Behind every extraordinary life are moments that never make the headlines. Moments of betrayal, impossible decisions, quiet resilience, and the choices that shape who we become. In this episode, I sit down with intelligence specialist, veteran, author and host of Life The Battlefield, Mario Bekes.

From growing up in war-torn Croatia to serving in intelligence and rebuilding his life in Australia, Mario shares the experiences that forged his character and forever changed the way he sees leadership, trust and purpose.

Together, we explore:

* How betrayal can become one of life's greatest teachers.

* What war reveals about human nature.

* Why discernment matters more than blind trust.

* The hidden cost of carrying trauma in silence.

* How hardship shapes identity and resilience.

* The revelation Mario found walking the Camino de Santiago.

* What it truly means to live an uncommon life.

Connect with Mario Bekes

🖥️ Website: https://www.mariobekes.com.au

🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarioBekes

👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/insight.intelligence.7

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariobekes/

Think Uncommon

🌐 Website: https://jojackson.co/think-uncommon-podcast

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5fbFNub98fuPSSURPKfDAF?si=3dfb71282ceb400c

🍎 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/think-uncommon/id1854204765

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkUncommon/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkuncommonpodcast/

Bill Haase has over 20 years of experience in the shares business, Nowadays, he spends significant time trading money, worth and time. Surviving the Black Monday crash of 1987, Bill is dedicated to reshaping how we see money and what it means to be wealthy. The approach is unconventional, and the conversation leaves you wondering - why haven't I thought of that before?

We talk AI, digital currency - just what the government is responsible for.

What does it take to overcome one of the fastest-growing childhood cancers in the world at ten years old? In this episode of Think Uncommon, Jo Jackson sits down with Ethan Albrecht, a Physical Therapist, endurance athlete, husband, father, and cancer survivor whose story powerfully exemplifies resilience, discipline, faith, and personal responsibility.

Diagnosed with Burkitt's Lymphoma at just 10 years old, Ethan faced a life-threatening battle that would shape the way he approached adversity, health, fitness, and life itself.

Today, he competes in endurance events, embraces the challenge of Hyrox training, and helps others reclaim their health through movement and physical therapy. In this conversation we discuss: ✔ Surviving childhood cancer ✔ Building resilience through adversity ✔ The mindset behind endurance sports and Hyrox ✔ Why movement is medicine ✔ Physical therapy and injury recovery ✔ The truth about pain, aging, and mobility ✔ Exercise, mental health, and long-term wellbeing ✔ Faith, purpose, and personal growth ✔ Habits that create lasting change ✔ How discipline shapes your future Whether you're interested in fitness, health, mindset, endurance training, personal development, resilience, physical therapy, or simply overcoming life's toughest challenges, this episode delivers practical wisdom and an inspiring story of perseverance.

Gian grew up with brothers who looked down at him. The shortest of the family, he had something to prove. He is in charge of his decisions, and his identity is everything. A Hollywood stuntman, actor and author of the G-CODE, this fast-paced episode will have you asking a simple question.... Am I actually a real man?

Today on the Think Uncommon podcast, I sit down with Dan Ford — fitness expert, former palliative care nurse, husband, father, and a man who has rebuilt his life through discipline, structure, and intentional leadership, leaving alcoholism behind to become the leader his family needed. This conversation goes far beyond fitness. We talk about code, routines, composure, modern parenting, and what happens when a man has a zero tolerance for chaos. Dan opens up about growing up around alcohol and the importance of breaking that pattern for his own children. He shares how discipline became less about control and more about creating peace, certainty, and stability for the people he loves. We explore the difference between reacting to life and leading it, why most households drift into stress without realizing it, and how simple standards repeated consistently can completely change the direction of a family. If you’ve ever felt like life is happening to you instead of through you, this episode will challenge the way you think about leadership, responsibility, and the environments we create behind closed doors. ⏰ CHAPTERS ⏰ 0.00 Introduction 1:30 Saturday Routine Matters 5:50 Composure Instead Of Chaos 11.46 The Environment Effect 17:01 Parenting Choices 20.01 Alcohol Made Me Feel Fun 28.00 This Is Not Who I am Supposed To Be 33.04 I am Loved, Life After Rehab 36.00 Beliefs Worth Passing On 41:30 Why Are You A Nurse? 46.00 Regrets Of The Dying 48.00 Fear From A Monk 51:15 Mental Weakness The Victim Mentality 1:00.38 The Downside Of Being Disciplined 1.10.00 Push Your Boundaries, Daily

A nation is judged by the character of its occupants. In this episode, I sit down with Adam Blum. An amateur military historian, author of Easy Target, and host of the True Blue Conversations podcast, where he has interviewed guests of the highest calibre, including the Governor-General of Australia and Victoria Cross recipient Keith Payne. This episode explores the deeper meaning behind Anzac Day and why it still matters. This is not just a conversation about military history. It’s about sacrifice. Responsibility and the standard set by our veterans. Anzac Day is a reflection point, and what you take from it says something about how you choose to live.

Darren Hurford spent 6 years enlisted in the Australian Army. During that time, he attempted Special Forces selection 3 times, all unsuccessfully. In this special Anzac Day mini series, Darren and Jo discuss service. Why it matters, and the stigma associated with those who put their lives on the line even though they are never deployed to protect. In a time when we look for heroes in capes, we often forget the ones waiting in the wings that are also battle-ready if the call comes, with just as much training. Just as much on the line.