In this episode of Pick My Brain, we sit down with Tom Cronin to explore the
powerful connection between mental health and peak performance, and why so
many capable people are operating under unnecessary stress and unrealised
potential.

Across workplaces and homes, stress has become normalised. Yet constant
pressure, reactive stress responses and mental overload are quietly eroding
wellbeing, clarity and performance. In this conversation, Tom helps us go
deeper, getting to the root cause of why stress responses show up in the first
place, what they do to our nervous system and performance, and what we can do
differently to prevent them, often in ways that surprise people.

Rather than relying on surface level fixes or pushing through, this discussion
invites a shift in perspective. Tom shares practical insights into how we can
interrupt unhelpful patterns, build inner stability and create the conditions
for sustained performance without burnout.

This conversation will benefit leaders, entrepreneurs, employees and parents
who want to feel calmer, think more clearly and live with greater intention
and impact.

Together, we explore simple, accessible strategies to support mental wellbeing
and unlock more effective, successful and fulfilling ways of living and
working. A conversation designed to spark awareness, challenge assumptions and
create meaningful impact, starting from within.

Want to pick the brain of Tom Cronin? Click
here

We are more connected than ever, yet more people than ever feel unseen.
Loneliness is rising across generations — not because people are failing, but
because something in how we live, work and relate has shifted. Too often,
loneliness is treated as something personal to fix quietly. At Cuppa, we
believe it’s something we face together.

This is the first Cuppa Movement Circle — a live, virtual gathering designed
to explore loneliness as a societal issue rather than a private flaw. It’s not
a webinar and it’s not a panel. It’s a structured, facilitated conversation
where diverse perspectives meet and the wider community is part of the
dialogue.

Together, we’ll explore what’s driving modern disconnection, where loneliness
is showing up in everyday life, and what responsibility we share in responding
to it. This is not about asking anyone to declare vulnerability. It’s about
creating understanding, reducing stigma, and identifying practical steps
forward.

This conversation will be guided by members of the Cuppa Collective:
Mike Morrison
challenges us to see loneliness through a structural lens, encouraging a shift
from individual blame to shared responsibility.
Dr Jane Foster
offers an evidence-informed perspective on wellbeing and human behaviour,
grounding the discussion in research while keeping it practical.
Annie Harvey
adds depth in leadership and emotional awareness, exploring how intentional
connection starts with how we show up for one another.
Rev Jon Owen leads
with lived experience from the frontline of community life. As Pastor and CEO
of Wayside Chapel in Sydney — a place committed to ‘no us and them’ — Jon’s
work centres on creating spaces where people feel seen, accepted and truly
met. His voice reminds us why belonging matters and what it looks like in
practice.

You’ll leave with greater clarity, new perspectives, and one meaningful action
you can take — in your workplace, your community, or your own relationships.

Loneliness cannot be solved alone. But it can be softened when we approach it
with honesty, curiosity and care.

If this conversation resonates, we invite you to take your seat in the circle.
Join us live and be part of turning awareness into action.

Want to pick the brains of our panel? Click
here

In this episode of Pick My Brain, we sit down with Luke Evans to explore what
it really takes to build resilient cultures that hold under pressure.

Many organisations invest heavily in values, engagement programs, and
wellbeing initiatives. Yet when pressure rises, deadlines tighten, or
uncertainty hits, behaviours shift and culture can quickly fracture. So why
does this happen, and what can leaders do differently?

Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience working inside complex organisations,
Luke connects resilience and culture through a simple but powerful lens:
belief, biology, and behaviour. He shares why behaviour under pressure is
driven less by intention and more by how regulated and clear people are. When
stress overrides regulation, even the best cultural aspirations can unravel.

This conversation challenges the idea that wellbeing is a standalone
initiative. Instead, Luke reframes wellbeing as an outcome shaped by
leadership behaviour, aligned systems, and clarity of purpose. Together, we
explore how resilience is not a personality trait but a capability that can be
deliberately built at both an individual and team level.

Senior leaders, founders, and HR and people professionals will gain practical
insight into how to strengthen culture so it stabilises performance during
change rather than collapsing under it.

Key takeaways include why regulation and emotional capability sit at the
foundation of sustainable culture, why perks alone cannot drive wellbeing, and
a clear framework for building resilience so culture holds when it is tested.

Because real impact is not created when things are easy. It is revealed when
they are hard.

Want to pick the brain of Luke Evans? Click
here

What if the greatest barrier to climate action isn’t technology or policy but
the human mind?

In this thought-provoking episode of Pick My Brain, we speak with clinical
psychologist Emily Toner about the hidden psychological forces shaping our
response to the climate crisis. While innovation in renewable energy and
policy reform are critical, Emily argues that a deeper challenge sits beneath
it all: the emotional toll of living in an era of compounding crises.

From climate grief and activist burnout to the quiet numbness many people feel
when faced with overwhelming information, stress and fear can push individuals
and communities into what Emily calls “contractive states.” In these states,
our thinking narrows, creativity diminishes, and our capacity to act shrinks
precisely when bold ideas and collective action are needed most.

Drawing on her work as a clinical psychologist, along with insights from
behavioural neuroscience and wellbeing science, Emily reframes the climate
conversation through a powerful psychological lens. Referencing leading
thinkers such as Antonio Damasio and Barbara Fredrickson, she explores how
emotions shape decision-making and why cultivating positive emotional states
can expand our ability to think strategically, collaborate, and take
meaningful action.

This conversation is especially relevant for social and environmental
changemakers, purpose-driven leaders, and anyone feeling the emotional weight
of today’s global challenges. It offers practical and hopeful insights for
navigating overwhelm while staying engaged with the work that matters.

Together, we explore how tending to our inner world is not a distraction from
solving global problems but a foundation for courageous, creative, and
sustained action.

Key takeaways include:

• Why our ability to process emotions profoundly shapes individual and societal behaviour
• How stress, fear, and burnout quietly narrow our thinking and limit our capacity to act
• Why wellbeing, joy, and nervous system regulation are strategic tools for unlocking creativity, resilience, and meaningful change

At Cuppa, we believe powerful conversations spark impact and this one invites
us to rethink how human psychology shapes our collective future.
Want to pick the brain of Emily Toner? Click
here