Episodes

  • Episode 12- Ross Judd, Listening Beyond Words

    Episode 12- Ross Judd, Listening Beyond Words
    Feb 4 2026
    Ross Judd joins Andrea Putting to talk about a kind of listening that goes deeper than advice, questions, or “fixing.” Ross shares the family moment that proved to him these concepts are real—and why people often “audition” the issue before revealing what’s actually hurting. You’ll learn Ross’s simple three-step approach (pick your moment, connect, summarize), plus how values shape the way we show up when someone we love needs help.
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    29 mins
  • Episode 11- Fiona Demark — Resilience, Accessibility, and Choosing Possibility

    Episode 11- Fiona Demark — Resilience, Accessibility, and Choosing Possibility
    Jan 28 2026
    Fiona Demark has been legally blind since birth, and in this episode she shares what life looks like when you refuse to be defined by other people’s assumptions. Host Andrea Putting explores Fiona’s journey through education, employment, accessibility, and courage—plus practical guidance on how to interact respectfully with blind people (hint: ask first). This episode is a reminder that we’re all more than one label—and that sometimes the bravest thing is letting yourself breathe, receive support, and keep choosing possibility.
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    29 mins
  • Episode 10 — Compassion, Curiosity, and Bridge-Building (Rabbi Zelman Castel)

    Episode 10 — Compassion, Curiosity, and Bridge-Building (Rabbi Zelman Castel)
    Jan 21 2026
    In Episode 10 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting sits down with Rabbi Zelman Castel to explore what compassion really means—and how we build bridges across faith, culture, and community in divided times. Zelman shares his upbringing in a tightly insulated Jewish community, the pivotal moment visiting a Muslim school in Sydney, and the deeper realization that the most meaningful parts of being human—wanting to be good, loved, and purposeful—are universal. You’ll also hear about Together For Humanity, powerful school-based exercises that challenge stereotypes, and practical ways everyday citizens can engage with compassion without collapsing into binary thinking.
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    24 mins
  • Episode 9 — Emotional Safety, Bullying, and Belonging (with Ron Prasad)

    Episode 9 — Emotional Safety, Bullying, and Belonging (with Ron Prasad)
    Jan 14 2026
    In Episode 9 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting welcomes Ron Prasad, co-founder of the Beat Bullying with Confidence Foundation, for a powerful conversation about emotional safety, bullying, and the deep human need to belong. Ron shares his lived experience of being bullied, the impact of growing up with a speech impediment, and how he transformed pain into purpose by helping schools, parents, sports clubs, youth centers, and workplaces build bully-free cultures. This episode offers real guidance for parents, practical insights for schools, and a compelling workplace framework—BELONG—showing how belonging reduces bullying by default. Above all, it delivers an unforgettable message: you are not alone, and you don’t have to suffer in silence.
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    30 mins
  • Episode 8 — How Culture Sustains Inequality (and How We Dismantle It) | Dr. Amanda Udis Kessler

    Episode 8 — How Culture Sustains Inequality (and How We Dismantle It) | Dr. Amanda Udis Kessler
    Jan 7 2026
    In Episode 8 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting welcomes Dr. Amanda Udis Kessler, sociologist, ethicist, and anti-racism trainer, for a conversation that is both challenging and deeply necessary. Drawing from her book Cultural Processes of Inequality, Amanda explains how culture—our shared assumptions, beliefs, norms, and systems—doesn’t just reflect inequality; it can create and maintain it. Together, Andrea and Amanda explore privilege, compassion, policing, media narratives, and what meaningful allyship looks like in real life. This episode is an invitation: to learn, to listen, to be willing to be uncomfortable—and to let love be the loudest voice.
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    29 mins
  • Episode 7 — Loneliness, Belonging & Why Connection Saves Lives w/ Guest Ben Smith

    Episode 7 — Loneliness, Belonging & Why Connection Saves Lives w/ Guest Ben Smith
    Dec 31 2025
    In Episode 7 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting welcomes Ben Smith, CEO of the Mornington Community Support Centre, TEDx speaker, and Victorian Father of the Year 2024, for a deeply human conversation about loneliness, community, and belonging. Ben shares research showing that loneliness has the same physical impact as smoking 10 cigarettes a day — and that strong social connection can add up to a decade to our lives. Together, Andrea and Ben explore why modern society has drifted toward isolation, the cost of glorified independence, and how rebuilding community can transform health, purpose, and wellbeing. This episode is an invitation to slow down, reach out, and remember: connection is not optional — it’s essential.
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    28 mins
  • Episode 6 — “You Are Our Moses”: Jeff Klein on Freedom, Legacy, and Choosing Understanding

    Episode 6 — “You Are Our Moses”: Jeff Klein on Freedom, Legacy, and Choosing Understanding
    Dec 24 2025
    In Episode 6 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting welcomes Jeff Klein, a speaker and coach who helps people use their voices to make a difference. Jeff shares the remarkable story of his father, Bernie Klein, a Jewish community leader who helped a small town in Shreveport, Louisiana sponsor and resettle 30 Soviet Jewish Refuseniks seeking freedom from the Soviet Union. This episode is a moving reminder that one person can change the world—and that kindness and courage ripple into future generations. Andrea and Jeff also explore the roots of antisemitism, the impact of misinformation, and how curiosity and compassionate conversation can help bridge divides. Grab your chocolate, pour your cup, and join the conversation that matters—because love should be the loudest voice.
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    29 mins
  • Chocolate and Coffee Break with Andrea Putting & Robyn Walker

    Chocolate and Coffee Break with Andrea Putting & Robyn Walker
    Dec 17 2025
    In Episode 5 of Chocolate and Coffee Break, host Andrea Putting sits down with Robyn Walker for a powerful conversation about the impact of connection and courageous dialogue. Through shared stories and honest reflection, this episode explores how meaningful conversation can lead to understanding, empathy, and social change. Together, Andrea and Robyn unpack how authentic human connection is at the heart of community, healing, and transformation — one conversation at a time. If you believe in kindness, depth, and bridging divides through real talk, this episode is for you.
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    28 mins