Advertise on podcast: The Women of Influence Podcast with Kate Meade

*This episode comes with a trigger warning* This episode is about the climb of her life. Not just overcoming an unimaginable ordeal...but a climb of the Sydney Habour Bridge, Mount Everest and the climb to refind herself. This is 100 Women in 100 Days (ish) It was 2014, the final year of the U.S. and NATO combat operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan, and River Ahmad was taking the bus from Ghazni province in the country’s southeast to Kabul. River had told her father she was traveling to the capital to study dentistry, and he’d agreed to buy her a bus ticket. But secretly, River, who was 18 at the time, hoped to become a journalist in Kabul, so that she could report on women’s rights The Taliban fighters entered the bus, River said. Then, without warning, they opened fire on the passengers. Amidst the flying bullets, River thought quickly. By chance, she happened to be on her period. She quickly wiped handfuls of blood across her face and pretended to be dead, as the gunmen walked down the aisles looking for survivors. As the two gunmen walked the length of the bus, they stopped at her seat. “The gunmen checked me,” she said. “One said ‘this prostitute is dead already’ and they walked away.” Twelve people on the bus were killed, she said. River was one of only three survivors. Ms Ahmad said when she was in Afghanistan, the walk to school and back took four hours. When she arrived in Kabul, River started a successful career as a radio journalist. She frequently covered women’s issues and advocated for equality, but under a pseudonym. But her anonymity and her work didn’t last. Once the Taliban figured out who was behind the voice, it was no longer safe for her to stay in Afghanistan. “At the end of 2019, I got a warning from the government and the Taliban,” she said. “They told me I should not keep advocating for women’s rights. I was also attacked many times. It wasn’t safe.” River fled Kabul for India, where she lived for three and a half years. Then, she obtained a humanitarian visa and relocated to Australia. This episode is what happens next.... Thank-you River for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, Kerryn was involved in a serious race fall. She fractured three vertebrae, with another displaced, and endured pain that required two hospital stays. We got to help Kerryn fill in one of her days while she recovers and we find out there is only one thing on her mind....'to get back on the track'. In 2021, Kerryn became a member of the order of Australia (AM) for significant service to harness racing and it is a resume that we couldn't cover completely in this interview but to give you an idea- Has driven nearly 4500 winners in harness racing – a world record for any female driver in the sport She became the first driver in Australasia – male or female – to achieve 300 wins in a single season, hitting a peak of 371 wins in the 2002/03 season. She repeated the 300+ wins in seasons 2004/05 and 2005/06. Was the first female driver to win a race both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres Thank-you Kerryn for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While her achievements on the track have earned global recognition, it was her heartfelt post-race comments at the Paris Olympics that captured the hearts of Australians. Her passionate encouragement for girls to stay involved in sport – not necessarily to become champions, but for the confidence, belonging and leadership it fosters – was hailed as “one of the best post-race interviews of the Olympics.” Alongside studying medicine at the University of Melbourne, Jemima is deeply committed to creating positive social change. She founded the Play On campaign to remove barriers to physical activity for adolescent girls. The initiative has reached thousands of Victorian girls through important conversations around women’s health, body image, nutrition, confidence and creating inclusive sporting environments. Raised in Melbourne, Jemima grew up participating in almost every sport imaginable before discovering race walking and representing Australia for the first time at the 2015 World Youth Championships. Her achievements include three consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals (2018, 2022 and 2026), silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and dual bronze medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Beyond medals, Jemima’s mission is to create a lasting impact through sport and inspire more young people to experience everything it has to offer. Thank-you Jemima for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie Martin will not follow the crowd. A woman of her own mind. She is the reminder that just because everyone is doing one thing; you don't have to. You can carve your own path...even if you don't know where to start... START! If you are looking for some inspiration to start today....this is IT! Georgie Martin grew up on the Central Coast of NSW, where she spent her school years at Hunter School of the Performing Arts. In hindsight, that probably explains why she can write a scene without picturing exactly how it would look staged. She wrote the first draft of Veins of Gold three years ago now, from a bus she built herself, somewhere on the road around Australia. Years of editing followed, then editing again, then editing some more, including one particularly long stretch spent deciding whether “Sentinel” deserved a capital S. (It did.) These days, Georgie lives in Sydney, going from one adventure to the next and chasing big dreams along the way. She reads constantly, travels whenever she can talk herself into it, and yes, she still writing. (More soon.) None of it would have happened without the people behind her: a loving, supportive family and boyfriend who backed the whole plan from day one, bus and all. She writes stories designed to feel like an escape – keeping readers in another world a little longer than they intended. Thank-you Georgie for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

During COVID it was thinking time for Suzanne. After always knowing she wanted to run her own business it was time. At the end of 2021 she knew she wanted color and she launched her fashion label Aston Studio. Always with the plan to go global this was no small project. If you need inspiration today; this is your 'GO BIG OR GO HOME' story ASTON STUDIO is an Australian contemporary womenswear label founded in Adelaide by Creative Director Suzanne Gallard. Defined by a distinctive approach to modern femininity, the brand brings together artistic expression, considered craftsmanship and a confident use of colour to create collections that are both expressive and refined. With a strong emphasis on original design, ASTON STUDIO collaborates with talented artists to develop exclusive hand-painted prints, bespoke stripes and plaids that form an integral part of the brand's identity. Vintage influences, beautiful fabrications and intricate detailing are thoughtfully reimagined through a contemporary lens, creating pieces that feel individual, recognisable and enduring. Spanning elevated ready-to-wear, statement occasion dressing and ASTON étoile, the brand's dedicated gown collection, ASTON STUDIO continues to evolve with a focus on exceptional design, craftsmanship and attention to detail. Rooted in creativity and individuality, ASTON STUDIO celebrates the joy of dressing, creating distinctive pieces designed to be worn, loved and treasured for years to come. Thank-you Suzanne for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September was Crohn’s & Colitis Australia’s Live Fearless Challenge, but behind the campaign there is Alessia; with an invisible illness and refusing to be defined by circumstances she never chose. At 25, Perth's Alessia Maio is studying to become a paramedic while managing Crohn’s disease that has required three surgeries this year alone and hospital treatment every four weeks. She first experienced symptoms at 16, including severe pain, bleeding and needing the bathroom up to 30 times a day, but wasn't diagnosed until she was 20. There are still days when Alessia comes home exhausted, in pain and dealing with symptoms nobody around her can see. Yet her experiences as a patient have helped shape the life she wants to build. She volunteers with children and families at Perth Children’s Hospital, is a member of the WA Ministerial Youth Advisory Council and is pursuing paramedicine because she wants to bring the empathy she has experienced as a patient into her own career in healthcare. As Alessia puts it, Crohn’s has been “a speed bump, not a roadblock”. Thank-you Alessia for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you need someone to just tell it to you straight? Career, life, family? Do you need someone that you won't always agree with but respect enough to hear out? Well, Laura is that for me and I hope for you too. Laura Racky is a Melbourne-based commercial lawyer, entrepreneur, and strategic advisor with nearly two decades of practice spanning commercial litigation, banking, finance, and insolvency. She is the founder and principal of commercial law firm llgold and serves as Chairman of the Board of Big Group Hug, a Melbourne not-for-profit supporting families in crisis. Laura holds degrees in Law and Arts and a Masters in Commercial Law from Monash University. She is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). Laura is my notifications on. She is my tough love. She is my sense of reason. Yep. It’s been a parasocial relationship. We had never met but I just knew we had too and it had to start with the Women of Influence Podcast. Thank-you Laura for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm telling you if there was ever a hype girl, a champion of others Alice would be it. When she stops to talk to you she sees you. She is present. I wonder sometimes how she carries this care. We get into that. I could have titled this podcast so many things- A bite to eat. New book incoming. It's the best food you will ever eat! But for me it was the uncovering, the peeling back of the young Alice and what she carried with her when she arrived in Australia. I think about that often. All this life that makes up the energy you see on the TV or hear on the radio. The way she stops to be with people. Really be.  This is the Women of Influence Podcast, 100 Women in 100 days (ish).  Alice Zaslavsky is an award-winning author, broadcaster and taste-maker. Born in Tbilisi, Georgia, the birthplace of wine, at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Alice grew up with a cuisine that reaches for the veg first; it’s no surprise then, that this is at the heart of her food philosophy, helping others across the world do the same through her books, radio & television work and columns. Alice is the host of the hit nightly cooking show A Bite to Eat with Alice on ABC TV and long- time Culinary Correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio nationally. In 2025 she was inducted into the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Hall of Fame as a Trailblazer for her work as an educator & communicator. Her vegetable bible In Praise of Veg has been translated into 7 languages (and counting!) in 15 countries, winning such accolades as a Gastronomisch gold medal in Germany, an ABIA in Australia, and a James Beard finalist in North America. She is also the author of CBCA Notable kids' fun food fact book Alice's Food A to Z, that helps kids fall in love with food, and cooking confidence un-locker Better Cooking. Salad for Days was shortlisted for an ABIA award, and described as “Stunning, fresh, luscious” by Yotam Ottolenghi, and “An exciting and enticing triumph” by Stephanie Alexander. Nigella Lawson declares “She just gets better and better”. Her latest book, Weeknights with Alice is a collection of 80 curated, colour-coded midweek dinners, starting with the veg, which made Maggie Beer declare that “Alice spreads more joy and confidence in the kitchen more than anyone I know.” Her 'You've Got This' recipe column in The Guardian and 'Ask Alice' advice column in Good Food encourage cooks of all abilities to get into the kitchen, and use what they’ve got - be it ingredient, skill, or gadget. She’s also the creator of the innovative digital food literacy tool kit Phenomenom, a comprehensive digital toolkit for schools that incorporates food into every subject in meaningful ways. Alice lives between Melbourne and the Mornington Peninsula, with her husband Nick, daughter Hazel, and dog Minnie, the very hungry Huntaway. Thank-you Alice for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zahra opens up and shares so generously. You don't get to the other side without a story that follows you. This is a story of survival. Removing oneself to live. Truly live. On one's own terms. This is 100 Women in 100 Days (ish) for the Women of Influence Podcast with Kate Meade.  Zahra Ciardi is a psychologist and the founder of Ascendant, which provides private residential and online mental health programs for high performers, entrepreneurs, executives and individuals navigating complex psychological challenges. Having moved to Australia from Kuwait as a young child with a refugee background, Zahra experienced displacement, cultural transition and the process of rebuilding life in a new country from an early age. These formative experiences helped shape her understanding of resilience, identity and emotional wellbeing, inspiring a deep interest in mental health and the factors that allow people to move beyond survival and create meaningful, lasting change. Thank-you Zahra for sitting with me and sharing. Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Georgie Purcell is a Member of the Victorian Parliament Legislative Council, proudly representing the Animal Justice Party in Northern Victoria. If you were expecting a podcast full of unpacking policies this is not the podcast for you today. If you are curious about being diagnosed with Autism and ADHD later in life just after having a baby and living and working in public life this is exactly what you will get. Having a career and being a mother or being a mother and having a career- Georgie says we have a long way to go.Women just can't win.  Thank-you Georgie for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beginning her career in top hotels, Anna Musson found herself fascinated by the ‘right’ way of doing things and the impact it had on those around her. She pursued her interest and found herself working under etiquette stalwart, June Dally-Watkins. In 2007, Anna began her own business The Good Manners Company, which has become the top etiquette provider in Australia. Anna has worked with companies, athletes and schools across the country, to help them improve the way they hold themselves. With a cheeky and fresh approach to etiquette and manners, Anna has been propelled into the media, with her views featured on television, radio and print. Believing that etiquette is influential, Anna demonstrates to audiences the power it can have on an individual's careers, relationships and lives. Thank-you Anna for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Sarah Quinn, founder of My Charity Runway and has led teams raising over $380 million for Australian charities, and recently through fashion initiatives. Her vision is to create a new form of ethical fashion - one that connects fashion lovers and designers to meaningful causes and hardworking charities. The first My Charity Runway event celebrates a curated selection of emerging female Australian designers and the causes each designer is passionate about, often due to a meaningful personal connection and it's happening this Friday.  But how did Sarah get here? From China to Australia. Following a boy after falling in love. Going on to studying Law and combining her passions to create My Charity Runway. Thank-you Sarah for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are looking for a night at the Opera this is your sign!  Melbourne Opera’s production of Il Trovatore opens on 23 August, dedicated to the memory of Dame Joan Sutherland, AC DBE, in celebration of her centenary year. Suzanne Chaundy is the Executive Director Melbourne Opera Trained at NIDA as a director, Suzanne is Australia's foremost director of the works of Richard Wagner. Her career spans opera, text-based theatre, special events and outdoor spectacle. Operas directed include Le Nozze di Figaro, Cosi fan tutte, La traviata, Der Freischütz, Werther, Maria Stuarda, Tannhäuser, Anna Bolena , Our Man in Havana, Lohengrin, Roberto Devereux, Tristan und Isolde, Der fliegende Holländer, Norma, Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, Siegfried, Götterdämmerung, Lucia di Lammermoor and Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Suzanne has directed for Melbourne Opera, Lyric Opera of Melbourne, West Australian Opera, Opera Australia, Victorian State Opera, IMG, Red Stitch Actors Theatre, La Mama, Anthill Theatre, Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company. She is the founder and director of the Richard Divall Emerging Opera Artists Program. Suzanne directed signature productions for Australia’s internationally renowned outdoor performance troupe Strange Fruit. Her Strange Fruit productions have been presented at over 400 festivals and events in Australia, Europe, UK, Asia, Latin America and the USA. Suzanne completed her first Ring Cycle in Bendigo for Melbourne Opera and recently directed Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg at the UNESCO World Heritage Royal Exhibition Building to huge critical and audience acclaim. Thank-you Suzanne for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If there is one thing you listen to this weekend. Please let it be this.  Liz Hiklin's life changed at age 90.  She described always knowing she had a light inside her waiting to get out. Then at 90 her life changed.  She says 'don't wait to let the world she your light'.  I did have to repeat a question a couple of times. You know this series is raw and unedited. Unfortunately Liz had accidently left her hearing aides on when she had a shower the night before and it presented a little challenge but I think we got there.  I have purchase my tickets to Liz upcoming show. It is my hope you will hear this episode and come along too.  Liz Hicklin: 95 & Still Alive Glen Eira Library service Event Date: 27 June 2026 02:00 PM to 27 June 2026 03:00 PM Event link: https://www.storytellingfestival.com.au/events-calendar/liz-hicklin-95-still-al… A poet, humourist, storyteller and author with razor sharp wit, Liz takes audiences on a hilarious and heartfelt ride through nine and a half decades of life, love and human absurdity. With wit, candour and disarming honesty, Liz explores what it means to live a long life — the grief and joy, the reinvention and reckoning, the humour that sustains us, and the wisdom that only time can shape. Spoiler alert: Liz reveals her secrets for longevity and a fulfilling life and she proves that life doesn’t begin at 30 — it gets funnier at 90! 95 and Still Alive is a rare and powerful theatrical experience — one woman, nine and a half decades, and a lifetime of insight delivered with warmth, intelligence and irrepressible spirit. Thank-you Liz for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Be excellent at what you do. Not perfect. This is your reminder that you don't have to be perfect at what you do but aim for excellence. This is Carmen Pavlovic is the CEO & Producer of Global Creatures. Think Walking with Dinosaurs, How to train your Dragon, King Kong, Moulin Rouge! Growing up in a busy family with a busy mind there is no stopping Carmen. This isn't a romance story of falling in love with theatre. No breakthrough moment. This is of vision and grit. Taking calculated gambles and risks but with a plan and a strategy. If there is one thing you can walk away with it's - Be excellent, not perfect. I think I need that on a poster! And if you are lucky enough to get an interview for a job with Carmen she reveals her one interesting question she wants to know about you.  Thank-you Carmen for sitting with me and sharing. This is 100 Women in 100 days (ish) Enjoy the episode Luv Kate OH! And if you are listening for the first time! This is your introduction (required reading). This series is unedited, raw and just gets straight into it. You have been warned! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.