Today’s interview is with Clare Reilly - she’s an adventurer, podcast host, disability advocate, and likes doing things that people say she shouldn't be able to do.

Clare lives with multiple sclerosis (MS), but she refuses to let that define the limits of her life. Instead, she’s encouraging others to embrace micro adventures and sharing the realities of living with MS with honesty, humour, and hope.

In this conversation, we explore Clare's journey from receiving her MS diagnosis to becoming the first person to traverse the Munda Biddi Trail, the world's longest off-road cycling route in Western Australia, using a wheelchair.

We also chat about:

• Clare's life before multiple sclerosis and how big adventures were a core part of her identity
• Why she kept her diagnosis private early on 
• Why she started her podcast, MS Understood, and how listening to others expanded her understanding of how differently MS affects each person.
• What gradual acceptance looked like as her mobility declined
• Why she's passionate about encouraging people to embrace micro-adventures
• The inspiration behind tackling the 1,000km Munda Biddi Trail
• What 18 months of preparation looked like for such an enormous challenge
• The conversations she hopes her journey sparks around accessibility, inclusion, and reimagining what's possible

Clare is an adventurer, storyteller, and passionate advocate for people living with multiple sclerosis. Originally from Portarlington, Victoria, she loves proving that the things people say are impossible are often worth attempting anyway.

Whether she's hunting for roadside honey stalls, hiding away in native cottage gardens, recording her podcast, writing her memoir, or tackling ambitious outdoor adventures, Clare brings humour, curiosity, and determination to everything she does.

Through her advocacy, podcast MS Understood, and her incredible Munda Biddi Trail expedition, which is also raising funds for medical research, Clare hopes to inspire people to think differently about adventure, disability, and what's possible.

You can learn more about Clare and support her fundraising journey at wheelchairmeetswilderness.org.

Follow Clare on IG: https://www.instagram.com/clare.reilly/

Today I'm chatting with Jacqui Maloney — a public speaking and presence coach who works with CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs who are done playing small.

Jacqui’s 20-year career as a professional actor and voice-over artist forms the foundation of everything she teaches, giving her clients access to performance-based techniques used by working actors to command attention, hold a room, and land every word.

In this conversation, we explore what visibility really means, why so many women struggle to be seen even when they have powerful things to say, and how presence, voice, and authenticity shape the way we are perceived in business and in life.

We go behind the scenes of Jacqui’s own recent experience with stepping back from visibility — what was happening for her personally, what it cost her to hide, and how she reconciles being an expert in presence while navigating her own seasons of withdrawal.

We also chat about: 

• Jacqui’s journey and how she came to specialise in visibility work
• Common patterns she sees in women who have something powerful to say but still hold back
• What was happening behind the scenes when she stopped showing up publicly
• Why hiding can feel safe — and what it actually costs us
• the unexpected benefits to going quiet for a period of time
• The role of body language and self-presentation in how we are perceived
• How to balance vulnerability with professionalism in business and life
• Practical strategies to overcome fear of being seen and show up with more confidence

About Jacqui

Jacqui is a visibility expert who has spent over two decades studying and teaching the art of presence — helping women and professionals understand how to communicate with confidence, command attention, and show up more authentically in both life and business.

Her work explores the intersection of mindset, identity, and expression, supporting women to move through fear, self-doubt, and visibility blocks so they can step into their next level with clarity and confidence.

She is passionate about helping women stop shrinking, start showing up fully, and own the space they’re meant to take up.

Follow Jacqui:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-maloney/

https://www.instagram.com/jacquimaloneycoaching/

This episode is proudly sponsored by Bec Thompson.

If you've ever had to leave town and found yourself worrying more about your pets than your actual trip, Bec is the person you need to know. Through her house and pet sitting service, she provides a calm, reliable presence for your home and the animals you love most, so you can head away knowing everything is being looked after.

You can find Bec on Instagram at @btnohome to learn more about her house and pet sitting services and see if she's the right fit for you and your furry family.

Welcome back to another episode of Off Script, On Brand. 

Today I have the pleasure of chatting with Dante Amato - a mentor, speaker, facilitator, and the founder of The Community: a global community for women who are ready to create lives that feel aligned, meaningful, and fully their own.

In this convo, we chat about identity shifts, nervous system safety, and what it really takes to evolve into the next version of yourself, especially when life looks “good on paper” but feels completely misaligned. 

Dante shares her journey of stepping out of the traditional business coaching space when she realised her work wasn’t just about strategy, it was about deeper inner transformation. What her clients actually needed wasn’t more tactics, but the courage, safety, and self-awareness to change. 

This episode is a grounded, honest look at what it means to outgrow versions of yourself, your work, and even the people around you, and how to navigate that without losing yourself in the process.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The defining moment in her life when she had “everything” on paper but felt deep guilt and shame for not feeling happy
• Why she made the intentional decision to step away from traditional business coaching to fully honour her deeper transformation work
• How her own identity shifts and personal evolution that led her to support other women through theirs
• Why identity shifts can destabilise certainty, and how women often respond by either freezing or becoming impulsively reactive
• The importance of making grounded decisions instead of reactive ones during times of change
• Why nervous system safety is essential when moving through big life transitions
• How she creates spaces where women feel safe enough to unravel, be seen, and reconnect with their truth
• The belief that not everyone is meant to come with you into your next chapter—and why outgrowing people is a natural part of evolution
• Why she created a community specifically for women in their 40s navigating major identity and life transitions

Dante Amato is a mentor, speaker, facilitator, and the founder of The Community: a global space for women ready to create lives that feel aligned, meaningful, and fully their own.

Her work blends neuroscience, belief work, emotional intelligence, identity transformation, and grounded real-life strategy to help women reconnect with themselves and step into their next chapter with clarity, confidence, and self-trust.

Through events, retreats, online programs, private mentoring, and her global community, Dante creates spaces where women feel seen, supported, challenged, and deeply connected—to themselves and each other.

Her mission is simple: to help women stop abandoning themselves and create lives they are genuinely obsessed with—from the inside out.

Instagram: Instagram
Website: The Community
Inquiries: [email protected]

Welcome back to another episode of Off Script, On Brand. I’m your host, Leslie Carvitto, and today I’m sitting down with Chela Edmunds, the creative force behind Takeawei.

Chances are you’ve heard of Takeawei — you may even have one of their beautiful mugs or bowls in your kitchen — but you probably don’t know the story of the woman who created it.

Based on Victoria’s Surf Coast, Chela is a ceramic artist and designer whose work spans functional ceramics, glaze development, and small-batch collections. 

In this conversation, we explore Chela’s creative evolution — from working in New York’s fashion industry to building one of Australia’s most recognisable ceramics brands, as well as her IVF journey, becoming a mother, and how that’s shifted her creative practice. 

In this episode, we explore:

• Chela's life and career in New York's fashion industry
• The transition from textile design to ceramics after discovering pottery in Brooklyn
• Returning to Australia and building a creative business from the ground up
• Opening her own retail store in Melbourne
• How the business evolved during COVID
• Her IVF journey and becoming a mother at 40
• The decision to grow her family from one to two
• The realities of balancing motherhood and a creative business
• Finding flow and protecting time for creativity
• How her confidence as an artist and business owner developed over time
• What life and business look like in this current season

Chela Edmunds is a ceramic artist and designer based on Victoria's Surf Coast and the founder of Takeawei, a practice specialising in functional ceramics, glaze development, and small-batch design collections.

Her work is defined by a thoughtful approach to form, colour, and materiality, from the humble mug to expansive tableware collections and a growing focus on lighting for residential and commercial spaces.

To follow along with Chela's work head to: www.takeawei.com and https://www.instagram.com/takeawei/

Chela also hosts an AirBnB: airbnb.com/h/sunsetjanjuc

Welcome to Season 2 of Off Script, On Brand.

We're doing things a little differently for this first episode. Instead of me asking the questions, my friend Julia (from Season 1, Episode 1) is turning the mic around and putting me in the hot seat.

We talk about the winding path that led me here—from falling in love with photography as a kid, to leaving corporate life, building a business from scratch, navigating visibility, and sharing more of the personal experiences that have shaped who I am today.

We also dive into entrepreneurship, vulnerability, growth, and one of the most personal chapters of my life: infertility. This one’s close to my heart. I’m glad you’re here.

In this episode, we cover:

• Following curiosity, adventure, and my hunger for life
• Building a business through scrappiness, resourcefulness, and saying yes to opportunities
• The corporate career I left behind and what came next
• How photography became my creative outlet and eventually my business
• Creating safe, empowering experiences for women in front of the camera
• The off-script moments that have shaped my business journey
• Navigating a season of growth, expansion, and reinvention
• What authentic visibility actually looks like
• Why business owners need to think beyond social media
• My evolving relationship with vulnerability
• My experience with infertility and the perspective I'm carrying today

Follow Leslie:

www.lesliecarvitto.com

@lesliecarvitto.photography

PS - I’m running a 5-Day Visibility Sprint! This is for founders, creatives, and business owners who want to get seen, take action, and build momentum - without burning out on social media. Over the week you’ll get daily visibility challenges to do in real time, and accountability and support inside a private group. This is all about expanding your ideas around visibility and what it can do to grow your brand. We kick off June 15th. Join here: https://www.lesliecarvitto.com/visibility-era

What happens when you’ve poured 6 years of your life into a business… and then have to let it go?

Not pivot or scale back, but actually close the doors.

In this episode of Off Script, On Brand, I sit down with Sian Murray, founder of Pleasant State, for an honest conversation about what that looked like.

We talk about the reality of shutting down a business after years of building it from the ground up — the grief, the identity shift, the pressure to stay optimistic while things weren’t going well behind the scenes, and the moment she and her business partner admitted it was time to close.

But this episode is also about redefining failure, untangling your worth from what you’ve built, and what happens when you stop gripping onto something because you’re scared to let it go.

In this episode, we explore:

• The emotional and practical reality of closing a business
• The pressure of continuing to “show up” while struggling behind the scenes
• Why optimism kept her going through the hardest seasons
• The decision to be transparent with her community — and the response that followed
• Motherhood, identity, and how her perspective has shifted
• What “failure” means to her now
• Moving into the next chapter with far less fear

This one is raw, reflective, vulnerable, and incredibly important for anyone who’s ever tied their identity to what they create.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

PS — this is the final episode of Season 1
If you’ve been here since the beginning, thank you. You're a legend!  And if you’re new here, welcome — there's another 9 episodes waiting for you to binge.

To follow along on Sian's journey head to: https://www.instagram.com/sianleee/

To work with Sian, email: [email protected]

Welcome back to another episode (the second to last of season 1!) of Off Script, On Brand!

Today's episode is with Retreat Yourself Founder and Director Kate Williams.

In this episode, Kate and I talk about the journey behind building a purpose-led, multi-million dollar wellness brand, and the life experiences that shaped it.
 

From spending seven years travelling the world after high school, to navigating a quarter-life crisis that led to a one-way ticket to Melbourne and a jump into corporate life, Kate shares how each chapter played a role in defining what she truly wanted, which is helping people actually enjoy their lives.
 

This conversation dives into her core belief that tomorrow isn’t promised, and how that philosophy became the foundation of her brand. We also get into the realities of leadership and what it looks like to run a growing team as a deeply empathetic person. Kate shares openly about the challenge of separating emotion from decision-making, learning to compartmentalise stress, and leading a business without letting it consume her.
 

In this episode, we explore:

• How forgoing university and seven years of travel shaped her
• The quarter-life crisis that led to a one-way ticket to Melbourne and a move into corporate
• Building a team with flexibility and hiring from diverse walks of life
• The challenge of leading as an empathetic person and making decisions without emotion
• Learning to compartmentalise stress while running a multi-million dollar business
• Balancing business growth with being a present mother to her two young kids
• Her intense season of burnout and how it reshaped the way she approaches life, work, and success
• Nervous system regulation habits that helped her manage pressure and responsibility
• Why she's choosing to show more than just the highlights on social media
  
  Follow Kate & Retreat Yourself

Retreat Yourself: retreatyourself.com
Retreat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/retreatyourself_box/
Kate's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katebuchannn/

Use "OFFSCRIPTONBRAND" to get 20% off Retreat Yourself gift boxes!! 

Welcome back to Off Script, On Brand. We took a short break, and I’m SO excited to be back in your ears. In this episode, I sit down with Australian contemporary artist Erin Reinboth to talk about building a creative life, navigating life-altering moments, and what it really looks like to turn your creative art practice into a business.

From growing up surrounded by entrepreneurial parents who championed creativity from day one, to making intentional decisions about her career path early on, Erin shares how she’s always approached her work with both vision and strategy.

But this convo also moves into a deeply personal chapter, the birth of her second son and his undetected heart condition, which changed everything for her and her family. During her time in the NICU, she found herself returning to sketching and drawing as a form of processing. That experience became a turning point, eventually leading her to painting and into her first solo exhibition.

We talk about the misconceptions of being a full-time artist and building a multifaceted, sustainable business with multiple income streams and creative outlets.

We also chat about identity, growth, and the power of environment, from surrounding yourself with people who expand what you believe is possible, to stepping into a more honest, and authentic version of who you are.

In this episode, we explore:

• How growing up in an entrepreneurial, creative household shaped her path
• Choosing textile design with a clear vision, and how being outcome-focused supported her early career
• The life-changing experience of her son’s heart condition at birth and how it shifted everything
• Returning to art and having a solo exhibition after her time in the NICU 
• The realities of doing art full-time and building a sustainable, diversified creative business
• Turning 40, letting go of people-pleasing and feeling more herself than ever
• Realigning representation and partnerships to reflect her values
• Building More House (a creative space for the community)  and Create Club in Ashmore Arts

Follow Erin:

Website: www.erinreinbothart.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinreinbothart/
More House: https://www.morehousetorquay.com.au
More House Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/more_house_torquay/

This episode is supported by Amanda Jane Copy.
For business owners who are done overthinking every caption, email, and website tweak — if your brain’s full but your content isn’t converting, you need this.
Clarity, structure, and someone in your corner → amandajanecopy.com. @amandajanecopy

Welcome back to Off Script, On Brand. In this episode, I sit down with Jessie Rebel, an artist, storyteller, and advocate,  to talk about creativity as a pathway to healing, identity, and self-discovery.

Jessi is a proud Wiradjuri person, living and creating on Wadawurrung Country. Their life has been shaped by a connection to Country and Sea Country, and both are strong influences on the works they create.

Jessi has a background as a youth/social worker and also draws a lot of inspiration from interpersonal relationships and the intersection of all things. Jessi works collaboratively in community, engaging in murals and workshops with youth and students and loves bringing other’s stories to life through art. Jessi has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Therapy and believes creativity and art has the power to heal the world, both within us and around us. 

In this episode, we chat about:

• Jessie’s personal and creative journey growing up Biripai Country
•  How painting became a tool for processing their experiences working with at-risk youth
• The influence of their Aunty Lisa Evans and the lesson behind not being given a piece of their art
•  The moments she realised their work was growing into something bigger than they expected
• Their recent season shedding shame and confusion, and feeling more expansive and aligned in their art practice
• The impact of embracing their non-binary identity on their creative expression
• Their artist residency in Tasmania 
• Reflections on why they stays in a full-time job and allows their creativity to exist without pressure
  

This episode is for you if:

• You’re exploring your identity and want to express it more fully
• You’re using (or want to use) creativity as a tool for healing or processing
• You’re wondering if your “side creative passion” could become something bigger

You’re learning to trust your intuition and stop forcing your creativity 

Links & Resources:

• Jessi's website
• Jessi's instagram

Yarrangany Exhibition:  FRI 08 MAY—SAT 11 JUL

Curated by Jessi Rebel, this exhibition brings together First Nations artists from diverse countries, cultures, and nations, exploring identity as something relational and evolving. REGISTER

Work With Leslie

The Visibility Shift waitlist is open! The Visibility Shift is a live 6 week course where we’ll tackle mindset, strategy, and practical steps to make sure your work and story get seen by the right people.

Spots are limited—join the waitlist to be the first to be the first to get all the juicy details and jump in. https://lesliecarvittophotography.myflodesk.com/visibility-shift-waitlist

Welcome back to Off Script, On Brand. In this episode, I sit down with Harriet Birrell -  author, creative, and the founder of Natural Harry -  to talk about releasing expectations, reconnecting with creativity, and redefining what’s actually sustainable in a season when life is very full. 

From building a brand rooted in sustainability, whole foods, and conscious living, to stepping away from social media entirely, Harriet shares the evolution of her work and herself.

We dive into the internal pressure of figuring out your “next thing,” and how her decision to take a full step back from social media became a turning point. Without the noise, the expectations, or the need to post and perform, Harriet found herself returning to her first love — creating with her hands, working with textiles, and reconnecting with what lights her up. 

This conversation also explores the tension between creative ambition and surrender in motherhood. With two young children, Harriet shares how she’s shifted away from bigger projects and instead embraces smaller creative moments whenever she can.

In this episode, we explore:

• The story behind Natural Harry and how Harriet’s values around sustainability and conscious living were shaped
• The journey of creating her cookbooks, including the self-publishing process and navigating self-doubt and imposter syndrome
• The pressure of constantly creating and consuming online, and what led her to take a full break from social media
• What that “big pause” revealed when she stepped away from the noise
• Letting go of the need to define your “next thing” and releasing attachment to outcomes
• Motherhood, creativity, and the tension between ambition and surrender
• Embracing smaller, intentional projects in seasons where time and capacity are limited
  

This episode is for you if:

• You’re a mother learning to balance creative ambition with surrender 
• You’re feeling pressure to create your next creative project (but coming up blank)
• You’re craving space, slowness, or a reset from being constantly online
• You want to create in a way that feels sustainable, grounded, and true to you
  

Resources & Links

Website: https://naturalharry.com.au/

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

Work With Leslie

Feeling invisible while everyone else seems to be getting noticed? Time to change that.

The Visibility Shift waitlist is open! The Visibility Shift is a live 6 week course where we’ll tackle mindset, strategy, and practical steps to make sure your work and story get seen by the right people.

Spots are limited—join the waitlist to be the first to be the first to get all the juicy details and jump in.

https://lesliecarvittophotography.myflodesk.com/visibility-shift-waitlist