Conversations for a Complete Life: Recent Episodes
Rachael Jansen: Journalist, coach, writer
A show for women who want it all - a complete life - but without the overwhelm. It's another way of looking at balance - how do we successfully juggle all the elements of a complete life? Combine a career or business with family, and stay healthy and sane? Journalist Rachael Jansen brings you interviews and ideas to help you have a Complete Life.
How do you know when your anxiety is normal, and when it might need professional intervention or treatment?
With the Covid 19 pandemic, state of the world, and even plain old perimenopausal hormone shifts, anxiety is common for many of us, so Dr Jodi Richardson joins us on the show to talk all about anxiety and what we can do about it.
Amanda Hampson was 50 when her debut novel was published, after her ideas of a career as a writer were derailed by a teenage pregnancy. Her latest novel - her 6th - has just been released, and she joins the show for a conversation about her life, achieving dreams and the wisdom of midlife women.
Stress - the ongoing, relentless everyday kind - is something most of us could do with less of, and so I asked former Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat boss Sharon Kolkka to the come on the show for a conversation on about how we can be more stress resilient.
Neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay joins the show for a conversation that unpacks the brain-hormone connection in women's brains during perimenopause and menopause.
Life coach Kate James joins the show for a conversation about the power of thoughts, finding your authentic character, making life choices that mean something to you, and making your life beautiful.
Many of the necessities of motherhood are boring and it's OK to admit that. In this episode I whisper in your ear about why this is so, why it's OK, and how you balance it out - the answer is small champagne bubbles of excitement (but not actual champagne).
These two concepts might be costing you not just your time and energy, but also your health. Falling in to the trap of doing too much, too often, can come from our desire to look after loved ones, and prove our value and worth.
Jas Kechel returns to the podcast for a soulful conversation about reiki, energy, healing and the gift of quiet presence.
If there's one thing that can make all the difference to your health and wellbeing in your 40s, it's understanding hormone repair in perimenopause.
When I came across the book Hormone Repair Manual by Lara Briden, I immediately emailed an invitation to the podcast to her to talk about it, as the book is one of the best I've read so far on hormones in perimenopause.
Feeling negative about your body or how you look consumes a lot of women often for a long time, even from childhood. Learning self-acceptance helped Emma and Carla Papas not only overcome body image issues, but they also discovered the power of yoga and movement to develop inner strength as much as the physical.
The mental load is a huge issue for busy women, and in this episode, Rachael shares three tips to help you carry the mental load you currently have, and one idea on how to reduce it moving ahead.
Reducing stress and the stress response in your body is one of the most important and effective things you can do for your health and wellbeing, and tapping has been scientifically proven to do this really quickly and easily. Dr Peta Stapleton is a world leader in the research into tapping, and she shares with us what that research shows, and what we can use tapping for.
Come on now, be honest: do you need to think about taming tech and being less digitally connected?
No judgement – it’s an issue I am constantly grappling with, especially post-Covid when I really spent way too much time every day keeping track of the news.
Good news though! Dr Kristy Goodwin joined the show to take us through the major issues tech presents for us, the impact it’s having, and how we can best navigate it.
When you don't have a lot of time to spare, you can feel a pressure to create 'quality time' which can simply create new stress for you. Whether it be quality time with the kids, or quality time for yourself, it shouldn't be stressful. Quality time can simply mean - awareness and attention.
Finding time to exercise can be a real hassle, and so I'm a huge advocate of the idea of 10 minute movement - looking to include achievable chunks of time throughout the day to move.
In this conversation though, we shorten the time even more - two minutes - with Lizzy Williamson from Two Minute Moves, and explore how including more movement in your day via just two minute bursts can bring about a mindset shift that makes your lifestyle healthier, without changing your schedule.
Personal stylists Jane Corkill and Sally Manhire join the show to talk about the issues women over 40 feel when it comes to their bodies and the clothes they wear. It's all about feeling comfortable in your body and your outfit.
“I don’t have time” – a common refrain for time-poor women everywhere when it comes to fitting in the things they need or want to do but other obligations seem to get in the way.
In this conversation, I riff about balance as a time issue – and how we spend our time is how we spend our life.
Angela Henderson, perhaps Australia's leading consultant for women in business, joins the show for a conversation on opportunities for women in the post-Covid economy, developing a strong mental game and making choices that work for you.
Burnout is a term used by many women to describe a complete exhaustion they feel, and the multitude of symptoms that accompany it.
It's a real risk for overwhelmed women, so Rachael invited naturopath Jules Galloway to come on the show to talk about what burnout is, how it happens, and the symptoms to look out for.
Let's start the year as we mean to go on - with more balance. Rachael goes over the five strategies she uses every day to feel calmer, healthier and more balanced and they take just a few minutes each.
Rachael calls up her friend Danielle Appi for a frank and open conversation about ageing, going grey, and looking forward to the future.
In a world where feminine traits are seen as weaknesses, Julie Parker is encouraging women to reclaim their sacred talents and follow the priestess path. In this episode, she explains what that means and how modern sacred women can incorporate ancient wisdom in their daily lives.
Perimenopause has a reputation for being a tough slog, but the idea of the maga woman makes it sound like a powerful awakening.
Motherhood does not come with the requirement that you are responsible for all the laundry, dishes, cleaning and tidying. That is not in the job description of 'mother'. Being a mother means loving and protecting and raising your kids. In every other way, you should treat your family like your flatmates.
Nicole Avery joins the show for a conversation on her life from corporate gig to mother of 5 and parenting expert via her highly successful blog Planning With Kids.
We talk about the struggle of losing yourself in motherhood, the overwhelm of doing all the things, being organised and having goals.
I've spent 16 years working from home with kids in tow, so in this episode, I'm sharing some tips on how I've done it, from the time my kids were newborns through to now that they're teenagers.
Moving through midlife means dealing with a lot of change. Psychologist Ellen Jackson joins us to talk about how to deal with it.
There's a two dimensional idea of having it all that is essentially defined by the ideas of having a family, including loving partner, and career success which includes financial gain. But that's not having it all because it leaves out of the picture elements of life you need for your health, happiness and wellbeing.
My take on the idea is to live a complete life and in this episode, I take you through the 10 elements of a complete life.
Pascale Helyar-Moray is the founder and CEO of Super Rewards, a new online platform that rewards women with superannuation contributions just for shopping online. The new platform promises to shake up the superannuation system, and allow women to contribute to their financial security in a way they haven't been able to before.
A new pep talk - this one about contemplating death and the days and years you have left.
Day-to-day busyness and commitments can easily get in the way of us living our life the way we want to, so we have to wake up to the ticking clock, and make intentional choices ad decisions.
Kyle Lowe is a warrior woman - she's battled breast cancer and won; she founded a social enterprise supporting young homeless people; and she facilitates powerful confidence building workshops for women. In this episode, you'll hear her back story and also what a year of living sober has taught her.
After decades working as Australia's top award-winning makeup artist making other people beautiful, Suzi Dent found herself a first-time beauty queen at the age of 55.
She had to get comfortable in dresses and learn how to stand and walk in high heels, after a life-time of dressing down and trying to cover her body.
She shares with us, in her own inimitable style, the laughs and lessons she's learned about women, beauty and ageing.
The title of mother is arguably the most emotionally potent one you can have. There's no doubt it's probably the most significant role you'll ever have, however it's not all there is to you.
In this episode, I share some thoughts on how being a mother is just one part of who you are, not who you are entirely.
We always feel like we don't have enough time to do all the things we think or feel we need to do.
In this episode, I share some thoughts about making time for the 'thing' or 'things' that you want to do but never get around to.
When it comes to getting everything done in a day, routines can be a blessing. If we’re not careful though, routines can work against us, particularly when they’re accompanied by bad habits.
In this episode, I talk about some of the science and psychology behind creating habits and how we might use that to create better balance in our lives.
This is an important conversation ladies, and one we need to have regularly and in many formats.
The essence of this episode is this: until gender equality is a man’s issue as well, it will never be.
We cannot correct an imbalance when only one side is trying to right it, especially when it’s the side that is disadvantaged and holds less power in the first place.
If you’re looking for inspirational women who have risen to the top of a competitive, male-dominated profession then it’s hard to look past Australia’s top female journalists.
In this episode I four key strategies for women who want to succeed, as suggested by several of the speakers at the 2018 Women in Media conference.
When, exactly, does a girl’s potential disappear?
The statistics tell us girls outperform boys at school; that more young women enter university; and more of them graduate from university.
Yet, graduate starting salaries favour men in all fields of study but two, and in nine out of 13 industries.
I share some thoughts on why women still lag behind men in terms of pay and work choices, and what it will take to one day reach equality.
Very few, if any, women ever say they have a work-life balance. Not a good one, anyway.
Balance isn’t impossible though.The problem is we haven’t understood it well enough to make it work.
Despite the sense of difficulty that surrounds the concept, it is nevertheless something worth pursuing because we cannot live happily or be healthy without some semblance of it.
Balance as a concept is a misunderstood creature and it’s the misunderstanding that makes us feel like it’s impossible to achieve.
Women grow up hearing this message - good girls give and mothers are wonderful because they would sacrifice themselves for their children. But this narrative of sacrifice needs to change so that women don't feel obligated to give up everything to their own detriment. Changing the story to one of service though enables you to give your all without having to give up everything.
Hopefully this episode will put you to sleep. Not permanently and not immediately but certainly more often! As part of the new look podcast, I want to address some of the reasons and issues we don't thrive as working women juggling family, and a big part of that is related to our health and lifestyle. Some of it is obvious, and some not so much. I asked my good friend Dr Rach Wyndham, an integrative GP and naturopath, to come on the show to talk about some of these issues and we opted to start with sleep because she says it's a good ground zero for all of us to look at.
This episode is all about having the courage to choose yourself and your own life.
It starts out about business and Instagram but the story of Liss Amyah is ahhh-mazing and she is the definition of true courage, grace and strength.
She is the mother of six children, is now a single mum, and runs her business in which she shares beautiful lettering work. In this interview we touch on some of her story about living in and later leaving, what she describes as 'crazy church land', the conservative fundamentalist religious community she was a part of when married.
Soooooo, what is going onnnnn? If you've followed me or the podcast for a while, you will have heard me mention or speak about pivoting many times. That I've done more pivots than a ballerina. And here is another one. SHE is gone, and in her place, is a more complete woman. The podcast is continuing but s h e is not. It's a new name and expanded content to help you live a complete life.
Karla Gilbert is one of Australia's most loved sporting icons, still considered the Queen of Surf Lifesaving even post-retirement. She has taken the lessons of perseverance and resilience learnt from being was the country’s most successful female surf lifesaver and applied them to building her own online business as a health coach. In this interview, Karla shares how she has just tried to stay true to who she is and quietly go about helping other people.
Our society needs women to contribute their thoughts and ideas to balance views. We need that more than ever as we can now see in world events, and we can start doing that from our keyboard, on our laptop at our kitchen bench. Amplifying women's voices - encouraging women to contribute to the conversation - is vitally important in a world that's out of balance.
The concept of masculine versus feminine energy was almost too woo-woo for me the first time I came across it. Explained in terms of yin and yang though, in terms of balance, it becomes clearer how these energies work and how we’re being affected by a chronic imbalance in our lives. This episode of the podcast delves into these complementary energy fields, and it seems fitting that for the conversation my guest is - for the first time on the show - a man!
If you're pushing yourself to go harder to make more money, or feeling like a bit of chump because you're not turning over millions, it might be time to ask yourself: What is enough?
I see so many SHEs caught up in this idea that they are somehow failing or not good at this business thing because they don't earn six or seven figures.
There's this sense of shame I think, amongst women who don't feel successful enough. The idea behind the SHE movement is different to what you might see online though, so it's important to differentiate so you can keep your head in your own game and not be led astray by someone else's flashy show reel.
We start that by asking: What is enough?.
Do you work with your husband or partner? Rebecca Plant does, and while she loves it, the idea sounds like hell to me! Rebecca and her husband Edward, a former military leader, work together in their business and leadership consultancy, specialising in helping couples in business.
I've seen God, and he plays guitar. This spiritual experience I speak of was seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert on his most recent Aussie tour. Aside from the private moment though, The Boss delivered more than just an awesome concert - he delivered two huge lessons relevant to being in business.
If you've ever felt like you just don't fit the mould of entrepreneur or business owner, this episode will encourage you to be a misfit! Kate Toon, author of Confessions of misfit Entrepreneur, joins us to talk about treading your own path when it comes to creating a business that is right for you.
If you’re putting out posts and content on your website and social media channels but not getting much engagement or reader attention, then this episode will help. I’m sharing with you a strategy that good journalists and feature writers use - it’s to look at what’s happening in the background to find the colour and depth of a story.
When you’re starting business or in the early stages, it’s easy to blow your dough on a bunch of products and services you don’t need, including technology and coaching. Tash Corbin specialises in the lean start-up and talks us through the pitfalls to avoid and the steps to take towards profit instead.
Jules Ingall is the wife of former V8 Supercar racing champion Russell Ingall and after more than 20 years in the support role to her professional athlete husband, Jules is making a name in her own right as a travel and tourism photographer.
Sonya Lovell is an online business manager, which is like a virtual general manager or COO. She helps her clients manage the people, processes, systems and internal priorities of their business and also works with them to be crystal clear on the strategy of the business and also the planning and direction.
Telling stories as a part of your business - through blogging, social media, podcasts, videos - is the key to connecting with the people you want to reach in your business.
I share some tips to help you do it.
If you make and sell your own products, then you'll want to hear from Melanie Sorensen, a marketing and strategy whiz for product-based businesses. She talks us through how to set your pricing, and how to distinguish your products from the mass-produced market, among other things!
Coming up with ideas for your business is the easy bit. Knowing which ones are the best or what you should focus on and then making them work is where business becomes tricky.
Alison Morgan is a business coach, specialising in health and wellness businesses, and marketing expert and she shares solid gold advice and strategies in this episode on how to choose your ideas AND make them successful.
Sam Jockel has created not one, but two, amazing communities that have become the basis of her business. As facilitator of Aldi Mum and School Mum, Sam has attracted more than 420,000 followers and counting. In this episode, she shares her story and tips on how she grew her audience via Facebook. She talks about the business opportunities that have followed, insights into what has worked and what hasn't, and how she does it all with three young children.
In the early days of building an online business, it can be hard to know which tech tools and systems you really need to get going. With so many choices and new versions coming out all the time, it can be easy to waste money and time trying to work it out.
In this episode, business consultant Joanna Mitchell from The Healthy VA shares her recommendations on which tools are essential when you're still in the start up phase.
If there’s one thing that comes up again and again for women in business, it’s fear. Fear of failing, fear of what people think, fear of stepping up, fear of losing money – so many different manifestations of fear!
Larissa Halls is a mindset coach and in this episode she takes us through the different types and elements of fear and explains how they affect us.
She also discusses ways we can approach our fears, so that they’re not so scary anymore!
Not everyone wants to build a six-figure business. Julia Bickerstaff from The Business Bakery shares a range of advice and wisdom in this episode for women who want a successful business that earns them enough money for their lifestyle - what she calls 'intentionally small' businesses.
She also talks about the importance of setting goals and her 100 Day Goal challenge.
If you have a little voice inside your head who whispers: "I don't know enough yet", or perhaps "I'm not qualified enough to do this for a living", then this episode might just help you.
Women's leadership expert and author Alison Vidotto joins us to discuss the issue of competence versus confidence, and how it's the latter that often is the most important ingredient for success.
Do you sometimes feel that you're not getting anywhere with your business, or success is taking too long to come your way despite your hard work?
Then this episode with Brenda Janschek should help you feel more confident as she shares with us details of her three-year journey to date, taking her business from simple workshops in her home, to successful e-courses and beyond.
If your dream is for your business to fund the ultimate lifestyle of freedom and flexibility, where you and your family can travel far and wide, then you must listen to this episode with Caroline (Caz) Makepeace.
Caz and her husband Craig have gone from losing half-a-million dollars in assets and being broke to instead travelling full-time with their daughters, all funded by their blog, YTravel.
Caz shares her five steps to creating a business and making it successful.
Have you set some goals for 2016? Do you have a planning strategy?
In this episode I go through the steps I took to come up with my goals for this year, and how I plan to achieve them.
There’s also a nifty little planning guide you can download as well.
There are so many things to learn when you are in business but some aren't as obvious as others.
In this episode I share with you seven essential lessons I've learned along the way, through personal experience, research and interviews with other successful #SHEs.
Tanya Winfield has created an incredibly successful business that helps thousands of women every year.
Additive Free Pantry started from humble beginnings, from a desire of Tanya's to share the information she had learned about additives in food and the potential effects they can have.
This wide-ranging interview goes into all the lessons she has learned along the way and shows how to build a successful business step-by-step.
As the saying goes, work for a cause, not applause. Alexx Stuart has built a business helping people switch to a low-tox life, so not only is she changing the world but also earning her income in the process. She shares how she does it, including her success with e-courses.
In this episode you will meet Angela Ponsford, one half of Dotti Media, as we delve into specific ways you can grow your Instagram following and the reasons why you might want to.
Angela covers a lot of ground with us – the best things you can do to grow your audience, as well as the traps to avoid. She goes into hashtags, how to connect with influencers, and even sets a challenge for us to see the difference these tips can make.
Just a few short years ago, making money from a blog was thought to be either not likely or piecemeal - certainly not lucrative. But that has certainly changed and brands are now far more interested in working with influencers - that is, bloggers who have built a following and have influence with their fans.
In this episode we talk to one of them - Kayte Murphy who is better known as Mrs Woog, from the incredibly popular Woogsworld blog. As one of Australia’s first professional bloggers, she continues to lead the way and mentor other bloggers. In this episode, she shares valuable tips for catching the eye of brands and how to maintain your integrity when being paid to write.
Are you struggling with the balance between getting things done and having time out? Kelly Exeter joins us this week to talk about this exact topics, and share with us how she manages a business, a job, a blog, writing books, exercising, having two kids, a husband, a household – and balancing all of it!
When you’re trying to build a business and attract both an audience and clients, it’s easy to get caught up in a ‘chase’ mentality and feel like you’re running around everywhere vying for people’s attention. In this episode Karen Gunton explains her lighthouse revolution – how to share a message and beam a light, to attract the right people to you instead of chasing them.
We hear it all the time: be yourself and do what you love and success will follow. Alisha Lynch from Naught Naturopath Mum is an example of exactly that. She shares with us how she went from simply having a Facebook page and giving her much-loved products away to family and friends, to now being an award-winning Mumpreneur with a devoted fan-base. She’s such a delight to chat with and listen to.
How often do you base your decisions for your business on your intuition? If you’d love to be able to trust your instincts more in your business, then listen to what Jasmin Kechel has to say about the way she has developed her gorgeous brand Lemon Canary. She doesn’t follow any standard marketing advice but simply tunes in to what her inner voice says.
If you’re following the entrepreneurial path because you felt called to create something new, go in a different direction or start afresh in some way, in this episode we talk about that exact process of reinvention. Business coach Angela Raspass, who I worked with last year, takes us through topics including underestimating yourself; perfectionism and procrastination; and fear of failure. She has some great suggestions on how you can overcome them and create what she calls a Next Chapter business.
Here we go! The first episode of the School-Hours Entrepreneurs Podcast.
As with any first-time meeting, it's a good idea to introduce yourself, so that's what this is. Here I explain who #SHE is - a School-Hours Entrepreneur, and why I believe it's the right time for women to be in business for themselves.
I share a little about me and why I'm doing this. You might recognise some of your own story here. I hope so. If you do, come over to the #SHE Facebook group and introduce yourself.