Not one of us experiences today the same way.

In my work across Australia, from shearing sheds to boardrooms, I’ve seen how powerful understanding, compassion and kindness can be.
This article is a reminder that no matter our role or industry, we all have the ability to show up for each other in small but meaningful ways.

Let’s lead with Compassion, Kindness and Understanding.

Because you never know what someone’s today looks like.

A few weeks back I had the privilege of speaking at the launch of the Dubbo Men's Growth Room, a grassroots mental health initiative from Lifeline Central West that’s all about real connection, honest conversation, and community-led support.
I’ve written a few thoughts on why this project matters, how it aligns with the work I do as The Unbreakable Farmer, and why we need more safe spaces like this across the country.
Have a read, share it around, and let’s keep the conversations going.

I’m proud to announce the launch of The Unbreakable Conversation Project, a grassroots initiative built on my core values Communication, Connection and Support.

This project was born out of a heartfelt conversation at the Alexandra Truck Show Sponsors Dinner with Bill Quayle, Director of the Rinoldi Group. It was Bill’s generosity, kindness and shared vision that helped bring this idea to life and I’m truly grateful.

At its heart, The Unbreakable Conversation Project is about creating safe, everyday opportunities for people to check in, speak up and support each other. Whether it’s over a cuppa, on the back of a ute, or around the kitchen table, these conversations matter.

And here’s the twist, Butterfingers Shortbread will play a starring role. Yep, a good old-fashioned Aussie bikkie is now part of the solution. Baked in the Yarra Valley and packed with tradition, Butterfingers will become a tool to inspire chats that could save a life.

They’ll be handed out at events, shared during community visits, and gifted with purpose, to be enjoyed while checking in with someone you're worried about, or while having a yarn with your mates, family or neighbours.

Because sometimes it’s not about grand gestures. Sometimes it’s just a biscuit, a brew, and the courage to ask, "Are you OK?"

Thank you again to Bill and the Rinoldi team for backing this idea and helping drive meaningful change in rural, regional and remote Australia.

This is just the beginning.

Let’s keep the conversations going.

The first half of 2025 has been massive filled with travel, talks, community connection and conversations that matter. From Info Nights with Middy’s Electrical across multiple states, to a powerful regional tour with the Blue Tree Project in WA, to speaking with CFA volunteers, farmers, tradies, and school groups, I’ve been lucky to witness the strength and vulnerability of everyday Aussies.

This blog is a heartfelt recap of my journey so far, a thank you to the many people I’ve met along the way, and a call to action for the rest of 2025. There’s more to come, let’s keep the momentum going.

We’ve made resilience a buzzword, but is it really helping our communities?

After years of drought, flood and fire, I’ve heard the word resilience thrown around more times than I can count. But from where I stand, resilience isn’t a badge of honour, it’s something people turn to when they’ve got no other option.

I’ve written an article about this exact thing, challenging the overuse of “resilience” and instead focusing on something that actually makes a difference: building capacity.

Capacity is about giving communities the tools, support and connection they need before the next disaster hits, not just patting them on the back after the damage is done.

If you care about rural mental health, connection, and the future of our country towns, I’d love you to have a read, share your thoughts, and help keep the conversation going.

Because surviving shouldn’t be the goal, thriving should.

When disaster hits the bush whether it’s drought turning paddocks to dust or floodwaters tearing fences apart it doesn’t just leave a mess on the land. It hits people. Hard.

As someone who’s lived through both, I know the damage goes far deeper than what you see. That’s why I’ve made it my mission as The Unbreakable Farmer to help build capacity in our rural communities not just to survive the tough times, but to come through them stronger.

This blog is about how we do that through connection, conversation, and creating the tools that help us keep going, together.

We’ve all been told to toughen up, keep it in, and get on with it especially out here in the bush or on the tools. But that kind of thinking? It’s costing us. Too many good blokes are doing it tough in silence, thinking they’ve got to carry the load alone.

This blog isn’t about preaching. It’s about truth. It’s about the stuff we don’t talk about enough the battles inside, the weight we carry, and the strength it takes to speak up. If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on empty, this one’s for you.

Take five. Have a read. It might just change your story or a mate’s.

To every farmer making the hard calls right now this one's for you.

Whether you're facing dust or flood, destocking or staying put, grieving or just bloody exhausted… I see you.

Please share this with someone who needs it. You're not alone out there.

The land wears its scars in the open cracked soil, broken fences, flood-ravaged paddocks.

But what about the people who work that land?

The emotional toll of droughts, floods, and constant uncertainty is real but it's often carried in silence.

In this blog, I talk openly about emotional sustainability what it means, why it matters, and how we can start rebuilding ourselves, not just our farms.

Because beyond the fences, beyond the forecasts, there are people quietly falling apart and it’s time we started talking about it.

My latest blog offers a raw and honest reflection on the mental health crisis facing rural, regional, and remote communities across Australia.

With Victoria and South Australia gripped by drought, parts of New South Wales and Queensland battling floods, and a rising sense of burnout and disconnection, highlights the emotional toll beyond the headlines. I share in this blog what I am witnessing on the ground exhaustion, isolation, and quiet struggles of farmers, business owners, and frontline workers. The message is clear: it’s time to break the silence, prioritise connection, and normalise help seeking. Backed by a list of vital support services, this piece is both a wake up call and a call to action for Australians to come together, talk openly, and support one another before it’s too late.

I was compelled to write this blog on the back of a large number of people reaching out to me due to the impact of the climatic conditions they are facing at the moment, and the reminder of this classic quote when Travis Boak from the Port Adelaide Football Club referred to it on Unfiltered with Hamish McLachlan. But I also wrote it with a couple of blokes that I admire in mind, Justin Koschitzke and Tory Trewhitt after we caught up at Tory’s book launch in Melbourne last night.

I used to think vulnerability was weakness. That if I opened up, people would see the cracks and think less of me. But it wasn’t until I lost everything our farm, our livelihood, my identity that I realised the only way through was to speak the truth. Raw, messy, real truth. And when I did, something shifted. People didn’t turn away. They leaned in. That’s when I learnt: vulnerability doesn’t break you it connects you. It’s the foundation of healing, leadership, and real change.

We throw the word resilience around like it’s some kind of superpower. Like it’s always a good thing. But what happens when being resilient starts to hurt more than it helps? What happens when it becomes a mask instead of a strength? This is my story, the messy, uncomfortable, honest truth about my f**ked relationship with resilience.

Vulnerability is often misunderstood. It’s not about weakness or lacking resilience; it’s about having the courage to be real. Yet, the old-school idea of masculinity tells men to bottle up their struggles, to keep emotions hidden out of fear it will make them seem less "Manly." But the truth is, real strength comes from honesty from admitting when we’re struggling and being open enough to seek support.

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people, break down stigma, and encourage open conversations. In the bush, we might not always have access to mental health services, but we’ve always had each other. And that’s why sharing our stories is so important.

As the current cyclone event continues to impact southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, many communities are once again facing the terrifying uncertainty of severe weather conditions. Having worked in communities across Australia for many years, I’ve witnessed firsthand the devastating impacts of some of the worst droughts, bushfires, and floods in the country’s history.

These extreme events leave lasting scars not just on the land but on the people who call these regions home. As this cyclone event unfolds, my thoughts are particularly with my friends and colleagues in the northern rivers of New South Wales, who are once again bracing for the potential devastation.

As someone who grew up on a farm and has lived through some of the toughest times you can imagine, I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and isolated. The daily grind of farming, trying to keep everything afloat, and dealing with the ups and downs of life sometimes it feels like too much to handle. What many people don’t realise is that behind the hardworking, resilient faces in rural communities, there are battles being fought that often go unnoticed.

Through my work with schools, I’ve been fortunate enough to facilitate programs that focus on mental health, resilience, and leadership. One of the programs I’m particularly proud of is The TUF Schools Program, which is specifically designed to address the mental health challenges young people face today.

The TUF Schools Program isn’t just about teaching students how to cope with stress or manage their emotions—it’s about giving them a toolbox full of strategies and techniques that they can carry with them for life. It’s about building resilience, strengthening leadership skills, and creating a supportive environment where mental health is taken seriously.

I’ve seen firsthand how much of a difference programs like this can make. Students who feel like they’re struggling with the same issues I once did are given the opportunity to open up, share their experiences, and learn from others. They’re not just taught strategies for managing anxiety or stress they’re given the tools to build emotional resilience and self-confidence, which can transform their academic and personal lives.

Living in rural Australia, it’s impossible to ignore the ever-present threat of nature’s fury. From the devastating bushfires like Black Saturday and the Black Summer bushfires to the catastrophic floods that wreaked havoc on the eastern seaboard in 2022, our communities have faced nature’s unpredictability head on. But as these disasters become more frequent and severe, it’s crucial to ask: how prepared are we for the next one? What lessons have we learned from past crises, and how can we build resilience into our cities and towns as they grow?