The Essential Shift Podcast

What if profit wasn’t about spreadsheets or sacrifice… but alignment? This week, I’m joined by Lucy Starbuck, Virtual CFO, profit coach, and Human Design guide. We talk about how to create sustainable financial success by understanding your energy first - not just your numbers. Lucy shares her journey from the corporate world to founding Designed for Profit, and how Human Design became the tool th...

What if your symptoms weren’t something to suppress… but a sign that it’s time to heal? This week, I’m joined by Zoe Boyce, a holistic healing guide, who shares how her own journey with chronic illness became the catalyst for deep transformation - physically, emotionally, and energetically. We speak about how Zoe's background in naturopathy led her to discover the power of emotional clearing,...

Do you feel your most radiant self? Because guess what? Working on radiance (from the inside out) can be felt by your audience.  In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I speak with Cressida Pollack, the founder of SkinGlow Alchemy - a skincare brand born from personal healing and fuelled by purpose. We explore her journey from navigating an autoimmune diagnosis to discovering the power of...

Got a business? Welcome - you are a founder!  In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, we’re joined by Kirstin Hunter - the current CEO of Birchal and former Managing Director at Techstars NSW.  From co-founding ethical investing platform Future Super to mentoring Australia’s most promising founders, Kirstin brings a unique lens to what it takes to lead and grow mission-driven businesses. W...

We often think business growth comes from adding more - more content, more tools, more strategies. But what if the real shift comes from letting go? In this episode, I’m sharing why spaciousness isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a core business strategy.  I will share with you a key principle of lean management and we’ll explore the unseen clutter that drains your time, energy and creativity. If yo...

We often talk about AI in the context of speed, automation, and productivity. But what if AI could help make the world fairer? This week’s episode is a powerful conversation about using technology to bridge one of the biggest gaps in our systems: access to justice. If you’ve ever tried to navigate a legal dispute, you’ll know it can be overwhelming, expensive, and inaccessible. Especially if you d...

If you’ve ever set a big, bold vision… but found it hard to stay the course, this episode is for you. I want to share with you what it means to actually commit to the things you say matter. Not just once a year, but week after week, quarter after quarter.  To bring this to life, I have real stories of women who’ve used Quarterly Planning as a way to reconnect with their purpose, stay accountable t...

Whether you have a team or just contractors, you are creating a workplace culture.  In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Miks and Cam, co-founders of Capyble - a Techstars-backed platform that helps businesses turn respect-at-work legislation into meaningful, measurable action. We dive deep into what it really takes to build safer, smarter workplaces - from listening to li...

You can absolutely start a business on your own - but if you want to grow and sustain it, leadership becomes the key.  In this episode, I share the leadership mindset shifts that helped me scale without burnout, build a deeply aligned team, and lead with clarity and boundaries.  If you’re doing too much alone, this episode will help you shift how you lead, so you can grow your business village wit...

What if your next big breakthrough didn’t happen in a zoom meeting or a brainstorming session - but in the stillness of nature? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Stephanie, the visionary behind Fern Valley Retreat - a soulful, eco-glamping haven tucked in rural New Zealand. We talk about the intuitive nudge that changed her family’s entire life trajectory, what it reall...

What happens when a simple fruit analogy reaches millions and sparks a global conversation?  In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I reflect on the viral moment that unfolded after I shared a metaphor comparing neurodivergent minds to different fruits for my Understanding Zoe business.  Inspired by Sandhya Menon’s words: “You would never say an orange has an apple disorder”, the post str...

What if the biggest thing holding you back in business… wasn’t strategy or skills, but the subconscious patterns running beneath the surface? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Sarah Berdugo, Clinical Hypnotherapist, NLP Master Practitioner, and former start-up founder, to explore how hypnotherapy can help entrepreneurs overcome common blocks like imposter syndrome, anxi...

What if your next big business breakthrough wasn’t in your strategy… but in your nervous system? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m sharing the transformational power of psychodrama - the in-person, group-based modality that’s helped me access a deeper level of clarity, alignment, and leadership. As a founder, you already know how to build, plan, and execute. But if you’ve ever fe...

We all say we care about customer experience. But most businesses still treat CX like a buzzword…something that sits on a Miro board, disconnected from how the customer actually moves through your brand. In this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant Brittany Fox, Founder and CEO of Nevam, a platform transforming how teams visualise, prioritise and fix broken customer journeys. We dive into how CX o...

You can have the best brand photos, clever copy, a funnel that converts - but if your product or service doesn’t deliver real value, it won’t last. In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m exploring a truth that doesn’t get said enough: marketing is only as good as the offer behind it.  And while many business coaches are really marketing coaches in disguise, I want to take you deeper....

Did you know that approximately 20% of the population is neurodivergent? Yet, most businesses are still not designed to be neuro-inclusive. In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I dive into how businesses can embrace neurodiversity - not just in supporting subcontractors, employees and when hiring, but in communication, branding, and leadership.  This conversation is packed with practica...

Neurodiversity isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a movement. And during Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the world is paying attention.  But beyond awareness, what does true inclusion look like? How do we build a society where all minds can thrive? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, Podcaster (and Content Marketer at Essential Shift) Mariah MacInnes interviews Laetitia, the founder of Unde...

What does it really mean to be a neurodivergent entrepreneur? I want to share my personal journey of navigating the business world as a neurodivergent founder. From struggling with sensory overload in corporate spaces to creating Understanding Zoe.  While some influencers online share their “superpower” I want to also give a different lens. Showing the challenges, breakthroughs, and strategies tha...

How do we close the gender gap and support parents in managing the overwhelming mental load of family life? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I sit down with Claire Waring, former Executive Creative Director and award-winning leader in the advertising industry, who made the bold leap into entrepreneurship. After years of leading creative teams across Australia, Asia, and Europe, Clai...

Have you ever had a dream so big it excites you, but also terrifies you? You can see yourself stepping into your vision, but something keeps holding you back. Maybe it’s imposter syndrome, fear of failure, or waiting for the “perfect time.” But what if the real missing piece isn’t just strategy…it’s accountability? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m diving into why accountability...

What happens when life forces you to pause and rethink everything? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Michael, an autistic entrepreneur and host of The Deep Dive Podcast . Michael shares his journey of navigating burnout, stepping away from corporate life, and embracing new opportunities through neurodivergent-friendly support systems. We dive into the challenges of work...

What happens when one platform you’ve built your business on suddenly disappears? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m sharing what I learned when my Instagram and Facebook accounts suddenly went dark - years of content, connections, and community conversations vanished in an instant. While I was able to get them back (so grateful to the person who helped me!) but two days later los...

What does it take to perform at your best as an entrepreneur? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, we hear from Jess Spendlove, a Performance Dietitian, Executive Health Coach, and sought-after speaker specialising in wellbeing and high performance. We dive deep into the key components of performance for entrepreneurs, drawing from Jess’ experience with elite athletes and translating th...

I had the women in my Goddess Embodiment Sisterhood (my mastermind) ask me ‘what is happening in 2025 in business’.  So I shared some trends that will help with future-proofing impact and building long-lasting businesses.  Whether you’re just starting out or ready to scale, this episode will inspire you to embrace innovation, sustainability, and connection to build a resilient, thriving business....

What does it take to turn personal health challenges into a thriving global business? In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, we hear from Kiri Yanchenko, the inspiring founder and CEO of AMPERNA®, a groundbreaking skincare brand that champions prebiotic, probiotic, and postbiotic formulations.  Kiri shares how her personal journey of overcoming severe health and skin challenges became the...