Episodes
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In this episode, we speak with Hacia Atherton, founder and CEO of Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT), is a pioneering advocate for gender equality and psychological wellbeing in Australia's skilled trades. Under her leadership, EWIT aims to boost female representation in the trades from 3% to 30% by 2030. Hacia is well recognised, being a celebrated winner of the Victorian Telstra Business Award for Accelerating Women. Hacia gives us so much in this interview, her personal journey of knowing and embracing pain to find her purpose; her practical tools to focus her mind and body; her business growth and impact strategies and way more. What is magnetic about Hacia is her authenticity, her vulnerability and personal power to reframe herself and the agenda for gender equity in trades and positive, psychologically safe environments. Hacia is a force of nature and a force for good. Tune into this positive psychology, almost masterclass-like episode with the formidable Hacia Atherton.
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In this episode I speak with Rugare Gomo who is a high performance life and business coach, speaker, author, lawyer, podcaster, Zimbabwean Australian who lights up this episode and the world with his infectious zest for life. Rugare has such positive mental models that he generously shares all throughout this episode…He can and has navigated barriers and hurdles because he is clear about living his dream and creating his own path. In fact he has generously written a book about this life and it has been a full life, from his parent’s values and life lessons in Zimbabwe to the 16year old young person coming to Australia on his own; to his education journey and becoming a lawyer; to discovering his sexuality; starting the Gomo Foundation for girls education; to almost being bankrupt and turning this around… to being a successful business owner, defining his impact and success on his own terms. Rugare shows us how to unlock our personal power, he has done this countless times in his big beautiful life and this is what makes his an effective coach to others. Grab a copy of his book, available everywhere on Amazon – “Dreams Forging my own path.” Thank you Rugare for calling Australia home, giving us the incredible gift of your voice and the power to imagine infinite possibilities for ourselves.
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In this episode, we speak with Rachel Castelino who is the founder of Blume Prebiotic Tonic), a company dedicated to promoting gut health through delicious prebiotic beverages packed with natural ingredients and plant fibre. Rachel educates us in this episode about the difference between probiotics and prebiotics and unsung hero of our body – the gut – how gut health is linked to mental health, skin health, and more. What we learn is that Australians don’t get enough plant fibre and we just don’t have anything quite like Blume on our grocery shelves – pay attention to the sugars and other nasties you might be consuming. Rachel’s founder story is incredible, it started with her own health journey, needing more gut microbiome’s and not finding anything on Australian shelves, she got started in her own kitchen during Sydney’s lockdowns in 2021. Blume is now in Harris Farm Markets, WH Smith stores and other independent stockists. In this episode we also touch on the children of migrant’s and being risk averse often naturally because of all the struggles migrant parent’s go through to give children a head start. Rachel is inspiring in what she calls her “beginners mindset of being an entrepreneur”, as she had no manufacturing or supplier networks and no food science background. She is the customer always, which we love. Please enjoy the courage, care and curiosity of Rachel Castelino and head to the website, drinkblume.com.au or follow on Instagram, drink.blume
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In this episode, we speak with Min-Shi Michelle Lim, a former professionally trained ballet dancer, who uses her behavioural psychology and neuroscience background in the diversity, equity, inclusion and ethics space. She is well regarded for her advocacy and practitioner experience, named as one of the 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian Australians.
In this episode, Michelle shares openly and generously about her health journey and the impacts it has had on her as a young person and well into adulthood - including coming from a lower socio-economic background. We cover a lot of ground in this episode, from culturally diverse targets and how to implement them; career options and decisions for women of colour and how this changes at different life stages; how we talk or don’t talk about racism in the workplace; organizational risk and more. Michelle has two calls to action, that are sharp and clear, one for us all to lead no matter what our title is and another for senior leaders and organisations to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into the core of the business and to see the risks of not doing so. Thank you Michelle, you have influenced us to take our places to build a kinder, more safe, equitable world. More power to you.
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In this episode of Business in Colour, I talk to Uppma Virdi who is a trailblazing female entrepreneur. Just when her legal career in a disruptive start-up was about to take off, she made the decision to run her own business called Chai Walli. She built this business from the ground up, making it her and her team’s mission to preserve the Indian culture of teas and spices…by bringing the most authentic chai blends to the Australian market. In this episode I explore Uppma’s personal and professional journey, her thoughts on decolonizing chai, bringing back the ayurvedic value and her leadership principles – listen out for her 3 sustainability levers and her views on how to sustain purpose and passion over time. Some outstanding achievements Uppma has been awarded include being listed as a Forbes 30 under 30 in Retail and E-Commerce, CNN’s 40 under 40, Business Woman of the Year by the Indian Australian Business Community Awards, featured as a Woman to Watch by the Project on Channel 10. Hop onto the website chaiwalli.com.au buy some authentic chai – I have already – and engage with the brand, there are Chai Masterclasses for teams, ways to create your brand’s unique chai blend and more – please enjoy the warmth, ingenuity and strength of Uppma Virdi.
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In this episode of Business in Colour, Sadhana and I talk to Jacinta Whelan, a partner with Watermark Executive Search. Jacinta is an award-winning author, thought leader and popular speaker on the concept of Interim Executives, Portfolio Careers and future ways of working. She leads the Melbourne office of Watermark and has over 25 years’ experience starting and leading Interim businesses in Hong Kong, New York and Australia. This episode is a must listen for both candidates and organisations wanting to understand the talent market, what an interim appointment really means and how to make considered decisions about your own career journey. We unpack concepts like Buy, Borrow, Build and how soft skills are now known as Power Skills – thank goodness; the myths about interim roles in terms of quality, cost and process and of course Watermark’s 10 year record of collecting data on Board Diversity. Listen to Jacinta’s gold in this episode and get a hold of her book, The Rise of the Interim Executive. You owe it to yourself to at least consider it. Thank you Jacinta for your foresight and generosity as a leader.
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In this episode of Business in Colour we talk to Miriam Weir who is one of four Directors and co-owners of Mumamoo, a premium, scientifically designed, grass-fed, cows milk product. Proudly South Australian owned and Australian made. They are the National Winner 2024 Accelerating Women’s category of the Telstra Best of Business Awards. Along with Charlotte Chambers, Belinda Humphris and Kristina Scutella, Miriam is leading the charge on changing the narrative of feeding journey’s against some significant barriers: like not being able to advertise infant formula; midwives not able to recommend formula; and The World Health Organisation recommending breastfeeding. It is not hard to imagine a parent’s fear and anxiety with the judgement and pressure to choose just one way to feed. What is clear from this conversation with Miriam is that Mumamoo is pro breastfeeding whilst also offering parents choice in a safe product. The figures are startling, whilst almost 95% of parents initiate breastfeeding by 6 months onwards about 85% are changing to formula fully or in combination with breastfeeding. Listen keenly if you are an employer, if you are parent or a care-giver – as Miriam gives us the data, the science, the entrepreneurship, the health, the socio-economic reasons why Mumamoo is leading the way. Thank you Miriam for your leadership voice.
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In this episode of Business in Colour Sadhana and I talk to Lee Goddard
who was appointed as the inaugural Executive Director and CEO of the Australian Missile Corporation. He is also a Non-Executive Director of AUSTAL and the Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation, and an Advisor to the Minderoo Foundation. Prior to assuming his current industry roles, he was dual appointed as Commander, Maritime Border Command and Operation Sovereign Borders, responsible for the law enforcement and operational oversight of Australia’s maritime economic and security zones, this preceded by; a two-year secondment into the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet. On promotion to Commodore in late 2014 he assumed the role of Commander Surface Fleet, commanding 18 major warships. Impressively, he has Commanded warships and joint-agency Taskforce's at every senior Navy rank… from Commander to Rear Admiral. He continues to serve as an active reserve officer following 34 years full time service up until January 2021, and is currently leading the CDF Inclusive Leadership Review. In this episode we delve into Lee’s deep experience and views on gender equality, absent leadership, inclusive leadership, ethical leadership and active followership. Lee gives us rare and meaningful examples of humanistic and authentic leadership. Please enjoy the wisdom and generosity of Lee Goddard.
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In this episode of Business in Colour, Sadhana and I talk with Colin Mackey, a mining engineer and procurement executive who has recently returned to Australia from living and working in Serbia. Colin shares the influence of his upbringing in the UK and his time working on major construction projects. We are lucky enough to have Colin walk us through his decision making, leadership and management approach of how he built a diverse team - how he persisted and motivated them.. and others to realise the benefit of diversity through respect and inclusion everyday. He has some gold phrases like, “Filtering out the Shit” and “Act on Values, Kindness, Wise Optimism and a Very Clear vision”. Other noteworthy accomplishments are: Colin has also made significant change alongside Indigenous suppliers in the procurement process that continues to deliver quality partnerships in the mining sector. AND Colin is also a board director at Inobat, an innovative battery manufacturer. Please enjoy this authentic leader and his generous sharing of how to truly include and value diversity. Thank you Colin Mackey for lending us your leadership voice.
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In this episode of Business in Colour Sadhana and I chat to the inspiring Rosie Thyer Rosie is the chairperson of Culture Spring, a youth-led social agency that aims to transform organisations, institutions, and workplaces to make them more inclusive and culturally safe for Australia’s young multicultural community. Rosie taught me the distinction and benefit of youth led initiatives rather than just occasional youth advisory and in this episode we explore the many ways in which younger people need to be engaged, involved and take their place to lead from the front.
Rosie has extensive experience working in local government, evaluating council engagement with young people as well as advocating for equity and equality within academic settings. She also works for the Victorian Multicultural Commission in their Multicultural Youth Network. Her work was acknowledged by Darebin City Council, when she was named 'Young Citizen of the Year 2022'.
She is studying a Bachelor of Law (Honours) and Global Studies at Monash University and hopes to incorporate social justice and human rights with policy reform in the future. Our today and tomorrow is bright with leaders like Rosie in it – please enjoy the charismatic, Rosie Thyer.
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Tricia Malowney is a disability and gender advocate. She calls herself an accidental advocate and credits her mother for her can-do attitude and confidence. We talk about the slow progress for disability in Australia, compared to the UK. Some of the reasons Tricia cites are: the flaw in the ABS data, low funding, the low or emerging understanding of invisible disability; how many people look at what people with a disability can’t do, as opposed to what they can do…and much more. She asks us to not speak for people with a disability but to ask why aren’t people with a disability in the room and to work through allyship and advocacy to include their voices . Please enjoy the charismatic, intelligent, funny [she is a comedian as well!]…changemaker, Tricia Malowney.
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Emma Olivier is the founder and CEO of Twenty Percent, a Disability Advisory working with Corporate Australia. With over 30 years of consulting experience and born without a left hand, she understands from her own lived experience the challenges and opportunities of having a disability in the corporate world. This episode is packed with practical guidance to start and progress the conversation in your organisation on disability inclusion. Why is Emma’s organisation called Twenty Percent, well I wonder if you know that 4.4 million Australians live with a disability—that’s 20% of our population. We unpack through our conversation, why organisations and leaders might be fearful of starting and to that Emma says don’t let perfection stand in the way of good. We talk about visible and invisible disability and she leaves us with 3 clear calls to action. One, To ask the question of why you don’t have representation of people with a disability at your decision making tables, as they are definitely your customers and in the communities you serve. Two, Believe people when they tell you what they need – don’t make the well intended assumption for them and 3. To people living with a disability, tell your story – don’t let just a few popular, high profile people living with a disability be the only voices that your leaders and organisation hears. Such sound advice from the empowered Emma Olivier, who is changing the conversation. Jump onto her website, www.twentypercent.au for more details.
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Dr. Morley Muse is a Chemical, Environmental and Renewable Energy Engineer with expertise in waste-to-energy generation, wastewater treatment, renewable hydrogen generation, biofuels production and energy transition including storage, transmission and waste heat reuse. She has worked across academia, government, and industry including in consulting and construction.
Among her various work and accolades are: being a board director with Women in STEMM Australia, being appointed as an ambassador for CSIRO's Innovation Catalyst Global, and being an Advisory Group Member of the Elevate: Boosting Women in STEM Program with the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering. As the co-founder of iSTEM Co, a research, consulting, and talent-sourcing business that enables employment for women in STEM, Morley continues to encourage women, including women of colour and women from CALD backgrounds to further their careers in STEM. iSTEM Co. was nominated as a finalist for the 2022 Women in Digital awards and was a Merit award winner at the 2023 Tech Diversity awards for the business category. This year, the iSTEM Group launched DEIR, a recruit-tech platform that eliminates recruitment bias for women in STEM. DEIR has also received recognition in STEM and won the Lift Women Social Impact Award. In this episode she weaves in the intersectionality of women of colour in STEMM. Please enjoy this powerful episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Lisa Martello is a construction project Director with a depth of experience leading high-profile rail, engineering, demolition, and construction projects in the UK and Australia. Think…bridge upgrades, tunnel ventilation projects, stations, and structures. She is also a Board Director and Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Portfolio for the National Association of Women in Construction in Australia. And a Professional Mentor for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Follow her Instagram profile “catching bees” it is laugh out loud funny and real as she talks about gender equality, racism, workplace cultures and more. In this episode, we are privileged to have Lisa share two casual racism moments. She walks us through in detail, the range of emotions, quick decisions and navigation - A must listen for all people to understand the long lasting impact of a moment in time. She shares her advocacy in the construction industry from the gender pay gap to suicide rates and why she thinks leaders in Australia aren’t moving the dial. She leaves us with two punchy messages as people of colour, be prepared to take the opportunity especially when you are likely underestimated and use your hypervisibility. This rings true for Sadhana and I, we have used both techniques successfully. Please enjoy the energy and expertise of this authentic change maker, Lisa Martello.
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Angela Pippos is a Journalist, TV Presenter, Radio Personality, Documentary-maker, Author and more. In this episode, Angela shares her early love of sport, being a middle child, her parent’s influence growing up in a Greek-Australian family in Adelaide. She reflects on her father’s start - cleaning the floors and being a Props Boy at Channel 7 to a Producer, Director and part of the management of Channel 7 and 10 in Adelaide. She recounts being the first in her family to go to University, her start at the ABC as a researcher, her time on live television, her advocacy of feminism through politics and sport. Talking about multiculturalism and how the Howard government set us back, she says, you should not change what you eat, your name or who you hang out with to belong in Australia. She talks passionately about women’s safety, women’s economic equality, the national plan for violence against women and children – how we need more than just the will but the investment and action for gender equity in all spaces. Angela talks about how - The personal is the political for her and how she has transformed her advocacy and impact using her wonderful skill as a communicator, giving voice to and for others. She says: You have to be noisy and fight for change. Please enjoy the charismatic and courageous, Angela Pippos.
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Sam Payne is the CEO and Founder of The Pink Elephants Support Network. After experiencing her own pregnancy losses she identified a gap in terms of emotional support for couples experiencing early pregnancy loss & fertility challenges. Did you know that 100 - 150,000 women and their partners in Australia experience the heartbreak of losing a baby during pregnancy, often under 12 weeks?
In this episode, we are privileged to hear Sam and her advocacy journey to normalise pregnancy loss; to ensure no one walks this journey alone. She shares the issues of a lack of research, data, false narratives, cultural taboos, and profound silence. Follow and support the Miscarriage Rebellion podcast, and the #leaveforloss and #countourbabies movements and plenty more on www.pinkelephants.org.au. Sam and the team have provided multiple ways of us all to amplify their message. We love her call to action, Invoke Empathy, Insight Action. Please enjoy the courageous leadership of Sam Payne, winner of the Women’s Agenda 2023 Agenda Setter Award.
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Meggie Palmer who is the Founder of PepTalkHer, an app that empowers women to track their achievements. Meggie and her team work with ASX and Fortune 500 companies to close the gender pay gap. She is a Queenslander based in New York. She is also an accomplished as she calls it, Recovering Journalist, with a career spanning, Channel 10, CNBC, Dateline and SBS. In this episode, Meggie recounts the moment she realised as a journalist that she was underpaid compared to her male counterparts. She recounts her experience and how confronting it was and how she was given two options to quit or fight the case in court. That moment sparked the change that Meggie is leading today with the PepTalkHer app, download it today and listen to the episode to hear to how the app can benefit you as a woman. We raise in the conversation, how beneficial this app is to the confidence and evidence gathering for women who experience intersectional negative impacts, like First Nations women, women of colour, women with a disability. Meggie also calls on male allies to amplify achievements of women; to raise questions about pay gaps and to work to close them. Her call out for us all is to step into our political power at work and to Pay the Power forward. Please enjoy the magnetic Meggie, a game changing leader and advocate for pay equity.
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Embodied leadership is a powerful approach that sits at the intersection of body awareness, emotional intelligence, and nervous system regulation.
Today, we’re so driven by our heads, that we’ve forgotten how to listen to our bodies, which is where our power comes from.
This disconnect is underpinning our mental health woes, stress, burnout and exhaustion as ambitious leaders and individuals.
By activating body awareness, we can build energy, lead with understanding, and become internally aligned.
Saru Gupta shares with us her own journey and what embodied leadership means
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Dr Shireen Morris is a lawyer and an expert in constitutional reform and Indigenous constitutional recognition with Academic publications on constitutional law, racial discrimination and native title. She is also an actress, singer, songwriter and lyricist. Shireen is of Indian Fijian heritage, born in Melbourne to migrant parents. This episode is special because we have Shireen give us a fact-based approach to understanding what the Yes referendum is all about and we have a special co-host in Nevani Pillay [Div's daughter], stepping into Sadhana’s shoes - just for this episode. Shireen recounts the conversation with Noel Pearson that got her the role at the Cape York Institute where she spent 7 years leading the Indigenous constitutional recognition policy development. In this episode Shireen addresses some of the misinformation and fear tactics that is around, shares with us that over 80% of Indigenous Australians back a YES vote and she shares the actual proposed words to be used if the constitution changes. Please read the following:
2023 Referendum
Chapter IX Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
129 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice
In recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia:
1.There shall be a body, to be called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice;
2.The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice may make representations to the Parliament and the Executive Government of the Commonwealth on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
3.The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws with respect to matters relating to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice, including its composition, functions, powers and procedures.
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Rachelle Towart OAM, is the Managing Director of Australia’s First Indigenous Executive Search Company, Pipeline Talent. https://www.pipelinetalent.com.au/
As a 100% Indigenous-owned business certified by Supply Nation, Pipeline Talent understands not only the importance of implementing a rigorous process to source and select candidates with the capability to excel in executive roles – but also a support framework to set them on the path to success. Rachelle’s goal is to place an executive into an ASX listed company – we hope that is not in the too distant future. In this episode, Rachelle shares with us the state of the market from a candidate perspective - with the no. 1 reason to move being Financial incentives; to the changing demand from organisations to attract and select Indigenous executives for the right reasons – not just a tokenistic appointment. We talk about the need for clear, affirmative decisions to attract Indigenous executives and support, coaching and feedback required for that executive to thrive. We ask Rachelle about her reflections on the Yes Referendum – we talk about the education piece, about our collective futures, about the implications of a no and what we lose as a nation.
She refers us to Tanya Hosch’s address have a listen here:https://fb.watch/nsvxS4Ehtw/ Please have a listen to this powerful address also.
Rachelle shares with us that her philosophy in life comes from the song by Chumbawamba - "I get knocked down, but I get back up again, you are never gonna keep me down". It captures her sentiments for what might happen if we get a No from the referendum and her advocacy for Indigenous executives to have a seat at the table. Thank you Rachelle for your leadership and courage.
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