Lead to Soar

Business Insider launched a series called "Hot at Work." Susan Colantuono called it what it is: a content delivery system dressed as journalism, selling women an invoice and calling it empowerment. Mel and Michelle got involved. This episode takes the glam tax apart. That is the additional cost women pay just to participate in professional life. It covers the money (one woman spends $12,000 a year...

Patriarchy Chicken is a game women have been playing for decades. British historian Professor Charlotte Riley gave it a name. Michelle gave it a T-shirt moment on the streets of Melbourne. In this episode, Mel and Michelle take the concept straight into the workplace: who gets interrupted, whose ideas get claimed, which jobs get handed to men before any woman has a chance to apply. They break down...

Women leaders are over-mentored and under-promoted. The mechanism that actually closes that gap is sponsorship, and there is a significant difference between the two. In Episode 217, Mel and Michelle break down what sponsorship is, how it works in practice, what ambitious women need to do to earn it, and what leaders with the power to sponsor need to hear. Essential listening if career progression...

Last week Mel and Michelle called out the problem. This week they talk about what women can actually do about it. Six strategies for navigating a workplace that was never designed for women. From getting clear on where you actually stand, to building the business acumen that makes you harder to dismiss, to knowing when it is time to cut your losses and make a strategic move. This is not a fix your...

Mel and Michelle have been saying "fix the system, not the women" for years. In this episode, they make it concrete. Five signs your workplace is the problem: from merit myths and meaningless confidence feedback, to the global DEI rollback and cultures built on silence. No Pollyanna. No platitudes. Just a sharp, direct conversation for women navigating a world that was never designed with them in...

Most networking events for women are lazy. Not malicious. Lazy. Someone books a venue, lines up a speaker, fills the room with wine and canapés, and expects the magic to happen. It doesn't. And the women in the room get blamed for not working the crowd hard enough. In this episode, Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern take a sharp look at what actually makes a gathering work, using Priya Parker's The...

"I don't have time" is one of the most common things Michelle hears from leaders across every level, every sector, every cohort. In this episode, Michelle and Mel get into what high BQ leaders actually do differently with their time and why "too busy" is often less about workload and more about prioritisation failures, people-pleasing, and a reluctance to push back on what lands on your plate. Inc...

In this solo episode, Mel Butcher responds to two questions she has been asked by women in her network: one about whether to hide years of experience to avoid being judged as too young, and one about whether to anglicise a name on a resume to improve the odds of getting an interview. Both questions sit on top of the same structural reality: ageism and identity bias are real, documented, and operat...

In this episode of Lead to Soar, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher discuss Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. The conversation centres on Bregman’s critique of so-called “b******t jobs” — roles that are well-paid, high-status, and socially approved, yet exist largely to protect power, manage perception, or maintain systems rather than improve outcomes. Rather than focusing on individual morality, th...

Ambition has acquired a negative connotation for women. Openly ambitious women are (too) often seen as selfish, excessive, or dangerous. At the same time, women are encouraged to be patient, resilient, and grateful, even as they navigate systems that are inherently resistant to change and unfair. In this episode of Lead to Soar , Mel Butcher and Michelle Redfern cut through the b******t and get re...

Let’s cut through the noise. International Women’s Day comes around. Brands share purple graphics. Panels discuss “empowerment.” Meanwhile, women’s rights are being eroded worldwide. So Mel Butcher asked the only question that matters: Who made you free? Michelle Redfern talks about her Nana and her Mum. She also discusses the women who made it possible for her to open a bank account, start a busi...

If you’re about to run annual objectives with your team, you are holding a leadership moment in your hands. You can make it clear and useful, or you can end up with a set of goals that might look “nice” but not create the outcomes you want this year. In this episode, Mel and Michelle discuss the mindset Michelle used as a manager. “This is a discussion about a new contract. We’re contracting for o...

Delegation is not about doing less. Delegation means leading at the level you want to be recognised for. In this episode, Mel and Michelle analyse a pattern we see over and over again in women’s careers. Talented, committed leaders become indispensable by excelling at execution, only to find that the very behaviour that got them promoted is now holding them back. Being the “go-to expert” feels saf...

We’re told (too often in our opinion) that the new year is about resolutions. Do more. Be better. Fix yourself. In this episode, we challenge that narrative and talk about what genuinely supports change over time. Reflective practice sits at the heart of effective leadership, yet many women are rarely given the space or structure to do it well. Michelle introduces The Life Audit , a practical tool...

Subscribe now “Be authentic at work” is some of the most commonly given career advice, and some of the most dangerous, especially for women and others without structural power. In this episode Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher call b******t on the idea that honesty and openness are always safe or rewarded at work. Instead, they explore what smart people actually do when life collides with work, and...

Performance reviews are meant to assess contribution, results, and business impact. Yet for many women, they become subjective conversations about tone, confidence, or how they “come across.” In Episode 204, Michelle Redfern and Mel Butcher discuss why women are disproportionately judged on personality rather than performance, and what that means for career progression. Drawing on research and liv...

As Pride Month 2026 approaches, we wanted to resurface this episode and send it to everyone so that they know exactly how to be a great ally to the rainbow community. If you consider yourself supportive of the LGBTIQA+ community but aren’t always sure what meaningful allyship looks like in practice, this episode is for you. In this solo episode of Lead to Soar , Michelle Redfern speaks directly to...

Visibility does not equal influence. In this episode of the Lead to Soar Podcast, Michelle Redfern explains why many women leaders are seen and heard, yet still overlooked when it comes to power, promotion, and decision-making. Drawing on The Leadership Compass , she outlines how strategic visibility, grounded in business impact, credibility, and judgment, is what shifts women from contributors to...

This isn’t your average leadership pep talk. In this episode, Michelle Redfern invites you into a quiet, reflective, and deeply practical session designed to help you pause, breathe, and think intentionally about the leader and the woman you are called to become. Drawing on her personal experience and the powerful Ikigai framework, Michelle shares the exact questions, journaling prompts, and minds...

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. Get full access to Lead to Soar Podcast at leadtos...

Women are heading into the end of 2025 more stretched, more visible, and more scrutinised than ever. At the same time, the platforms we once relied on to build our reputations have shifted under our feet. This 200th episode names what’s changed, what no longer works, and what ambitious women actually need to take themselves seriously in 2026. In this milestone conversation, Mel and I get real abou...

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. Michelle shares a real incident from her executive career...

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. If this episode resonated, I invite you to join the conversation in the comments and share what landed for you. You can subscribe to the Lead to Soar pod...

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. They explore how to show up for your future self by thinking and acting strategically, building credibility and confidence, and designing a clear direction rather than waiting for o...

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. Leaders choose people they know, respect, and trust. If the ri...