From Shop Floor to CEO: Burnout, Boundaries & Bold Leadership
Release Date: 01/14/2025
"If you came with a warning label, what would it say?"
Really Good Conversations
In 2025 Amy spoke to a range of amazing guests from across around the world - including UK, US, Cyprus & Australia! This fun epioside is a snapshot of the responses our guests gave when asked the question "If you came with a warning label, what would it say?" This question always gets a laugh. Ask it to someone in your life and see what conversations spark Check out all our guests from 2025 and join us in 2026 for more Really Good Conversations.
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Rewriting Your Story: How to Build Confidence
Really Good Conversations
In this episode, Amy is joined once again by former Sportsgirl and Sussan CEO, award-winning leader, mentor, speaker and author, Colleen Callander. Colleen kicked off our 2025 guest line-up with “From Shop Floor to CEO: Burnout, Boundaries & Bold Leadership”, and now we’ve come full circle as she returns to close out the year and explore the theme of confidence from her new book, The Power of Confidence. Amy begins by asking Colleen how her year has unfolded since their January conversation, and what tips she has for avoiding the end-of-year panic if we didn’t achieve everything we...
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Freedom, Sacrifice, and Starting Again
Really Good Conversations
What does it take to chase freedom, survive the sacrifices, and rebuild a life on your own terms? In this episode, Amy sits down with award-winning entrepreneur and bestselling author Tina Tower, founder of Her Empire Builder, to unpack the truth behind ambition, reinvention, and the pursuit of freedom. Tina shares her journey from launching a tutoring centre at 20 years old to building a franchise before realising that success had come at a cost. She opens up about the years of missing bedtimes, the burnout that followed, and the decision to sell it all in search of a different way to live...
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The Lost Art of Thinking for Ourselves
Really Good Conversations
Have we forgotten how to think for ourselves? In this episode, Amy speaks with critical thinking and human skills expert, speaker and author Bethan Winn, whose book The Human Edge: Critical Thinking in the Age of AI explores how we can reclaim the essential skills that make us human - curiosity, courage, creativity and conversation. Bethan shares her journey from teaching in London to moving to Perth, Australia, and building a business that helps people think more clearly and confidently. A health scare became her career turning point, leading to a keen interest in how we form beliefs,...
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Fame, Reinvention & Being Interesting (Part 2)
Really Good Conversations
Part 2: Moral Codes & Living on your own terms In Part 2 of my conversation with Maz Farrelly, we move beyond the world of television and into the personal. We talk about reinvention, how to know when to walk away, and how to build a life that actually feels like yours. Maz shares her decision to leave her successful TV career and how bowl of beads in Fiji helped her decide what to do next. We discuss what it means to live by a moral code, and how her upbringing shaped the values she now brings into every room. She shares her journey to Australia and how a 3 week visit...
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Fame, Reinvention & Being Interesting (PART 1)
Really Good Conversations
Part 1: The Truth About Reality TV & How to Cut Through the Noise What does it take to really have the X Factor? Maz Farrelly has shaped some of the biggest TV shows of our time, from Big Brother to The X Factor, and has worked with global icons from Beyoncé to Prince Charles. Maz knows how to grab an audience’s attention and hold it. Her content has been watched over 8 billion times! She’s an ‘Olympic-level storyteller’, which is why this is Part 1 of a two-part conversation. We didn’t want to cut it; we could have chatted for hours longer. After years in the TV industry,...
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Neuroscience & Creating Your Future
Really Good Conversations
What does it mean to create your future? For Natalia Talkowska, it’s not just a phrase but a way of life. Born in communist Poland with dreams of working for Disney or NASA, she took her first flight to London with little money, no connections, and a big sense of curiosity. Today, she is a serial entrepreneur, six-time TEDx speaker, and the founder of Natalka, a consultancy blending neuroscience, storytelling and visual thinking to help organisations simplify complexity. In this episode, Amy chats to Natalia about her journey from childhood dreams to working around the world. They explore...
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Career Pivots, Finding Confidence & Feeling Alive
Really Good Conversations
What happens when a career built on success no longer feels like enough? In this episode Amy chats to her old colleague and friend Serena Dodd. After a high-energy career in TV and events, Serena Dodd hit a wall - literally on the way to London Waterloo - when a panic attack forced a rethink. Serena shares her journey from realising “something needs to change” to finally stepping away from the industry, then the pivotal year that followed: retraining as a coach, rebuilding confidence, and rewriting her identity. Serena explains why she calls herself an “Aliveness Coach” ,...
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What Hostage Negotiations Teach Us About Human Behaviour
Really Good Conversations
"Words can change lives" In this episode of the Really Good Conversations podcast, Amy speaks with Steve York; a former police negotiator, tactical commander, and now corporate risk advisor and negotiation coach. Steve’s career has taken him from life-or-death hostage situations to high-stakes corporate boardrooms. In this conversation he shares what these intense moments have taught him about how people behave under pressure, how power works in a room, and how to influence outcomes through calm, presence and insight - not force. They explore the role of ego, emotion, and self-interest in...
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Risk & Reinvention: From Online Success To Bookshop Owner
Really Good Conversations
Kate Toon is an award-winning entrepreneur, author and digital marketing expert. But in 2024, after building a thriving online business, she did something unexpected; she bought a struggling bookshop in her beachside town of Umina Beach. In this honest and entertaining conversation, Kate shares how burnout, curiosity, and a craving for real-world connection led her to make a bold pivot from online courses and passive income to running a bricks-and-mortar bookshop. We talk about the risks, the realities, and the rewards of stepping into something completely different. Kate also opens up...
info_outlineWe kick off 2025 with Colleen Callander, a trailblazing leader with over 30 years of experience in the retail industry, author of Leader by Design and co-author of Elevate.
Colleen shares her inspiring journey from leaving school as a 16-year-old sales assistant to CEO of renowned Australian fashion brands, Sportsgirl and Sussan.
We discuss her secrets to success, navigating burnout and how she overcame it. The challenges of balancing work and family, and the power of kindness in leadership.
Key Topics:
- Colleen's early career and leaving school for her first job in retail
- Rising through the ranks to CEO
- Overcoming burnout
- Leadership and Kindness
- Advice and tips for business and life
We also put Colleen on the spot with 3 questions from our pack of cards including 'If you came with a warning label, what would it say?'
Whether you're a leader, aspiring entrepreneur, or navigating work-life balance, Colleen's wisdom will leave you inspired to elevate every aspect of your life.
Find out more about Colleen at:
Website: https://www.colleencallander.com.au/
Human Elevation: https://www.humanelevation.com.au/