What does it mean to redefine wealth — not as accumulation, but as enoughness?

In this profound and compelling conversation, I speak with Sandy Blackburn, one of Australia’s leading voices in social impact and the founder of Social Outcomes and Impact Culture Australia.

Sandy spent 15 years living and working in South Africa during the final years of apartheid and the emergence of democracy — years that shaped her identity, worldview and lifelong commitment to social change. She shares the lessons those years taught her about community, belonging, and Ubuntu — the African philosophy meaning “I am because we are.”

We explore what Western cultures have lost in their worship of individualism, how business can rediscover its collective heartbeat, and why “enough” might be the most radical idea in the purpose economy.

Sandy also takes us inside her new venture, Impact Culture Australia, and the next frontier for purpose-driven organisations: embedding impact deeply into their culture, systems and ways of working.

This is a rich, layered, deeply human conversation about what really matters in business — and in life.

Sandy Blackburn has four decades of experience working in social change, organisational development, capacity building and culture change in Australia and internationally, including extensive work in community and organisational development in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa. Her autobiographical book, Holding Up the Sky: An African Life, captures her 15 years living through one of the most tumultuous and transformative periods in South Africa’s history — a journey that profoundly shaped her identity, worldview and commitment to social justice.

She is one of Australia’s leading thought leaders in social impact and is the founder of Social Outcomes, and more recently Impact Culture Australia.

Before founding these organisations, Sandy was Head of Social Innovation at Westpac, where she created the Organisational Mentoring Program — mobilising hundreds of employees to support for-purpose organisations to build their capacity, a systemic need that is notoriously underfunded. Through this work, and through Social Outcomes, Sandy has worked closely with many hundreds of for-purpose organisations, developing a deep understanding of the sector’s strengths and development needs.

Sandy is also co-founder of Impact Investing Australia, sits on the NAB Foundation’s Investment Committee, and serves on multiple for-purpose boards. She is a sought-after speaker, bestselling author, and holds a Masters Degree in Adult Education.

Website: Social Outcomes

What does kindness look like in business — and why does it matter for commercial success?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr David Cooke—Executive Director of ESG Advisory, Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School, and author of Kind Business: How Values Create Value.

In this deeply human conversation, David shares his journey from a traditional corporate career to leading Konica Minolta Australia as its first non-Japanese Managing Director, where he transformed the culture around a single, powerful vision: to build a company that cares. He unpacks what it really takes to embed purpose, kindness and human rights advocacy into a large technology business — and how that shift created stronger engagement, trust, and profitability. He also reflects on the “shadow we cast” as leaders, the moral and business imperatives behind Kind Business, and how every organisation can align values with value creation.

Love & leadership: What “love in business” really looks like across stakeholders—and why it’s commercially smart.

From vision to practice: The pivotal choices that turned caring into a strategic operating principle.

Human rights in supply chains: Modern slavery advocacy and how it galvanised employees and partners.

Values create value: Evidence of cultural lift, customer preference, and long-term performance benefits.

The leadership shadow: How to build psychological safety and alignment without losing accountability.

ESG now: What David is seeing in boardrooms and executive teams—and where leaders get stuck (and unstuck).

Dr David Cooke is Executive Director of ESG Advisory, Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School, and author of Kind Business: How Values Create Value. He spent 35 years in the corporate sector, holding senior roles at Xerox and Canon before serving as Managing Director & Chair (ANZ) at Konica Minolta. David has chaired the UN Global Compact Network Australia and the Australian Human Rights Institute Advisory Committee, and served on multiple NFP boards. He earned a doctorate for research on building social capital through corporate social investment (recognised with Emerald Publishing’s Global Social Impact Award) and was awarded an honorary doctorate for implementing responsible business initiatives including addressing modern slavery in supply chains. He’s a noted speaker who has presented at UN conferences in New York and Geneva.

On Linkedin 

ESG Advisory Website

Kind Business book

Kind Business audiobook

In this insightful and forward-looking conversation, Shirley Chowdhary joins Carolyn Butler-Madden to explore what modern governance and leadership look like in an age defined by rapid change, technology and social transformation.

A seasoned board director, Chair and former CEO, Shirley shares her belief that good governance underpins everything— from commercial outcomes and productivity to culture and trust. She discusses the urgent need for boards to embrace diverse thinking, lived experience and inclusive leadership, and explains why the next frontier of effective governance lies in AI as a collaborative thinking partner.

Shirley also reflects on her own non-linear career across law, finance, Indigenous education and board leadership — including how her lived experience across cultures has shaped her resilience, empathy and approach to leadership.

💡 Key Themes

👤About Shirley Chowdhary

Shirley has extensive leadership experience in corporate law and governance, alongside cultural and strategic change. She is an outspoken advocate for women’s leadership and diverse voices, and is a seasoned Non-Executive Director, Chair, and former CEO with substantial international experience. Shirley has a proven record of partnering with diverse communities and driving values alignment at board and organisational levels. Throughout her work, Shirley maintains a priority on commercial returns and stewardship, whilst balancing diverse stakeholder interests and prioritising customer confidence.

She has a current research focus on how boards can adopt AI as a collaborative thinking partner to enhance judgment, improve productivity in the boardroom, and strengthen governance decision-making. Her work responds to growing expectations on directors to lead with foresight and confidence, supporting responsible innovation while maintaining trust, transparency and alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks.

Shirley is currently the Chair of Women for Election and an external member of the University of Sydney Senate People & Culture Committee. She sits on the Advisory Boards of Propel Group, an organisation empowering boards and C-Suites to ‘get social media right’ in moments that matter, and Mentor Walks, providing mentoring to over 12,000 women across Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada and Dubai. 

Her previous board roles include being Deputy Chair of YMCA NSW, Chair of the Australian Institute of Architects, and non-executive director on the boards of the Australian Associated Press and Northrop Engineers.

Career highlights include being in private practice at Cleary Gottlieb in New York and Tokyo, Regional Counsel for JP Morgan Investment Management, and CEO of the GO Foundation, an NFP founded by Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin of Sydney Swans fame. She lived and worked for a decade in Japan, and has worked internationally across Asia, North America, Europe and Africa in the listed, private and for-purpose sectors. She has also hosted two series of the Women’s Agenda Leadership Lessons podcast and written a biography for a WW2 POW.

In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Sydney for her contributions to law, business, gender equality and Indigenous education, and she was recognised as a 2019 AFR 100 Women of Influence. She is currently part of the AICD’s flagship Chair’s Mentoring program and a member of the AICD Faculty teaching Governance and director’s duties.

Connect with Shirley

Shirley's website

Shirley on Linkedin

Other Links

Women for Election website - Women for Election

In this powerful episode of the For Love & Money Podcast, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with Peter ter Weeme, a lifelong activist and global leader in values-based business.

Peter’s career has spanned corporate, government and nonprofit sectors across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. From his early awareness of apartheid in the 1980s to his leadership in the social purpose movement, Peter has always believed business must be about more than profit — it must also serve people and society.

In this conversation, Peter shares how love, inclusion and courage have shaped his journey. He speaks candidly about living as a gay man, raising a child with disabilities, and navigating a terminal cancer diagnosis — experiences that have deepened his philosophy of curiosity over judgment and his perspective on leadership and legacy.

This episode is both inspirational and practical — an invitation to reflect on what it means to lead with courage, authenticity and love.

Highlights from this episode:

The role of love in business and leadership (02:09)

How apartheid sparked Peter’s early awareness of consumer activism and purpose (03:33)

Reflections on meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the lessons that stayed with him (08:20)

Why shifting people’s thinking about the role of business is his proudest achievement (11:00)

Tackling complex industries with courage and curiosity (16:30)

Living with authenticity through a terminal cancer diagnosis (36:00)

The power of inclusion and belonging in workplaces (24:00)

Peter’s perspective on legacy, leadership and purpose (54:00)

Peter ter Weeme is a lifelong activist for purpose and a global leader in values-based business. His career has spanned corporate, government and nonprofit sectors across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. With an MBA in environmental management and a deep commitment to social change, Peter has designed campaigns and initiatives addressing issues from public health and climate action to environmental conservation, diversity and inclusion.

In his most recent role, Peter serves as GM, Safer Gambling at a hospitality and entertainment company, where he leads strategy and programs focused on embedding social purpose at the heart of business. Prior to this,Peter was the Chief Social Purpose Officer & Vice President Player Experience at the British Columbia Lottery Corporation. There he had responsibility for marketing, communications, safer gambling, sustainability and stakeholder relations.

At the core of Peter’s work is his personal purpose: to give people the community and confidence required to solve the world’s social and environmental challenges. This commitment has shaped his career and continues to inspire the many people he has worked with around the globe.

👉 If you’re inspired by this conversation, subscribe to the For Love & Money Podcast and explore more resources at thecauseeffect.com.au.

On Linkedin

In this episode of For Love & Money, I speak with Jeremy Meltzer, Founder and CEO of i=Change, Australia’s fastest growing impact marketing platform.

Jeremy has built partnerships with over 400 brands – from Camilla and Clarins to law firms and hospitality businesses – raising more than $12 million for NGOs and impacting the lives of over 2 million people globally.

At the heart of i=Change is Jeremy’s passion for empowering women and girls, tackling gender-based violence, and creating a more sustainable world.

👤 About Jeremy Meltzer

Jeremy Meltzer is Founder & CEO of i=Change, Australia's fastest-growing impact marketing platform that bridges the worlds of businesses and impact.

In partnership with over 400 brands like Camilla, Ginger & Smart, National Tiles, Clarins - and now law firms and hospitality business, i=Change has raised over $12 million and counting for NGOs, $1 at a time, impacting the lives of over 2 million people in Australia and globally. With a focus on empowering women & girls and mitigating climate change - and delivering value back to businesses for their giving, i=Change is leading a purpose-driven business movement.

i=Change has won 4 x Australia Post ORIAs (2023, 2022, 2019), NORA’s ‘Best All-Round Sustainability Partner’ (2023), is a certified B-Corp and was voted one of 50 most innovative start-ups in Australia. i=Change uniquely leverages business to create impact, by engaging businesses pragmatically, creating system change from within - and ultimately a new business model. Jeremy believes it is critical we engage business to fund NGOs in Australia and mostly, across the developing world, where funding can provide up to 5X social return on investment - and that we see NGOs as equal partners in security and development. This helps ensure our nearest neighbours can have their basic needs met - and the opportunity to thrive - at a time when foreign aid has been so drastically cut, it is now more essential than ever.

🔍 In This Episode We Explore:

The deeply personal experiences in Cuba that opened Jeremy's eyes to the prevalence of gender-based violence – and why he couldn’t walk past it.

His journey from olive oil entrepreneur to impact tech founder with no tech background.

Why businesses must move beyond profit-first thinking, and what authentic partnerships between brands and NGOs can achieve.

How purpose and profit are not opposites, but mutually reinforcing drivers of innovation, loyalty, and growth.

The vision for i=Change by 2030 – raising over $30 million annually to create systemic, measurable impact.

This is a conversation about what business can and must become when it integrates love, compassion, and human values into its DNA.

In this episode of The For Love & Money Podcast, I speak with Abigail Forsyth OAM, co-founder and Managing Director of KeepCup—the company that kickstarted a global revolution in reusable coffee cups and helped change the way we think about single-use packaging.

From her early days as a lawyer to co-founding a bustling Melbourne café chain with her brother Jamie, Abigail shares how a growing discomfort with packaging waste led to the creation of KeepCup—the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup. We explore the highs of fast growth, global expansion, and viral adoption, as well as the confronting challenges brought on by COVID, shifting market narratives, and scaling a purpose-led organisation.

This is a raw and honest conversation about entrepreneurship, purpose, leadership, and the tension between impact and profitability. Abigail’s insights are as grounded as they are galvanising—and essential listening for anyone building a values-based business that aims to drive real change.

Abigail is a leader in the global campaign to promote sustainability.

Known worldwide for its bright, bold and instantly recognisable reusable cups, KeepCup is a global campaign for reuse. Since launching the world’s first barista-standard reusable cup in 2009, KeepCup is now embraced by reusers the world over, diverting millions of single-use cups daily.

KeepCup is in business for better - a certified B Corporation, living wage employer and member of 1% for the Planet, donating at least 1% of global revenue to environmental causes.

Following a successful career as a solicitor, Abigail and her brother Jamie set up their own chain of cafes across the city. Alarmed by the amount of disposable packaging being wasted, Abigail started her search for a more sustainable and environmentally conscious way to serve food, and the concept of KeepCup soon became a reality.

Abigail has been honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in the General Division, for her years of outstanding service to sustainable design on the Queens Birthday list for 2021.

Abigail has opened offices and warehouses in Australia and the UK, and set up hub operations in the USA to service growing consumer demand in over 76 countries around the world, but the business has stayed loyal to its roots. KeepCup’s HQ is located in the Melbourne suburb of Clifton Hill, where Abigail lives with her family.

🌐 KeepCup: keepcup.com

📸 KeepCup Instagram: instagram.com/keepcup

🔗 Abigail Forsyth on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/abigail-forsyth-68886211

💡 The Cause Effect (Carolyn’s consultancy): thecauseeffect.com.au

🎧 More podcast episodes: Podcast Page | Listen on Spotify | Apple Podcasts

Episode Summary

What does it take to turn outrage and opposition into legitimacy and consent?

In this episode, we explore that question with one of the world’s leading authorities on social licence and legitimacy. My guest, Katherine Teh, is the founder of a pioneering social purpose company that’s rewriting the rules of mining—transforming the industry’s most polarised conflicts into powerful opportunities for inclusive, ethical development.

You’ll hear how this consent-based model is unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and delivering long-term value for people, planet, and business.

We explore:

The power of empathy in business—even in high-stakes, high-conflict sectors.

Why legitimacy isn’t a compliance issue, but a foundation for resilience and profit.

The real meaning of social licence—and why it’s vital to the net zero transition.

How the “DAD” model (Decide, Announce, Defend) is being replaced with “DAVE” (Declare dilemmas, Acknowledge issues, unify Vision, Evaluate).

Why partnering with Indigenous communities is essential to ethical growth.

This is a conversation about reimagining what development can look like when business begins with humanity, listens deeply, and leads with purpose.

Guest Bio

Katherine Teh is a strategist, reformer, and changemaker whose work has helped reshape some of the world’s most complex and contested industries—from mining and renewables to public policy, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.

Katherine Teh is one of the world’s foremost authorities on social licence and legitimacy. For over three decades, she has worked at the intersection of sustainability, governance, and public trust—bringing sharp clarity where others see only risk. Her ability to align fractured interests and rebuild trust has made her a trusted adviser on more than $200 billion in major projects around the globe.

But Katherine’s story begins far from the boardroom.

Driven by an early ambition to become a war correspondent, she rose quickly through the ranks of journalism—becoming the youngest female A-graded journalist in Australian history. At 29, she led one of the country’s most influential gender justice campaigns, mobilising over one million women to reframe gendered violence as a workplace safety issue—more than two decades before the #MeToo movement swept the world.

Since then, she has led national and international public dialogue processes on polarising issues, designed innovative products and business models to solve systemic problems, and helped industries navigate outrage, restore legitimacy, and deliver long-term value. In 2002, she founded the world’s first social licence agency—developing a methodology that combines strategic foresight, stakeholder alignment, and social impact design to turn opposition into durable, earned support.

Today, as Executive Chair of Spektrum, Katherine leads a new kind of critical minerals company—one that does development differently. By partnering with Indigenous communities and applying consent-based models, she and her team are unlocking stranded assets, accelerating approvals, and creating nature-positive regional futures.

Katherine is on a mission to transform not just who development is done with—but how it’s done, and what it leaves behind. She builds systems that restore legitimacy, resolve conflict, and demonstrate that ethical, inclusive development isn’t a trade-off—it’s the foundation for resilience and long-term success.

She’s an entrepreneur. An activist. A visionary. And a woman who’s never waited for permission to lead.

Learn more about Spektrum: https://www.spektrumdevelopment.com/

Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn: Katherine Teh

Book Mentioned: Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman

Explore how purpose-led business can drive systemic change:

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In Part 2 of this two-part feature on Woollahra Council’s transformation, Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, the Council’s General Manager. Craig offers a refreshingly candid account of what it takes to embed purpose and values across a whole organisation. He reflects on the early culture challenges, the creation of a new leadership structure, and how trust, honesty and consistency enabled real change to take root. From navigating tough decisions—like a significant restructure—to seeing the payoff in a post-redundancy engagement survey, Craig shares how a unifying purpose helped guide the organisation through both challenge and change.

- How leadership enables culture and values to move beyond strategy documents.

- Why organisational transformation requires investment in people.

- The challenges of shifting legacy mindsets and breaking down silos.

- How a clear purpose and set of values can guide even the most difficult decisions.

- The importance of embedding purpose into leadership behaviours, not just branding.

- What it looks like to lead with honesty, integrity, and accountability.

Craig Swift-McNair is the General Manager at Woollahra Council in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, a role he commenced in July 2020. Prior to this, he was the General Manager of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council on the mid north coast of NSW, from 2014 to 2020.

Craig has spent over 20 years in local government in NSW in a range of roles across three Councils and prior to his time in the public sector, he had a twenty-five-year career in the private sector. Craig is dedicated to giving back to the local government sector and as part of that, he has been on the Board of Local Government Professionals Australia, NSW since 2018 and is currently the Vice President.

Craig is focused on building a strengths-based and values-based organisation that delivers on its purpose; provides its people with opportunities to grow in their roles and as individuals, which in turn delivers an improved customer experience and services for our community.

Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

Episode 81 (Part 1): Patricia Occelli on Culture, Community & Customer Experience

Connect with Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

Explore For Love & Money Podcast: Podcast Homepage

Buy Carolyn’s book For Love & Money 

In this episode of the For Love and Money podcast, In this episode, Carolyn Butler-Madden speaks with Patricia Occelli, Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council. Patricia shares the story of how doing the work to create a unifying purpose transformed the Council’s vision, culture, and strategic direction. What began as a challenge to create a meaningful customer experience strategy evolved into a whole-of-organisation transformation—fuelled by purpose and a deep commitment to community. Patricia reflects on the pivotal moments, the leadership challenges, and the lasting cultural shifts that followed. This is Part 1 of a two-part series on Woollahra Council’s purpose-led transformation. Part 2 features General Manager, Craig Swift McNair, sharing his perspective on the transformation process.

How a unifying purpose can drive whole-of-organisation transformation

Why purpose is essential in local government and public service

How to bridge silos and shift culture with a shared North Star

The difference between customer service and customer experience

What it takes to embed values that guide everyday behaviour

How the council has seen results in both internal culture and community engagement

The transformational impact of a unifying purpose

Bridging organisational silos with a shared North Star

Driving cultural change in complex public environments

The role of language, values, and tone of voice in public service

Why brand archetypes matter for councils and community connection

How purpose-aligned strategy drives both internal and external outcomes

Stay tuned for Part 2, Episode 82, where Carolyn speaks with Craig Swift-McNair, Woollahra Council’s General Manager, to further explore the leadership behind this transformation.

Patricia Occelli is the Director of Community and Customer Experience at Woollahra Council, leading customer experience, communications, community engagement, cultural and arts initiatives, and Woollahra Libraries. With over 35 years of leadership in the human services sector, Patricia has driven transformation across local and state government and the for-purpose sector. She is passionate about social justice and delivering high-quality services that make a real difference in people’s lives. Her expertise spans service integration, cultural reform, customer-centric design, and staff engagement. She has successfully led ICT transformations, governance frameworks, and operational efficiencies—all while fostering empowered employees and engaged communities. A strategic leader, Patricia is committed to shaping innovative, sustainable, and impactful services.

Woollahra Council Vision, Mission & Values: Woollahra Council Website

Connect with Patricia Occelli on Linkedin

Carolyn Butler-Madden: LinkedIn | The Cause Effect

Learn more about the For Love & Money Podcast

In this powerful and deeply thoughtful episode, political economist and changemaker Katherine Trebeck joins Carolyn to explore what it means to build an economy that works for people and planet. Katherine shares her journey from working with Oxfam and Rio Tinto to co-founding the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll), and how her work is reshaping the way we define economic success.

Katherine Trebeck is a political economist, writer and advocate for economic system change. She co-founded the Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll) and WEAll Scotland, and played a key role in initiating the Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) partnership. Katherine is Writer-at-Large and Co-Director of the Compassion in Financial Services Hub at the University of Edinburgh, and Strategic Advisor for the Centre for Policy Development. She also serves in advisory and governance roles for numerous progressive economic institutions around the world.

Katherine’s website

Follow Katherine on LinkedIn

Follow Katerine on BlueSky

Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll)

Katherine’s TEDx Talk: “Why the Future Economy has to be a Wellbeing Economy”

Carolyn Butler-Madden on LinkedIn:

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