Erica Berchtold moved from the bricks and mortar world of fashion to take over the reins as CEO of one of Australia’s top online retailers, The Iconic. In the few short years Erica has been there, The Iconic has dealt with covid and doubled the size of its business. She talks to Sandra about the importance of customer service, and why curiosity plays a big part in progress. You can find out more about The Iconic here: https://www.theiconic.com.au/playbook/story See omnystudio.com/listener...

Dr Rebecca Johnson is one of Australia’s most valuable exports. A scientist whose passions include STEM and wildlife conservation, Rebecca was the first woman to hold the Chief Scientist role at the Australian Museum. She is currently Chief Scientist and Associate Director of Science at The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The Smithsonian is the largest museum of natural history in the world and houses an incredible 148 million specimens and objects. So how did a girl from...

Nicole Livingstone is one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers, winning the 50m, 100m and 200m Australian long-course backstroke titles when she was only 15. She has represented Australia at three Olympic Games and also won a record-breaking 10 consecutive 100m backstroke titles between 1987 and 1996. After retiring from competitive swimming Nicole moved into commentating and sports administration, and in 2017 she was appointed General Manager of Women’s Football (AFLW). She is the first...

Anita Jacoby is one of Australia’s top TV producers. From producing iconic shows including 60 Minutes, Enough Rope, Weekend Sydney, Today and The Gruen Transfer to heading up ITV Studios in Australia, she has been exposing the truth about other people for more than 30 years. A born storyteller, Anita had the surprise of her life to find the most fascinating tale she’d ever heard was actually her own father’s. This episode contains mention of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help,...

TV presenter and radio host Myf Warhurst is arguably one of the most respected music experts in Australia and is probably best known for her role as team captain on the much-loved music quiz show Spicks and Specks, but her voice can also be heard in an iconic animated children’s series. From regional Victoria to Eurovision, she opens up to Sandra about her illustrious career, her love of architecture and how she recently discovered she was very nearly related to the singer John Farnham. See...

Stacy Jane is an incredibly inspiring and courageous woman. Moving countries after fleeing an abusive relationship, she used her experiences to help others by founding Escabags. Escabags provides ‘escape bags’, handmade tote bags containing essential items that a victim and his or her children would need when first leaving a dangerous or abusive situation. In two short years, about 5,000 escape bags have been collected. Escabags are now available in 1,000 locations around Australia, a...

Lisa McGuigan is a fourth-generation winemaker from Australia’s Hunter Valley.  A true force of nature, she is known for her distinctive Gothic style and her unique metallic wine labels. From finishing school in Switzerland to opening the cellar door of her dreams (in a pandemic), Lisa opens up about how winemaking wasn’t her first love and the challenges of being recognised as a winemaker in her own right. As she says, life’s too short not to drink good wine. You can find out more about...

Launched just before Covid brought the world to a standstill, the timing actually proved just right for Jessica Brown’s Warrior Woman Foundation. Through the Foundation Jessica is making a massive difference to the lives of at-risk and vulnerable women, providing mentoring and education programs to help them live safely and independently. Jessica’s goal is for every Australian woman to achieve independence through, among other things, financial wellbeing, especially younger women...

Who is Nicola Forrest? Mother, philanthropist and country girl at heart, Nicola has largely flown under the radar – until now. From walking two steps behind her husband, mining magnate Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, Nicola has now stepped out into her own light. The co-founder and co-chair of the Minderoo Foundation is passionate about bettering the lives of our children and helping them reach their full potential, and through her Women For Progress and Thrive By Five initiatives is campaigning...

After 15 years in the corporate space, Michelle Bowditch went from being an employee to running her own business. She created Door 20a after seeing a need to help women understand the tech side of business. A self-confessed tech lover, Michelle now uses her passion for technology to help women in business and Executive Assistants to get ahead. A former EA herself, she recently founded the Australian Admin Awards to celebrate these unsung heroes of the business world. Find out more about...

Lenore Taylor is one of Australia’s best-known journalists. In this open and honest conversation, the two-time Walkley winner opens up about her illustrious career, from meeting Sandra in the Press Gallery in Canberra 30 years ago to her current role as editor of Guardian Australia, overcoming impostor syndrome (is that possible?) and the changing face of media. And what role does Tik Tok play in the future of journalism? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Natalie Walker has an impressive resume and has held positions in human rights and Indigenous affairs in the not-for-profit, corporate and government sectors. The founder of Inside Policy, she was the inaugural CEO of Supply Nation, has represented Australia in the G20 Women Business Leaders Taskforce and was recently appointed Social Commissioner of the Greater Sydney Commission. Natalie also holds non-executive director positions with Goodstart Early Learning and the Paul Ramsay...

Are some of your friendships actually bad for you and your health? Neuropsychologist Dr Hannah Korrel has spent the last 10 or so years figuring out why our brain makes us do the things we do. Drawing on some of her own experiences, Hannah has written a book about navigating friendships - and knowing when to let go. She talks to Sandra about toxic friendships, what makes a good friend, and why some friendships are more emotionally draining than others. How many friends do you really...

When Colleen Callander started her first job in fashion retail at 16, she had no idea it would be the start of a 30-year career that would lead to her being CEO of two of Australia’s most iconic fashion brands, Sussan and Sportsgirl. Now a successful mentor and author, Colleen has made it her mission to help shape the new era of female leadership. https://www.colleencallander.com.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since founding Australia for UNHCR 20 years ago, Naomi Steer has certainly made her mark on the world of philanthropy. Naomi is a passionate advocate for refugees, and under her leadership the agency has grown to be one of the UNHCR’s 10 top private-sector contributors worldwide. She talks to Sandra about philanthropy and the detrimental affect the pandemic has had on already-difficult situations for refugee women and their families. Find out more about Australia for UNHCR here:...

In the last episode of our special series highlighting the finalists of this year’s Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, Sandra talks to Hannah Diviney from Missing Perspectives. Missing Perspectives was formed as a global publication platform with one mission - to address the under-representation of women and girls in news worldwide by teaching them journalistic skills and helping them find their voice. Here’s where you can find out more about Missing Perspectives:...

In the penultimate episode of our series highlighting the finalists of this year’s Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, Sandra talks to Mannie Kaur Verma from Veera.   Taking its name from the Punjabi term meaning ‘brave girl’, Veera was set up to assist migrant women in Australia who are the victims of domestic and family violence    Find out more about Veera here: www.veera.org.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fourth of our series highlighting the finalists of the Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, Sandra talks to Angelique Wan, co-founder and director of Consent Labs. Identifying the growing need to change the culture around sexual consent, Consent Labs‘ mission is to help reduce the high rates of sexual harassment and assault on young people in Australia. The not-for-profit organisation does this through education, delivering programs to schools and tertiary...

Continuing our series highlighting the finalists of this year’s Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, this time Sandra talks to the founders of JAM The Label, Emma Clegg and Molly Rogers. It was through their work as occupational therapists that Emma and Molly realised there was a real need for inclusive clothing for young people with disability. They set up JAM The Label to ensure that young people with disability have access to clothing that’s fashionable as well as...

In the second of our series highlighting the finalists of this year’s Australian Women’s Weekly Women Of The Future Awards, Sandra talks to the founders of She Runs, Martina Ucnikova & Jessica Smith.   Based in Western Australia, She Runs is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to empower women to be at the forefront of political life and civil society in Australia, by providing the skills they need to run their own successful campaigns.   Find out more about She Runs here -...

Short Black is delighted to be partnering with Australian Women’s Weekly as they get ready to announce the winner of this year's Women Of The Future Awards. Now in its ninth year, the awards help exceptional Australian women aged 18-34 develop projects that will transform lives. Over the next six weeks, Short Black will be showcasing each of the trailblazing finalists, who will all share their incredible stories with Sandra.  This week, Sandra is talking to Camille Goldstone-Henry from NSW....

Collette Dinnigan is one of Australia’s most successful fashion and interior designers. She has shown at Paris Fashion Week more than 30 times, and her clothes have been worn by the likes of the Duchess of Cambridge, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Kylie Minogue, P!nk, Diana Ross, Cameron Diaz and Beyoncé. In recent years she’s launched a ceramics line, has a number of short-stay properties both in Australia and Italy, and has written a couple of children’s books. She’s even appeared on a...

Julia Morris is one of Australia’s most accomplished performers. But when she’s not co-hosting I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here!, touring her stand-up shows, writing, producing or popping into television and radio studios across the country, who is she? It’s a frank, funny conversation about showbiz, saving lives, and all the important things including how many raspberry bullets does it take to get through a lockdown. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sister Mary-Lynne Cochrane has been living with chronic pain for nearly 40 years. A diagnosis of debilitating arthritis started a chain of events which has led to 24 surgeries and a 30-year dependence on opioids. Now drug free and managing her pain through a multi-disciplinary approach, Mary-Lynne believes that no one should have to live with chronic pain. With one in five Australians currently living with pain, Mary-Lynne is using her voice and her story to help sufferers enjoy a better...

Like most kids brought up in rural Australia, Sarah Prime couldn’t wait to leave the family farm in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula and head for the bright lights of the big city. Returning to the area years later she was shocked to see that the once-thriving towns and communities of her childhood were now, in her words, places that ‘people sped past on their way to somewhere else’. Realising that the decline in rural areas was heading to a point of no return, she left her corporate career...