loader from loading.io

313: What If You Followed That Hunch? The Power of Pursuing Curiosity in Business with Valerie Khoo

HerBusiness

Release Date: 06/18/2025

335: How to Build a Business Plan for 2026 That Doesn’t Burn You Out show art 335: How to Build a Business Plan for 2026 That Doesn’t Burn You Out

HerBusiness

I see so many business owners entering each new year already exhausted. That exhaustion? It originates from months before. Now is the time not just to plan out your 2026 — but it is the time to truly sit with your goals, and understand how you can accomplish them this next year. In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, I’ll walk you through the exact planning strategy I’m using to plan my 2026. And it is all about clarity, focus, and alignment. So if you’re already overwhelmed looking at what you need to get done next year… this is the strategy you need to follow. Here’s What...

info_outline
334: Why Striving for “Enough” Could Be the Most Exciting Shift You Make in 2026 show art 334: Why Striving for “Enough” Could Be the Most Exciting Shift You Make in 2026

HerBusiness

Doing “more” is the default setting for most women business owners. We strive for more revenue. More clients. More milestones. More targets. But what happens when we stop reaching for the moving target of “more”... and instead strive for “enough”? What happens if we prioritise balance, freedom, and fulfilment – and set our business goals to accomplish those standards? In this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, we’re talking about how you can plan your 2026 not just around ‘making things happen’ and productivity, but how you can actually use your business strategy to create...

info_outline
333: How to Beat Burnout and Have Sustainable Success in 2026 with Melinda Cohan show art 333: How to Beat Burnout and Have Sustainable Success in 2026 with Melinda Cohan

HerBusiness

Burnout does NOT just come from doing too much… it comes from doing business in a way that isn’t aligned with who you ARE. In this week’s HerBusiness Podcast, I sat down with Melinda Cohan, author of Sustainable Success: Thriving in Business and Performing at High Levels Without Burnout. Melinda is revealing how so many business owners are unintentionally running on performance mode – pushing, proving, forcing – when what we truly want is to thrive with more flow, ease, and sustainability. We dive into how you can break free from depletion and step into a new model of success that...

info_outline
332: The Real Reason Your Business Isn’t Growing (and How Delegation and Automation Can Fix It) show art 332: The Real Reason Your Business Isn’t Growing (and How Delegation and Automation Can Fix It)

HerBusiness

I have seen so many businesses with incredible potential fizzle out because the business owners are making this one mistake… Doing it all themselves. Staying stuck in the day-to-day. Letting admin eat up their time. Becoming the bottleneck that holds their business back. So on this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, we’re talking about the real reason your business isn’t growing — and why delegation and automation are essential to getting unstuck. Here’s What You’ll Learn in the Episode: The red flags that show up when you’re trapped in a cycle of “busy work” (and why...

info_outline
331: Too Sensitive to Succeed in Business? Why Sensitivity Is Actually Your Superpower with Erica Webb show art 331: Too Sensitive to Succeed in Business? Why Sensitivity Is Actually Your Superpower with Erica Webb

HerBusiness

So many women business owners believe that their sensitivity and emotions hold them back in business. That our empathy and passion must be muted in order to succeed. In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast I sat down with counsellor and founder of the Self-Kind Hub, Erica Webb, to talk about being a highly sensitive entrepreneur — and why it’s actually a superpower for your business success. Being a highly sensitive person (or HSP) means you might feel rejection heavier, feedback sticks longer, and being visible online can leave you drained. You pick up on others emotions and feel...

info_outline
330: Why “White Space” is the Secret to Getting Unstuck in Business show art 330: Why “White Space” is the Secret to Getting Unstuck in Business

HerBusiness

Ever notice how a bit of white space makes everything feel clearer? Designers use it to make things pop. Our brains love it. Yet, as women business owners, we often overlook the importance of white space in our businesses and our lives. So in this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, we’re talking about why white space is not a luxury — but a complete necessity if you want to grow a business that feels aligned and fulfilling. Here’s What You’ll Discover in This Episode:  How white space fuels your creativity, innovation, and clarity in business Discover the massive breakthroughs I...

info_outline
329: Stop Being the Bottleneck — How Systems Create a Calm, Organised Business with Justeen Kirk show art 329: Stop Being the Bottleneck — How Systems Create a Calm, Organised Business with Justeen Kirk

HerBusiness

Every business owner starts their journey thinking they will find FREEDOM — more time, more flexibility, easier hours. But then, a decade later… every detail still runs through you, everything lives in your head, your team can’t operate without you, and YOU become the bottleneck of your progress. In this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, I’m joined by Justeen Kirk of ISO Matters, a systems expert who has helped dozens of small business owners create the structure and clarity they need to run organised businesses. Here’s What You’ll Discover in the Episode: How to recognise the...

info_outline
328: 4 Systems That Saved My Sanity as a Business Owner show art 328: 4 Systems That Saved My Sanity as a Business Owner

HerBusiness

I used to spend countless nights firefighting problems, redoing work, and apologising to clients… until I put in place the four essential business systems that changed how I operated. In this episode of the HerBusiness Podcast, I’m sharing the four essential systems that saved my sanity as a business owner. These aren’t “nice to haves” or a checklist – they are the exact systems and structures I put in place when I was drowning in work. And I can’t wait to share them with you. Here’s What You’ll Discover in the Episode: Why essential business systems actually create FREEDOM...

info_outline
327: Grow Your Business Without Sacrificing Your Relationships – with Sharon Pope show art 327: Grow Your Business Without Sacrificing Your Relationships – with Sharon Pope

HerBusiness

Running a business does NOT happen in a vacuum. As business owners, our personal lives and working lives are deeply intertwined — each affects the other. So can you grow your business without sacrificing your relationships? In this episode of the HerBusiness podcast, I’m sitting down with Life Coach and Relationship Expert Sharon Pope to explore the intersections of business and love. We’re talking through power dynamic shifts, outearning your partner, muting ambitions to ‘keep the peace’, and how to fill your own cup. If you have ever felt torn between growing your business...

info_outline
326: When You’ve Outgrown Your Business: How to Reignite Your Spark in Midlife show art 326: When You’ve Outgrown Your Business: How to Reignite Your Spark in Midlife

HerBusiness

Have you ever woken up, looked at your calendar, and thought… “I should be excited about this, but I’m just tired?” You don’t HATE your business. In fact, things are working well. On the outside, you look successful. But inside, you’re feeling disconnected (and maybe even a little resentful). This is the midlife shift so many women business owners go through, even though it is RARELY talked about. In this episode, we’re talking about what it looks (and feels) like when your spark begins to fade, why it happens after years in business, and how you can bring the joy, desire, and...

info_outline
 
More Episodes

In business, we are so often told to stick to a pre-designed path – to stay focused, stick to the formula, and ignore the distractions. But what if curiosity is actually the key to creating a business that both puts money in your pocket and brings fulfilment to your life?

That’s what our guest, CEO and Founder of the Australian Writers’ Centre, Valerie Khoo, is all about. She believes that following your curiosity and leaning into your creativity can actually lead you somewhere you never imagined yourself – to the benefit of your business and personal life.

Here’s What You’ll Learn in the Episode: 

-> How following your curiosity leads to incredible breakthroughs in your business – boosting both your bottom line and your attitude.

-> Why embracing a culture of curiosity is essential for both your business and soul (and how to cultivate one!)

-> What curiosity really looks like in business, and why following strict formulas and structures might mute the internal voice that guides you.

-> The risks of blindly following strategies that don’t align with you – and how to spot when it’s time to reorient yourself.

-> How to distinguish between a “bright shiny object” and a curiosity thread that is worth exploring (and why sometimes, it’s OKAY to go down the “rabbit hole”).

-> The major discoveries Valarie has made when she decided to embrace curiosity and see where stray interests could lead her.

-> How a week at the gym inspired Valerie to scale the Australian Writers’ Centre all across Australia.

-> Why getting out of your bubble and learning from people outside your industry can lead to extraordinary ideas and new inspiration.

-> How a reality TV show ended up inspiring a course that has changed the lives of veterans and first responders – one of Valerie's most successful courses to this day.

-> Why we think of change in binary terms: stay OR pivot. And how you can embrace the in-between space rather than choosing between the two.

-> How to begin building a Curiosity Culture – and why it starts with giving yourself permission FIRST.

Mentioned in This Episode:

HerBusiness Network
https://her-business.lpages.co/request-an-invitation/?utm_source=Website&utm_medium=General&utm_campaign=membership-waitlist

HerBusiness Trailblazers Retreat - Crete, Greece
https://shrtlnk.co/DTrs6

EP301 - Resilience, Burnout, and the Power of Self-Compassion – Olivia Ong
https://herbusiness.com/podcast/resilience-burnout-and-the-power-of-self-compassion-with-dr-olivia-ong/