If You Know You Grow

This week, we're diving into the world of parasocial relationships and asking a question I can't stop thinking about:

Why is a woman's relationship often considered her most interesting piece of content?

From Ariana Grande and Tammy Hembrow to soft launches, hard launches and everything in between, we're unpacking our obsession with knowing what's happening behind the scenes of other people's lives.

I share a personal experience that made me realise just how invested people become in relationship content, why engagement skyrockets whenever romance enters the chat and whether creators should fight the speculation or learn how to control the narrative.

Because at the end of the day, no matter how much content we consume, we never truly know what's happening behind closed doors.

Let's talk parasocial relationships, internet culture, celebrity commentary and why maybe it's time we stopped writing fan fiction about real people's lives.

This week, we dive into the cultural phenomenon that has taken over everyone's feeds: Off Campus.

But this isn't actually an episode about hockey boys.

It's about what happens when brands learn to sit at the intersection of pop culture, entertainment and marketing. From viral reach and trending conversations to why social media is no longer just a marketing channel, We unpack the real reason some content explodes while other brands are still shouting into the void.

Plus, a few EOFY marketing tips, thoughts on relevance versus trend-chasing and why the brands winning right now are building worlds - not just selling products.

⁠Join us at our next community event! Tickets here!⁠

Friendship is one of the most important parts of my life and honestly, one of the things I feel I've gotten right.

In this episode, I'm sharing the stories behind some of the friendships that have shaped me, from my best friend of almost 20 years to the people I've met in Australia who have become family. We talk about what makes friendships last, why adult friendships can feel so hard to navigate and the difference between being connected by history versus being connected by values.

I share my thoughts on friendship breakups, finding your people later in life, the importance of showing up for the people you love and why the strongest friendships are often the ones where you can happily do absolutely nothing together.

If you've ever felt like you're struggling to find your people, wondering why certain friendships fade, or looking to build deeper connections, this episode is for you.

Because at the end of the day, the best friendships aren't built on convenience or proximity, they're built on shared values, mutual respect, and choosing each other over and over again.

This episode feels a little more personal than usual. I’m sharing a real, unfiltered look into the season of life I’m currently in - the chaos, the growth, the overwhelm, the gratitude and the quiet moments where I’ve had to stop and ask myself what I’m actually building toward.

Over the past few weeks, life has felt full in every sense of the word. From events, work, friendships, networking, long days, little sleep and big dreams, I’ve realised that not every season of life is meant to feel calm and balanced all the time. Some seasons are for healing, some are for slowing down and some are for growing.

This episode is a reminder that it’s okay to be in a chapter where you’re stretching yourself, dreaming bigger, working harder and becoming someone new - as long as it’s aligned with the life you truly want.

I talk about ambition, boundaries, relationships, mindset, nervous system regulation, online culture and the importance of getting honest about whether we’re actually committing to the life we say we want.

Honestly, this one felt more like a journal entry than a podcast episode… but maybe that’s exactly why I love it so much.

TAC Scholarship Link

Connect with Justin

Learn more about The Aggregate Co.

Today we are joined by Justin Irvine from The Aggregate Co. - aka the man making logistics sound way more interesting than it should be.

This episode is packed with conversations around:

• Why ops can quietly make or break your brand
• The truth about free shipping
• Expanding into the US without completely burning cash
• Customer experience and what actually keeps people coming back
• Bootstrapping businesses and scaling sustainably
• Why marketers and ops teams need to work together
• The behind-the-scenes of global ecommerce growth
• The Aggregate Co. scholarship and how brands can apply

Justin shares so much knowledge from years in ecommerce and logistics, but in a way that actually makes sense, even if you’re someone who usually avoids conversations about 3PLs and shipping costs at all costs.

If you’re a founder, marketer, ecommerce manager or someone trying to scale a brand, this one is definitely worth the listen.

Revere Recruitment - Salary Guide

Connect with Em here

This week’s episode is a deep dive into the realities of careers, hiring, and what’s actually happening in the job market right now.

I’m joined by Emily Haydon, founder of Revere Recruitment, who brings over 20 years of experience in retail, eCommerce and digital recruitment and truly knows the industry inside out.

We unpack both sides of the hiring equation: what candidates are getting wrong, what brands are struggling with and why the market feels so different compared to previous years.

In this episode, we cover:

• What a recruiter actually does (and how they can help your career)
• The current state of the job market — and why it’s neither candidate nor client-driven
• Salary shifts, expectations and how to know your value
• The truth about job hopping, tenure and career growth
• What brands are really looking for when hiring
• Simple ways to stand out when applying (that most people still aren’t doing)

Whether you’re trying to land your next role, grow your team, or just better understand the landscape you’re operating in, this episode will give you a whole new perspective.

In this episode of If You Know You Grow, Chantel sits down with community builder, founder, and powerhouse operator Carmel Zein — co-founder of Staje and the force behind Humble Brags.

From producing conferences straight out of uni to building one of the most sought-after communities in the eCommerce space, Carmel shares how she turned connection into a career — and why authenticity is her biggest competitive advantage.

This conversation dives deep into:

• The reality of building a business (beyond the highlight reel)
• Why community is more powerful than marketing
• The transition from employee to founder
• Creating meaningful connections (not just networking)
• Balancing wellness, motherhood, and ambition
• The behind-the-scenes of launching a supplement brand in one of the hardest industries

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, out of place, or unsure of your path — this episode is your reminder that everything is unfolding exactly as it should.

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by one of the most inspiring founders I know — Maddie Burton.

Maddie is the founder of Your Bliss, a low-tox perfume brand created from her own personal health journey. After years of being dismissed, unheard and living in constant pain, she was diagnosed with endometriosis — a moment that completely changed the trajectory of her life and led her to build a business with real purpose.

We dive into:

• Turning pain into purpose and building a brand from scratch
• The reality of starting (and scaling) an e-commerce business
• Why low-tox living isn’t about perfection
• The hard lessons around money, margins & trusting the wrong people
• Letting go of friendships and habits that no longer serve you
• Learning to dream bigger and stop playing small

Maddie shares the behind-the-scenes of growing Your Bliss over the past 6 years — from launching just before COVID, to rebranding, doubling her busines and stepping into her next level as a founder.

This episode is honest, empowering, and a reminder that you don’t have to fit into one lane — you can build a life and business that reflects all parts of you.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, played small or needed a sign to back yourself… this is it.

In this episode, I’m sharing the full story behind my decision to leave Nu Harvest, from how I got there, what we built, and why I knew it was time to walk away.

We chat:

• Why leaving a job you love can feel like a breakup

• The real reason I stepped away (and why it had nothing to do with failure)

• What we built at Nu Harvest and the legacy I’m most proud of

• The moment I realised I’d outgrown the role

• Burnout, being “too invested,” and learning to choose myself

• Why there’s no playbook for success (and what actually matters instead)

• What I’m building next (even without full clarity yet)

This episode is for anyone who feels like they should stay… but knows deep down it’s time to go.

Sometimes growth doesn’t look like pushing harder. Sometimes it looks like walking away.

And backing yourself anyway.

What happens when everything you’ve built… disappears overnight?

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Bec Stewart — founder of The Habit Tracker, creator, and host of In Her Power Podcast — and we’re diving deep into what it really takes to rebuild your life and brand from scratch.

From losing her entire Instagram account (and business momentum) overnight.. TWICE, to rebuilding a thriving community and scaling a brand that’s changed thousands of lives — this conversation is equal parts inspiring and practical.

We chat:

• The real story behind The Habit Tracker
• How habits actually change your life (and why most people fail)
• Rebuilding after losing everything online
• Time blocking, task batching & productivity hacks that actually work
• The mindset shift that changed everything
• Why being yourself online is your biggest advantage

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or like you’re starting over — this episode is your sign to keep going.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.