Seize the Yay

Especially as a former ballerina myself, I am thrilled to share with you the delightful Benedicte Bemet who also started ballet at 3 years old but then went on to become not just a professional ballerina but a celebrated Principal Artist with The Australian Ballet. You may not know what that rank means if you live outside the world of ballet, but you’ll surely recognise the term prima ballerina being the highest rank in a company and Benedicte is one of only 11. Recognised from early on in her career for bringing both technical brilliance and emotional depth to roles, you will quickly hear how deeply passionate she is about what she does and she is asuch a pleasure to watch on stage. She graduated only a few years after those in my own cohort who lasted the full distance, so I have followed her career since her very first year in the company and it was a pinch me moment for little Sarah to actually get to sit down with her and hear about it.  From busting myths about Black Swan to how she wraps her feet for performances, moving back from Hong Kong without her family to follow her dreams and the psychology of resilience, discipline and optimism through injury, Benny is so well adjusted, warm and it’s impossible not to love her. Whether you’ve danced or not, there’s so much about identity, reinvention, and what it really takes to pursue something at the highest level. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Follow Benedicte here.Get tickets to Romeo & Juliet and more here. LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you follow me on socials, you’ll know I wear SO much Nakedvice - I love it when style is effortless, comfortable and versatile and I wear my Nakedvice pieces over and over. For a brand still dominating after over ten years dropping an immaculate collection every month with two physical stores and possibly more to come, you’d be forgiven for expecting the founders behind it all to have started with extensive fashion and business experience, extensive resources and an extensive team around them.  What I LOVE about Sarah Miller and Jessie Gargan is that they are so unexpected in such a refreshing and inspiring way. Jessie was in her very first role in the workforce when she hired Sarah, who still hadn’t finished her uni degree, as a Christmas casual and they hit it off before quickly realising they had a shared vision for their own brand. We spend so much of our episodes on self doubt, decision paralysis and fear of failure but these two young girls in their 20s were uninhibited in their belief they could make it work. And they certainly did launching in Jessie’s brother’s bedroom growing Nakedvice into the booming business it is today which is still fully owned and funded by them.  I’ll let them tell you the rest but they’re such an amazing example that youth, inexperience and naivety aren’t the barriers you sometimes expect them to be and that motherhood and business isn’t incompatible. I LOVED hearing more about the women behind a brand I love and hope you all do too. SHOP NAKEDVICE HERE. LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are a few people I’ve had on the dream guest list since we started back in 2018 and today’s is one of those extraordinary people who I can’t believe said yes. We’ve had a few reschedules around an understandably jam packed schedule, but the universe always works things out in perfect timing and I couldn’t have given you a more perfect guest for our International Women’s Day episode if I tried.  Having captivated audiences for most of her life, Bindi Irwin will need no introduction and writing one that does her justice is a challenge I’m not sure I have adequate words for. From navigating the devastating loss of her father at such a young age to growing up in the spotlight, facing a debilitating journey with endometriosis to nonetheless thriving as a passionate conservationist, presenter, author, CEO of Australia Zoo, loving wife, sister, daughter AND dedicated mother - she is truly an extraordinary young woman who has lived a million lifetimes and there is so much more to come.  I know I’m not alone in feeling like I grew up with the Irwins and I can’t imagine the pressure, scrutiny and overwhelm of growing up in front of all of us. And yet, Bindi is unfailingly kind, well adjusted and wise beyond her years - I’m also probably not alone in thinking surely she can’t be like that in real life (nor could any of the Irwins) and yet she is exactly as you see.  Her passion for her and her family’s work with wildlife and the environment is incredibly infectious in exactly the way I always hoped for this show to be. If each of us could find even half the sense of purpose and enthusiasm she has for her life, work and family the world would be a pretty incredible place. I’ll leave it there as no words will do her more justice than you just hearing from her yourself. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did Follow Bindi here.Find out more about Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors here. LINKS + Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every now and then, we are lucky to record with a guest at a pivotal moment in their life where a chapter is unravelling in real time. Today, we are lucky to have TWO of those guests just weeks after the explosive launch of their investigative podcast while the project is not only in full swing but unravelling new leads in a way that might actually change history.  Andy Byrne and Mark Llewellyn are the incredible journalists behind Catching Evil revisiting the chilling crimes of Christopher Wilder, the so-called beauty Queen Killer, across both Australia and the USA. In the first 30 days, they amassed over 100,000 listeners with an unheard of consumption rate of close to 100%... but more importantly they have uncovered new leads in one of Australia’s worst unsolved murders on Wanda beach as well as never before heard evidence that may break the Wilder case wide open.  You may already know their names from their formidable careers prior to the show - Andy as an award-winning investigative journalist and producer with extensive experience in true crime and Mark Llewellyn as a highly decorated television executive, leading landmark investigative and current-affairs programming across Australian television. And yet, like most of our guests, neither of them ever thought they’d end up with a podcast, that it would have already changed so many lives and that they may in fact, with an entire season ahead, solve one of the country’s worst unsolved crimes.  A quick content warning - given the nature of their investigation, this is a heavier than usual episode with serious themes but also demonstrates a different form of fulfilment or yay to be gained from a career pathyay as meaningful as this. I feel so lucky to have sat down with them after just 6 episodes to hear their reaction to launch and the HUGE developments already in motion. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we have a double dose of Sarah in your ears and another wonderful guest who I’ve been long time following, first time calling. With over a million followers, many of you are likely the same, having been touched in some way by her passion for great food and family friendly cooking.  I’m thrilled to welcome Sarah Pound (otherwise known as Wholesome by Sarah) - best selling author of two cookbooks, nutritionist, Good Food Columnist, founder of the former Two Pounds, co-founder of Simply Wholesome Pantry and mother of three - I know, she has a lot on her plate in more ways than one.  Hers is a story of the many different forms your passion can take over time and the incredible power of being adaptable with her lifelong passion for cooking taking her from studying food technology at high school to a hugely successful catering company to her career as Wholesome by Sarah now.  Her latest book, Family Food, has made cooking delicious wholesome meals SO much easier in our household and I’m sure for many, many others since its release just last year. She is such a breath of fresh air with her very down to earth approach to her success and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.  Follow Sarah here. LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You know I believe all our guests are impressive and inspiring in their own special way, but some are truly extraordinary humans. As you’ll soon hear, Shiza Shahid fits that definition in every possible way.  Born in Islamabad Pakistan, her passion for philanthropy and activism was evident even from her teens when at just 14 she started working in women’s prisons and volunteering at a relief camp following a deadly earthquake which struck Kashmir in 2005, killing nearly 85,000 people. At the age of 18 she won a scholarship to study at Stanford University, followed by pursuing a high flying career at McKinsey & Company in Dubai as a business analyst then founding her first business NOW Ventures focusing on funding startups. It seems crazy to skate over such huge achievement with a single line each, but that’s because there’s so much more to squeeze in and she’s only just getting started. Shiza is also the Co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund championing the right of every girl to education alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls education. And if that weren’t enough, Shiza has also created Our Place with her husband - a direct-to-consumer brand of non toxic cookware rooted in her heritage and uniting people through shared meals. On top of ALL THAT, I learned when she turned up for our recording that she is pregnant with her first child and about to conquer yet another frontier, what an extraordinary woman to have had the chance ot meet. You’ll be taken by her eloquence, humility, determination and warmth instantly. Follow Shiza here.SHOP OUR PLACE HERE. LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy New year lovely yayborhood and welcome to our first episode for 2026. I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and holiday period. If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past few years, our first guest will need no introduction but just in case I’m thrilled to have Lia Georgantis with us this week, the dynamic CEO and creative force behind Girls with Gems.This cult-favourite Australian fashion boutique first began in the form of intimate jewelry parties hosted by Lia and her Mum but quickly evolved and exploded into a must-shop destination for women everywhere with the launch of their iconic Double Bay boutique. Lia soon left her promising law career to take the reins of the business and transformed it into a trend-setting haven for real-life wardrobes and real-life women and if that weren’t enough, also went on to launch her own in house label Sneaky Link that has equally exploded onto the scene.As you’ll hear, after mutually long time following first time calling, we got along like a house on fire and Lia’s energy is absolutely infectious so I couldn’t think of a better guest to kick off the year. Her approach to taking risks, chasing dreams and learning on the fly is both refreshing and motivating so if you need a little kick into gear, she is your woman. SHOP GIRLS WITH GEMS HERE.LINKS+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah+ Join our Facebook community here+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.