This week, I’m joined by Jemma Haythorne, body image coach and host of the Finding Freedom podcast. Jemma helps women ditch body shame, rebuild a healthy relationship with food, and embrace their bodies with compassion, confidence, and self-love.

Before she was helping women heal their relationship with food, Jemma experienced the very struggles so many of her clients face like confusing diet rules, obsessive weight cycles, and the impossible beauty standards pushed by social media and society.

In this conversation, Jemma shares her personal journey through body dissatisfaction, diet culture traps, and self-sabotage, and how she found freedom and empowerment through mindset work, coaching, and self-awareness.

She also opens up about her mission to teach children healthy body image from an early age, because the earlier we start, the bigger the impact.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What diet culture actually is and how it impacts body image and self-esteem
• How diet culture and body obsession shaped her relationship with food from a young age
• The vicious cycle of strict dieting, binge eating, and disordered eating patterns
• The role of parents, partners, and family in shaping children’s body beliefs
• Why starting conversations about body acceptance in primary schools can create lifelong confidence
• Jemma’s thoughts on popular weight loss drugs like Ozempic, and why diet culture is so prevalent
• How stripping back to nutrition basics, like protein and regular meals, can transform energy and rebuild an intuitive relationship with food

This episode is a must-listen for anyone tired of diet culture, struggling with food or body confidence, or for parents wanting to raise children who feel safe, confident, and empowered in their bodies.

Connect with Jemma:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejemmarose/

Website: https://www.inspirewellnessau.com.au/

Podcast: https://www.inspirewellnessau.com.au/podcast

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

What happens when the very thing you’ve spent decades hiding becomes the source of your freedom?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Clare Elizabeth Dea, international performance artist, speaker, author, facilitator, and host of Fuckup Nights Melbourne.

Clare shares her deeply personal journey of growing up with Poland Syndrome, the shame she carried around her body for years, and how learning to be seen changed everything.

Born without a left pectoral and developing only one breast, Clare spent much of her life hiding, managing intimacy through fear, and chasing success while feeling deeply disconnected from her true self. Despite being a trained performer who loved the stage, she was terrified of being truly seen.

Through acting training, therapy, intuition-led decisions, and storytelling, Clare slowly reclaimed her voice, transforming shame into beauty, power, and purpose. Today, she helps others feel safe to be seen - whether that’s on stage, in business, or in their personal lives.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What Poland Syndrome is and how it shaped Clare’s relationship with her body, confidence, and identity
• Growing up with shame, hiding parts of yourself, and the cost of staying silent
• Manifesting $15,000 to train in London, and how that overseas experience shaped Clare’s authentic confidence when she returned to Melbourne
• How intuition shows up, and what can happen when you ignore it
• The difference between telling your story before you’re ready vs when it’s truly integrated
• Creating safety before visibility through therapy, community, and baby steps
• Why live events and shared stories help people drop the mask and feel less alone

This conversation is a wild journey. From Clare’s first experience with entrepreneurship, to overseas dance and acting training, to creating her own live speaking events, Clare’s story is a powerful reminder that you don’t need to rush to share everything at once to be worthy of being seen. Safety comes first and, from there, transformation follows.

If you’ve ever struggled with shame, social anxiety, body image, or trusting your intuition, this episode is for you.

Connect with Clare:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clareelizabeth_dea

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/clare.e.dea

Website: https://www.clareelizabethdea.com

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of mental health and suicide ideation. Please take care of yourself and skip this episode if it feels triggering.

What happens when the workplace you once loved becomes the very thing that breaks you?

This week, I’m joined by Sophia Salmon, business mentor and founder of Wise Mind Consulting. Sophia helps women step into confidence, self-trust, and authentic visibility through an integrated, no-fluff approach that supports business growth without sacrificing lifestyle.

But before the thriving business and clients who adore her, there was a version of Sophia left shattered by a workplace that failed her.

Sophia openly shares her journey through burnout, psychiatric care, mental health discrimination, workplace exclusion, a traumatic leave experience, and the devastating realisation that her employer wasn’t going to let her return.

In this conversation, she takes us inside the reality of what it’s like to rebuild your identity after a workplace breaks your spirit, and how a 100km charity walk became the symbol of her mental and physical strength returning.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How years of perfectionism and high self-expectations led her to mask her internal struggles
• The moment COVID ended a job she once loved, and the loneliness and loss of identity that followed
• Navigating psychiatric inpatient and outpatient care, and what a Crisis Assessment Team is
• The emotional toll of workplace exclusion, dismissal, and finding out her employer was stopping her from returning
• How a long and exhausting legal battle reshaped her understanding of mental health at work
• What a 100km fundraising walk for Beyond Blue taught her about resilience and self-belief
• Rebuilding her confidence, voice, and purpose, and how that led her into business

This episode is a powerful listen for anyone who’s experienced burnout or exclusion in the workplace.

It’s a reminder that so many burnout stories start in environments that don’t support their people, and why backing yourself, rather than staying somewhere that doesn’t value you, matters so much.

Connect with Sophia:

Website: https://www.wisemindconsulting.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisemind.consulting

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-salmon-abbott

Age Article: https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/hawthorn-accused-of-mental-health-hypocrisy-20220814-p5b9nt.html 

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

Trigger warning: This episode includes discussions of trauma, sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, and the challenges of leaving unsafe or toxic environments. Please take care of yourself and skip this episode if it feels triggering.

Can the pain of your past become the catalyst for protecting the next generation?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Heena Sinha Cheung, a powerful advocate, survivor, and storyteller who has transformed her lived experience into a mission of healing and justice.

After leaving behind years of trauma, discrimination, and silence, she rebuilt her life with courage and purpose, emerging as a voice for women, children, and people with disabilities.

Today, she works at the intersection of advocacy, policy, and community empowerment, championing safer systems and platforms where survivors can be heard and believed.

From surviving abuse in silence to becoming a public advocate, Dr. Cheung has dedicated herself to giving children the vocabulary, tools, and safe spaces they need to express themselves.

She is the author of "My Safe Circle: Learning to Protect Ourselves" and the founder of the political movement "Protect Our Children - Jail, Not Bail," which aims to strengthen laws and hold abusers accountable.

In this episode, we speak about:

• Dr. Cheung’s experiences throughout childhood, reaching out for help, and finding that people didn’t know how to support her
• Being labelled as lazy, disruptive, and rebellious as a child, when really she was in survival mode
• Finding a safe, loving relationship with her husband, growing a family, and realising she was never broken or damaged
• Her journey from trauma to advocacy, and the moment she realised entrepreneurship alone wasn’t enough
• How speaking her truth has empowered others to share their stories
• The creation of My Safe Circle and practical tools to help children protect themselves
• Her bold decision to run as an independent for the Senate, and why politics became part of her advocacy
• The power of community action and how giving one minute of your time can help protect children and drive systemic change

Dr. Cheung's story is a powerful reminder that our past doesn’t define us, but it can inspire change, protect the vulnerable, and create a safer future for children everywhere.

Connect with Dr. Cheung:

Jail Not Bail Website: www.jailnotbail.com.au

Heena Sinha Cheung Website: www.heenascheung.com.au

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heena_sinhacheung/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-heena-sinha/

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

The start of a new year can bring up a lot, and it doesn’t all have to look like big goals or fresh starts.

It’s just me here today, in this solo New Year’s episode. I’m sharing a reflection on welcoming 2026 in your own way, without needing to feel your best on day one.

I reflect on the power of celebrating what you’ve already built, the importance of community and storytelling, and the safe spaces created through the Life After I Left podcast and live events. I also share details about our upcoming Melbourne event on 12 February, and why creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported matters now more than ever.

This episode is an invitation to slow down, breathe, and honour yourself for making it here.

In this episode, I chat about:

• Why you don’t need to feel amazing on 1 January for the year to still count
• Letting go of the ‘New Year, new you’ narrative and embracing change in your own time
• Reflecting on 2025 and celebrating what you’ve already achieved
• The impact of storytelling, community, and creating safe spaces
• What’s coming next for Life After I Left, including our February Melbourne event

Thank you for being here, for listening, and for being part of this community.

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now - and use code LIFE5 to save $5:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

What if the key to your spiritual growth was simply learning to protect your energy, slow down, and trust what feels right in your body?

This week, I’m joined by Elinor Moshe, co-founder of Truth of You and a four-time author. She’s built a remarkable public legacy through awards, books, and a respected podcast. Yet beneath that outward success, a fracture grew. Her external achievements and inner world slowly slipped out of alignment, creating a quiet but relentless tension.

At 32, while travelling overseas with her parents, Elinor found herself caught in what she later learned as the ‘devouring mother’, where even simple choices felt impossible.

That moment sparked a profound awakening. She realised she had been living through masks and roles, disconnected from her own reality, and vowed to reclaim herself through spiritual guidance and grounded practices.

Although this story has unfolded only in recent years, her life today looks completely different.

This is a deep, expansive conversation that pulls back the curtain on the spiritual space, and it’s packed with so many golden insights you may find yourself listening more than once.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Elinor’s personal journey through shadow work, nervous system healing, and breaking lifelong generational patterns
• How she met her now-partner, and what their life together looks like today
• What energetic protection and spiritual hygiene actually look like, and why they matter before doing any deep healing
• How to choose a practitioner or guide with discernment (including red flags to look out for)
• The importance of reconnecting with intuition and trusting your body’s signals
• How modalities like astrology, shadow work, human design, tarot, and QHHT can support, but never replace, your inner wisdom
• Practical, accessible first steps for anyone feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure where to begin

Whether you’re deep into your spiritual journey or just taking your first steps, this episode is full of insight and guidance. Elinor’s story is a reminder that you don’t need to force your path; it begins by tuning into what feels true in your body right now.

Connect with Elinor:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theelinormoshe/

Website: truthofyou.com.au

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elinor-moshe/

Our live event is back!

Life After I Left - the live event - is back in Melbourne on 12 Feb for our 5th unforgettable event. 5 women, sharing 5 raw, powerful stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Grab your ticket now:

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-the-big-5-tickets-1811765131279

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

What happens when the motherhood you pictured meets the reality of anxiety, exhaustion, and doing it without enough support?

Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of mental health challenges and references to suicidal ideation.

This week, I’m joined by Shani Connard, a holistic life coach.

She supports men and women to be happier parents, live healthier lives, and show up in their relationships with courage and authenticity. She also hosts monthly women's gatherings and potluck dinners where the focus is on being real, authentic, and navigating the ups and downs of life.

Shani is also a voice for women who feel unseen and overwhelmed in the early years of parenting.

After experiencing debilitating panic disorder and the crushing weight of feeling unsupported, she now speaks openly about the realities so many mothers quietly carry.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Shani’s early challenges in the birth of her son and the first years of motherhood
• The importance of evaluating your support network before becoming a parent
• Handling divorce, selling a house, and organising custody and finances while her mental health was at its lowest
• Receiving a diagnosis of panic disorder and how gradual exposure therapy, medication, and support meetings helped reduce her panic triggers
• Experiencing a near-death anaphylactic attack, suppressing fear and grief for six months, and how this may have contributed to the onset of panic attacks
• Why mums often minimise their own needs until reaching their breaking point due to fear of judgement
• What she wants every mother who feels scared, overwhelmed, or alone to know

This episode is a reminder that behind the highlight reels of motherhood are real women navigating fear, identity shifts, and invisible emotional loads; and how transformative it is to have the right people and support around you.

Connect with Shani:

Websites: www.reconnect2life.com.au & www.hertribe.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Reconnect2Life & https://www.facebook.com/her.tribe.gatherings

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reconnect_2life & https://www.instagram.com/her.tribe.gatherings/

Gift vouchers for Shani's offers

Christmas vouchers are officially live -  and if you’re looking for a gift that feels meaningful, supportive and actually helpful… this is it. Vouchers can be used across all Reconnect2Life and Her Tribe offerings in 2026 - workshops, coaching, women’s gatherings, and more: https://www.reconnect2life.com.au/gift-vouchers 

Free Strategy Call with Shani

Unsure? Totally get it… Book a free 20-minute strategy call to feel things out and see if I’m the right fit for you: https://www.reconnect2life.com.au/book-a-session

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

Ever experienced pain or symptoms that didn’t feel right, only to hear it’s ‘just bad period pain’?

Trigger warning: Discussions of PMDD, mental health struggles, and suicidal ideation (in the context of healing and transformation).

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Adriana Tantau, a menstrual mentor and educator helping women live symptom-free menstrual cycles after being let down by the system.

Adriana shares her decade-long journey to a PMDD diagnosis, the frustration of being misdiagnosed, and being told her only options were antidepressants or birth control.

Through nervous system regulation and menstrual intelligence, she went from barely surviving her cycle to being completely symptom-free. Now, Adriana teaches other women to do the same inside The Cycle Codes™ movement.

From understanding symptoms to navigating a healthcare system that often overlooks women’s experiences, Adriana brings both compassion and clarity to a topic that many women struggle with in silence - or may not even be aware of.

In this episode, we chat about:

• What Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is, the early symptoms Adriana experienced, and why they were dismissed for so long
• Adriana’s journey through sobriety and the night she experienced a ‘dark cloud’, she later recognised as PMDD
• How Adriana left behind the version of herself who thought pain was normal, who swallowed pills, drank alcohol just to get through the month, and who believed her body was broken
• The limited medical treatments she was offered and why she chose to find another way
• Why PMDD is often misdiagnosed as anxiety or depression
• The holistic steps Adriana took to begin healing naturally, and how she now supports other women
• How understanding your cycle and regulating your nervous system can become the most empowering tool for your wellbeing

Adriana unpacks a lot in this episode. From her childhood experiences and sobriety journey to her PMDD diagnosis and current motherhood journey.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that you deserve options, to be heard, and to feel supported on your path to wellbeing.

Connect with Adriana:

Instagram: https:/www.instagram.com/thecyclecodes 

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6RckYyVBPSul2DZkyh0HuY

Join SYNCED — a 6-week live masterclass series helping women move from fight-or-flight to symptom-free living through menstrual intelligence and nervous system regulation. https://tr.ee/6gZkdlJmsy

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

What happens when the life you built becomes the one you have to leave behind?

This week I’m joined by Glenda Kroll, a podcast host and life empowerment strategist, helping women 40+ and special needs families reinvent life with confidence, purpose, and real estate success.

She is deeply passionate about reinvention after 40, rebuilding self-worth after betrayal, and empowering women to step into their next chapter with courage and clarity.

Glenda shares her extraordinary journey of leaving not one, but two toxic relationships, and how she rebuilt her life, confidence, and business from the ground up.

From running a successful company while hiding the reality of her home life to secretly planning her escape, Glenda’s story is one of resilience, strategy, and self-belief.

In this conversation, Glenda shares how she found the courage to start over, the lessons she’s passed on to her children, and how trusting her intuition (and a few divine nudges) helped her rebuild a life filled with purpose, peace, and freedom.

In this episode, we chat about:

• How, after decades of caregiving, navigating divorce, and putting others first, Glenda made the bold decision to reinvent her life in her 60s
• The moment she walked into court with $200,000 in legal bills, and fired her lawyer
• How she planned her exit from a toxic relationship safely and reclaimed her independence
• The affirmation that kept her going during her darkest nights
• Breaking the cycle of attracting unhealthy relationships
• Rebuilding self-trust, strength, and emotional resilience after leaving
• How intuition and divine guidance shaped her healing and purpose
• Why she now helps women and families rebuild after hardship and create financial freedom

Glenda’s story is more than one of survival. It’s a testament to the truth that you’re never too old, too broken, or too late to start over.

Connect with Glenda:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisewomensword/ 

Website: https://glendakroll.com/   

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IAMGLENDAKROLL

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

What happens when the thing you once felt most insecure about becomes your greatest strength?

This week, I’m joined by Annelise McCarthy, a renowned women’s speaking coach and founder of Her Speaking Coach.

She shares how a childhood struggle with speech became the foundation for a career empowering others to speak with confidence and authenticity.

At just 20 years old, she launched her business, but behind the polished brand and professional voice was a young woman terrified she wouldn’t be taken seriously.

In this episode, Annelise gets honest about imposter syndrome, starting a business young, and the moment she realised that hiding her age (and her story) was holding her back.

This is such a fun and insightful conversation, packed with practical takeaways, lessons on confidence, communication and the power of backing yourself.

In this episode, we chat about:

• The childhood experiences with a lisp and speech therapy that shaped Annelise’s confidence and love of communication
• How studying public speaking from age eight built lifelong speaking and presentation skills
• The mindset hurdles of launching a business at 20, and why she now sees it as a privilege to mentor women
• The self-doubt that surfaced in her early business years and the conversation that changed everything
• Why age has nothing to do with authority or impact when you have the experience to back it up
• The importance of solo dates and how spending intentional time alone builds confidence, creativity, and self-trust
• How her business evolved into Her Speaking Coach, a global community of over 250,000 people

Annelise’s story is a reminder that confidence isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build through practice, self-trust, and courage.

Connect with Annelise:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/herspeakingcoach/

Website: https://www.herspeakingcoach.com/

You're on Mute Tour: You're On Mute | Australian Tour 2026 | Her Speaking Coach

Support the show:

Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on

Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast - I would love to hear from you.

New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's).

And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most.

❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.