Really Interesting Women

Really Interesting Women - the podcast

Episode 133

Melinda Schneider

*This podcast contains content about depression*

Melinda started in the entertainment industry aged 3 alongside her mother, the legendary yodeller Mary Schneider. She recorded music at 8, had her acting debut in A Country Practice at 13, went on to release 14 albums and win six Golden Guitars from the Country Music Awards of Australia.

Her songs have been recorded by Australian music royalty such as John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Paul Kelly.

Melinda is an incredible live performer and has enjoyed huge touring success. After recording an album of Doris Day songs in tribute to her hero, Mary encouraged Melinda to write a full theatre show about Doris. She did. The tour which accompanied her #1 hit album ‘Melinda Does Doris’ toured the country extensively and even sold out the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall twice!

Having had a successful career for 40 years, she continues her innovative progression with the launch of an independent record label and, I understand, a new album early next year. Rock guru Glenn A Baker described her as one of this country’s truly important artists. 

But, as is often the case, the achievements and accolades don’t tell the whole story. 

In 2018, as a result of 30 years of relentless work combined with a perfectionist streak, Melinda was overcome with depression. She has been very public about it and I personally found it a really insightful discussion.  Her strength, resilience and determination in dealing with this issue stands, I imagine, with equal pride alongside all her other achievements. 

Head to the link in my bio to listen to Melinda's podcast episode. 

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Really Interesting Women - the podcast

Episode 132

Melissa Doyle AM

Mel Doyle is so much more than 'an accomplished and awarded journalist with more than 30 years experience'. She's actually one of the best-known and trusted voices and faces in Australian media. And after our conversation for this podcast, it's pretty easy to see why. 

Mel is, of course, best known as the former co-host of the number one rated breakfast program Sunrise. But it's the beginnings of these careers that are just as interesting to me. What was the first break? How did that come about? And it came about when a recently graduated 20 year old Mel Doyle kept pestering a producer in Canberra to give her a go at presenting the weather on TV. She created her own opportunity. And that was something she did a lot. And more importantly, grabbed those opportunities when they did present themselves. 'What's the worst that can happen?'

After 25 very successful years with Channel 7, she was let go. Its happened to most of us, but not in such a public forum. Her response was not only dignified and done with head held high, it was a catalyst for an incredible 'second act'. 

She has written four books, “The Working Mothers Survival Guide” in 2007, her best selling memoir “Alphabet Soup” in 2013, "15 Seconds of Brave" in 2022 and "How to Age Against The Machine" in 2023.  

In the 2016 Australia Day Honours List Mel was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her "significant service to the community through representational roles with a range of charitable groups, and to the broadcast media."

She is National Patron for the Make A Wish Foundation and an Ambassador for World Vision, The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead and Adopt Change.

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to our podcast chat. 

You'll find her books here:
https://www.amazon.com.au/s?k=melissa+doyle&ref=nb_sb_noss

Image: Nick Leary

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Episode 131

SARAH WILSON

Sarah is best known for being the founder of the global I Quit Sugar movement, a digital wellness program with 13 award-winning books that sell in 52 countries – which saw millions around the world transform their health. In 2022 she sold the business and gave everything to charity.

She is an experienced journalist and broadcaster. She was previously the editor of Cosmopolitan Australia at age 29; host of MasterChef Australia; was a News Corp journalist and columnist; and has hosted ABC’s Compass, Ten’s The Project and has been a regular panellist and news commentator on Australian, UK and US screens for two decades.

Her New York Times bestseller First, We Make the Beast Beautiful is described by bestselling author (The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck) Mark Manson as, “The best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read”, and was featured as the book of the year on NBC’s Today Show. It’s published in 27 countries. Sarah’s most recent title, This One Wild & Precious Life, won the 2021 US Gold Nautilus Prize.

She has been ranked in the top 200 most influential authors in the world (two years in a row), and now resides and works most of the year in Paris where she lives and loves a minimalist life. 

And this all reads like a bit of a career dream. But there have been plenty of nightmares along the way. Our discussion on resilience I found fascinating as well as finding out (to Sarah - and probably all of us in reality), what really matters. All these findings of hers are the result of countless hours of research and interviews and one of the many things I took away from this is the importance of nature. The incredibly positive impact it can have if we just 'get out there.'

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to Sarah Wilson's episode.

The book referred to:
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful
https://www.amazon.com.au/first-make-beast-beautiful-Anxiety-ebook/dp/B01N12WLAX

Her other books and links to her Substack can be found on her website:
www.sarahwilson.com

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Episode 130

KATHY LETTE

Kathy Lette is a celebrated and outspoken comic writer who has an imitable take on serious current issues. She is one of the pioneering voices of contemporary feminism.

She left school at 16 which didn't please her mother who was a school Principal. She wanted to become a published writer. In Australia. In the 70s. As a teenager. And she did!

She co-wrote her first novel, Puberty Blues, when she was 17. They were the first teenagers in this country to publish a book about teenagers. The sales went ballistic. It became a film and TV series and is still an iconic piece of literature.

She moved to the UK in the late 80s and went on to write international bestsellers. Twenty of them! Her titles include Girls’ Night Out, Foetal Attraction, Mad Cows, The Boy Who Fell to Earth, and The Revenge Club, which has just been published.

Stephen Fry called her books ‘Unputdownable’ and Nicole Kidman described her work as ‘Deliciously rude and darkly funny’.

She is wickedly funny and a great conversationalist. No one is safe. I even found myself on the end of some of her 'tongue-fu' (as she describes it). 

To hear our conversation head to the link in my bio. 

The book is: The Revenge Club 
You can find it at:  
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-revenge-club-kathy-lette/book/9781035901289.html

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Really Interesting Women - Podcast

Episode 129   -   Professor Fiona Wood FRACS AO

 
Fiona Wood was born in Yorkshire and was told that becoming a surgeon was not something she could do. She’s not the sort of person that hears the word ‘no’. 

She studied medicine in London and was an outlier. And there was another outlier there...a male doctor often seen in handknitted jumpers and Dunlop Volleys (as opposed to the expected blazers and ties). He was, perhaps you’ve guessed, an Australian. They fell in love, got married and immigrated to Perth with their 2 very young children in 1987 (those 2 were soon joined by 4 more). 

Fiona completed training in plastic surgery and subsequently became Head of the Royal Perth Hospital Burns Unit. In fact, she became the first female plastic surgeon in Western Australia. 

It was her work with medical scientist Marie Stoner on tissue engineering and burn treatments that would gain her attention within the medical world, but it was as the face of Australia’s response to the Bali bombings in October 2002 that brought her international attention as she led a team of 19 surgeons and 130 medical staff working around the clock in four operating theatres to save lives. 

And her incredible ongoing medical innovations and dedication contributed to her being recognised as a “National Living Treasure” and in 2005 being named Australian of the Year.

We had a fabulous conversation. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I don’t think it was quite this.

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to the podcast.... 

For those wanting to help with a donation or just read more about her incredible work, head to 

www.fionawoodfoundation.org.au

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Episode 128

SUSAN JOHNSON

The Australian newspaper has described Susan Johnson as, ‘One of the finest Australian writers.’

She describes herself as,  author, incurable Australian, friend, feminist, ambivalent mother skewered by love and struck by eternal wanderlust.
Isn't that a terrific description.
 
Her books include, From Where I Fell, published in 2021 (shortlisted for the Voss Literary Award) and The Broken Book (longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award in 2005) and, most recently, Aphrodite’s Breath: A Mother and Daughter's Greek Island Adventure which is a memoir about living on Kythera, Greece, with her 85-year-old mother.  A really great read.

She started her career as a journalist and her life trajectory changed in 1985, when she received the first of three New Writers' grants from the Literature Board of the Australia Council which allowed her to write full time. She is now the author of twelve books.

Join me for a great discussion with Susan Johnson. 


Link to Susan's latest book:
https://www.booktopia.com.au/aphrodite-s-breath-susan-johnson/book/9781760876562.html

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Episode 127


DR SONIA HENRY

Sonia Henry is a doctor practicing in rural Australia. I mean, really rural. She’s also a best-selling author, and an advocate, not only for the welfare of overworked doctors but for the improvement of medical services to remote indigenous communities. 

This is a fascinating and inspiring story of how one doctor, almost on a whim, decided to leave the hustle and hassle of the city behind and took herself to one of the most remote parts of Australia to practice as a GP.

And her experiences there changed her life. 

She has written two largely autobiographical best selling books about her experiences. The joys, the frustrations, the triumphs and tragedies. She outlines the myriad of problems and potential solutions. And here's a novel approach...when faced with the huge gap in healthcare treatment and availability for first nations people, she just asked her indigenous patients what they would need. 

Head to the link in my bio for Sonia's episode.

Sonia's books are:
Going Under
https://www.booktopia.com.au/going-under-sonia-henry/book/9781760878641.html

Put Your Feet in the Dirt, Girl
https://www.booktopia.com.au/put-your-feet-in-the-dirt-girl-sonia-henry/book/9781761068072.html

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Ep. 126      MOYA DODD AO

Moya Dodd is a lawyer, sports administrator and a former vice-captain of Australia’s women’s football team, the Matildas.

She played in FIFA’s first ever women’s tournament in 1988.  Twenty-five years later, she joined the governing body of FIFA as one of the first women in its 108-year history. It's unsurprising that when she was there she found the place was rife with integrity and gender issues. She was one of only 3 of 27 FIFA Executive Committee members who declined a $25,000 gift watch at the 2014 World Cup.  A year later, she found herself in a luxury Zurich hotel as her colleagues were arrested in a dawn raid.

As the 'FIFAGate' scandals unfolded, Moya led the #womeninFIFA reform movement, becoming ‘the driving force in the recent push for women within FIFA’ (New York Times) and ‘one of the most credible and outspoken voices for change within the organization’ (Vice Sports). 

In 2016 she was named the most influential woman in Australia by the Australian Financial Review, and in 2018 was named by Forbes magazine as the 7th most powerful woman in international sport (outside the US). 

In 2020, Moya was listed in WICC's global "Best XI" for advancing women's soccer.

She is a much sought after speaker on the international circuit on many topics including issues of equality, integrity, and change. 

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Episode 125

Dr Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli AM

It's hard to briefly describe Maria's bio  - but it goes a long way explaining it by understanding she is from a Southern Italian poor, migrant, working class background which instilled in her a resistance to systemic injustice.

She has been an academic, author, activist and ally in the issues and intersections of cultural diversity, gender and sexual diversity, relationship and family diversity for over 30 years.

...and it was a really insightful discussion which was based on a lifetime's experience and an academic understanding. But it was never laced with anger or contempt or masked with utter disappointment and there were no accusations of inaction by those that could change things. Rather, it was a discussion to help others understand the effect a lack of diversity and acceptance can have. And how to fix that. By way of example, there is a lot written and said about 'safe environments' - and although I think I know what that means, when I asked her what an 'unsafe environment' looks like...I acquired a much better understanding. 

Maria is regularly called upon to act as a consultant in educational, workplace, youth services, health services and community service settings. Maria is also regularly invited to speak at diverse community, educational, organisational and other functions and conferences, and in various media such as television, radio and newspaper. 

Head to the link in my bio to have a listen to Maria's podcast. 

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Ep. 124

Catherine Branson AC KC

In 1984 Catherine Branson made history when a dual appointment saw her became the first woman in Australia to be appointed Crown Solicitor and the first woman to be appointed as permanent head of a government department in South Australia.  

She went to the bar in Adelaide and then took silk in 1992. An appointment as a judge to the Federal Court of Australia followed in 1994. In 2008 she was appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. The following year she was appointed Human Rights Commissioner. A few months ago, it was announced that my guest would serve a 3rd term as Chancellor of the University of Adelaide. 

An extraordinary career and her work with the Human Rights Commission gave her the opportunity and the platform to give a voice to immigrants detained indefinitely and to support the rights of Indigenous Australians. 

Another true pioneer who paved the way for others. 

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