A Wake Up Call

If you have ever wondered:

💭 “Why do I keep getting in my own way right when things are going well?”
💭 “Is it really possible to train my brain to perform under pressure?”
💭 “How do I stop overthinking and just trust myself when it counts most?”

— this episode is for you.

In this science-packed and surprisingly fun conversation, Tess and Layne sit down with Dr Roy Sugarman — applied neuroscientist, former Director of Neuroscience and Performance Innovation at Team Exos, and the man who has built peak performance models used by the U.S. Congress, California Health Services and elite sporting organisations around the world.
Roy unpacks the neuroscience of why you sabotage yourself, why your emotional brain is faster than your logic, and how the six pillars of psychological flexibility — the hexaflex — can train anyone, athlete or everyday human, to thrive under pressure. Layne shares the Fat Bastard recitation that won her a prize purse, Roy explains why “believe in yourself” is actually a vulnerable strategy, and Tess discovers that the yeah buts in her head are a neuroscience phenomenon.

You will learn:
The two ancient brain systems running your every decision and why knowing the difference changes everything
Why trust is more powerful than belief in competition — and in life
How radical acceptance turns setbacks into stepping stones
The science of thought diffusion and why humour might be the most underrated performance tool you have

Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales
Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life.
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869
Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley
Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
Awake’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact
Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact

Disclaimer
The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey — not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.
If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast.
Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered:

💭 “Why do I feel so guilty every time I do something for myself?”
💭 “Why does leaving my child feel like leaving a part of me behind?”
💭 “How do I stop my childhood pain from running my parenting?”

– this episode is for you.

In this brave and deeply personal episode, Tess and Layne sit in the hot seat with therapist Lael Stone for a live mini therapy session that unpacks the childhood stories shaping their relationship to self-care, separation, and motherhood.

Tess reveals her fear of missing out on moments with Benji and traces it back to being three years old, shuttled between homes after her parents’ divorce. She realises the separation anxiety she feels at daycare drop-off is not the adult leaving. It is her inner child reliving the pain of being left behind. Layne shares the story of losing her adoptive mother at seven, being adopted at birth after conception through date rape, and how the ocean became the mother love she never had.

Lael guides them through the imprints they received around self-care, boundaries, and rest, showing how the martyr story and the “you’re lazy if you stop” narrative are passed down through generations. She offers a powerful reframe: you do not have to choose between being a present mother and meeting your own needs. Healing the younger parts of yourself is what allows the integrated adult to show up. And when you complete your story, your children do not have to carry it.

You will learn:

How childhood imprints around self-care create hidden blocks to rest and boundaries in adulthood
Why separation anxiety in parenting often has roots in your own childhood experiences
The three-step process for healing: identify the story, feel it, and offer compassion to your younger self
Why completing your own healing story frees your children from carrying wounds that were never theirs


Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales

Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869
Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley
Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact
Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact

Disclaimer
The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.
If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast.
Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered:

💭 “What happens when I finally stop running from my pain?”
💭 “How can I trust my life when I have been hurt so deeply?”
💭 “What does it mean to truly own my story?”

– this episode is for you.

In this vulnerable and transformative conversation, Lael Stone joins Tess and Layne to unpack the moment that changed everything: the traumatic birth of her third child, Tali, and how she chose surrender over fear by whispering “I trust you” to her newborn when no one was certain she would survive.

Together they explore the language of the nervous system: fear hits in the gut, causes dissociation and shutdown. Trust feels like stillness, expansion, knowing. Lael teaches inner child work – that critical moment when you pause and ask “How old am I right now?” and realise your triggered nervous system is actually protecting a younger, wounded version of you. Tess shares a real-time example with her husband over tadpoles, discovering she was responding as an 8-10 year old girl being told she was weird.

They discuss imprints – the belief systems and stories we absorb as children to belong in our families. We stay shockingly loyal to these imprints even as adults because they feel like love: “You’re too emotional.” “You don’t deserve that.” “You’re not enough.” Lael shares how recognising these patterns is the first step to changing them. And then she names the transformative truth that hit Tess: if everyone owned their story instead of running from it, we would have less projection, less blame, and infinitely more peace and accountability.

You will hear about:

The somatic difference between fear and trust in your body and nervous system
Inner child work and how to identify which younger part of you is driving your triggers
What imprints are and how family loyalty keeps us locked into unhealthy patterns
Why owning your story instead of running from it is the path to freedom and peace

Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales

Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself Grow Yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869
Follow Layne on Instagram @Laynebeachley
Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
Learn more about Lael Stone: layelstone.com.au
Get Lael’s book “Own Your Story”
Listen to Lael’s podcast “Humans Being”
Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
Awakes TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact
Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact

Disclaimer
The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.
If you’re experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you’ve heard on this podcast.
Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you have ever wondered:

💭 “Why do I feel so crushed by pressure, even when I am doing well?”
💭 “How do I find perspective when I feel like I have let myself or others down?”
💭 “How do I know when to keep pushing and when it is time to let go?”

this episode is for you.

In this honest and moving conversation, Tess and Layne explore what the Olympics can teach us about greatness, pressure, emotional regulation and identity. Through the stories of athletes like Scotty James, Alana Meyers Taylor and Alysa Liu, they unpack what happens when performance collides with expectation, and how perspective, support and joy can help you find your way back to yourself.

Layne reflects on the emotional weight athletes carry when their goals are public, why having a life outside the arena matters, and how dream teams help people hold steady when the pressure is at its peak. Tess draws out the deeper life lessons in each story, showing how the same patterns appear in work, parenting, leadership and everyday life whenever we tie our worth to one outcome.

The episode then turns deeply personal as Tess invites Layne to reflect on her own recent experience competing for her boardriders club. What follows is a vulnerable and powerful conversation about ageing, identity, acceptance and the courage to stop proving. Together they offer a toolkit for anyone carrying too much pressure or avoiding a truth they already know: ask what basic emotion you are resisting, bring it back to yourself, and choose the version of greatness that lets you breathe.

You will hear about:

How perspective shifts help regulate disappointment and emotional overwhelm

Why support systems matter when you are standing at the edge of growth or burnout

The difference between pressure driven performance and joy fuelled performance

How acceptance can free you from identities you no longer need to carry.

Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/awake-collective-sales
Get Awake’s transformative book: Know yourself, grow yourself to live a happier more purposeful life. https://www.penguin.com.au/books/awake-academy-9781761345869
Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley
Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
Awake’s TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy_
Sponsor our podcast https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact
Book us for a workshop https://www.awakeacademy.com.au/contact

Disclaimer

The A Wake Up Call podcast is created for general informational, educational, and inspirational purposes only. The stories, tools, and insights shared are designed to support your wellbeing journey - not to replace professional medical, psychological, or therapeutic advice. In fact, we believe therapy is non-negotiable in life.

If you are experiencing a medical or mental health condition, please seek guidance from a qualified healthcare professional. Never ignore or delay seeking professional advice because of something you have heard on this podcast.

Your wellbeing matters. Take care of yourself, stay curious, and remember the real wake-up call is listening to what your body and mind are trying to tell you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When life forces you to slow down, it can feel like everything is falling apart. But sometimes the hardest seasons become the very moments that reconnect you to what matters most.

In this episode, Tess and Layne sit down with Barry for a deeply moving conversation about the wake-up calls that changed the course of his life. From infertility, miscarriage and depression, to two life-threatening cancer diagnoses, Barry shares the moments that cracked him open, the pain that disconnected him from himself, and the human connection that ultimately helped bring him back.

What unfolds is an honest conversation about identity, grief, masculinity, mental health, courage and what it really means to live well. Barry reflects on the pressure of trying to be “strong,” the danger of losing touch with your emotions, and the quiet way despair can build over time. He also shares the turning points that helped him heal: a friend who showed up, the power of being seen without being “fixed,” and the curiosity that slowly helped him rebuild his life.

The trio explore the difference between confidence and true self-belief, why resilience is more about adaptation than toughness, and how children, community and purpose can completely reshape your relationship with life. They also touch on boundaries, bravery, self-worth, emotional eating, and the importance of asking people how they need to be supported instead of telling them what to do.

They finish with a powerful reminder that healing rarely happens in one dramatic moment. More often, it begins with a tiny crack of light, a safe connection, or one small choice that helps you come home to yourself again.

In this episode, you will learn:
• Why wake-up calls often arrive long before the biggest crisis
• How depression can create deep disconnection from yourself and others
• Why human connection can be the first step back from darkness
• The difference between bravado, confidence and true self-belief
• How curiosity can become a practical tool for healing and growth
• Why resilience is about adapting, not just “being tough”
• The role of boundaries in protecting your energy and wellbeing
• Why asking “how can I help?” matters more than giving advice
• How children, community and purpose can reshape your life
• What it means to live bravely, honestly and with more intention

Connect with Awake
• Join the Awake Collective Community for monthly masterclasses
https://awake-academy.mykajabi.com/awake-collective-sales
• Get Awake’s transformative book: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself
• Watch the episodes on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@Awake_Academy
• Follow Layne on Instagram @laynebeachley
• Follow Tess on Instagram @tesscbrouwer
• Follow Awake Academy on Instagram @awake_academy
• Book us for a workshop: [email protected]
• Awake’s TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@awakeacademy

Connect with Barry
• Learn more about Barry’s work at Barry’s website
• Follow Barry’s journey and speaking work online
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.