From burnout to balance — this week’s Being Human episode is a story of success, collapse, and rebuilding from the ground up.
Joel and Luke sit down with Andy McCarthy, founder of Gippsland Solar and author of Here Comes the Sun, to explore the toll of chasing perfection and the power of vulnerability in leadership. Andy shares how he went from being labelled “the face of the energy transition” to collapsing from exhaustion on a hotel floor in Barcelona — and how that moment became the turning point for his life, family, and purpose.
This is a raw and deeply human conversation about pressure,identity, and redefining success — not by what you achieve, but by how you live.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises New episodes drop every Tuesday — because being human is never perfect, but it’s always real.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Content note: This episode includes discussion of serious illness, kidney failure, and organ transplantation.
🧠 What do you do when life suddenly flips from “I’m fine” to “you might have three days to live”?
In this powerful instalment of our Being Human Series, Joel and Luke sit down with Andy Bailey — a sales coach, motivator, and lifelong sportsman — who opens up about the day his world completely changed. After living six decades without so much as a cold, Andy was told his kidneys were failing and he needed urgent treatment to survive.
What followed was three and a half years on dialysis, relentless hospital stays, a life-saving kidney transplant, and the battle to rebuild not just his body, but his sense of identity and purpose. Andy shares with raw honesty what it’s like to live tethered to a machine, to lose control after a lifetime of independence, and to face the kind of exhaustion that runs deeper than sleep.
Beyond the medical story, this is a conversation about resilience, acceptance, and perspective — what happens when your life is suddenly measured in blood results, how gratitude shifts when you get a second chance, and the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up when every day feels like borrowed time.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
• Real stories of survival, resilience, and rebuilding after health crises
• What life on dialysis and transplant recovery actually looks like
• Finding purpose and humour in the face of life-threatening illness
• The mental toll of illness and the importance of honest support
• Letting go of control and learning to live on your own terms again
• Powerful, grounded conversations about what it really means to be human
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?
We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 Trauma doesn’t always look like what you think it does. It’s not just the big, obvious moments — sometimes it’s the quiet experiences that shape how we see ourselves, how we connect, and how we cope.
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, JoelSheldon and Luke Lee Tet unpack what trauma really is, how it shows up in the body, and why healing isn’t about forgetting what happened — it’s about learning to move with it. They dive into the science, the stigma, and the small, practical ways you can start to process and reclaim control.
This isn’t a conversation about pain — it’s about possibility. Because while you may not have chosen what happened, you can choose to heal.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 How do you show up for your kids when you’re running on empty yourself?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel and Luke dive into the beautifully chaotic, guilt-ridden, love-filled world of parenting. From the daily juggle of work, boundaries, and tantrums to the pressure of always wanting to “get it right,” this conversation explores what it really means to raise kids while trying to stay grounded as an adult.
They talk about how children mirror what they see — not what they’re told — and the challenge of staying calm when life feels anything but. It’s an honest look at how parents can unintentionally pass down stress, how to repair those moments of disconnection, and why self-awareness might be the most powerful parenting tool of all.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?
We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Content note: This episode contains discussion of cancer, grief, and the loss of a parent.
🧠 How do you keep moving when life rips away one of the people you love most?
In this first episode of our Being Human Series, Joel and Luke sit down with Mitch Johnstone as he opens up about losing his dad, Michael Johnstone, to pancreatic cancer. With raw honesty, Mitch shares what it was like to walk through the shock of diagnosis, the heartbreak of decline, and the grief that followed his dad’s passing.
This isn’t just a conversation about loss — it’s about what happens to your identity, relationships, and daily life when the person you looked up to most is suddenly gone. Mitch talks about the practical chaos of hospital visits, the emotional whiplash of hope and despair, and the quiet, long-lasting ache that comes after the funeral ends and life is supposed to “go back to normal.”
Mitch is also a father, teacher, and cricket coach — roles he tries to compartmentalise as best he can while often running on fumes. He speaks candidly about the tension of showing up for his kids, his students, and his players while privately carrying grief and exhaustion, and how the weight of those roles can be both grounding and overwhelming.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
• Honest, unfiltered conversations about grief and what it really feels like
• The experience of losing a parent to cancer and the ripple effect on family
• The loneliness that comes when support fades after the funeral
• What it looks like to juggle parenthood, teaching, and coaching while grieving
• Learning to carry your loved one’s legacy while finding your own way forward
• Vulnerability, resilience, and the reminder that it’s okay to not be okay
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?
We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🏏 Coaching isn’t just about drills, game plans, or teaching skills — it’s about shaping people, building cultures, and creating environments where individuals can thrive.
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon and Luke Lee Tet dive into the rewarding, and sometimes confronting world of coaching. From junior sport to elite competition, they explore what makes a coach great (and what doesn’t), the role of parents and egos in team dynamics, and why culture is bigger than any one player. Joel shares insights from his cricket coaching journey and business, while Luke reflects on decades of playing and mentoring at the highest levels of softball and baseball. Together, they unpack lessons that reach beyond sport — into leadership, parenting, business, and relationships.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon |https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 Purpose. It’s one of those big words that can feel overwhelming — like you need to have it all figured out before life makes sense. But what if purpose isn’t one grand destination, and instead lives in the small, everyday choices we make?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon sits down with Luke Lee Tet to unpack the messy, shifting nature of purpose. They talk about why purpose isn’t the same as passion, how it changes across different seasons of life, and why chasing “the one big thing” can actually leave you stuck. Instead, they explore what it looks like to live on purpose - finding meaning in the ordinary, not just in the extraordinary.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises📘Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 Ever felt the Sunday night dread creeping in, your chest tightening at the sight of your inbox, or snapping at home after holding it together all day at work?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel shares his own experience of sliding from everyday pressure into full-blown burnout — and how stress in the workplace doesn’t just stay at the office, it follows you everywhere. Luke Lee Tet brings his counsellor’s lens, unpacking why so many of us are feeling the squeeze, and how to know when “normal work pressure” has tipped into something dangerous.
From the hidden signs we miss, to the myths about HR, andpractical ways to reset your nervous system before it’s too late, this is a raw and practical conversation about what stress really costs us — and how to take back control.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?
We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 Grief isn’t something you “get over.” It’s something you learn to live with — and it changes you along the way.
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon shares the deeply personal story of losing his brother, Kyle Sheldon, and how that loss continues to shape his life.
Alongside Luke Lee Tet, they unpack the many layers of grief— from losing loved ones to the quieter, less-recognised losses we all carry.
They talk about the silence that often surrounds grief, why it feels so isolating, and how to show up for yourself and others in the middle of it. It’s raw, tender, and a reminder that grief, while painful, can also reshape us in powerful ways.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 How do you actually show up for someone battling anxiety or depression — without overstepping, fixing, or burning yourself out?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon and Luke Lee Tet respond to a listener’s question about what it really means to be a better friend. From Joel’s experience of the people who got him through, to Luke’s practical toolkit for showing up without judgment, this conversation gets honest about friendship in the hard moments.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Ever been blindsided by a week that throws every possiblecurveball at you? In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon and Luke Lee Tet unpack the moments when resilience is tested — from unexpected parenting chaos to the emotional mess that follows.
Joel shares a real-life “sticky gecko” moment (yes, straightout of Bluey) that spirals into a bigger reflection on frustration, energy limits, and the art of picking your battles. Luke brings the grounded, practical toolkit, offering simple strategies to reframe setbacks without sugar-coating the struggle.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘Facebook: Life’sBumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
🧠 Who are you when you’re not what you do?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Luke Lee Tet shares his journey from representing Australia in softball to stepping away from the sport and starting fresh in counselling and life coaching — and the messy, liberating process of figuring out who he is beyond the game.
Joel Sheldon brings curiosity (and a few well-placed digs) as the two explore how our sense of self can get tangled up in work, achievement, and other people’s expectations.
From the fear of “starting over” to the surprising freedom of letting go, this conversation is about rediscovering your worth without the business card, and why your value isn’t measured in KPIs or LinkedIn endorsements.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into: Navigating career transitions and identity shifts• Untangling self-worth from job performance• Finding confidence when you’re in unfamiliar territory• Honest chats, personal stories, and a few laughs along the way
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story?We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:📬lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com📲Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises📘Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Episode 3 - 🧠 Ever felt like you had to nail something perfectly on the very first try… or else?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon opens up about the pressure he’s been putting on himself to make the podcast “perfect” from day one — and the spiral of self-doubt that comes with it. Luke Lee Tet listens, challenges, and helps unpack why chasing flawlessness can leave us stuck, stressed, and second-guessing.
From dishwasher disasters and Bali knock-off Crocs to the deeper work of self-worth and validation, this is an honest (and often hilarious) look at the messy middle of starting something new — and why we need to give ourselves permission to be imperfect.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
• Understanding how perfectionism and self-doubt feed each other
• Letting go of the need to “get it right” straight away
• Practical tools to question the stories you tell yourself
• Banter, real talk, and the kind of laughs you don’t plan for
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime: 📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com 📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises 📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Episode 1 – Who ChatGPT Thinks We Are
🧠 Two blokes walk into a podcast… one’s a counsellor, the other’s figuring things out one step at a time. What could go wrong?
In this first full-length episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon and Luke Lee Tet finally make it to air (after multiple corrupted files, a near-Frisbee laptop incident, and a mental health crash). They unpack who they are, where they’ve come from, and how a rogue ChatGPT prompt unexpectedly summed up their entire emotional DNA.
From childhood trauma and missing fathers to the quiet pain of burnout and creative overdrive, Joel and Luke go deep — but never preachy. It’s honest, it’s messy, it’s relatable as hell.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com 📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises 📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Episode 2 – Joel vs IKEA
🧠 Ever tried rebuilding your entire life and a full-height flat-pack wardrobe in the same week?
In this episode of Life’s Bumps and Bruises, Joel Sheldon recounts the kind of day that makes a man question everything — a full-blown mental unravelling in the middle of IKEA assembly. Luke Lee Tet brings calm to the chaos, helping Joel (and listeners) unpack what happens when overwhelm hits, and how to rebuild your inner scaffolding when life’s instructions don’t come with pictures.
From emotional shut-downs and raised voices to vulnerability hangovers and the underrated power of a good cry, this conversation shows just how universal the experience of “snapping” really is.
🎙 This episode is for you if you’re into:
💬 Got thoughts or want to share your own story? We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com 📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises 📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Episode 0 – Teaser: Welcome to Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🧠 Life’s full of emotional potholes — and we’re here to talk about them.
In this teaser episode, Joel Sheldon and Luke Lee Tet give you a raw, unscripted glimpse into what Life’s Bumps and Bruises is all about. From parenting fails and IKEA-level chaos to the heaviness of mental health struggles, this episode blends humour, honesty, and hard-earned wisdom.
Joel shares the frustrating moments of everyday life (like forgetting paint codes and double-handling errands), while Luke — counsellor, coach, and all-round grounded human — reflects on structure, self-awareness, and what it really means to rebuild your life.
🎙 This conversation is what you can expect from the podcast:
Real stories
Mental health unpacked
Support without sugar-coating
Gentle but powerful insights into growth, anxiety, overwhelm, relationships, identity, and self-worth
If you’ve ever felt stuck, unmotivated, or just needed to hear someone say, “yeah, we get it” — this podcast is for you.
💬 Got questions or want to share your own story?
We’d love to hear from you. Reach out anytime:
📬 lifesbumpsbruises@gmail.com
📲 Instagram: @lifesbumpsandbruises
📘 Facebook: Life’s Bumps and Bruises
🎧 New episodes drop every Tuesday — let’s normalise the conversation, one real chat at a time.
Credits:
The Inspiration by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
URL:
https://www.chosic.com/download-audio/27962/