Mind the Gap

Treyena Prasad came into finance during COVID with no experience. Today she's Head of Partnerships at LoanOptions.ai, and she's often the only woman in the room. She tells Beth and Peter about her first meetings in the role, when she barely said a word and saved her questions for the debrief with her boss afterwards, and the shift that changed it: from "I'm learning" to "this is my job".

They also cover her non-linear path through law and the automotive industry, why people notice her age before her gender, being pushed into public speaking she begged to get out of, and why she thinks young women need clear pathways into the industry, not only mentors. She talks openly about a hard stretch in 2024 and how her boss noticed and pushed her to get help, then closes on the gap she sees for new brokers who go out on their own straight away.

If anything in this conversation brings something up for you, support is there. Lifeline: 13 11 14. Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636.

Guest: Treyena Prasad, Head of Partnerships, LoanOptions.ai
Hosted by Beth Comino and Peter Comino.

Chapters
0:00 Cold open and welcome
1:18 The invite she ignored, and her role
4:09 Usually the only woman in the room
5:11 Saying nothing in her first meetings
8:16 A very non-linear career
13:43 Leaving law, COVID, then finance
16:40 Male-dominated rooms, age and gender
19:49 What helped: people who back you
21:27 Hours of prep for a 30-second pitch
22:56 Pushed outside her comfort zone
26:45 Walking into a room of strangers
27:48 Pathways, not just mentorship
32:24 The cost of saying yes to everything
37:34 A hard stretch and the boss who noticed
43:57 Work-life balance and travel season
47:49 Confidence before you feel it
50:09 Why a table of women can feel harder
53:39 The gap: new brokers going solo
58:07 Where to find Treyena

Watch the video on YouTube and find every episode: https://linktr.ee/MindtheGap_byHAS

Mind the Gap is proudly sponsored by HAS.

Have you ever sat in a meeting with something to contribute, but talked yourself out of speaking?

In the first episode of Mind the Gap, Beth and Peter Comino welcome Treyena Prasad, Head of Partnerships at LoanOptions.ai, for an honest conversation about confidence, careers and finding your voice.

From automotive dealerships and studying law to building industry partnerships, Treyena’s career has been anything but linear. She shares how she moved from staying quiet in meetings to recognising the value of her perspective.

Together, we explore:

• Building confidence in public speaking and networking.
• Finding people who advocate for you.
• Creating clearer pathways for young women in finance.• Setting boundaries without feeling you have to prove yourself.
• Why professional success doesn’t always tell the whole personal story.

Whether you’re starting out, stepping into leadership or supporting someone who is, this conversation explores what helps us feel we belong.

Follow Mind the Gap for new episodes fortnightly.