Advertise on podcast: Grow Your Influence

In this episode of Grow Your Influence Juliet is joined by Di Geddes, the founder and CEO of Exceptional Care for You and author of Courage to Be Me. Di set up a new business in her early 50s, after emerging from challenges that could have seen her give up. She specialises in disability care and is passionate about bringing her values to her work. The growth of her business is a testament to he strength and dedication. In 2025 Di wrote about her experiences and the drivers that helped her create her business. In this conversation, she talks about what inspired her, what helps guide the rapid growth over the past five years and how she found the time and support to write her book. To connect with Di: https://www.exceptionalcareforyou.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/di-geddes-166417247/ You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Today we are joined by special guest Dr Shae Wissell from Re:Think Dyslexia. Dr. Shae Wissell is a thought leader, researcher, and internationally recognised advocate for adults with dyslexia and neurodivergence. A certified practicing speech pathologist, she holds a Master of Public Health and Health Administration and a Doctor of Public Health. With extensive experience in health, not-for-profit, and social enterprise sectors, Shae directs re:think dyslexia and founded the chair of the Dear Dyslexic Foundation, leveraging her lived experience and diverse expertise to provide coaching, advocacy, and workforce solutions. Her research focuses on the lived experiences of Australian adults with dyslexia, examining social inequalities in healthcare, education, employment, relationships, and mental health. A published author and presenter, Shae’s work has been research has been recognised locally and internationally. Shae recently published her second book based on her research and lived experiences Dyslexia: Insights into the hidden disability In and Out of the Workplace. As a coach, Shae empowers dyslexic individuals and entrepreneurs to achieve their goals through empathetic and impactful coaching. She also advises workplaces on creating inclusive environments and shaping policies and training programs to maximise the potential of neurodiverse employees. If you’d like to connect with Shar, you can find her website here: https://rethinkdyslexia.com.au/ Or connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-shae-marie-wissell-b95aaa31/ To contact their helpline call: 1800 13 63 27 You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

It’s the new year and the perfect time for new beginnings. In this episode of Grow Your Influence Juliet is joined by Georgie Somerset to talk about the pathway to serving on a Board. Georgie has served on a number of Boards over the years, including as a founding Director of the Red Earth Community Foundation. She runs the family cattle business with her husband and children, and is currently Deputy Chair of the ABC, Chair of Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section), and a Director of Redd Earth and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR). In this first of two conversations with Georgie over Summer, we talk about her path to Board roles and what you can do if this is a path that interests you. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode of Grow Your Influence we kick off our Summer Series and Kristy-Lee is joined by Lexi Smith from MoneyVine. Lexi helps individuals and couples gain clarity, create a plan and take confident steps with their money. In 2020, after a decade as a Financial Adviser, she side-stepped into Financial Coaching. She has an energetic ENTP personality, which gives her a knack for problem solving and offering fresh perspectives. Lexi’s team sessions focus on optimising cashflow - boosting income, understanding expenses and finding ways to improve your financial trajectory. To connect with Lexi: https://moneyvine.com.au/ https://www.instagram.com/moneyvine.au/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexi-smith-moneyvine/ You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode of Grow Your Influence Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about needing to take back control when your team seem to have decided they are going to run things. We share our experiences working with business owners who have allowed team members, especially key team members to be involved in areas of the business that involve key decisions and strategies, and then find themselves almost working for the team members, instead of the other way around. Juliet and Kristy-Lee discuss the concept and boundaries, and how they play a part in this behaviour developing. Also, this is our final ‘regular’ episode of 2025 before we head into our ‘Summer Series’ where we will be bringing you interesting, interviews, conversations and discussions Kristy-Lee and Juliet have had throughout 2025. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

This is a tricky one.  Do you feel completely confident when dealing with your team or talking with your boss, but lose that confidence when you’re around your peers?  Often, particularly if we are highly analytical and have a perfectionist streak, it can be easy for that voice in our head to tell us we’re not good enough, to question who are we to have a view, push a point or insist on an outcome.  A few clients have raised this with us and it’s a hard one to counter. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges of imposter syndrome, particularly when we know rationally that we good at what we do.  And we discuss the challenges of holding boundaries with our peers when we feel this way. There are things we can do to shift this feeling and we would love to hear from you if this is something you struggle with or have overcome. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

When you set up a business you tend to be across everything and, as the business and your team grows, there are challenges and opportunities as you let go of some things and embrace a different role. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges we face as our role changes and we need to move from working mostly ‘in’ the business, to needing to work more ‘on’ the business. This transition can be difficult, particularly if you are a technical specialist and a ‘doer’. Letting go of the doing, trusting others to deliver and stepping into the strategic side of the business can be a huge challenge. We discuss how you can make this shift in small ways so you build trust with your team and build your confidence in them delivering on your goals. Have you transitioned to a more strategic role as your team grew?  We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

Many rural and regional businesses work with seasonal workers, volunteers and ’88 dayers” - those young international travellers with holiday visa who need to work for 88 days in a rural or regional area in order to have their visa extended.  Christmas, school holidays and other occasions mean we are often taking on staff ‘for the season’ wherever we are. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are talking about some of the challenges and opportunities in leading these people whilst keeping your core team motivated. Anytime someone joins or leaves our team it has an impact on the culture of the team and seasonal or transient team members can bring strengths and energy or can dislocate a team and throw everything off balance.   We discuss how to bring these people into the team in ways that get the best from them and integrate them into the team as effectively as possible. Have you had seasonal or transient workers join your team? What was your experience? We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast, we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are discussing the tricky task of building connection and trust when you’re new in a leadership role, or leading a new team. With movement in the market many leaders may be facing this challenge right now, and the quicker connection and trust can be built, the quicker they can get down to achieving results for them and the teams they lead. In this episode we discuss strategies to build connection and trust quickly and effectively with the team you lead, but also with the leaders you report to and your peers in the leadership team. What’s your experience in building connection and trust when you’ve been new to an organisation, or leading a new team? We’d love to hear from you. You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee are tackling a particularly tricky topic – how to have the ‘personal hygiene’ difficult conversation. As leaders we need to have so many different types of difficult conversations, but the personal hygiene the one we are all least comfortable with. We discuss how to approach this sensitive topic with a team member, as well as the ways we probably would avoid dealing with this issue. Have you had to have this conversation with anyone on your team? How did you approach it? We’d love to hear! You can share your thoughts and experience with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode we are celebrating 100 episodes of Grow Your Influence and Juliet and Kristy-Lee are taking a look back at the last four years since our first episode launched in 2021. As we reflect back on the topics we have discussed and the discussions we have had, we discuss the fact that similar themes continue to be important to leaders across all industries, no matter what season of business we are in. From hybrid work, to dealing with difficult people, the importance of values and culture and trust are all still fundamental leadership factors. If you are a long time listener of the podcast, or you are new to our community, we’d love to hear what topics you’ve loved most, and what you would like us to tackle in our next 100 episodes. You can share your thoughts with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode of the podcast we're sharing one of our most popular conversations. In this episode we tackle the bane of everyone’s work life: difficult people and how to deal with them, wherever they appear in your work life. We waste so much time and energy dealing with people who behave badly.  Often we put the conversation off for as long as possible and sometimes we avoid these conversations altogether.  What we know is that avoiding dealing with difficult behaviour is not going to change anything.  As leaders, there are some simple things we can do to connect with and manage difficult people, particularly if they are on our team. Starting with a plan is important and what you role model for your team gives them an idea for how they can also deal with these situations. We give you our top tips for dealing with these difficult people. We’d love to hear your thoughts at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/

Today we are joined by Kate Russell from The Huddle for a discussion on dealing with conflict in the workplace. Kate is the Founder of The Huddle—a business built on deep listening, emotional safety, and the belief that conflict can be transformative, not destructive. She’s not a lawyer, nor does she have a master’s degree in conflict resolution. Kate does have over 30 years of lived, professional experience navigating some of the most emotionally complex and high-stakes environments you can imagine—from child support and family services to workplace conflict and leadership breakdowns. Kate has worked with people in crisis, in silence, in fury, in heartbreak—and she has walked beside them without flinching. Not to fix them. But to hear them. To reflect them. To help them find their way back to themselves and each other. Kate created The Huddle for leaders and teams who are ready to have real conversations—the kind that heal fractures, build trust, and reshape culture from the inside out. Her approach blends conflict transformation, trauma-informed practice, emotional intelligence, and good old-fashioned human decency. She is noy here to tell people what to do. She is here to help them listen better, lead better, and live better—at work and beyond. If you’d like to connect with Kate her website is: https://www.thehuddle.net.au/ Or connect with her on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conflictcoachandteambuilder/ If you are currently juggling this challenge we’d love to hear from you. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson        Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett      People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.

In this episode we are talking about the pattern we’re seeing of businesses looking to bring people back into the office on a more permanent and full time basis and how we manage this with the pull for flexibility. In this discussion we unpack how we can balance this with people working from home, generating productivity, keeping team connection and managing individual morale. We discuss how this looks different for different businesses, and even how this may differ amongst teams within the one organisation. Of course when making changes to patterns to work we need to consider what’s best for the organisation as a whole, as well as for teams and individuals. If you are currently juggling this challenge we’d love to hear from you about how you’re approaching this change and what’s working well for you in striking the balance. You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson   Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billett People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.  

So often when we are recruiting new people into our teams, we are doing it under pressure.  We need someone NOW and it can be tempting to just fill the job that has been created, rather than thinking strategically about the skills we need in our team. When we’re recruiting we often bring in people like us.  People we can relate to in interviews so we think they will fit in the team and we can train them up for the job.  Sometimes that works.  Often it doesn’t.  And either way, it takes a lot more time and energy that taking a skills-based approach in the beginning. In this episode Juliet and Kristy-Lee talk about the challenges of recruiting for a skills-based team that also ‘works’.  That is, the new joiners ‘fit’ with the team culture and have the skills to contribute immediately, even if the way they work and communicate is a bit different from the existing team. There are some key steps you can take to ensure the role you’re filling is what’s required and that your next hire hits the ground running. If you have been have a strategy for your recruitment we would love to hear from you about how you have navigate this.  You can share your experiences with us at https://www.facebook.com/growyourinfluence/ And if you would like to connect with us, including accessing free resources on this and other leadership challenges, you can do this at: Juliet Robinson           Big Goals Kristy-Lee Billet           People Powered Business If you enjoy our podcast we would love a review on whichever platform you access your episodes.