Helping Others Isn't Selfless. It Helps You Too.

Mark Watt AM is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia, appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his work with disadvantaged and at-risk youth. In this episode, he and Imran trace his path from a Year 12 English fail, turned around by one mentor's offer to tutor him through founding White Lion, incubating Fruit2Work, and now running a mentoring organisation with over 1,000 kids on the waiting list. They get into why he believes helping others is "a two-way thing," what actually changes a locked-up 14-year-old's life, and what migrant and refugee communities are up against in the youth justice system he's worked in for nearly three decades. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Reframe failure as reversible: How one mentor's offer to tutor him turned a Year 12 English fail into a pass and changed the entire trajectory of his life. • See why helping others helps you too: Why community involvement isn't purely selfless, and how it builds your own network, resilience, and sense of purpose along the way. • Build resilience for people-facing work: Why mentoring vulnerable young people means expecting rejection and setbacks, and why sticking with it matters more than early results. • Understand who's overrepresented in youth justice: Why young people from Vietnamese, African, Polynesian, and Indigenous backgrounds show up disproportionately in the system Mark has worked in for 25+ years. • See mentoring's real-world impact: How pairing a locked-up teenager with a weekly mentor for six months changed the course of his life entirely. • Value sustainability over recognition: Why Mark treats personal awards, including his Order of Australia Medal, as tools to help more kids not as the goal itself. • Define home beyond a physical place: Why Mark defines home as being surrounded by people who believe in you through good times and bad. TIMESTAMPS 01:25 Introducing Mark Watt, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia 01:49 His mother's migration from Malta at age 10, and a family split across countries 03:35 His father's struggles with alcohol and gambling, and leaving the family at age 6 04:33 Growing up with a solo mum and no male role models 05:25 Facing poverty, not racism, as the defining challenge of his school years 06:35 The mentor who tutored him turning a Year 12 English fail into a pass 07:29 Starting a radio program inside a youth detention centre 08:55 Leaving accounting to become a full-time youth worker 09:02 Founding White Lion, and the path to CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters 10:02 How Maltese and European community culture shaped his view of hospitality 12:01 The 14-year-old boy whose life changed through six months of mentoring 13:34 The resilience required to work with vulnerable young people 14:17 Incubating Fruit2Work into its own organisation 15:43 Why migrant and refugee communities are overrepresented in youth justice 17:04 What "home" means to him 18:00 His Order of Australia Medal, and why recognition matters less than impact 20:38 Why helping others is "a two-way thing" his message to listeners ABOUT THE GUEST Mark Watt AM CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters Australia Youth Mentoring Social Impact Connect with Mark: LinkedIn:   / markwattau   Instagram:   / bbbsau   Website: https://bigbrothersbigsisters.org.au Every migrant has a story, of dreams, struggles, and triumphs. My Migrant Soul brings you powerful, real-life conversations with migrants from diverse backgrounds who have navigated the challenges of starting over in a new land. Hosted by Imran Abul Kashem, this podcast sheds light on personal migration journeys, cultural transitions, and the resilience that fuels success. ABOUT THE HOST Imran Abul Kashem Founder, My Migrant Soul Serial Entrepreneur, Former Journalist and Personal Branding Expert Connect with Imran: Website: https://westendpodcast.au/ YouTube:    / @mymigrantsoul-aus   Instagram:   / imran_abul_kashem_melbourne   LinkedIn:   / imranabulkashem   Subscribe for more real stories of migration, identity, and human experience. Got a story to tell? Start your podcast with Westend Podcast: https://www.westendpodcast.com.au