Seize the Yay

As promised, part two of our incredible episode with David the Medium. I wasn't expecting a 1:1 reading and, in fact, have always been a little nervous given that I'm adopted and wasn't sure who would show up in the room... but we leant in all the way and it was so special...

You all know I love welcoming guests to the show when I’ve been lucky enough to have been there for some of the chapters of their yay and today’s is someone I’ve had on the list for a very long time. When you hear that we both actually started our professional lives in corporate law, there’s many things you could assume about what came next but the pivot he ended up taking is possibly the very last direction you’d ever imagine a criminal prosecutor and counter-terrorism analyst would take.

I’m talking of course about the incomparable ⁠David The Medium⁠ and his extraordinary gift for connecting with people who are no longer with us. What makes his story even more fascinating for me is that this wasn't something he grew up knowing he could do - it came much later in life in adulthood and changed the course of his life.

I've always been endlessly fascinated by the world of things we can’t see or grasp - including mediumship - and having known David for so long, I've been dying to get into the nitty gritty of his craft. How does it actually work? What does it feel like? And what does he say to the sceptics?

What I love about him so much is that he so patiently and eloquently answers these without actually being bothered about what sceptics think - his mission is not to convert the non-believer, but to channel his talent for those who need no convincing. Which is an incredible, broader life lesson on the futility of working to impress your doubters instead of focusing on your supporters.

And there are plenty of those with David embarking on his sell out ⁠The Way Back Home Tour⁠ with 8,500+ attendees across 8 cities in 2 countries - and it all sold out within 45 minutes! Which has kept him so busy he’s paused his 1:1 readings, but i was so lucky to score a bonus one during our recording which absolutely blew my mind.

I will share that as part two of this episode as we got carried away and went for quite a while which you can imagine given the ENDLESS questions I had to ask him.

What I also love about David is that even if you don’t believe in mediumship, there is so much in this conversation about life, purpose and connection that anybody can benefit from.It left me and will hopefully leave you with plenty to think about - what a privilege to have spent this time with him before he jetted off!! Ladies and gents, David the Medium.

Your favourite chaotic co-host returns after TWO YEARS!!!!

Today’s guest has one of those careers that makes you wonder how on earth all of these chapters belong to the same person.

Kathryn Eisman went from studying communications in Sydney to packing her bags for New York, where she became the youngest on-air reporter in NBC history, working on the TODAY Show before going on to build an incredible career across US television, including E! News and an Emmy-nominated team.

But, as you know, we love a good pivot around here - and Kathryn’s next chapter took her from interviewing some of the biggest names in the world to building something of her own.

From her dining room table, she founded High Heel Jungle, which has grown from a bold idea into a global fashion label completely revolutionising a category worn by the likes of Doja Cat, Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, Sabrina Carpenter and many more.

She’s also an author, producer, Mum and someone who has spent her career fascinated by the tiny choices that reveal who we really are.

We talk about backing yourself when your career makes absolutely no sense on paper, being underestimated, knowing when it’s time for a new chapter, building a cult brand and what nearly two decades across media and business have taught her about success.

Kathryn Eisman, welcome to Seize the Yay.

Shop HIGH HEEL JUNGLE here.

You’ve heard me say many times that I personally found my yay in walking away from the law. I worked so hard to get there (and actually loved my time there), only to realise that my joy lay somewhere completely different.

But I love that this week we get the other side of that story - someone who stayed in the law, loved it, and found enormous purpose in building an incredible career at the Australian Government Solicitor (although, spoiler alert, she too made a huge pivot but it came a little later than most...)

Chances are, you already know Karina Berger’s voice. If you listened to Hedley Thomas’ Bronwyn podcast, you’ll have heard Karina first volunteering to lend her legal expertise to that investigation. She was, at the time, still very much a lawyer - working in coronial law and bringing a completely different lens to the case.

Fast forward to The Poisoned Wife, which you heard all about from Hedley in our last episode, and somehow Karina is no longer referred to as a volunteer helper but has left law altogether to work full-time as a producer and co-host alongside Hedley investigating the extraordinary death of Rosslyn McQueen...

And it all started with a cold call.

I find that trajectory so fascinating - because we talk so much on this show about carefully planning our next chapter, when sometimes you couldn’t possibly plan for the places your skills, curiosity and one unexpected opportunity might take you.

So today, we’re going behind the voice you already know to find out who Karina is, why she loved the law enough to stay, what made her eventually leave it, and how on earth she ended up here.

Karina Berger, welcome to Seize the Yay.