Vanilla Club Podcast

Allan WexlerMichael Yarinsky @ Tangible SpaceIn this episode of Vanilla Club Podcast, we are joined by visionary artist and teacher, Allan Wexler, to explore the groundbreaking Farm is Table project. With all the distress in the world at the moment, we couldn't think of a more welcome time to go "back to the country." In this case, with a small dose of wryness (we love it!) Allan takes us "into" the country, or, the farm, so to speak, quite literally.Allan, whose corpus of work spans architecture, fine art, and visceral, experimental culinary experiences, takes us mise-en-scène of a dining concept that's rather "earthy," shall we say. This is a loaded word "earthy;" is it earthy in the sense of "crunchy" and "granola" sort of au naturale? Or is it earthy the way that "tu" is suggestive of in Chinese parlance: base. Allan challenges all of these notions, and with a righteous, and hard-earned absurdist touch. Farm is Table has caught much attention on the interwebs, and spawned a number of copycats in the flesh.Co-created with architect Michael Yarinsky of Tangible Space, the project is a playful reimagining of the farm-to-table experience. Farm is Table literally integrates the table into the earth, with diners seated in a trench carved between rows of trees, and hand-picked wildflowers serving as the table centrepieces. This immersive design transforms a simple meal into a multi-sensory exploration, both playfully jousting with and seriously interrogating conventional notions of dining and art. Allan's work reminds me so much of Walter De Maria's New York Earth Room, which I visited in 2001 as a student at Tisch. The Earth Room was a gallery space with white walls, displaying a pile of dirt--- and here is the key---and displaying nothing but that pile of dirt (maybe it was more like a bed of dirt, as it was spread relatively evenly). It was "found art," it was so natural, but marrying a $0 commodity to $$$$ commercial-residential Manhattan property constraints was so ludicrously unnatural; it was so simple, but so improbable; so real (what is realer than a pile of dirt?), but so abstract. I was enthralled. It is my favourite installation ever in NYC. Allan's work harkens back to this tradition, and in the episode you will see that Allan can effortlessly place himself and his work into a much broader critical context. He poses some of the same questions as De Maria, and from the first moment I encountered Farm is Table, I'm like whoa! Allan also situates the project within a particular lineage, linking it to F.T. Marinetti’s 1932 Futurist Cookbook, which was all about merging culinary and fine arts through provocative and absurdist meals. Farm is Table is, in many ways, a modern update of this avant-garde spirit. We also touch on some of the other project's from Allan and Michael's New Futurist Cookbook, which they are hoping to release in the near future.Simple vs complex is a recurring theme on Vanilla Club Podcast. It seems that the virality of Farm Is Table has a lot to do with making the ordinary into something extraordinary. And as Allan reminds us in the podcast, "You don't need to use expensive materials or complex construction. You can work small. You can work from a corner of your apartment and make amazingly important work."We hope you enjoy.

This episode is a first for the show: a live, walking conversation recorded on-premises at Vanilla Club, on the lush Cassowary Coast in Tropical North Queensland, before picking up later in the urban jungle of Sydney. (Please give me some credit for my assimilation into Aussie culture--- if you watch the video you will see I am reppin' the "high-viz," screaming neon orange hat, and a ripper of a neon yellow vest, thank you!) What unfolds here isn't a typical interview, but a shared journey through neolithic rainforest, across rivers with “potential for crocs,” and into deeper reflections on place, and community.Our guest Danny Kinzer, is a former high-school classmate of mine. Physically speaking, imagine a composite of Dave Bautista and Jason Momoa; you get the picture stature-wise; but Danny has a better smile than either of them on their best day, and is one of the warmest braddahs you'll ever meet. Danny describes himself less as a storyteller and more as a voyager, guide, and student of relationship. He has worked in education and some adjacent spaces with some big names like National Geographic, Hōkūleʻa Crew, and The Biomimicry Institute, and has been associated with some stellar institutions, but a name-dropper he is not. And the tenor of this conversation is a lot more subtle. So we will just go with the braddah-ship.As the walk begins, the conversation opens into the Hawaiian ecological concept of "kipuka" - pockets of life that survive disruption and seed future regeneration. Vanilla Club becomes a living example: a working farm that also acts as a sanctuary, and a meeting place for human, animal and plant life.From there, we flow across disciplines and life chapters. Danny reflects on stepping away from competitive sport, when he realised the game mattered less to him than the people. That same instinct, to choose meaning over metrics (and the persistent, omni-optimisation that surrounds so many of us), threads through his studies in neuroscience and psychology, his later work in biomimicry, and a life shaped by walking, wandering, and listening.Rather than chasing famous destinations, Danny speaks about “Lake Okobojis”: ordinary places made extraordinary through relationship. A small island village in China reached on foot. A spontaneous visit to Anaconda, Montana. Swimming mangroves in Bali. Danny is the type of guy who would be down grabbing a bag of rice and heading upriver in to the wild, and I just love it. Tripadvisor... schmipadvisorThe ocean emerges as a central metaphor - less a boundary than a vast connector, “a million rivers flowing at once.” Living in Hawaii, Danny shares how voyaging canoes and intergenerational knowledge have shaped his understanding of community, where children, elders, and ancestors are all part of the same crew. If I said it it'd be cliché, but Danny just lives the Aloha spirit.Returning to the Cassowary Coast, the conversation closes where it began: with gratitude for a place that feels alive, unfinished (in a good way!), and willing to move without a fixed destination.We hope you enjoy.

vanilla.clubIn this episode, we are joined by Alex Woo, director of the Netflix hit "In Your Dreams."As founder and CEO of Kuku Studios, Alex is a business-creative hybrid - something he is all too modest about, but something that is a key part of Alex's secret sauce.Alex is also a dear friend and classmate. We went to the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU together. I don't have any beer pong gone wrong stories to share, or drunken late night hijinks to tell, probably because Alex was in the cutting room, perfecting his craft, all the way back to the last millennium. I can tell you that even in high school the lore was that Alex was destined to be a master filmmaker.We also learn plenty of tidbits about the movie making process. Alex gives some specific examples of how particular jokes get woven into the film---sometimes they are core elements in the early script, other times they are monkey-wrenched in there---like a particular "Don't Cha!"Alex gives some vignettes of his childhood in the States and the Hong Kong, and how certain cultural and family experiences came to inspire the film.Ultimately, 'In Your Dreams' really reminds us why storytelling is king, and why in a media landscape filled with lots of mediocre and increasingly AI-generated content, parents should opt for the high quality choice, like In Your Dreams.We hope you enjoy.

Cairns Native BeeIn this breezy but immersive episode, Vanilla Club Podcast gets out of the studio and into the field, or the paddock, as they say Down Under. I sit down with Zac Peterson, founder of Cairns Native Bee/Hinterland Hives, and Anoob Davidraj, a fellow Vanilla Club team member, to unpack the remarkable world of bees.What begins as a conversation about starting our own apiary at Vanilla Club, quickly expands into a sweeping exploration of the craft of beekeeping, and the science of the hive mind. They are wonderful creatures these bees!As the episode unfolds, we dive into the chemistry of taste - how compounds, plant stress responses, soil profiles, and even pollination behaviours influence what we perceive on the tongue. This is terroir if I have ever seen it, applicable as much to Chardonnay grapes in France as it is to native Australian honey in Queensland.One of the episode’s highlights is Zac’s breakdown of honey production: how bees perform the waggle dance to guide others to nectar, why honey flavour changes every season, and how a single hive with ten frames can produce ten completely different honeys depending on where its foragers decide to fly. With yields ranging from 30 to 60 kilos a year, each hive becomes its own micro-ecosystem of chemistry and flavour.We discuss the calming effect of smoke, to the evolutionary reasons bees are more aggressive toward darker colours - a survival trait shaped by ancient predators. Are bees racist? We now know the answer.Anoob shares a bit of his background with us, tracing his passion for beekeeping back to his childhood in South India, where his family produced seasonal honey from blooming rubber trees. We then reflect on the future of ethical beekeeping, the alarming impact of agricultural chemicals, and the urgent need for younger keepers. In preparation of our own Vanilla Club honey concoctions, we are embracing the idea that we are partners with our bees; in fact their collective decision making determine the precise flavours of each season.Keep it sweet!We hope you enjoy.

Nicola on LinkedInNicola's DocumentaryPragmatic PracticeClick here if you need help with gamblingWith two gambling scandals shaking both the NBA and Major League Baseball, the integrity of sport is under scrutiny.Last month, in the NBA, Chauncey Billups and Terry Rozier were arrested after investigations uncovered a network of illegal betting and high-stakes poker schemes.And now in baseball, two legit pitchers - Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz - were indicted after being accused of intentionally rigging some of their pitches and manipulating game outcomes. Legit becomes illegitimate in a flash.Both scandals are timely. And, furthermore, especially awkward as it was only days after the Dodgers won a legacy-sealing, multiple-precedent-setting, arguably fairytale World Series-- one for the purists that is, that the story broke. This week on Vanilla Club Podcast, I speak with behavioural scientist and psychologist Nicola Coalter, who has spent years studying gambling-- and she is quick to point out that it is indeed gambling, not the softer and fuzzier "gaming" nomenclature preferred by the industry. Gambling is so ingrained into Australian sport that we no longer blink an eye at betting app logos on jerseys (which is still taboo in the U.S.), or normalised betting advertising during every ad break. Nicola explains the danger of these newfound digital betting formats, as they are algorithmic, tracking every press of the button, and designed to psychologically lead the bettor to more time spent, more funds staked per spin. The free accessibility, cultural permissivity, and the on-demand nature of this generation of gambling offerings is clearly way ahead of what the combined culturo-socio-governmental status quo can muster as far as prevention and frankly, crisis management. The numbers? Well, they speak for themselves. Of almost 200 countries in the world, Australia is #1--yes, numero uno, in terms of gambling losses per capita. Nicola regularly works with clients at the ground-level who are struggling with this kind of addiction, and encourages us to avoid moralising individuals with messages to “gamble responsibly”. This kind of rhetoric unfairly blames individuals, and does little to address the intricate system upholding the extraction and exploitation.Nicola’s upcoming documentary, Clubs at a Crossroads, continues her mission to expose the systems behind gambling harm and advocate for meaningful reform. Her work and insights are accessible via the above links.

Priscilla Harvey - Living the Questions on SubstackGet that Sweet Tea ready. So sweet you can stand a spoon up in it? Are you grinnin' like a possum eatin' a sweet tater'? Mmmm Hmmm.Vanilla Club is in North Queensland, Australia. Yet as strange as it sounds, despite two mountain ranges, the Great Plains, a massive ocean, a great barrier reef, some 1000's of km's of separation, there's a subtle resonance between the two places. Aussies think of "the North" or "FNQ" as a yonder. It is a frontier, something akin to Tacitus' description of Germania, an ill-defined, sometimes scary (see the first scene of Gladiator) "zebra-shaded zone." Climatically we are quite similar (i.e. warmer). We are both less-populated than the big cities in the Northern North and the Southern South respectively, and have relatively more bucolic, outdoorsy settings. The accents in fact both have something of a "lean;" think of the contrast between the American Southern drawl and the clipped, received pronunciation of HRH King Charles whose words fire out like discrete cutout missiles. The Far North Queensland "twang" embraces the back country. It too was born on the bayou. Words sort of bathe in the mangroves, n' ride out in the sunset, like "maaaaate," "bloooody croooocccc." Obviously, there are vast differences, but I invite listeners to try and draw some fun parallels between the host and the guest's respective regions in this episode. Comment below what you think is similar in the South to the "Far North!"Back to today's show---In this candid episode, writer Priscilla Harvey, 'Living the Questions' on Substack, shares her striking personal journey through addiction, faith, and recovery, offering insights that are as practical as they are heartfelt.Raised in the American South’s “Bible Belt,” Priscilla describes her early disillusionment with Christianity. Drawing on her widely read essay Why I Call Myself a Christian, and Thich Nhat Hanh’s Living Buddha, Living Christ, she explains how she stopped “skipping across traditions” and returned fully to Christianity. Priscilla speaks candidly about reclaiming Jesus’s radical message of love from the grip of patriarchy, nationalism, and capitalist distortion. She challenges the way many American Christians have merged faith with materialism and fear.Upon asking Priscilla how motherhood has intersected with her journey, she simply exclaims, "How has it not?!" Motherhood, she explains, became her greatest teacher. She has learnt to release fear, to trust, and to foster a home where questions are welcome rather than punished. Her recent “dumb phone” experiment - thirty days without smartphone scrolling - quickly became a beneficial practice. She observes how, in just days, she began calling loved ones more, and noticing small acts of grace.We also dig into Priscilla's recovery from alcoholism. She recounts years of denial and shame, and the reluctant walk through the doors of AA. Priscilla doesn't need to warm up to some of the viscera of problem drinking, telling us early about often stirring from blackout drinking episodes with vomit caked on her person. As someone with a history of problem drinking myself, your humble host is in a strong position to discuss with Priscilla about the struggle, "rock bottom," and the road to recovery. Priscilla emphasises how her faith and sobriety are intertwined, and lays a great foundation for us to get excited about her upcoming book on these and other related themes.Refill that Sweet Tea (by now) and lock into this awesome episode!We hope you enjoy.

Jenna Lee on IGJenna's websiteIn this episode, we explore the intersections of art, identity, and cultural heritage with Larrakia Indigenous artist and designer Jenna (Mayilema) Lee, whose work navigates history, personal ancestry, and contemporary Australian life. I may have mispronounced Jenna's mob affiliations (dear Americans: "mob" doesn't mean mafia as in "the mob;" in Australia, "mob" is a collective noun to refer to a kinship group. It is perhaps most similar to the usage of the word "posse," or "band," like in the Old West.)Drawing on her mixed heritage - Aboriginal, Asian, and Anglo-Australian - Jenna reflects on how art can be a tool for discovery identity, rather than just a tool to express it.We consider the Makkassan trade route; a pre-European, Aboriginal x Sulawesian (i.e. Indonesian) trade network that goes way back, and links Australia to China, who were even then, interested in "trepang" the sea cucumbers known for medicinal (and let's be clear, culinary use too!) uses. This is a lovely place to start the conversation I thought, because it gives insight to 1) how Australia had a role in regional maritime trade routes in pre-colonial times; 2) gives a sense of how vast Australia as a continent is, and the variation between indigenous "mobs;" 3) is great fodder for alt-fiction too.We get into the theme of complexity before too long; this is the Vanilla Club after all, and the show wouldn't be the show if we didn't attempt to raid for some hidden complexities! Jenna examines how Aboriginality, Asian heritage, and queer identity intersect, reflecting on generational struggles and activism that have shaped her freedom to explore these aspects openly. By sharing personal and family histories, she aims to demystify mixed Aboriginal families and create space for representation and connection.Residencies and international exhibitions have played a significant role in Jenna's art career. From Japan and Bali to Singapore and the U.S., she investigates global perceptions of Australian Aboriginal culture, exploring how histories and contemporary narratives are understood abroad, and giving us some insight into how little quirks in development lead to major differences in how contemporary folks can perceive the same thing. The episode also addresses the challenges newcomers face in engaging with Aboriginal culture, discussing exhibitions like The Neighbour at the Gate at the National Art School, which fosters dialogue between Aboriginal artists and the Asian diaspora. She emphasises the importance of respectful engagement, recommending First Nations art fairs while acknowledging the gaps in available information and resources. We also touch on some politics and the confronting White-Power march that occurred recently in Melbourne, and how and where politics pops up in Jenna's work.Through it all, her work embodies the duality of Australia, ancient and young at the same time--- with a wry sense of humour that pops up here and there--- wait for it! Check out Jenna's amazing instagram, where she actively posts updates on exhibitions and installations! We hope you enjoy.

In this episode, we welcome Bree Bullock, Managing Associate at Armstrong Legal in Brisbane QLD, to help us understand when poor taste and loose lips can potentially trip into tangible legal consequences.Bree, a criminal law expert with over a decade of experience, shares her insights sparked by a recent case involving a Cairns, Queensland Police Officer whose social media comments overseas raised questions about racial insensitivity and unbecoming conduct.We explore the responsibilities of sworn officers, the broader impacts of public statements on community trust, and how ethical obligations shape behaviour both in and out of uniform. Bree draws parallels between the legal and police professions, noting the importance of accountability, and walking us through the pitfalls were accountability in the justice system ever to be eroded (hint: sworn officers should be held to a higher standard than private citizens).The conversation then shifts to criminal defence work, where Bree explains the nuances of her role in protecting clients’ rights, ensuring fairness, and upholding ethical standards in court. She discusses what it takes to become a skilled practitioner - communication, critical reasoning, public advocacy - and reflects on how personal values and a sense of justice guide her work every day.We also dive into practical advice for navigating the justice system, including the importance of seeking expert legal advice, the perils of consulting AI for legal guidance, and understanding the complex relationships between clients, lawyers, and courts. Bree highlights Armstrong Legal’s focus on local expertise (the legal fraternity in a city even the size of 1 million + is still small), despite having national reach as a firm, a balancing act that all medium-to-large law firms have to navigate.Finally, Bree shares some personal perspectives on working with clients under stress, emphasising empathy, patience, and professionalism while maintaining personal integrity. Bree gives background as to what traits and core skills make for a good solicitor (ps. comfort in public speaking is virtually a must!), and how her own moral compass that pulls her towards a justice framework to view the world made her initial career direction rather a fait accompli.Don't miss this one!

Expat Prep on SubstackGUS: If push came to shove, I was wondering how soon you might be able to take over the lab yourself. You, and an assistant.Gale thinks for a moment.GALE: Why would... Why would push come to shove?This was an exchange between the methodical, predatory Gus Fring (Giancarlo Esposito) of Los Pollos Hermanos fame, and plucky Gale Boeticcher, played by David Costabile, who has just performed living room karaoke with the revival classic Crapa Pelada: the episode, #13, the grand finale of Breaking Bad Season 3.Gus knows a lot, he is functionally omniscient as the instigator, the storm maker, the shover. Gale knows less than we as viewers know, and instinctively he is incredulous in the absence of information. This makes for heightened tension.We begin the pod in media res. And that very question is the one that underpins the timely, incisive work undertaken by "Expat Prep" in his eponymous substack: why would push come to shove?In this episode of Vanilla Club Podcast, Jason S.C. Fung goes deep with U.S. midwesterner, legal and financial planning savant Expat Prep to go beyond the clichés and rosier takes of digital nomadism to explore the tough choices, trade-offs, family and cultural cohesion issues involved with expatriation under potential duress.Expat Prep shares candid insights from personal experience: scouting trips, language immersion with a kindergartener, and the careful planning required to ensure a smooth transition. We dig into the difference between expats seeking adventure and families seeking long-term cultural continuity—and why these distinctions matter when deciding where to live next.Central to the conversation is the concept of optionality. Expat Prep introduces an option pricing framework to help listeners, especially those who are not totally incredulous about the possibility of a "shove" occurring, discover ways to create options in the future, whether that is residency, or linguistic facility, or having bank accounts set up, or even getting your house semi-prepared for sale, at a low price, now. Expat Prep does a great service in introducing this idea, namely because the idea of an exit is so overwhelming that many just can't imagine taking the first, or any steps. Furthermore, the option pricing framework is especially useful because it helps people identify what is easy (or cheap) right now, and thus if the chance of those options becoming more valuable in the future is even slight-to-medium, they may be attractive; and if they are cheap, and have dual-use (i.e. learning Spanish is useful even if the political situation improves), then perhaps they are great "buys."Along the way, Jason and Expat Prep touch on ideas like cultural identity, civic responsibility, and the psychological impact of living under political or societal pressure. Expat Prep imbues this episode with wit and humour; he is a real guy, who amidst the worsening political outlook in the States still manages to bring good cheer.If you’re contemplating life abroad, this episode gives you insights that would cost $$$ from the white shoe advisories like Henley and Partners. Expat Prep is giving frameworks that are the sum total of decades of legal and financial bona fides combined with the earnestness of a patriot who is doing this as a public service. Don't miss this episode! 

Dr. Hasinika Gamage is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB) in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. In this episode, we begin exploring the meta theme of Gut Health, a crucially important subject of our time. Feeling good? Feeling down? Lend me your ears, 'cause I got news for ya: serotonin is produced in the gut! Are you in prison and feeling violent (I hope not! On both counts!); but if so you might want to take some probiotics, as they have been proven in peer-reviewed studies to reduce violent tendencies (prisoners have been shown to have deficient microbial allocations). Rapidly becoming cliché is the notion that the gut is the second brain, a concept borrowed from Ayurveda; so, so many of our feelings emanate from the complex brew stirring up in the depths. The gut is fundamentally the place where mood origination happens; we are coming to realise it is the interface to everything; and we couldn't be with a better guest today to help us understand the contours of this fascinating (and still much unknown) space.As a non-physician, Dr. Hasinika is clear to disclaim any statements that suggest medical advice; which is an important footnote. However, as she she uses molecular microbiology, sequencing, bioinformatics, and various coding and data analysis tools to do her work, there is a very important emergent theme here. That is, the gut is so complex, that nothing less than a multidisciplinary approach, perhaps one that uses combinatorial methods and/or is comfortable with large data sets and maths, is suitable to make any sweeping statements. Dr. Hasinika reminds us that at play are microbial communities, each with computationally vast oceans of interactions between them. This is wild!We quickly learn from Dr. Hasinika that balance is an important metaphor when thinking about our microbiomes. We walk through the literal human "viscera" with Dr. Hasinika, who makes notes about the varying pH levels at different stages of the human digestive system, noting that different bacteria and even fungus populate different specialised nodes, for example, in the stomach and the large intestine the pH gets extremely acidic, limiting the potential candidates (bonus points for puns about candida? Haha, no!). Our diet, lifestyle, and even the timing of our meals shapes these microbial communities, and as a result, our overall health. From the role of the intestinal mucus layer (sexy, I know) and dietary fibre, to the emerging science of prebiotics, probiotics, and "postbiotics" (a new one for us, too,) we explore how different microbes thrive and interact.Dr. Hasinika explains why diverse, whole-food diets are crucial for microbial balance, how modern processed foods can reduce gut diversity, and why extreme diets may have unintended consequences. We also discuss the influence of circadian rhythms and meal timing on gut health and metabolism, showing that it’s not just what we eat, but when we eat it. All of the strict science is held in tension at certain moments, where Dr. Hasinika also reveals that she has an Ayurvedic family background, and shares some personal vignettes of her "healer" relatives in Sri Lanka. We explore "common sense" as an idea in light of imperfect knowledge in a very complex field.Get some kimchi and sauerkraut juice, kick back and enjoy this episode!

Seapunk StudiosJoin me your host, Jason S.C. Fung, with guests Jules Yim, and Sam Chua as we explore the future of education, entrepreneurship, and culture through a global + specifically Southeast Asian lens. This is a special "two-fer" episode, which brings together guests who overlap in their interests and experiences, who are totally unabashed about telling it like it is. Seapunk Proto-College (SPC) is a one-week pop-up in Kuala Lumpur (Sept 15–20) where rebels, thinkers, and storytellers hack new systems and present new imaginations and narratives for Southeast Asia’s future. Expect protocol deep dives, wild ideas, and public symposia, with some dolphins maybe too. If you ask me to conjure Seapunk aesthetically I think of a mashup of Super Nintendo's Pilotwings with the language and colour palette of Ninka and Yalandi from Chappie. Either way it is cool, it is happening, and we get to engage with same in situ, the prototype college is live as we recorded.With the spirit of "punk" in mind, the trio of us dive into questions about navigating an overwhelming digital landscape, what the world looks like from a "middle-power" perspective, reimagining mental models for collaboration, and addressing historical narratives that shape Southeast Asia’s future. With candid reflections on the risks of traditional venture funding, mental health considerations for founders, the problems of scaling, the cultural pressure to not "enter the wrong profession" in a career landscape upended by AI, scale, the dilemma for founders who are pushed to grow beyond their inherent intentions, and the need for new educational frameworks, this conversation is a look into how to build solutions that truly resonate with unique lived experiences. We end on a note exploring a potential event at Vanilla Club, perhaps in 2026–2027 designed to bring together innovators, educators, and cultural thinkers.If you’re interested in cultural entrepreneurship, regional wisdom, and designing new ways of learning and leading, this episode is for you!We hope you enjoy.

Wendy Mak on InstagramVeera Brave GirlIn 2025, it's estimated that we see at least 4,000 ads, every single day. And the lines are becoming more and more blurred between what is "real" and what is AI generated.In an era where the use of AI has become commonplace, what is the correct balance between increasing productivity and maintaining consumer trust?Wendy Mak is the Chief Marketing Officer at MUFG Pension & Market Services, and is a regular speaker on topics such as AI, tech, and communications. In this episode, we also discovered that Wendy is an influencer on her personal Instagram page, where she shares content on fashion, beauty, and fitness.Having the dual perspective of both a marketer and an influencer has granted Wendy a unique lens on the way that AI is used today. Wendy believes that using AI is important to promote innovation. However, she is also an advocate for clear labelling of Gen AI in advertising, arguing that this honesty is essential to maintain consumer trust.Wendy also shares with us her work with 'Veera Brave Girl', a non-profit organisation that provides resources for migrant women.We hope you enjoy.

Gabrielle Feather - Holding Both on SubstackThis is one of the most intense interviews I’ve done. Surely.Please check out our new Substack, which is an audio and textual hub for all things Vanilla Club Podcast, where we interact and engage with complexity in order to better appreciate simplicity.This episode is a continuation of a run of episodes with Substackers whose writing we admire. Gabrielle Feather is a brilliant guest, who as you’ll see, brings a warmth and sensitivity and a remarkable emotional range to this special episode.Gabrielle is known as 'Holding Both' on Substack, and describes her page as a space for the "in-between" - grief and awe, collapse and becoming, motherhood and undoing, hope and rage.She is also a PhD Candidate at the University of Tasmania, working in the field of psychology, with a niche specifically in “climate and collapse aware psychology.”  In this episode, Gabrielle was prompted with some open-ended questions (sometimes these “simple” questions are the very hardest to answer), relating to the state of the climate, and the general proximity of the looming and intersecting crises we are facing. We talk about how folks in their 30s and 40s today are the bridging generation between the old world and the new. We speak about how collapse is in fact a process, not a singular event. And that matters because we all play a part in life processes, day in and day out; we can’t therefore be fatalistic even in the face of crisis.Gabrielle walks us through her own healing journey, her choice to have children, and the life and times of a young activist at the Wilderness Society. She speaks of struggling to find her life purpose in a system that she didn't believe in, and finding disillusionment at every turn, to then embracing the disillusionment, and finding joy on the other side of it.Gabrielle also tells us about an experience she had with Ayahuasca, where the plant told her that emotional regulation is the number one thing that humanity needs to cultivate. Psychedelics are a smitch out of my wheelhouse but to hear the “pro” case for them and for mysticism writ large was thought-provoking and worthy of further reflection.We were delighted to record and produce this episode. We hope you enjoy.

Mike Jones - Resilient Tomorrow on Substack Anarcasper on SubstackVanilla Club on SubstackWith the introduction of our own Substack, we are introducing a short run of episodes with Substackers whose writing that we admire. We came across Mike Jones' Substack 'Resilient Tomorrow' through his striking article - 'Convenience is the Cage'. In this article, Mike prompts us to reconsider what wealth really means, from shifting our perspective of wealth as money, to wealth as access and strong communities.This "redefining of narrative" is one the seven pillars in Mike's key framework that he shares in the episode. Mike's aim is to provide his audience with steps for "exiting the system" that are actually approachable. He found that many are quick to diagnose the problem - yet few provide solutions that feel realistic or achievable. And at it's core, these solutions centre around sharing knowledge and building community.Mike takes us through a little bit of his journey over the past decade that brought him to this turning point, or “exit ramp”, as he would put it. His tech background has provided him with a unique approach that we really appreciate, which is marrying classic community ideals with modern technology.We hope you enjoy.

The Honest Sorcerer on SubstackShow your support & buy him a coffee  Vanilla Club on Substack Our planet’s approach to renewable energy is totally dependent on fossil fuels and finite resources.What happens once we’ve exhausted the accessible portion of fossil fuels? And what could we have learnt from the Indigenous cultures of Earth?With the introduction of our own Substack, we are introducing a short run of episodes with Substackers whose writing that we admire. We came across The Honest Sorcerer's writing on Substack and were struck by his stark, no nonsense approach to the energy crisis we are facing. He is an anonymous narrator of the Earth's polycrisis, our overuse and dependence on finite resources, as well as the fragility of our modern systems and civilisation. A random walk through Honest Sorcerer's Substack is not for the faint hearted.In this episode, Honest Sorcerer takes us back to his turning point, from a hopeful mechanical engineering student, who believed that technology could solve the woes of the world, to the less optimistic truth teller that we see today.He also paints a pretty dark picture of what he thinks our future will look like if we continue with our consumptive and extractive ways.But he also reminds us that there is a sunnier side to the inevitable collapse. It is still a beautiful world where there will always be simple things to enjoy.We hope you enjoy.

What really goes on behind the curtains of the wild, wild, world of air travel? In this wide-ranging episode, we're joined by aviation expert Keith Tonkin - former military and commercial pilot, now Managing Director of Aviation Projects. He started his career in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), where he spent 15 years. He then spent 9 years flying internationally and domestically with Qantas.Our presumption with this podcast series is in confronting complexity, we enable ourselves to better understand simplicity. And this episode highlights that. Following the tragic Air India crash in June, we sought out Keith to shed light on what may have happened, and to unpack the systems, people, and governance mechanisms that make modern aviation possible. Keith takes us through a bit of his background, what inspired him to fly as a young man, pathways for career progression for young prospective pilots, how the climate is affecting air travel, and the work he’s doing today in aviation consultancy.We also dive into the inner workings of the aviation industry. Flying has become so ingrained in modern life that we seldom recognise the complex exercise in supply chain optimisation that it is. Every single flight is essentially an elaborate just-in-time exercise, with an immense number of moving parts that must go right, with a product that after all, is perishable. When you understand how much had to go right to get you that hot meal at 35,000 ft, you simply can't, (or at least bloody well shouldn't) complain about any little minor thing.We hope you enjoy.

Follow K9 on X: https://x.com/k9_reaperThis was one of the most fun and engaging shows we have done on our lovely, fledgling, Vanilla Club Podcast. K9 Reaper, a volunteer, civil protection officer, neighbourhood watchman, and citizen journalist, defies easy description. He is someone who has been labelled a racist (on X, with no shred of evidence), or at the least, not fully cognisant of his (white) privilege. He is also unafraid to tell of the underbelly of the collapse of state functions in what was once a functioning, if apartheid-based economy. He is bound to draw criticism. And that is the resounding attractiveness of K9 Reaper as a character. Someone who smiles despite the futility of it all. He was given ample opportunity, by me your host, to rag on the ANC. I don't have any problem holding two things as both possibly true, Apartheid was racist and had to go, and, three decades of post-apartheid rule by the ANC is a sufficient time frame to judge them strictly on their record of governance. Yet K9 is hesitant to criticise the ANC. He is resolved to offer as candid a take on the situation, describing CIT heists (the notorious cash-in-transit heists) in graphic detail for our viewers; yet he remembers to counterbalance this with stories of the beauty of South Africa, the many splendours of its surrounding habitat, the ridiculously endowed flora and fauna, in addition to a charming set of subcultures that the nation is evidently brimming with.This is a man who talks about "the last cigarette," and is surrounded by crime, much of it violent, ruthless, tipped with carnage and desperation. But he is clearly someone who loves his country. He is a gonzo citizen journalist too, and does it with a wry sense of humour. Hats off to K9 Reaper! We hope you enjoy.

At Vanilla Club, we are all about simplicity. But on Vanilla Club Podcast, we venture out, asking the basic questions of real world experts, taking a desire for simplicity and contrasting it with worlds of complexity. Today we delve into the great blue yonder, crank that Blue Danube tune on Space Odyssey 2001 and join us! Here we go. Simpletons in Space!In this week's thought provoking episode, political scientist and space policy expert, Dr. Kathryn Robinson, joins us to explore how space is far more than rockets and stars, it’s a hidden infrastructure underpinning our everyday lives. From GPS and climate data, to medical systems and financial networks, space technology is woven into the fabric of modern existence.Dr. Kat unpacks the ethical and political stakes of space governance, and critiques Australia’s dependence on foreign satellites and urges for smarter sovereign investment.With sharp insight and personal warmth, Dr. Kat shares her experience as an American academic in Australia, touching on cultural contrasts in academia and gender equity in STEM. We also hear about Dr. Kat's personal journey into space policy and her lifelong fascination with the cosmos.We hope you enjoy.

In this week's episode, we were joined by Forrest Rain Oliveros at the Vanilla Club Plantation in Coorumba, Queensland. Ground Zero for Simple Wellness!The conversation begins directly with the sheer physicality of ballet, and the required emotional discipline, and how it challenges conventional ideas of masculinity. Forrest opens up about navigating gender expectations and lingering stereotypes, including the absurdity of perceptions that ballet is feminine, when it is in fact a "power + endurance" discipline.From here, we explore toxic masculinity, the social impacts of fatherlessness, and the media’s role in shaping distorted ideals around manhood and self-worth. We touched how many modern men find themselves emotionally isolated and disempowered, struggling to form real connections, and Forrest offers his simple advice for any young men today who are struggling. Complex stuff that Vanilla Club is here to try and make simple!Forrest also shares his experience of the differing health perspectives of Eastern and Western cultures. We also explore other cultural contrasts between the U.S. and Hong Kong, from Hong Kong’s blend of family and filial piety, to the U.S.'s focus on individualism and self-centredness.The episode closes with Forrest's reflections on the relationships he made during his Far North Queensland stay, and the importance of connection and community.We hope you enjoy.

What does Australia, one of the driest inhabited continents on Earth, teach us about water challenges and solutions? A lot, as it turns out!At Vanilla Club, our motto is "Return to Simple." And there is nothing simpler than water. Episode 3 of Vanilla Club Podcast dives deep with Dr. Stuart Khan, a world-class water researcher, Head of School and Professor at the University of Sydney’s School of Civil Engineering. It's important to note that that is not just a word salad of prestigious titles, Prof. Khan manages a path-breaking school with heaps of brilliant engineers and he teaches and publishes research himself. Prof. Khan has decades under his belt in urban water systems and wastewater management, and from water governance quirks to rethinking what "wastewater" even means, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about sustainability, education, and the technologies shaping our future.Is wastewater… really wasted? Dr Khan flips what many of us consider "wastewater" on its head. Sydney is dumping over 1,000 million litres of treated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean every single day. Meanwhile, treatments like reverse osmosis are becoming drought-resistant heroes, transforming "waste" back into quality, clean water usable for drinking or agriculture. The key takeaway? There is no such thing as waste-water. Every molecule needs to "carry it's own weight" if we start to look at things as an engineer would.Also, you’ve probably heard about Australia’s engineering skills drought, but have you thought about its effect on water reforms? Over 50% of water engineers are skilled migrants, but the sector struggles to attract graduates due to limited wages compared to high-revenue mining or construction. Prof. Khan also highlights the industry's need to engage young women, with less than 30% representation in engineering undergraduates relating to water. The future of sustainable water solutions depends heavily on who we inspire today.We hope you enjoy.

What happens when tragedy strikes and you're faced with an unthinkable road to recovery?This eagerly anticipated second episode of the Vanilla Club Podcast dives into uncharted emotional territory with a none other than Alex Noble, who at the tender age of 16 faced such a spectre. From the life-altering rugby injury, depicted in his bestselling book I Fight You Fight, which he recounts on the show in never-before-revealed detail, to the initial moments of confusion, anger and resentment, acceptance, building to his monumental decision to engage his resilience that has lead him to peace, forgiveness, and ultimately, purpose.Is forgiveness instantaneous, or is it born from a maelstrom of emotions? Is there such a thing as too much positivity? Alex offers his unique perspective, but not without Jason pushing deep into the “what-lies-beneaths,” within a framework of 'keeping it simple.'Discover how adversity can be fodder for legacy, and explore themes of accountability, mental framing, and living fully in every precious moment.This is not just a listen. It’s a challenge, a conversation, and a mirror to our own responses to life's toughest moments.We hope you enjoy.

In our inaugural Vanilla Club episode we kick off with a very special guest, Dr. Alex Wodak. In a disarming, matter-of-fact style, he plunges us right into the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 1980's, pulling no punches about his role in applying civil disobedience to effectively shape government policy. The confluence of social stigma toward alternative lifestyles at the time, coupled with a shonky public understanding of the logarithmic effects of infection in epidemic situations, meant that Dr. Alex in 1982 had no choice but to take action. If addicts were to at least have access to clean needles, the incidental, totally avoidable infections of HIV could be halved, perhaps, is what he posited. It was a nascent "harm reduction" philosophy in action, the idea being that public health benefits from less "moralising." We dig into some controversial topics, including whether vaping is a good thing (namely because it is displacing a worse thing, i.e. smoking), the Opium War, and other charged topics. He shares with us decades of experience in addiction medicine and harm reduction, challenging traditional punitive approaches to drug policy.Dr. Alex was Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney from 1982-2012. He played a key role in the establishment of Australia’s first supervised medical injecting centre in notorious Kings Cross, and helped pioneer the needle exchange program to combat the spread of HIV. This was a program, which believe it or not, was illegal at the time. Dr. Alex's conviction was so strong that he admits today his actions were in fact technically illegal, yet civil disobedience was the only option available in response to a society that was not ready for fundamental "harm reduction" concepts, ideas we today take entirely for granted; if you have ever seen a needles disposal box in a public bathroom, that is "harm reduction" in action; Dr. Alex bears witness to a world in the 1980's and 1990's where many of these ideas faced extreme aversion.In the episode, we challenge consequentialism, airing Jason's personal experience with smoking cessation in New York City. It is only when NYC took a "rules-based" stand that indoor smoking was bad, did Jason actually realise that instead of smoking being the vehicle to join the party, in fact smoking meant having to leave the party, which were the baby steps that ultimately led to him reconsidering the enterprise of being addicted to cigarettes.Dr. Alex advocates for realistic, compassionate public health strategies over incarceration. The conversation also addresses the ideological battles surrounding drug policy, emphasising the necessity of moving beyond prohibitionist mindsets to embrace evidence-based, consequentialist approaches.If the Simple Wellness framework that undergirds this new podcast stands for anything it's that wellness should be simple, and it should have one principle: reduce complications. That is it. Not eliminating complications, because a "Blitzkrieg" mentality often begets more problems. But reducing them. Harm reduction as a consequentialist idea is such a fascinating topic because we see how, as in Dr. Alex's flagship example of the clean needle access, it literally reduces complications. Nevertheless, for certain addicts who are less than hell bent on using, and using, it's hard to see how some level of ground level moral judgment (small "d" deontological claims), that yes, certain classes of drugs are harmful, and you should try to stop using, mightn't be a bad thing.This was an engaging conversation confronting many relevant issues of the day straight on. We thank Dr. Alex for taking the time to speak with us on such important topics with the level of candour that he brought!We hope you enjoy.