One True Measure

In 2007, as an infantry platoon commander, David served in the Solomon Islands, which began a lifelong career in international relations. Following this, David began working with Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was soon overseas on his first Diplomatic posting to the Australian High Commission, Islamabad, at the height of the international coalition’s efforts to bring stability and peace to Afghanistan and Pakistan. David then went on to work as part of the international coalition to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq.In 2019, David was given a leadership challenge unlike any other in modern history, as the Station Leader at Davis Station, Antarctica, he was leading a team of just 24 through the isolation of an Antarctic winter when the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out. The impact of the pandemic on Antarctic operations saw David's team without a ride home as planned and facing one of the longest periods of isolation in modern Antarctic History.David's book, '537 Days of Winter: Resilience, Endurance and Humanity while stranded in Antarctica during the Pandemic' tells the story of what it was like to lead a team through unprecedented uncertainty and how to find resilience in the most extreme environments.Combining his experiences from war zones and his six different Antarctic expeditions, David now works as a professional speaker. As a speaker, David's unique story also helps organisations and individuals understand the importance of environmental awareness and works with schools and corporations to better understand humanity's impact on climate and the planet’s most remote wilderness in Antarctica..If you want to find out more about David, please see the attached links.https://davidknoff.com/ 

In this episode, Blake sits down with Dr William von Hippel. Bill is a renowned psychologist, author and expert on human behaviour. Bill has spent over three decades as a psychology professor in the United States and Australia.Today, he writes books and conducts research for private companies. Bill has published over 150 academic articles and chapters across a range of psychological topics. His work has been cited over fifteen thousand times in academic literature and widely reported in the media, including The New York Times ‘100 Ideas of the Year’, The Economist, USA Today, Le Monde, Il Mundo, Der Spiegel and The Australian.Bill is the author of The Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From and What Makes Us Happy, a critically acclaimed book that explores how the challenges our early ancestors faced continue to influence our decision-making, relationships and happiness today. ‘The Social Leap’ has been translated into a dozen different languages and received the annual Book Prize from the world’s foremost social psychology society. Bill’s second book, ‘The Social Paradox’, was published in February 2025 to crtical acclaim.Bill has also been a guest on several of the world’s biggest podcasts, including The Joe Rogan Experience, The Diary of A CEO,  London Real and Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson.Known for his ability to connect evolutionary theory with everyday life, Bill’s research delves into the cognitive and social mechanisms that influence our relationships, decisions and overall well-being. His talks are insightful and engaging, offering audiences a fresh perspective on how ancient evolutionary pressures continue to mould our lives today.When he is not doing all of these things, Bill can be found spending time with family and friends, climbing, golfing, and skiing.If you want to find out more about William, please see the attached links.Instagram - www.instagram.com/williamvonhippel LinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-von-hippel/

In this episode, Blake sits down with Peter Scott. Peter Scott joined the Royal Australian Navy as a seventeen-year-old Midshipman and, over three decades, rose to become the professional head of the Navy’s elite: the Submarine Arm. During that journey, he served among the dedicated crews of the most highly specialised capability in any Navy in the most complex and demanding environment on earth: the undersea battlespace.He survived and led others through at-sea fires, floods and explosions, and passed the most demanding military command course in the world, Perisher. Peter commanded the longest deployment ever conducted by an Australian submarine and led the Arm through an unprecedented period of expansion.In all, he served in ten submarines and twenty different command and leadership appointments over thirty-four years. A veteran of multiple Special Operations with the Submarine Arm, he also saw active service in Iraq, the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan during 2006 and 2007.Peter was awarded a Commendation for Distinguished Service in the Australia Day Honours List 2008, having previously been decorated with the Conspicuous Service Cross for achievements in command of HMAS Collins. Peter holds a Master’s degree in Coaching Psychology from the University of Sydney and now works as an executive coach, helping leaders develop, perform, and succeed. He has recently authored a memoir, published by Fremantle Press, on his naval and submarine service - ‘Running Deep. An Australian Submarine Life.’When not writing or coaching, Peter can be found on the trails running ultramarathons or relaxing at home with his family.If you want to find out more about Peter, please see the attached links.www.peterscott.au

In this episode, Blake sits down with Dr Jenny Brockis is a Medical Practitioner, Lifestyle Medicine Physician and Health and Wellness Coach committed to reshaping the future of healthcare toward a focus on prevention and reduction of chronic disease.Having no idea what she wanted to do after leaving school, Jenny initially trained as a Nightingale Nurse at St Thomas’ Hospital in London before realising medicine was where she really wanted to be. After qualifying at Bristol University, she commenced specialist GP training before migrating to Australia, where she set up and ran her own highly successful group family medical practice for many years.Burnout was the freight train Jenny never saw coming. She lost her practice and sense of identity. If she wasn’t a doctor, who was she?In 2009, Jenny founded her consultancy Brain Fit, working in the corporate sector, providing workplace health and well-being services, and becoming an international and award-winning keynote speaker. She retrained in Lifestyle Medicine, gained her Fellowship in 2019, and has continued to indulge her passion for learning by studying the neuroscience of leadership, nutritional and environmental medicine, positive psychology, menopause management, and nature-based therapy at a postgraduate level.A prolific writer, Jenny has written a weekly blog since 2009, has had countless articles published in print and online, and is the author of six books, including the best-seller Future Brain and her newest book, The Natural Advantage.Having discovered, thanks to burnout, that there is life beyond work, Jenny is an avid hiker, kayaker and owner of two nutty Vizsla dogs, wife and parent to two amazing young adults.If you want to find out more about Jenny, please see the attached links.www.drjennybrockis.comThe One True Measure:Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/onetruemeasureLinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-o-connell-a829b369/Website - https://www.onetruemeasure.com.au/

In this episode, Blake sits down with Ben Pronk, a leader and specialist in risk, resilience and process improvement.Ben’s first career spanned 24 years in the Australian Army, with the majority of this time spent in the Special Air Service Regiment. In this capacity, Ben served on multiple operational deployments and was decorated for leadership in action, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. The culmination of his service was serving as the Commanding Officer of the SAS.Ben is a highly regarded thought leader and sought-after public speaker, a faculty member at the Australian Graduate School of Management and a Patron of the Military Art Program Australia. Ben holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Defence Studies (with Distinction) from King's College, London, and a Master of Business Administration (with Distinction) from the University of Western Australia. He is also a graduate of the AICD Company Directors Course.Alongside Tim Curtis, his business partner, Ben co-hosts the popular Unforgiving60 podcast. In 2022, Ben co-wrote the best-selling book The Resilience Shield with Tim and his brother, Dr Dan Pronk. Ben also has a new book due out on June 30 titled ‘ We are all going to die’ Practical Happiness for the time you have left. When he is not all these things, he is the Managing Partner at Mettle Global, a marathon runner, an artist, a husband, a father of two, and a true Renaissance man.If you want to find out more about Ben, please see the attached links.https://resilienceshield.com/ https://www.benpronk.com/ The One True Measure:Follow us on:Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/onetruemeasureLinkedIN - https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-o-connell-a829b369/Website - https://www.onetruemeasure.com.au/