That’s TMI: The Meaningful Insights Podcast
That’s TMI: The Meaningful Insights Podcast delves into the heart of human-centred and caring professions, sharing honest, practical stories from education, community services, family services, social work, and many other fields focused on people and relationships. Featuring the voices of practitioners, leaders, researchers, carers, young people, and sector experts, it offers insights, reflections, and ideas for anyone committed to helping children, young people, families, and communities flourish.
That’s TMI: The Meaningful Insights Podcast
Welcome to That’s TMI
This launch episode sets the tone for That’s TMI, a podcast that delves into the heart of human-centred and caring professions. This series creates space for honest conversations that support teachers, school leaders, and practitioners who work with children and young people every day. Listeners will hear how the podcast blends research, practice, and real stories, why reflective practice matters, and what to expect from future guests and topics..
Produced by: The MacKillop Institute
If themes in this episode affect you, support is available in Australia: Griefline 1300 845 745, Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636, Lifeline 13 11 14.
We hope you enjoyed this episode of That’s TMI: The Meaningful Insights Podcast.
Contact us:
We’d love to hear from you. Email us anytime at institute@mackillop.org.au
.
If you’d like to be a guest on our podcast, we’d love to hear your story.
Just email us at the same address.
Follow us:
Join the conversation and stay connected through our social media platforms @themackillopinstitute.
We hope you enjoyed this episode of That’s TMI: The Meaningful Insights Podcast.
Contact us:
We’d love to hear from you. Email us any time at institute@mackillop.org.au
.
If you’d like to be a guest on our podcast, we’d love to hear your story.
Just email us at the same address.
Follow us:
Join the conversation and stay connected through our social media platforms @themackillopinstitute.
That's TMI, the Meaningful Insights podcast, delving into the heart of human-centered professions.
Speaker 2:That's TMI, is recorded on the lands of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to all the traditional custodians of the lands on which you are joining from today. Thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for joining us. This is a podcast where we will be delving into the heart of human centered and caring professions and all the topics that you might be wondering about if you work in any of those professions. I'm one of your hosts. My name is Chris Higgins. I'm delighted to be doing this with two of my amazing colleagues, smita Singh. Thank you for joining us.
Speaker 1:Hello, hello, thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Beautiful and Justin Roberts, howdy everyone and we will be your three co-hosts for this podcast and what we'll be doing throughout the series is rotating in and out, so at times it will be the three of us for an episode, sometimes maybe one or two of us and joined by other guest speakers. But why are we here? Well, first and foremost, we are here to try and share some insights and share some practice and share some experience. So the three of us are from a wonderful not-for-profit organization based here in Australia called the MacKillop Institute, which is all about sharing our practice and our knowledge. From our wider organization, mackillop Family Services, which is a 2,000 strong organization across all of Australia, working nationally in every state and territory, with 53 offices doing direct work in the community, walking alongside some of our most vulnerable children and young people and families daily, and we do that in a range of different ways. We have a range of different services that we provide, everything from operating schools and running education engagement programs, through to supporting foster families and running education engagement programs, through to supporting foster families and running care services and a whole range of other services to support our communities, and we've been doing that for a fairly long time.
Speaker 2:It's nearly 30 year history and we decided we wanted to start this podcast because, day in, day out, the MacKillop Institute is all about sharing that experience out with other organizations and trying to have a much bigger collective, collaborative impact. We know that we can't have that massive impact and change that we want to see out there in the world with just us. We can do a good job, but we know we can do so much more when we do it with others. And so the institute was formed really for us to collaborate and share and work together and have that bigger impact. And so we thought where are we to do that then? Actually a podcast. We could share some of that insights with an even bigger audience and get some of this knowledge and experience and insights out there.
Speaker 2:And so throughout this, we will be drawing on our wider organization and we'll be bringing in guest speakers from a range of different roles and disciplines from the organization, but also all of our friends and partners externally. We'll be bringing in guest experts and speakers and other people that we work with and trying to share whatever we can. We will have guest speakers, we will have Q&A episodes, we'll be trying to share insights and practical strategies and explainers. We'll have discussion on topical news and things that are relevant, and really all of it about trying to support and share and give any insights we can for anyone who is in that kind of caring or human centered profession. But before we do that, let's actually learn a little bit more about our hosts. So this is our very first kind of intro episode. So why we're here, who we are, what we're doing, what we're hoping to do? Let's not start with me, because I've probably spoken enough, so I am going to throw over to Smita. Smita, please tell us more about you and who you are.
Speaker 1:Who am I? Oh, that's the big question, isn't it?
Speaker 2:We don't start with the small questions around here.
Speaker 1:Straight into it. I am a coffee fiend, melbourne, born and raised. Of course, with that coffee running through my blood, wine travel. All the use I would say is the Smeda way is how I live my life. But I would also say something that is unique to me very much is a deep passion for the arts, and starting out in theatre. I certainly have a flair for the dramatics Hopefully not the melodramatics throughout this series, but certainly we'll call it a performance charisma. Let's see if that actually translates over a podcast.
Speaker 1:But on a more serious note, I've actually been working for around 20 years in this sector, starting out really as a teacher In secondary schools, teaching English and drama, which is really where my story began and working with and for so closely with such wonderful young people who had so much to teach me, I really began to see the gaps of opportunity that our young people out there are facing and that's really led me on a professional journey across the non-for-profit sector university, government sector really thinking about system-based responses to improve outcomes for young people, whether that's been through family violence, child wellbeing, homelessness, justice, that that's really been thinking about all of the different ways in which we can really support young people to thrive. And that's led me here to my current role at the Institute as the Program Director for Power to Kids, which is really about strengthening prevention and responses to child sexual abuse, so it's really thinking about kids at the most vulnerable.
Speaker 2:A range of experiences there, samita, and I think maybe just to comment on that it's so great to be able to have you as part of this podcast and be able to share some of those insights and experiences from not just a range of sectors but also from a range of different areas that you've worked in. You've done child safety, you've done education, you've done stuff in family. You've got so many things that you can draw on. So excited to hear from you throughout this podcast I'm excited to be here.
Speaker 2:I'm also just really looking forward to you bringing that performance charisma to our jingle. Clearly you're doing the jingle, right.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you keep holding on to that hope. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I know, I'm just I'm really hoping, if I keep saying something enough, that it will happen. I'm really hoping that Smith is going to do the jingle. Watch this space.
Speaker 3:Justin Roberts, please introduce yourself for us. Yeah, well, I certainly can't sing, but I guess I'm a country boy, I reckon. So I grew up in in northern victoria. Fishing is still my, my happy place on the murray, I will say, though I'm a bit of an environmental fisherman in that I don't catch anything so I do no harm to the fisheries. But maybe one of my my big things is I never actually experienced getting on a plane until like my early twenties, and now I'm on the plane a lot, so always economy. So I don't know if there's any airlines want to sponsor this podcast, but I would love to get an upgrade at some point.
Speaker 3:Probably the privilege I have had over the last decade is I'm a teacher and have had the opportunity to work with children and young people who are disengaged from mainstream education, try to meet the human right to an aspirational, transformative education, and probably the gift they've given me on that time is, I think they've, by sharing their experiences, sharing perseverance.
Speaker 3:They're just wonderful qualities as as human beings who, through no fault of their own, don't have the opportunities that many others. I think that's made me a better educator. I think that's made me a better educator and I think it's made me a better person. Yeah, I guess. Coming back to the purpose of this podcast, I think where it comes from for me is that I feel like I owe every single one of those children, and how I can maybe give that back is try to make our education system more inclusive, engaged, safe, and I get to do that work through being the National Programme Director here of Relate, which is our education model, and supporting schools all across the country to implement that model and hopefully become more safe, engaged and just more inclusive.
Speaker 2:Justin, that actually makes me think of a quote from you very recently, because, for all our listeners out there more inclusive Justin, that actually makes me think about a quote from you very recently, because, for all our listeners out there and I know Justin is going to turn red when I say this Justin was actually just awarded most influential educator 2024 by the educator magazine Australia, and I think one of the things that you said now I won't do this justice, so I apologise in advance there was a quote that you gave around.
Speaker 2:You actually thank every young person you've ever worked with because they have the solutions. We often see the problems, but they have the solutions. What was it again, justin?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I think one of the great lessons they've taught me is that we can often see young people who are disengaged or struggle to engage at school as the problem where in change. But I think they're not only the answer to a more inclusive education system. I think they're actually also the answer to a more just society, because these are the young people that become our future society. So I think they're worth the extra effort that we need to put in to fully support.
Speaker 1:So beautifully said.
Speaker 2:Justin, I know and what I'm hopeful for is that there'll be a lot more of these amazing kinds of insights as we go through this podcast, or the kind of running joke that we've had so far is that maybe it's not the meaningful insights podcast but the too many ideas podcast, because we're probably going to go off in a lot of tangents. Also, justin, I'm wondering you know you said you're an environmental fisher. Can I say if I'm just not very good at it, I never catch anything. But let's start without trying.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think that was the point, that I'm just a rubbish fisherman. But is there any better way to spend a day than just being on the water? Yeah yeah, it is a very mindful place, isn't it?
Speaker 2:If you're yeah, yeah, it is a very mindful place, isn't it? We feature sitting on the water just listening and taking everything in. In fact, maybe that's a theme that's going to run through. Our podcast is around listening and hearing, and listening to the ideas and insights that we can gain from others. And you know, justin, you've talked beautifully about what can our children and young people teach us We'll talk about that, I'm sure, throughout the podcast and what can other people teach us and what can we hear and what can we learn.
Speaker 1:What about you, Chris? Tell us about yourself. Yeah.
Speaker 2:I think probably my biggest first go-to is probably there will be some people out there that will appreciate this I am probably first and foremost a German shepherd dad. In fact, I saw a meme online the other day that said that was literally how do you know someone is a German shepherd parent? Well, yeah, they'll tell you, and it divines their entire personality. Yeah, so no, I'm a Scottish Australian. So probably tell by this slightly hybrid accent that originally born and raised in Scotland but moved out to Australia in my early 20s. And so now I do that lovely upwards inflection thing at the end where my family keep making fun of me and saying, well, you stop doing that. Everything is not a question. Stop going up at the end of just a statement or a sentence. You know you can like a flat tone. They like to think I sound very australian flat is not how we would describe chris oh gosh, no.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I mean, I've lived in a few different places around the world now and I think I'd probably like to describe myself as a open-minded individual. I've lived and worked in Vietnam, china, thailand, scotland, here in Australia. I think I always had itchy feet. I always wanted to travel the world. I always wanted to experience life and learn by living.
Speaker 2:I heard when I was very young backpacker, about 21 years old, I remember someone saying to me you will learn far more by traveling 5,000 miles than you will reading 5,000 books. Now, whether that's true, I'm sure you can learn a lot from reading 5,000 books, but I certainly learned a lot about myself and other people by traveling and living in other parts of the world. And so, big traveler, like to travel, like to experience new places, like to learn about people, like to learn about the world. Have a lifelong learner. Don't think I've ever stopped learning. I'm constantly doing some kind of additional learning in my spare time. That probably is my hobby my partner said that to me the other day is I think study is your hobby. And the dog? So yeah, probably summarize myself as a dog lover, traveler, learner, dog lover, traveler, learner, and I should probably mention something about my career, right? Um, and yeah, and I uh hear it Before you do, Chris.
Speaker 3:I wonder if we've actually got an action from our first introductory podcast.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah.
Speaker 3:And that is that Smita is going to sing 1000 miles by the proclaimers as the theme song.
Speaker 2:We are no IP and there is no copyright infringement. Oh hey, whoa, come on. What about the Scotsman?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I can't do it. Well, okay, you're off the hook, sweetheart.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that was such a close call. Yeah, I'm glad that that diverted all on its own.
Speaker 2:Although I definitely do not have the voice for it. Yeah, no, I've got the accent but not the voice for it. Yeah, no, I got the accent but not the voice. Yeah, but, and then in terms of career, so here at the mckillop institute I am national programs director of development and innovation big, long title.
Speaker 2:But basically I am very fortunate in that I get to just work very closely with everyone else and I think the way I like to summarize my role is a bit of a connector. I get to connect. I connect across lots of different programs, lots of the different work across the organization, all the amazing work that people are doing and being able to kind of connect to other people. So you know, when I'm in a meeting and someone says, oh, you know, I really think we should, you know who you should connect with. You should connect with this person and let me facilitate that, and I, with you, should connect with this person and let me facilitate that. And I do a little bit around the it side of things as well. So support some it initiatives and digital things.
Speaker 2:And yeah, that's probably my background a little bit. I spent some time working for a tech company for a couple of years. I also spent a little bit of time in tertiary at the university sector and a bit of a theme again. Before that I was in education. Before that I I was a teacher. But I think if you probably look at all of us and the thread, the golden thread that runs through all three of us is we've all always been in professions that are about supporting other people and about trying to get the best out of life for other people. Yeah, would that be fair to say?
Speaker 1:I think you summarized my career better than me, chris. So, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 3:Another part of Chris's role is he's always fixing our mistakes, which this is just an example of that.
Speaker 2:So that's good, which means there's very little for me to do, because there's very little mistakes to fix. Justin Right, so we're here. Thank you for joining us. I think this is really just our first episode which we wanted to introduce.
Speaker 2:Why we're here? Why we're doing this? Who are these three people who are going to host? And we're really excited to be on this journey and we're excited for who we're going to talk to throughout this, what we're going to share, what insights are going to come out, and the hope that in some small, tiny way, it might have an impact. And if that's even just that one person listens to this and and is able to gain something from it, then we've achieved why we are here, and so we're very excited and thank you for for listening, thank you for stumbling across us and taking the time to listen to this podcast, and we really hope you enjoy it and we will be asking for audience participation, so we will give you an email address and things, um, where you enjoy it, and we will be asking for audience participation. So we will give you an email address and things where you can send us your questions, because we really want to have some Q&A episodes and we look forward to this journey with you, thank you.