Lead to Soar

Being asked to “fix” an underperforming team or leader can be a genuine opportunity – or a glass cliff. Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher break down how to assess high-stakes roles, identify red flags, and determine whether you’re being set up to succeed or to take the fall. Essential guidance for ambitious women evaluating career-defining moves. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and th...

Mel and Michelle get honest about why LinkedIn is no longer enough. We rethink visibility, real networking, and the “I do not” list that protects women’s energy and careers. Fierce, practical guidance for ambitious women. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers evidence-based, practical advice on leader...

In this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher tackle a workplace issue most people experience but rarely discuss openly: professional jealousy. They walk through how jealousy shows up, how it can be weaponised through policy or gossip, and why it can have serious consequences for someone’s reputation and career if it isn’t handled well. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the lea...

Technology is racing ahead — but courage and conscience must lead the way. In this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher explore how women leaders can be the dissenting voices that keep ethics, empathy, and humanity at the centre of progress. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers evidence-based, p...

Your future self is counting on you. In this episode, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher explore how ambitious women can play the long game — building strategy, visibility, and momentum that leads to real career success. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers evidence-based, practical advice on leadershi...

Competence alone doesn’t create credibility. Michelle and Mel reveal why visibility and credibility must work together if you want to be chosen for high-value work. They share how to talk about your achievements without the cringe, use language that lands with decision-makers, and demonstrate leadership that moves the business forward. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders...

Hope is not a strategy. Michelle and Mel show you how to define your full potential, state your ambition with a business lens, and build a roadmap that aligns your moves to revenue, margin, and growth outcomes. Practical prompts and language you can use this week. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers...

In this episode of Lead to Soar, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher tackle a quiet but costly leadership issue: the boss who’s “too nice to lead.” They’re kind, approachable, and well-intentioned—but decisions stall, standards slip, and teams burn out. You’ll learn how to recognise this pattern, manage up with evidence and courage, and raise the standard without burning out or doing their job for th...

Why being busy and obedient is a poor strategy for ambitious women. Michelle and Mel share why obedience isn’t leadership, how to ditch non-promotable tasks, and why radical accountability drives career growth. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers evidence-based, practical advice on leadership, caree...

Michelle and Mel are back with fresh energy for a new season of Lead to Soar. They tackle why DEI work is going underground, why “loyalty is for Labradors” hit home, and how to lead when brilliant jerks and gendered feedback still thrive. Lead to Soar is a podcast for ambitious women and the leaders who support them. Hosted by Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher, it delivers evidence-based, practical...

In this episode of the Lead to Soar podcast, co-founder Michelle Redfern takes listeners inside the Lead to Soar Network. She explains what actually happens inside: weekly Hour of Power group coaching, monthly themes and challenges, and a highly curated leadership library she calls the “Leadership MBA.” Listeners also hear from member Tam Nguyen, who shares how her confidence, perspective, and pra...

This episode addresses a recurring issue in the Lead to Soar Network: what do you do when your boss—or their boss—is disinterested, disengaged, or outright hostile? Michelle and Mel respond to a recent message from a long-time Network member who was given two options by her boss: accept a demotion or take a redundancy package. Her crime? Delivering measurable, high-value outcomes. The insult? This...

In this Lead to Soar Network session, Michelle Redfern breaks down why strategic networking isn’t just a nice-to-have for ambitious women—it’s non-negotiable if you want influence, visibility, and advancement. Michelle shares practical tips, real talk about the barriers women face, and why “drinking from the fire hydrant” (aka, her sessions) is exactly what’s needed to shift from endless busywork...

In this Lead to Soar webinar episode, Michelle Redfern delivers a focused and strategic workshop on the art and necessity of speaking up and standing out as a woman in the workplace. Drawing on research, lived experience, and her work with women leaders globally, Michelle uncovers the systemic challenges women face when advocating for themselves and why remaining silent comes at a cost. Listeners...

Michelle addresses strategies for women to effectively manage performance reviews, career progression conversations, salary negotiations, and navigating gender biases in the workplace. Key Points: 1. Mindset Shift:   - Performance reviews are business meetings, not tests.   - Move from anxiety to proactive preparation. 2. Effective Performance Review Preparation:   -...

In this episode of Lead to Soar, co-hosts Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern discuss a real-world leadership challenge brought forward by a Lead to Soar Network member. “Jane,” a high-performing consultant in a matrix organization, found herself unexpectedly blamed when a project she was only lightly involved in started to unravel. Mel and Michelle use this scenario to explore the importance of esta...

In this episode of the Lead to Soar podcast, Michelle Redfern explores why Business Intelligence (BQ) is the missing link for women’s leadership success. She explores how developing and demonstrating BQ—alongside Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Social Intelligence (SQ)—can help women advance in their careers, close the gender leadership gap, and be perceived as strategic, results-driven leaders. W...

Welcome to Lead to Soar Presents: The Strategic Skills Series—a new podcast series where real leadership meets real career growth. In this launch episode, Michelle Redfern drops three truth bombs every ambitious woman must hear about the state of women’s leadership, the flawed advice we’ve been given, and what it really takes to advance. This isn’t about surface-level fixes or being told to “raise...

Helga Svendsen is a self-confessed 'governance nerd' who is a facilitator, coach and mentor specializing in strategy and planning, governance and stakeholder engagement. She hosts the Take on Board podcast, a weekly pod where she talks all things governance, as well as the Take on Board community, which is a thriving community of women who connect through active Facebook group events. Helga also r...

In this episode of L2S!, leadership and gender equality expert  Michelle Redfern  sits down for an interview with Jo Thomas, the CEO of the Australian Institute of Business. Jo shares her career story, how she ended up living in Australia, and how she climbed the career ladder to hold multiple C-Suite positions. Learn more about Lead to Soar! and A Career that Soars! by visiting LeadToSo...

Lead to Soar! is a production of A Career that Soars! In this episode of L2S!, leadership and gender equality expert  Michelle Redfern  sits down for an interview with Semiconductor engineer and DEI expert Alicia Scott. Alicia joins us to share her experiences advancing in a highly male-dominated space - semiconductors and shares her thoughts and experience as a Woman of Colour in STEM.&...

In this episode of L2S!, leadership and gender equality expert Michelle Redfern sits down for an interview with the one and only Sheila Flavell. Sheila is an extraordinary leader (by our full ACtS! definition!) in the truest sense. She has created exceptional outcomes for business and women in the Tech industry. She continues leading today and has the curiosity and energy to keep learning and...

Cheryl Morrison Deutsch, CEO of Zillion, joins us on episode 28 of the Lead to Soar podcast to share her career story and philosophies on leadership. Guest Bio: Cheryl Morrison Deutsch, CEO of Zillion , brings almost three decades of experience in translating business and technology requirements into actionable plans to provide superior user experiences. Morrison Deutsch most recently served...

Guest Bio: Laura Ryan BA (Hons), MSc, DipM MCIM  Laura has a First-Class Honours in Marketing and a Masters in Management and has also achieved Chartered Marketer status via the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Laura joined the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in 2007 after successfully launching premium beef & lamb brands within a large butchery busin...

Guest bio: Julie Escobar is a sharpened international market-driven leader and international businesswoman. She has driven the achievement of tremendous sales goals - from $20M to $50M in 3 years. Escobar is co-founder of Global Women Fresh , an organization whose mission is to leverage the talent of Women in produce to close the food industry’s gender divide by inspiring, connecting, an...