Better Bloke

James Blackmore is one of the Better Bloke Project’s biggest supporters, not only financially, but through the time, energy and effort he puts into bringing people together.
Through The Angler’s Inn in Wallaroo, where he is the manager, James has helped host multiple events in support of the project, including the annual Thunder Run.
Despite meeting James in Adelaide a few months ago and having countless conversations online, I realised I did not actually know much about the bloke behind the fundraisers.
While James and his family were travelling through multiple states, it felt like the perfect opportunity to sit down, get to know him properly and hear his story.
We talk about the role a pub can play beyond serving drinks. Being part of The Angler’s Inn gives James the opportunity to create space for conversations that many blokes might not have anywhere else. Sometimes it is easier to open up while sitting at the bar, attending an event or simply having a yarn with someone who is willing to listen.
Blokes do not often put this much work into supporting their community without having their own experiences, motivations and reasons for wanting to help others.
This episode goes beyond the events, fundraising and support to meet the bloke behind it all, and to understand why creating space for other blokes matters so much to him.
Help us help the blokes who need it:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

Keep up with Thunder Run updates:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61589271012280

Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject

Cris Cross is back for his second appearance on the Better Bloke Project Podcast.
Cris is more than a friend of the project. He is a personal mate, and this episode was as much about catching up as it was recording a podcast.
We chat about what Cris has been up to since his last appearance, including his art exhibition, the latest happenings in his creative world and a quick reminder for new listeners about who he is and what he does.
There is plenty of shit talk and banter between mates, but there is also a reason I wanted Cris back in the chair. The conversations we have had off camera are the kind you need when you are stuck in a rut and things are not quite adding up. It is important to have blokes around you who you can lean on, talk things through with and trust to tell you what you need to hear.
One idea that stayed with me from the conversation was that the mundane keeps you sane. When we compare our lives to what we see on social media, we are usually looking at someone else’s one percent. We do not see the ordinary days, the boring jobs or the everyday routines that keep everything moving. But often, that boring stuff is what puts fuel in the tank and gives us the drive to keep going.
This is a conversation between mates about art, AI, renovations, self doubt, life and a whole heap of other shit in between. It is honest, loose and exactly the kind of chat I needed.

Help us help the blokes who need it:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

Follow Cris Cross:
https://www.instagram.com/cris.cross.art/

Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject

This week, we step outside the usual studio and into Sacred Rose Tattoo for a raw and honest conversation with Migelly Shaw.
Migelly is a tattooist, business owner, media man, father, gamer and all round good bloke. He is someone who keeps a lot of plates spinning, and as we unpack throughout the episode, staying busy is often his way of keeping the head noise from creeping in.
We talk openly about the intrusive thoughts that can find their way into anyone’s head, and how we use reason and logic to challenge them rather than allowing them to take control.
At the centre of everything is fatherhood. Migelly speaks about finding his purpose in being a dad, why his family is his everything and how becoming a father gave him something bigger than himself to live for. In many ways, it is what saved him.
We also talk about the pressure to provide for your family, building a business and the many layers behind the bloke people see online. Migelly describes himself as an onion, or maybe a cake, because there is always another layer underneath.
Despite regularly putting himself out there on social media, sitting down as a podcast guest is not something that comes naturally to him. Even in the comfort of his own studio, the nerves are real. But as the conversation begins to flow, he settles in and realises the experience was far worse in his head than it was in reality. As one of the greats said, we suffer more in imagination than reality.
We explore tattoo culture, how it has changed and the unique relationship between an artist and the person sitting in their chair. Tattooists can become therapists in their own way. There is a trust that develops between the artist and their client, and when someone is sitting still for hours with their guard down, the conversation often goes far beyond the tattoo itself.
This is a conversation about fatherhood, finding purpose, managing the noise in your head and becoming comfortable enough to show the bloke behind the work.

Help us help the blokes who need it:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

Follow Migelly:
https://www.instagram.com/migelly/

Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject

This wasn't supposed to be a solo episode.
After camera issues killed our planned recording with Ryan McCarthy, it was 7pm the night before the episode dropped with one working camera.
So we adapted.
We also reflect on recent conversations with heavyweight fighters Haze Hepi and Brando Peričić, what they revealed about strength, vulnerability and the men behind the fighters... go read the latest update on the website with the lessons learned.
Sometimes the plan goes to shit. You work with what you've got. Thats life!

Help us help the blokes who need it:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject

This one is a little different. It’s my first solo episode, and while it comes in at just over 18 minutes, it might be the rawest I have ever been on Better Bloke.
I talk about losing my best mate, Brutus, and what it's like having to walk through the door without my dog there to greet me. Speaking about him brought out plenty of emotion, but that is what this podcast is meant to be about. Honest conversations, even when they are hard.
I also reflect on returning from Bogged Brakes. I do not go into too much detail because it is a bit like Fight Club. You need to go to understand it.
I unpack the speech I gave at Mitch Farlow’s charity dinner, the conversations that followed and why delivering a proper speech in front of a full room still makes me uncomfortable. Maybe it was the setting. Maybe it was the suit and tie. Either way, it pushed me outside my comfort zone.
Now a month into this solo chapter of Better Bloke, I reflect on those early thoughts of “Can I actually do this?” and the positive feedback I have received since putting myself out there. I also share a few life updates, including finishing the retaining wall and fence and making way for the shed that will eventually become a proper Better Bloke studio.
Finally, I try some fudge from OG Fudging Delicious, some friends who are going hard at building their business and deserve every bit of recognition.
No guest and no polished answers. Just an honest check in on grief, discomfort, self doubt, progress and backing the people around you.

Help us help the blokes who need it:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject