Coffee With Fleur

Have you ever ordered a coffee, sat down to wait for it, and then found yourself eavesdropping in on the intriguing conversations at tables nearby.

No? Oh, right. Me neither. (Wink)

Well two wellbeing experts are inviting you to pop in your earphones and listen to them chat while they have their coffee, and you don’t even need to feel guilty about it. In fact, you’ll walk away feeling empowered and enlightened.

The podcast Coffee with Fleur is the brainchild of David Arnold and Fleur Mouchemore.

The two passionate, wellbeing coaches have both overcome anxiety in their younger years, studied extensively and now share their expertise with others to help them navigate change to live a positive and meaningful life.

David, from Warragul, and Fleur, from Melbourne, had worked together on various projects over the years and had always enjoyed coaching conversations where they explored all manner of wellbeing and resilience topics, usually over a coffee.

Last year, they thought it could be beneficial to others if they recorded these conversations and put them online, making them accessible to their clients and anyone else who might find them useful.

Fleur means flower, or growth, so Coffee with Fleur was born. The podcast is aimed at providing evidence-based strategies and tools that enable people to successfully adapt when change occurs.

Every fortnight, David and Fleur choose a positive change or wellbeing topic and explore it over coffee, sharing insights from the scientific research they’ve studied, along with practical strategies and tools listeners can apply in their own lives.

They keep their conversations  ‘real’—openly sharing their experiences and the personal challenges they’ve faced or are still navigating.

 Each podcast is recorded in a café and lasts about ten to fifteen minutes, or as long as it takes to finish their coffees- Fleur’s latte and David’s espresso! This means the episodes are short and digestible, making them perfect to listen to in the car, while doing the dishes, or walking the dog.

David said the podcast was for anyone interested in enhancing their wellbeing and who wants to move closer to living the life they want to live.

‘They may be experiencing challenges personally, or they may know someone who is going through some tough times, or they may simply wish to build up their wellbeing toolkit so that they are equipped to navigate change in their lives when it occurs,’ David said. ‘If you want to flourish and lead a fulfilling life full of positivity, Coffee with Fleur is for you.’

Fleur agreed. ‘We want our audience to feel a sense of connection with us—as people who have faced, or are currently facing, similar challenges to their own. We share from our personal experiences alongside insights from research and experts, focusing on strategies that have been effective for both us and our clients,’ Fleur said.

‘While we often discuss wellbeing in the context of work—given our background in this space—wellbeing is a whole-person concept that influences every aspect of life. Because of this, we believe our audience can benefit from our conversations regardless of their personal or professional circumstances.’

This year, the duo plan to continue exploring topics such as ‘Strengths’ and ‘Values’ to help people identify these characteristics and how they can build upon them. They also hope to tackle a discussion on social media and its effects not only on children and teenagers, but on adults as well.

‘I feel like we’ve reached a tipping point around our use of social media as a society. Having used it in some form for almost twenty years, I’ve seen it evolve from a mostly positive space—where people could build connections, learn, and gain direct access to experts and thought leaders—to something that, in many ways, now feels like a net negative for our individual and collective wellbeing,’ Fleur said.

‘There’s already a wealth of research highlighting the harmful effects of social media on children and teenagers, but I believe it’s equally destructive for adults. It’s an issue that has become a growing passion of mine, especially as I navigate my own struggles with changing my social media habits. In line with the saying “we teach what we most need to learn,” I want to explore this topic not just for myself, but for others facing similar challenges.’

David and Fleur said creating the podcast has required a lot of effort and time, but the entire process has been worthwhile.

‘I’ve learned just how many people identify with some of the challenges we’re exploring. So many people have common experiences but are struggling, often thinking they are alone in what they’re feeling and not knowing what to do. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have approached us or messaged us to say that something we said has resonated and made a meaningful difference to their lives,’ David said.

‘That’s really rewarding and motivates us. The great thing about co-hosting with Fleur is she brings a relaxed perspective and different experiences. She sees things I don’t see and often surprises me by saying or doing something I’m not expecting or challenges my thinking, which makes it fun.’

Fleur echoed David’s sentiments.

‘As a freelancer who often works solo, I’ve really enjoyed the collaboration. Working alongside someone equally passionate has been energising—we get to share ideas, challenge each other, and learn together,’ Fleur said. ‘Co-hosting also allows us to play to our strengths, complementing each other’s skills and perspectives, which makes the process both enjoyable and impactful. Strengths in action!’

Anyone can listen to the podcast through Spotify or Apple Podcasts, just search Coffee with Fleur, or you can listen through our website coffeewithfleurpodcast.au. They drop episodes every fortnight with the occasional special bonus episode. You can also follow them or message them on Instagram

@coffeewithfleur

Main photo: Aimee Hyde Photography