Real Ambition

“Being on the ground and seeing what's happening with these projects gives us a better understanding of the impacts, not just for our clients but for the rest of the community.”

In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe chats with Georgina Lamond, Principal Solicitor at Moin Morris Schaefer, a regional firm based in Armidale and Bellingen that quietly handles some of the most complex rural transactions in NSW.

In this discussion, Georgie shares her expertise on carbon farming and renewable energy law, highlighting what’s really being offered when project developers knock on the farm gate.

Georgie breaks down, in plain language, the practical meaning of ‘ACCUs’ (Australian Carbon Credit Units), how offsets work in real life, and what landholders are usually being asked to sign up for - and the risks that can sometimes give them pause. They also discuss how these long‑term deals can complicate or reshape succession plans, and the importance of considering the future generations who’ll be tasked with seeing these projects out.

The conversation highlights the unique value and expertise that regional lawyers offer to local clients over their Big City counterparts - knowing the land, understanding the day-to-day operations of farming, and recognising what keeps their clients up at night.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“I have a joke that the worse my life became, the better a lawyer I became.”

In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Carol Pages, Founder and Principal of Pages Family Law, for a heartfelt conversation about family law, overcoming life’s challenges and choosing hope in the face of it all.

Carol shares her personal experience of the kind of story her clients bring her every day - a separation, becoming a single mum, and what sitting in the client’s seat taught her about the gap between a lawyer’s advice and what stressed clients can actually absorb.

Carol talks to Iolanthe about switching careers from a corporate HR background to enter practice as a mature graduate already raising four children, and building Pages Family Law on compassion, positivity and a deeply hopeful way of practising that reframes separation as a chapter of possibility, rather than loss.

We also hear about Carol’s post-divorce “Tinderella” era, choosing hope over cynicism post-divorce, and meeting the charming Frenchman who would become her husband and business partner. Carol also shares how facing stage three breast cancer further sharpened her sense of what matters in life and encouraged her to continue writing her own story.

Keep an ear out for Carol’s upcoming podcast!

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“I never imagined our names would be on a firm, but circumstances were perfect for us to take that next step.”

In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie chats with family law veteran Kirstie Colls about ambition in mid-career and the emotional reality of building something of your own.

Kirstie shares her journey from a decorated big-law career to launching Tosh Colls Family Law with partner Tarah Tosh, speaking candidly on what happens when you reach what you thought would be the pinnacle of your legal career, only to find that actually, this isn’t quite what you wanted after all.

Kirstie and Iolanthe discuss how comfort can be the enemy of ambition, the difference between being a skilled technician and running a business, the power of trusted collaborators, and how a ‘trial by fire’ helped these founders to recognise their shared values and redefine what ‘success’ looks like.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“You can’t just sit there and do your trade, you have to nurture every part of the business.”

In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie sits down with Georgia Agar, founding principal of Agar Singh Legal in Geelong, to unpack the leap from solo practice to partnership.

Georgia shares how she launched Agar Legal from a spare bedroom during COVID, and how the struggle of trying to do everything herself as a sole principal led her to partnership and the birth of Agar Singh.

Georgia and Iolanthe discuss the mindset shift required to move from ‘my practice’ to ‘ours’, and why equality between partners is essential. The conversation also covers the importance of nurturing relationships, what sustainable growth looks like in a regional city, and why clients in smaller towns often prefer a lawyer from outside of their own pond.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“I've always loved lawyers. I know it's a weird thing to say!”

In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie is joined by legal technology expert Chantal McNaught, PhD Candidate in Law and founder of the Fully Automated Luxury Lawyering newsletter. Together, Iolanthe and Chantal discuss the tension between law as a noble profession and law as a business, exploring how lawyers can embrace technology and business thinking without losing their professional values.

Chantal shares her research on ethics as a framework for structuring decisions when multiple values collide, how the right perspective can help firms cut through tech hype and choose tools that solve real problems, and how compliance can be an opportunity to demonstrate integrity and strong systems to clients. Chantal also contrasts the work-life balance and collegiality of New Zealand’s legal culture with Australia’s more demanding hours.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

"It's incredibly hard to run a good law firm."

In this episode of Real Ambition, host Iolanthe Gabrie speaks with Ben Deverson, founder and director of Lawganised and director of The Kind Lawyers, about the unique expertise that non-lawyers can offer to law firms. Ben shares insights from his extensive experience providing professional services to the legal industry, emphasizing the importance of empathy, workplace culture, and client-centric approaches in law firms. Iolanthe and Ben discuss the value of relationships, growing and learning in business, and the evolving landscape of legal consultancy.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

"Purpose is all about the work you're doing and the people you surround yourself with."

In this insightful episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe speaks with Ines Jusufspahic of Rocket & Ash Immigration Law about her journey in immigration law and the importance of purpose in legal careers. Ines highlights the often-overlooked complexities of immigration law and the need for a supportive legal community. Ines shares her experiences of balancing law practice with motherhood, the challenges of marketing in the legal field, and offers advice for aspiring lawyers on navigating their careers. The discussion culminates in a reflection on the importance of celebrating life amidst the demands of the legal profession.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“Sometimes it does mean getting a bit out of your comfort zone.”

In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Sarah Rey, Principal and Co-Founder of Justitia, for an enlightening discussion approaching legal practice through a business lens.

Sarah shares insights on the challenges of business development in the legal profession, the evolving mindset of lawyers and the importance of adapting to change in legal practice. 

Sarah also highlights the need for generosity in leadership, the significance of building authentic client relationships, and the challenges and opportunities faced by women in business development.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

"We want this to be a human system."

In this episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Dr. Carly Schrever, lawyer, psychologist and Director of Human Ethos to discuss her pioneering work on judicial wellbeing, the unique stressors faced by judges and the importance of mental health support in the legal profession. Dr. Schrever highlights the need for empirical research to understand judicial stress and the impact of this stress on public trust in the legal system. The conversation delves into the cultural stigma surrounding mental health in the judiciary and offers practical takeaways for other high-demand professions.

Note: Earlier this year, the General Assembly of Nation States sitting in New York voted almost unanimously to declare 25 July as the International Day for Judicial Wellbeing – signalling a level of global recognition and acknowledgement about the importance of judicial wellbeing that several years ago was unthinkable.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

“Every case is different, every victim is different.”

In this illuminating episode of Real Ambition, Iolanthe is joined by Mary Anne Ryan, highly respected barrister and current president of the Tasmanian Bar, to discuss the implications of the Friseal & Friseal [2025] appeal case on family law, particularly regarding coercive control and family violence. Mary Anne unpacks the role of evidence over demeanor in court, the key steps in determining allegations of coercion and control, and the impact of the case on how practitioners present cases involving family violence. The discussion highlights the complexities of legal proceedings in family law and the necessity for practitioners to adapt to new understandings of coercive control.

Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Iolanthe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and her agency ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ruby Assembly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Buy Iolanthe's book ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠100 Days of Brave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Explore ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Good Axe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ flexible workspace.

If you or someone you know is experiencing or at risk of domestic violence, support is available.

In Victoria:

The Orange Door

Safe Steps: 1800 015 188

In Tasmania:

Safe Choices: 1800 806 189

Nationally:

1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732

Family Violence Law Help

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Lifeline: 13 11 14

If you are in immediate danger, call 000