Wise Women's Conversations

he next word vanishes mid-sentence. The name you've known for years won't come. Post-it notes cover your desk. Before you decide something is wrong with your brain, hear this: it isn't failing you. It's asking for different inputs. This week, Angela continues the brain series with a look at BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein she describes as fertilizer for your brain. It helps bra...

2:14am. Then 2:16am. Then 3:14am. Wide awake, mind spinning, wondering if you'll ever sleep again. If that's a familiar scene, you're not broken — your hormones have just changed jobs. This week, Angela continues the brain series with a deep dive into the hidden relationship between estrogen and melatonin, and why so many women find that even after doing "all the right things," sleep still doesn't...

Forgetting mid-sentence. Losing your train of thought. Wondering if this is the start of something worse. If your brain feels like it's betraying you right now, you're not broken — you're renovating. This week, Angela kicks off a new series diving into what's actually happening in the brain through perimenopause, menopause and beyond — starting with the big picture: why your brain feels chaotic ri...

When do you get old? Not on paper. Not the number on a form. When do you start believing it? I'm 64. By most official measures, I'm creeping toward "old" — the top box on the form, the pension I still don't love the word for. And most days, I don't feel old at all. So in this episode, I'm unpacking what actually makes someone old — because the more I've looked at it, the less it seems to have anyt...

Reclaiming the Crone: Identity Exhaustion & the Wise Woman Within — with Jen Jeffries Wise Women's Conversations — with Angela Counsel In this episode, Angela sits down with naturopath, international speaker and TEDx speaker Jen Jeffries for a rich, honest conversation about ageing, identity and the reclamation of the "crone" — a word our culture has taught us to fear, and one Jen believes we...

She used to stand at the deli counter and let everyone else get served first. Now, she's deadlifting a 40-kilo grandchild. Somewhere between those two moments, something in her shifted. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela sits down with Peta Gillian — trainer, mentor, and author of an upcoming book on ageing with strength — to talk about what it really means to stay strong as we...

She couldn't finish a sentence. She'd walk into a room and forget why she was there. And she didn't connect any of it to menopause — she just thought she was busy. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela talks with Suzi Dafnis, CEO of The Growth Network (formerly Her Business), about the collision between menopause and business leadership — and what happens when the identity you've b...

She raised two kids on her own. Head down, bum up, just getting through. Then, on a second date, she asked a man to take her for a ride on his motorcycle. She had no idea it would change the entire shape of her life. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations, Angela sits down with Bridget Hallam — founder of Throw Your Leg Over, motorcycle adventure guide, and professional speaker — to talk ab...

You're the one people turn to. The one who solves problems. The one who holds everything together. Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, supporting your family or caring for others, you've probably become the person everyone depends on. But who supports you? In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations , Angela explores why so many successful women find it difficult to ask for help...

When was the last time you did something for the very first time? As children, we were constantly learning. Every day brought new experiences, new challenges and new skills. But as we get older, life becomes more familiar. We develop routines, create habits and become incredibly efficient at doing what we've always done. While those habits make life easier, they can also keep us stuck. In this epi...

What if success isn't about achieving more, but about living differently? For much of our lives, we've been taught that success is measured by external achievements: promotions, qualifications, money, business growth and recognition. We're encouraged to keep striving, keep pushing and keep climbing. But what happens when the things that once motivated us no longer feel as important? In this episod...

Life doesn't slow down just because we're tired. For many women, particularly those running businesses, leading teams or caring for others, the pressure to keep going can feel relentless. Even weekends can become another item on the to-do list, and holidays often seem too far away to make a difference. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations , Angela shares five simple practices that can hel...

We've spent most of our lives being told to strive for more. Work harder. Achieve more. Push yourself. Whether at school, university, in our careers or while building businesses, success often seems to be measured by how much we can accomplish and how hard we're willing to work. But what if there is another way? In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations , Angela reflects on a simple phrase fro...

What does fun really mean to you? When was the last time you stopped and thought about what brings you genuine joy? For many women, especially those who have spent years building businesses, leading teams, raising families or caring for others, fun often slips to the bottom of the priority list. We become so focused on responsibility that we forget to ask ourselves what actually lights us up. In t...

When life changes, it can feel as though everything you've worked so hard to build has disappeared. In this episode of Wise Women's Conversations , I share the deeply personal story behind why I made the difficult decision to close a successful business, step away from programmes that were changing women's lives, and embrace a season of uncertainty. As someone who loves having a plan, learning to...

Welcome to the very first episode of Wise Women's Conversations . After nearly 300 episodes of the Menopause Conversations podcast, I knew it was time for something new. This podcast isn't just about menopause. It's about what comes next. For many women, reaching our 50s and 60s brings a new set of questions. Our children may have grown up, our careers may have changed, and we finally have the opp...