Shows
The Modern Maze#14: How to Build a Career in Systemic Change Part 2: Making an Impact and an Income w/ Adrian RöbkeOn our previous episode, Adrian Röbke and myself discussed the process to identify your unique niche to contribute to a regenerative and just future.If you did not, check out part one of this conversation here.But what now?You might feel:* Uncertain on how to create collaborative & impactful projects* Anxious about being able to pay your bills when you pivot your career.* Overwhelmed by how to safeguard your well-being when engaging with complex problems.Contributing to systemic change can feel like a l...2025-05-021h 03
The Modern Maze#13: How to Build a Career in Systemic Change Part 1: Creating Your Unique Niche w/ Adrian RöbkeWe live in a time of overlapping crises.It's a lot to take in.You may feel: - Overwhelmed by global problems, which create so much suffering. - Frustrated about the slow pace of change while time is running out. - Confused on how you can best contribute your talents to make a difference.It often feels like a Modern Maze that keeps us powerless.But, we can choose a different story.In today’s podcast, Adrian Röbke, a network weave...2025-04-011h 00
The Modern Maze#12: Reflecting on 2024 and Dreaming a Vision for 2025Wow what a year 2024 has been. In our final episode of the year, we pause to reflect on the state of our hearts, minds and souls as we navigate the turbulence we've faced.Together, we'll craft a vision for 2025 - one born from our collective yearning for change and our shared journey.What lies ahead for The Modern Maze will be shaped by our desire for wholeness, healing and a deeper connection to the world. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this...2024-12-0646 min
The Modern Maze#11: The Power of Community in Shaping Urban Futures w/ Caroline Sanz-Veitch of Regen MelbourneHow can we empower individuals and communities to shape their collective future?In this episode, we welcome Caroline Sanz-Veitch from Regen Melbourne to explore the transformative power of participation in city planning.Caroline dives into Regen Melbourne’s work on new urban governance, emphasising community engagement, storytelling, leadership archetypes and innovative democratic models. Together, we uncover how these approaches can inspire communities to reclaim their narratives and take meaningful action in shaping their world. References:Regen Gazette article bank: https://www.regen.melbourne/news.2024-12-041h 20
The Modern Maze#10: Building Heatwave Resilience w/ Emma Bacon of Sweltering CitiesWith our summers growing hotter and longer, we are confronting relentless heat that reshapes daily life. Heat waves have become our deadliest environmental disaster and will increasingly become more common as the planet continues to heat up. We are joined by Emma Bacon, the founder and executive director of Sweltering Cities. Sweltering Cities, founded in 2020, focuses on advocating for liveable and equitable communities affected by extreme heat. Emma highlights the critical need for better housing, transportation, and urban planning to mitigate the...2024-11-221h 02
The Modern Maze#9: Dualism and the Separation of Heaven, Mind, Body and NatureIn our latest episode, we'll explore how our modern worldview has fractured our understanding of reality, dividing us from nature, each other, and ourselves.For most of human history, people lived with an intimate connection to the natural world, understanding that we are part of a living, breathing ecosystem. But over time, empires rose, and the European Enlightenment introduced a new way of thinking.Nature became an object to be studied and exploited, and humans were reduced to isolated, rational beings. How does that affect how we look at ourselves, each other and...2024-10-121h 08
The Modern Maze#8: Positive Pathways Volume 2 - Can Gratitude Awaken a Global Change?During the COVID-19 lockdowns in Melbourne, I began a daily gratitude practice to cope with rising anxiety and uncertainty. While life’s pace caused the practice to fade, the first half of 2024 brought intense challenges that made gratitude feel distant. However, once those challenges passed, I realised that gratitude had quietly sustained me, evolving from a daily ritual into a deep, unconscious connection with life’s simple joys and Mother Earth. Now, recognising gratitude's power within me, another question began forming in my mind. “Could gratitude save our plan...2024-09-0240 min
The Modern Maze#7: Designing a Regenerative Melbourne w/ Alison Whitten of Regen MelbourneIn today’s episode, I have the privilege of speaking with Alison Whitten, the Director of Systems Lab at Regen Melbourne.Launched in November 2023 and inspired by Doughnut Economics, the Greater Melbourne City Portrait (also known as the Melbourne Doughnut) is a platform that applies diverse inputs and perspectives to create a holistic picture of Melbourne’s movement towards a safe and just place for people and planet.We dive back into the impactful concepts of Doughnut Economics and how this powerful framework was applied to Melbourne, exploring its significance in fostering a more e...2024-08-051h 10
The Modern Maze#6: The Birth of Capitalism Part 2 - Colonisation and the Paradox of Artificial ScarcityIn this episode, we continue our exploration into the origins of capitalism. Following the enclosures of Europe, the next chapter of this story follows the Age of Discovery, as Europeans took to the seas in search of resources, wealth and new trading routes. When Europeans started to colonise the Americas after 1492, they were not driven by the romance of 'exploration', 'discovery' and 'adventure' as our schoolbooks tell us.Guided by Dr. Jason Hickel's book 'Less is More', we will trace how colonisation wasn't merely an expansion of territories but a fundamental reshaping of global economies and...2024-07-1038 min
The Modern Maze#5: Exploring Climate Corruption w/ Rachel Donald of Planet CriticalI am so honoured and delighted to welcome Rachel Donald from Planet: Critical as our inaugural guest on The Modern Maze.Rachel is a climate corruption journalist whose work at Planet Critical illuminates the intricate links between the climate crisis and global geopolitics.In this episode, Rachel and I explore the ongoing global resource crises, highlighting how competitive resource acquisition among nations has escalated conflicts in regions such as Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. We discuss the critical roles of symbolic language, power dynamics and economic systems in exacerbating these crises. Rachel also offers...2024-06-031h 11
The Modern Maze#4: Positive Pathways Volume 1 - Overcoming the Negative News CycleRecently, I've been unable to get off my phone when I start looking at the news; it usually begins with one story, and then before I know it, it's been half an hour, and I've gone down the rabbit hole. After that, I feel emotionally and physically drained. Has something like this happened to you before? This is more common than you might think. Named "doomscrolling", refers to a state of media use typically characterised as someone scrolling through their social media newsfeeds with an obsessive focus on distressing, depressing, or otherwise negative information. This term really became popular...2024-05-1647 min
The Modern Maze#3: The Birth of Capitalism Part 1 - Enclosures and the Theft of the CommonsA question that I asked myself often but never knew the answer to was, "How did our economic structures emerge? Was it by accident, by design or a natural evolution of trades and markets?" I finally began getting the answers I was seeking when I read the book "Less is More" by Dr Jason Hickel, which revealed the history of capitalism and its not-so-gentle rise from the collapse of feudalism. In this episode, we will embark on a journey through the birth of capitalism, guided by this book and its concepts....2024-04-2544 min
The Modern Maze#2: Reimagining Growth with Doughnut EconomicsIn this episode, we embark on a journey through the provocative insights of Kate Raworth's "Doughnut Economics", the book that began my journey towards the Modern Maze. Diving into the heart of our modern economic system, we question the long-held pursuit of endless economic growth and its alignment with the realities of our planet and society. We explore the ambitious quest to redefine the very goals of economics, shifting from the singular focus on GDP to the holistic vision of the Doughnut. This model balances human prosperity with ecological sustainability. We unravel the se...2024-04-161h 25
The Modern Maze#1: Enter the Modern MazeTo ensure humanity's continued thriving, we must create an ecologically safe and socially just planet. Despite remarkable efforts by individuals and communities worldwide, we're currently grappling with multifaceted crises—from climate change to economic challenges, which threaten us with prolonged instability. Instead of racing collectively towards our shared goal of a safe planet that is just for all, we have created a maze for ourselves. We have become a fragmented and distracted species. We are guided by our collective ideologies, philosophical beliefs, and deepest desires, needs, and wants. We create barriers, illusions and dead...2024-04-1321 min