Real Ambition

“I never imagined our names would be on a firm, but circumstances were perfect for us to take that next step.” In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie chats with family law veteran Kirstie Colls about ambition in mid-career and the emotional reality of building something of your own. Kirstie shares her journey from a decorated big-law career to launching Tosh Colls Family Law with p...

“You can’t just sit there and do your trade, you have to nurture every part of the business.” In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie sits down with Georgia Agar , founding principal of Agar Singh Legal in Geelong, to unpack the leap from solo practice to partnership. Georgia shares how she launched Agar Legal from a spare bedroom during COVID, and how the struggle of trying to do e...

“I've always loved lawyers. I know it's a weird thing to say!” In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie is joined by legal technology expert Chantal McNaught , PhD Candidate in Law and founder of the Fully Automated Luxury Lawyering newsletter. Together, Iolanthe and Chantal discuss the tension between law as a noble profession and law as a business, exploring how lawyers can...

"It's incredibly hard to run a good law firm." In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie speaks with Ben Deverson, founder and director of Lawganised and director of The Kind Lawyers , about the unique expertise that non-lawyers can offer to law firms. Ben shares insights from his extensive experience providing professional services to the legal industry, emphasizing the...

"Purpose is all about the work you're doing and the people you surround yourself with." In this insightful episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe speaks with Ines Jusufspahic of Rocket & Ash Immigration Law about her journey in immigration law and the importance of purpose in legal careers. Ines highlights the often-overlooked complexities of immigration law and the need for a suppor...

“Sometimes it does mean getting a bit out of your comfort zone.” In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Sarah Rey, Principal and Co-Founder of Justitia , for an enlightening discussion approaching legal practice through a business lens. Sarah shares insights on the challenges of business development in the legal profession, the evolving mindset of lawyers and the importance of ada...

"We want this to be a human system." In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Dr. Carly Schrever, lawyer, psychologist and Director of Human Ethos to discuss her pioneering work on judicial wellbeing, the unique stressors faced by judges and the importance of mental health support in the legal profession. Dr. Schrever highlights the need for empirical research to understan...

“Every case is different, every victim is different.” In this illuminating episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Mary Anne Ryan , highly respected barrister and current president of the Tasmanian Bar , to discuss the implications of the Friseal & Friseal [2025] appeal case on family law, particularly regarding coercive control and family violence. Mary Anne unpacks the role of eviden...

“If that’s a bad risk to take or a good risk to take, you’re going to find out.” In this lively episode, host Iolanthe Gabrie is joined by James D'Apice, principal of Gravamen Law and creator of Coffee and a Casenote , for an engaging conversation exploring innovative approaches to legal practice, marketing, and client relationships. Together they discuss the concept of 'Fuck Around and Fi...

"There must be a better way to do things." In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe interviews Leon Berger, co-founder of dignity.edr , a new law practice focused on mediation and family law. Leon shares his journey of establishing a practice that prioritises dignity in resolving disputes, the challenges faced in the beginning, and the importance of work-life balance. The conversation...

"Money is one of the most important relationships we have." In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe speaks with Angela Meyer, co-founder of Hi Money , a platform designed to help women explore their emotional relationship with money. Angela shares her personal journey that led to the creation of Hi Money, emphasizing the importance of understanding the emotional and psychological aspe...

"Women are an unrecognized force in the industry." In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie speaks with Verity Hare, founder of  TradieWives , an Australian community supporting partners of tradies. They discuss the unique challenges faced by these partners, the evolution of TradieWives from a small support group to a thriving community, and the importance of recognizing the role of...

"You're never going to have everyone like you." In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie interviews Lauren Cassimatis, a prominent Australian criminal lawyer (amongst other things!) and Principal of Gallant Law . Lauren shares her journey from family law to criminal law, discussing the challenges she faced as a woman in the profession and her passion for helping vulnera...

In this episode, Iolanthe reflects on her experiences across throughout 2024, a year marked by personal and professional growth. She discusses the challenges of navigating maternity leave while managing her business, Ruby Assembly, and highlights the importance of team collaboration and support. Iolanthe shares insights into what it is like to design a new offering, (such as Ruby Assembly Media&#3...

In this conversation, Iolanthe Gabrie interviews Caralee Fontanele about the challenges legal practices face in scaling their businesses. They discuss the mindset shift required for lawyers to transition from technicians to business owners, the importance of effective marketing strategies, and the role of AI in enhancing legal practices. Caralee shares insights from her experience and emphasizes t...

"Return on investment is a very lazy way of quantifying marketing efforts." In this episode, Iolanthe discusses the limitations of focusing solely on return on investment (ROI) in marketing. She argues that an obsession with measurable outcomes can stifle creativity and hinder business growth. By exploring the nuances of holistic marketing, she emphasizes the importance of building brand reputatio...

"Creativity is for all of us." In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie speaks with Esther Anatolitis, a candidate for Deputy Lord Mayor of Melbourne. They discuss Esther's diverse career in arts, culture, and policy, and how her experiences position her ideally for this role. The conversation explores the importance of creativity in politics, the need to amplify Indigenous voices, a...

In today's episode of Real Ambition , Iolanthe interviews legendary designer Tess McCabe about her book Self Promotion Without Social Media . Tess generously shares effective self-promotion strategies that don't involve social media, emphasizing the importance of website optimization, personal connections, and email newsletters. Tess also highlights the role of visual branding in non-digit...

In this pilot episode of her new podcast Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie introduces herself and unpacks the oft-divisive concept of wanting more. She shares her background, including her experience as a business owner, author, and co-founder of a co-working space. Iolanthe emphasizes the importance of ambition in driving personal and professional growth, and challenges the negative connotation...