Dig Beneath Design Podcast

Dig Beneath Design Podcast

Essential communication tips to help designers get more great ideas off the ground.

Jess Hodge transforms passion into new perspectives, on MasterChef, travel and designing with Country.
Dig Beneath Design Podcast
Jess Hodge transforms passion into new perspectives, on MasterChef, travel and designing with Country.

Recent Episodes

Aug. 11, 2025

Jess Hodge transforms passion into new perspectives, on MasterChef, travel and designing with Country.

When the COVID lockdowns hit Sydney, landscape architect Jess Hodge turned to cooking for stress relief, discovering a talent that got her into Season 13 of MasterChef Australia. Her passion for plants and food sparked a hunger to learn about native ingredients and collaborate with First Nations knowledge holders. Now, Jess is principal landscape architect at Yerrabingin, a Designing with Country practice in Sydney. She shares the milestones, mentors and attitudes that helped shape her unconvent
Dec. 15, 2024

Terrence Stapleton says good leaders listen, ask questions and include diverse voices.

Pouring beer and waiting tables during uni, Terrence Stapleton would never have dreamed of his fabulous future career. Now he’s a successful landscape architect leading TCL’s Sydney studio, with rich, complex projects all over Australia. Terrence reveals how he learnt to be confident in his own strengths, champion his team and curate diverse voices to get the best results. Find out how to hold your own when your client has 20 years more experience, keep your cool when fighting to save trees on a
Oct. 19, 2024

Libby Gallagher champions climate resilience with clarity and courage.

Dr Libby Gallagher designs major parks in Sydney, teaches at leading universities and advises government on urban tree canopy. Her Cool Streets research gained national media coverage and was featured in the Powerhouse Museum's 100 Climate Conversations. But Libby’s success hasn’t come easy - - she reveals the leaps of faith that forged her career path, the long days and late nights spent honing her work and the courage it's taken to make sure her message of climate resilience reaches as many pe
Aug. 6, 2024

Bo Wong speaks like she swims: with purpose, presence and joy.

Freelance photographer Bo Wong has done things most sole traders only dream of. Like take an 8-month creative sabbatical, swim in the ocean daily, even collaborate successfully with family and friends. Now she supports other creative freelancers trying to juggle life, work and wellbeing through mentoring, retreats and her Soul Traders podcast. Find out why it’s better to be respected than liked, when to use containers in your communication, and the three words you need to remove from your emails
May 14, 2024

John O’Callaghan designs interactive and fun ways to engage with urban planning.

As a young planner, John O’Callaghan created a buzz in the industry by using social media to get his peers engaged with cities. Now, after ten years leading strategic planning and engagement company JOC Consulting, John shares how he learnt to slow down, find his voice and focus his energy in order to have the greatest impact. Find out how to disrupt a highly regulated industry and harness the latest tech for powerful engagement, plus what John really thinks about planning jargon.
Nov. 18, 2023

Nicole Larkin taps into beauty, love and memory to spark conversations.

Nicole Larkin is an architect, artist and an expert on ocean pools. Her Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship canvassed all 59 pools along the NSW coast, allowing Nicole to create opportunities, forge connections and bring a fresh perspective to coastal design, planning and policy. Find out what it takes to go from recent graduate to respected expert, ways to supercharge your career and generate dream projects, plus what needs to go up front in your next presentation.