Better Bloke

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/

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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!

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

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:
https://www.betterblokeproject.org/pages/donate-now

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

From the outside, Brett "Knuckles" Hanly looks like a bloke who never stops.
On the day we recorded this episode, he'd flown in from Vietnam, driven from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast for an IVF appointment with his wife, travelled back to Brisbane to sit down with us in the Better Bloke studio, and then headed straight to Brisbane Lions commitments. It was a full day by anyone's standards, but it also summed up the reality of juggling business, family and purpose.
Most people know Knuckles as the founder of Country Trucker Caps (CTC), one of Australia's biggest success stories to come from a simple side hustle. What started while he was working as a sparky in the mines has grown into a nationally recognised brand, but the journey wasn't without risk. In this episode, he shares what it was really like making the decision to walk away from a secure career and back himself.
We talk about the highs, the uncertainty, and the lessons learned from building a business that now employs a growing team and reaches tonnes of Australians every day.
But this conversation goes well beyond business.
Knuckles opens up about being a husband and father, and the deeply personal journey he and his wife are currently navigating through IVF. It's an honest discussion about the emotional toll fertility challenges can place on both partners, and why it's important for men to recognise that they're allowed to feel the weight of it too.
Fatherhood becomes a central theme throughout the episode, particularly the desire so many parents share, to give their children opportunities they never had themselves. It's a conversation every mum and dad will relate to, exploring the balance between providing for your family, staying present, and making sure success doesn't come at the expense of the people you're working so hard for.
We also unpack the pressure many Australian families are feeling in today's economic climate.
Both of us are speaking with countless hardworking blokes who feel like they're being punished for trying to get ahead, working longer hours, paying more tax, and simply trying to keep a roof over their family's head and food on the table. Knuckles shares his thoughts on why so many Australians feel left behind and offers some candid ideas about where he believes change needs to start.
No conversation with Knuckles would be complete without talking about Get Yourself Checked, the charity initiative that's encouraging Australian men to take prostate health seriously. With September marking Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, it's a timely reminder that looking after your health isn't a sign of weakness, it's one of the most important things you can do for yourself and the people who rely on you.
Of course, we couldn't finish the episode without talking about Podcast Royale 3.0. We share a few exciting updates, tease what's coming in the lead-up to fight night, and reveal a couple of firsts that hadn't been publicly discussed before.
Whether you know Knuckles from Country Trucker Caps, Get Yourself Checked, Proper True Yarn or simply admire what he's built, this episode is a reminder that behind every successful business is a bloke trying to navigate the same challenges many of us face... family, purpose, pressure, and finding the courage to back yourself when it matters most.
Find out more about Better Bloke Project: https://www.betterblokeproject.org/
Find out about Get Yourself Checked: https://www.getyourselfchecked.org
Find us on socials:
https://www.instagram.com/betterblokeproject/
https://www.facebook.com/thebetterblokeproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@betterblokeproject