Tea with the Queen

Debbie Wood has been a graphic designer and illustrator for 20 years. She’s worked at some major firms, including Arup and Axa. These days she runs her own outfit, Debbie Wood Creative. Debbie “performs” graphic recording – a way of capturing what’s said in a conference or presentation through illustrations in real time. Host of Tea with the Queen, Emma McQueen, often...

Renee Giarrusso personifies the go-getter spirit. For more than 22 years, Renee’s helped lift the collective mindset of some of Australia’s leading brands. She’s run 3000 programs and conducted more than 2,500 coaching sessions. Plus, she’s published three books, including her latest, ‘Gift Mindset: Unwrap the 12 gifts to lead and live a life of purpose, connection an...

Div Pillay is the ultimate go-getter; she’s someone who’s had a remarkable journey personally and professionally. Migrating from South Africa almost more than 15 years ago, Div has built an incredible career in her new homeland. She’s a board member of STREAT, national chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee of AmCham, a judge at the Telstra Business Women’s Awards...

When COVID-19 hit last year, Kelli Brown had already established her flower and bouquet business, Petal Provedore. The fact she had no physical store was just as well, as other retailers had to shut shop for a significant time when Melbourne went through a hard lockdown. Kelli tells host Emma McQueen how she left the corporate world and – with a leap of faith – launched her online busi...

Sue Dafnias is not only a scientist, she’s also a strategic marketing and business development leader. Sue’s VP of Market Development & Strategy at Planet Innovation, a health-tech innovation and commercialisation company. She tells host Emma McQueen about her current role and gives insights for those looking to map out their own careers. Emma McQueen – https://emmamcqueen.co...

Farah Mak is an Australian actress with roles in Neighbours, the ABC’s Utopia and the recent film, The Very Excellent Mr Dundee. She tells host Emma McQueen that her passion is self-worth. She’s founded the The Self-Worth Movement to empower women to discover their true worth and find their authentic voices. The Self-Worth Movement – https://www.theselfworthmovement.com/ Emma McQ...

Until recently, Melissa Bugge was a leader in organisational change and strategic planning at World Vision Australia. Over the years Melissa’s held various leadership roles at the well-known not-for-profit. She explains to Emma McQueen how she handles responsibility, and who she looks up to as a leader. Emma McQueen – http://emmamcqueen.com.au For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Rai...

Alison Jackson has been an audiologist ever since she completed her Masters of Audiological Studies from the University of Queensland in 2008. Always striving to develop herself professionally, Alison’s been committed to bettering herself as a leader and nurturing high-performance teams. Alison shares her career journey with Emma McQueen. Emma McQueen – http://emmamcqueen.com.au For a...

Jaqui Clark had her sights set on being a navy submariner, but started her career applying for the WA police force. After five years in the detective unit in Perth, Jaqui moved into the corporate world. Today she's a senior business development manager at a major multinational insurance company in Melbourne. She's also just completed a Psychology degree at Swinburne University. She talks to Emma M...

Clinical social worker and psychotherapist, Caroline Burrows has had to learn pretty quickly how to run a business and all those things that come with it, like cashflow, time management and leading a team of other professionals. Caroline is Director of Mindful Living, a counselling and psychology practice in Melbourne's eastern suburbs. It's remarkable how level-headed she continues to b...

We all know by now how important social media is for business. But what exactly are the best online tools? What should you be posting? Does email marketing work? To answer those questions and more is social media expert and founder of Sam Says, Sam McFarlane. She explains to Emma McQueen all the ins and outs of online content management, and discusses her own journey as a business owner. Check out...

Niamh O’Malley used to run an elite event-cleaning business. Among several lucrative international contracts, she was awarded the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Today, Niamh’s Director of Shared Services at Brotherhood of St Laurence. She shares her journey and lessons in leadership with Emma McQueen. Emma McQueen – http://emmamcqueen.com.au For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-get...

In her earlier years, Alison Drew-Forster was an industrial relations lawyer. That experience helped her gain valuable insights into the often-contentious goings-on inside the workplace. And, so began her fascination with corporate culture. Alison founded Workology Co in 2017 to advise businesses on how to build a great culture. As she tells host Emma McQueen, if employees love the place they work...

Bec Glover was Chief Financial Officer for four years at World Vision Australia. Today she’s moved on to an equally demanding role: she’s now a senior director at World Vision International. Bec discusses with Emma McQueen the current challenges for not-for-profit sector: it’s becoming more fragmented and raising money is getting harder. Emma McQueen – http://emmamcqueen.co...

Fifteen years ago, Fi Mims left the corporate world to follow her passion: photography. Each day she helps others in business look great on their websites, in social media and their marketing collateral. Fi calls herself a 'Visual Content Strategist'. In other words, she helps business owners, thought leaders and career professionals look their absolute best in front of the camera. Check out Fi Mi...

Every day Sophie Kost helps homeowners with their interior design. As director and lead designer of My Beautiful Abode, Sophie gets a real kick out of educating people about modern trends and how to use the space in their homes to reflect their personalities. In this episode, she explains to Emma McQueen how she's as busy as ever making homes beautiful and inviting spaces. Check out My Beautiful A...

Julie Doyle has spent 20+ years building a successful business. She runs Cocoon Business Solutions – a recent rebrand, from what used to be called JEDs Bookkeeping. Julie's faced her own challenges along the way, but the defining factor in her business's longevity has been the value she places in the relationships with her staff and her clients. Check out Cocoon Business Solutions – ht...

Strengths enthusiast Melitta Hardenberg reckons focusing on the positive helps drive better performance and fosters a better team culture. And, she would know: she's had a career in leadership, culture and organisational development at some of Australia's leading companies. In this episode, she explains to Emma McQueen about her passion in developing better workplace cultures. Emma McQueen –...

Who doesn’t want better self-esteem, a better mind-set and be able to perform better at work? It's scientifically proven that dressing well can set you up – psychologically – to perform well. Nicole Vine is a personality stylist – she helps curate wardrobes that work…for women who work. She discusses with Emma McQueen some of the biggest challenges women face when it...

In March, COVID-19 sent huge shockwaves through the personal health and fitness industries. Karen Andrea felt the full brunt of the lockdown as she was forced to temporarily close her Viva Life Fitness studios in Melbourne's outer eastern suburbs. Karen's decision to quickly set up lessons online allowed the business to get through the other side. Check out Viva Life Fitness – https://www.vi...

Buying a property is often the biggest purchase you'll ever make. So how can you make sure you get the right deal and manage the stress levels at the same time? Lisa Stafford has the experience and insights to help buyers and sellers navigate the clandestine world of property. Lisa's is a 25-year veteran in real estate and owner of her own successful business, AJ Stafford. She shares some of her b...

To be a Chief Operating Officer of an organisation, you need to know a lot about a wide range of things. Also, you need the experience and the confidence to lead others who are experts in those areas. Jill Roche has built that knowledge from her career both in the corporate world and at not-for-profits. After 10 years with World Vision – a huge organisation – Jill took a sabbatical to...

Nicolle Knox is an entrepreneur, a leader, and a mum – and she's been running her business for decades. Nicolle's the founder of Indulgence Medi Spa, a chain of beauty clinics in small shopping centres in Melbourne. Her clients are loyal; and so is her team, many of whom have stayed with her for years. Emma McQueen asks Nicolle the biggest challenges she's faced, and what tips she has for ot...

The most challenging and stressful times for any business is often those start-up days. You're putting in incredible hours, you don't know what you’re doing is right and the future is far from certain. Tracy Bell experienced all that when she founded Fat Mumma's many years ago. Fat Mumma's – which sells handmade bags – is still running, but Tracy moved on after the business was h...

Not many of us can live without our smart phones. For those in business, digital technology has proven a crucial tool for success. This episode Emma McQueen chats with digital media expert Nadia Hudson about social media trends and how businesses – large and small – can measure success with their media campaigns. Today, Nadia is Director of Platinum Care & Content at Optus –...