The You Project

How does tech addiction actually work? Biochemically? Practically? Behaviourally? Is it an actual addiction like booze, drugs, porn and gambling, just a bad habit, or something else? What is the ever-evolving relationship between technology the phenomenal rise of mental health issues? Are there strategies, practical processes and tools we can use to make a dent in the problem, or maybe even better? Can we turn it around? This chat with Gillespo wasn't a "solution" or magic pill to an extensive, society-wide issue but for many it will be very relevant and for some, possibly a timely lightbulb. In the middle of this episode, I realised have some changes to make and I'm thankful for the chat.

A slightly different Bobby (and Tiff) episode this time around - way less philosophical, psychological and reflective than normal - and far more practical, physical and user-friendly (from a putting things into action perspective). In a nutshell, we spoke about our individual health protocols (exercise, food, sleep, lifestyle, etc.) and then more broadly about optimising our (your) physical potential - in what can be - an overwhelm of pseudoscience, mayhem, conflicting information and confusion. Of course, we didn't "clear it all up" but I think for some people it will be very interesting and potentially helpful.

At some stage of the TYP evolution, shy, introverted and courageous listener Kelly Smith somehow wrangled her way from one side of the microphone (off air) to the other side. And we're glad she did. Kelly brings a level of vulnerability, genuine curiosity and self-awareness to the conversation that's not always present on Planet Podcast. Enjoy.

Yes, it is. No, it's not. Sometimes. Depends. To whom? What's the context? Did they ask for it? Are you qualified to give it? Could your "good advice" be bad for them? What "works" for me, might be a catastrophe for you. Or vice-versa. What's your reason for giving the advice? Could it create more problems than solutions? Do they want it... or are you just supplying it? Is it welcomed or resented? Giving advice (and receiving it, for that matter) ain't that simple or straight forward - especially when we're talking about an exchange between two people who don't think alike, who live in different realities (subjective or objective) and look at things through a different lens. Good intentions are not enough. "But it's for their own good", is a terrible starting (and often, finishing) point. This was an interesting exploration into a very common - but perhaps misunderstood - part of the human experience.

This probably won't win any awards for podcasting excellence or educational mastery, but Tiff and I had fun chatting about how and why choosing pain, discomfort and uncertainty can lead to more comfort, confidence and calm, and less anxiety, overthinking and internal chaos. Enjoy.

This brief-ish solo episode is my wrap up to the mini (three-part) coaching series I've done over the last week or so, about all things mind, brain, body and more importantly, self-awareness, self-regulation and self-actualisation (becoming the 'you' - you want to become). Enjoy.

Back for some coaching around a couple of universally-relevant questions that I believe we should all - not only ask ourselves - but more importantly, endeavour to understand deeply and operationalise (do something practical with) in our own lives. For me and countless people I have worked with, these are game changers. Enjoy

Every time I go into this podcast threesome, I psych myself to deliver a high-level, professional and helpful insight into the world of technology. It never works. Of course, I attribute the subsequent mayhem to Tiff and Patrick. And of course, shy wallflower Craig has no say. I'm just a helpless victim in their conversational hijacking. If you're good at visualising stories, this'll episode will either make you turn it off or make you send it to ten friends. Enjoy.

Even when you know "what to do" (theoretically) in a volatile, challenging and/or emotional situation - especially with loved ones - good luck with the "execution" of that knowledge when your prefrontal cortex gets hijacked by your amygdala. That is, when your emotions take over your body and your ability to think clearly and be the calm in the chaos goes out the metaphoric window. Depending on the situation, I could be relatively smart right down to being the dumb-arse in the corner crying into his protein shake. Bobby, Tiff and I opened this conversational door and quite a few others in this episode of TYP. Also, someone whose name rhymes with vague may have gotten a little emotional. I'm not crying, you are. Enjoy.

When it comes to the “good and bad fats” story and how it all relates to cholesterol, heart disease and all-cause mortality, whose funding what research? What’s being revealed in the research that doesn’t make it to the research papers? And why? Well, it seems I there may have been a few omissions, blatant lies, misdirects (as in magic), manipulation of data and let’s be honest, scientific fuckery. Enjoy.

Weird to say, but I enjoyed this solo episode where I essentially took on the role of coach for those of you wanting a little coaching and smidgeon of tough love. As has been pointed out many times, I'm not for everyone. Some will love this, some won't, some will lean in and take action, others won't but what I endeavoured to do was to talk to you as though it was literally a 'you and me' coaching session. Enjoy.

Okay, so I'm gonna critique this episode for you. From where I sat... the first twenty minutes (or so) with Dr. Cam was an interesting back-and-forth chit-chat about the human condition (are we in charge of our feelings or are they in charge of us - type stuff) and I'd give it a 7. Solid, not mind-blowing. But for the rest of the show, we took a left turn and explored the way our environment (and all the things in it) affect our physical, mental and emotional health. This particular thirty minutes was - for me anyway - fascinating (because of Cam) and I'd give it a 9. Hope you like it. Enjoy.

This chat with Dietician and Exercise Physiologist Kate Save was a meandering affair where we dropped breadcrumbs of information, education, psychology and sociology along the way. We spoke about the very common state of doing life on a kind of "auto-pilot", even when it's consistently not working. We discussed some ideas and strategies to escape the unfulfilling Groundhog Day that keeps so many of us trapped in stagnation and frustration. We also chatted about calories vs. nutrients, function (how we work) vs. aesthetics (how we look), destination disappointment (why we're not always happy when we reach our goal), how people perceive Kate and I (apparently she's cold and I'm terrifying), and the necessary (due to environment or situation) social challenge of building a functional relationship with people you may not like. Tricky. Enjoy.

What's the gap between who you are and where you are - metaphorically, literally, physically, financially, professionally, socially - and who and where you want to be in the future? We all have stuff we want to change, fix, do, undo, learn, own, create, achieve but what are the habits, behaviours and strategies that will take us from current us, to the us we want to become? 

I guess it's not surprising to know that - if parents can (unintentionally) "hand down" predispositions to certain physical issues, conditions, diseases and genetic traits to their kids - then of course, they can pass along psychological, social, emotional and behavioural issues to their kids too. Dr. Sam Casey - our resident childhood psychiatrist and therapist - hits another episode out of the TYP park as we do all deep dive into the science and psychology of being a kid, being a parent, raising a kid, understanding a kid and let's be honest, not f***ing a kid up with our own bull****. Enjoy. drsamcasey.com

Well, to be more accurate, the next mayor of Moorabool Shire Council. And to be even more thorough, this was my idea, not Patrick's. And why? Because I've never met anyone more in love with the area they live in or more committed to its' welfare than TYP's favourite nerd and tech educator. Anyway, enough on that. You'll be happy to know that the "mayor discussion" was relatively brief and the tech discussion (with regular associated BS and silliness) was relatively interesting and long. I may have used one too many "relatively(s)" there. Okay, now two. Enjoy.

About two and a half thousand years ago, one of those old Stoic types said that "to know thyself is the beginning of wisdom." Who knows... he might have been high, or he might have been onto something. Either way, Bobby and I wandered into the self-awareness/self-knowledge space, and I'm pretty sure we figured it all out. Not.

Straight off the bat (whatever that means), just letting you know that the first 7-10 minutes of this episode is Dr. Denise and I chatting about the program we are running (The Reset Program) on the Sunny Coast this June. So, if you want to miss a blatant promo - done tastefully, of course - feel free to fast forward. Some of you will be interested, some won't. Of course. Other than that, we had a great chat about natural and not-so-natural supplements that people use to improve cognitive performance (focus, mental energy and stamina, critical thinking, problem solving) and strategies to help us maintain our performance level (at work and elsewhere) over the course of an entire day. We also chatted about dodgy supplements from dodgy companies (there's plenty!) selling products that contain little or zero of the advertised ingredients. For eg. a recent study that showed a high percentage of "creatine gummies" contained zero creatine. Shocker (shrugging shoulder emoji - lol). Enjoy. The Reset Program

Exercise physiologist, dietitian, entrepreneur, and all-round powerhouse human Kate Save joins me at TYP Central for a totally unexpected conversation (well, the conversation was planned - just not the topic) around the do's and don'ts, whys and why-nots, and hows and how-not-to's of making your body strong, healthy, and functional. This chat is very relevant for the majority of my (typical) listeners. Enjoy.

Dr. David O'Donnell is a ticker-ologist. He's specialises in tickers. The sciencey folk call him a cardiologist and electrophysiologist. Not surprisingly, we had a chat about what us potential patients can do to avoid becoming an actual patient, any time soon. And despite the fact that he's quite a skilled ticker-ologist, he'd rather not see you or me on his (or any) operating table. He's all about being proactive, not reactive and optimising our chances of a long health-span and lifespan by making smart decisions and doing smart things before the metaphoric wheels fall off the medical wagon. This was a revealing, educational and motivating chat (for me anyway) and I hope you enjoy it.

I love all my Gillespo chats but I especially loved this one. I (we) got to peek behind the cognitive curtain and get an insight into how he thinks (and why), how he does his research, why he doesn't want you to trust him, differentiating good science from bad, and how to know the difference between (1) evidence and data and (2) opinion and story dressed up as science. As many of you know, he and I have an ongoing fun p*ss-take (mainly him taking it out of me) but if I'm honest, he has a pretty supersonic analytical brain. Zero emotions... but great Prefrontal Cortex (lol). Enjoy.

Two blokes having a conversation on a podcast about how they individually give and get love. What makes them feel loved, appreciated and deeply connected. And more broadly, how the intended love that we’re sending someone’s way, doesn’t always have the desired effect because quite often, the receiver doesn’t experience love in the way that the giver does. For example, my attempt to be compassionate and loving towards someone who’s going through a challenge could be ‘received’ as unwanted prying - not loving at all. A fascinating topic, drawing inspiration from “The Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman. Enjoy.

Kelsey Packwood is a Jamaican-American Writer, Director, Producer, & Actor based in Los Angeles, California. Kelsey is the writer and creator of BORDERLINE a half-hour traumedy scripted series based on her lived experience with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). I totally enjoyed this insightful, educational and inspirational chat with Kelsey. It was nice a synthesis of stories, science and lived experience, with a young woman who is a great communicator. Enjoy.

Ever achieved a goal, created a great result, got where you wanted to go, and still felt like shite when you reached the target? Like you thought you’d feel a certain way - better - and somehow you end up feeling disappointed, frustrated or even sad!! It’s certainly a weird but not uncommon phenomenon. Tiff and I talk about that weirdness and lots more on today’s instalment of TYP. Enjoy.

This was the funniest episode Patrick, Tiff and I have recorded. In my subjective opinion anyway. I f**king loved this chat. It was an intersection of technology, fun facts, inappropriate remarks and a smidge of science. I honestly can’t remember having more fun on a podcast. *If you’re a “normal” grown-up, you might hate this. But I’m suspecting my misfit-slanted audience, will dig it. You misfits. Love, Harps. 

This episode with Bobby and Tiff begins exactly as all serious intellectual discussions should: leprosy, skin-cancer cream, hazmat suits, future husbands, and a brief audit of cats, dogs, and personal hygiene standards. So yes - very professional. We jump into a fun conversation about belief, delusion, perception, and performance. Bobby tells the story of being fuelled for years by a study that never existed - Yale, Harvard, written goals, guaranteed success. Total bullshit. And yet… it worked. A functional delusion. Not insanity. Not narcissism. Just enough belief to keep moving when quitting feels logical. We talk Bobby’s Tourette’s, getting kicked out of the military, being broke, living on 99-cent Whoppers, and mistaking rejection for confirmation you’re on the right path (which is either madness or genius - often both). Enjoy.

According to our resident kill-joy, best-selling author and revealer of unpopular truths, bacon might not be the death sentence some "experts" proport it to be. In fact, it might even be good for us. Incredible, I know. But don't believe me, take a read of Gillespo's article - just do a Google search for Substack and the above title. In this episode, we talk about the bacon revelation and lots more, so dive and enjoy.

In this special listener Q & A episode, resident anti-aging guru Dr. Jeff answers real-world questions about pain, injury, ageing, and longevity. A spine fellowship-trained neurological surgeon and regenerative stem cell medicine specialist, Dr. Gross draws on decades of clinical experience treating athletic and degenerative injuries of the spine, hips, knees, shoulders, and more. We explore stem cells, biohacking, precision medicine, and conservative, non-surgical approaches to improving health-span - cutting through hype to focus on what actually works, what's promising, and what people should be cautious about. Clear, grounded, and clinically informed, this episode is a practical deep-dive into modern regenerative medicine - answered directly, honestly, and without fluff. Enjoy.

Moheb Costandi is a neuroscientist turned science writer who spends his life exploring one of the biggest mysteries we all live inside - the human brain. He's written for Nature, Science, New Scientist, Scientific American (all a big deal in Academia) and The Guardian, and he's the author of books like Neuroplasticity, '50 Human Brain Ideas You Really Need to Know' and 'Body Am I’, which look at how the brain builds our sense of self, identity, and reality. Moheb has a gift for taking complex neuroscience and turning it into stories that actually make sense - stories about why we feel the way we do, why change is so hard, and how our brains quietly shape our entire experience of being human. Enjoy.

This time on TYP, I'm joined by James Gillespie (little Gillespo), founder of Cleanbill, to unpack what is really happening in Australian healthcare, and why so many of us are feeling the pinch at the GP. James walks us through Cleanbill's latest Blue Report, a data-driven snapshot of what patients actually experience when they try to book a doctor: who's still bulk-billing, what states are doing it more, how much people are paying out of pocket, and how access varies wildly depending on where you live. Overall, it's pretty good news and it seems that James and the Cleanbill team are moving the needle in the right direction.

I never know because l'll never be a dad (excluding an in-bound Golden Retriever), but I’m pretty sure I might suck at parenting. It seems super hard. Unlike like some other non-parents, l've always thought it's probably the toughest role an adult can have. This time on TYP, Child Therapist Dr. Sam Casey and I talk about the challenges of being a single parent from a theoretical, research and academic perspective, and also from the perspective of someone living it in real life - which Dr. Sam is. Until this chat, I hadn't really considered the amount of intersecting variables - psychological, emotional, physical, social, financial, legal, practical, geographic - that impact kids and families, moving from a married situation to a "two parents in different homes" situation. Enjoy. 

You know when you get immersed in a conversation with someone and the times flies? Well, that was my experience of this chat with Bobby. We covered a lot of ground and when I checked the time, our twenty-minute chat (so I thought), was almost an hour. We chatted about the "theory" of beauty ("it doesn't matter") and the real-world reality of it ("it matters"). We also talked about the need we humans have for gaining the approval of others - often from people who don't even care about us, our respective stories (Bobby and l) about not being "overly attractive" children, how confidence works, redundant and repetitive conversations (and how to avoid them), muffin guilt and lots more. Enjoy. theselfhelpantidote.com

Kate Save is back on deck chatting with us about investigative health testing (taking action before we get sick - proactive, not reactive) and the whole prevention versus diagnosis concept. That is, unpacking the "why wait till you get sick?" question. We also chat about the importance of bacteria (we're kind of full of it), “training” our immune system (it's possible - and smart), understanding what our body is saying (biofeedback) and why some people are consuming (I wish I had another word... ingesting maybe?) other people's poo. Crapsule anyone? Enjoy.

I'm pretty sure this will be a popular episode. It was such fun, so interesting, so thought-provoking and Professor Chris is a genius (IMO), with an amazing ability to connect, tell stories and make super-interesting research and science, podcast-friendly. Among other things, we spoke about the science of the paranormal (anomalistic psychology), psychic abilities, false memories, ghosts, haunted houses, magicians, mentalists and his book 'The Science of Weird Shit! So F**king good. Enjoy. **BIO: Chris French is a British Psychologist and Professor Emeritus at Goldsmiths, University of London, where he founded the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit. He specialises in the psychology of paranormal beliefs and anomalous experiences - why people believe in ghosts, psychics, UFOs, astrology, and other weird and wonderful claims.

This was the first get-together of 2026 for the motorbike riding, cookie-devouring, face-punching, newly-betrothed TYP team member and the old veiny, crusty-but-hilarious (he wishes) host. We went far and wide in this chat and it was a nice blend of catch-up, reflection, story-telling and bro-science. I may have gotten a tiny bit evangelical and soap-boxy. Not sorry. Enjoy

For this episode, I sit down with TYP regular David Gillespie to unpack his provocative piece - The Statin Delusion. We talk about how modern medicine increasingly treats health as a deficiency of medication, why Australia leads the world in statin prescriptions, and how shifting cholesterol goalposts have medicalised the "worried well." Gillespo challenges the assumed life-saving power of statins in healthy people, explains the surprisingly small benefits, and walks through the real metabolic, muscular, cognitive, and diabetes-related risks. It's a blunt conversation about fear, pharma, guidelines, and whether prevention has quietly become harm. Enjoy.

Patrick and I meandered (argued, laughed, disagreed) our way through the first TYP instalment of the year. A little “how was Christmas”, a little smut and bullshit (as always), a little regulation tech-talk and a little fear mongering about the imminent demise of humanity at the hands of AI. So, business as usual. Enjoy. websitesnow.com.au

Caleb Warren is a Professor of Marketing at the University of Arizona and this was a fun chat about what makes something or someone cool, and how coolness intersects with branding, marketing, popularity, humour, culture, social desirability and more. Enjoy.

Dr. Catherine Houlihan is a Clinical Psychologist, Senior Lecturer at the University of the Sunshine Coast and the Clinic Director at the UniSC Psychology Clinic. Her area of expertise is treating and researching eating disorders and body image concerns and this was a relevant (for many), meaningful and insightful conversation. There's also one anonymous ex-fat kid who found it particularly interesting. Enjoy. @drcat.psych

Well, I don't actually hate myself but according to Dr. Blaise Aguirre from Harvard Medical School (no less!), plenty of people do. Also, it's the title of his new book. Well, the whole title is "I HATE MYSELF: Overcome Self-Loathing and Realise Why You're Wrong About You." This was great chat with someone who is truly a world-renowned expert and pioneer in their field. I loved it a lot. As did Tiff. *Bio: Blaise Aguirre, MD, is a child and adolescent psychiatrist. He is specialises in, dialectical behaviour therapy as well as other treatments such as mentalisation-based treatment (MBT) for borderline personality disorder and associated conditions. Dr. Aguirre has been a staff psychiatrist at McLean Hospital since 2000 and is nationally and internationally recognised for his extensive work in the treatment of mood and personality disorders in adolescents. He lectures regularly throughout the world. Dr. Aguirre is the author or co-author of many books, including Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents, Mindfulness for Borderline Personality Disorder, Coping With BPD, and Fighting Back.

Being able to "read the room" is an integral part of effective communication, connection, problem solving, rapport building, conflict resolution, leadership and any kind of personal or professional interaction; one on one or one on group. Bobby, Tiff and I talk about this in the context of our work - being in front of group - but it's also a broadly relevant skill that's important for all of us. Enjoy.

There's a vaccine given to new-born bubs to protect them against Hepatitis B because if they are unvaccinated and happen to get Hep. B when they're young, it often leads to life-long health problems and in too many instances, liver cancer. Well with that in mind, there's been recent conversations about a potential link between this particular vaccine and Autism and under the guidance(?) of RFK, it seems that moving forward the advice for American parents will be to avoid the Hep. B vaccine. Not a mandate but nonetheless, a recommendation. As always with Gillespo (and Tiff), we also cover other stuff and had a particularly fun moment. Enjoy.

You may or may not want to hear where my thoughts are at in the aftermath of the horror that was Sunday. This is not a ‘commentary’ on events but rather, a brief reflection on the psychology, ideology and sociology that drives such behaviour. Love, Harps. xx

Dr. Lillian Nejad is back and we discuss what happened at Bondi on Sunday (we recorded less than 24 hours later). Obviously, we offer no “solutions” or magic pills (there aren’t any) but we felt it was an important conversation to have. Even for ourselves. For the second half (maybe a little more) of the show we chatted about “destination disappointment” (being disappointed when you achieve your goal), WTF contentment is and how we might get some!, we compared different approaches to therapy, spoke about our favourite thought-provoking philosophical movie, climbing the wrong mountain and finally, we each shared some of our favourite action-prompting questions. Enjoy.

This episode is what the cool podcast kids call a co-share. I was recently on “The Artistry of Humanity” with Ian Williams and we had a great chat about being simultaneously rich and broke, the external illusion of success versus the internal reality of chaos and misery, the biology of stress and lots more. Enjoy. artistry-of-humanity.com

The resident geek is back enlightening, amusing, educating and terrifying us (in equal measure) with the “what’s happening” and the “what’s coming” of technology, social media, cybersecurity and super creepy Al-enabled teddy bears. Enjoy.

This was a timely, fascinating and relevant-for-right-now chat with Stacey Wood, Ph.D. - Professor of Psychology at Scripps College in California. We spoke about the way deception, fraud and manipulation "works" from a psychological, emotional, sociological, practical and legal perspective. Turns out that - when it comes to scamming vulnerable people - some scumbags are charming, charismatic, articulate sociopaths who understand how to manipulate people's emotions, actions and back accounts, for personal gain. Like I said, scumbags. Enjoy.

Love is in the air at TYP Central and no, it doesn't involve me but it does involve someone you all know well and potentially one of your favourite regulars. Okay, l've said too much but f**k it, I'm excited. This episode will go down in TYP history. Enjoy.

In this instalment of TYP, Kelly, Tiff and I chat about the propensity we humans have to obsess about, and waste energy on, problems that don't currently (and may never) exist. And also... the subsequent self-created psychological and emotional sh*t-fest that comes with it. In general terms, we talk about trying to manage our subjective experience in the middle of a never-ending series of objective events, situations and circumstances (you know.. life). Enjoy.

Social osmosis is (for this conversation) the way attitudes, beliefs, emotions, values, behaviours, language and norms seep into us simply by being around people - without us choosing, trying, or even noticing. It's not a 'real' term (in psychological literature) but it's a real part of the human experience. It’s a Craig-ism. I guess it's kind of like psychological second-hand smoke. You don't decide to inhale or absorb it, you just do. Unintentionally. Unconsciously. For better or worse. Have you noticed how just being around some people is literally good for your physical, mental and emotional health? Even if you don't say anything? There's definitely some kind of energetic exchange happening. This conversation with Tiff is one of my all-time Craig-Tiff favourites. Enjoy.