As the year comes to a close, this solo episode is a gentle pause — a moment to reflect, recalibrate, and intentionally step into the season ahead.

This year has held immense polarity: expansion and contraction, joy and grief, certainty and surrender. In this episode, Tess reflects on the lessons, growth, and quiet moments that shaped the past year, while offering a grounded and soulful approach to welcoming the new one.

Rather than leaning into the typical “new year, new you” narrative, this conversation is about alignment over pressure — closing chapters with intention, reconnecting to your inner compass, and creating space for what’s next.

Tess shares her personal practices for:

• Reflecting on the year that’s passed through journalling and compassionate self-inquiry
• The importance of symbolic closure and why it matters for emotional and energetic clarity
• How she sets goals rooted in identity, values, and how she wants to feel — not just what she wants to achieve
• Her manifestation process, combining meditation with intuitive journalling
• How vision boards can act as visual anchors for the life you’re consciously building
• 
  

This episode is an invitation to slow down, release what no longer belongs in the next chapter, and step into the new year feeling grounded, clear, and aligned — without hustle, urgency, or reinvention.

If you’re craving a more meaningful way to welcome the year ahead, this episode is for you.

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Today on Tess Talks, I’m joined by Kelli Zakharoff — midwife, author, educator and one of Australia’s most outspoken voices challenging the modern maternity system. After decades working across public hospitals, private practice, alongside obstetricians, and as a home-birth midwife, Kelli has seen both the beauty and the deep fractures within birth care.

Her book The Midwife Crisis: From Trust to Trauma exposes the emotional toll placed on midwives, the systemic failures impacting women and babies, and the realities no one wants to say out loud. This conversation goes beyond birth stories — it questions power, autonomy, trauma, and who our maternity system is really serving.

In this episode:

• Why midwives feel “muzzled” and unable to speak openly within the system
• The emotional, physical and psychological toll of being a midwife
• Home birth vs hospital birth — autonomy, safety and evidence
• Caesarean rates, medicalisation and risk-driven maternity care
• Birth trauma and the rise of obstetric violence
• What really happened at the end of Kelli’s midwifery career
• The lack of support for healthcare workers after traumatic events
• COVID’s impact on maternity wards and frontline staff
• Why continuity of care matters more than most women realise
• The myths — and realities — around home birthing
• Empowerment, choice, and reclaiming trust in birth
• What midwives actually need to survive in the system
• Why telling these stories is the first step toward change

This episode will challenge what you think you know about birth, hospitals, and the people entrusted with bringing life into the world. It’s essential listening for women, parents, healthcare workers — and anyone who believes women deserve to be heard.

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Read Kelli's Book: midwifecrisis.com.au

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In this practical and personal episode, Tess sits down with her husband Shaun to unpack what high-performance really looks like, not just in business, but in life, leadership and long-term relationships.

From building one of Australia’s most successful consumer brands, Bondi Sands, to navigating marriage, parenthood and loss, this conversation explores the habits, mindset shifts and communication tools that sustain momentum through seasons of growth, pressure and change. Together, Tess and Shaun share how clarity, curiosity and consistency can shape both professional success and a strong, connected partnership.

In this episode:

• What “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goals” really mean, and why long-term thinking matters
• How to break big goals down into executable behaviours and daily habits
• Why focus beats hustle, and why fewer goals lead to better outcomes
• The role of curiosity in innovation, leadership and personal growth
• Building high-performance cultures through clarity, candour and trust
• Delegation, energy management and knowing where your highest impact lies
• Why routines, sleep, fitness and organisation underpin sustainable success
• How high-performance habits translate into strong relationships
• Treating your partnership like a team — supporting each other through different seasons
• Practical communication tools for alignment, including mirroring and weekly check-ins
• The importance of values, long-term vision and evolving together over time

This episode is a powerful reminder that success isn’t just about what you achieve — it’s about how you live, lead and love along the way.

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Today I’m joined by Dr Lynn Burmeister, one of Australia’s most recognised fertility specialists and founder of Number 1 Fertility. Lynn has spent decades at the forefront of reproductive medicine, training under global pioneers and helping thousands of women understand their fertility with clarity and confidence. Lynn breaks down IVF and egg freezing in a way that finally makes sense, simple, honest, science-backed and female-focused.

We cover the full fertility foundation: what women should know in their 20s and 30s, how egg quality really changes with age, the true timelines involved, why preparation matters, and what you can actually expect from both egg freezing and IVF. From AI-graded embryos to gut health, supplements, male factor infertility and the emotional side of the journey, this is a must-listen starter guide for anyone wanting to protect or understand their fertility.

In the episode:

• How Lynn entered the fertility world and how rapidly the industry has evolved
• The shift from day-3 to day-5 embryos and how AI now helps grade embryo quality
• What makes a great fertility clinic (technology, care style, lab quality)
• Why Lynn built a more holistic, patient-centred clinic environment
• When women should consider egg freezing: AMH, AFC and ideal timelines
• Why age 30–35 is the window to seriously evaluate your options
• Common reasons women freeze their eggs (single, career timing, future flexibility)
• Step-by-step egg freezing: testing, injections, collection & recovery
• Ideal egg numbers (why 20 eggs under 35 gives the best chance)
• Emotional + hormonal changes to expect during a cycle
• Lifestyle prep: 90-day optimisation, supplements, diet, alcohol, smoking
• How past drug use or long-term contraception may impact egg quality
• Endometriosis & PCOS: why diagnosis matters before starting treatment
• IVF 101: what actually happens from Day 2 cycle start to embryo creation
• Fresh vs frozen transfers — and when one is better than the other
• Embryo testing: who needs it and why it increases success after 35
• Managing expectations when a “perfect” embryo still doesn’t implant
• Sleep, stress, and lifestyle factors that directly affect egg and embryo quality
• Male fertility: why 50% of infertility is male-factor
• Sperm decline, microplastics, radiation, overheating and environmental toxins
• Practical male optimisation tips (cooling, supplements, lifestyle changes)
• Gut health, inflammation and the vaginal microbiome — and how they affect fertility
• Costs: typical pricing for egg freezing, IVF, storage fees and clinic variations
• Low-cost options, superannuation access and when to invest in higher tech
• Gender selection, multiples, overseas options and why Australia regulates them
• Lynn’s final advice: protect your fertility early — your future self will thank you

Find out more about Lynn here: www.drlynnburmeister.com.au

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After a whirlwind year of weddings, travel, motherhood and heartbreak, Tess is finally back in the studio for a long-awaited solo chat. Fresh off her honeymoon and settling back into life in Melbourne, she opens up about the emotional contrasts of 2025, the joy of marriage and family, and the profound grief of losing her mum.

In this episode, Tess gets raw, honest but also offers some candid discussions on her honeymoon recap, wellness, routines, and all the little rituals helping her feel grounded again. She answers your most-asked questions, shares the practical hacks she’s loving, and brings you behind the scenes of what life really looks like right now.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• A full life update post-honeymoon and how Tess has been feeling returning home
• Why she and Shaun aren’t rushing baby number two (but it’s on the horizon)
• Travelling with a baby — what worked, what didn’t, and the toys that saved them
• Why ages 1–3 can be the hardest time to travel (and why it’s still worth it)
• The emotional reality of her mum’s cancer diagnosis
• Navigating caretaking, denial, decision-making and rapid decline
• The heartbreaking timing around the wedding and rushing home
• What grief feels like right now and the metaphysical comfort she’s found
• The “rock in your pocket” analogy from Jay Shetty and why it resonated
• How routine is grounding her: slow mornings, movement, simple pleasures
• The wellness habits she’s prioritising for the rest of 2024
• How she uses ChatGPT to structure her day, meals, supplements and even her pre-wedding glow-up
• Current training routine: lower cortisol workouts, more strength & Pilates
• Hormone-aligned training (why she doesn’t run on her period anymore)
• Screen-time boundaries and the device that locks her apps at 7:30pm
• The peptide stack she’s using now that she’s stopped breastfeeding
• Red light therapy, sauna routines and creating a consistent weekly rhythm
• The sentimental ritual she’s obsessed with: journaling for Romee
• The unexpected gift found in her mum’s apartment — decades of her journals
• Why she’s focusing on slowness, softness and gentleness to end the year
• The Tess Talks “diary entry” message for this week: being kinder to yourself

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Today on Tess Talks, I’m joined by Kayla Barnes — certified brain health coach, biohacker, and founder of Brain Biohacking Co. Kayla is known globally for helping women optimise their performance, longevity, and wellbeing from the inside out. In a space dominated by male research, she’s carving her own path and becoming one of the most studied women in this field, bringing an evidence-based yet accessible approach to brain health, gut health, and bio-optimisation.

In this episode, we dive into how daily habits can reshape your brain and body, the future of longevity, and why true health begins long before the results show up. It’s a chat about discipline, data, and using science to build a life that feels good. Whether you’re deep into biohacking or just curious, this episode has something for everyone.

In this episode

• How Tess and Kayla first entered the health world through brain fog and curiosity.
• Kayla shares her journey to marriage, how she “just knew,” and why being married has been her best biohack yet.
• Why connection and community are essential for longevity and emotional wellbeing.
• Kayla’s takeaways from Wanderlust Wellspring
• What sparked her interest in biohacking and health optimisation.
• Becoming an entrepreneur at 17 and exploring human potential.
• Designing her female longevity protocol after realising women are often excluded from research.
• Why women have been overlooked in testing and how Kayla aims to change that.
• The story behind Timeless Biotech and her ovarian age testing breakthrough.
• Her mission to live past 100 and the daily rituals behind it.
• Kayla’s morning routine, sleep insights, and supplement stack.
• Foundational habits: food first, movement, stress reduction.
• How she manages her protocols while travelling and why she now only travels for work.
• The value of testing: bloodwork, hormones, genetics, toxic load.
• Why gut health underpins everything and how environment and products influence it.
• Microplastics, water filtration, EMFs, and creating a restorative home.
• Her wind-down rituals, early dinners, and stress management tools.
• A day on her plate and her love for Heavenly Heat Saunas.

Episode sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Olympia, award-winning massage chairs and portable relaxation devices, meticulously designed in Australia to elevate your comfort experience.

Visit https://olympia.au

In this episode:

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Planning a wedding and don’t know where to start? In this episode, Tess sits down with Brittney from Nuptial Collective; the creative team behind Tess and Shaun’s four-day Beverly Hills celebration, to share practical, actionable tips for planning the perfect wedding, no matter your budget or location.

Together they unpack the real steps of wedding planning: when to book suppliers, what a wedding planner actually does, how to choose your venue, how to build a guest experience people remember, and the small styling choices that make the biggest impact. They also break down destination wedding logistics, timelines, budgeting mistakes to avoid, and how to design a wedding aesthetic that feels timeless and true to you.

Whether you’re newly engaged, drowning in Pinterest boards, or trying to plan without a planner, this episode is filled with expert insights, emotional guidance, and behind-the-scenes detail from Tess’ own multi-day LA wedding.

Show notes:

• Tess chats with Brittney from Nuptial Collective about wedding planning, guest experience and how to bring a vision to life.
• What a wedding planner really handles — logistics, timelines, sourcing, styling, and full on-the-day execution.
• Why hiring a planner frees couples to enjoy the emotional moments instead of the admin.
• The importance of connection and trust between planner and couple.
• How Tess moved from a Byron wedding to Beverly Hills Hotel and why destination weddings can be magic.
• Planning an overseas wedding with a nine-month timeline and mixing Australian + LA suppliers effectively.
• Breakdown of Tess and Shaun's multi-day events: family dinner, rooftop welcome party, wedding day, and recovery pool party.
• Using touchpoints, stationery, gifting, and music to create a cohesive experience for guests.
• Designing an aesthetic based on lifestyle over trends and weaving storytelling through each event.
• Music as a design tool — from Sinatra-style live sets to disco & late-night high-energy moments.
• Practical planning order: book planner, venue, photographer/videographer, then celebrant.
• Ideal planning timeline, budgeting challenges, and using spreadsheets to stay organised.
• Why intentional elements matter more than trends or unnecessary décor.
• Small high-impact touchpoints: personalised notes, welcome gift bags, Polaroid guest book moments.
• Tess’ advice on staying grounded and present on the day, including meditation and going phone-free.
• How pre-planning logistics like touch-ups, handbags and run sheets prevent stress and help you stay in the moment.

Episode Sponsor:

This episode is brought to you by Vorfreude Stationary, timeless keepsakes and personalised gifts. Every piece made with love, care, and a deep passion for celebrating life’s most meaningful moments.

Discount code for listeners: 15% off storewide, use TESSTALKS15

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This week, Tess sits down with nutritionist, author, and TV host Zoe Bingley-Pullin for a refreshingly real chat about food, hormones, and feeling your best! Trained at Le Cordon Bleu in London, Zoe is known for making nutrition simple, enjoyable, and actually doable! No fads, just smart changes that last. As WelleCo's newest ambassador, she reveals the supplements she swears by, busts wellness myths, and shares the insider tips that can transform your energy, gut health, and hormones without the overwhelm.

In this episode

• The life shift that inspired Zoe’s latest book
• How food became Zoe’s freedom
• Why gluten feels different in Europe
• Soil depletion, cheap manufacturing & hidden health impacts
• Smart supplementation: gut, energy & hormone health
• Tess & Zoe’s must-have WelleCo products
• The protein myth affecting women’s health
• Hormones decoded: stress, reproductive, and balance
• Tracking kids’ food and surprising insights
• Foods for hormone balance & rethinking intermittent fasting
• The role of zinc, soy truths, and supplement shopping tips
• Navigating perimenopause & menopause with grace
• Liver health, skin “glow-ups,” and Zoe’s favourite recipes

Mentioned:

Episode sponsor: This ep is brought to you by WelleCo premium, plant-based supplements designed to elevate your energy, support your gut, and balance your hormones from the inside out.

Discount code for listeners 15% off sitewide (use code: TESSTALKS15)

Eat your way to healthy hormones! Shop Zoes books here

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