Here's my dirty little secret: after five years of podcasting, I still get sweaty palms before hitting record. Every. Single. Time. In this episode, I'm joined by Brianna Ansaldo from Bamby Media, who has been gently pushing me toward sharing more of myself and my personal stories—away from the safe harbour of interviewing guests and into the terrifying waters of actually talking about me, my life and my mistakes.

You'll discover why those supposedly "inappropriate" or "unprofessional" parts of our stories are actually gold, creating those "oh my god, me too" moments that build real connection. We discuss the crucial difference between sharing your story and trauma-dumping on the internet, emphasising the importance of sharing from a healed place rather than the raw, bleeding edge of whatever you're going through right now.

I share what happened when I started getting more human in my content and why vulnerability enhanced rather than hurt my credibility. In a world where AI can generate decent business advice in seconds, your messy, beautifully human stories are your competitive advantage that no algorithm can replicate.

Connect with Brianna:

Website: https://www.bambymedia.com/

Instagram: @bamby_media

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn6XPp0MVgHZMndAh-25_Qw

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

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As we glide into the second half of 2025, I've been taking this mid year mark as an opportunity to go back through some of my most popular episodes from last year... This one was too good not to share again.

It's as relevant today as it was when I first released it. Enjoy!

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I am a raging introvert. Yes, I love getting out running business events, meeting new people and being around other humans, but I also need a lot of downtime afterwards.

As an introvert, I need a lot of space on my own so that I can recharge.

When you run your own business, networking and building relationships is one of the key activities that you need to give attention to. But if you’re an introvert, that’s often not something you feel particularly enthusiastic about doing.

So how do you reach out to other business people as an introvert?

I have a few key strategies that have helped me build valuable relationships as an introvert, and my hope is that they help you too.

LINKS:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/book/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Thriving Women

As we glide into the second half of 2025, I've been taking this mid year mark as an opportunity to go back through some of my most popular episodes from last year... This one was too good not to share again.

It's as relevant today as it was when I first released it. Enjoy!

If you had to choose between in-person or virtual offering, what would be your preference?

You might be sitting there thinking, well hang on there are pros and cons to both of them. I want to show up in my pj bottoms and a top knot which is great for virtual, but in-person that may be frowned upon. In-person is a lot more effort.

But maybe in-person is better because we feel more connected to the other humans in the room, and we can achieve more results.

You’re probably now more confused and for that, I’m not apologising. It’s a long-standing debate and one I’m eager to tackle for you. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of each approach for your business, and see where it leads.

LINKS:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://www.emmamcqueen.com.au/book/

Mentioned in this episode:

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I have a confession that might shock you: I am not a romantic. In fact, I might just be the worst romantic you'll ever meet—just ask my husband Mark, whose first ever birthday gift from me was a mop (yikes!). But this seeming shortfall in romance has actually emerged as a distinct advantage in business, and I'm here to explain exactly how my extremely practical nature has become one of my biggest strengths.

In this episode, I share how practicality drives everything from building intentional communities at our Go-Getter Days and Thriving Women dinners to obsessing over sales numbers and tracking every detail that keeps the business moving forward. You'll discover how I've turned ideas into tangible intellectual property assets like masterclasses, books and guides that genuinely help women in business, and why measuring what matters beats playing guessing games every single time.

We’ll also explore the balance between practicality and intuition - that connection between head, heart and gut needed to ensure we’re making the right decisions. If you've ever felt like you're too practical for this romantic world, this episode is your permission slip to embrace that strength and discover how it can become your secret business weapon.

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

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Growing up with a mum who battled bipolar disorder taught me one crucial lesson early: I had to rely on myself. While other kids were playing, I was managing daily routines, providing emotional support and stepping into the role of the responsible adult.

While still in highschool I had moved out of home and got a distress call from my mum. She was married to a man who was no good and I knew I had to act. I drove over there, packed her bags and took her to a safe house to escape domestic violence. Terrifying? Absolutely. But even at that young age, I realised that if I didn't take charge, no one else would.

Years later, this lesson was cemented into my professional life as well. Despite being repeatedly told by an old boss that I was terrible at sales (gee, thanks) I realised I needed to re-write that narrative. If I was starting my own business, I couldn’t afford to believe that I was terrible at sales. It was up to me to make it happen.

Having a community is amazing and it’s great to have support, but at the end of the day, you need to do the work. You’ve gone into business to create freedom, choice and generate revenue - so go out and make it happen.

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

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What happens when you commit to saying yes to everything for an entire year? In this episode, I share the story of my "Year of Yes" that began with a bold move from Perth to Melbourne in my early twenties, knowing absolutely no one and having no job waiting for me. This simple concept of saying yes to every invitation, opportunity and adventure that came my way led to some surprising places and invaluable lessons that shaped both my personal life and business approach.

We’ll explore how saying yes in those critical early business years can lead to unique collaborations and clients you might otherwise miss, even when it means facing rejection and learning who your right people really are. We’ll talk about the delicate balance between embracing every opportunity and recognising when you need to slow down.

I challenge you to examine whether you're saying no too often and missing out on unexpected growth opportunities. Could substituting a flat no with "yes, and..." or "yes, however..." open doors to new possibilities? This year of yes taught me that the world is full of opportunities waiting to happen—it's about choosing a mindset of growth and adventure, leaping into the unknown and learning to soar along the way.

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

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I fainted during my own Masterclass. Yep, you read right! I'm mid-way through my own masterclass, trying to be the portrait of professionalism, when suddenly I decide it’s the perfect moment to perform a dramatic fainting act – right there in front of 50 Zoom participants.

As you can imagine, this was extremely embarrassing. Thankfully, I can laugh about it now. I’ve also come to realise that even our biggest moments of ‘failure’ can lead us to some pretty awesome learnings.

In this episode, I share the story of how what started as a family weekend dealing with my daughter's illness led to a chain of events that left me unwell, but my determination to show up for my community meant I pushed through anyway—with some fairly surprising consequences.

You'll hear about the moment I collapsed during the live session and what happened when I woke up to discover how my community responded. This experience completely shifted my perspective on what I'd actually built over the years and taught me some beautiful lessons about genuine support and the power of a solid community.

We explore what true community really means, how it extends beyond immediate proximity and why the response I received wasn't what you might expect. I discuss the lessons learnt about mutual support, shared resilience and what it means to truly show up for each other.

To everyone listening, I hope you have or can build a community like that—a warm embrace, ready to support you unfailingly. Let this story remind you of the power of unity and encouragement, and that sometimes our most vulnerable moments reveal the strongest foundations we've built. And that’s (almost) worth fainting for!

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

Mentioned in this episode:

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What happens when 65 ambitious women in business gather together under one roof? I’ll tell you what happens - pure magic.

The feedback from our latest Go-Getter Day was that the event felt like family. Imagine a group of inspiring women gathered together to connect, grow and support one another through networking and expert bespoke coaching. It’s a day filled with collaboration and community where some real work gets done, leaving everyone feeling empowered and invigorated.

I never set out to become an event host, but watching women travel across Australia to be part of Go-Getter Day has shown me that we've built something truly special.

Expert Bespoke Coaching

The Queen's Council offers personalised coaching from a panel of five experts—bespoke coaching with me, a social media expert, a Meta ads expert, a virtual assistant expert and Tracy Rudich, our booby expert from Intimo. That’s right - boobies! It was an absolute hit.

Networking on the day is dynamic and intentional. Lunch becomes an opportunity to connect with fresh faces, fostering unexpected relationships that often become lasting partnerships. Afternoons transform into hot seat sessions—ten-minute focused discussions that consistently spark insights, lots of laughter and tears. Always tears.

Conquering Self Promotion Fears

After the hot seat sessions, one of the highlights for me is when these fabulous women courageously get up on the mic in front of everyone to conquer their self-promotion fears. This builds incredible confidence as women articulate their mission, knowing they have the full attention of a supportive room.

Community That Transcends Everything

Go-Getter Day welcomes everyone with open arms - from business newbies to entrepreneurs with multimillion dollar businesses because the value of community truly does transcend revenue. And that’s the whole point of this very special day - connection and community.

Our next gathering is September 4th so if you would love to be supported by a genuine community of like minded women, we would love to see you there.

Emma McQueen:

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/