Optimal Conversations

Send us Fan Mail She's an absolute powerhouse! Beck shares her secrets to momentum and to facing the fear and making it happen as we discuss her journey of starting a business while you have five children in a country town, including twins under 18 months.  We talk all things business, branding, and life. You'll be amazed. It's no-nonsense and no excuses! Don't miss it! Find ou...

Send us Fan Mail The workplaces with the most innovation, the biggest successes, and the highest staff retention rates are those where everyone feels safe speaking up. In this episode, Mary discusses psychological safety, what it is, what it isn't, and the simple leadership actions every leader can take to help people speak up.  It's not just fluffy feel-good stuff - being able to safely...

Send us Fan Mail As a young adult, an epiphany about her own understanding of money brought a change of direction for our guest. She now helps others understand their financial direction and strategies for financial security. Alpha says it takes a village.  We chat about what to do when things go wrong, how to plan and strategise for safe futures, and how to deal with recent government policy chan...

Send us Fan Mail Ever had that moment when you realised you got it all wrong? I've had plenty of them! And when they happen, it's easy to think you may have just wrecked your chances of being respected... then you get caught in a loop of beating yourself up or telling yourself (or others) white lies to save face and cover up the blunders. But what if I were to tell you that mistakes can...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as Kylli shares her organic leadership journey of learning while leading.  Passionate about psychologically safe workplaces, Kylli speaks about how she engages and enthuses team members to achieve sustainable retention targets in excess of the industry average, with quality outcomes and a strong bottom line.  We discuss the many aspects of leadership in her role as General...

Send us Fan Mail Are you missing out on opportunities because of age - either your age, or someone else's? Too often, leaders overlook people because they are seen as no longer relevant or too inexperienced. When we do that, we lose out on fantastic growth opportunities for our teams and our organisations. In this episode, Mary discusses where the opportunities exist for older workers, younge...

Send us Fan Mail If you've ever thought it's all too hard, and you can't achieve because of circumstances, you need to hear what Joan has to say.  From very humble beginnings, Joan has navigated enormous challenges to get where she is today - challenges that would have stopped many people in their tracks. Discover the mantra that helped her, and how you, too, can use it to navigate...

Send us Fan Mail "The young-ones these days need to be spoon-fed." "That generation just doesn't get it." "I wish they'd speak in a language I understood!" How many times have you heard these kinds of statements about people of differing generations in the workplace? In this episode, Mary examines the generations, their influences, and the things we sometime...

Send us Fan Mail It looks like AI is here to stay, and even those of us who have avoided it are now discovering how much ease it can bring to our lives. But is there a hidden danger? Will we lose what we no longer use? Or is there a way we can fall under the AI spell, without dire consequences? Find out as we chat with Richard Lowe, a ghostwriter and LinkedIn strategist with many years at the top...

Send us Fan Mail In a chaotic world, there's an incessant hum of background stress, and that can be contagious. In this episode, Mary talks through what this looks like on a daily basis, how it affects our leadership, and strategies for managing those difficult moments that can overwhelm us. Download the free 'Serenity Strategies - Stress Relievers for Self-Care' booklet at this lin...

Send us Fan Mail When people care deeply for others and give their all to the cause, the question often arises.  "Who cares for the carers?"  Jane [from ep 17] returns to Optimal Conversations for an honest chat about the shadow side of compassion and her experience as CEO of The Figtree Children and a leader in the charity field. We talk about what compassion fatigue looks like in the m...

Send us Fan Mail Ever had that moment where you were sure you knew exactly what was going on, then discovered you got it all wrong? We all have them, sometimes. As leaders, those moments can have lasting repercussions. In this episode, Mary discusses how those moments happen, what goes wrong to create them, and how to nip them in the bud before they blow out of proportion.  Want to know more about...

Send us Fan Mail In this grand journey of life, there are seasons of great grief.  Nahla Summers, leader, Guinness World Record holder, social change researcher, and cultural change consultant, shares how her season of darkness led her to recognise the power of a small act of kindness, and how she now pays that forward in the most remarkable way. Nahla is an international speaker and mentor whose...

Send us Fan Mail Ahhhh.... pure perfection... or is it? If you constantly doubt what you are doing is good enough, you may be caught in perfectionism.  In this episode, we consider where perfectionism serves us, where it doesn't, and some strategies towards embracing that which is imperfectly perfect. Want to know more about Mary? Website: www.optimalcoaching.com.au LinkedIn:   https://www.li...

Send us Fan Mail If you want to show up professionally in full alignment with who you are, and make an impact without losing your soul in the process, you will love this episode. I'm talking with Tanya McQueen, a Soul & Life Navigator and the founder of McQueen Creative Studios. She's the creator of Soul Signature Movies — powerful, emotionally driven films that capture the essence,...

Send us Fan Mail How often do you beat yourself up over procrastinating? What if you were to discover that it wasn't always procrastination? What if, instead, it was part of your process? In this episode, I share my dirty secret - yes, I am guilty of procrastinating, but not as much as I once believed I was. Guilt and shame around this behavioural trait can drain the urge to act.  Find out ho...

Send us Fan Mail With experience spanning corporate, entrepreneurial and community leadership roles, Nyree simultaneously manages paid and volunteer workforces. Nyree shares her wisdom and strategies for managing the multifacets of being a business owner and community leader, while also having a full and rewarding family life.  Learn how glass ball juggling and intentional imbalance enable her to...

Send us Fan Mail If you grew up with the advice 'don't toot your own horn!' or 'don't brag,' you may find it challenging to own and celebrate the aspects of yourself that truly shine. You may even feel like you aren't brilliant at all... but I don't look at it that way. I believe every human has inherent brilliance.  So why do so many capable, generous, inte...

Send us Fan Mail Be amazed at the maturity of this 18-year-old, who is passionate about pushing limits and building partnerships in motorsport. He is the youngest Radical Cup National Champion worldwide, Rookie of the year and Pro-Champion. In 2024, he became the youngest driver to debut in the CT World Challenge Australia Championship. Alex authentically shares his journey to success, the highs a...

Send us Fan Mail How many times have you set a resolution, or intention, or even made a goal, but not achieved it? In this episode, Mary welcomes 2026 with her thoughts and tips on how to set yourself up to achieve your goals, resolutions, and aspirations.  Great conversations underpin all successful leadership relationships and can create enduring transformational impact.  If you want to change t...

Send us Fan Mail A chance meeting while she boarded an Antarctic cruise liner led Kathy to see AI differently and to become an early adopter. Her perspective on where and how AI fits into our human-led businesses is part of this interview, in which she also shares her tumultuous journey of recovery from a serious injury.  Find out more about Kathy: Website: https://fireupcoaching.com.au/ Facebook:...

Send us Fan Mail Our final episode for the first quarter of the century! And in it we celebrate our guests, share wisdom highlights and pay tribute to the power of this community. Thank you, our listeners, for being part of this grand journey to the end of 2025.  2026 will bring even more... May your break be safe and enjoyable, and may you all be blessed with love, peace, and happiness through th...

Send us Fan Mail Trigger warning: this recording discusses topics that may be sensitive to some listeners. If you need support, please reach out. Lifeline 13 11 14. What do you do when you recognise a culture that is hurting those whose primary role is to care for others? You do something about it! After her own journey of recovery from anxiety, depression and more, Nurse Practitioner, Rebekah Woo...

Send us Fan Mail When burnout is affecting 49% of leaders globally, something is going terribly wrong, and it is worse in Australia... Find out how to be energised and enthused, maintain calm in a chaotic world, and prevent yourself from becoming a statistic as Mary shares with us her secrets to successful self-care. Download the free 'Serenity Strategies - Stress Relievers for Self-Care&apos...

Send us Fan Mail After navigating the transition from corporate life in Europe to family life in Australia, then successfully raising her children to young adulthood, Birgitta found herself at a crossroads. Realising she needed to reinvent herself, she emerged re-energised and re-connected, putting her coaching experience from high-level sporting and corporate team backgrounds to work in helping w...