “campsite” for too long can lead to stagnation and a slow internal death. * Recover and Ascend: Use “camping” (slowing down) only as a temporary measure to recover and appreciate the view before beginning the next climb. * Neurodiversity as an Asset: Understand your own brain’s need for variety; for some, a “pacey” existence with high changeability is the key to staying energized. Look Outside the Self: Finding Safety and Solutions in the Broader World * External Focus: By studying global trends and geopolitical issues, you can find solutions that haven’t reached your local “universe” yet. * The Salve of Art and History: Engaging with art and human history can provide a sense of safety and “wash over the soul” during times of high-stress or trauma. * Radical Self-Awareness: Balance high-stakes public leadership with quiet, grounding practices like reflective reading, gardening, or exercise to reconnect the head to the body. Value-Driven Bravery: Let Your Principles Outweigh Your Projections * Exit Toxic Environments: Have the courage to leave prestigious roles if they are gendered, hierarchical, or do not fit your core values. * Trust Your Skill Stack: Recognize that skills from disparate sectors, like finance, theology, and teaching, can converge to make you the “perfect” candidate for a complex leadership role. * Listen to the “Push”: Sometimes the most pivotal forks in the road come from others who see a capacity in you that you haven’t yet recognized in yourself. Connect with Tracey Johnson Listen to this podcast on Spotify or Apple or subscribe to it on Substack. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road. This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will Find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X. Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior. Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music. Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications. Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flyntrok.substack.com
