Roll With The Punches

G’day legends, this one’s me, solo, slightly caffeinated, and fresh off a boxing session so my brain is basically still shadowboxing like a boss. I'm eager to riff on some sneaky crap that keeps punching us humans in the face and causing us to spin our wheels... Like the idea that 'success' doesn’t delete fear, self-doubt, discomfort, or imposter syndrome. We keep telling ourselves this story that once we get good enough, experienced enough, and legit enough, those feelings will pack their bags and move to Perth. Well pals, they sure do not. They renovate and they bring friends.
Basically, this ep is ya verbal permission slip to stop waiting for confidence to rock up before you move. Aaaaand it’s probably not enroute whilst you're standing still... so, off you go!

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I loved this one! Elaine Lin Hering is all about silence. Not the peaceful, meditative kind. The learned kind... The kind where you know exactly what you want to say… and then don’t.
We talked about why 'just speak up' is crap advice, why some of us are post-processors who realise what we think three days later, and how hinting is not the same as being clear. Apparently 'Are you hungry?' is a yes or no question. Who knew.
It’s not about saying it perfectly or getting the response you want. It’s about choice. Am I choosing to stay silent, or is silence choosing me?
And yes, we absolutely unpacked my internal rage spiral over rice... That I don’t even like. Because it’s never about the rice.
If you’ve ever swallowed something that mattered, told yourself a story instead of having the conversation, or realised three days later what you wish you’d said… this one will land.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au
ELAINE LIN HERING
Website: Elaine Lin Hering – Unlearning Silence
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I sat down with Andrew 'Atto' Atkinson, nearly 29 years in Victoria Police and a lifetime of stories that sound like a Netflix series but come with very real scars. We talked about the covert surveillance work that had him breaking into houses, planting listening devices, tracking cars, heart racing, sometimes while the occupants were still home. High risk. High reward. Calculated, but never casual.
Then we moved into the part people do not see.
Atto was deployed as a UN peacekeeper in East Timor and Iraq. He was stabbed in East Timor and that moment set off a chain reaction. Lifelong medical complications. PTSD. Cancer. Chemo. A brain tumour diagnosis. Joint replacements. And years of complete denial because back then you just did not talk about your mental health. You punched on.
Work was his purpose, his tribe, his happy place. It was also the thing he hid behind. Leaving the job meant losing belonging, losing self, losing structure. And that loss can be brutal.
We talked about self-blame, about the 'bucket filling up' until it overflows, about how healing really began when he stopped pretending he was fine. And yesssss, we talked about Sophie, his service dog funded through DVA, trained to detect seizures five minutes before they hit. Absolute superstar.
SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I waited eight months to get Scotty Douglas strapped into the hot seat here at RWTP HQ, and doesn't he have some stories to tell!
We went from Paris kitchens where he got dressed down by French chefs, to running a café with brown paper bag accounting and zero tax literacy, to cooking breakfast for the Dean who took a chance on him and changed the trajectory of his life.
Scott’s story is a wild and rambunctious ride. Chef to advanced life support paramedic. Service industry to service industry. From plating swordfish with beef cheek sauce to doing CPR in suburban lounge rooms.
We talked about ego and humility. About the shock of discovering not everyone in your dream profession is exceptional. About loving the chaos. About failure when failure means someone dies.
We unpacked the assault that changed everything for him. The moment confidence turned into hypervigilance. The reality that helping comes at a cost. And that desire to 'win' a resus.
This one isn’t just about paramedicine. It’s about identity, purpose, and what happens when the thing you love also wounds you.
If he plays his cards right, we might just get him back to share some of the wilder stories I've heard...

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au
SCOTT DOUGLAS
Website: horatio-jones.com.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This conversation hit a little differently.
Vicki Scott joined me to talk about slowing down, perspective, and what really changes when life punches you square in the face. After being diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, Vicki found herself navigating not just treatment, surgery, and survival, but the unexpected emotional aftermath that nobody really prepares you for.
We talked about the pressure we put on ourselves to achieve, prove, and keep pushing, even after something life altering. About identity, perfectionism, and the uncomfortable realisation that sometimes the hardest thing isn’t fighting, it’s learning how to stop striving and actually live.
Vicki shared what cancer taught her about toughness, legacy, community, and why being kind and genuinely supporting others matters more than titles, achievements, or ticking boxes. This is a conversation about resilience without the shiny Instagram version. The messy middle. The quiet aftermath. And the courage it takes to choose presence over proving.

SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS
Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au
TIFFANEE COOK
Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches
Website: tiffcook.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.