Choices & Chances with Tesa Arcilla

What happens when you speak up — and the system pushes back? In this episode of Choices & Chances , I speak with Jo Tarnowsky, a former senior government insider whose decision to raise concerns at the highest levels came with profound personal and professional consequences. This is a conversation about power, identity, toxic workplaces, and the courage it takes to choose integrity when silenc...

What if the key to clarity wasn’t a grand plan — but a tiny experiment? In this episode of Choices & Chances , Tesa Arcilla sits down with Tiny Experiments author, ex-Googler, and neuroscience researcher Anne-Laure Le Cunff to explore how micro-decisions and curiosity can reshape your career, mental health, and relationship with uncertainty. They unpack the science of habit formation, challeng...

What does it really take to leave a job and become a full-time artist—with kids, responsibilities, and a whole new country to navigate? 🎨🇦🇺 In this powerful and inspiring conversation, I speak with Maria Jose Benvenuto , a Chilean artist living in Australia, about how she turned a childhood dream into a full-time profession. We talk about: How freedom and discipline go hand in hand Why curiosity...

From being rejected for a job he thought he wanted very early in his career… to working alongside Whoopi Goldberg on a global women’s sports network—Miguel Santos’ journey is anything but linear. He's COO of Jungo TV, the network that co-founded AWSN, the first global women's sports channel, with Goldberg.  In this episode, we talk about how rejection can guide you, why resumés don’t mat...

We’ve all heard the saying: “Your work speaks for itself.”   But what if that’s actually one of the biggest myths holding you back? After years in journalism, interviewing some of the brightest minds in politics, business, and global affairs, I’ve seen firsthand that brilliance alone isn’t enough. The people with the deepest insights —the ones who could actually move the needle—were often the leas...

The most powerful negotiations aren’t always between nations. Sometimes, they’re between who the world expects you to be and who you decide to become. Boris Toucas spent years negotiating high-stakes policies as a French diplomat, shaping decisions that impacted nations. But then, he took a different kind of risk—one that had nothing to do with international relations and everything to do with per...

Most people get this completely wrong. They think being good on camera is about how they look, how they sound, or even delivering the perfect message. But there’s one thing that truly makes all the difference. Without it, you’ll hesitate, overthink, and struggle to connect with your audience. But with it? You’ll exude confidence, clarity, and impact every time you show up. What is it? Listen now t...

I’ve built my dream career once before—now I’m doing it again, from scratch. If you’ve ever thought about leaving behind a “stable” job to create something on your own, this episode is for you. I’m taking you behind the scenes of what it’s really like to build a business, grow a podcast, and transition into a completely new field. No shortcuts. No easy way around it. Just consistent action, puttin...

What’s the one leadership skill that impacts trust, decision-making, and influence—yet no one talks about it? In this episode of Choices & Chances , I sit down with Mark Panayiotis Notaras , a global leader in international development, social entrepreneurship, and leadership strategy, to unpack the concept of Trust Intelligence (TQ) —the missing key to impactful leadership .   We also talk ab...

What separates great communicators from the rest? And why do even the smartest leaders struggle to get their message across? "People have this idea that communicators like Barack Obama didn't put in any work, which is just nonsense," says Laura. In this episode, I sit down with Laura Shields , founder of RedThread (and fellow 'Brussels Bubble' insider) who has spent over a...

I recently shared an anecdote from my career that stuck with me. I found it amusing at the time, but it's an experience that reinforced important life lessons.  Here’s what I learned from that experience: 1️⃣ Your value isn’t determined by someone else’s inability to see it. It’s easy to let dismissive comments get under your skin. But when you know your worth, their perception doesn’t define...

It’s the 22nd of January, and this is my first podcast episode of the year. I’ll share why I’ve taken my time to start and how this decision ties into one of the most important lessons I teach: strength of mind and of self. In this episode, I talk about: Why it’s OK to move at your own pace and let go of the pressure to start strong in January. How strength of mind and of self serves as the founda...

"𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲..." — Emmy-award winning TV reporter and journalist Aundrea Cline-Thomas @aundreact said making that leap from journalism to entrepreneurship wasn't as much about #courage  as it was about being the only acceptable option for her. We touched on so many shared ideas and actionable strategies. Some ideas from this conversation: ♦ Having...

Feeling Stuck? Ask Yourself This ONE Question 🎙 In this Quick Take episode, I dive into the powerful question that can help you break free—and the radical honesty it takes to get there. This insight is inspired by my conversation with Aundrea Cline-Thomas, Emmy Award-winning journalist turned entrepreneur. Her course, The Rewrite, guides journalists navigating career transitions, especially those...

💡 Standing Up for Change: Lessons from Dr Amireh Fakhouri 💡 She is the face of one of Australia's largest class actions. What drives someone to take a stand, knowing the risks? Dr Amireh Fakhouri’s story is one of resilience, advocacy, and a refusal to accept the status quo. As the lead plaintiff in one of Australia’s largest class action, representing junior doctors underpaid for their ove...

🎙️ In this episode, we’re tackling a fear that keeps so many brilliant professionals from sharing their ideas: the fear of being ‘cringe.’ If you’ve ever second-guessed posting your expertise or worried about how your thoughts might be received, this episode is for you. I dive into: Why thought leadership and personal branding are increasingly crucial in today’s professional world How fear of judg...

If you're feeling stuck or paralysed — afraid of making the "wrong" decisions, this episode is for you.  Thank you for listening! Please consider leaving us a 5-star rating so others can find the podcast. Follow us on social media and  join the mailing list for more content. 

My next guest is Richelle Carey, Emmy Award-winning, former Al Jazeera English and CNN presenter whose life path took a sharp turn... by choice. Richelle asks, “If this is what you want, why haven’t you done it?” We delve into what happens when we go against the grain of what we’ve come to believe is ‘expected’ by society. How do we remain authentic and stay true to the choices that align with our...

In this episode, my friend, Emmy-nominated TV journalist Caroline Modarressy-Tehrani, and I chat as women with big ambitions, a strong sense of justice, women who are navigating parenthood, and women who are usually pressed for time but want to do so much. Caroline and I became colleagues when the biggest TV network in the US decided to launch a global news channel.  But timing wasn't on our...

When then Wall Street Journal Executive Producer Deborah Kan's mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, her journalistic instincts kicked in — she wanted to know everything there was to know about the disease. The problem was, she couldn't really find one resource that provided accurate, up-to-date information on long-term illness, as well as access to experts in the field. That'...

How do you know when to keep going and when to throw in the towel? For @antichef Jamie Tracey, the choice was to keep making YouTube cooking videos or get a “real” job. Then just when he was about to quit, he found YouTube success with over 400,000 subscribers at the time of recording. When we hear about people’s success stories, it's usually with the benefit of hindsight. We hear about how t...

To all the introverts out there, I hear you, I see you. Can introverts thrive in a world that seems to reward extroversion? Short answer, yes.  Interesting to note that the original concept introduced by Carl Jung is not exactly the same usage and meaning commonly referred to today. Jung suggests everyone has both an extroverted side and an introverted side, with one being more dominant than the o...

Tragedy can change the course of one's life in an instant. Carol Banawa was a famous recording artist/singer in the Philippines and was in her second year at university when her brother died and her father was left bed-ridden due to an accident. That moment forced her to 'grow up' quickly and rethink the trajectory of her life. She had to leave university and pursue her singing care...

How do you achieve big ambitions and navigate a world that's still very much driven by image and judgement without sacrificing your mental health? In this episode, I catch up with an old friend of mine, Guy Paillard, who's an entrepreneur and men's mental health advocate, among other things. He speaks candidly about the state of men's mental health, the challenges we're st...

Do you fear losing your identity when you no longer have your profession? In this episode of Choices & Chances, I chat with a friend and former colleague, Helena Humphrey, now senior BBC News presenter based in Washington D.C. We explore what identity means when it's so inextricably linked to a profession, how people define themselves and answer the question, "Who are you?" We a...