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.
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ABOUT YOUR HOST
Jason Beardsley is the founder of The Setback Collective and Podcast Host.
Located Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia.
I grew up in Christchurch, New Zealand, overweight, unsure of myself, and constantly chasing something I couldn't name. Music and sport were my escape. I picked up the drums at 13, was touring semi professionally by 16, and moved to Melbourne at 21 to chase the dream fulltime.
But life has a way of throwing curveballs, experiencing the trauma of the Christchurch Earthquakes in 2010 and 2011, I lost my best mate in tragic circumstances, walked away from music. I battled depression, regret, and the weight of feeling like I’d let something slip through my fingers. Eventually, I rebuilt, in Recruitment and Home Care, of all places. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real and it had meaning. I found a new kind of purpose in helping people rewrite their stories. I became a father, started running Marathons and began raise money for Muscular Dystrophy Australia, I began clawing back parts of myself I thought I’d buried for good.That’s where Dropped Balls and Big Calls and The Setback Collective were born, out of a belief that we’re not defined by our highlight reels, but by the hardships we survive and our relationships with ourselves and others.
Outside of the Podcast, I am a Talent Acquisition leader, Musician, proud girl dad and marathon runner.
Episodes
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
In this inaugural episode of Drop Balls and Big Calls, host Jason Beardsley sets the tone for a raw and honest podcast about resilience, grief, and growth. Jason opens up about his own mental health journey and the driving force behind launching the show, a desire to create a space where authenticity, vulnerability, and the messiness of life are not just accepted but embraced.This is more than a podcast. It's a movement built on stories, setbacks, and the people who shaped us.Follow us wherever you are listening to this Podcast and find us on social media @bigcallspod
Friday Jun 06, 2025
Friday Jun 06, 2025
I’ve spent years pretending I had it together. Truth is, I was falling apart, quietly, deeply, and often alone.Dropped Balls & Big Calls is a podcast about the stuff we don’t talk about enough, grief, failure, Identity, mental health, setbacks… and how we find our way forward.This isn’t expert-led or polished for perfection. It’s real talk from someone who's lived it, a father, a mate, a runner, a creative soul who’s still working it out. My daughter is my why. This is about making meaning from pain and finding purpose through connection.If you've ever felt like the walls were closing in while your feed was full of filters, this is for you.Welcome to the start of something raw, human, and hopefully helpful.Let’s make the big calls together!