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.

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibility. But if you told me that would snowball into a four part dedicated espionage and intelligence miniseries, which would include not only two further intelligence officers from an even more secret spy service but also its Director General who then invited me as the first external visitor in the history of that service to record at their top secret training facility in an undisclosed location? I would have absolutely laughed in your face at the sheer impossibility and ridiculousness that it could ever happen… and yet it did… so, here we are… I could not be more honoured or thrilled to present as our guest this week the actual head of our most secret organisation, Kerri Hartland - the Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (or ASIS as we will refer to it). As the first female and first external deputy director general of ASIO and now the first female Director General of ASIS, Kerri is my absolute hero not least because she turned up in head to toe pink with a warmth and openness belying the power of her position and her awe-inspiring experience. Within the understandable confines of operational secrecy, Kerri opens up about the challenges of a stellar career of “firsts”, her experiences as a powerful female leader in a sea of black and navy clad males, whether her life resembles anything like that of M in James Bond (dropping a few Seize the Yay exclusives), and also the humbling role of Mum that she comes home to also experiencing the ubiquitous “juggle”. I still can’t believe I actually got to pick such an extraordinary brain and share many invaluable lessons on seizing the yay. We are also releasing a second episode at the same time as this one sharing part of ASIS’ story from a different lens through the eyes of two senior intelligence officers, Jess and Tara - not their real names. So, you have plenty to catch up on this week jam-packed with jaw dropping storytelling and reflections - I feel so lucky to be sharing this with the yayborhood and hope you all enjoy as much as I did!Visit the new ASIS website here.Follow the new ASIS Instagram 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.

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibility. But if you told me that would snowball into a four part dedicated espionage and intelligence miniseries, which would include not only two further intelligence officers from an even more secret spy service but also its Director General who then invited me as the first external visitor in the history of that service to record at their top secret training facility in an undisclosed location? I would have absolutely laughed in your face at the sheer impossibility and ridiculousness that it could ever happen… and yet it did… so, here we are… I could not be more honoured or thrilled to present as our guest this week the actual head of our most secret organisation, Kerri Hartland - the Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (or ASIS as we will refer to it). As the first female and first external deputy director general of ASIO and now the first female Director General of ASIS, Kerri is my absolute hero not least because she turned up in head to toe pink with a warmth and openness belying the power of her position and her awe-inspiring experience. Within the understandable confines of operational secrecy, Kerri opens up about the challenges of a stellar career of “firsts”, her experiences as a powerful female leader in a sea of black and navy clad males, whether her life resembles anything like that of M in James Bond (dropping a few Seize the Yay exclusives), and also the humbling role of Mum that she comes home to also experiencing the ubiquitous “juggle”. I still can’t believe I actually got to pick such an extraordinary brain and share many invaluable lessons on seizing the yay. We are also releasing a second episode at the same time as this one sharing part of ASIS’ story from a different lens through the eyes of two senior intelligence officers, Jess and Tara - not their real names. So, you have plenty to catch up on this week jam-packed with jaw dropping storytelling and reflections - I feel so lucky to be sharing this with the yayborhood and hope you all enjoy as much as I did!Visit the new ASIS website here.Follow the new ASIS Instagram 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.

What happens when your entire identity is built on being the best in the world? For Jana Pittman, one of Australia's most famous athletes, the singular goal of Olympic gold was repeatedly torn away by devastating injuries and gut-wrenching losses. You might think her biggest pivot was swapping the running track for the bobsled, becoming one of the very few athletes in history to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. But that wasn't it. Her real pivot was walking away entirely from being an elite athlete to become a doctor - all while raising six children. In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Jana about this massive career change. They unpack how you cope with failure when your mindset is "silver is the first loser", and how you go from being one of the best in the world to a complete beginner back at the bottom of the ladder, surrounded by people half your age. Jana shares the unfiltered story about how this profound pivot emerged from a period of intense personal and professional struggle - through divorce, miscarriages, failed exams and the financial lows of moving back into her own garage to make ends meet. Join us for a raw lesson in resilience, a look into the unseen "messy middle," and a powerful reminder that your lowest moments can be the fuel for your greatest chapter yet.   THE END BITS: Want more from Sarah Davidson? Check out her podcast Seize The Yay. Discover more Mamamia podcasts here. Feedback: [email protected]  Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice message, and one of our Podcast Producers will get back to you ASAP. Rate or review us on Apple by clicking on the three dots in the top right-hand corner, click Go To Show then scroll down to the bottom of the page, click on the stars at the bottom and write a review. CREDITS: Guest: Jana Pittman Host: Sarah Davidson Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser Senior Producer: Sally Best Want more Pivot Club? Listen here: This show was brought to you in partnership with Charles Sturt University. Australia's largest and most experienced online uni. Take the next step. Search Charles Sturt University online.  Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s guest is another voice you are likely to have had in your ears many times with an incredible career spanning over a decade conquering basically every media format there is. From his earliest days, Mitch Churi could be found on the stage, on the airwaves or on a screen near you mastering everything from theatre, dramatic acting and stand up comedy to presenting, podcasting and radio. From childhood dreams of being on the radio, Mitch worked his way up to headlining his own late night show, co-hosting the Pick Up with Laura Byrne and Britt Hockley and taking KISS FM to some of their highest numbers ever and all before the age of 30. But then, in a surprise to the entire nation, it was torn away when he was unexpectedly axed in a wave of redundancies and taken off air. We love a pathyay pivot on this show whether engineered on purpose or experienced involuntarily and have many times explored the idea that the universe has crazy ways of giving you a little push to where you’re meant to be. Having taken just TWO WEEKS to turn this tragic surprise into his very own The Mitch Churi Chat Show, Mitch is such an empowering example of this and in just a few weeks he’s already reached wild heights debuting with Tyra Banks as a guest, Rosie O’Donnell releasing the morning we recorded and him politely excusing himself after our chat because one KHALED was waiting on him… What I love most about this wasn’t having a yap with someone I’ve long time followed, first time called or getting some tips from an industry heavyweight but Mitch’s surprising honesty about the challenge of redefining success and how actively he is still working on embracing this new chapter of his life. I loved this chat so much and will definitely be back with a part two in the future!Watch the Mitch Churi Chat show 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.

I spoke in last week’s introduction about the parasocial relationships we often have with the people we follow and today’s guest is another amazing human I’d been Internet besties with for a while before we met. When we did finally cross paths through a Business Chicks event - the foundation of so many great relationships - it was like the podcast universe of Sarahs folding in on itself and felt like we’d known each other for years.  Many of you will already recognise Sarah Grynberg’s unmistakably soothing voice and thought provoking questions from her own leading podcast, A Life of Greatness, sparking meaningful conversations around purpose, connection, and what truly makes a life well lived - you can see why we get along so well! But what you may not know is the rich tapestry of life experiences that led her here — from the world of commercial radio to spiritual seeking, personal transformation, and sitting down with some of the world’s most profound thinkers and leaders in their fields - from Deepak Chopra to Matthew McConaughey and beyond! Sarah has made it her mission to decode greatness — not the flashy, performative kind, but the deep, soul-nourishing greatness that comes from alignment, vulnerability, and courage and has also channeled her wisdom into a fabulous book, Living a Life of Greatness that came out just this year. In today’s episode, we turn the mic back on her and peel back the layers of what lights her up, what challenges she’s faced on her path, and how she navigates the inner world while showing up so fully in the outer one. I hope you enjoy 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.

In this day and age, we all enjoy a few parasocial relationships with people we follow but haven’t actually met and in fact most of our guests on the show feel that way before we record. But this week’s guest goes even further beyond that and into the realm of an honorary family member who’s with us in our lounge room, kitchen and sometimes even bedroom every single day… In the ultimate case of #IYKYK, anyone listening who’s at a similar stage of life to us won’t need any further context than her name to understand why it was so surreal to sit down with the incredible Ms Moni for our episode this week. But for those who don’t know, I am so excited to have educator, musician, mum of two and Australia’s answer to Ms Rachel jump right out of her booming YouTube channel to join the show. Ms Moni - otherwise known as Monica Ferreira - brings years of teaching experience to her interactive toddler learning videos on YouTube using interactive songs, stories and adventures to help our little ones develop language and social skills wherever they are. I was introduced to her after some of my own followers realised Teddy had been picking up American sign language before I realised sign language wasn’t universal, and we’ve never looked back.  But even if you too know her face and voice as well as we do, you may not know the amazing story of how she ended up where she is today. I won’t give it away too much more but I had no idea about her medical sliding doors moment, other businesses she has started, and was dying to know more for behind the scenes of how she edits her videos, writes her lyrics and which instrument she actually plays.  Wildly, this was her first podcast EVER (even though you wouldn’t know it at all from her eloquence and poise). She’s as delightful as you think she’d be from her videos and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.  Follow Ms Moni here. Get tickets to our live show 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 would be very few Australians who haven’t encountered The Daily Aus at one point or another, consuming the latest headlines from around the world in unmistakably bright colours and a no-nonsense vernacular. Since 2017, TDA has been disrupting the media landscape by repackaging leading news stories in a digestible, engaging way for younger, traditionally news-avoidant audiences.  What you may not know, however, is that a) it all began between two complete strangers, b) was all designed and executed at that initial blind coffee catch up and c) with both of them working outside of journalism and the media at the time. After years of following both her work and her pathYAY behind the scenes, I’m thrilled to have one of those co-founders, Zara Seidler, with us today. You all know I love a pivot-filled pathYAY and Zara's is one for the ages going from early leanings towards education to climbing the ladder in government and politics before somewhat stumbling into this dream career. You’ll hear how she built a side hustle with a stranger into a media monster with a few fun side stories about managing risk, underestimation and failed rebrands and ALL still before the age of 30 years old.  We also touch on the loss of her father to suicide when she was just 16 years old, a defining moment both for Zara and her family including her brother Zac - a clinical psychologist, researcher and Global Director of Men's Health at Movember - who you have also heard on the show. She is extraordinary in many ways, eloquent beyond her years and a joy to chat with - I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. Follow Zara hereFollow The Daily Aus 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.

Sometimes our guests are incredibly talented experts in a specific field, while other times they are extreme polymaths with ventures spanning industries and themes. Sometimes our guests are renowned public figures with extensively covered careers and other times their achievements are quieter although never less impressive.  And then, you have Merrick Watts who is all of things at once with his insatiable sense of curiosity driving in a constantly evolving, multifaceted, stellar career. While most of Australia will know of him as a comedy giant across radio and TV (which he of course has been and still is since 1996), he is also a qualified wine judge with two professional qualifications, a weapon who won SAS Australia and recently ran the gruelling big 5 marathon in South Africa, AND founder of Posca Hydrate, an incredible hydration elixir inspired by Ancient romans.  It reveals something about Merrick’s thirst for learning (pun intended) that the idea was born during an Internet wormhole through COVID where his wine qualification research led him to ancient Roman methods to hydrate soldiers and emperors. While most would be satisfied there, Merrick went right on to experiment in his kitchen refining the ancient recipe into a sugar-free, sparkling, electrolyte-rich beverage with the added benefits of red wine vinegar for gut health and hydration. You can see why his is a brain that was SO MUCH fun to pick, but also a joy to learn from as someone in the media myself speaking to somewhat of an idol. He is at once infinitely knowledgeable and a loose cannon all at once - I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.  Follow Merrick hereFind out more about Posca Hydrate 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.

I’ve had a string of special recordings lately with guests I’ve been lucky to know through multiple chapters of their pathYAYS and today’s is absolutely one of those. But this is even more momentous not only because Seize the Yay was our guest’s first ever podcast back in 2019, but because her return comes literally days after some HUGE announcements and this chat was the first time she could speak about it. Michelle Battersby is one of the smartest women I know and some of you may remember that when we last spoke she was aggressively growing Bumble in the Australian market. A year after that, she co-founded the trailblazing creator-led platform, Sunroom, allowing women and non-binary individuals to monetise their content. Just last week, after scaling that business to over 20,000 creators, she was finally able to announce that she has sold Sunroom to Fanfix, the category leader in creator monetisation. And just days ago, she shared that she will be stepping into the role of President of Peanut, the gamechanging social networking app for pregnancy and motherhood.  …which is so perfectly aligned because, yes, another development since our last episode was the birth of her first son Alfie… followed 8 months later with the somewhat surprising news that her second is also on the way! So, at the time of this recording Michelle had just exited her business, accepted her dream job and all while 30 weeks pregnant so what an INCREDIBLE time to catch up with her and get her real time thoughts.  She has always been one of my favourite people to bump heads with but ESPECIALLY since becoming parents - I hope you enjoy 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.

I’m not sure I even have words to describe our episode this week and you’ll understand why within the first few minutes - even the journey to our first question is a wild ride. It’s iconic, chaotic, eye-opening, thought-provoking, totally unfiltered and above all, one of the most enjoyable yaps I’ve had in a long time. I am thrilled to have had the delightful duo, Bec Judd and Jessie Roberts, in the studio to celebrate the launch of their own trailblazing and already chart-topping podcast, Vain-ish. As two of the most flawless faces in the nation, it’s no surprise they’re both constantly bombarded with questions about their beauty secrets (mostly from me) and they are finally lifting the veil to get brutally honest about the tricks, treatments and tales behind the scenes. Of course, being one of the rare species who hasn’t yet broken the seal on cosmetic injectables and the like, I’ll remind you all that nobody needs any of the things discussed here or on Vain-ish and there is such beauty to naturally ageing. BUT at the same time, we are entering the “let them” era and if you’re going to get something done anyway (or are like me and are on the curious cusp of experimenting), it’s been fascinating and empowering to hear them chat with experts and leaders in each field on everything you might need to know. I personally also find it so refreshing and reassuring to hear others being completely upfront about how, as Bec and Jessie say, they didn’t wake up like this so that you’re never comparing yourself to anybody without the full, honest picture. I’ve binged every episode furiously taking notes and had so many follow up questions that you’ll all benefit from today. Of course, it wouldn’t be an episode of Seize the Yay if we didn’t also touch on their lesser known pathyays leading up to this point and the side of Bec and Jessie that you might not know so well. While I feel absolutely comfortable calling Bec a national treasure - I mean, the red dress has a cultural identity of its own in Australian history - I have always said and am excited to share what a truly down to earth, barefoot Perth girl she is in person and Jessie is exactly the same.  To me, both Vainish and this chat feel like being a fly on the wall during an unhinged chat between besties somehow going from K-drama to salmon sperm injections to having 12 million children between them. I loved every minute and hope you all do too! 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 have all definitely heard of the incredible Steph Claire Smith or Steph Miller and, if you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you’ll have heard her on this show not once... nor twice... but THREE times with this episode. I’ve always said having a podcast is such a beautiful way to capture who a person is at a point in time and then, if we do remain in each other’s lives, to look back on past chapters together and that’s definitely the case with us. We first recorded back in December 2018 when Steph had JUST got engaged then caught up four years later in October 2022 when she had just had Harvey. So, it feels like a very special and logical progression to have her on the show now that I’ve joined her in motherhood and she’s just made the big jump from 1 to 2 with Billie arriving just a few months ago. Even more special was the fact that we recorded during her stay at Homb Postpartum, a sanctuary for postpartum parents and bubs that was transformative for me almost a year ago now. Having been in each others DMs A LOT since Teddy was born sharing lots of highs, lows and mess of motherhood, this chat is one that could have gone for hours and that I’m so excited to share. You’ll already know Steph is the co-founder of KIC and the app has been such a godsend for me trying to move my body postpartum from wherever I am. She’s very kindly given us a code too which you'll see below. We didn’t really have a theme or agenda, it just felt like a lovely chat between mates in the trenches and I hope you guys enjoy as much as I did. Use the code SEIZETHEYAY for one month free when you sign up to Kic on a monthly subscription at www.kicapp.com! Available for new and returning users only. Expires November 30th, 2025. 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.

It has been an absolute delight to see how many of you share in my passion for espionage or intelligence stories and to hear that you enjoyed our last episode with a real-life Australian spy. One of the most common follow up questions from you has been my top recommendations for spy books, TV shows or podcasts and, funnily enough, my own current favourite podcast was also the one our ASIO Intelligence Officer mentioned as hers.  Since its launch late last year, I have not only binged every episode of The Rest Is Classified but signed up to their paid Declassified Club to get early access to each full series covering everything from the Bin Laden operation, Edward Snowden, CIA mind control and even UFOs. Hosted by former CIA analyst turned best-selling espionage author, David McCloskey, and veteran British security correspondent, Gordon Corera, the show unravels the world of intelligence and covert operations enhanced by their intimate, expert perspectives along with incredible guests including the likes of the former head of the CIA and former head of MI5! You can, therefore, imagine my levels of excitement sending a casual DM to one David McCloskey asking if he’d consider joining our own humble show and getting an enthusiastic “yes”! Not only are we sharing today some of his insights on the intelligence world from INSIDE THE CIA including across field stations in the Middle East, but also on his life after The Agency - yes you can leave and live to tell the tale - and tell the tale in such a way that you become a Sunday Times best-selling author of three (soon-to-be four) incredible books. So, both in the realms of non-fiction and fiction, I have followed closely and thoroughly enjoyed David’s work and to have him on the show is such a treat. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did! Follow David here.Learn more about him here.  Listen to The Rest is Classified.  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.

Over our seven years so far of seizing the yay, I’ve found myself repeatedly blown away by some of the rooms it has led me into and some of the incredible people I’ve been lucky to meet. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine one of those rooms would be a SCIF at the headquarters of our national security service, ASIO, or that one of those people would be a real life spy. For the uninitiated, a SCIF is a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility and if you’ve followed me for even the briefest of time it won’t surprise you that I’m already familiar with all the acronyms. ALL of the content I consume involves espionage or secret operations, so you will understand why I consider this week’s episode a career and life highlight and this week’s guest a very favourite.  I am able to share that our guest is a current Senior Intelligence Officer and she has been permitted to shed some light on the incredible work she does... but her exact title, name and real voice remain obfuscated for reasons, and I can’t believe I get to say this, of national security. In fact, the identity of every individual who works at ASIO is a secret except for the Director General and the three Deputy Directors-General.  As we discuss, the very definition of ASIO’s success is preventing anything for us to know about and revealing exactly how they do that to any of us would also reveal it to potential enemies (so if you get frustrated at what our guest can’t share, know it’s for extremely good reason). While you may have ideas about spycraft from Hollywood and agencies like the CIA or MI6, there still isn’t much out there about our homegrown spies, which makes it even more exciting to get this incredibly rare insight into what life is like on the inside. I’ll also add there are a few instances where our speech may seem chopped or edits may seem messy, but you’ll of course understand that you can never know why. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. Visit ASIO's website 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.

Welcome back lovely yayborhood, I hope the new financial year is treating you well. I’m so excited to share today’s episode not only because our guest is infinitely knowledgeable, but also because it ended up a little different to usual. Anaita Sarkar and I have been mutually fangirling for many years and one of the many things I love about her is her insatiable curiosity. Because of that, she not only preferred not to spend too much time on the parts of her origin story that have been exhaustively covered elsewhere but she also asked ME more questions than a guest has before, which made for a slightly chaotic, very tangential, surprisingly vulnerable but extremely enjoyable conversation that possibly reveals more about both of us than our normal structure ever could have.But her story is inspiring, interesting AND impressive so I’ll quickly give you a run down. Born in India as the daughter of a doctor, Anaita started off on a typical high-achieving pathway at KPMG before quickly realising her yay lay elsewhere. After multiple business experiments in make up, photography, and custom leather goods, she co-founded Hero Packaging from her dining table. Hero is now a global supplier of over 30 million compostable mailers, boxes, labels, and tissue paper and Seize the yay is one of her 73,000+ happy customers!!You may also know her as the brains behind Sell Anything Online - a bustling community, the banner for her two books and the ultimate playbook on the wild world of e-commerce. She has mastered the art of building brands, telling stories and continual reinvention and we are so lucky she shared so many practical tips in between our yapping today. Somehow, she is also a Mum of three AND building a brand new business at the moment, so if you’re after inspiration - she is it. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did.See Anaita's website here.Get her book here. Find out about Hero Packaging 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.

We all know I rarely find myself struggling with words, but certain guests and their stories simply defy adequate description. I was lucky enough to interview Grace Tame at an event back in 2022 where her bravery and eloquence moved a room full of excitable adults to still, silent awe. Getting to chat with her again and share that with you all this week feels like such a great privilege and again found me quite lost for words. Grace, on the other hand, speaks with such clarity and composure even on her unfathomable experiences of trauma and pain. As a survivor of child sexual abuse both at the age of six and 15, she has become a powerful advocate for legal reform, reduction of stigma and primary prevention of sexual violence against children.Add some complex layers including anorexia, domestic violence, late diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder and having it all laid bare before the whole nation becoming Australian of the Year at just 26 while still processing it all in real time... and there you have a journey unimaginable to most of us. And yet, Grace’s capacity not only to continue her advocacy with the Grace Tame Foundation, but to find pockets of joy, hope and love is perhaps what blows me away the most.I won’t attempt to say more as it continues to feel inadequate, but I am grateful not only to help continue raising awareness of complex issues like grooming and consent but also to share some parts of Grace you don’t hear as much about elsewhere. You know that’s what I love most about this show and being a survivor of child sexual abuse is simply not the totality of Grace Tame. She is funny, quirky, reflective and hopeful - an ultramarathon runner, artist, author, bookworm and dedicated friend. Despite a pathway in which she was given no choice and where finding her yay could not be the main focus - unlike many of our guests - she somehow finds it anyway. I hope you enjoy as much as I did. Follow Grace here.Visit the Grace Tame Foundation here.If this conversation raises any emotional distress for you, please reach out to someone, or call Lifeline for 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services on 13 11 14.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.

Welcome to BIZ — the podcast that's rewriting the rules of work for a new generation.Are you the queen of procrastination who'd rather deep clean your entire house than finish that urgent report? This week on BIZ Inbox, Em Vernem and Sarah Davidson tackle the art of actually getting work done with practical strategies – including the game-changing "eat the frog" method that might just save your productivity. Plus, we wade into the murky waters of workplace social media boundaries (spoiler: someone might get offended, and that's okay), and we share how to stand out as the new person at work. Welcome to BIZ Inbox, your go-to workplace advice podcast where awkward career questions get real-world solutions. If you want your work life issue solved, send us a voice note or email us at [email protected]. You can remain completely anonymous!Here is Em's article about 'eat the frog’. Get more Sarah Davidson in her sensational podcast Seize The Yay!Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here to get all our tips and tricks.THE END BITSSupport independent women's mediaFollow the Biz Instagram and Sarah's very own podcast: Seize The Yay Podcast. HOSTS: Sarah Davidson and Em VernemSENIOR PRODUCER: Sophie CampbellAUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges Mamamia's studios are furnished with thanks to Fenton & Fenton. For more head to their website here. Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lovely yayborhood, it’s been a little while since our last Seize the Bebe episode but as always that in itself is such an apt representation of the juggle. SO many topics have come up recently that I’ve wanted to dedicate episodes to without anywhere near enough time to squeeze them in (including another episode on that juggle itself after a little video I shared on it went viral) but that will have to wait as we DID manage to catch an incredible guest during her whirlwind visit to Australia.I still can’t quite believe I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with the woman who has already revolutionised meal time in our household which is becoming quite the challenge as Teddy enters the world of toddlerhood. When it comes to feeding small humans, there is pretty much nobody better to speak to than Annabel Karmel who has published FIFTY ONE books on the subject since 1991, had several TV shows, a life-changing range of delicious ready made meals and now an amazing app featuring her easy, healthy recipes. Her decades of work since well before similar resources were accessible has earned her an MBE (our equivalent of an OAM) along with the praise and loyalty of millions of families around the world. I was not prepared for how difficult it could be to simply feed your child once they realise they have autonomy... plus the overwhelm of meal prep, balanced nutrition and finding TIME to do it all. But, Annabel’s frozen meals and recipes have been SO helpful and I couldn’t believe that just after filling our house with her goodies, I got actually meet her. Not only do we cover so many of the burning questions many of us have about picky eating, introducing new flavours, determining volume etc Annabel also shares the heartwrenching story that brought her to this point - another pathYAY she never could have predicted. A heads up, we do touch on the loss of a child so please take care while listening. In the meantime, I hope you gain as much from this one as I did!!Follow Annabel here.Find her links 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.

Lovely yayborhood, one of my favourite things about this show is the incidental opportunity it gives me to learn about things I don’t really understand from the people who find THEIR yay in making it their area of expertise. I often refer to my selfish motivations in approaching particular guests to pick their brains about things that fascinate me and an episode on AI has been brewing for some time. I think many of you will resonate with AI seeping more into your life and, in my case at least, a little quicker than my understanding of it has been able to develop. I’m surrounded by content on how it can change your life and productivity but also how it’ll replace us all by tomorrow, so I wanted a guest who not only understands it well but is known for being able to make that information digestible to the everyday person. Enter Loren Dennett who I met through my partnership with HP who has helped me better grasp and therefore harness the power of HP’s AI technologies in a big way. Loren is the product expert for HP and you’ll hear within minutes of our chat how passionate they are about the power of AI and empowering us all to reap its benefits. From busting common misconceptions to naming key AI powered tools that can change your day-to-day life, we are SO lucky to have Loren here demystifying it all. Weaved, of course, around Loren’s own pathYAY including, as you can hear from their pronouns, their nonbinary identity, experience of inclusion and advocacy in the workplace. I hope you enjoy (and learn as much from) this one as I did! Find out more about the HP Omnibook here.Follow Loren 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’ve been on the Internet at all over the past decade or so, you’ve likely been influenced by Rozalia Russian who I feel comfortable calling one of the OG influencers of our time. While many of us embraced the mirror selfie and Valencia filter from the beginning, not all of us transformed into one of the country’s most sought after opinion leaders, brand ambassadors and dare I say “icons” with over a quarter of a million followers hanging onto her every move.What I love most about Roza, though, isn’t her effortlessly immaculate style or perfect grooming (although I do screenshot her tips on pretty much everything), it’s the lesser known parts of her story that make her perhaps more down to earth than you might first expect... Arriving in Australia with two suitcases and $250, early life in ESL classes, her hilariously refreshing approach to motherhood and the most well adjusted approach to trolling that I’ve heard. Fun fact? I’ve actually been there for most of this ride, knowing Roza not only since before social media during our clubbing days that were so much fun to relive (and before her surname became Russian which, yes, was a total coincidence) but since our teeny tiny ballerina days at the Australian Ballet School. So, it’s with a weird sense of pride that I’ve watched her flourish but also use her influence for wonderful causes over the years. This year, Roza is one of the ambassadors for the Witchery White Shirt Campaign supporting ovarian cancer research. One woman dies every 8 hours and less than half of those diagnosed will live beyond 5 years so the work of the OCRF is crucial. Last week, we celebrated the tally for this 17th year of over half a million dollars bringing the total to over $17.6 million to date. We are both wearing the beautiful shirts designed by Viktoria and Woods in this episode and they’re still on sale while stocks last even though the campaign has ended, so get yours below.In the meantime I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did. FOLLOW ROZA HERE.GET YOUR WHITE SHIRT 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.

Lovely yayborhood, I hope you all had a wonderful double long weekend and are getting back into the swing of things. I had some very much needed down time with lots of wholesome, offline play to yay and it does SUCH wonders for the soul. So often, you don’t realise how fast you’ve been going or how hard you’ve been pushing until you stop - I talk about the relentlessness of our modern pace of life so much and yet constantly fall victim to it myself. So I am very grateful not only for our guest today but for the timing of his appearance as he is a world-renowned expert in optimising our health, wellbeing and longevity and is exactly the person whose brains I needed to pick this week. Nic and I have been friends with Simon Hill for many years now connecting through multiple shared chapters in the wellness industry including launching products, opening plant-based restaurants, writing books, hanging with the Hemsworths and then, of course, podcasting (one of us has a #1 best selling book and a podcast with 40 million downloads, I’ll let you guess who). You may already know him as the brains behind the multi-platform Plant Proof, recently rebranded to The Proof, exploring the health and longevity benefits that come with mastering physical exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, recovery, sleep, and alignment. Simon is a physiotherapist and nutrition scientist with a unique ability to distil and translate convoluted, nuanced scientific information into snippets digestible (pun intended) by everyday audiences so that we are equipped to block out the noise and misinformation of the social media age and better our lives. I mean who doesn’t want to live longer and better and be given tips on how to do that? You can see why his is a brain I’m thrilled to have picked and why millions tune in to his content, this one is full of zingers  - I hope you enjoy as much as I did. READ MORE ABOUT THE PROOF.Follow Simon Hill 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.

The problem with being an excitable person who always uses excitable language is that I leave no superlatives in reserve for when something really blows me away. But I think most of Australia and the world (in fact, at least 60 million listeners) will grasp why I am pinching myself that our guest this week is none other than Hedley Thomas, National Correspondent for The Australian and creator of globally acclaimed investigative podcasts The Teacher’s Pet, Shandee’s Story, The Night Driver and the currently ongoing, Brownyn. I find every human and story interesting, but I do have a list of dream guests who I never think I’ll get and Hedley has been one since 2018 when he literally changed the landscape of criminal investigations with The Teacher’s Pet, leading to the murder conviction of Chris Dawson for the previously unsolved disappearance of his wife Lynette Dawson in 1982. You all know that while on this show I’m all about the yay, my guilty pleasure has always been true crime and there is possibly no more influential person in the space than Hedley. You can imagine how nervous I was to interview such a renowned, Gold Walkley award winning journalist - wanting to do him justice, explore his work, touch on who is he outside of work (a father, lover of cows, fan of White Lotus…) and ask all my burning questions about the Bronwyn case and what it takes to solve long overlooked crimes. We really need a whole series, but for now I tried to focus on things not exhaustively covered elsewhere so we do assume some baseline knowledge of his cases and skate over his fascinating way to yay before podcasting, which I highly recommend you research elsewhere.I have so much more to say, but I know you’re all waiting to hear the voice that so many of us know so well. I knew he’d be eloquent and fascinating, but didn’t expect him to be quite so humble and warm! For more information on the Bronwyn investigation, please do visit bronwynpodcast.com or tune in wherever you get your podcasts. This was truly a life highly for me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. LISTEN TO BRONWYN HERE.Find out more about Hedley's work 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.

I am so excited about our guest this week (although I know I say that every time), but I'm especially excited about this one as we’ve been trying to line this up for a long time and I’ve been fangirling over her for even longer. But as always, the universe in its infinite wisdom worked out the perfect timing for us in the end so that this chat would come out the same week as her very first book. You’ll probably already know Ellie Cole as one of many things - our most decorated Australian female Paralympian of all time, sought after public speaker, talented TV presenter, and, for around the same time as me, boy Mum, which I’ve loved bonding over during these past twelve months or so. But as of this week, she can add published author to the line up releasing Felix and His Fantastic Friends into the world. With the main character based on her son Felix, the book was born out of Ellie’s passion to change the way we think about difference and follows able-bodied Felix through the playground teaching him how to make playtime magical with all kinds of friends. It’s such a heartwarming, powerful extension of Ellie’s already passionate advocacy and you’ll hear more about it in the episode. I also love that instead of recording during her decorated swimming career like we originally planned, we ended up chatting after her retirement turned reinvention which touches on all the themes we love about identity, definitions of success and finding happiness. I had about two hours of sleep the night before and you’ll hear me apologise a few times for not doing her justice, but luckily she’s as eloquent as she is talented easily overcoming my babbling questions with incredible answers so I hope you enjoy as much as I did.GET YOUR COPY OF FELIX AND HIS FANTASTIC FRIENDS HERE. Follow Ellie 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.

Following on from last week, here's a little (very unedited, stream of consciousness style) dear diary reflection episode on the top ten things I've learnt in our first year of parenthood. If you've listened to last week's throwback, you'll remember the crazy timing of all our birthdays meaning I got to it down to record this one on the morning of my own 36th birthday. The perfect moment to think about the passing of time, the things that have changed me, the things I'll be taking onwards and the things I'll be leaving behind. As I say in the episode, I'm not really sure who this one is for and I didn't plan or script as much as I usually would for a solo episode. But I've always used this show as a platform to share our life in real time - highs and lows - and if anyone else out there happens to find comfort, revelations or solidarity in even a tiny part of it, that's a huge bonus. Do let me know if you found anything helpful or comforting, it means so much to hear how things reach you all. And in the meantime, I hope you're having an amazing week and are seizing your yay!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.

It is such a great privilege to have a community (or a yayborhood) sharing in our big life milestones and moments (especially over many years for some of you who have so kindly stuck around) and I’m sure it will shock you just as much as me to hear that this week marks ONE YEAR since Teddy came into the world. Weirdly it feels like I’ve been his Mum for both a minute and a lifetime all at once, but either way I can barely remember the person I was before and I think you can all tell it’s been my favourite chapter by far. If you follow on socials, you’ll know the first birthday milestone has come along with a very timely twelve month regression so we are back in the thick of sleep deprivation in another twist of the rollercoaster of parenthood... but it’s equally felt like a privilege (and a safe space to be honest) to share the tougher times over the past year as much as the good ones with you all. Teddy's actual birthday is tomorrow at the time of recording and we’re having a little party on the weekend, so you’ll get bombarded on all fronts with his sweet little face! As you know I love to do, I’ll be marking the occasion with a bit of a dear diary reflection episode on the biggest things I’ve learnt over the past year and taking stock of how it all feels, but that will be coming next week. Because I’ve had a few DMs asking about our birth story (plus I personally don’t really remember much of that episode having recorded in the thick of the newborn haze), I thought it’d be a nice throwback moment to re-release this one first to see what’s changed, what hasn’t and how far we’ve come. I don’t know if any other parents experience this, but I still can’t quite believe he’s real life and I look back at all the photos and videos of those very early days ALL the time, so can’t wait to re-listen to the chat we had with Sophie from Australian Birth Stories. If you have any questions for the next episode, feel free to shoot me an email or DM as always. Thank you again for embracing this new chapter with us and celebrating our little almost one year old! Hope you enjoy. 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.

Given International Women’s Day fell on a Saturday this year, consider this week’s conversation our annual dedication episode. And I don’t think we could have a more perfect guest for the occasion than the woman currently holding the highest position that exists in one of the most traditionally male dominated landscapes in Australia… the AFL. We are so lucky to have Laura Kane with us today, the Executive General Manager of Football at the AFL since August 2023. We so often talk about how you don’t need to know where you’ll end up because the job you’ll have might not even exist - well, Laura’s did exist only just not for women until she became the first woman to take the reins then build an executive team around her that’s 40% women and counting.Getting her Mum to write a letter to her school so she could play Auskick and not netball, Laura’s love for footy has been longstanding but coming up before women could play football professionally, she started her career in law instead. This was not the only thing we had in common either - with a career as stellar as hers, I expected her to be much older but we both grew up in the 90s era of Nokia 3310s and it humbled me immensely to realise we’re the same age. As a powerful, intelligent, but incredibly down to earth woman (who I actually met through Ang so that gives you an idea of the kind of legend she is), I was and still am fangirling hard so I’ll stop myself there before I read out her entire life story and she tells it way better herself. I hope you are as inspired by Laura as I am. 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.

Welcome to part two of our very hotly awaited episode of Seize the Bebe on starting solids. In this part, we cover one of the most overwhelming parts of the process - introducing allergens - with Nourishing Bubs founder and paediatric dietitian, Olivia Bates, who answers your questions in such great detail sharing her wealth of knowledge to put our minds at ease. If you haven't listened to part one, we cover all the introductory basics there (when do we start? how many meals? how much food? what is baby led weaning?) so I recommend you listen to that first. Hope you enjoy as much as I did!LINKSVisit Nourishing Bubs here. Use the code TEDDY10 for a discount if you are interested in ordering!+ 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.

Welcome to a very hotly awaited episode of Seize the Bebe and by hotly awaited, I mean we had SO many submitted questions from you guys but possibly even more from me. Pretty much every area of parenting is overwhelming, sometimes confusing and energy intensive but starting solids is right up there at the top of the list in the early days so it’s one of the first topics I wanted to cover.Most of you also follow along on socials, so you will probably already have heard about Nourishing Bubs and how game changing it has been for Teddy’s introduction to solids but if you don’t know, it’s a beautiful Australian business using 100% Aussie fruits & veggies to create individually portioned frozen baby food purees and foods plus a groundbreaking allergen intro pack. They’re delivered to your door and make it SO easy to start the process of introducing foods, taking away so much stress and freeing up your time.But possibly even more stressful is also wading through timing, volume, methods and so much other information - even now I still have so many questions on a daily basis. SO I am THRILLED that the incredible Nourishing Bubs founder, paediatric dietitian nutritionist Olivia Bates joins us for this episode to share her wealth of knowledge.As always, every baby is different and every family has different preferences, priorities and needs so we’ll be talking general information but of course it will vary for each individual. I’ll also include links to everything we mention in the show notes but in the meantime I hope you find this as useful as I did!LINKSUSE THE CODE TEDDY10 FOR A DISCOUNT. Visit Nourishing Bubs here.  + 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.

Many of our guests on the show tell incredible stories of trying lots of different things they don’t really love before stumbling on a particular yay that changes their life. What has fascinated me about George Hartley since the day we first met is that he’s loved then left lots of different yays to end up in his current chapter in an industry he originally knew absolutely nothing about. I was first introduced to George as the co-founder and Chief Marketing/Product Officer of Bluethumb, Australia's largest online art marketplace, which he describes as “Soundcloud but for art”. Launched in 2012, Bluethumb connects over 20,000 Australian artists with collectors, facilitating the sale of more than 100,000 original artworks to date with around half a million dollars worth of art currently for sale. How he has completely revolutionised a whole industry and grown the business to extraordinary heights just recently launching in the USA is a fascinating story in itself. I did not, however, expect to ask about his background in the art world and hear him say, “oh no, I know nothing about it”. While I’ve always been a proponent of finding a business idea out of a gap in the market that you experience yourself as a consumer, George is an amazing example that you can absolutely reverse engineer a business without any prior connections, qualifications or a foot in the door (and that this can often be an advantage). Instead, he began by studying marketing and accountant at uni, had a whole marketing career which he then left to do music full time, which he in turn left to do a Master’s in computer science and work in UX design all before Bluethumb began… I LOVED our first chat at a founders dinner and have been wanting to continue it, so you guys just happen to benefit too! I hope you enjoy as much as I did.LINKSVisit Bluethumb here.Follow George here.Listen to Art in My Home podcast here. + 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.

It’s not the first time we’ve touched on this week’s topic or guest on the show, but you’ll all remember how absolutely CAPTIVATED I was by the Thai cave rescue when I first read Against All Odds, so I am SO excited to be able to revisit it again. Our conversation with Dr Richard Harris a few years ago is still one of our most popular episodes ever, so I’ve been hoping to get his friend, diving partner, co-author and co-Australian of the Year on the show for a while and I'm thrilled to have Craig Challen here today.Just as Harry was, Craig is wildly humble about his pivotal role in one of the most incredible stories in recent human history. It's as mind blowing as ever hearing the details of how the unique combination of his passion and profession was just what the world needed to pull off the impossible - I don’t think you can ever hear this story enough times or be any less inspired by its details!As always, while many of us met Craig through the media during the time, I also loved going through the journey it took to get him there from country WA through a career as a vet before finding his love for technical cave diving. As you’ll hear, he truly epitomises many themes we love to explore on Seize the Yay with such an interesting perspective on what he considers to be a necessary divide between work and hobbies. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!LINKSYou can book Craig Challen to speak here.You can buy Against All Odds here.+ 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.

Welcome to BIZ - the podcast that's rewriting the rules of work for a new generation. Join Em Vernem (ambitious but efficient), Michelle Battersby (launched Bumble APAC) and Soph Hirst (ex-Google) as they tackle everything from dealing with difficult bosses to knowing if your side hustle can become your career. In this first episode: Asking for a pay rise is about as comfortable as explaining to your boss why you've been late three times this week. But what if there was a way to do it that actually works? Biz career coaches Michelle Battersby and Soph Hirst to share their proven framework for getting what you want at work (spoiler: don't mention your expensive oat latte habit).  Plus, they bust the myths about asking every year, using other job offers as leverage, and what to do if you get a 'no'. Consider this your cheat sheet to having the money conversation - minus the awkward sweating. Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I mentioned the crazy revelation in our last episode that our first was back in 2018 making 2025 our seventh year. And that makes this one of many beautiful full circle moments as we welcome back our first guest EVER, the inimitable Lisa Messenger, without whom the show would not actually exist. I so often talk about sliding doors moments and sometimes those come in the form of a person taking a leap of faith on you that changes your life forever. Lisa said yes when we hardly knew each other, I had zero proof of concept, and was so green in business so I’ll always be grateful to her and just reminding all of you to always ask because you never know who might say yes…What’s even more special about this one is that while Lisa has been back a few times, we’ve now added motherhood to the bonds of our friendship AND pathways to family that transcend DNA. Lisa was just 3 years into trying when we first spoke, but 18 rounds of IVF would follow until, 2922 days after starting trying, Lisa welcomed her beautiful son Hugo into the world via surrogacy. Being adopted, I have always been so invested in making less traditional pathways to family more accessible, so PORED over the incredible book Lisa and her wonderful surrogate, Sarah Megginson, co-authored, The Power of Two. They broke their hearts all the way open to share every detail of their experience and we are SO lucky to have them BOTH on the show today. I’ll let them tell you more themselves but I personally was so curious about the mechanics and logistics of surrogacy with it still being rarely spoken and perhaps a bit stigmatised. On the chance it might reach even one or two of you who needed a scrap of new information or a glimmer of hope, it felt perfect for Seize the Bebe and I hope you enjoy as much as I didLINKSYou can follow Lisa here.You can follow Sarah here.You can buy the book here.+ 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.

I couldn’t think of anyone more special to help us start the year (and to mark our 300th episode) than my very best friend, Ebony Beggs, whose story embodies the idea of new beginnings both in itself and in the fact that this was her first time properly telling it in her first podcast interview ever. Some of you may remember we had the incredible opportunity of doing a live episode at SXSW with All Pacific and Novotel last year and I peer pressured Eb into being my guest promising her it wouldn’t be recorded... but then, as we all knew she would, she absolutely blew us all away and I HAD to re-record it to start your 2025 with a bang. You may have already heard me talk about Eb and her sister Ashlee’s exquisite women’s label, Eupheme, which is revolutionising the professional woman’s wardrobe with a high quality, slow fashion ethos and life-changing technical fabrics that they have gone to the ends of the Earth to source (think non-crush no-iron shirts, machine-washable silk, literally changing the game). In this episode, we tell the story of how Eb and Ash left high flying careers (in NEW YORK mind you) to bring their dream to life. Even more interesting? There’s a dash of Diane von Furstenberg, chemical poisoning, ex-NYPD detectives and Parisian exchanges (yes, that’s indeed where we fell in love)... Eb still doens’t believe it herself, but it’s the MOST fascinating story and I hope you enjoy as much as I did. LINKS You can follow Ebony's personal page here.You can check out Eupheme here. + 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.

Whether you are a child, have a child or have ever met a child, you will undoubtedly know of The Wiggles and not just at home here in Australia - they have also captured the hearts of families around the world since their beginning back in 1991. Speaking of capturing hearts though, in their latest evolution with eight wonderful members, one particular Wiggle has shot to global fame as the "sexy wiggle" (or officially, Big Strong John) and we’re lucky to have him here with us today. Like many of our guests, you’ll probably have seen John Pearce many times (either with The Wiggles or on his very busy socials) before hearing him today without knowing much of what came before his chapter in the purple suit. My favourite part of the show is getting to know the person behind the scenes and you may not have known that John was a member of The Justice Crew beforehand creating a very different kind of a music, that he was a member alongside his TWIN brother - one of 7 siblings, that his original ambitions were in sport and nutrition with a previous appearance on Australian Ninja Warrior and career in PT AND that he is about to become a father for the first time (in fact, any day now!)  I had read so much about him but knew nothing about his upbringing either and the amazing journey from commission housing to global superstar while keeping such a level humble head on his shoulders. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! LINKS You can follow John's personal page here.You can follow John's Wiggles page here.You can follow The Wiggles here. You can find out more about Hello Fresh and their Climate Superstars resources here. + 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.

Our first #yaysofourlives episode in a while and our last for a while as Ang has some big news!!! + 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 all know I find every single guest amazing in their own way and use a lot of superlatives to convey that, but every now and then a conversation leaves me almost speechless (which is very rare) and this was one of them. I recorded this one at Producey Studios who - shout out to the team - have been incredible for our return to in-person interviews since maternity leave, but it also meant we had a producer in the room who could validate my reaction so I knew I wasn't imagining how special this was - the minute John Kim left the room, both of us just stared at each other open-mouthed and in awe! And this chat isn’t just special because of its timing with the new Cruel Intentions series premiering which stars John in one of the lead roles OR because he was also just announced as part of the cast of the live-action feature Voltron along the likes of Rita Ora... I mean, he's absolutely SMASHING it over in Hollywood... It’s also special because - as you’ll hear - it came at a pivotal time in his life with a lot of reflection and change AND happens to be the first podcast he’s ever done. What. An. Honour. John's been friends with Nic through our dear mutual friend, Dave Higgs, for years and I’ve wanted to share his story for a long time covering his incredible rise from the Eastern suburbs of Melbourne to Hollywood. But I didn’t expect the privilege of catching him at this particularly pivotal moment in time and to be able to share his vulnerability, humility and eloquence to a podcast audience for the first time. I hope you are as awe struck and enjoy this as much as I did! LINKS You can follow John here. + 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.

My first blood relative arrived when I gave birth to my son Teddy. Growing up, I always knew I was adopted; brought to Australia from South Korea at just five months old, it was never a secret. But even after finding out you're adopted there are so many other questions, some of which people may choose to never find answers for. As Adoption Awareness Month comes to a close, find out what life growing up adopted in Australia is really like. Follow The Quicky THE END BITS Support independent women's media Check out The Quicky Instagram here $33 off - Mamamia’s biggest Black Friday discount ever.Get an all access pass to Mamamia for just $36. Enjoy $33 off a yearly subscription by heading here. Liked this episode? Listen to these: GET IN TOUCH Share your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at [email protected] CREDITS Host: Claire Murphy With thanks to: Sarah Davidson, host of Seize The Yay podcast Executive Producer: Taylah Strano Audio Producers: Tegan Sadler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, we have a voice in your ears that needs no introduction - his music has been a formative part of so many of our lives and I’m pinching myself to have him here for you today. I’m talking of course about multiplatinum-selling singer and songwriter, Pete Murray. My husband, Nic, doesn’t fangirl many people (if anyone) but as an OG follower who had Pete’s very first original independent EP, the only person more excited about this interview than me was him and that's rare! Pete's incredible career selling over 1.2 million albums, releasing three ARIA chart-topping albums and amassing 17 ARIA nominations is no secret, but perhaps even more so than any guest we’ve had on before, it’s what came before that’s so powerful in reminding us all that not only does nothing happen overnight, some magic strikes later in life than you’d expect. While the tender age of 21 years isn’t old by any normal standards, I would never have guessed that this was the FIRST TIME Pete picked up a guitar after his earlier years showing every indication of a career in sport. I loved learning about his younger years, his process for writing, his fascinating combination of self-doubt and self-belief and everything in between. With fresh new music (check out his first new independent single in 20 years, Wouldn't It Be Good, here) and a new tour on the horizon we had so much to chat about and I hope you enjoy! LINKS You can follow Pete here.You can see the tour dates and get tickets here. + 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.

We are back with a guest episode and I’m thrilled to have one of Australia’s most known and loved voices on the show this week, Jessie Stephens. Many of you will probably recognise Jessie as one of the hosts of Mamamia Out Loud (among many other shows in the prolific Mamamia network of which she is also an executive editor and which we are so excited to have joined in a new chapter for the show). While now she is dominating the airwaves (and has authored two books), you may not know she actually began as junior burger editorial assistant a decade ago and worked her way up the ranks to become one of the few people who can say they’ve been in the one workplace for ten years - an example that you don’t have to leave your job to grow and find new yays. And one of the coolest parts? Jessie is an executive editor alongside her twin sister, Clare Stephens, who after studying different things but both doing their Masters of Research left academia to BOTH become newbie editorial assistants and they’ve worked their way up in different but parallel ways. And the two also have twin brothers, so it was fascinating to learn about such a uniquely special facet to her pathyay. She is also a little bit ahead of me as a working mum and a great source of inspiration having lent her wisdom to a chapter of The Juggle by my friend and manager Genevieve Day who you heard from a few episodes backs. Despite having many mutual friends, I’d never chatted to Jessie before but you’d never know she’s such a great conversationalist and I hope you enjoy as much as I did. LINKS You can follow Jessie here. You can buy her books and more here. + 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.

We are back with our third episode of Seize the Bébé on a topic that’s definitely been the most requested in my DMs and that I personally found sparked a level of desperation in me for information that I’ve never experienced before. We are talking, of course, about the elusive and emotionally charged topic of sleep and more particularly the dreaded "sleep regression" or (regressions as supposedly there are several). Even within parenthood where most topics are already a bit emotional or judgy, sleep seems especially sensitive, often because you’re usually only talking about it if you’re not getting enough, which is never anyone’s best version of themselves. So, as with all these episodes, a big disclaimer to start - this is all anecdotal and not an exhaustive fully researched guide. I have no professional experience or scientific backing, just answering your questions about what we did and there are many sleep specialists who you can turn to for actual advice. I actually found this one quite hard to write as not only there an infinite amount of variables when choosing sleep techniques, every baby and family is different (perhaps moreso in this area than any) plus even what worked for us this time might not work next time. Having said that, I didn’t care when I was in the depths of it - I still wanted to know what everyone else did just to get ideas or guidance even on where to start. So I’ll lay out what we ended up doing (which, to reassure anyone out there in the thick of it, did work wonderfully and quicker than I expected) and how we decided on that pathway, but just reminding you this area is VERY specific to you. For context, I’m talking about our experience getting through the so-called four month regression which is the first major one that gets talked about. Teddy was born two weeks early and this hit almost exactly at 4 months and two weeks - he’s punctual that boy. I'm sure we'll be back again with new and different views and answers for regressions in future! But for now, I hope even parts of this are useful! LINKS More info on Dr Golly's guides are here.You can follow Dr Golly on instagram here.More info on Baby Spa's sleep consultations here. You can follow Baby Spa on instgaram here. + 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.

As promised, here is part two of what could easily snowball into an 825-part series with my dear friend Dr Matt Agnew. Even still, there is so much we didn’t get to about this fascinating human being and that’s all without really touching on the Bachelor at all. For his proper intro and bio, go back to the first episode - we pick up here right where we left off which, as it turns out, wasn’t very far into his pathYAY in the end. And there’s so much more ahead, so who knows - part 3 could still come at you in the future but in the meantime I hope you enjoy! If this conversation raises any emotional distress for you, please reach out to someone, or call Lifeline for 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services on 13 11 14. MATT'S BOOKS Dr Matt's Guide to Life in Space Is My Phone Reading my Mind? The real facts about Artificial Intelligence + 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.

We are back with a guest episode for you and one that has been a long time coming. I’m so excited to have finally sat down with a dear friend of mine Matt Agnew who much of Australia may know as “Matt from the bachelor” but who I met outside of that context completely. I think this was the first time I admitted I never actually watched his season (you guys know I’m a true crime girly not a reality girly) and I deliberately didn’t catch up on it because I wanted to focus on Matt NOT from the Bachie which hasn’t been as exhaustively covered everywhere else (the link to Abbie's latest ep we discus is here). With all our guests I love to show a side people know a bit less about and even more so with a friend but then the great challenge is squeezing that all in to an hour when you want to showcase every single thing you think is great about them... WHICH obviously I didn’t manage to do so heads up that this is part one of a two parter where we set the scene around the early days of Matt’s way to yay - you really should read his LinkedIn to understand why it’s reductive to only refer to his TV stint rather than the FIVE DEGREES in hectic maths and science that he’s amassed including an actual pHd on space… plus two wonderful books, an amazing new business Pash, a stint on Sharktank… hopefully you get a dose of a Matt you might not already know but I think astrophysics, AI, dating and both of our experiences with sobriety deserve more time so you’ll hear those in part two. Perhaps it’s fitting that a lot of part 1 was spent on what Matt calls his "salad of mental heatlh issues" about which he speaks so vulnerablty and powerfully as we move into Movember and a sharper focus on men’s health (for reference the Jess Rowe episode we mention is here). So a content warning that we do briefly touch on suicide and similar in this episode - please take care while listening and see Lifeline's number below. Otherwise this was above all a chat between firends and I hope you enjoy! If this conversation raises any emotional distress for you, please reach out to someone, or call Lifeline for 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention services on 13 11 14. MATT'S BOOKS: Dr Matt's Guide to Life in Space Is My Phone Reading my Mind? The real facts about Artificial Intelligence + 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.