Out of Plaece with Ann & Paul

Key themes: entrepreneurship, overcoming chronic illness, finding your purpose, and shadow work.In this episode, Philipp Kiesele, writer of Serapex on Substack, shares his journey from computer science to entrepreneurship to facing his shadows and discovering his archetypes and true calling through chronic illness.Philipp is a digital nomad, brand agency owner and someone who is passionate about helping others find their sovereign creator within. Key moments:⏱️ 00:00 - Growing up as an only child⏱️ 16:11 - Why 90% of businesses fail⏱️ 20:34 - When the achiever mindset stopped working⏱️ 25:39 - "What is life asking of me?"⏱️ 33:05 - Archetype work & your psychological blueprintConnect with Philipp:Serapex on SubstackConnect with Us on Instagram:Ann | Paul | Out of Plaece If this episode resonated, drop a comment below or send us a DM on Instagram. We'd love to hear from you!

Key themes: burnout recovery, entrepreneurship, mindset coaching, productivity redefinedFrom Melbourne's fine dining scene to government project management to founding The Cheerleader, Wendy Horan's journey is one of transformation born from burnout.In this episode, Wendy shares the moment during lockdown when her body literally stopped functioning, rocking on the floor, unable to understand what was happening. It was the breaking point after months of existing only in her mind, disconnected from anything physical or grounded.Today, Wendy works with high-performing female founders who are brilliant at what they do but exhausted behind the scenes. Her mission: end the girl boss hustle culture era and help women build purpose-led businesses without burning out.We explore how she combines analytical project management thinking with evidence-based coaching techniques like timeline therapy and hypnotherapy. Wendy explains what a mindset coach actually does (spoiler: it's not affirmations and vision boards), how she defines real productivity, and why beaches and daily walks are non-negotiable for her creative process.Plus: the lightning bolt moment that started her business, what happened when she removed fear through timeline therapy, and her advice for founders building something no one else is building.Drop a comment below if you had an 'aha moment' listening or watching this episode.Connect with Wendy: thecheerleader.com.au | @wendy_thecheerleaderConnect with Us: @itsannluong | @paulelderkin_

After 20 years as a corporate law partner, Arjun Lall made a radical leap: he walked away from the law to become a breath coach and yoga teacher. But this wasn't a reckless abandonment—it was a carefully considered journey toward alignment.Arjun compares the rush of his corporate life to sitting in a smoking room, surrounded by smokers, trying to convince himself he'd quit. Only when he physically left could he see the addiction for what it was. Now at Ujjayi Movement Studio in Bangalore, he teaches that "when you own your breath, no one can steal your peace or your happiness."His message to corporate professionals feeling the pull toward change? Take the leap—but from a place of alignment. Zoom out and see your life as a hundred-year journey. At 42, he didn't want another 42 years of law. He wanted 50+ years of purpose. The clarity came not from overthinking, but from regulating his nervous system and listening to his soul's calling.To connect with Arjun, head to Instagram and you will find him at Ujjayi Movement Studio. If you'd like to connect with us, you can follow us on:InstagramLinkedInPaul Elderkin - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/paulelderkin_⁠Ann Luong - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/itsannluong⁠Or on ⁠Substack⁠ where we dive into each episode, share more honest takes and behind the scenes.Thanks for being here. You've found your place.

In this episode of Out of Plaece, we chat with Tim Siegenbeek Van Heukelom, who shares his journey from the Netherlands to Australia, his experiences in Papua New Guinea, and the profound impact of his cancer diagnosis on his perspective on life and work. He's someone who's dedicated his life to making a positive impact on the world through his work at Non-Government Organisations, in his current position as Chief Impact Officer at an ESG software company, and through his co-founding of For Wild Places, an Australian charity that strives to make trail running a meaningful expression of environmental activism.He’s inspiring and vulnerable, especially as he shares his personal journey of cancer, leaving you thinking about what you can do as an individual to make a positive impact.Connect with Tim on LinkedIn or follow For Wild Places on Instagram.Thanks for watching, listening and following.Ann & Paul

In this episode of Out of Plaece, hosts Ann Luong & Paul Elderkin speak with Claire Alvis, writer of The Quiet Expert on Substack, founder of The Secret Sauce, and creator of the Free to Lead Framework. Claire shares her journey from working in high-growth startups to starting her own business, discussing the challenges and lessons learned along the way. The conversation explores the importance of authenticity in social media, the significance of personal branding, and the necessity of aligning one's business with its purpose. Claire emphasises that success is a journey, not a destination, and encourages listeners to embrace their unique voices in the entrepreneurial landscape and stay true to their why.

In this episode of Out of Plaece, hosts Ann and Paul interview with Dr. Christopher Jones, aka Dr. X, a Vice Principal at Durham University, UK and activist, discussing his journey from professional basketball to academia to championing why “everyone has to matter”.We explore themes of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Love (EDIL), emphasising the importance of rehumanisation in society.Dr. X shares insights on navigating personal identity, relationships, his connection to spirituality and the impact of historical erasure, especially on the black community.The conversation highlights the significance of self-discovery and the core value that “everyone has to matter”, advocating for a more compassionate and understanding world.In this episode, you’ll find out:Why is he called Dr. XWhat ‘rehumanisation’ means and how you can practice itWhy does he include Love at the end of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion or EDILThe importance of understanding your own history and how historical erasure has impacted awareness of black contributions to societyHis spiritual beliefs and how changing religious beliefs can leave you feeling out of pla(e)ceWhy does “everyone has to matter”, especially when you disagree with their point of viewIt’s a brilliant conversation and a great way to start our series of guest interviews. We’re also moving to a fortnightly cycle for our episodes, so keep an eye out every two weeks.Thanks for listening and watching, Ann & Paul

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussion of suicide, which may be distressing. Listener discretion is advised.In this deeply moving episode of Out of Plaece, we explore the profound impact of suicide on personal identity through the eyes of co-host Paul, who shares his journey of loss, grief, and healing. Paul opens up about the day that changed his life forever, the complexities of navigating trauma following the loss of his partner, and the struggle to reclaim his sense of self amidst a society that often misunderstands such experiences.This episode is a heartfelt exploration of vulnerability, the burden of performance in healing, resilience, the impact of COVID-19 on his recovery and the ongoing journey to find one's place in the world. Join us for an honest conversation that sheds light on the often unseen layers of grief and identity transformation. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicide loss or suicidal thoughts, please reach out to your respective crisis support: Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14United States: Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 988United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123Additional ResourcesNational Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI)Breathwork Organisations (both the organisations below provide accredited practitioners using science-backed and safe practices):Oxygen AdvantageSchool of Breath ScienceFor more on Paul's personal journey, you can read it on Substack.

My childhood reads like a textbook case of early athletic specialisation. Father: professional basketball coach and general manager. Environment: front-row seats at professional games, discipline drilled in from a young age. The pathway was clear, anticipated, inevitable."Everything around me was basketball. School didn't matter because I wasn't interested in it. I was going to be as good as Michael Jordan."When you build your sense of self around one pursuit, psychologists call it "identity foreclosure", a premature commitment without exploring alternatives. For me, basketball was the pursuit. It wasn’t one that my parents pressured me to pursue; it’s the one I believed in. Research shows that 20% of elite athletes experience clinically significant depression during career transitions.The transition from sporting excellence to corporate life is rarely straightforward. When I made the move to Australia, there was pressure to think about the future, which eventually led me to the business world. But when I entered, I brought with me the mindset of an elite athlete: the drive, the hunger for achievement, the expectation of excellence. I was still wired to be elite. Athletes are conditioned for immediate feedback, clear metrics, and physical expression. But corporate environments don't always reward the same intensity that creates champions on the court."The corporate world is about numbers and ticking boxes, and I don't work that logically."As someone who is very emotionally driven and often told I’m “too deep”, communication has usually been a challenge. How can I convey my feelings to someone, rather than just what makes cognitive sense? Neuroscientist Matthew Lieberman's research shows that social rejection activates the same brain regions as physical pain.Basketball was my outlet because I just had to show up physically. I could use the anger and frustration from being misunderstood into shots on the court. But what happens when that disappears?I believe this conversation touches on something many of us can relate to: feeling out of place in environments that don't align with how we naturally see and navigate the world. But this episode isn't just about career transitions. It's about the deeper wounds we carry, like my core belief of feeling "misunderstood" and "unheard" throughout my life. It's about how trauma and challenging experiences can strip away the identities we've carefully constructed, leaving us questioning who we are when the thing that defined us is no longer the centre of our world.This is part one of my story. The next episode will centre on a moment that shattered everything I knew. Paul xIf you'd like to connect with me, you can find me on Instagram @paulelderkin_

In this deeply personal episode of Out of Plaece, Ann, opens up about her journey from a bullied Vietnamese child to finding her authentic voice as a corporate leader. She shares the exhausting reality of code-switching between cultures, the toxic masculine leadership style she adopted to survive in male-dominated industries, and the breakthrough moment that changed everything.What You'll Learn:Why treating employees as "metrics" destroyed her soul (and her teams)The harsh reality of sexual harassment in corporate environmentsHow COVID-19 accidentally revolutionised her leadership approachThe crucial difference between equality and equity in the workplaceWhy her "out of place" feeling became her greatest superpowerConnect with us:Instagram: @outofplaece (P-L-A-E-C-E)Do you have your own "out of place" story?Please share it in the comments below.#OutOfPlaece #authenticleadership #immigrantexperience #corporatelife #leadership #diversityandinclusion #workplaceculture #personalgrowth #podcastinterview #inspirationalstory

"OMG, I would love that. That's a dream of mine". This is what someone said to me when I said I work with Paul, my partner, podcast co-host and business partner. Quick note before we get to the episode. Yes, we did record this as episode 3 but then pushed it out to episode 5. In this episode, we break down what it's actually like working with your partner and discuss how sometimes social media can make it seems like this aspirational thing. In this episode, we talk about:1. How Personal Triggers Show Up in Business - Processing conflict with curiosity instead of defensiveness when working with your partner2. Essential Boundaries for Couples in Business - Protecting creative flow, maintaining individual identity, and separating work from relationship space3. The Unsustainable Truth About Hustle Culture - Why 10 days of non-stop work taught us to create our own rules for success4. Independence Within Partnership - How encouraging each other's individual growth strengthens both relationship and business decisions5. Heart-Centered Leadership - Rejecting traditional CEO blueprints to lead from personal values and authentic community buildingSo a question to those considering it:"If everything in your life came crumbling down tomorrow, do you and your partner have the tools to stand together and navigate that challenge, or would you start to fray apart?"

We've all seen the Instagram posts: laptops on beaches, sunset co-working sessions, the #digitalnomad lifestyle that looks effortlessly perfect. But what's the real story behind leaving everything behind to work remotely from paradise?In our latest episode of Out of Plaece, we pull back the curtain on our own journey: from the years of planning and sacrifices, when we discovered we were both planning to flee to different countries, to the reality check that hit us hard overseas.Watch or listen to find out what we actually learnt. After years of sacrifices, planning, and finally leaping into location-independent life, the biggest lesson wasn't what we expected.It wasn't about Instagram-worthy laptop-on-beach moments.It wasn't about "finding ourselves" in some exotic location.It was about something much more fundamental—and much harder to achieve than we thought.If you'd like to connect with us, you can follow us on Instagram:Paul - https://www.instagram.com/paulelderkin_Ann - https://www.instagram.com/itsannluong

This is precisely what happened to us when we started talking about the aftermath of our accident in Thailand: the recovery, the family dynamics, and that brutal question that made us examine everything we thought we knew about our relationship.What You'll Hear:The Vulnerability of Being Broken: How Paul, a former pro basketball player, struggled with slowing down30+ Hours of Travel Hell: The logistical nightmare of flying home with serious injuries across three countriesFamily Dynamics Under a Microscope: What it's like watching your partner interact with their family while you're both emotionally raw. The Trauma Bonding Question: What it really means when shared trauma reveals rather than creates your connectionWhy This Episode MattersThis isn't just another recovery story. It's about what happens when you're forced to examine your relationship under the most vulnerable circumstances possible. We open up about the emotional complexity of trauma recovery—not just the physical healing, but the psychological work of processing what happened while building something stronger together.This episode is dedicated to our families for being there when we needed them the most and for helping us navigate difficulties with love and unwavering support. If you'd like to connect with us, you can follow us on Instagram:Paul - https://www.instagram.com/paulelderkin_Ann - https://www.instagram.com/itsannluongOr on Substack, where we dive into each episode, share more honest takes and behind the scenes.

When your body breaks: Our story of trauma, resilience, and the power of being truly seenPicture this: You've sold everything, packed your life into a suitcase, and finally embarked on that digital nomad dream you've been planning for years. You're living in a villa in Koh Samui, signed up for Muay Thai lessons, and settling into your new paradise lifestyle.Then you wake up to fluorescent hospital lights, the sound of beeping machines, and your partner calling your name from the bed next to you.This is exactly what happened to us.In our latest episode of Out of Plaece, we share the unfiltered story of how our location-independent adventure came to a "screeching stop" with a motorbike accident that changed everything.

In today's minipod (mini episode), we share the story of how this podcast came to be and why we called it Out of Plaece. Discover what the phrase ‘out of place’ means to us, how that feeling can follow you through life and why it inspired us to create something. While Paul was on a trip to Bali, writing a book, Ann had an idea that was sparked by a conversation about community and how, sometimes, it’s not about finding it but about creating it. We’re not just partners on a podcast; we’re also business partners of a tech startup called Plaece, hence the funny spelling of the name. We're starting off with a series of minipods, bite-sized episodes to give you an insight into who we are, why we do this and how we ended up here. We'll give you a hint: it was a near-death experience.And, yep, we forgot to edit the outro on this one. Not an intentional cliffhanger at the end 😂