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Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Di Geddes, founder of Exceptional Care For You, a values-led disability and aged care business she started at 54 after rebuilding her life following breast cancer, divorce, workplace bullying, grief and years of caring for others.

What began with a desire to make a difference has grown into a business employing more than 90 people, proving it's never too late to start again.

Di shares how encouragement from clients, the support of mentors and learning to believe in herself gave her the confidence to take the leap into business. She reflects on the milestones that mattered most, from securing her first office to leading a growing team, and the mindset shifts required to transition from doing everything herself to becoming the CEO her business needed.

Together, Trudy and Di explore values-led leadership, compassion in business, building culture, trusting others, setting boundaries, overcoming loneliness as a business owner, and redefining success beyond revenue alone.

If you've ever questioned whether it's too late to start over, struggled to let go of control, or wondered what it really takes to lead a growing business, this conversation is for you.


Connect with Di Geddes

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Episode Highlights

01:22 Meet Di Geddes

03:07 Rebuilding after cancer, divorce and adversity

05:50 Finding purpose through care

06:38 The mentor who encouraged Di to start her business

08:54 Strength, support and healing

11:20 Letting go of resentment

12:41 Starting a business at 54

14:20 Why positive feedback changed everything

15:40 The mindset shift from employee to business owner

19:04 Moving from operator to organisation

20:57 Scaling the business and thinking like a CEO

23:30 Building a business led by compassion

25:09 Looking beyond the NDIS headlines

26:14 Can compassion and profit coexist?

26:51 Hiring for values before skills

29:52 Boundaries, trust and leadership

32:28 Building your business tribe

35:38 Lessons in loyalty and leadership

38:31 What the CEO Shift really means

39:14 Redefining success and leadership

41:28 Designing a business that supports retirement

43:22 Why it's never too late to begin again

45:18 Final takeaways


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Season 4 of Fempire Rising begins with a conversation every business owner needs to hear.

In this special panel episode, Trudy Heins is joined by Laura Connarty-Duncan, Karen Evans, and Dena Piro, three Fempire Certified Business Coaches with decades of combined experience across corporate leadership, business ownership and coaching.

Together, they explore what it really means to make The CEO Shift. That point where working harder is no longer the answer, and stepping into leadership becomes the key to sustainable business growth.

The panel shares personal stories of career pivots, leadership lessons, imposter moments, burnout, confidence, delegation and the realities of building businesses that don't rely on the owner doing everything.

This conversation is practical, honest and full of commercial insight for women who are ready to stop operating in their business and start leading it.

In this episode, Trudy, Laura, Karen and Dena discuss:

•  What The CEO Shift really means and why every business owner eventually reaches it. 
•  The difference between being busy and being commercially effective. 
•  Why so many women underestimate the value of their own experience. 
•  Building confidence through action rather than waiting until you feel ready. 
•  Delegation, systems and why they need to happen earlier than most business owners think. 
•  The mindset shifts required to move from operator to leader. 
•  The importance of boundaries, resilience and building a business that supports your life. 
•  Practical advice for women who are ready to lead with more confidence and commercial clarity. 

Episode Highlights

00:00 Welcome to Season 4: The CEO Shift

02:49 Meet the panel: Laura Connarty-Duncan, Karen Evans & Dena Piro

09:45 The first signs you've become the bottleneck

17:36 Why the CEO Shift starts with mindset

23:08 Delegation, outsourcing and letting go

28:38 Systems: Why you need them earlier than you think

34:33 Getting out of the day-to-day and leading strategically

39:53 Redefining success as a business owner

42:12 The one thing every CEO needs to stop doing

47:08 Turning decades of experience into a coaching business

53:12 Final advice for women making the CEO Shift

Connect with our panel

Laura Connarty-Duncan
Founder & CEO Champion Women

Karen Evans
Founder & CEO Business By Design Coach

Dena Piro
Founder & CEO DP Business Coaching


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In this bonus Season 3 episode of Fempire Rising, host Trudy Heins interviews Erin Daldry of A Simpler Life about public speaking, confidence, and communicating with impact. The episode opens with a welcome and acknowledgement of Te Āti Awa.

Erin shares her unique and varied career journey, from banking trainer and air traffic controller to veterinarian, and explains how those experiences shaped her approach to communication. She discusses the importance of clarity and delivering messages in a way that can be easily received and understood by an audience.

Together, Trudy and Erin explore why so many women fear public speaking, including the role of our fight-or-flight response, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and the fear of being judged or challenged.

Erin shares practical strategies to help business owners become more confident and effective communicators, including starting with the end in mind, focusing on one clear message, establishing credibility through introductions, using strong hooks and calls to action, and applying the principles of primacy and recency to make presentations more memorable.

The conversation also covers audience engagement, managing interruptions, breaking longer presentations into smaller segments, improving body language and online presence, and using recording and self-review as tools for growth. Erin highlights the importance of reflecting against objectives, allowing realistic timeframes for improvement, and finding a way to do business that aligns with your strengths and values.

This is an episode you won't want to miss if you have a presentation, networking event, workshop, or speaking engagement coming up and want practical tips to help you communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and conviction.

01:10 Meet Erin Daldry

03:29 Erin’s Unusual Career Path

04:06 Banking to Speaking Confidence

07:40 Why Speaking Feels Unsafe

09:29 Reframing Self Criticism

10:47 Clarity Makes Messages Land

13:36 Stop Waffling Find The Point

15:43 Quick Confidence Prep Tips

17:44 Ditch The Naked Audience Myth

19:47 Fear Of Being Called Out

20:47 Handling Interruptions And Hecklers

23:05 Presentation Formula Basics

24:09 Credibility Through Introductions

24:46 Start With The End

25:16 Hooks And Audience Attention

27:13 Confidence Changes Business

28:53 Assertive Not Aggressive

29:56 Zoom Engagement Tips

31:46 Facial Expressions And Feedback

35:39 Beating Perfectionism

37:29 Sustainable Business Mindset

40:36 Curse Of Knowledge Mistakes

41:55 Reflection Builds Traction

42:29 Doing Business Your Way

44:34 Future Of Women In Business

46:26 Final Thanks And Wrap Up

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In this episode of Fempire Rising, Trudy Heins sits down with Sarah Walden, Co-owner and Head of Marketing at Kumeū Media, a New Zealand-based marketing, brand and communications agency helping businesses turn visibility into measurable growth.

With almost 15 years of hands-on marketing experience, Sarah has worked with brands including BurgerFuel and Yahoo, served on the board of the IAB, worked both within and alongside leading Auckland agencies, and successfully built her own profitable eCommerce business.

Sarah shares her journey through traditional and digital marketing, explaining why consistent branding, clear messaging and strong calls to action are far more important than simply creating "pretty ads."

Together, Trudy and Sarah explore what it really takes to turn visibility into revenue. They discuss marketing funnels, email nurture sequences, website and eCommerce analytics, A/B testing, retargeting and abandoned cart strategies, highlighting how businesses can identify and fix the gaps that are costing them customers.

Sarah also shares practical advice for business owners, including why you do not need to be on every platform, how to choose the right marketing channels for your audience, the importance of owning your email database and why strategic marketing delivers better results than randomly boosting social media posts.

Whether you're investing in marketing yourself or working with an agency, this episode will help you identify what's working, what's leaking and where your biggest opportunities for growth might be hiding.

01:52 Sarah’s Marketing Journey

05:16 Small Business Quick Wins

08:01 Brand Consistency Matters

11:04 Why Visibility Doesn’t Convert

11:36 Funnel and Nurture Strategy

16:10 Metrics and Finding Leakages

19:26 Measuring ROI and Engagement

22:45 AI vs Human Brand Voice

24:01 Sponsor Break Vampire Academy

24:45 Back to Authentic Community Marketing

25:20 Stop Being Everywhere

26:06 Pick the Right Channels

27:18 Own Your Email List

29:13 Smarter Paid Social Setup

30:51 Outsource for Growth

31:49 Women in Business Foundations

33:40 Invest and Simplify Messaging

35:57 Common Marketing Mistakes

37:56 Build for the Long Game

40:43 Networking and Saying Yes

42:57 Optimism and Community Support

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What does it actually take to build a business that works for your life, not against it?

Trudy sits down with Joelene Edwards, health and wellness coach and gym founder, for a conversation that bridges business, health, resilience, and the real cost of building something from scratch. Joelene is also FEMPIRE Rising's first New Zealand-based guest, and her story is one worth hearing.

Joelene built a gym from the ground up in a small town of 7,000 people, with two young children, working two jobs, navigating community pushback, and doing it all in a country she hadn't grown up in. She now runs a successful coaching business focused on women navigating perimenopause and menopause, and is moving her services fully online so she can work and travel with her kids.

This conversation covers a lot of ground, and most of it applies whether you're talking about your health or your business.

In this episode, Trudy and Joelene cover:

• Why Joelene built a gym and what her real definition of success looked like
• The community resistance she faced as an outsider, and how she tuned it out
• Why resilience isn't about feeling strong, it's about showing up when you don't
• Boundaries, the non-negotiable kind, and why setting them early protects everything
• Why women struggle to stay consistent with their health, and how simplicity is the actual solution
• The wellness noise problem: 12-step morning routines, extreme diets, and quick fixes that burn women out before they start
• What actually moves the needle for women's health, especially in their 30s, 40s, and 50s
• Why "eat less, train harder" is a recipe for burnout, not results
• The direct parallel between health foundations and business foundations
• Celebrating wins, because high-achieving women are the worst at it
• The shift from trading time for money to building a business that travels with you

And the line that sums up the whole conversation: build the business around the life you want. Don't try to squeeze your life into the leftovers.


01:28 Meet Jolene Edwards

02:38 From Perth to Cromwell

03:07 Building a Gym

04:18 Why Work Life Balance

06:16 Resilience and Boundaries

09:01 Small Town Naysayers

13:02 Health Consistency Basics

15:15 Cutting Wellness Noise

17:58 Common Health Mistakes

19:36 Consistency Over Quick Wins

20:54 Minimum Effective Dose

22:36 Celebrate Your Progress

24:34 Define Your Success

27:04 Niche and Authenticity

28:20 Do the Boring Work

31:25 Freedom Through Online Pivot

33:05 Women Rewriting the Rules

33:56 Final Takeaways

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If you've been avoiding your numbers, this episode is your wake-up call, and it's a kind one.

Trudy sits down with Tina Kirwan, chartered accountant and founder of Running the Numbers, to cut through the overwhelm, fear, and avoidance that keeps too many business owners in the dark about their own financial position. Tina is also a proud member of the FEMPIRE Collective.

Tina's path into accounting wasn't traditional, and that's exactly what makes her so good at the people side of the work. She understands that avoiding the numbers is rarely about capability. It's about confidence, clarity, and sometimes, genuine fear of what you might find.

In this conversation, Trudy and Tina cover:

• Why so many business owners avoid their numbers, and why the reality is almost always better than the dread
• The ATO fear factor, what's negotiable, and why avoidance costs you more than it protects you
• The most common and most preventable financial mistakes small business owners make
• Why you need a dedicated savings account for GST, tax, and PAYG from day one
• The 3 to 6 month buffer rule, and why the business owners who had it sailed through COVID
• The key numbers you actually need to understand: cash flow timing, breakeven, profitability, and upcoming tax liabilities
• Why cash coming in does not mean you're making a profit
• Underpricing, what it's really costing you, and how to calculate your true hourly rate
• First steps if your numbers are behind, including how the right software can take your bookkeeping from overwhelming to 10 minutes a day
• What separates business owners who build something lasting from those who stay stuck

This is not a numbers episode for accountants. It's a clarity episode for business owners who are ready to stop guessing and start leading their business with confidence.


00:00 Meet Tina Kirwan

00:40 Her Unconventional Path

03:30 Why We Avoid Numbers

08:00 Common Money Mistakes

13:00 Key Numbers To Track

16:49 Pricing And Profitability

19:54 First Steps To Clarity

22:51 Season Three Quickfire

24:54 Consistency And Adaptability

26:19 Taking The Leap

28:04 Optimism For Women

29:54 Final Takeaways


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Connect with Tina Kirwan, or visit the FEMPIRE Collective here for a direct introduction.

Resources mentioned:
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In this episode of Fempire Rising, Trudy Heins sits down with Nicole Myler from Bridge Legal to unpack the critical importance of estate planning for business owners.

They break down common misconceptions, including the belief that having a will is enough, and explain why powers of attorney are just as essential when it comes to protecting both your personal and business interests.

Through real-life examples, this conversation highlights the serious consequences of inadequate planning and why having the right legal structures in place is non-negotiable if you want to protect your assets and ensure continuity in the event of incapacity or death.

This episode goes beyond legal documents and into the broader reality of running a business. Trudy and Nicole explore the importance of clarity in relationships, effective communication, and making proactive decisions as your business grows.

They also discuss the role of support networks, the mindset required to lead effectively, and the structural changes needed as you move from operator to business owner.

If you’re building a business and haven’t considered what happens if you’re no longer able to run it, this is a conversation you can’t afford to ignore.

If this episode has you thinking about the structure and protection of your business, it’s time to take action.

Start with a Fempire Masterclass, join the Academy for structured support, work with a Fempire Coach for tailored advice, or explore Become a Coach if you’re ready to build a business helping others do the same.

Click here to join the Academy and use the code RISING for 25% off!

Click here to register for our next FEMPIRE Masterclass for practical strategies to gain clarity and take focused action in your business 

00:00 The Importance of Business Structure

01:36 Understanding Estate Planning

04:15 Common Misconceptions About Estate Planning

07:59 Real Life Consequences of Poor Planning

12:01 The Role of Powers of Attorney

20:01 Key Estate Planning Documents for Business Owners

24:43 Establishing Clarity Early in Relationships

27:03 The Importance of Planning and Communication

30:10 Protecting Your Assets and Relationships

31:31 Finding Your Tribe: Support in Business

35:02 Mindset and Structure in Business Growth

37:28 Decisions That Shape Your Professional Journey

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Host Trudy Heins welcomes award-winning insurance specialist Trish Gregory of Hayes and Co Insurance Services to discuss why women often delay personal insurance and the risks of being underinsured, especially for business owners without sick pay, holiday pay, or work cover.

Trish shares how her partner’s military injury and income protection shaped her focus on insurance, and explains common misconceptions such as relying on a higher-earning partner or default cover through super.

Trudy and Trish outline a streamlined remote advice process, the importance of pre-assessment, and how exclusions and benefit periods (e.g., two-year income protection) can leave people exposed.

The episode distinguishes personal versus business insurance, including key person cover, business expenses insurance, and buy-sell agreements, and emphasises niching, support networks, and valuing women’s unpaid and paid contributions.


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00:00 Women’s Hidden Value

00:46 Podcast Season Intro

01:34 Meet Trish Gregory

03:35 Why Insurance Matters

05:09 Niching Into Insurance

07:55 Why Women Delay Cover

10:08 Making Insurance Simple

14:24 Insurance for Business Owners

16:49 Key Person and Buy Sell

18:45 Super vs Business Cover

21:20 When It All Goes Wrong

22:16 When Benefits Run Out

23:12 Two Year Cover Trap

24:45 Where to Start Today

27:27 Why Specialist Advice Matters

28:58 Exclusions and How to Remove Them

30:00 Building Sustainable Businesses

31:50 Common Owner Mistakes

34:03 Niching for Impact

35:08 Optimism for Women Ahead

37:55 Final Push to Get Insured

38:57 Closing and Call to Action


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In this episode on the Fempire Rising, Her Future Her Voice Podcast, Trudy speaks with Sandy Loudon, founder of Loud and Clear Digital, about treating a website as a strategic business asset rather than a “pretty brochure.”

Sandy shares her path from corporate roles and running Baker’s Delight franchises and a cafe to creating and selling handbags online, which led her into website design and becoming a strategic digital partner for businesses.

They discuss common website mistakes, including leaving the website idea until last, lacking strategy, overwhelming menus and too many pages, unclear messaging, outdated content, poor mobile responsiveness, and misused stock imagery.

Sandy explains the difference between a site that looks good and one that converts, emphasising clarity in the first three seconds, strong calls to action above the fold, simple navigation, updated SEO-focused copy, and purposeful images, videos, and testimonials to build trust.

If you have a website that needs some TLC, or want to create a converting website from the get go, this episode will give you applicable tips that will get you thinking about how important a website is for your business in contemporary times.

Click here to join the Academy and use the code RISING for 25% off!

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00:29 Sandy Intro

01:27 Sandy’s Career Journey

02:46 From Franchises To Family Business

04:53 Handbags To First Website

07:25 Websites Need Strategy

09:17 Looks Good Versus Works

12:28 Common Website Mistakes

14:24 Quick Website Fix Checklist

15:34 Sponsor Break

16:18 Simplify Pages And Update SEO

17:08 SEO Explained 

18:31 Mobile Ready Websites

19:03 Simplify Your Homepage

19:30 Above The Fold CTAs

21:13 Trust Builders And Proof

23:04 Images Video And SEO

25:03 Clarity And Consistency

27:05 Websites As Business Assets

27:49 Innovation And Asking Help

30:38 From Pretty To Strategic

32:08 Optimism For Women

34:36 Final Takeaways And Wrap Up


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In this Fempire Rising Season 3 episode, Trudy Heins interviews Susana Hands, a Certified Fempire Coach becoming known as “the franchise lady”, bestselling author of The Optimal Franchise System, about what it really takes to franchise successfully.

Susana shares her 15-year journey from franchisee to franchisor, including early mistakes like focusing only on legal documents and manuals without building the infrastructure, systems, team, and step-by-step SOPs needed to support franchisees, culminating in being sued by a franchisee.

Trudy and Susana discuss common misconceptions, especially underestimating complexity, regulation, and franchisor responsibilities, and key readiness tests like whether the business can run profitably without the owner.

Susana outlines essential foundations (team, POS/CRM, scalable website, modeling fees/royalties and ROI), risks of overreliance on specialized talent, and realistic costs of roughly $50k–$100k plus expert support.

If you’re  thinking of moving into franchising or wondering what goes on behind the scenes to start franchising a business. Susana pulls the curtain back on what the real deals are when franchising and doing it the right way in order to protect yourself and your business.

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02:09 Meet Susana Hands

03:40 Franchising Lessons Learned

06:04 Franchisor as Coach

07:47 Personal Brand Sells

08:45 Franchising Misconceptions

11:45 Foundations Before Scaling

13:18 Model the Franchise Numbers

15:00 Avoid Overqualified Hiring

16:30 Rogue Franchisee Reality

17:10 Remote Island Readiness

19:02 Service Licensing Workaround

19:34 Franchise Duplication Systems

19:52 Academy Program Pitch

20:36 Expansion Mistakes Costs

21:30 Franchise Setup Budgeting

23:48 Build Your Expert Team

24:51 CRM Automation Essentials

25:30 Growth Planning Market Tests

27:22 Second Location Proofing

28:18 Rapid Fire Core Questions

31:19 Pricing Knowledge Confidence

32:06 Support Networks Intuition


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