In Part 2 of her conversation with Dr Jodi Richardson on Well, Hello Anxiety, Australia’s leading play-at-work expert Dara Simkin dives deeper into how play can transform the way we think, work, and connect.
Dara breaks down Dr Stuart Brown’s play personalities—including the creator, competitor, explorer, joker, kinesthetic, collector, storyteller and director—and explores how understanding your dominant styles can help you bring more play into everyday life (even in small, “mundane” moments like changing your coffee order or talking to a stranger).
The conversation also unpacks why most of our days are actually improvised, yet we’ve never been taught how to do it well. Dara introduces the powerful “Yes, and” vs “Yes, but” exercise, revealing how a single word shift can completely change collaboration, energy, and creativity in conversations and workplaces.
They also explore:
Why play is essential for mental health, creativity, and resilience
How workplace “play” often fails when it becomes performative instead of meaningful
The importance of permission, space, and spark in creating playful work environments
Why seriousness does NOT equal success
How energy, bandwidth, and burnout are connected to how we live and work
The idea of “vitamin C” (connection) and intelligent optimism in navigating modern life
Dara also reflects on how play isn’t optional—it’s fundamental. As she shares, when we lose play, we lose access to creativity, hope, and flexible thinking.
👉 Learn more about Dara’s work: https://culturehero.co
👉 Explore the book Full Stack Human: https://fullstackhumanbook.com
👉 Available at Amazon, Booktopia, gimmicks readings and your local bookstore
Connect with Dr Jodi Richardson:
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