The You Project
- Episodes
- 2,241
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- daily
- Latest episode
- Nov 12, 2026
About the podcast
The You Project is a 30-90 minute dose of inspiration and education hosted by Craig Harper with great stories, ideas, strategies and lessons from high-performers in sport, business, science, media and health.
Episodes 2,241
#2260 Navigating Conflict - Tim Duggan
Another enjoyable TYP outing with a super smart, stimulating and fascinating guest. Apart from the fact that he’s better looking and smarter, I think we’re quite similar. Enjoy. *Tim Duggan is an Australian …
Show notes
Another enjoyable TYP outing with a super smart, stimulating and fascinating guest. Apart from the fact that he’s better looking and smarter, I think we’re quite similar. Enjoy. *Tim Duggan is an Australian media entrepreneur, bestselling author, journalist and digital publishing pioneer. He co-founded Junkee Media, one of Australia’s most successful digital publishing companies, and has spent much of his career exploring how we think, work, create and connect. Tim is the author of four books, including Cult Status, Killer Thinking, Work Backwards and his latest, Clear in Tension, which explores how we can navigate conflict and disagreement more effectively. He’s a regular columnist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, a sought-after speaker and a passionate advocate for doing work that matters and living a life that means something.
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#2259 Exactly Where is the Mind - Associate Professor Kevin Mitchell
Some guests make me think harder than others. This guest had me holding on by my academic tippy-toes. *Associate Professor Kevin Mitchell is an Irish neurogeneticist, neuroscientist, author and researcher at …
Show notes
Some guests make me think harder than others. This guest had me holding on by my academic tippy-toes. *Associate Professor Kevin Mitchell is an Irish neurogeneticist, neuroscientist, author and researcher at Trinity College Dublin, where he works in the Department of Genetics and the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience. His work spans genetics, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, with a particular interest in consciousness, human agency, decision-making and the relationship between the brain and mind.
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#2258 Not Good-Enough-Itis - Dr. Bex Bell
In this episode, I had a great chat with our TYP debutant Dr Bex Bell, exploring the complexity and joy of the human experience. As we do here. Here’s a bit about the Doc. *Dr Bex is a confidence and leadership …
Show notes
In this episode, I had a great chat with our TYP debutant Dr Bex Bell, exploring the complexity and joy of the human experience. As we do here. Here’s a bit about the Doc. *Dr Bex is a confidence and leadership coach, speaker, author, and self-confessed recovering perfectionist! With a PhD in forensic psychology and a background spanning prison research, public health, and years in the fitness industry, Bex brings science, soul, and straight talk to the personal development space. Think psychological translator: making sense of our messy human minds and turning research into tools people can actually use. Enjoy.
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#2257 5 Things I Learned This Year (Pt 2) - Harps & Tiff
In this rather verbose instalment of TYP, young Tiff and I conclude our chat about what 2026 has taught us, what we’re changing moving forward, how we’ll get it done and the psychology and motivation behind it …
Show notes
In this rather verbose instalment of TYP, young Tiff and I conclude our chat about what 2026 has taught us, what we’re changing moving forward, how we’ll get it done and the psychology and motivation behind it all. Enjoy.
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#2256 WTF Are Peptides? - David Gillespie
Over the last few years, the use of peptides in Australia (and globally) has gone through the performance-enhancing roof. While there are many advocates for their use, there are still a lot of unknowns, no …
Show notes
Over the last few years, the use of peptides in Australia (and globally) has gone through the performance-enhancing roof. While there are many advocates for their use, there are still a lot of unknowns, no clinical human trials, no long term data and according to Gillespo, an increasing number of unwanted side effects and hospitalisations. He explains to us exactly what peptides are, their intended use and how people are getting around legal loopholes to obtain them. Enjoy.
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#2255 5 Things I Learned This Year - Harps & Tiff
So Tiff and I decided to each share five things that we have learned, realised, come to understand, taken ownership of, or even, struggled with this year. However, having cohosts who both suffer from chronic …
Show notes
So Tiff and I decided to each share five things that we have learned, realised, come to understand, taken ownership of, or even, struggled with this year. However, having cohosts who both suffer from chronic cases of excessive verbosity and meandering minds, it seems we overestimated our capacity to collectively deliver on those intended ten revelations in the allocated time. So apparently, this is part one. I actually really enjoyed this and think many of you might see yourself in our stories. Enjoy.
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#2254 The Nature of Nurture - Professor Jay Belskey
Jay Belsky is Emeritus Professor of Human Development at the University of California, Davis, and an internationally recognised scholar in developmental psychology. His research integrates evolutionary theory …
Show notes
Jay Belsky is Emeritus Professor of Human Development at the University of California, Davis, and an internationally recognised scholar in developmental psychology. His research integrates evolutionary theory, longitudinal data, and life-course perspectives to better understand how early experiences influence later health, behaviour, and adaptation. The good Prof. has just released his first book for a non-academic audience (super understandable and practical) called ‘The Nature of Nurture’: Rethinking Why and How Childhood Adversity Shapes Development. I had a great time with the Prof. and I hope you do to.
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#2253 Meaningful Suffering - Bobby Cappuccio
In his most famous book Man’s Search for Meaning, Austrian Psychiatrist, Neurologist, Holocaust Survivor and Author Victor Frankl said “in some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a …
Show notes
In his most famous book Man’s Search for Meaning, Austrian Psychiatrist, Neurologist, Holocaust Survivor and Author Victor Frankl said “in some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.” I love that quote. Although we try to avoid it, sometimes suffering can be our best teacher, insight giver, developer of resilience, skill and courage. This is one of my favourite chats with Bobby in a long time. I personally find this stuff inspiring, enlightning and very relevant for my goals, values and purpose. Along the way, we also chatted about adaptability, understanding others, reframing the situation we find ourselves in and the process of getting in a flow state. I think you will enjoy this.
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#2252 The Science of Dodgy Backs - Dr. Jeff Gross
Not only is our friend and TYP regular Dr. Jeff a world-renowned specialist in the areas of regenerative and longevity medicine, but he’s also a Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon. So, not a dummy after all. This …
Show notes
Not only is our friend and TYP regular Dr. Jeff a world-renowned specialist in the areas of regenerative and longevity medicine, but he’s also a Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon. So, not a dummy after all. This episode is a deeper dive into an earlier conversation we started about 1, 000 episodes ago. I think this conversation is relevant for virtually everybody. Enjoy.
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#2251 The Experiment Mindset - Tamsin Simounds
Tamsin Simounds is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, author, founder and now, guest on The You Project; surely the highlight of her career (lol). She has just released a new book called ‘The Experiment …
Show notes
Tamsin Simounds is a leadership coach, keynote speaker, author, founder and now, guest on The You Project; surely the highlight of her career (lol). She has just released a new book called ‘The Experiment Mindset’ (as per our title) and as we discovered during our conversation, we have a lot in common. Almost to the point of being weird. I loved meeting Tamsin, she has great energy, great knowledge, great real-world strategies and like me, she is something of a Pracademic. Enjoy.
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#2250 You'd Think We'd Be Better - Patrick Bonello
Apparently, this is Patrick’s 135th appearance on The You Project. You’d think we would be pretty amazing by now but no, those 134 previous episodes don’t seem to have moved the needle a lot. We’re still …
Show notes
Apparently, this is Patrick’s 135th appearance on The You Project. You’d think we would be pretty amazing by now but no, those 134 previous episodes don’t seem to have moved the needle a lot. We’re still inappropriate, still easily distracted, still argumentative (not so much Tiff) and still trying to stay on track with the alleged focus and theme of the show; technology. Yet to my complete surprise, this fortnightly conversational lucky dip is favoured by some.
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#2249 Permissive Parenting - David Gillespie
So the father of six (Gillespo) and the and the Bloke and the Hybrid (Tiff) with zero kids between them, had a chat about parenting, recent research on the relationship between screen time and mental health in …
Show notes
So the father of six (Gillespo) and the and the Bloke and the Hybrid (Tiff) with zero kids between them, had a chat about parenting, recent research on the relationship between screen time and mental health in kids, the ancient and apparently outdated concept of kids doing chores, addiction wiring and the very real experience of withdrawal when kids are separated from their screens. I’ll never know, but it’s quite possible that I would’ve made a terrible parent.
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#2248 How Burnout Works - Dr. Olivia Ong
Dr. Olivia Ong is back at TYP Central and this time we endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of burnout - what it is, what it isn’t, who it affects, how it affects us, how to recognise it and what we might …
Show notes
Dr. Olivia Ong is back at TYP Central and this time we endeavour to gain a deeper understanding of burnout - what it is, what it isn’t, who it affects, how it affects us, how to recognise it and what we might do about it. Enjoy.
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#2247 Loneliness, Solitude & Social Connection - Prof. Robert Coplan
This was another genuinely fascinating conversation with Prof. Robert Coplan from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. It turns out that being alone is bad for some and great for others. And that we don’t …
Show notes
This was another genuinely fascinating conversation with Prof. Robert Coplan from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. It turns out that being alone is bad for some and great for others. And that we don’t need to be alone, to be lonely. We spoke about the difference between loneliness and solitude, the fact that some people suffer when they don’t get enough time on their own, how introverts are often mistaken for extroverts, that some of us need to find the right ‘dosage’ for being around others, that some people are mitigating loneliness with AI and we discover that I might actually be a social misfit. No shock there, I guess.
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#2246 Fears, Beliefs & Placebos - Prof. Bill Sullivan
Your mind could be the most powerful drug you will ever have at your disposal. A single thought can change your physiology. Lower or increase your heart rate. Produce stress hormones or happy hormones. Elevate …
Show notes
Your mind could be the most powerful drug you will ever have at your disposal. A single thought can change your physiology. Lower or increase your heart rate. Produce stress hormones or happy hormones. Elevate or lower your blood pressure. Shift your emotional state. Put you into a state of calm or a state of panic. And in some well documented cases, heal people from incurable diseases. In this episode of TYP, my favourite molecular biologist (Prof. Bill Sullivan) and I do a deep dive in to the power of the mind and beyond. Enjoy.
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#2245 Self-Flying Planes - Patrick Bonello
Self driving cars, self driving trucks, driverless taxis and maybe in the not-too-distant future, self-flying passenger planes. F**k that. That’s a big fat “no thanks” from me. I’ll take the human pilot option …
Show notes
Self driving cars, self driving trucks, driverless taxis and maybe in the not-too-distant future, self-flying passenger planes. F**k that. That’s a big fat “no thanks” from me. I’ll take the human pilot option, thanks. This was yet another fun conversational escapade with Patrick and Tiff, full of appropriate and inappropriate subject matter. As always. Enjoy. Or avoid.
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#2244 Procrastination - Dr. Fuschia Sorois
Dr. Fuschia Sirois is a psychologist and internationally recognised researcher specialising in procrastination, self-regulation, motivation, stress and wellbeing. She is a Professor of Social and Health …
Show notes
Dr. Fuschia Sirois is a psychologist and internationally recognised researcher specialising in procrastination, self-regulation, motivation, stress and wellbeing. She is a Professor of Social and Health Psychology at Durham University in the UK. Her research explores why people procrastinate, particularly the role of emotional regulation. One of her central arguments is that procrastination is less about poor time management and more about managing uncomfortable emotions. Her book "Procrastination: What It Is, Why It's a Problem, and What You Can Do About It" is a best seller and according to the good Doc, procrastination often stems from emotional and cognitive processes - including fear of failure, perfectionism, low confidence, or difficulty regulating emotions - rather than laziness alone. In our chat, Fuschia shares how delaying tasks can temporarily reduce discomfort while reinforcing a cycle that makes future action even harder. So interesting! Enjoy.
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#2243 The Friendship Litmus Test - Dr. Lillian Nejad
This was a fun chat with Dr. Lillian, where we explored the variables of human connection, building rapport, trust and functional relationships in different settings, situations and contexts. How can we …
Show notes
This was a fun chat with Dr. Lillian, where we explored the variables of human connection, building rapport, trust and functional relationships in different settings, situations and contexts. How can we consciously build connection with people that we don’t have a natural connection with? What are the attributes, skills and qualities of people who consistently find a way to build great connection with anyone, anywhere, anytime? And what determines a healthy friendship? Enjoy.
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#2242 Adapt or Die - Harps & Tiff
Adapt or die; it’s the evolutionary requirement for the survival of any species isn’t it? And on a far less dramatic note, it’s also a prerequisite for you and I to flourish, prosper and succeed in our …
Show notes
Adapt or die; it’s the evolutionary requirement for the survival of any species isn’t it? And on a far less dramatic note, it’s also a prerequisite for you and I to flourish, prosper and succeed in our day-to-day lives. We live in a world that is in a constant state of shift and change and being incapable of adaptation in such a dynamic environment is a recipe for frustration, stagnation and failure. This time around Tiff and I wax lyrical about our triumphs and failures while doing our best to adapt and evolve when the goal, situation and circumstance require it.
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#2241 New Addictions? - David Gillespie
For no particular reason, TYP and Gillespo have not been in the same room for a while but finally, the gang is back together. This is a slightly longer than normal chat (for us) and we covered some really …
Show notes
For no particular reason, TYP and Gillespo have not been in the same room for a while but finally, the gang is back together. This is a slightly longer than normal chat (for us) and we covered some really interesting topics, including why Meta forked out $18 billion to avoid going to court, why behavioural addictions and drug addictions are kind-of the same, gamers becoming air traffic controllers (not even a joke), using AI without destroying your brain and why David’s favourite “country” is the Sunshine Coast. This was one of the more fun episodes with Tiff joining in the mayhem. Enjoy.
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#2240 Knowing Is Not Doing - Ben Siong
In Australia, Benjamin Siong is at the pointy end of fitness, strength, health, high-performance, education and human optimisation (my words, not his) and I valued the opportunity to chat with somebody with so …
Show notes
In Australia, Benjamin Siong is at the pointy end of fitness, strength, health, high-performance, education and human optimisation (my words, not his) and I valued the opportunity to chat with somebody with so much knowledge, experience and passion for helping people explore and fulfil their potential. Ben is the founder of LEARNASP, an international education platform redefining how trainers turn knowledge into real-world results. With an Honours degree in Applied Science, majoring in Psychology, Ben's approach to body composition, nutrition and performance is underpinned by behavioural psychology. Ben has spent more than two decades coaching and educating, working with elite athletes across 16+ sports, champion bodybuilders, fitness models and pageant winners. Today, through LEARNASP, he educates trainers across more than 15 countries to think critically, coach the individual, influence behaviour and turn science into results.
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#2239 The Resurrection of 982 - Professor Munjed Al Muderis
This might be my favourite episode of the year. Inspirational, educational and at times, confronting. I loved this chat. *Professor Munjed Al Muderis is an internationally recognised orthopaedic surgeon …
Show notes
This might be my favourite episode of the year. Inspirational, educational and at times, confronting. I loved this chat. *Professor Munjed Al Muderis is an internationally recognised orthopaedic surgeon, humanitarian, author and pioneer in osseointegration surgery. Born in Iraq, he fled Saddam Hussein’s regime in 1999 after refusing an order to mutilate army deserters, eventually arriving in Australia as a refugee and spending ten months in immigration detention. He went on to become a leading orthopaedic surgeon, developing innovative techniques and implants that allow prosthetic limbs to connect directly to bone. A Clinical Professor at Macquarie University, Munjed has performed surgery and humanitarian work around the world. He was named the 2020 NSW Australian of the Year.
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#2238 What Happens In The Brain As We Die? - Prof. Tarvez Tucker
In the context of my last few months, this was an interesting conversation to have with Professor Tarvez Tucker, whose latest book “The Brain at Twilight: The Neuroscience of Our Last Words and Moments” …
Show notes
In the context of my last few months, this was an interesting conversation to have with Professor Tarvez Tucker, whose latest book “The Brain at Twilight: The Neuroscience of Our Last Words and Moments” explores the science of what happens in the brain as we approach death. Among many other things, we spoke about my dad‘s final words. It sounds like it might be a tough listen but it is actually quite fascinating. Enjoy.
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#2237 What Shouldn't We Expect - Bobby Cappuccio
What should and shouldn’t we expect of others? If anything? Do we expect others to be how we want them to be? Or do we expect them to be what they’ve been the last hundred times? And while we’re at it, what do …
Show notes
What should and shouldn’t we expect of others? If anything? Do we expect others to be how we want them to be? Or do we expect them to be what they’ve been the last hundred times? And while we’re at it, what do we expect of ourselves? Other than expectations, Bobby and I spoke about positive and negative drivers (moving away from the thing we don’t want, moving towards the thing we do want), the confusion around values and purpose, the overuse of self-help cliche’s, motivation as a driver versus motivation as an emotional state and plenty more. Enjoy.
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#2236 Nonsense in Psychiatry - Prof. Gordon Parker
Prof. Gordon Parker was almost too smart for me to interview. Nonetheless, I gave it a crack and we covered some hefty subject matter and explored a few things on the lighter side, like Crapsules. And yes, they …
Show notes
Prof. Gordon Parker was almost too smart for me to interview. Nonetheless, I gave it a crack and we covered some hefty subject matter and explored a few things on the lighter side, like Crapsules. And yes, they are actually what they sound like. Enjoy your breakfast. The good Prof. is one of Australia’s most distinguished and respected psychiatrists and mental health researchers who has published more than 1,000 scientific papers, written 23 books, is the founder of the Black Dog Institute and is an Order of Australia medal recipient (OAM). He’s also a ripper Bloke and I enjoyed our conversation.
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#2235 Science and Religion Had a Chat - Dr. Bill Sullivan
What role does genetics, upbringing, culture, experiences, environment and social context have on the way we think, behave and treat others? Is free will real or an illusion? To what extent can science and …
Show notes
What role does genetics, upbringing, culture, experiences, environment and social context have on the way we think, behave and treat others? Is free will real or an illusion? To what extent can science and religion coexist harmoniously and even agree? Are doctors and scientists less respected than they were 20 years ago? And if so, why? Are we getting our information from credible sources? And is our information actually information, or is it marketing? This was a fun chat with Dr. Bill. Enjoy.
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#2234 Dr. Sam Casey
Dr. Sam Casey is back at TYP Central chatting with me about how kids and their grown-ups work. Always an interesting chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
#2233 An Analogue Conversation - Patrick Bonello
Patrick is back at the TYP desk and this time we diverge from the typical tech conversation and find ourselves ruminating on all things psychology, emotions, sociology, human behaviour and a modicum of tech …
Show notes
Patrick is back at the TYP desk and this time we diverge from the typical tech conversation and find ourselves ruminating on all things psychology, emotions, sociology, human behaviour and a modicum of tech, just so he doesn’t feel totally redundant. LOL. Enjoy.
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#2232 What Are Things Worth? - Bobby Cappuccio
The psychology of value, or perhaps more accurately ‘perceived value’ has been a curiosity of mine for years. Why would somebody pay $10,000 for a handbag? Is it 50 times better than the $200 handbag? Why would …
Show notes
The psychology of value, or perhaps more accurately ‘perceived value’ has been a curiosity of mine for years. Why would somebody pay $10,000 for a handbag? Is it 50 times better than the $200 handbag? Why would somebody happily pay $500 for a training session (it’s more common than you think) but complain about a $7 coffee? Why would somebody pay $1 million for a car that does pretty much the same thing as $50,000 car? And costs 40 grand for a service! Why does art from a world famous artist fail to sell for a tiny percentage of the actual price when it is placed in a context that people don’t expect to see it in? In this episode, Bobby and I explore all this and more. Enjoy.
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#2231 The Science of Guilt - Dr. Jennifer Reid
Wow this was interesting. In nine years of the podcast, we have never had a conversation about guilt. And this was an eye-opener. Dr Jennifer Reid is a board-certified psychiatrist, author and clinical …
Show notes
Wow this was interesting. In nine years of the podcast, we have never had a conversation about guilt. And this was an eye-opener. Dr Jennifer Reid is a board-certified psychiatrist, author and clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Columbia-educated and UCLA-trained, her work focuses particularly on women’s mental health, mood disorders and the psychology of guilt. She is the author of Guilt Free: Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations, which explores how perfectionism, over-responsibility and unrealistic expectations can turn guilt from a useful moral emotion into a chronic psychological burden. Enjoy.
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These are the latest 40 of 2,241 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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