Better Bloke

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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Kynan Hunt isn’t your typical real estate agent. A local character known for outrageous selling tactics, hilarious property videos and a healthy dose of Aussie larrikinism, he’s built a reputation for doing things differently.
But before Kynan was selling homes and starting his own agency, he spent 12 years in the Australian Army, fulfilling an ambition he’d held since childhood. When his body could no longer meet the physical demands of military life, Kynan was forced to consider what came next. That transition involved plenty of personal work before an unexpected path led him into real estate.
In this episode, we talk about his journey from the Army to becoming an agent, the realities of launching his own agency and why breaking the traditional real estate mould has become such an important part of his success.
We also get into parenthood, navigating life as a girl dad, having children later in life and making sure there aren’t any more, with a very honest conversation about vasectomies.
Finally, we discuss the lost art of the handshake, what it says about a person, why it still matters and whether younger generations are losing an important form of connection.
It’s a funny, honest and raw conversation with a genuinely good bloke who has an unreal story.

Help us help the blokes who need it:
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Follow Kynan Hunt: https://www.instagram.com/kynanhunt/
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