UNDISTRACTED with Laura Bennett

UNDISTRACTED will be back late April while Laura's on holiday. Catch you then! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We enter and exit many rooms over the course of our life - jobs, relationships, communities, life stages - the transitional moments between them though can lack clarity. Our guest today is spiritual director and bestselling author Emily P. Freeman. Emily hosts 'The Next Right Thing' podcast and is passionate about helping people understand when it’s time to move on from a situation that no longer fits, to find new spaces where we can flourish and grow. Her latest book 'How to Walk into a Room' is all about the art of knowing when to stay or go and in this conversation, we unpack the nuances of ending a season well, discerning the season we’re in and listening to our intuition. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our culture has a fascination with greatness. We celebrate people who reach certain heights of success and in the church world we talk about the “great things” God can do with your life and how he’ll position and promote us. Our guest today is the former pastor of Embassy City Church in Texas now full-time podcaster and host of The Basement, Tim Ross. Tim thinks ideas about greatness are due a do over and shares his philosophy in 'Welcome to the Basement: An Upside-Down Guide to Greatness'. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Are your emotions something you see as a gift, a nuisance, or a flawed part of being human? Jennie Allen is a renowned speaker, author and founder of the IF:Gathering. Jennie's a leading thinker in the areas of personal growth and spiritual development and in her latest book 'Untangle Your Emotions' she practically guides us through our complex inner worlds and considers Gods purpose for emotions. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sheridan Voysey is a writer, speaker, and broadcaster on faith and spirituality. After being told he and wife Merryn couldn’t conceive, the couple spent nearly a decade trying to have children by other means, but eventually chose to end their quest. In the years since Sheridan has encouraged thousands around the world with his story, recently compiling A 90-Day Devotional, “Praying Through Infertility”. Sheridan is a regular contributor to BBC Radio 2 and other international networks, and has featured on BBC Breakfast, BBC News, Day of Discovery and 100 Huntley Street. He lives and travels from Oxford, United Kingdom. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

David Talbot is the founder of Glowface, an organisation that helps improve our relationship to technology and reflect on our allegiance to digital progress. His book 'Glowface', is a guide to reclaiming your purpose, and restoring humanity in the digital era. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our guests today are Melissa Doyle and Naima Brown, the authors of 'How to Age Against the Machine', an empowering guide for women ageing on their own terms. Melissa Doyle is one of the best-known and trusted voices in Australian media with more than 30 years of journalistic experience, including fourteen as the host of Channel 7’s 'Sunrise'. Naima Brown is an experienced TV producer, journalist and writer who has worked for SBS and NBC News New York in addition to Channel 7. The pair met while they were working together on Channel 7’s flagship programme 'Sunday Night' and wrote this book in answer to some of their own questions and concerns, and the ones facing women more broadly. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Spiritual Wellbeing is so important. good to reset during start of the year and to weave it in as a discpline. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gabi Macaulay is the President of Nurses Christian Fellowship Australia - an organization focused not only on medical care, but the holistic wellbeing of all patients. Gabi has travelled to disaster zones around the world with her work and is an example of someone who has taken a passion to care for people and turned it into a meaningful career with far reaching impact. In this conversation Gabi talks about how to make crossroad decisions, the qualities of a life-long learner and what the effect of spirituality is on physical healing. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Justine Whitchurch is a sobriety advocate, Health and Fitness Coach and writer who almost lost her life in 2012 when her alcohol addiction became too much. With a music career, kids and relationship in the wings, entering rehab was do or die for Justine and now she’s set on helping others break cycles of addiction. Read more of Justine's story in her book, 'Sobriety Delivered Everything Alcohol Promised'. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wendy Harmer is one of Australia's most versatile and much-loved entertainers. From being born with a severe facial deformity, Wendy’s gone to perform as a stand-up comedian, a national television host and was the highest paid woman in Australian radio when she led 2Day FM's Breakfast Show for 11 years. She’s hosted on the ABC in the years since, and written multiple books, including the children’s series 'Pearlie in the Park' series. As a trailblazer for women in media and comedy, Wendy’s story is extraordinary, and she’s captured it in her memoir 'Lies My Mirror Told Me'. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Julia Baird is a Sydney-based author and journalist. She co-hosts 'The Drum' on ABC TV and writes columns for the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Harper's Bazaar. She is a former senior editor of Newsweek in New York and op-ed contributor for the New York Times and the Philadelphia Enquirer. Her first book, Media Tarts, was based on her PhD in History about the portrayal of female politicians. Victoria, her biography of Queen Victoria, was published to critical acclaim in 2016 and, during the pandemic, her third book Phosphorescence became a multi-award-winning international bestseller with its timely message about finding light in the darkness. Three years on, Julia brings us 'Bright Shining', a study of grace and its power to change everything. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we're joined by futurist, pastor and author Erwin McManus. In the business world he’s known as a mentor, fashion designer and filmmaker, and in his hometown of Los Angeles he’s the lead pastor and visionary behind Mosaic. Erwin is a profound thinker, and he’s returned to talk to us about the impact our mind has on our personal fulfilment, performance and joy. His new book 'Mind Shift: It Doesn’t Take a Genius to Think Like One', helps light the pathway forward with principles Erwin’s learned from the life of Jesus. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Robert Fergusson has been a teaching pastor for over 30 years. He’s an internationally recognized Hillsong Church preacher, and author of three books including 'Are you Getting This?', 'Making Connections That Work', and his latest, 'Jesus And'. In this conversation Robert gives us the questions to ask to find our purpose, explains the value of the ordinary and unpacks Jesus’ interest in our lives. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rabbi Sobel is the spiritual advisor to the worldwide hit TV series 'The Chosen' which dramatises the life of Jesus and his disciples. His new book 'Signs and Secrets of the Messiah: A Fresh Look at the Miracles of Jesus' reexamines Scripture, biblical culture and ancient texts to help readers better understand the intention behind God's miracles. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Creator of @millennial.therapist Sara Kuburic is an existential psychotherapist. She was born in Yugoslavia and raised in Canada and is passionate about helping people seeking change to live authentic, free, and meaningful lives. Her interest in psychology came from her personal experience living through wars, navigating complex relationships, and continually learning what it means to be human. In her first book, 'It’s On Me' Sara helps us identify self-loss: that feeling of being estranged or disconnected from your true Self – so we answer the big questions about who we are, and how to live accordingly. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest Charlotte Ree is an author and home cook. When the world turned upside in 2020, Charlotte was 29, newly divorced and unexpectedly thrust into lockdown with loneliness, confusion and a wobbly sense of identity after her 10-year relationship. In her “bittersweet” memoir 'Heartbake' Charlotte combines her story of love lost, won and lost again with the recipes that helped her rediscover herself, her community and the life she really wanted. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Simone Amelia Jordan is Australia’s most successful hip-hop journalist. She has contributed to 'The Source', 'VIBE', 'Rolling Stone', ABC and SBS and her celebrity interviews have notched over 13 million YouTube views. Simone founded and edited Australia’s highest-selling rap/R&B newsstand title, 'Urban Hitz' magazine and mentors the next generation of multicultural talent through her work with Media Diversity Australia and Diversity Arts Australia. Simone’s memoir 'Tell Her She’s Dreamin’' tracks her journey from Australia to New York City where she experienced it all from love to loss, grappling with her family ties to culture, the growth of her career and also struggles through chronic illness and sexual grooming. Simone's story is about defying the odds to reach for your dreams. But it is also about figuring out that those dreams can change as you do. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

NEEDTOBREATHE's newest member Tyler Burkum talks about the evolution of the band's identity through their new album 'CAVES', creating a healthy creative culture and how to allow people to be themselves. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At 23, Nashville-based artist Riley Clemmons has already spent a decade in the industry after being discovered at a school pageant. Riley sat down with Laura ahead of the release of her new album ‘Church Pew’ to unpack the peak of her identity crisis, her process of self-discovery alongside faith and how she feels about starting so young. Listen to more from our Hope Podcasts collection at hopepodcasts.com.au. And send the team a message via Hope 103.2’s app, Facebook or Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.