The Power of Perspective: Adversity, Resilience & Success with Kate Naess

In this episode of Owners Outlook, Shaun Lord sits down with Chezzi Denyer for a deeply personal conversation about success, fulfilment, grief, courage and what happens when the life you worked so hard to build no longer feels completely aligned with who you are. Chezzi spent years building a successful career in television, working across major newsrooms and networks and achieving many of the goals she had dreamed about since childhood. But despite the success, there was still something missing. Following the devastating loss of a close friend, Chezzi began asking much bigger questions about life, purpose and what really matters. That period ultimately led her down an unexpected path into mediumship, reconnecting with experiences from her childhood, and eventually finding the courage to share a part of herself she had kept hidden for years. Her journey became the foundation of her book, The Weird Little Girl Who Talked to Ghosts — a book she feared could completely change how people saw her, but which went on to sell out its first print run within weeks. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: Success, Achievement & Fulfilment Chezzi reflects on achieving the career she had always wanted while still feeling that something was missing. Why traditional ideas of success don’t necessarily lead to happiness. How her definition of success has changed from achievement and financial security to freedom and authenticity. Grief, Purpose & A New Direction How losing one of her closest friends forced Chezzi to question the meaning and purpose of life. The experiences that led her to begin studying mediumship. Why some of the most difficult moments in our lives can completely change the direction we take. Choosing the Harder Path Why Chezzi believes there are moments when we have to choose between the comfortable path and the unknown one. The fear she felt stepping away from what was familiar and publicly sharing a side of herself people had never seen. Why courage doesn’t necessarily mean removing fear — sometimes it means moving forward despite it. Reconnecting With Yourself Chezzi shares how slowing down, meditation and checking in with herself helped her become more present. Why listening to your inner voice can become difficult when life is constantly moving. Practical ways she uses mindfulness, journaling and meditation to quiet a busy mind. Perspective, Forgiveness & Growth Chezzi opens up about confronting difficult memories from childhood and learning to look at those experiences from different perspectives. How empathy helped her move from anger toward understanding and forgiveness. Why reconnecting with parts of herself she had pushed away became one of the most freeing parts of her journey. Redefining Success Chezzi reveals the biggest lie she believes she was sold about success: that achieving it would automatically make her happy. Why happiness now comes from watching the people she loves enjoy their lives. And why, when asked what owning her own success means today, her answer is simple: freedom. This conversation is about much more than career or achievement. It’s about having the courage to question the path you’re on, listening to what feels true to you, and recognising that success can mean something completely different at different stages of life. Maybe owning your own success isn’t about constantly achieving more. Maybe it’s about having the freedom to become more of who you actually are.

In this episode of Owners Outlook, Shaun Lord sits down with interior designer and former The Block contestant Carlene Duffy to explore a journey shaped by creativity, opportunity, pressure and learning what success really means on your own terms. Carlene’s path has been anything but conventional. From meeting her husband Michael while performing at Universal Studios in Japan, to raising a young family, renovating homes and eventually landing a place on The Block, each chapter has opened the door to something new. But behind the opportunities came pressure. Carlene reflects on what it was really like navigating the intensity of The Block, suddenly becoming public-facing, working in media and learning that not every opportunity needs to be accepted. She also shares how those experiences shaped the way she now thinks about balance, creativity, business and protecting her time. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: Taking the Leap How a last-minute audition for The Block became a major turning point in Carlene and Michael’s lives, and why sometimes taking the opportunity before you feel completely ready can change everything. Pressure, Resilience & Perspective Carlene opens up about the intense pressure of renovating on television, being away from her children and making constant decisions under scrutiny — and why that experience left her with the mindset of, “If we could do that, we can do anything.” Learning When to Say No After The Block, Carlene and Michael were quickly thrown into television appearances, campaigns and brand opportunities. Carlene shares what she learned about being more intentional with opportunities and understanding that publicity isn’t always worth saying yes to. Turning Creativity Into a Career Carlene discusses the transition from being obsessed with interiors to building Carlene Duffy Studio, managing a growing team and balancing the creative side of the business with marketing, accounting, operations and everything that comes with running your own company. Protecting Your Time & Finding Balance From creating her own “Friday Flex Day” to becoming more protective of weekends, Carlene shares how she is still learning to create structure around her work without losing the freedom and creativity she values. Backing Your Own Perspective Carlene shares one of the biggest mindset lessons from her creative career — learning to block out the noise, trust your own perspective and stop comparing your journey to everyone else’s. What Does It Mean to Own Your Own Success? For Carlene, success isn’t simply financial. It’s loving what she does, having flexibility for her family, being able to take holidays, maintaining independence and building a lifestyle that works for her. This is a conversation about creativity, resilience, ambition and perspective — and a reminder that sometimes success isn’t about doing more, but becoming clearer on what actually matters to you. Tune in to hear Carlene’s story and her perspective on building a career, business and life that feels genuinely her own.

In this episode of Owners Outlook, Shaun Lord sits down with professional cricketer Jason Behrendorff for an honest conversation about resilience, perspective, family, discipline and what it really takes to keep moving forward when your plans don’t go the way you expected. From growing up in Canberra with a love of sport to earning a professional cricket contract in Western Australia and eventually representing Australia on the world stage, Jason’s journey has been filled with incredible highs — but also years of injuries, setbacks and moments where his career could have gone in a completely different direction. Jason opens up about the stress fractures that repeatedly interrupted his career, the decision to undergo back surgery in 2019, and the mindset that helped him continually rebuild and return to the game he loves. But this conversation goes well beyond cricket. Jason reflects on how becoming a husband and father changed his definition of success, why understanding your “why” matters, and how creating an identity outside your career can help you navigate both success and failure with greater perspective. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: The Journey to Professional Cricket Jason shares what it was like growing up playing almost every sport he could, before cricket eventually became the clear path forward. He reflects on moving from Canberra to Western Australia at just 19 years old, leaving his family behind and suddenly training alongside players who had competed at the highest level. Resilience Through Injury A major theme throughout Jason’s career has been resilience. He discusses dealing with repeated stress fractures throughout his foot, legs and back, and how years of rehabilitation forced him to develop a strong mental approach to adversity. Jason also shares why sometimes you need to allow yourself to have difficult days before refocusing on the next step forward. Understanding Your Why Jason explains how his motivation has evolved throughout his life. Early in his career, success meant playing cricket for Australia and achieving the goals he had dreamed about as a kid. Today, his motivation is increasingly centred around his family, creating opportunities for his children and building freedom and flexibility into his life. Balance, Identity & Perspective One of Jason’s biggest lessons has been learning that cricket doesn’t need to define everything. Through university study, business courses, outside interests and eventually becoming a father, Jason developed an identity away from professional sport. That perspective has helped him handle difficult performances, injuries and setbacks without allowing them to consume every part of his life. Consistency, Habits & High Performance Jason shares the habits that helped him pursue professional sport, including consistency, routines, goal setting, visualisation and understanding what success actually looks like for you personally. Rather than copying somebody else’s routine, Jason believes in building a framework that allows you to consistently become the best version of yourself. What Does It Mean to Own Your Success? For Jason, owning success starts with understanding yourself and knowing why you’re pursuing something. And as life changes, so can your definition of success. Today, success is increasingly about having the freedom to choose where he spends his time, being present for his family and continuing to challenge himself to grow. It’s a conversation about much more than cricket. It’s about understanding what drives you, finding perspective when things don’t go your way, and continuing to show up through the difficult chapters. Chapters: Tune in for an honest conversation about resilience, perspective, family and the mindset required to keep moving forward — even when the journey looks completely different to the one you originally imagined.

In this episode of Owners Outlook, Shaun sits down with artist and entrepreneur Britney Turner to explore what happens when creativity becomes more than a passion — and you decide to build a life around it. Britney shares her journey from studying criminology and working in the corporate world to eventually taking the leap into becoming a full-time artist. But behind the freedom of pursuing her passion came pressure, burnout, self-doubt and the challenge of separating her own definition of success from the expectations of others. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: Taking the Leap How Britney knew there was something missing from the security of corporate life, and why leaving wasn’t an impulsive decision but a carefully considered risk. Creativity & Finding Your Flow Why solitude, nature, movement and removing outside noise have become such an important part of Britney’s creative process — and why some ideas are better left to develop rather than acted on immediately. Pressure, Burnout & Self-Belief Britney opens up about the pressure that came as her artwork gained recognition, including a six-month period where she struggled to create at all. She shares how learning to let go of metrics and external validation helped her rediscover why she started painting in the first place. Why Rest Can Be Productive After years of hustle, Britney realised that constantly pushing harder wasn’t going to take her into the next chapter. She discusses creating space for health, rest and life outside of work — and why balance now helps her produce her best work. Turning Creativity Into a Business From learning marketing and Meta ads to pricing artwork and creating accessible options through originals, prints and wearable art, Britney shares the business lessons she’s learned along the way. Owning Your Own Success Britney challenges the idea that success is measured by followers, money, recognition or constant growth. Instead, she believes owning your success means defining it for yourself, having the courage to change direction, protecting your peace and remembering to enjoy the journey while you’re still building. It’s a thoughtful conversation about ambition, creativity, pressure and perspective — and a reminder that sometimes success isn’t about doing more. It’s about knowing what actually matters to you. Maybe the question worth sitting with after this episode is: Are you building a version of success you genuinely want — or one you think you’re supposed to want?

In this episode of Owners Outlook, Shaun sits down with Glenn for a wide-ranging conversation about resilience, discipline, mental health, opportunity and what it really means to make the most of the life you’ve been given. Glenn’s journey has taken him through Air Force cadets, an electrical apprenticeship, policing, professional triathlon, Ironman racing, motorsport, aviation, television and decades of charity work. But behind the achievements is a much more personal story of setbacks, rebuilding and learning how to keep moving forward when life doesn’t go to plan. Here’s what you can expect from this episode: Being the Best With What You Have Glenn shares the philosophy that has followed him throughout his life — success isn’t always about being the best in the world, but about getting the absolute best out of yourself with what you have. Discipline, Hard Work and Opportunity From elite sport to business and policing, Glenn explains why some of his biggest opportunities came simply from showing up, working hard and being willing to ask the question — even when the answer might be no. Mental Health and Rebuilding From Rock Bottom Glenn openly reflects on PTSD, divorce, drinking, losing contact with his children and reaching one of the lowest points of his life. He shares how he slowly rebuilt himself and why keeping busy, setting goals and accepting help became so important. Helping Others and Finding Perspective One of the most powerful chapters of Glenn’s story is his friendship with blind athlete Nathan Johnston, who he guided through triathlons and the Hawaiian Ironman. Glenn explains how helping others changed his perspective on success and became one of the most rewarding parts of his life. Kindness, Trust and Respect Glenn shares his belief that we should be slower to judge people, more willing to understand what others may be carrying and conscious of how we speak about people when they’re not in the room. What It Really Means to Own Your Success For Glenn, success isn’t ultimately measured by television appearances, sporting achievements or recognition. It’s measured by outcomes — the people you help, the relationships you build, the problems you solve and the impact you leave behind. This is a conversation about living fully, learning from mistakes, taking opportunities and continuing to grow through every chapter of life. If there’s one message Glenn leaves us with, it’s simple: Be the best with what you have.