The Young Woman: Recent Episodes
Elise O'Halloran
The Young Woman is a podcast for ambitious young women to be inspired, empowered and equipped with the personal development tools and game changing career advice needed to unlock their inner confidence and achieve, those big dreams!
Rachel Taulelei is an inspiring business leader and a strong advocate for the Maori economy, purpose-driven business models and Aotearoa’s food and beverage industry.She began her global career at New Zealand Trade & Enterprise in North America. Once returning home she set up sustainable seafood company Yellow Brick Road, which was later acquired by Kono before she became CEO of the group. She’s now the co-founder of business design and brand strategy firm, Oho. Rachel is a multifaceted business leader and wears a number of other hats, from Director to Basketball Team Owner. In this episode of the She Started It podcast Rachel shares openly about the learnings from her career on leadership, establishing your personal values and staying true to them, how to build and authentically nurture your network, and so much more.
Sophie Hallwright has had an incredible career as a producer for some of the biggest shows in Australasia. Her experiences have led her to now being a co-founder and producer for The Curve, an award winning investing and financial education platform for women. In this episode, Sophie candidly shares that she does not identify with the idea that people are “born entrepreneurs” and personally, never saw herself as one - largely because growing up, it wasn’t something she was surrounded by.
But now, here she is as a business owner, podcast host and content creator for one of the largest female investing communities online. Sophie shares in this episode how she has overcome self-doubt to embrace this next stage of her life - and how you can too! She shares with us her interesting career from radio producer, to living in fiji producing survivor for 6 months, to travelling the globe and everything else in between and how this has prepared her for the work she is doing now. Sophie’s story is such great encouragement for those who are currently in the throes of a fast growing business or career progression, as well as for those who feel like they are in a stage of just trying to figure everything out. For those of you who have listened to the Curve podcast, you will know that Sophie is absolutely hilarious - so it was a pleasure to speak with Sophie on this month's episode of the She Started it Podcast.
In this episode, Sophie shares on her story on:
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Managing the demands of a growing business
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Finding the right business partner
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Being 'authentically you' in your business
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Her globally ambitious plans for growing community
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Making financial education engaging and empowering
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How to start a business that is inline with your own risk tolerance
Claudia has achieved global success. She left her promising career as a young lawyer at Russel Mcveigh to move to New York in 2002. She had ambitions to combine her love of technology, marketing and make up. While that didn’t go exactly to plan her optimism and work ethic opened up many more opportunities. She went on to found and exit two startups. The first being Massive, a gaming ad network which was sold to Microsoft in 2006. Then Victors & Spoils which pioneered crowdsourcing in an advertising agency. Havas acquired a majority stake in the agency in 2012.
Claudia returned to New Zealand in 2021, she now contributes her global knowledge and experience as a board director for Air NZ and Vista Group and as Chair of Serko.
In this episode she shares on:
- Trusting your intuition and jumping into the unknown, lessons learnt from her business ventures and successful career moves. - What it means to live a squiggly life.
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Her experience moving to New York as a young lawyer and how she had to unlock her inner strength to make it work.
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Unlocking her inner strength to succeed when moving to New York as a young lawyer
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Authentically building your network and relationships and the benefits that come from having female power circles.
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How she sets goals and measures what matters in her life and career.
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Practical advice for just getting started on your business ideas, big dreams and goals.
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Encouragement on being your authentic-self and how she carries this with her as a super-power in the board room.
Booksreferenced: https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/measure-what-matters/27567130?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAk9itBhASEiwA1my_69cHMxaegfo5UkgBdDhi-xUdbhEfoIhGyN_8vZtxty8rvBtz5hFSdRoCefUQAvD_BwE
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17134189
Elise Hilliam is the Co-Founder and Chief Operations Offer of Menu Aid - an online meal planning platform that is solving the "what's for dinner" dilemma for thousands of people with personalised recipes and smart shopping lists.
In this episode Elise shares with us:
- Her journey from a small-town upbringing to now leading a fast-growing company.
- Her lessons learnt from traveling around the world.
- Harnessing data insights and embracing new and creative opportunities.
- Strategies for building genuine relationships with customers and using their insights to solve their problems and anticipate their needs.
- Tips for successfully working with a co-founder (so successful, they are about to get married!).
- Strategies for investing in your own personal development as a people leader.
https://menuaid.co.nz/
Siân Simpson is the Founder and CEO of Public Rally, an agency dedicated to building world class communities and content strategies and has clients in the technology, music, AI, crime, legal and education sectors. Along with this, Siân has recently launched her latest venture Bountifull Media which is a media company growing community and global connections through the simplicity of garden-to-plate living.
In this episode Siân shares with us:
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Her inspiring and interesting career journey which has now found her launching her new global media company, focused on bringing garden-to-plate joy to people all over the world.
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How she has created a career and life for herself that is in line with her values and passions, with tips on how you can do the same.
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The importance of community building, opening up on her extensive experience and tips from a diverse career of community building for companies all over the world.
- How she has overcome burnout and exhaustion by coming back to nature and grounding ourselves
Read more about Siân's ventures:
https://www.bountifullworld.com/about/
https://www.siansimpson.com/my-story.html
https://indigoandiris.co/blogs/i-i-blog/an-interview-with-sian-simpson
Natalia Lopez is a Director and the Chief Operations Officer at Kitea Health, a medical technology company transforming healthcare for people living with chronic conditions.
Natalia shares about the inspiring work she is leading in the medical technology space, and how her career journey has been filled with many different experiences ranging from studying electrical engineering in the US, to working in the automotive industry, to her current role now.
Natalia's story is great encouragement for anyone who is considering or going through a career pivot and Natalia is also an inspiring role model for women in STEM and Engineering, as she shares her story of how she was one of only two women in her entire engineering class at university.
We hope your enjoy this month episode!
Lisa King is the formidable Entrepreneur behind Eat My Lunch and most recently, AF drinks. Her story proves that it is not only possible but also profitable, to create businesses that have a strong sense of purpose.
In this episode of She Started It, Lisa King shares with us:
--> About her recent trip to America and how she is launching her business globally, including into America's biggest whole-foods retailers.
--> Her learnings from her 15 year corporate career and how she transferred these skills to start her own business.
--> The importance of knowing your customers and market, along with some creative and cost-effective ways for startups to understand their consumers.
--> How she has brought her kids along for the ride on her entrepreneurial journey.
--> When she knew it was time to step back from her first venture Eat My Lunch, and how this transition was as for her.
--> Her current business and how she is distrusting the alcohol-(free) market, along with sharing on her own journey of sober-curiosity.
Today I am joined by Janine Grainger. Janine is the Co-Founder and CEO at Easy Crypto. Janine first got involved in cryptocurrency in 2015 and saw massive opportunity. After founding Easy Crypto in 2017 with her brother, Janine has been a common name in the crypto scene in New Zealand. Easy Crypto is now a fast growing New Zealand start up and Janine is leading the way and challenging the gender biases which heavily skew the cryptocurrency and finance industry.
In this episode Janine shares about her career journey leading up to being the CEO at Easy Crypto, she also shares honestly about the importance of having female representation in the finance and cryptocurrency industry and how she is leading the way so that other young women can follow.
If you want to find out more about Easy Crypto, check out their website: https://easycrypto.com/nz
In this episode we are joined by Dr Jenny Kruger. Jenny is the cofounder of JUNOFEM which is a start-up company with a product called Femfit, which aims to help women manage their journey to pelvic floor health. JUNOFEM ‘s technology originated from Auckland Bioengineering institute and is now being trialed in NZ, Australia, Canada and the UK. Jenny is on a mission to educate and empower women when it comes to their health to regain independence, and resolve pelvic discomfort once and for all.
In this episode Jenny shares about female pelvic floor health, which is a topic that is not often spoken about! She also shares on the inspiring work she is doing to help women in this space along with sharing pearls of wisdom from her (very successful and interesting) career journey.
https://www.junofem.com/
In this Episode we are joined by Emily Blythe who is the founder and CEO of Pyper Vision. Pyper Vision is an aviation startup with a product that disperses fog to provide the visibility pilots and air traffic controllers require at every stage of their aerodrome operations. Emily’s company is gaining global attention and investment, as she tackles an ambitious problem which affects millions of people when they travel.
In this episode Emily shares what it is like being a female founder in the aerospace industry, how she says motivated and inspired while developing and launching this groundbreaking technology and the importance of having a good support network around you.
To read more about Pyper Vision and connect further with Emily check out their website https://pypervision.com/
In this episode we are joined by Veronica Stevenson, who is the CEO, founder and executive director of Humble Bee Bio. Humble Bee Bio is on a mission to take plastic pollution out of the realm of individual responsibility and replace the materials that are used by industry when creating consumer products. Through their research, Humble Bee Bio have found a species of solitary bee that produces a remarkable bioplastic to waterproof their nests and protect their larvae from the environment. The bee’s DNA has been used to provide a unique platform to engineer sustainable materials with tailored properties for multiple market applications.
In this episode Veronica shares openly about her journey as a bold and innovative founder, her views on imposter syndrome (and how we actually can use it to help us!) and how to navigate the highs and lows of following your passions. Veronica also shares her top tips for pursuing an innovative career in the science industry.
To connect with Veronica further and take a look at the work she is doing, website is below:
https://www.humblebee.co.nz/
In this episode we are joined by Amelia Gain. Amelia is the co-founder and CEO of leading hotel management platform Preno. Amelia started her career in IT before operating a world-leading hotel in Queenstown. She became passionate about hotel operations and the guest experience, which led her to the concept of Preno - it’s an autopilot for independent hotels, removing all repetitive tasks and admin, allowing operators to focus on more important value adding tasks. Now, Preno has customers all around the globe and is the core tool for their business.
In this episode Amelia shares about her career journey and how she came to found Preno. She also shares her top tips for growing confidence and achieving your big goals and dreams!
https://prenohq.com/nz/
In this episode we are joined by Imche Fourie. Imche is the co-founder and CEO of Outset Ventures. Outset is the home of deep technology, it is an early-stage investment fund and a physical space for technology incubation. As CEO of outset, Imche thrives at the intersection of deep technology commercialisation, venture capital, and community building. Imche founded Outset after starting her career in the laboratory researching neurodegenerative diseases, but she has since navigated through life sciences consulting, research commercialisation and venture capital. In this episode, Imche shares some of the incredible work which she is currently doing along with speaking honestly about the journey to finding your passions and your professional mentors and champions.
In this episode we are joined by Lauren Fong. Lauren is the network manager for ArcAngels, which is the female-led startup fund for Ice House Ventures. The purpose of ArcAngles is to increase investment in New Zealand businesses which are led by women. Arc Angles have raised and invested millions into female led ventures in New Zealand and Lauren has been instrumental in leading and managing this. Lauren is currently raising the second ArcAngels Fund ($10m-$20m) that will invest in 50 women-led companies in NZ. Lauren sat on the Entrepreneurship sub-group for the Women Employment Action Plan alongside Theresa Gattung, helping to put forward policy to Cabinet by the Ministry of Women. In her spare time, Lauren also pursues her music passions as a professional DJ performing at some of the largest festivals in New Zealand, she has a new single launching this week called 'Remedy'.
You can follow Lauren and connect with her via:
LinekdIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/lauren-fong
Instagram (DJ and Music Page): @laurengin_
In this episode we are joined by Dr Sandra Grau-Bartual. Dr Sandra is a trained chemical engineer, she completed her PhD at AUT which led to developing a ground breaking innovation in respiratory humidification technology. Dr Sandra is now leading the commercialization of this technology as CEO of RespirAq, which is a world-first development in medical airway humidification technology. Dr Sandra and her team have secured over one million dollars in funding to launch and grow RespirAq, in this episode Dr Sandra shares about her journey to becoming CEO of RespirAq, the importance of following your passions and doing what you love and how she has the confidence to keep backing herself and trying new things.
You can find out more about RespirAq here: https://www.respiraq.com/
In this episode we are joined by Sarah Balle, founder of Supie. Supie is on a mission to provide a better and fairer grocery alternative for Kiwis. Supie brings a new model of grocery shopping online, replacing in store habits with digital experiences for customers, while delivering game changing differentiation for suppliers. The ambitious woman behind all of this is Sarah Balle, who on this episode shares about her brave story which has led her to becoming the founder of Supie. Sarah shares about Supie's successes so far including raising $2.5 million in their first feed funding round. Sarah also shares about the importance of knowing your 'why' and how this is the key that can keep you going in the face of challenges and adversity.
Show Links:
Supie: https://supie.co.nz/landing-page
LinkedIn: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/sarahballe
In this episode we are joined by Brittany Gribben, who is the COO and co-founder of ArchiPro, an online platform redefining the $30 billion dollar architecture and building industry in NZ and beyond. In this episode, Brittany shares about how her and her partner founded ArchiPro out of a spare rom in their house to now having offices in Auckland and employing over 100 staff. Brittany also shares about juggling running the business and being a Mum to her three children and encourages other young women to be determined and not let naysayers get in their way. This episode is in collaboration with Ice House Ventures, a venture capital firm backing brave kiwi founders with unique insights building global companies.
Show Links Brittany Gribben LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-gribben ArchiPro: https://archipro.co.nz/
Cecilia Robinson is the founder and creator of one of New Zealand’s most successful ever start-ups My Food Bag – Cecilia is one of NZ’s leading entrepreneurs. A serial entrepreneur and innovator, Cecilia is now the founder and Co-CEO of Tend Health. Cecilia has won more awards than you can shake a stick at (Supreme Winner 2017 Women of Influence Awards, Next Magazine Businesswoman of the Year 2014, EY Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2013, HER Businesswoman of the Year 2012 to name a few).
In this episode, Cecilia shares on how her and her husband James Robinson have worked hard with their multiple business ventures to create the lives they have built for themselves today. Cecilia shares her top tips for budding entrepreneurs as well as sharing advice for ambitious young woman - encouraging us to focus on what we want, stay true to our values and our own happiness.
Follow Cecilia on instagram @ceciliarobinsontend
Website https://robinsonduo.co.nz/about-us/
Monique is the CEO & Founder of Jeuneora, a bold beauty brand that has seen exponential growth since Monique first launched it as a side hustle in 2016. Now as Moniques main hustle, she leads a team and heads the growth of the company. Jeunora specialise in premium supplements and skin care, their products have gained a huge following both in NZ and internationally. Monique and her team have built an incredibly successful beauty empire which continues to go from strength to strength.
In this episode, Monique talks us through how she built the brand into what it is today, shares on some of her biggest wins along with her top tips for achieving success and looking after our well-being as ambitious women.
https://www.jeuneora.co.nz/
Shelley Ferguson is one of New Zealand’s leading woman when it comes to interior design and trends, Shelley is passionate about creating beautiful spaces and has had an incredible career as stylist and editor of leading interior design and fashion magazines. Shelley has been recognised for her amazing work and received awards for Editor of the Year and Overall magazine of the Year. Shelley is also a familiar face to many, as a co-host of popular TV show The Block NZ. Shelley is Mum of two gorgeous boys and now runs her own interior design business - Shelley Ferguson Studio.
In this episode, Shelley shares openly about her career journey, maintaining a positive and kind attitude, making the most of all opportunities that come your way, and designing a life that you love and uses your talents, passion and skills.
Follow Shelley @shelleyfergusonstuio on instagram, and check out her website here https://www.sfstudio.co.nz/
Wendy Thompson has built an incredibly successful career as a global marketer and entrepreneur who has worked with some of New Zealand and Australia's most iconic companies. Wendy is the founder of Socialities Group, which is the largest social media agency in New Zealand. Wendy has been recognised with a number of awards including 2019 Australasian Social Media Marketer of the year and 2018 Next Women of the Year Finalist in business and innovation. Wendy has an inspiring and contagious passion for the work that she does. In this episode, she speaks about how she founded Socialites, what gives her the confidence to work with leading brands, how we can use social media to inspire and support us, along with sharing her biggest learnings from the year that was 2020. Such an inspiring episode!
To follow Wendy, check out the below:
@wendysocialities
https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendythompsonnz/
Socialites NZ: https://socialites.co.nz/
Catherine Emerson is head of Marketing and Customer Strategy at Kernel Wealth, she is also the co-host of leading financial podcast "It's No Secret". Cat has built an exciting career that is motivated by ensuring millennials understand how to plan and design their finances to achieve their life goals. Cat has built a great career for herself while staying true to her values and passions - which is truly inspiring! In this episode, Cat shares about her career journey to get to where she is today and also shares her top tips for ambitious young women to win at life and their finances!
Cat is the co-host of It’s No Secret is a podcast for Kiwis who want their money questions answered!
Are you wondering when is the right time to get on the property ladder, whether you should invest with family or how to talk to your significant other about investing and budgeting? If yes, you’re in the right place. Hosts Cat Emerson and Christine Jensen will answer these questions and more. They’ll take you through the ins and outs of all things finance, money, property, investing and building wealth so you can move towards achieving financial freedom. Whether it’s learning about budgeting, what to do with your savings or whether you should be investing in the share markets, we’ve got you covered.
You’ll be left feeling inspired, relieved and ready to take the next step in your financial journey.
https://itsnosecret.co.nz/
https://kernelwealth.co.nz/
Sarah Neil is the Founder and CEO of the latest Fashion Tech App "Mys Tyler", which is a venture-backed start-up disrupting the world of fashion. Sarah is on a mission to help women feel more confident in the clothes they wear. Mys Tyler is a Fashion App which is helping solve the $1 trillion 'fit' problem, by connecting women with the same shape, size and styles to create an empowering and personalised shopping experience. In this episode, Sarah shares her inspiring insights into the world of fashion and tech, the lessons she has learnt along the way building Mys Tyler and her impressive career journey to date. Show Links: https://www.mys-tyler.com/about https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraheneill/
Danielle is a leading litigation lawyer who after 15 years in private practice has established her own law firm, Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell. Danielle is a member of the Diversity Committee of the Law Institute of Victoria, Sexual Harassment Working Group (SHWG) and Women in Insurance. Danielle has chaired women’s legal network groups focused on assisting the development of female practitioners in the profession and guest lectures at RMIT University. Danielle's story is nothing short of inspiring, she backed herself to co-found Elit Lawyers by McGirr & Snell in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic AND while 7 months pregnant. Danielle is leading the way for ambitious young women and Mothers to pave their own way in their lives and careers. Danielle is joined on this episode with her gorgeous baby boy, Leonardo Snell.
Show Links:
https://elitlaw.com.au/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-snell-9871a08b/
Ana Meredith is an unapologetically ambitious woman who has set herself big goals, and is taking action to achieve them. Ana set herself a goal to own five houses in five years, she smashed this and is now working towards a new goal of owning 25 houses by 2025. Ana shares her journey through her instagram @5housesin5years where she shares her thoughts and advice on property investment and personal development. Often sparking controversial debates and discussions on all things property investment in New Zealand, Ana has not shied away from speaking her truth and sharing her successes with others - in the hope to inspire others to take action and achieve their goals and dreams. In this episode, Ana speaks about her journey to starting her own property consulting business, how she side steps tall poppy syndrome and online hate, along with some top tips when it comes to motivation and success.
Show links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5housesin5years/?hl=en
Website: https://www.investmentpropertyconsultants.co.nz/about
Carmen Vicelich is a powerhouse entrepreneur who has built two multi-million-dollar, international data and technology business. Carmen’s businesses deliver game-changing value to a range of industries and are taking Kiwi technology and innovation to the world. Alongside being CEO of Velocity Global, Carmen is also an independent director and sits on a number of Boards including UNICEF and the New Zealand India Trade Alliance. Carmen’s passion and drive has seen her be recognised for a number of awards, including (but not limited to) a finalist for the New Zealand ‘Women of Influence’ awards and has also a finalist in the EY 'Entrepreneur of the Year'. Carmen's personal mission is to ignite the passion inside everyone so that they discover their own everyday success and happiness formula to be all they can be. In this episode Carmen speaks openly about what gave her the confidence to start her own companies, gives insight into her business success as a woman in the data industry, and discusses her journey of balancing motherhood and achieving her goals and dreams. Links for this episode: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmenvicelich/ https://www.datainsight.co.nz/ https://www.velocityglobal.co.nz/
Anna Lozynski is a pioneer of innovation, named one of APAC’s Top 10 Innovative Lawyers by the Financial Times. Anna is the former executive general counsel at L’Oreal AUS/NZ, a member of the board of advisors of the fashion tech start up Mys Tyler (amongst others) and also the author of a groundbreaking e-book “Legally Innovative - Maximise your legal WOW”. Anna is on a mission to help lawyers and businesses adapt to the digital age, and she believes that innovation is invigorating, change is energising and efficiency will never go out of fashion. In this episode, Anna shares her career advice for young woman and insights on how we can develop confidence and IQ2.0. Check out Anna's website here: https://annalozynski.com/ Purchase Anna's e-books here: https://annalozynski.com/shop/ Social Media Links: @legallyinnovative (Instagram) @annaloz (Clubhouse)
Tash Pieterse is a certified life and mindset coach for busy ambitious professionals. Tash runs an amazing coaching business, which helps people to overcome their self doubt, get direction in life, have more time and energy and overall create a thriving life. In this episode, Tash gives some game-changing advice on how we, as young women, can develop more self-confidence, take up more space, and side step imposter syndrome.
You can follow and get in touch directly with Tash Pieterse on the following channels: Instagram: @tashtasticnz Website: https://www.tashpieterse.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tashpieterse/ Email: tash@tashpieterse.com
Emma Lewisham is an inspiring woman, who is making a meaningful difference in the skincare industry. Emma and her team have developed a high performing range of skin care, that is changing the game by proving that great skin care does not have to compromise people's health or the planet. In this episode, Emma talks us through her career journey and developing confidence in herself to turn her vision for a 100% clean and natural skincare range into a reality, Emma's story teaches us the importance of tenacity, perseverance and backing ourselves. Emma also discusses sustainability and her top tips on skin confidence. To shop and check out the full range of Emma Lewisham products visit www.emmalewisham.com.
Morgan is a social media manager and the owner of HYPED which is a dedicated social media agency working with a number of kiwi brands. In this episode, Morgan gives us honest and inspiring insight into her career journey and we also discuss navigating social media and how to overcome the challenges that come for young woman growing up in a constantly connected generation.
Brianne West is the founder of Ethique, which is the world's first zero waste, full range, beauty and lifestyle brand. Brianne is a game changing entrepreneur, an inspiring business women and is not afraid to use her voice to speak up on important topics. Be inspired by this chat, to just go for it - Chase your dreams & Change the World.
Catherine is a game-changing entrepreneur and business leader. Catherine now runs an incredible platform called "Entrepreneurial Women With Purpose". In this episode Catherine shares with us her lessons on how to create a career and life for ourselves that is filled with purpose.
In this episode Briget shares her inspiring story of following her passions to launch her own social enterprise business. Bridget also shares tips for overcoming our doubtful thoughts and living our lives as enthusiasts.
Rosey is a successful career woman and also an executive ambassador and founding mentor of HerCareer. In this episode, Rosey shares her story, gives powerful mentoring tips and offers heartfelt support and encouragement to young women. @roseyhercareer http://www.hercareer.org/
In this episode Elise starts a conversation about resilience - what is it, why is it important and what are some practical tools we can use to develop it in our own lives.
In this episode Annah shares some incredible insights into her business success. Annah also encourages listeners to find the courage within their fear and look for the opportunities in every situation.