Uncomfortable Growth® Uncut is a space where we strip away the polish and perfection to explore what growth really looks like when life doesn’t go to plan.
Unscripted, unrehearsed, and deeply human, these conversations dive into the moments that test us most – when certainty disappears, identity shifts, and the only way forward is through.
This playlist, Who they became, brings together three powerful episodes where life-and-death experiences became unexpected turning points. These are not stories of neat reinvention or overnight transformation – they are reflections on loss, survival, resilience, and the profound self-discovery that can only come when everything familiar is stripped away.
Featured guests
Dan Gregory, author, host and social commentator, opens up about facing a life-threatening health crisis, losing 65kg, and confronting the identity shock that followed. A behavioural science heavyweight, Dan shares what happens when you intellectually know the answers, but emotionally struggle to live them – and how humour, honesty, and humility carried him through a complete re-evaluation of self.
Leisa Bacon, non executive board member, AANA and Legs On The Wall, takes us into the heart of Africa’s Fish River Canyon, where a hiking trip turned into a genuine survival experience with life-or-death stakes. Her story is a raw lesson in resilience and leadership under pressure, followed by insights from her later career at the ABC, where she learned how to lead with influence, trust, and courage rather than authority.
Lisa Walker, co-founder of Eir Women, shares a deeply moving account of grief after losing her husband to alcoholism. Lisa speaks candidly about addiction, stigma, and the long, non-linear journey through loss. Her “year of yes” became a radical act of healing – a way to rediscover joy, agency, and hope after unimaginable heartbreak.
Your host
These conversations are hosted by Rowena Millward, global expert in growth and reinvention, two-time best-selling author, and creator of Uncomfortable Growth®. With her signature “accessible wisdom,” Rowena creates space for real stories, the kind that don’t offer easy answers, but leave you changed.
🎧 Listen to Who They Became now on Spotify.
🌱 And if these conversations resonate and you’d like to work with Rowena on growth, reinvention, or leadership, visit her website to learn more.
Because sometimes, who you become is shaped not by what you planned – but by what you survived.