Seize the Yay

Mamamia

A lawyer turned funtrepreneur's investigation into how some of the world's most inspiring people find their "yay", whether it's through work, rest or play and any other pearls of wisdom they have along the way.

  1. Mitch Churi on getting sacked and the sweetness of solo success

    3D AGO

    Mitch Churi on getting sacked and the sweetness of solo success

    Today’s guest is another voice you are likely to have had in your ears many times with an incredible career spanning over a decade conquering basically every media format there is. From his earliest days, Mitch Churi could be found on the stage, on the airwaves or on a screen near you mastering everything from theatre, dramatic acting and stand up comedy to presenting, podcasting and radio. From childhood dreams of being on the radio, Mitch worked his way up to headlining his own late night show, co-hosting the Pick Up with Laura Byrne and Britt Hockley and taking KISS FM to some of their highest numbers ever and all before the age of 30. But then, in a surprise to the entire nation, it was torn away when he was unexpectedly axed in a wave of redundancies and taken off air. We love a pathyay pivot on this show whether engineered on purpose or experienced involuntarily and have many times explored the idea that the universe has crazy ways of giving you a little push to where you’re meant to be. Having taken just TWO WEEKS to turn this tragic surprise into his very own The Mitch Churi Chat Show, Mitch is such an empowering example of this and in just a few weeks he’s already reached wild heights debuting with Tyra Banks as a guest, Rosie O’Donnell releasing the morning we recorded and him politely excusing himself after our chat because one KHALED was waiting on him… What I love most about this wasn’t having a yap with someone I’ve long time followed, first time called or getting some tips from an industry heavyweight but Mitch’s surprising honesty about the challenge of redefining success and how actively he is still working on embracing this new chapter of his life. I loved this chat so much and will definitely be back with a part two in the future!Watch the Mitch Churi Chat show here.LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  2. Sarah Grynberg // A life of greatness

    OCT 15

    Sarah Grynberg // A life of greatness

    I spoke in last week’s introduction about the parasocial relationships we often have with the people we follow and today’s guest is another amazing human I’d been Internet besties with for a while before we met. When we did finally cross paths through a Business Chicks event - the foundation of so many great relationships - it was like the podcast universe of Sarahs folding in on itself and felt like we’d known each other for years.  Many of you will already recognise Sarah Grynberg’s unmistakably soothing voice and thought provoking questions from her own leading podcast, A Life of Greatness, sparking meaningful conversations around purpose, connection, and what truly makes a life well lived - you can see why we get along so well! But what you may not know is the rich tapestry of life experiences that led her here — from the world of commercial radio to spiritual seeking, personal transformation, and sitting down with some of the world’s most profound thinkers and leaders in their fields - from Deepak Chopra to Matthew McConaughey and beyond! Sarah has made it her mission to decode greatness — not the flashy, performative kind, but the deep, soul-nourishing greatness that comes from alignment, vulnerability, and courage and has also channeled her wisdom into a fabulous book, Living a Life of Greatness that came out just this year. In today’s episode, we turn the mic back on her and peel back the layers of what lights her up, what challenges she’s faced on her path, and how she navigates the inner world while showing up so fully in the outer one. I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  Follow Sarah here LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    55 min
  3. Monica Ferreira // Ms Moni's first ever podcast!!!

    OCT 1

    Monica Ferreira // Ms Moni's first ever podcast!!!

    In this day and age, we all enjoy a few parasocial relationships with people we follow but haven’t actually met and in fact most of our guests on the show feel that way before we record. But this week’s guest goes even further beyond that and into the realm of an honorary family member who’s with us in our lounge room, kitchen and sometimes even bedroom every single day… In the ultimate case of #IYKYK, anyone listening who’s at a similar stage of life to us won’t need any further context than her name to understand why it was so surreal to sit down with the incredible Ms Moni for our episode this week. But for those who don’t know, I am so excited to have educator, musician, mum of two and Australia’s answer to Ms Rachel jump right out of her booming YouTube channel to join the show. Ms Moni - otherwise known as Monica Ferreira - brings years of teaching experience to her interactive toddler learning videos on YouTube using interactive songs, stories and adventures to help our little ones develop language and social skills wherever they are. I was introduced to her after some of my own followers realised Teddy had been picking up American sign language before I realised sign language wasn’t universal, and we’ve never looked back.  But even if you too know her face and voice as well as we do, you may not know the amazing story of how she ended up where she is today. I won’t give it away too much more but I had no idea about her medical sliding doors moment, other businesses she has started, and was dying to know more for behind the scenes of how she edits her videos, writes her lyrics and which instrument she actually plays.  Wildly, this was her first podcast EVER (even though you wouldn’t know it at all from her eloquence and poise). She’s as delightful as you think she’d be from her videos and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  Follow Ms Moni here. Get tickets to our live show here. LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  4. Zara Seidler // On Bright Colours, Brand Building And Bringing Australia The News

    SEP 17

    Zara Seidler // On Bright Colours, Brand Building And Bringing Australia The News

    There would be very few Australians who haven’t encountered The Daily Aus at one point or another, consuming the latest headlines from around the world in unmistakably bright colours and a no-nonsense vernacular. Since 2017, TDA has been disrupting the media landscape by repackaging leading news stories in a digestible, engaging way for younger, traditionally news-avoidant audiences.  What you may not know, however, is that a) it all began between two complete strangers, b) was all designed and executed at that initial blind coffee catch up and c) with both of them working outside of journalism and the media at the time. After years of following both her work and her pathYAY behind the scenes, I’m thrilled to have one of those co-founders, Zara Seidler, with us today. You all know I love a pivot-filled pathYAY and Zara's is one for the ages going from early leanings towards education to climbing the ladder in government and politics before somewhat stumbling into this dream career. You’ll hear how she built a side hustle with a stranger into a media monster with a few fun side stories about managing risk, underestimation and failed rebrands and ALL still before the age of 30 years old.  We also touch on the loss of her father to suicide when she was just 16 years old, a defining moment both for Zara and her family including her brother Zac - a clinical psychologist, researcher and Global Director of Men's Health at Movember - who you have also heard on the show. She is extraordinary in many ways, eloquent beyond her years and a joy to chat with - I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Follow Zara hereFollow The Daily Aus here LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  5. Merrick Watts // A passionate polymath's pathway to Posca

    SEP 3

    Merrick Watts // A passionate polymath's pathway to Posca

    Sometimes our guests are incredibly talented experts in a specific field, while other times they are extreme polymaths with ventures spanning industries and themes. Sometimes our guests are renowned public figures with extensively covered careers and other times their achievements are quieter although never less impressive.  And then, you have Merrick Watts who is all of things at once with his insatiable sense of curiosity driving in a constantly evolving, multifaceted, stellar career. While most of Australia will know of him as a comedy giant across radio and TV (which he of course has been and still is since 1996), he is also a qualified wine judge with two professional qualifications, a weapon who won SAS Australia and recently ran the gruelling big 5 marathon in South Africa, AND founder of Posca Hydrate, an incredible hydration elixir inspired by Ancient romans.  It reveals something about Merrick’s thirst for learning (pun intended) that the idea was born during an Internet wormhole through COVID where his wine qualification research led him to ancient Roman methods to hydrate soldiers and emperors. While most would be satisfied there, Merrick went right on to experiment in his kitchen refining the ancient recipe into a sugar-free, sparkling, electrolyte-rich beverage with the added benefits of red wine vinegar for gut health and hydration. You can see why his is a brain that was SO MUCH fun to pick, but also a joy to learn from as someone in the media myself speaking to somewhat of an idol. He is at once infinitely knowledgeable and a loose cannon all at once - I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.  Follow Merrick hereFind out more about Posca Hydrate here. LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  6. Seize the Bébé // Michelle Battersby on selling her company and starting her dream job at 30 weeks pregnant

    AUG 27

    Seize the Bébé // Michelle Battersby on selling her company and starting her dream job at 30 weeks pregnant

    I’ve had a string of special recordings lately with guests I’ve been lucky to know through multiple chapters of their pathYAYS and today’s is absolutely one of those. But this is even more momentous not only because Seize the Yay was our guest’s first ever podcast back in 2019, but because her return comes literally days after some HUGE announcements and this chat was the first time she could speak about it. Michelle Battersby is one of the smartest women I know and some of you may remember that when we last spoke she was aggressively growing Bumble in the Australian market. A year after that, she co-founded the trailblazing creator-led platform, Sunroom, allowing women and non-binary individuals to monetise their content. Just last week, after scaling that business to over 20,000 creators, she was finally able to announce that she has sold Sunroom to Fanfix, the category leader in creator monetisation. And just days ago, she shared that she will be stepping into the role of President of Peanut, the gamechanging social networking app for pregnancy and motherhood.  …which is so perfectly aligned because, yes, another development since our last episode was the birth of her first son Alfie… followed 8 months later with the somewhat surprising news that her second is also on the way! So, at the time of this recording Michelle had just exited her business, accepted her dream job and all while 30 weeks pregnant so what an INCREDIBLE time to catch up with her and get her real time thoughts.  She has always been one of my favourite people to bump heads with but ESPECIALLY since becoming parents - I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    50 min
  7. Bec Judd and Jessie Roberts // Transparency, transformations and tales from Vain-ish!!!

    AUG 20

    Bec Judd and Jessie Roberts // Transparency, transformations and tales from Vain-ish!!!

    I’m not sure I even have words to describe our episode this week and you’ll understand why within the first few minutes - even the journey to our first question is a wild ride. It’s iconic, chaotic, eye-opening, thought-provoking, totally unfiltered and above all, one of the most enjoyable yaps I’ve had in a long time. I am thrilled to have had the delightful duo, Bec Judd and Jessie Roberts, in the studio to celebrate the launch of their own trailblazing and already chart-topping podcast, Vain-ish. As two of the most flawless faces in the nation, it’s no surprise they’re both constantly bombarded with questions about their beauty secrets (mostly from me) and they are finally lifting the veil to get brutally honest about the tricks, treatments and tales behind the scenes. Of course, being one of the rare species who hasn’t yet broken the seal on cosmetic injectables and the like, I’ll remind you all that nobody needs any of the things discussed here or on Vain-ish and there is such beauty to naturally ageing. BUT at the same time, we are entering the “let them” era and if you’re going to get something done anyway (or are like me and are on the curious cusp of experimenting), it’s been fascinating and empowering to hear them chat with experts and leaders in each field on everything you might need to know. I personally also find it so refreshing and reassuring to hear others being completely upfront about how, as Bec and Jessie say, they didn’t wake up like this so that you’re never comparing yourself to anybody without the full, honest picture. I’ve binged every episode furiously taking notes and had so many follow up questions that you’ll all benefit from today. Of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of Seize the Yay if we didn’t also touch on their lesser known pathyays leading up to this point and the side of Bec and Jessie that you might not know so well. While I feel absolutely comfortable calling Bec a national treasure - I mean, the red dress has a cultural identity of its own in Australian history - I have always said and am excited to share what a truly down to earth, barefoot Perth girl she is in person and Jessie is exactly the same.  To me, both Vainish and this chat feel like being a fly on the wall during an unhinged chat between besties somehow going from K-drama to salmon sperm injections to having 12 million children between them. I loved every minute and hope you all do too! LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 1m
  8. Seize the Bébé // Steph Miller on second bubs, sense of self and staying at Homb

    AUG 13

    Seize the Bébé // Steph Miller on second bubs, sense of self and staying at Homb

    You have all definitely heard of the incredible Steph Claire Smith or Steph Miller and, if you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll have heard her on this show not once... nor twice... but THREE times with this episode. I’ve always said having a podcast is such a beautiful way to capture who a person is at a point in time and then, if we do remain in each other’s lives, to look back on past chapters together and that’s definitely the case with us. We first recorded back in December 2018 when Steph had JUST got engaged then caught up four years later in October 2022 when she had just had Harvey. So, it feels like a very special and logical progression to have her on the show now that I’ve joined her in motherhood and she’s just made the big jump from 1 to 2 with Billie arriving just a few months ago. Even more special was the fact that we recorded during her stay at Homb Postpartum, a sanctuary for postpartum parents and bubs that was transformative for me almost a year ago now. Having been in each others DMs A LOT since Teddy was born sharing lots of highs, lows and mess of motherhood, this chat is one that could have gone for hours and that I’m so excited to share. You’ll already know Steph is the co-founder of KIC and the app has been such a godsend for me trying to move my body postpartum from wherever I am. She’s very kindly given us a code too which you'll see below. We didn’t really have a theme or agenda, it just felt like a lovely chat between mates in the trenches and I hope you guys enjoy as much as I did. Use the code SEIZETHEYAY for one month free when you sign up to Kic on a monthly subscription at www.kicapp.com! Available for new and returning users only. Expires November 30th, 2025. LINKS Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah Join our Facebook community here Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    1h 10m
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Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

A lawyer turned funtrepreneur's investigation into how some of the world's most inspiring people find their "yay", whether it's through work, rest or play and any other pearls of wisdom they have along the way.

Information

  • Channel
    Mamamia
  • Creator
    Sarah Davidson
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    320
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 672172
  • Show Website
    Seize the Yay
  • Provider
    MAMAMIA.COM.AU PTY LTD

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