Biz

We're constantly told to earn more, save more and somehow become better at money. But what if feeling financially secure isn't just about the numbers? In this episode of Biz , Lisa Lie and Em Vernam sit down with financial educator Jess Brady to unpack the emotional side of money, and how the way we think about it can shape the choices we make. Jess explains what your "money monster" is, and how t...

Everyone loves the idea of being their own boss. But what happens when your side gig becomes a real business? In this episode of Biz , Lisa Lie chats with Cherie Clonan, CEO of The Digital Picnic , about what it actually takes to make the leap from employee or freelancer to business owner. Cherie gets brutally honest about the reality of building a business with bub in tow: three years without a s...

What does it actually take to spot the next big business before everyone else?  In this episode of Biz,  Lisa Lie sits down with Phoebe Pincus, CEO of Startmate , who spends her days surrounded by founders, investors and a LOT of startup ideas. Start up investing may sound intimidating, but Phoebe walks us through how to actually begin, where to find the right startups and what you need...

There aren't many certainties in life... but tax is one of them. And look, on the surface it doesn't come across as the sexiest of topics, but burying your head in the sand is a surefire way to create unnecessary stress in your life. The sooner you get your head around tax, the less you'll have to think about it. In this episode of BIZ, Lisa and Em chat to the Managing Director of HNRY to unpack t...

Everyone seems to have an opinion about the "right" way to work. Get a secure job. Start a business. Build a side hustle. Work remotely. Be your own boss. But once you strip away the Instagram reels and LinkedIn success stories... which path actually leads to more freedom, more money and less stress? In this episode of Biz , Lisa Lie and Em Vernem unpack the biggest myths about modern work with wi...

Asking for more money at work isn't everyone's idea of fun. But in most cases if you don't ask you'll stay exactly where you are - so it's an imperative skill if you want to be the one rewarded.  In this episode, hosts Lisa and Em discuss how to effectively negotiate a pay rise with your manager and share anecdotes on how they've successfully asked for more money at work. From starting your c...

Making your job your whole personality is risky business. Because what happens to your sense of self if you lose your job... or eventually decide to move on from it? In this episode of BIZ, hosts Em and Lisa are joined by author, optimist and Junkee Media founder,  Tim Duggan to help you figure out who you are without your job title.  Our BIZ hosts are  Lisa Lie - a former Head of P...

Pivoting careers can seem like a daunting prospect. But changing course doesn't have to happen all at once. Sometimes professional pivots happen slowly over time. In this episode, Em and Lisa unpack their own career pivots, sharing the different approaches they took to change direction. From applying for jobs you might not feel 100% qualified for, to identifying a market gap and building your own...

What if changing careers didn't have to feel like jumping off a cliff while risking that sweet comfort you already enjoy? In this episode, career coach Kate Richardson shares a practical roadmap for making a career change with less fear and more confidence. From working out whether your new passion could actually become a viable career, to navigating a change when you're already running on empty,...

Are you, or someone you work with, a perfectionist? If you have perfectionist tendencies, it can be frustrating to work alongside people who don't because you feel like they don't care enough about the work. And if you don't identify as a perfectionist but have to work with someone who is? Well, it can be equally challenging because things can be overworked, delayed, or shared way too late for fea...

You know that feeling when someone joins a project and you instantly relax? And then there are the people who somehow create more meetings, more emails, more confusion and more work for everyone around them. In this episode, Em and Lisa unpack the small workplace habits that make people easy to work with, and the ones that quietly make things harder. They share practical ways to reduce friction, i...

There's no denying AI is changing the way we work. So how can we stay up to date with the evolving workplace while retaining our critical thinking skills? In this episode, Lisa and Em chat to Inventium's Amantha Imber about how we can use AI as tool without relying on it. From how to write good prompts to having voice-to-voice conversations with AI,  this episode explores the ways AI can help...

The World Economic Forum says the most valuable workplace skills over the next few years won't be technical expertise. They'll be human skills. In this episode, Em and Lisa unpack three of the most important ones that AI  CANNOT replace: curiosity, creative thinking and leadership. But what do those buzzwords actually mean in practice? From asking better questions in meetings to breaking out...

Being busy feels productive. It feels safe. It feels like proof that you're working hard. But what if all that busyness is actually stopping you from creating real value at work? In this episode, Lisa and Em unpack why so many of us default to being busy when work feels uncertain, overwhelming or unclear. From colour-coding documents and endlessly refining presentations to filling our days with lo...

What if the people getting ahead at work aren’t working harder… they just understand the new rules first? On Biz season 3, we’re unpacking the work skills that actually matter now, and tomorrow. With the latest AI tools to elevate your work and time, to becoming harder to replace in a changing workplace, to the unconventional career moves no one tells you about. Plus, insights f...

Thought bullies would disappear after high school? Turns out, those people grow older, but don’t always grow up . Now they’re the ones causing trouble at work, in social circles, and even at events. Unfortunately, bullying in adulthood is far more common than many of us realise. In this episode of But Are You Happy , clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis and co-host Ashani Dante br...

Ever caught yourself doing 10 other things around the office instead of locking in and focusing on the one task or goal you really need to complete?  In this episode of But Are You Happy, clinical psychologist Dr Anastasia Hronis and co-host Ashani Dante talk all about that relatable thing of procrastination. Anastasia breaks down what's really going on in the brain when we put things off and...

Have you ever said yes to your boss when you really wanted to say no ? Or agreed with a colleague even though your gut was telling you they were wrong? In this episode of  But Are You Happy , clinical psychologist Dr. Anastasia Hronis unpacks the psychology of people pleasing—why we do it, why we feel guilty when we don’t, and how it shows up in the workplace. You'll also learn:&n...

There's one moment that can completely transform your career trajectory, the job interview. Yet most of us approach it with outdated advice, generic answers, and crossed fingers. We rock up thinking we can wing it, hoping they won't ask about our biggest weakness and secretly panicking about whether we've done enough research. Meanwhile, there's always that one candidate who seems to have it...

Let's be honest...waiting until you feel "ready" to make a career move is like waiting for the perfect weather to start exercising. It's never going to happen, and meanwhile, everyone else is getting ahead. This week, we're diving deep into why learning isn't just nice-to-have anymore - it's career insurance. Our guest Andrea Clark has spent her career helping people adapt fast, and she doesn...

Do you feel guilty for taking breaks? Put work ahead of your relationships? Ignore your health in the name of productivity? You might be stuck in workaholic mode without even realising it!  Meet your new BIZ hosts: Lisa Lie (former Head of People & Culture who worked herself into burnout twice in one year) and Em Vernem (Associate Editor at Mamamia who discovered that giving 80% at work p...

Going from mate to manager can get weird, fast. One day you're in the group chat laughing with your colleagues, the next day they might be laughing at you behind your back. This week, we're tackling one of the trickiest workplace transitions: becoming the boss of your former teammates. We dig into why this shift feels so bloody awkward (spoiler: it's not just you), how to navigate the immediate id...

Ever suggest something new at work only to hear "that's just how we do things here" and watch the energy completely deflate? Yeah, we've all been there. This week, we're chatting with Wade Kingsley about breaking free from status quo thinking and actually getting your ideas heard without being shut down or laughed at (been there too). Wade breaks down why most workplaces are set up to reward playi...

Forget everything you think you know about career success, this is the secret playbook of one of Hollywood's most influential female executives. In this special episode, Em sits down with Sarah Harden, the Australian powerhouse who co-founded and was the ex-CEO of Reese Witherspoon's $100 million media empire, Hello Sunshine. Sarah reveals the exact strategic moves that transformed her from a...

Ever found yourself scrolling LinkedIn at 2 am wondering if you should completely change careers? The average Australian will have 5-6 career changes in their lifetime - so if you're considering it, you're not alone! Career pivots can feel equal parts exciting and terrifying. In this episode, we get into the real stuff: how to know if it's time to make a move, what to do when you're not sure where...