Dropped Balls and Big Calls

Dropped Balls and Big Calls is a Podcast where we sit down with people from all walks of life to dig into the moments that shape us, the wins, the setbacks, and the wild decisions in between. Every guest brings a turning point, a time they fell flat, took a risk, or faced a challenge that changed everything. We talk about what it taught them, how they bounced back, and what they’d say to someone standing in the middle of their own big moment right now. No scripts, just honest, human conversations about the plays that make life what it is.

Dropped Balls and Big Calls is a health podcast hosted by Jason Beardsley, with 22 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jason Beardsley hosts Dropped Balls and Big Calls, a health show with 22 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Dropped Balls and Big Calls

  Episode 20: A Tribute to Christchurch, 15 Years of Resilience and Rebuilding

  Feb 21, 202618 minS0

  <p>Fifteen years ago, an ordinary summer day became one of the darkest moments in New Zealand’s history.</p> <p>In this deeply personal tribute to his hometown of Christchurch, Jason Beardsley recounts where he was when the February 22, 2011 earthquake struck, the terrifying hours that followed, and the long years of aftershocks, uncertainty, and grief that reshaped a city and its people forever.</p> <p>This episode explores:</p> <p>• The reality of living through thousands of aftershocks<br> • The hidden mental toll long after the cameras left<br> • The loss of identity when landmarks and memories vanish<br> • The extrao...

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  Dropped Balls and Big Calls

  Episode 19: Dan Joyce - Burnout, Foster Care & Redesigning Your Life

  Feb 8, 202655 minS0

  <p>Dan Joyce has spent his life navigating trauma, care, responsibility and the quiet weight of burnout.</p> <p>In this episode, Dan opens up about becoming a foster carer at a young age, and how working with trauma affected young people throughout his career reshaped his identity, empathy and view of the world.</p> <p>We talk honestly about his childhood experiences, emotional exhaustion, the misunderstood reality of teenagers in care, and the moment Dan realised he needed to redesign his life before regret caught up with him.</p> <p>This is a raw, thoughtful conversation about mental health...

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  Dropped Balls and Big Calls

  Episode 18: The Long Way Home, A Thank You to Australia

  Jan 25, 20264 minS0

  <p>Thirteen and a half years ago, I crossed the ditch with a suitcase, and a dream.</p> <p>Today, I became an Australian citizen.</p> <p>This episode is about belonging.</p> <p>I reflect on growing up in New Zealand, idolising Australia through sport, music and culture, surviving the Christchurch earthquakes, and starting again in Melbourne at 21 with no job, no network, and a lot of self doubt.</p> <p>It’s a short story about rejection, growth, and the quiet moment you realise home isn’t where you were born. It’s where you’re built.</p> <p>This i...

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  Dropped Balls and Big Calls

  Episode 17: Mollie-May Bennett - A Recruiter’s Guide to Standing Out in 2026

  Jan 18, 202640 minS0

  <p>January hits different.</p> <p>The Christmas break gives you space to breathe, reflect, and ask the hard questions. Am I happy at work? Am I growing? Or am I just surviving until the next long weekend?</p> <p>In Episode 17 of Dropped Balls & Big Calls, I’m joined by recruiter Mollie-May Bennett of Brightside Recruitment to pull back the curtain on the Australian job market in 2026, with a sharp focus on NDIS and aged care, candidate experience, and what employers are actually looking for right now. We talk honestly about the biggest mistakes jobseekers make, how to stand ou...

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  Dropped Balls and Big Calls

  Episode 16: Matthew Leversedge - Racing and Resilience

  Jan 11, 202659 minS0

  <p>If you think sprint car racing is just loud engines and late nights, think again.</p> <p>In Episode 16 of Dropped Balls & Big Calls, I sit down with Matthew Leversedge, one of New Zealand’s most respected sprint car racers, to talk about what really powers a racing career. Spoiler alert: it’s not just horsepower and talent.</p> <p>From starting out at five years old to navigating the brutal realities of sponsorships, pressure and mental health, Matthew opens up about the unseen side of motorsport and the resilience required to survive it.</p> <p>This is a conv...

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