www.whoisyourhero.com.au

Episode 39: Melissa Thomson ,The School That Said: “Nah… We’re Doing This Properly.”

Episode 39 – Part 2: Strength & Softness
The School That Said: “Nah… We’re Doing This Properly.”
G’day tribe — Buzz here.
This one’s a ripper… and I’m not saying that because I’m biased (I am), I’m saying it because Melissa Thomson is the real deal.
In Episode 39 (Part 2), we yarn with Melissa from Agnes Water — and we kick off with something genuinely hero-level:she helped bring a real school to life. Not a theory. Not a rant. Not a “someone should do something” post.
A proper independent Steiner school, government funded, on the beach, that started with 2 teachers and 8 kids… and has grown into 11 staff, 70 kids, and a waiting list.
And the wild part? It’s built on the radical concept that kids should be… wait for it… kids.Less screens. More handwriting. More stories. More imagination. More nature. More movement. More joy.
We also get into the deeper stuff — strength & softness, hustle culture, burnout, masculine/feminine balance, why modern life can leave people feeling disconnected, and how community (real community) changes everything.
If you’re a parent, teacher, bloke, woman, business owner, or just someone who’s felt the world go a bit sideways… this episode will hit.
And to everyone who’s been backing this show — thank you.We’ve now cracked 65,000+ downloads, which still blows my mind because I started this thing to have honest conversations… and apparently a lot of you legends are into that (good taste).
🎧 Hit play, share it with a mate, and let’s keep building a tribe that thinks, feels, and lives a bit more real.
Hero up.Buzz out.
#WhoIsYourHero #HeroUp #BuzzTalk #StrengthAndSoftness #RealTalk #Community #MensMentalHealth #MentalHealthAwareness #Resilience #TribeVsSystem #HealthWorthWhyWealth #AgnesWater #SteinerEducation #Parenting #CriticalThinking
If you want to support the show and keep the stories flowing:Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whoisyourheroGoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a6e40c460

EP38 (Part 4) — The Schuey Story: Own the Fear. Call Out the BS. Be the Mate.

📝 PODBEAN BLOG POST (Episode 38 — Part 4)
Title: EP38 (Part 4) — The Schuey Story: Own the Fear. Call Out the BS. Be the Mate.
Body:This is the grand final quarter. The final beer. The last chapter of a 4-part series that turned into something way bigger than a normal interview.
In Episode 38 — Part 4, Shuey and I go straight into the stuff most blokes avoid:✅ why men still struggle to talk about hardship✅ why doctors label people too fast✅ why fear is real… but it doesn’t get to own you✅ why we need mates who tell us the truth (not just “you’re amazing” while you’re falling apart)✅ why “never let your mate down” is the missing ingredient in modern Australia
Shuey opens up about fear, leadership, and the kind of toughness that isn’t loud — it’s consistent.And I share the raw truth of getting told my kidneys were basically done… and why mindset is the only weapon you’ve got when life hits you with a sledgehammer.
This episode wraps the entire 4-part Schuey Story into one big message:
Own your fear. Own your mistakes. Own your mates.
🎧 Listen now and share it with one mate who needs a reminder that he’s not alone.
Support the show (keeps the mission alive):Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whoisyourheroGoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a6e40c460
Follow / Connect:Website: https://www.whoisyourhero.com.au

Episode 38: Part 3,The Schuey Story: "I've got your back"

Podbean Blog Post — Episode 38 (Part 3)
The Schuey Story: Standards, Respect & Raising Young Men
Welcome back, tribe — Buzz here — and this is Episode 38: Part 3 of The Schuey Story with Steve “Schuey” Schuman.
If Part 1 and Part 2 were the foundation — the medals, the military, the hard-earned discipline — Part 3 is the real battlefield… the one happening right now in Aussie homes, schools, clubs, and communities:
How we raise young men.How we keep families connected.How we bring back standards, respect, and proper role models.
This episode kicks off exactly where we left it — with one simple question:
Did your parents’ friends influence the man you became?
Schuey doesn’t hesitate. He takes us back to a time when your first mates were your cousins, your teachers were your uncles, and a young bloke wasn’t raised by one man — he was raised by the tribe.
What we cover in Part 3
This one gets real, fast — and it’s full of laughs, truth bombs, and proper old-school values:
Why families feel more distant than they used to — and what that’s doing to kids
The difference between “masculinity” and being a grub
Why respect matters: sir, mister, please, thank you — the basics that build character
How clubs and sport used to shape young blokes — and why that matters more than ever
Why the world is feeding kids adult chaos 24/7 through screens and notifications
Why parents are time-poor, burnt out, and trying to do it all with no real tools
The power of a simple line from an older bloke:“I’ve got your back.”
And yes… there’s footy talk, golf club culture, and a bit of Buzz & Schuey chaos that’ll have you laughing out loud.
Who this episode is for
If you’re any of these people — this one’s for you:
A young bloke needing direction
A parent wondering what the hell happened to manners and respect
An older bloke who wants to be a better mentor
Anyone who’s sick of the noise and wants real conversation about standards, tribe, and leadership
This is the kind of episode that might ruffle feathers…but it might also help a lot of people.
Part 4 — The Final Chapter
And listen closely, tribe…
Part 4 is the last episode of The Schuey Story.The final chapter. The big wrap-up. The legacy piece.
If Part 3 lit the fire — Part 4 brings it home.
So share this with a mate, drop it in the group chat, and keep your eyes open — because when Part 4 lands… it’s the closing whistle.
Your turn, tribe
If this episode hit you — message me and tell me what part landed hardest:
The respect stuff?
The father/mentor/club culture?
The “I’ve got your back” line?
The truth about kids being raised by screens?
I read it all. And I’m building this show for the people who need it.
Hero up. Lift the standard. Back your mates.Buzz out. ❤️
#WhoIsYourHero #HeroUp #BuzzTalk #MensMentalHealth #RealTalk #Resilience #Community #Leadership #Townsville #AussiePride

Episode 38: Part 2 – Schuey Schuman Story “I Promise I’ll Come Home”

🎙️ Episode 38: Part 2 – The Schuey Schuman Story
“I Promise I’ll Come Home”
If you thought Part 1 of the Schuey story was big, Part 2 walks straight into your chest and sits there.
This episode isn’t about tactics, rank or medals.It’s about what really matters when the dust finally settles:
Family.
Stephen “Schuey” Schuman opens up about the moment every soldier dreams of and fears at the same time — coming home.The door opening.The kids screaming “Dad!”The wife’s knees going weak.The promise: “I’ll come home.”And the weight that sits on that promise every single day you’re away.
In this episode we dive into:
The pure joy of walking back through that front door
Why the proudest moment isn’t a medal parade, it’s a hug from your kids
Partners as the unsung heroes of service life
Moving house, raising kids and holding the fort while your soldier is on the other side of the world
Leadership that doesn’t stop when the uniform comes off
Life after the Army: losing structure, adjusting, frustration and finding a new way to lead
Tough love, failure, and why we need to let young people fall, learn, and get back up
How discipline, planning and debriefing can change not just operations, but families, workplaces and communities
This is Schuey at his most human — honest, funny, raw, and full of hard-earned wisdom about parenting, resilience, leadership and the next generation.
💬 YOUR STORY: “How You Got To Here”
If this conversation stirred something in you… if your journey has a “how I got to here” story that could inspire someone else — I want to hear from you.
You don’t have to be a soldier.You don’t have to be perfect.You just have to be real.
If your path — your scars, your comeback, your lessons — could help even one mate or stranger keep going, reach out.
📩 Message me, email me, DM me — anywhere you see Who Is Your Hero.
This movement is built on real people, real stories, real courage, and real bloody heart.
Part 3 of The Schuey Schuman Story is coming very soon, where we go even deeper into leadership, legacy and what it means to be a modern man with old-school values.
This is Buzz.This is Who Is Your Hero.Tonight we honoured a warrior.
Hero Up, legends.

Episode 38 : Part 1 of 4 , The stephen Schuman Story .

🎧 PODBEAN / SPOTIFY / APPLE DESCRIPTION
Episode 38 – Part 1Stephen “Schuey” Schuman – Soldier On
Tonight there’s no satire, no politician roast, no five-minute warm-up.This one starts with respect.
Stephen “Schuey” Schuman is a WO1 (Ret.) with 32 years in the Australian Army – from tiny Tingha to Townsville’s 4th Field Regiment, East Timor, Helmand Province with the Brits, Kabul on Operation Slipper, and all the way to the top non-commissioned rank in the ADF.
In Part 1 we unpack:
Growing up in a country town where you pitch in or piss off
Why artillery isn’t glamorous – it’s maths at 3am that can save or ruin lives
Seven brutal years in Townsville heat and how they forged his character
First deployment to East Timor and how it quietly changed him
Being hand-picked to embed with the British in Helmand Province
Kabul, culture, and the mental war of training the Afghan National Army
What real leadership looks like – listening, backing your people, leading from the front
How the Army’s changed and what that says about today’s youth and society
Why men need to talk more and bottle up less
That incredible line: “I’d rather spend two hours on the phone than ten minutes doing their eulogy.”
This is not a trauma dump and it’s not an ADF propaganda piece.It’s a celebration of a life lived with purpose, grit, discipline and humility – and a blueprint for better leadership for young fellas and older blokes alike.
Part 1 sets the scene and builds the man.Part 2… you’ll hear the moment that fills him with the most pride.
If this yarn stirs anything up for you, reach out to a mate or contact support services like Beyond Blue, Lifeline or Open Arms. Talking is stronger than silence.
🎙 Hosted by Matthew “Buzz” Fidler – Who Is Your Hero?💚 Support the podcast & mental health storytelling:Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whoisyourheroGoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a6e40c460
#WhoIsYourHero #HeroUp #StephenSchuman #AustralianVeteran #Leadership #MensMentalHealth #YouAreEnough

Episode 36: Part 2 ,Sunday Sessions with Buzz & Gypsie

Episode 36, Part 2
Sunday Sessions with Buzz & Gypsie“Camel-Saving, Dialysis Disasters & The Digital Bong”
Strap in, legends — Episode 36, Part 2 is a full-blown circus of truth bombs, belly laughs, and the kind of raw honesty only Buzz and Gypsie can deliver.
Buzz is recording mid-dialysis with the Starlink pointing the wrong bloody way… Gypsie’s in a paddock saving camels with AI… and somehow we still manage to unpack men’s mental health, depression, addiction, pressure, resilience, and the insane pace of modern life.
In this episode we cover:
💥 Why blokes numb themselves instead of feeling💥 Why the medical system patches symptoms instead of people💥 How anxiety is your body begging for a life that makes sense💥 The “digital bong” your phone has become💥 Floating houses, dog pontoons & camel rescue missions💥 And the big one: you’re not broken — you’re a human in a broken system
It’s messy. It’s sideways. It’s funny. It’s honest.Just like life.
If you’ve ever felt lost, overwhelmed, pressured, stuck, or like you’re carrying the weight of the world — this one’s for you.
🔥 CALL TO ACTION
Got a question you want answered next week?Want to come on the Sunday Session?Seen Clayton anywhere?👇Drop your questions, stories, or cheeky comments on our Facebook page.
And if you love what we’re building, you can shout the pod a coffee (or Roxy some bones):Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whoisyourheroGoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a6e40c460
🎧 Tune in. Lean in. Laugh. Learn. Hero Up.
#WhoIsYourHero #BuzzAndGypsie #SundaySessions #MentalHealth #RealTalk #AussieHumour #TribeVsSystem #HeroUp

Episode 37: Part 3 Mark Dejong, Swing Harder.

In Part 3 of this raw three-part yarn, PGA pro Mark De Jong and I rip the band-aid off what really keeps blokes stuck – shame, labels, depression, and the fear of actually talking.
We get into why casual, non-clinical spaces like golf clubs and “Grab Life By The Balls” brekkies work better than beige pamphlets, why you should tell your mate the truth before you tell your GP a watered-down version, and why blood tests, ball checks, kidney checks and heart checks need to become as normal as a post-round beer.
From spinal fusions to PGA awards, from nearly giving up to quietly saving other men’s lives, this is Mark at his most honest – and a reminder that sometimes your own hero is the bloke staring back at you in the mirror.
If this hits you in the guts, share it with a mate, book your check-ups, and if you’d like to keep these conversations alive, you can support the podcast here:Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/whoisyourheroGoFundMe: https://gofund.me/a6e40c460

Episode 37 : Part 2 Mark Dejong , Swing Harder.

“Welcome back, legends…This is Part 2 of the Mark de Jong story — and if you thought the first round had depth, grit, and heart…mate… you haven’t heard anything yet.
Because this conversation goes right into the stuff most blokes never talk about out loud.The stuff we hide behind bravado, beers, banter, and bullshit.The stuff that shapes us more than any trophy, bank balance, or highlight reel ever could.
In this part, Mark opens up not about golf…but about the real game: life.
About finding out the difference between the crowd that cheers when you’re flying —and the few who actually turn up when you’re broken.
About standing on the edge —wondering who really gives a damn once your money’s gone, your body’s failing, and you’ve got nothing left to offer but vulnerability.
You’re going to hear a bloke speak honestly about bullying, confidence, and scars that don’t show…Names that cut deeper than any broken bone…and moments on bridges when darkness almost wins.
You’re going to hear what it’s like to have spinal fusion surgeries — not once, but twice —to face pain that makes sleep impossible, movement agony, and identity disappear.And then to push through all of it with nothing more than stubbornness, drive, curiosity about your own limits…and the question: “What am I really made of?”
From lawsuits and surveillance cars parked outside his house…to strangers following him to medical appointments…to waking up wondering who’s watching and whether you’ll ever get your life back…
Mark speaks on it all — raw, unfiltered, humble.
And right in the guts of that storm, what stands out the most isn’t anger or bitterness…
…it’s clarity.
It’s knowing that three to five real mates beat a thousand fake ones.That family isn’t measured in popularity — it’s measured in presence.That a small, tight circle is more powerful than any cast of admirers.And that when you strip life right down, all you need is a mate who shows up…not the ones who only clap when you’re winning.
We talk bullying.We talk confidence.We talk calling out crap behaviour — even if the bloke doing it is your mate.We talk about the courage to say “that wasn’t ok” instead of laughing along with the crowd.And the guts to cut toxicity loose… even if that means your circle shrinks to five.
From spinal injury…to depression…to rediscovering himself through mateship, morals, golf, and service to men who are hurting…
this isn’t just a podcast episode.This is a blueprint for any man who’s ever faced himself in the mirror and wondered if he’s enough.
So buckle up.Take a breath.Because this one digs deeper than sport, deeper than injury, deeper than hardship...
It digs into character.
The kind that’s forged in pain, shaped by loyalty, and proven in silence.
Welcome to Part 2…
Let’s go.”

Episode 37: Grab Life, Swing Harder – The Mark De Jong Story (Part 1)

🎧 PODBEAN EPISODE INTRO
Episode 37: Grab Life, Swing Harder – The Mark De Jong Story (Part 1)
In this powerful opening chapter, Mark De Jong sits down with Buzz and opens up like never before.
From growing up with nothing…to using golf as a sanctuary…to sitting on a bridge in the darkest moment of his life — rope in hand — and choosing to live because he had a tee time with his mates the next morning.
This episode dives into:
🏌️ How golf became Mark’s survival tool🧠 Mental health battles in silence💔 Depression, loss, and identity🤝 The power of real mateship🧡 Why “Grab Life By The Balls” matters more than ever💬 And the moment that changed everything
It’s raw, unfiltered, emotional, and bloody important.
Mark didn’t tell anyone about that night for 6–7 years…but he tells it here.
The lesson?
Sometimes the smallest reason to stay aliveis the biggest miracle you’ll ever need.
If you, or someone you care about is struggling — listen to this.Share it.Use it as a reminder that you’re never alone, and you are always enough.
Parts 2 & 3 are currently in the edit room and coming soon.
Thanks for tuning in, legends.Buzz 💛
Support Links & Help
If this episode brings up anything heavy, please reach out:Lifeline: 13 11 14Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
Or grab a coffee with a mate.

Episode 36 (Part 1) of Sunday Sessions with Buzz & Gypsie.

“Sunday Sessions with Buzz & Gypsie — Humans Are Cooked in 2025”
Strap in, legends — Episode 36 (Part 1) of Sunday Sessions with Buzz & Gypsie has officially dropped, and this one is a certified mind-bender.
From dialysis machines to desert-wizard philosophy, meat-tray heartbreak to why humans in 2025 are mentally fried… this episode hits every corner of the modern Aussie psyche. If you’ve ever thought:
“Why am I so bloody tired?”“Why do I feel like I’m failing when I’m trying my guts out?”“Why is my phone basically a digital poker machine?”
…then this one’s for you.
Buzz cracks open the truth, Gypsie drifts in with feral cosmic wisdom, and together they unpack the chaos of modern life with humour, honesty, and absolute zero bullshit.
This episode is raw.It’s real.It’s hilarious.And it might just be the reset your brain’s been begging for.
Hit play.Hit follow.Share it with someone who needs a laugh or a lifeline.And if you want to help keep the mission alive (and Roxy supplied with bones), you can toss a tip at: ko-fi.com/whoisyourhero
Episode 36 — Part 1 is live now.Part 2 coming soon.HERO UP.