Performance Intelligence Podcast - Bite Size #146: Ken Robertson - How Tough Love Transformed a Seasoned Officer & the Gift of Advice From People Who Don't Like You

Bite Size #146: Ken Robertson - How Tough Love Transformed a Seasoned Officer & the Gift of Advice From People Who Don't Like You

11/03/24 • 19 min

In this Bite Size from episode #106 Warrant Officer Ken Robertson shares his story of growth from putting up a tough front that started on the sports field and leaked into his personal and professional life.

Ken also talks about how it took him going to someone who didn’t like him to get some honest and direct feedback on what he should change about himself.

You can find Ken at his Twitter: https://x.com/seac_adf
Or at the Defence Website: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/who-we-are/leaders/senior-enlisted-advisor-cdf

Looking to streamline your financial goals? Connect with Zack Raad at Fruition Financial.

📅 Book a meeting with Zack: Calendly Link
📞 Call: 0478 622 281
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.fruitionfinancial.com.au

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Ken also talks about how it took him going to someone who didn’t like him to get some honest and direct feedback on what he should change about himself.

You can find Ken at his Twitter: https://x.com/seac_adf
Or at the Defence Website: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/who-we-are/leaders/senior-enlisted-advisor-cdf

Looking to streamline your financial goals? Connect with Zack Raad at Fruition Financial.

📅 Book a meeting with Zack: Calendly Link
📞 Call: 0478 622 281
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.fruitionfinancial.com.au

Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/

Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/

Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/

Previous Episode

#112 The Hidden Cost of Stress: How a Cancer Diagnosis Transformed this CEO’s Approach to Wellbeing, Leadership and Life - Reini Otter

Reini Otter, CEO of Frasers Property Industrial, one of Australia's market-leading companies. Andrew asks Reini about his unique approach to leadership, health, and resilience, and how his life-changing cancer diagnosis shaped his mindset, sparking a deep commitment to wellbeing. Reini has spent 25 years at Frasers Property, steering logistics and industrial growth across Australia and Europe, all while championing future-ready facilities and a culture of care.

“...we want our people to push hard, really hard, you know, it's a competitive industry. But as an employer... what tools are you giving them to succeed? And whilst your surgeon won't say to you, "stress causes cancer", there is absolutely no question that your mental state effects your physical being. Everyone's experienced butterflies! That's a thought, that's lead to a feeling, a chemical change in your body..."

In this episode Andrew and Reini discuss:

3:20 How Andrew and Reini first met, Reini’s life-changing cancer diagnosis, and why Dr Tom says Reini has the best Performance Intelligence of any client they have worked with.

6:05 Some key metrics Reini looks at to improve his performance, staying fit for 70, and the importance of having a healthy heart rate.

12:30 Why data isn’t everything when looking at health and performance, opening the door to high performance for others through awareness and education, and Reini’s average weekly exercise.

16:40 Not needing to supplement if you have a good enough diet, creating a positive feedback loop with fasting and where you can start on your wellbeing journey.

20:40 Why Reini is so obsessed with wellbeing, how he was able to cope with his cancer diagnosis, and why this has led to him growing even more in his career.

26:00 How the cancer diagnosis was the start of Reini’s mindfulness practice, focusing on the process when you can’t control the outcome and the vulnerability Reini showed in his article in The Australian.

32:30 Stress is great when you balance it with recovery, work can be addictive and easy to bury yourself in and going deep on the science of performance.

37:00 What is high altitude thinking, it takes a whole organisation to drive workplace culture and have humility as one of your key values.

45:40 Reini’s “you’re the man” moment, being confident in yourself when you can’t control what’s happening externally, and why Reini is now more comfortable with being vulnerable.

51:35 Why opening up about your struggles will make other people more comfortable around you, supporting the Healthy Heads In Trucks And Sheds initiative, and why Reini is so passionate about it.

58:00 Where Reini sees himself and his industry going in the future, where you can find Reini and Dr Tom and Andrew’s reflections.

You can find Reini at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reini-otter-331a8439
Read Reini's article in The Australian: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/leadership/reini-otter-is-on-a-mission-to-have-healthy-heads-in-trucks-and-sheds/news-story/99501ba7b76815fdede995dab8b49676

Looking to streamline your financial goals? Connect with Zack Raad at Fruition Financial.

📅 Book a meeting with Zack: Calendly Link
📞 Call: 0478 622 281
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.fruitionfinancial.com.au

Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/

Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/

Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/

Next Episode

#113 Inside the Mindset of the Fastest Person to Run Around Australia & How Goal Stacking Made it Possible - Sean Bell

Ultra-marathon runner Sean Bell is breaking down the raw and powerful mindset it took to keep moving forward when it was just him against the distance. Sean has become the fastest person to circumnavigate Australia on foot, finishing 13,383km in 158 days, 14 hours and 52 minutes. He averaged 84km per day and broke the existing record by 11 days.

Sean pushed past mental and physical limits daily, not just to make history but to make a difference. Fueled by a mission to chase his audacious dreams and inspire others to do the same, Sean’s journey speaks to what’s possible when you commit entirely to a purpose.

"Life is all about stages...initially, I never thought I'm going to run around Australia...but hearing [Stu Middleman] story made me believe that maybe I can run a marathon..and so once I achieved that, well then you think what's next?"

In this episode Andrew and Sean discuss:

1:50 Sean’s recent move to Sydney, growing up wanting to be an AFL player and the moment that all changed after he ran his first marathon.

6:15 Working hard to achieve your goals, realising that nobody is coming to save you and you should only get a ribbon if you earn it.

10:50 Sean’s mate Joey unexpectedly passing away and the impact that had on Sean’s life, what Sean got out of seeing Tony Robbins live in America and starting to look at what is possible in ultra endurance running.

16:30 Why Sean is so optimistic, pushing past people telling you you’re not good enough and when Sean realised he would have to have a deliberate training plan to be able to run long distances.

22:45 Learning psychological skills through experience, Sean’s purpose and meeting his coach Jase while preparing for a big run.

28:30 The masterclass in goal setting that Sean has gone through, some of the inspirational figures in Sean’s life and running 50 marathons in 50 days to get ready for the run around Australia.

36:15 Some of the training Sean had to do to prepare his body for the run, how he was able to break it down into achievable goals and putting on excess muscle knowing you are going to lose it while running.

41:45 Looking at the requirements for being able to run around Australia and building up to that, the 33% split between physical, psychological and support staff needed to do the run and not wanting to tap out after starting the run.

47:30 Getting a stress fracture 8 weeks out from the run, breaking the run down into 8km segments and the best day of running that Sean had on his journey.

56:30 Running a double marathon every day as a goal, coach Jase’s unfortunate passing just before the run and the wizard’s take outs from the episode so far.

1:04:30 Sean still processing the fact that he was able to achieve his goal, getting support from previous record holders and the challenge of running across Tasmania after running around the mainland.

1:12:30 Sean’s unusual diet on the run, building up mental toughness on the run and the importance of visualisation for Sean’s problem solving on the run.

1:21:55 What Sean is planning to do next, how you can find Sean and Andrew and Shannon’s reflections.

You can find Sean at his Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanbellruns/?hl=en
At his Website: https://seanbellruns.com/
Or at his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanbellruns/?originalSubdomain=au
Send Sean an email at: [email protected]

Looking to streamline your financial goals? Connect with Zack Raad at Fruition Financial.

📅 Book a meeting with Zack: Calendly Link
📞 Call: 0478 622 281
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.fruitionfinancial.com.au

Use Code "PIPODCAST10" to get 10% off your Lumo Coffee order:https://lumocoffee.com/

Learn more about Andrew and Performance Intelligence: https://performanceintelligence.com/
Find out more about Andrew's Keynotes : https://performanceintelligence.com/keynotes/

Follow Andrew May: https://www.instagram.com/andrewmay/

If you enjoy the p...