Will Connolly, Egg Boy

Will: The Daily Talk Show.

Josh: It's The Daily Talk Show, episode 497.

Tommy: This week in banter, we've got special guest Will Connolly in the studio.

Will: Awesome to be here, thanks for having me, guys.

Josh: AKA Egg Boy.

Tommy: No, it's Eggman, he's over 18 now.

Will: Eggman.

Josh: Mate, you've stolen his joke. That was the best joke I've ever heard.

Tommy: I thought it was good.

Will: I told that one like one minute ago.

Josh: He's ruthless, isn't he?

Will: I will thief as soon as it comes out of someone's mouth.

Josh: Next he'll be egging people. It's outrageous. Um, mate, thanks for coming on the show.

Tommy: Show, uh, Jules Lund, who's done a lot for me in my life, connected you and I via email a little while ago. Um, what's your take on Jules Lund, by the way?

Will: Oh mate, he's been an awesome role model. He's guided me, he's put me under his wing last few months. He's— he took me up to Byron to the Space Convention, uh, where, you know, uh, I learned— probably it was one of the best experiences of my life. I learned so much being around all these people. It honestly probably gave me faith for the future, which I didn't have. But nah, he's, um, he's done like everything in life, you know. He's done like the fulfilling, uh, talking, helping out people, like charity work with the Reach Foundation. And he's also gone and getaway and just done crazy stuff like skydiving and with a limo full of chicks, like modelling chicks waiting for him at the bottom. Like, he's done, he's done everything in life. And now he started up his own business. So like, yeah, he's got all the life experience as well. And he's— I, I can call him at any time of the day and ask for advice.

Tommy: Like, he's actually banned me from calling. That's annoying. And Will's got the buddy, he's got the bat phone.

Will: I'm so thankful for him.

Josh: Yeah, it's interesting you talk about, uh, losing faith or not having that. Why do you think that was?

Will: Well, I think our generation is pretty frustrated, um, even though it is the best time to be alive, which not a lot of people realize. They are real frustrated.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: And I don't know, I just didn't— so I'm around— oh, that was pretty loud. I'm around at school, uh, with a bunch of kids who, you know, they're going through puberty, they're teenagers, they're all pushing up against each other. And there's like that, all that big ego. And I was brought out of that with all those people, and I, and I realised like they all had the one thing in common, and it's life is like all about helping people and, you know, showing empathy. And, and that, that vibe that they all brought off, um, rubbed off on me. And man, I just went to bed on the last night and I was like, I'm so excited for the future. And I— it was, it was amazing.

Tommy: So that was like a conference. I saw Jules, he, um, posting stuff about it. And it's, you know, a couple of days in Byron Bay with some amazing thought leaders. And you actually spoke there, didn't you?

Will: I did, yeah. He, um, it was meant to be just a chat around the campfire in front of 30 people, and it was on the— oh, not— wouldn't have been 30 people, that's probably me being a bit arrogant. But no, um, more or less, probably, probably like 10. Okay, probably like 10 people around a campfire on the first night, but it all started pissing down, the electricity went out, and like, we need— they needed someone to like kill some time, and they're like, Jules, will get up. And it was in front of 300 bloody people talking. Oh, and yeah, it's crazy. I didn't— like, I told my storey and I didn't really— like, quite a few adults came up to me and told me like I was real inspiring, and I just wasn't expecting that as well.

Josh: What did you think of Byron Bay?

Will: Oh, I didn't really get to see it. Yeah, but, um, I'll let you know after schoolies because I'm going up there.

Tommy: Oh, really?

Will: Yeah, a few weeks.

Tommy: How long are you gonna spend up there?

Will: A week.

Tommy: Nice. Yeah.

Josh: Oh, how silly. Because I never went to schoolies.

Tommy: No, nor did I. I never did schoolies.

Josh: You never finished school, that's why.

Tommy: Yeah, I know, but it was usually the kids that didn't finish school that somehow infiltrated schoolies.

Will: We got one of them in our room, one is Damo.

Josh: It's always Damo. Damo, don't do it, mate.

Tommy: You'll regret it, bro.

Josh: He was meant to graduate in '05. Damo going strong.

Tommy: What do they call it?

Will: Toolies. Only tell them to listen to our podcast, they'll love it.

Josh: Toolies.

Tommy: Um, so just going back, uh, what would have been 8 months ago?

Will: Yeah, um, it was the 16th of March.

Tommy: So 16th of March, yeah, was when you egged Fraser Anning, but before that was very much more— it was normal life.

Will: Yeah, normal life. Yeah.

Tommy: Um, tell us a little bit about the lead-up to when it happened and your story.

Will: Yeah, so, so it was a, it was a, it was a day before I was at the climate change rally with Damo and Mark. We're in his car.

Tommy: Damo's got a bit of time on his hands, doesn't he? At least he's doing good.

Josh: Damo's in his car, he's definitely pissed off, he's off his peas so he can take everyone.

Will: It's perfect. You know, you're spot on. Um, uh, yeah, we were like passionate, empowered. Um, and then on the way home, we saw the video of the shooting in the car.. And yeah, it was like emotionless, you know. This guy's just shooting people. It was like a video game and he didn't seem to show any emotion.

Josh: Like, this was the New Zealand shooting, wasn't it?

Will: Yeah, yeah, yeah, Christchurch in the mosque. And, um, 2 hours later I read the statement. So it's real raw. 2 hours later, the statement, you know, although the victims, they were not blameless, something along those lines. So subliminally blaming the victims for being there. And I was like— and then Damo picked me up in his Commodore and we were about to go get Domino's and I was like, do you wanna come egg him? And it just seemed like the right thing to do. And so he didn't want to do it. I asked a few of my other mates, they didn't.

Tommy: Damo, you fucked that, bro.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: Did you go to Domino's before you went?

Will: Uh, not— no, not— I did that night, but not today.

Tommy: You still got the Domino's in?

Will: Oh yeah.

Josh: The Godfather? Do you get what— or what pizza do you get?

Will: Let's go the $5 pepperoni. Okay.

Josh: I mean, that's one of the great things about— I remember Domino's going to Endeavour Hills in the sort of early 2000s, and the $5 price range is very good. And so you, you didn't have any eggs, I'm guessing?

Will: No, I didn't know that stage. Got them the next morning. Um, I ended up getting two mates who wanted to come and listen to him with me, but they didn't want to do anything. So I've rode my bike down to Moorabbin Station, which is like 10 minutes away from my home. And they were running late. So I was fuming, I was pissed off. So I just rode my bike. I went to Uli's, rode my bike there, went by myself. And I listened to him for an hour because I wanted him to change my mind. And I started to feel bad and sorry for him talking because I thought he was just like a twisted old man.

Josh: So did you have a backpack?

Will: I thought he was corrupted inside.

Josh: Yeah. What did you actually like— paint the picture. Was it— so you had your bike, you've got a—

Will: it was my brother's bike because mine was at a mate's. And it was, it was just a plastic bag hanging off the handlebar with a full dozen. Ah, 6, 6.

Josh: Yeah, yeah.

Will: And, and, um, and then I've put the eggs in my pocket and I've had like 5 in my pocket in case they broke. And, uh, I listened to him and yeah, I started to feel bad. I thought he was twisted. I saw a 3-year-old there, some parent had brought his 3-year-old. I'm like, you can't— like, what is this? Yeah, it's just speechless. And, and, uh Then he started saying more racist things like, oh, there are too many Muslims in Parliament, the Sudanese need to go back to where they came from. And then at that stage I decided, well, I'm just going to egg him. And I started visualising like, do I throw it at him? Do I go up behind him and whatnot? And then I just like, I just had an opportunity. I walked up.

Tommy: Yeah. And before we get to that, the egg on his head, you, how do you work? How do you find out someone like Fraser Anning is speaking in Moorabbin? That's why I was like, why is the guy down there? What was he doing there? Very convenient piece of the puzzle.

Will: Forgot. Yeah. So I share— after reading the statement, I shared it on Facebook and I said, would like to be face to face with this Muppet. And it was a figure of speech because I saw it was from Queensland and someone who I know put it in the comments section. He's, uh, gonna be in Moorabbin tomorrow. And I'm like, right. And yeah, I felt held to it.

Tommy: Yeah, it's— yeah, I mean, what are the chances of that, that he's just all of a sudden 10 minutes down the road from you?

Will: Yeah. Yeah, I know. Oh, it's crazy. Stars aligned, I guess. A bit of fate going on.

Tommy: Um, and so at that point, I— we then see— I think everyone sees all these clips go out on social media. What I appreciated is, um, the stern hand on your iPhone that did not budge when he slapped you in the face. And it's about like— that would have knocked my hand out.

Josh: I would have fallen to the floor.

Will: Oh yeah, I don't— I don't know, it's just all the adrenaline, all the adrenaline. Um, I've, I've been tackled to the ground. I've, um, the police have taken me, you know, and I've— they wanted to take me home and I've, I've asked them to just drive me to get lunch with my mates who were meant to come with me. No, it was like a dumpling house. I can't remember the name of the shop. I can't really plug them here, so unfortunate to them. But yeah, and, and because I thought I was going to get charged, so my life was over. I was shaking. And, uh, so you had—

Josh: so was that one egg that you— so you said you had 5 eggs, and so you take one out of your pocket. Had any of them crushed?

Will: Yeah, 2 of them had. Yeah.

Josh: So you've got egg in your pockets.

Will: Yeah, I got it.

Josh: And so you found one that was all good. Did you use your strong hand?

Will: Uh, yeah, yeah, right arm.

Tommy: I mean, I do one thing, like last night I was at the supermarket and I ate some, um, Chocolate macadamias without paying from the nut section. Very naughty. I ended up buying $6 worth because try before you buy. That's what I thought the policy was. But I was so convinced everybody at that place was looking at me. They're like, oh, they've caught me.

Josh: Which is a good filter for why you shouldn't do it.

Tommy: But when you're actually there to do something you're not meant to, like, you get paranoid.

Josh: Yeah.

Tommy: What's your, what's your heart rate?

Will: My heart is, is crazy. Oh, just crazy. Oh, and I was sweating profusely.

Tommy: Did someone look at you and just be like, you alright, kid? Oh.

Will: I— because people were— he was saying stuff, everyone was clapping, and I was like pretending to clap because I just wanted to mix in. And some people like looked at me and I was like, oh shit, I've been fucking found out.

Tommy: They're on to me.

Will: Yeah.

Tommy: And it wasn't even the egg dripping down.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: And so when it happens and he threw a few punches, what were you expecting? What was the visualization? What did you think was gonna happen?

Will: Oh, so such a stupid visualization. I was expecting to just walk out. Oh, and but yeah, I guess it like the first slap was warranted, like, I'll give him that, you know. He's like, fight-flight response instinct, turn around, saying something smaller than him, you know, fight, slap me. But then he looked at me. Yeah. And whatever was next is unacceptable, I reckon. I would— if it was me, I definitely would have— wouldn't have acted like that.

Josh: And so you said that the, the police, uh, tackled you, did they? Or what?

Will: No, no, no, uh, people tackled you and then the police, police came.

Josh: What was the, um What was that experience like and speaking to them, you know, through the whole process?

Will: Well, the police were really, really supportive. They were awesome. Um, I honestly don't really remember the whole episode. Probably have like a false third-person memory of it because there was so much like adrenaline through it that my memory—

Tommy: and you're watching the videos of yourself.

Will: Yeah, it's like the video that I have the better memory of. Yeah, I just remember lying there just like knowing to stay calm because the police were like coming.

Tommy: Yeah, well, because those gronks had you in headlocks and stuff. I was— yeah, I was thinking, I hope you can breathe. At that point.

Will: No, I was whispering under my breath, I can still breathe, to them. Yeah, God, I'm a bit of a smarter—

Tommy: we're not actually racist, mate, we just fucking have to do this.

Josh: And it's, it's so interesting. And so did you, um, did you get a sense the day before that you were about to do something that was going to get so much attention?

Will: No, mate, it was meant to be like a personal thing for me to hit. I was trying to get him before he walked in, but I got there Like, I did, yeah. And there was police outside and there was a big, um, protest, people yelling and screaming. Yeah, so I didn't know, I had no idea. The video, I was meant to just send it to like a group of 5 of my mates.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Uh, yeah.

Josh: And so when did the— when did it hit you, the gravity of the situation?

Will: So probably when I woke up the next morning, but when I was out for lunch When I went to lunch, my friend, she was scrolling through Facebook and saw a video of it already within like 20 minutes.

Josh: So what happened? So Tommy's been involved in, as being a kid, in police and all that sort of thing. I've never— were you handcuffed and shit? What actually happened?

Will: No, I wasn't.

Josh: Okay. And so was it that experience? Do you actually like go to the police station and have to like say anything?

Will: Like, so I went and got— I went and like wrote up my statement like a few days after. So no, nothing.

Josh: So was that—

Will: literally just drove me to lunch.

Josh: Oh, that's nice. Yeah, that's great. Didn't have to worry about Damo.

Will: Yeah, Damo picked me up and dropped me home.

Tommy: Solid, Damo.

Will: Uh, Damo called Mum and was like, have you seen what happened? Mum's like, nah. And yeah, I don't know, she screamed and dropped through her phone at the roof.

Josh: Yeah.

Tommy: And so how long was that after that Mum worked out what had happened?

Will: Well, oh, like in like 45 minutes, because I called her before asking to transfer me some money because I wanted to go out that night. So I thought I could get the money soon. I could— might be able to go out after, but it didn't turn out like that. It was not like that.

Tommy: Understandable. Understandable. I think, Josh, you said, like, gauging the scale of influx that you would have received after that. So it's like 40 minutes after mum finds out, you know, the next day your friend sees it on Facebook and then it snowballs, right, for you.

Will: Yeah, I remember getting home, I gained like— my mate's like, 'Hey, make your account public so you can get more followers.' I'm like, 'Oh, that's a pretty handy idea.' Was this Damo? No, this was Lee. This is Lee. Okay, okay.

Tommy: Your social media strategist.

Josh: Is Damo on Instagram?

Will: Uh, he is, yeah.

Josh: Okay.

Will: Uh, damon.orlando.

Josh: Great, great.

Tommy: Follow him, Mr. 97, from our account, please.

Will: Uh, and, uh, yeah, so I gained like $200. That's pretty handy. And then I went to bed, I was like 40,000, and someone, someone like screenshots like, holy shit, well, you're Insta famous now. And I went to bed and woke up and it was 660,000. I was like, what do I do?

Josh: Tommy and I were talking the other day about we've never really been socially like, we haven't been part of big conversations. We're going out and protesting. Feels like younger people are doing that more. They're going out on the streets. Um, before this, were you sort of more socially conscious and thinking about these things?

Will: Yeah, well, yeah, I definitely had my opinions. Yeah, definitely.

Josh: And is it something that, like, within your peer group— like, I remember school days, like, everyone had sort of their, uh, you know, you had your different areas within the school in regards to, like, social groups. Yeah, I was like, yeah, I was the theatre you know, arts?

Will: No, type of thing. So I don't— not at my school. We are all together.

Josh: That's cool.

Will: It's— yeah, it's really good. It's really different to other schools. Yeah.

Josh: And so what was the, uh, what was the reaction within your year level?

Will: Oh, they were just patting me on the back, telling me good job. But that, um, I really like respected the year— my year level in the year below, because when I went to school the next day, like, they, they still treated me normal and they weren't like pandering me and stuff, like kind of like— yeah, so that was, that was amazing. I remember, uh, a cool storey is like when I was playing Jack in the Pack at lunch.

Tommy: Back in the past. Oh, classic game.

Josh: Yeah, I'm surprised I haven't banned it. I'm sure that there was—

Will: oh, and for the whole fucking school, it's like in a circle, and I was looking around and I was like, like, yeah.

Josh: And so the— so it obviously got around. What did teacher like who comes out that surprised you from a support point of view? The people that you didn't necessarily think that you'd get that support from?

Will: Well, just everyone. Yeah, everyone. Like every single one of the followers. Yeah. But, uh, my, uh, my coordinator like walked past and they gave me a salute. They were all— the teachers were all told not to talk about it by the principal. Sure. Um, but yeah, no, they— yeah, that was patting me on the back.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Pretty, it was pretty cool.

Josh: Yeah, like that conversation, that conversation where the principal's telling the teachers, you know, don't talk about it. Is there, was there a bit of the PR panic where it's like all of a sudden you've had this thing happen? Did you start thinking, like my head would go into a place of what have I posted online before? What do I need to, but have I put out my address anywhere?

Will: Yeah, so I had to go and try and clear all of my social media and I was terrified because my birthday just happened. My birthday just happened.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: And, uh, and I was like scared of what my friends were gonna post because, you know, on the birthday post everyone tries to stitch you up.

Tommy: But like, I remember those days. Doesn't happen, mate, when you get to 30 plus. It won't happen. Yeah, it's less. You hope it doesn't. Yeah, it's a— it's such a fascinating thing because is there a sense that Did you have an inside at all that you felt like, I've done the wrong thing? You might be getting positive affirmation from people, but then you go, okay, I'm getting that side, but I'm also getting just this, this, you know, you're seeing the news articles. Like, was there a sense where you just, you felt that inside, or, uh, only in the first day?

Will: Okay, so when, when I told that, like, I was going to get charged and stuff like that Yeah, because I, I don't— yeah, what it stood for, don't regret.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: And plus so much more positive things came out of it.

Tommy: So also the, the— from what I read, the, the, uh, the court cost of the legal fees, someone set up a GoFundMe page or a FundMe page for, for you, and then fast forward, it had raised nearly $100,000. Tell us about Tell us about that.

Will: Oh, I just remember seeing it first and it was like $300 and I thought that was amazing. But yeah, it just kept going. I just could not believe it, could not believe it. Um, yeah, I decided to donate it because I didn't feel like it was my money. I felt like it— I would have felt unjust if I kept all of it. I mean, in hindsight, it would have been nice to have kept a little bit of it, but no, it would have been for schoolies' budget.

Tommy: Yeah.

Josh: Oh yeah, get the boys a nice house, get Damo something nice, get something for his commie.

Tommy: But how's it work at that stage with— I've never known the— I've never set up a GoFundMe or any of those kind of donation things. How do those sites work when there's all this money coming in? And did you set it up?

Will: No, not me.

Tommy: So you didn't set it up? That's the clear definition. So then who sets it up? And how do you work out who set it up?

Will: Well, well, yeah, he contacted us. Um, so pretty lucky because he could have, he could have just kept the money himself. He was a good bloke.

Tommy: So who was he? Like, what's he got to do with it?

Will: Like, he just liked what I did and set it up.

Tommy: Okay.

Will: Thought it was a good idea. Obviously was.

Tommy: Yeah, interesting. I mean, so he's seen something happen, he's like, okay, I'm going to start this. But then it starts getting lots and lots of cash and you obviously don't get charged. And you don't need to spend a whole heap of money on legal fees and you end up giving it away. What's the conversation when it gets to $90,000+ and you're like, I want to do this with it? How do you— what's that conversation with him?

Will: Mate, he's just like, he just wanted to give me all the money. Yeah, simple as that.

Josh: Yeah, it's amazing. And so, I mean, what did you— what have you learned, you know, hindsight looking back? What— it's obviously changed your life, had some amazing opportunities since. What stands out as the biggest lessons?

Will: I got— I've learned so much. It's, um, all right, probably— well, looking back at hindsight of the rest of my life, that is, um, well, I've learned that everyone who has like a big stigma around them is just like a normal human like you, me, right? And you, you guys, right? So I've learned that. I've learned that.

Josh: What does that— what does that mean?

Will: So like, you know how everyone— so like, if you say an AFL player, right, at the pub, people won't treat them as like a normal person. They'll treat them— you know what I mean? Like, when you're watching footy players, you won't necessarily think like they're a real person. Like, that, that's obviously not the most important thing I've learned.

Josh: That's really interesting. So, I mean, so you gained an empathy for 100% for the people who are in the public eye, because people see, I guess, that one-dimensional thing. They see you know, Egg Boy. They see almost a caricature that you played in a moment, but it doesn't necessarily show them who you are, which really like screwed with me in the head, which I'd like to talk about later.

Will: But I learned, um, probably like the, the key to life is literally just helping people and doing things for other people. Like, life is never as pure as when you're helping people, because I've had that, I've had like that bit of fame, I've partied I've played like high-level baseball. I've like travelled to America for it and had that.

Josh: Did you ever play softball? Sorry, not softball, uh, tee-ball.

Will: Yeah, when I was real young.

Josh: Yeah, I played tee-ball.

Tommy: Toddlers, right?

Josh: No, you can play. I was playing up until probably I was 12, but never made it past the tee. Well, it's just good to be a bit of baseball banter. Yeah, yeah, I enjoy it. And so, so you actually, do you say you travelled for—

Will: Yeah, I traveled, travelled interstate. And I ended up— my team went to America, we finished second in the world.

Josh: Amazing. Crazy.

Will: Yeah, no, um, that was when back in year 9 when I peaked, when I was talking about before.

Tommy: Yeah, yeah, it's annoying to peak. You still got time, mate.

Will: Uh, yeah, so honestly, like, life's never as pure as when you're doing— helping people, doing things for other people. Um, I also But I had a third thing, but I forgot. But that's definitely the most important thing that I've learned.

Tommy: So helping people before this, what was your—

Will: well, before this, with that, before this, I wanted to be a counselor. Um, but then, uh, I got this massive platform. I thought I could help people on a way bigger scale, make much more of an impact. And someone said to me in that space, at Space in Bowen, where Jules took me up, said, mate, I know you want to be a counselor, don't do it. I'm like, why? He's like, well, you can't make a personal connection with that person because you have a client and you have this wall up and you can't connect. Like, you can't go get a coffee with them after. And I was like, wow, that really struck a chord with me. So yeah.

Josh: And so that having—

Will: I wanted to play baseball and then a counselor.

Josh: Yeah, I mean, yeah, but baseball, get being into a sport that's not massive in Australia What's the, the thought there?

Will: Oh, so when we were in America, all these kids coming up and girls coming out wanting us to like sign their ball.

Tommy: They knew who you were? They knew that you're an Australian team?

Will: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That all, all the locals were aware and they loved us. They were wearing— our merch was the only team that sold out.

Tommy: Wow.

Will: And we come back to Australia, nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Josh: And so what were you, um, were you a pitcher or were you like— what was your position?

Will: Uh, I was a pitcher and a catcher, so my knees and my back are screwed. I like— I got scoliosis, spinal lordosis I think it's called, and Sherman's disease in my back, and that's all from catching.

Tommy: So I mean, yeah, sports people can just get lucky and have a career without injuries. You mentioned that it rattled you, that sort of realization, early stages after this happened. Explore that with it.

Will: So I was pretty much tearing myself apart on the inside. Because there was Egg Boy, which I couldn't— which everywhere I went was like, Egg Boy, Egg Boy, Egg Boy. And they saw me for my courage and I guess my stupidity, not realising it was a press release, um, and someone who stands up for what they believe in, which is all good, right? But I felt like there was way more depth to me than that, and I wanted to be known as more than that, and I just couldn't. I didn't know what to do, didn't know how. And it really like messed with my head for a few months. Yeah.

Tommy: And how does that personally reveal itself? How do you identify that? It's what— how are you acting as a result of feeling this way? What's that?

Will: I just become more isolated in myself.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: I felt like the least loneliest person and but the most loneliest person at the same time because everyone's coming up to you wherever you go. But yeah, you saw me, I feel lonely. Yeah. So like gain that, um, understanding for how other, I guess, high-profile people feel. Yeah.

Josh: So was there a point where you were pushing back on, I don't want to be connected with this anymore, I don't want that to be the, the legacy or the thing I'm known for?

Will: Uh, well, I just came to learn that I can slowly, gradually like shift it into which direction I want to put it in. There was times where I was like, I wish this could go away, but I also would never have changed it ever because it brought happiness to people, you know. People laughed when they saw the video, uh, helped out the victims. The money helped out the victims.

Tommy: So yeah, um, I could imagine something like this— there's also, along with the positive affirmation you're getting, some negativity that can be scary. Is there anything that happened that sort of rattled you in terms of your personal safety, or—

Will: Yeah, so some bozo rang the school and said that there were like 10 people out to get me outside of the school. Or outside of my house in the next 3 days. Um, that probably scared Mum more than it scared me. Oh, to be honest, it scared me for about an hour and then I realised it's probably not going to happen.

Josh: What does the school do in that situation?

Will: Uh, well, we had police circling the school and my house. Um, I left school early and late for a couple days.

Tommy: Mate, I would have pulled a sickie, to be honest. If that was me, I wouldn't have gone to school.

Will: I wish I could have pulled a sickie for the last 6 months.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: But, uh, so how do you stay? I'm glad I stayed.

Josh: Yeah. So how do you, um, get through it and actually stay in school? Was it— how did you not have that as an option? Uh, wait, so, so like, as in, you know, like, I think that it would be fair to, to say, I don't want to fucking have to do this anymore, I don't want to do this whole school thing.

Will: Yeah, yeah.

Josh: You know, how did you come to the, the conclusion of like, no, I need to stay, I need to be going, even in these hard times?

Will: Took it day by day. I, I felt when it was messing with everything, was messing with my head. School was the only place I felt normal because everyone treated me the exact same. So that was a massive part in it. Uh, I wanted to drop out. I definitely did because I wanted to focus on this and like strike while the iron's hot, which isn't necessary, which, you know, if you do anything rushed, I think it's, it's bad for you because make, you know, you make the wrong decision. And when— so I decided I wanted to drop out. Yeah. And then, um, I was about to take action on it and something just didn't feel right in my stomach, so I didn't do it.

Josh: What was the friction point before you, uh, you got to that point? What sort of conversations were you having with mum and with the teachers about it?

Will: Well, quite frankly, I don't think I learned any, any life skills at school. I learned some until like year 7. Yeah, yeah. And, and then the rest you're just learning marks. So I'm thinking this is this is useless, like, why am I here?

Josh: Which I think is a common thing. I think that, like, that's the interesting thing. So it's like, I found the final 4 months or whatever of school crazy hard because it's like, don't even want to do the exams, all that sort of thing. Um, but then have something like this that's such a big thing, that would even sort of destabilise even more.

Will: Yeah, well Thing is, if I had dropped out, like, what would have I substituted that 6 hours a day? I didn't have a career. I didn't know what I wanted to do necessarily.

Tommy: Yeah, yeah, it could have caused more problems. I mean, it's— I think my reflection— you're about to head into exams— my reflection on school— I didn't, I didn't finish, I left in year 10— is that the things that are hard getting through it, like, I'd encourage any kid to stay and stay and complete school. Because it's about the completion of something in life, being able to stick at it whether it's forced or not, to be able to make it through.

Will: 100%. Because I just graduated and I'm glad I stayed.

Tommy: Yeah, how good do you get to—

Josh: there's a self-esteem to just having completed it with it. Like, I remember that being like the arguments I would have with my mum was just, she's like, I don't care how you go in the exams, but you're doing the exams. Yeah, yeah. Um, and I think that's interesting, just the idea of just getting through and completing it and knowing that experience.

Tommy: What were you gonna say about it? Like, it's like having a job too. It's not really about the job, especially when you're growing up. Have you, have you had much experience in the workforce yet?

Will: No, I worked at a fish and chip shop for 2 shifts.

Tommy: Did you?

Will: And then Egg Boy happened.

Tommy: Oh really? So you stayed?

Josh: Surely you could have done like a special burger with 2 eggs.

Will: Yeah, you know, I called the boss up that night. I'm like, I can't come into work tomorrow. The media, it was outside my house, they will follow me to work. And he's like, he didn't speak good English, and he's like, I don't understand. And I was like, I just can't come, I don't understand. I'm like, do you have Facebook? He's like, no.

Tommy: Oh no.

Will: I'm like, mate, but see ya.

Tommy: You're gonna, he's gonna just text in the clip.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: And so what did you, have you been to the fish and chip shop since?

Will: No, I haven't. Really? No. Oh, surely you've got to find out. Inside, haven't gone inside.

Josh: Okay, so you've walked past it.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: Do you know, did the boss then like, surely you eventually connect the dots. He's like, okay, well, yeah, it all makes sense.

Will: Surely he did. Yeah.

Tommy: Um, I could imagine when something like this happens, you start looking to other people that have gone through the same thing as you, or had conversations with people who have experienced—

Josh: Pretty specific though, isn't it? Yeah, but a different version.

Tommy: Very much different version. I mean, you could go—

Josh: you could speak to being put into limelight, being turned into a meme.

Tommy: Instantly. Did you— have you spoken to other people in the same scenario?

Will: I actually haven't.

Tommy: That's just me.

Will: I'll look for it. Yeah, I couldn't think of any— anyone else. Like, I guess you have Corey Worthington. That's pretty different. Like, this is so, so, um, what's the word I'm looking for? It's just— it's that there's nothing else like it. There's literally nothing else like it. Like, someone said to me, your Instagram following has only blown up in 2 days, like twice, like you.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Yeah.

Tommy: Oh really?

Will: Yeah.

Josh: Well, yeah, you think about that. Tommy and I were talking about this, even reality shows in the time that it happened, uh, people don't get huge followings nowadays, um, you know, that quickly.

Tommy: Gary Vee says, uh, Instagram, uh, what is it, reach is dead.

Josh: Yeah. Are you on TikTok? You doing TikTok?

Will: Uh, I'm, I have done like A few, yeah.

Tommy: And how much—

Will: just funny ones though.

Tommy: How much sort of exploration of what you want to do now has there been, you know, and what you can do with it?

Josh: Or do you speak to the careers counselor?

Will: No, I think it's a bit beyond them.

Tommy: They're a bit rattled.

Will: Yeah, at least did they say, hey, well, like, let's probably— still waiting for me to come in. Well, obviously I could have like completely sold myself out and like got, got like an egg partnership. Easter was like 2 months later, so I could like made a deal with Cadbury. But like, I could see myself running down and it's like, oh, what's that in my pocket? That's a heroin addiction shit. Like, it's not fulfilling, you know?

Tommy: Yeah, yeah.

Josh: So heroin, yeah, that's a quick one.

Will: Yeah. So I always wanted to go through like a fulfilling path. I think I want to do public speaking, and at the moment I want to teach life skills that isn't taught in school. Yeah, teach shit that school should.

Josh: What do you think those skills are?

Will: How to have a deeper connection with other people, how to have a deeper connection with yourself, stuff like that.

Josh: Um, are you talking about these things with like your mates Damo and stuff? Are you in the car having these deep conversations?

Tommy: Yeah, yeah, down at Point Almond, you got your Domino's pizza.

Will: No, we have like mad deep conversations, our mates and I. Like, we'd like occasionally we'd like always say one thing you dislike about each other and one thing you like, and we go around in the circle, stuff like that.

Tommy: Yeah, I wonder if— I mean, I think I had a pretty deep connection with my mates at that time, but I was definitely the unusual ones talking about feeling, talking about all this stuff like self-development.

Josh: But is this not— because I always wonder this because I feel like I had the same experience when I was younger. Is this a rite of passage that we all have, that we all end up reading like Seneca and philosophy books and sort of having those moments? I guess to that point, it makes sense that there should— there needs to be some, if you could wrap it around in some form of, you know, education or part of the system, that could be helpful.

Tommy: Well, I think the school system is forced learning. So, you come and they tell you what you're going to learn that day.

Will: And it just breeds ego because everyone's got their own individual mark. So we need to teach more collaboration as well. Just let kids like be kids and explore and like bang their elbow on the tree and learn, you know, like simple stuff like that. Because yeah, everyone's climbing on top of each other. There's a big ego. I've watched my friends deteriorate. I did a real good Insta— Instagram post on it about all my opinions on it. Uh, remove the score and teach people how to find their like passion and find their desire as well. That's like probably the most important thing.

Tommy: I did read that.

Will: Great book of Finland.

Tommy: It was great. I read that. I mean, and I read that, that's coming from a 17-year-old kid, and I was not thinking those things at 17.

Josh: And we're part of the problem because we call Mr. 97 because he got an ATAR score of 97. So we're definitely— yeah, I got in my 40s.

Will: Well, thing is, just so like, school's like, um, so the product of school systems, the marks. Yeah, with the private schools and, and the consumers are the adults. So if you don't buy the product, then it'll break. So yeah, that's what we've got to do.

Josh: And so what sort of content— what, what are you consuming every day? What do you like watching and listening to?

Will: Um, memes on Instagram and Facebook. Uh, I don't got my phone that much. I like Kerwin Rae. I follow him on Instagram. He's an absolute beast.

Tommy: What do you like about him? Because he's a very business-focused, say, sales, sort of marketing.

Will: I just like his quotes that he posts and his way of life and thinking. Yeah, like how, like the gratitude and how be grateful for all the things that have happened for you. Like, so things don't happen to you, they happen for you. So you can all learn from it, and it's a good way, positive way of looking at life, I think.

Josh: And so are you doing a gap year next year? Is that the plan, or what do you— what's the plan?

Will: So I like to organise Camp America so I can wait, go there, wait for my friends to get money to travel. Uh, I'd like to go to the longest day of the year party Mykonos with Lee, my Greek mate.

Tommy: Solid.

Will: And I'd like to travel a third world country. I still haven't fully decided, just to gain extra perspective.

Tommy: Camp America, I looked into that, got the applications. Is that what— is that the thing what you're talking about? The you go and be a teacher in Oh, that'll be great. It's, um, yeah, I, I started looking when I was a bit too old.

Josh: Is that just Damo age? Is that the time? Is Damo still able to go to Camp America, I wonder? Um, so that's super exciting. And so the, um, friendships— how does, how does this type of thing affect friendships.

Will: Yeah, so I— so right now my friendships are pretty solid, they're good. But I could see the people that were treating me differently because they wanted something to gain, and I just, I hated it. Uh, so there's a bunch of girls that I'd been to parties with, I'd know them, I'd said hello to them a few times, didn't know them that well. They'd show me, you know, not like a normal kid, talk to him a few chats. Go off and have a beer and whatnot. But I saw them at Village Bell in St. Kilda, and you know, they were all— yeah, it's good, good joint. And they were all like all over me straight away, and like, oh, it's great. Like, I didn't like it. Yeah, obviously I liked it, but I didn't— like, looking back, you know, you're like, shit, they don't really like me for me, they like me for my status. I guess that's how I felt.

Tommy: Yeah, like, I mean, that's such a—

Josh: it's a self-aware thing.

Tommy: Self-aware thing.

Josh: Tommy would have been— that ain't bad. It's got nothing to do with the eggs, and that's why you didn't do it.

Tommy: But that's why that kind of stuff doesn't happen to people. Yeah, like me. I think you can sometimes look at people in Hollywood and the fame happens to the wrong person.

Josh: The heroin thing's interesting, right? Like, that's a super aware thing to connect those dots of if I do a deal with a chocolate company, if I, if I go for the instant gratification, all of this sort of stuff, that it's going to get to there.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: Who scared that? Like, who, who created that storey for you?

Will: Well, I've, I, um, I just, you just see it everywhere.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Like, I can, yeah, I can just say it from people. I, I recently read, uh, Scar Tissue. Oh yeah, which is Anthony Kiedis' biography. Good book.

Tommy: Yeah. And yeah, I mean, he had an unbelievable sort of upbringing, and he's at the crazy end of life.

Will: Yeah, but he's also come full circle, which is good. But nah, sometimes I wish I could just have more fucking fun and not worry about these things.

Josh: And so why—

Will: I don't know, I still do.

Josh: Why do you feel like you can't have that fun?

Will: I know, like, simple. Oh, so specifically with girls, like, a lot of the time I'll just obes— uh I'll think like, oh, well, are they just liking me for my status?

Tommy: Yeah, well, it's another consideration that you have to make.

Will: Yeah, based on the back of my reality. Yeah, yeah.

Tommy: But how else is Will have fun? Like, is— how else can you bring more fun into your life?

Will: Oh, I still have a whole lot of fun with my mates, 100%.

Josh: And so do you think it's harder now to make new friends?

Will: Well Yes and no, because people always give their best version of themselves to me, which is the best, right? So if there's like a smart kid, he's gonna be— because like, so for example, like a smart kid's not gonna act super smart to other people, but he'll act super smart to me. And I can pick that and I can be like, yo, I want to be fucking best friends with you because you're gonna, you're gonna lift me up, you know what I mean? So it's both. Yeah.

Josh: And so having an, having an audience it's a very specific audience. They've come from one specific thing. How have you reconciled what you've done, the audience that you've gained from it, and then this type of content you want to do now?

Will: Well, so yeah, that's tough because my— because like, yeah, I have a big sense of justice, right? It's like through my past, I've— there's been a lot of incidents where it's shown— it's like represented that, but it's all— it's not what I'm like fully passionate about. And I, and I need to find what I'm fully passionate about. And as I said, I can see, definitely see myself doing public speaking and to make money to travel. But after traveling, I could still see myself doing public speaking after that.

Josh: Did you feel the pressure to push the Justice thing up?

Will: Uh, Yeah, but I just knew— just, I just know to like go with my gut and day by day. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Josh: I think that's super self-aware because I feel like in that moment you'd be like, ah, people are positioning me as this guy who's done this thing, and I can, I can even push that even further and they'll love it even more. But it's being able to listen to yourself I think is super powerful.

Tommy: Yeah, it's rapid learning.

Will: Yeah, I've learned like a lifetime's worth in 8 months.

Tommy: Do you feel the pressure to work this out quickly?

Will: Do you feel, uh, from other— from other people, they try and pressure me all the time. My friends like, mate, fucking t-shirt line, do it. Like, that is Damo.

Josh: He's got a screen printing business already. He's got it all dialled in. Oh God, no, he's got custom number plates.

Will: No, not yet.

Josh: No, he fucking will though.

Will: Damo's buying a car for $500, driving it up to the farms and shredding it.

Josh: Really?

Will: Drifting.

Tommy: It's a great idea.

Will: He's copping all the shivers. A smart man he is.

Tommy: He is. No, we love that, but he's going to be our business advisor from now on. Yeah.

Josh: And so Damo's saying, mate, t-shirts.

Will: Yeah, so everyone's like, mate, t-shirts, mate, Instagram deal, mate, this, that, that, that, that. I'm like, and time will take its course. Like, yeah, if I like give the truth out, my truth out to everyone else, I'm going to get everyone else's truth or the truth that I want back.

Josh: Do people just love giving advice?

Will: Yeah, yeah, but always I listen to all of it.

Josh: Have you worked out a mechanism to work out good advice versus bad advice?

Will: If whatever it feels like inside of me, whether it feels right or wrong.

Tommy: How many, how many conversations outside of Deimo has been relating to money?

Josh: Oh, a lot.

Will: I don't care about money. Like, honestly, my goal in life is to be spiritually rich, not rich.

Josh: Why you go to Domino's?

Will: You say, yeah, uh, spiritual awakening that happens. Yeah, if you follow massive one, Don the CEO He's like the Australian CEO.

Josh: Very interesting. I've stopped following because I was— I ended up fucking ordering their big New York style pizza from it because he's so good at selling. Because the CEO goes into the kitchen and says, oh, this is our new creation, and he talks it through and all that sort of thing.

Tommy: What's been a standout conversation that you've had with somebody that has come into your world? Could be super famous or just an average punter. Like Damo.

Will: Oh, I don't know, I don't know. I'll have a think about it and stand out conversation.

Josh: Do an Insta storey for us and we'll put it on Instagram.

Tommy: Yeah, thanks.

Will: Um, yeah, I'll definitely— yeah, it'll come, it'll come to me. Um, I've got a question for you guys, right? So if this—

Tommy: oh shit, oh shit—

Will: if this happened to you, what would you— because you guys are like creative as— um, what would you guys do? Would probably the exact same thing.

Tommy: Well, I think like Josh said before, if it happened to me at your age, I think it would have been a nightmare for my parents, for me in my future, and I don't think I would have handled it. But then I think about, that's why it doesn't happen to people like me, because I wouldn't have been equipped to handle it. If things like that happen now, I think there's a bunch of learnings Josh and I have made from not having it and being inquisitive to people like you who it's happened to. So, but then I actually truly don't know what it would—

Josh: It seems like it'd be pretty shocking if I did it. Like, I think that, that— And so based on that, yeah, I like the idea, you know, like the visual— What did you— You were talking about the visualisation of the, you know, doing the egg thing. What was the visualisation afterwards? Like, what were you visualising? Like, life after this? What do you visualise when you're 19?

Will: Or— Yeah, well, honestly, I just wanted to go and party. That's what I wanted to do at the start. Yeah, pretty much.

Josh: And so where does that change come?

Will: Uh, change? Well, it was just that night. I just wanted to go out straight away. There was a formal after-party on and I was imagining myself there and fuck, I wanted to go and I couldn't. And so you sucked.

Josh: But you've definitely had— you've had a change of heart or a different perspective.

Tommy: Yeah.

Josh: And so for you, it's not all about the partying and things like that now.

Tommy: Yeah.

Josh: Was that was that moment the catalyst for that, or do you think that that's even over, um, communicated in the media? Like, I guess the media, we say like the sort of hero's journey or whatever.

Will: I've always wanted to party until I was a certain— until like my glory days were over, and then I just wanted to knuckle down.

Josh: Your glory days finished in year 9, remember?

Will: Yeah, you're done.

Tommy: Yeah.

Will: Oh, slow descent.

Josh: And so, no, but I think what is the narrative? So the narrative— so the visualization, give us a year-by-year blow until you're 30 right now. Yeah.

Will: Oh damn, I don't know. I, I couldn't tell you. I'd go travel. I'd like to go to like every country, come back. Um, one thing I would love to do is to, is to go to the Amazon and trip ayahuasca. Oh yeah, yeah, I would like to do that.

Tommy: Um, mum's like, yeah, absolutely not. Because don't worry, don't worry, my mum said the same when I said that. She said, don't you dare do that.

Will: Uh, um, I want to gain wisdom and teach it, teach it. Yeah, I don't know.

Josh: And so that's like the difference between that and partying, a bit of a difference there. So do you see, do you see this time where it's like, okay, I'm partying and then that's slowly going to fade out? Yeah, yeah.

Will: It's gonna fade out.

Josh: What's it—

Will: what's the, um, probably be like mum and party extremely hard like once or twice a year.

Josh: Just go real hard New Year's Eve type of deal.

Tommy: She's shaking her head saying no, that does not happen. Uh, I don't know who he's talking about.

Josh: What do you like about the, um, what do you like about partying? Because I only started drinking— I'm 29, I only started really drinking this year, like a later adopter. What is it about partying that you enjoy?

Will: Oh, it's just good fun, good vibes. I love music as well, although I don't really like new music, I like old music.

Josh: But, uh, like '70s, what do you like?

Will: Yeah, '70s.

Josh: You listen to Gold FM, is that—

Will: Yeah, I do.

Josh: Smooth, do you like smooth?

Will: Sometimes, sometimes.

Tommy: I mean, the party thing is just, there's a fun vibe. Yeah, I mean, most people are out to have fun. I think that's, that's where— Yeah, I got caught up in that for sure. Just, it's a patterning thing. It's like every weekend.

Josh: Where are you going for '70s music?

Will: Nowhere. Headphones.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: But nah, yeah, that's just music I like to do in my spare time. But like doof music's also fun. Yeah, I saw the SB actually, the SB plays some of that good music. Yeah, I like the SB.

Tommy: I saw, um, Hilltop Hoods and a bunch of these bands offered you, uh, lifetime passes to come to their shows.

Will: Yeah, they did.

Tommy: Have they, have they, uh, delivered up to their deal?

Will: Yeah, Hilltop have. I met the boys at Groove in the Moo backstage. Had a good chat to them. A bunch of legends.

Josh: Yeah, that's so nice.

Will: I saw them at Splendour, um, but I didn't go back. I just wanted to enjoy it because I was doing a lot of interviews. I just wanted to go out and have a Martian party.

Tommy: Yeah.

Josh: How many people see you, they don't know where they know you from, but they know you?

Will: That is the— is the most awkward funny thing. Yeah, because like, yeah, you can tell that they're looking at you like 3 times. You just want to wave at them. Like, yes, yes.

Josh: Have you had interactions where you've had to say— have you ever uttered the words, yes, I'm Egg Boy?

Will: Yeah, I have.

Josh: What's been the weirdest?

Will: Some girls like come up to me and pretend they don't know who I am, and I can tell that they're pretending they don't know who I am.

Tommy: I'm like, they're negging you. You're being negged, Will.

Josh: Oh, that's so fun, mate.

Tommy: What a weird experience. I think, um, your, your self-awareness is commendable for someone who's just turned 18. Absolutely. And, um, and I'm— I can't wait to see your journey over the next—

Will: I can't— I can't wait to wherever it'll go. Yeah, it'll be awesome.

Josh: Yeah, learn including ayahuasca. And you've got to be prepared to vomit and shit your pants and all that sort of thing.

Will: Yeah, I've done my research.

Josh: Yeah, yeah, great. Yeah, ready for it. It's just like a big—

Will: so also the thing is, people say it's like unearned wisdom, right? Which I agree with to an extent, but I've got this massive platform. I have like responsibility, I guess. So it doesn't, it doesn't fucking matter.

Tommy: Yeah.

Josh: What is your audience like? What Insta stories— have you ever done a poll? Do people like polls?

Will: Yeah, I've done. So the, the education post that I did, that, that went nuts. Hundreds and hundreds of responses. I did a QuestionUp.

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Yeah, that's probably the biggest one since things kind of died down a little bit.

Josh: What about fun stuff, like on the part if you go out Have you got rules? Like, if you go— if you're getting pissed, do you not post on Instagram? Or—

Will: yeah, I do some stories, but yeah, I'll like ask my friends what they think.

Josh: Yeah, sure.

Will: Well then, bloody damn it, post, post, post more.

Josh: Swipe up, swipe up. How many times has Daymo requested a swipe up?

Will: Oh, Daymo asks for a tag every fucking time.

Tommy: Do you do meditation? Are you into it?

Will: Yeah, every, every day. Uh, so use a specific app? No, no, I just do the silent one or some— yeah, I've got to try to do a mantra though because one of my friends, he meditates, he told me a mantra is pretty good, but I haven't tried a mantra.

Tommy: I like, um, what's that, uh, Transcendental— no, no, TND, where you have a word.

Josh: It's Transcendental, is the one that you have to pay to do the course, which uses the phrase to sort of repeat in your mind.

Will: Yeah, I've been doing that for like a year and a half, changes everything. You know, you just feel more energy, less stressed, uh, you can control your thoughts. Yeah, it's, it's real humbling. It's awesome.

Tommy: And who encouraged you to do that?

Will: I, uh, so we used to watch like a lot of like self— well, not self, I just like learn on YouTube about stuff about life, and it said benefits of meditation, so I just pressed on it and looked at the benefits. It's like, oh, 'Oh, that would be pretty handy to have. I might have a crack.' And then it worked, so I kept doing it.

Tommy: I wonder if there will ever be a movie made about a person who was raised and doesn't go to school but just does everything on YouTube. That'd be an interesting documentary type. Okay, yeah, full— yeah, it takes 18 years to create. Yeah, it's just— I mean, that's maybe just young kids.

Josh: I enjoy that. I like the unpretentious answer. It's not like, you know, 'I had this experience with a guru.' It's literally like, 'Yeah, it was suggested videos.' Yeah, Cameron Wray was rocking it.

Will: Yeah, he's doing Yeah, yeah, that's right. But now, now that I don't have school, I was like, like this morning, the last 3 mornings, I literally just like rolled out of bed and just meditated instantly because I can have time and I can chill. It's so, so good. Sometimes 2 times a day as well.

Tommy: I wish I had that life. I wish I had that.

Will: Like, do you guys do it?

Tommy: I meditate. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Josh: I've done, I've done it once in the past 2 weeks. I need to get— I've bought the, uh, Sam Harris app.

Tommy: Okay, is that Day One of 50? Yeah, but he's been on day 1 for 14 days.

Josh: I'm wondering whether to start back at 1.

Tommy: Yeah, start back at 1.

Will: How good is it?

Tommy: Just keep going. Yeah, it's great. My mum's a meditation teacher, yoga teacher. Oh yeah. So she's been on the, on the bandwagon for many, many years. I mean, it's such an old art, it's an old teaching, you know. Meditation's been around for centuries, you know, hundreds and hundreds of years. And so it's just now it's very noisy and there's a lot of people talking about it, which I think there's only positivity that comes from it.

Josh: So I'm thinking of the— have you done fasting?

Will: Uh, dopamine fasting?

Josh: No, like, um, like, yeah, not eating for, yeah, 16 hours.

Tommy: Have you seen Matt Diavello? Did you watch it? Yeah. I don't know why you'd say that.

Will: What's the benefits of fasting?

Josh: Well, it depends. The thing is, he lost— this, uh, our mate Matt Diavello lost weight doing it. Which he's not planning. He wasn't trying to lose weight, but it's just a— like, there's meant to be all these benefits around blood sugar levels and things like that, metabolism.

Will: Okay. Yeah.

Josh: What do you eat for breakfast?

Will: I have, um, 2 Weet-Bix with these like oats, yogurt, and some blueberries. And then I have a milkshake with egg, banana, yolk, milk, egg, banana, uh, what did I just say? Egg, banana, milk, and yogurt. Egg, banana. Yeah, that's what I have.

Josh: Egg, banana, milk, and yogurt.

Tommy: Yeah, it's a good—

Josh: having the, um, that's a— yeah, yeah, you're smashing a lot of calories, but you're doing the, the gym work to be able to do it. Yep.

Will: I've had that milkshake for like since I was in primary school.

Josh: Yeah, yeah, milkshakes. Like, it's a pretty, um— what do you think, TJ?

Tommy: I mean, it's— I think it's just the word he's using, milkshake.

Josh: You know what I'm saying? Smoothie.

Tommy: You could say smoothie and everyone would be like, that's a great bloody breakfast.

Josh: A milkshake—

Tommy: when you say milkshake, I think it's— as you get a bit older, people start really judging you for having milkshakes.

Josh: Unless your mate, our mate Trev, he does it.

Tommy: You're not putting Milo in it or anything?

Josh: No, no.

Tommy: So it's a smoothie?

Josh: What was it? What was in it?

Tommy: This is— so what is it?

Josh: Banana? No egg?

Will: Egg, banana.

Josh: No, he puts egg in it. Yeah. Was that a new thing? Part of the rebrand? No, you've always had an egg in it.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: Okay, so you put raw egg?

Will: Yeah.

Tommy: Banana?

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Milk? Yogurt?

Josh: Egg, banana, milk, and yogurt. It's hard to say.

Tommy: I used to do egg in my smoothies when I was younger. I just— I'm such a big baby now. I won't do it.

Josh: Yucky. Yeah, it's— I would get an egg.

Tommy: I know, that's the thing, you can't taste it. I just, I think I thought I was more, you know, I thought I was awesome back when I was going to the gym. For some reason I'd have heaps of eggs.

Josh: I just blew it. Mate, you got to watch the new documentary with Arnold Schwarzenegger in it called Game Changers. I've gone vegetarian for the past week.

Will: You have done it?

Josh: Yeah.

Will: Oh, how do you feel?

Josh: I feel horrendous. No, it's fine. I've been eating a lot of fucking Too many carbs, too many. But Mr. 97, you had a pizza for lunch. Yeah, I did. And mozzarella pizza, a bit better than Domino's. But, um, yeah, I think the thing is that what they're actually doing is it's not maybe less meat, it's about like having plant, like having heaps of plants. Okay.

Will: Yeah.

Josh: And so if you're going to do what you need to do, you need to do the plant bit. You need to be eating salads and vegetables. And have you heard people talking about—

Will: Oh yeah, I've seen a video and it's like 'How do you, how do you be as strong as an ox?' And it's like, 'Well, an ox doesn't eat fucking meat.' Yeah, no shit.

Tommy: But that big, big muscly man.

Josh: Yeah, I mean, yeah, he got me.

Tommy: It's a good, it's a good rule. Like, I think it's not a, it's not a fad diet being a vegetarian.

Josh: It's been around a lifestyle.

Tommy: It's just a choice not to do it. I think if anything, intermittent fasting is a fad over something like that.

Josh: Now the interesting thing is that all of these all of these things have been wrapped up in like, um, tradition and religion. Like, think about like all the religions that have fasting or they have like, uh, vegetarianism. Like, all these things are— have existed for years and years and years. Even meditation, like, a lot of it's fucking prayer. Like, all of these things have like a bunch of connection.

Tommy: But I think the difference is that, uh, there's what's— what's sustainable. Being a vegetarian, super sustainable to not only from an environmental thing but as in a lifestyle thing versus these other ones that sort of, uh, a bit extreme from the get-go. Have you got any rules like, um, personal health, like health rules or just rules to life? Will's rules to life?

Will: No, just everything in moderation. I'm gonna drink moderation.

Tommy: It's a good rule. He said he didn't have one, but he got one. Yeah, moderation is the rule.

Will: Like, I have broken the rule before.

Tommy: Yeah, it's not like we all—

Josh: once a year, like your mum.

Will: Just— yeah, no, I don't really have— I just take things as it comes. No, yeah, set rules, I think, because like there'll be a time comes where that rule will need to be broken.

Tommy: So, um, the smartest man in the room, or well, according to his, uh, ATAR, his score, Mr. 97. Is there anything about Will's journey that you've been fascinated seeing from the outside?

Will: Uh, to be honest, mate, I'm actually super— I'm super impressed. Like, that's such a difficult thing to do. Like, all the— even though, like, there's all this positive support and stuff for it, it's massive having all that attention on you. So I'm just— I'm super impressed by you, man. It's great. Thanks. Thanks.

Josh: There we go. It wasn't really a question, but it was a very nice—

Tommy: it was super lovely. I think that's—

Josh: I think we should end it on the most lovely thing said all day. And you're going to send us a video of that? What was the— quite the answer? There was an answer that you couldn't give to us that you're going to do with the one—

Tommy: the one person, one conversation that you've had that sort of blew you away. Could be the craziest person, like, oh my God, I'm speaking to the bloody Prime Minister.

Josh: You don't have to answer it now. Do it as a video. Yeah, tag me, tag Josh, tag Damo, and also do a swipe up with Damo. What's happening?

Will: Mum's trying to give me a cue. I can't— I'm just Huh?

Tommy: Oh, she's Mars. Mars.

Will: Yeah, I'll send you another one. This is another interesting storey though. Yeah, so at Byron there was this lady, Diana. She's gonna, uh, well, she's listed to go to Mars. She could get cut. I don't think she will because she's bloody amazing. Yeah, on a one-way trip on 2020. So I think it's 2020, that's next year. It's going one— yeah, one-way trip.

Tommy: Surely not next year. They're going to Mars next year.

Josh: It's happening soon. Jules was blown away by her as well.

Tommy: And I, um, so years ago I worked on radio in Shepparton and there was a guy from the local area who was on the shortlist, but so far down. Like, now this woman's made it way down the list.

Will: So you know what they pick the astronauts? It's authenticity, adaptability, Instagram following. Oh man, I'm gonna message her and ask her what it is because there's another video.

Josh: Mate, you're gonna be our full-time social media managers with the amount of video content. Thanks so much. I mean, yeah, um, what Mr. 97 said, I think that like we're in awe the, the fact that you've been able to go through all of this and actually do it, uh, in a way that feels very true to you. And that's all you can really do, isn't it?

Will: Thanks, Josh. Yeah, awesome.

Josh: Great. It's The Daily Talk Show. hi@thedailytalkshow.com is the email address if you want to email us. If you've enjoyed the show, please subscribe, review on Apple Podcasts. Otherwise, we'll see you tomorrow, guys.

Tommy: See you guys. See ya.