Tea with the Queen

If you’re somewhere between $100k and $500k in revenue and thinking, “Why does this feel harder now?”, welcome to the messy middle of business. You’re not in the startup phase anymore, but you’re also not running a calm, well oiled machine. Things are working… but they’re also not working.

In this season, the chaos isn’t a sign you’re failing. It’s feedback. More clients, more moving parts, more expectations, and suddenly the cracks show. You drop balls, your calendar becomes a mess, and the old strategies that used to work stop feeling reliable.

We’ll talk about the sneaky pipeline drought that hits right after a strong quarter, why undercharging becomes obvious in this phase, and how “doing everything yourself” turns into the biggest bottleneck. This is also where mindset matters, because growth can mess with your confidence even when revenue is rising.

If you’re in the messy middle of business, here are your next steps: keep the pipeline warm, price for outcomes, delegate one draining task, and know your numbers (profit, not just revenue). The messy middle isn’t permanent, but it does require a new way of operating.

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Hiring is one of those business milestones that sounds simple until you’re the one doing it, and because most of us aren’t hiring every week, it’s easy to second guess yourself, delay it, or rush it when you’re already exhausted. In this episode, we’re talking about why so many women put hiring off for too long, what hiring fear really looks like in a growing business, and why “I’ll just keep doing it myself” quietly becomes the most expensive option.

I’m sharing what I’ve learned from sitting on every side of the hiring table, from recruiter to HR Director to coach, and the patterns I see over and over when business owners start hiring. We’ll unpack the real cost of a bad hire (it’s not just money), and why messy hiring decisions tend to leak into your time, your energy, your confidence, and your team.

You’ll also hear the simple hiring framework I come back to when I want hiring to feel calm and commercial: getting clear on what to delegate, writing a position description that actually attracts the right person, hiring for skill and will, and building a basic interview process and onboarding plan so you’re not winging it. If hiring has been sitting on your to do list for months, this is your nudge to stop overthinking and start getting clear.

LINKS

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Instagram:

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Ever feel like you’re sprinting through the week, ticking every box, and still going nowhere? This episode is for the high-performing business women who are doing a lot, moving fast, and quietly feeling flat.

This year I picked a word: intentional. Which sounds simple, until you realise it means slowing down long enough to hear yourself think, and pausing before you say yes just because you can.

I’m sharing what I’m practising instead, like tiny moments of silence between meetings, quiet walks and sleeping on decisions so I stop reacting at lightning speed. It has changed how I lead my business.

If you’ve been wondering how to escape the productivity trap, take one small step this week. Create one pocket of space, even five minutes, and notice what changes. Not in your to do list, in you.

LINKS:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Atomic Habits Book by James Clear:

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

The Third Space:

https://dradamfraser.com/speaking-content/the-third-space

Mentioned in this episode:

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This one’s for the business owners who keep buying the blueprint.

The “proven” content plan or the foolproof sales script. The morning routine that apparently turns you into a millionaire by Thursday. You see it work for someone else and you think, cool, I’ll just do that. Easy.

Except you try it and it feels like you’re wearing shoes that don’t fit. They look great on, and you technically can walk in them, but every step is uncomfortable, forced, and annoying.

I’m sharing a few simple client examples that show how one small change in process can make content feel easy and sound like you again, plus how to use “forced vs flow” as data instead of a reason to beat yourself up. We’ll also unpack the sneaky danger of business “shoulds” and why doing less can sometimes create more traction.

Listen in, then ask yourself this. What are you doing because it’s proven, even though it doesn’t suit you? And what would change if you gave yourself permission to do it your way instead?

CHAPTER MARKERS

00:00 Stop Copying Playbooks

00:53 Content That Sounds Like You

02:24 Voice Notes and Better Inputs

03:25 Realistic Posting Commitments

05:29 Find Your Content Rhythm

07:00 Networking Your Way

10:30 Goals Money and Profit

13:44 Bigger Rooms Better Principles

15:38 Four Steps to Your Method

18:11 Build Your Own Business Strategy Blueprint

LINKS:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Instagram:

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Instagram:

This one’s personal. A “minor” ankle injury forced me to stop, and I didn’t realise how much I rely on my regulators (walking and running) to keep steady until it was suddenly gone.

While I was benched, I also had a routine skin check, and it brought up more emotion than I expected after last year’s melanoma. I told myself it was fine, filed it away, and kept going. Then I jumped on a call with Serena, my sister and business manager, and one simple question opened the floodgates.

In this episode, I’m talking about what happens when your “regulator” gets taken away, why stress can stack up quietly until you feel flat and heavy, and how to find your way back without needing some big dramatic reset. I’ll also give you a few questions to help you spot your early warning signs, protect the thing that keeps you well, and make sure you’ve got someone in your corner who won’t let “I’m fine” be the end of the conversation.

LINKS

Emma McQueen:

Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

June Go-Getter Event in Melbourne:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-day/

Mentioned in this episode:

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Instagram:

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Instagram:

Overcoming self-doubt isn’t about thinking positive thoughts and hoping they stick. It’s about challenging the stories you’ve been telling yourself and checking whether there’s any real evidence behind them. In this episode, I’m sharing a moment from a Go-Getter Day in Brisbane that perfectly captured how quickly we turn one experience into a fixed identity.

A woman sat down and told me, “I’m not very good at sales.” Instead of agreeing (or trying to pep talk her), I asked one simple question: “What’s your evidence?” Her evidence was one sales call and that call led to a proposal and a sale. One call. One proposal. One sale. A 100% conversion rate… yet her story was still self-doubt.

This is what so many of us do in business: we base our identity on tiny data sets. We treat a lack of reps as a lack of ability. We confuse discomfort with incompetence. And then we stop before we’ve even collected enough evidence to know what we’re capable of.

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Everyday kindness has a way of finding you when you least expect it. In this episode, I’m sharing a story that wasn’t planned, but one that became a lesson I couldn’t keep to myself. A few weeks ago, I fell into a gap on a dark street and landed awkwardly on rocks… just hours before I was due to fly to Brisbane for our first Go-Getters Day.

I still got on the plane (because sometimes you don’t get perfect conditions, you just keep moving). But what happened next surprised me: everyday kindness showed up everywhere. I was reminded that kindness is alive and well. It truly matters more than we realise.

This episode is also a gentle nudge about support. So many women are high-functioning, capable, and used to pushing through… but there’s a point where “I can handle it” becomes “I refuse to be supported.” That might seem like a strength, but it’s actually just a habit.

If you’ve been feeling stretched, tired, or like you’re carrying too much alone, let this be your reminder: you don’t have to do it all the hard way.

Emma McQueen:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

YouTube Channel

August Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

What really makes a business retreat powerful?

In this episode, I’m taking you behind the scenes of our Crowned for Success Retreat inside the Thriving Women Program and sharing what actually creates transformation when women come together in the right space. It’s not just the beautiful setting, the thoughtful details, or the polished photos. It’s what happens when women finally have room to slow down, reflect, and hear themselves think.

I talk about why retreats matter so much for women in business, especially when life and work are already full. We cover the importance of creating space, building real connection, and helping women find clarity around what matters most in their business. I also share why simplifying your offers, protecting your energy, and stepping away from the noise can create more momentum than constantly doing more.

This episode also goes into the unexpected magic of play, surprise, and shared experiences. From strategy sessions to a scavenger hunt around Melbourne, I reflect on how laughter, honesty, and community can create breakthroughs that a standard workshop simply can’t. Sometimes the biggest shifts happen in the pauses, the conversations over dinner, and the moments you never could have planned.

Emma McQueen:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

YouTube Channel

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

What do our children learn from us when we’re not even trying to teach them? In this episode, I share the moment my 12-year-old daughter started her own business, complete with a Canva brochure and letterbox drop strategy, and why it stopped me in my tracks. It was one of those moments that made me realise just how much our kids are watching, absorbing, and learning from the way we live.

This conversation goes deeper than parenting. It’s about conscious living, the patterns we pass on, and the environments we create at home, in business, and in our relationships. I reflect on a simple sleepover tradition, a small moment of gratitude that hit me harder than expected, and what these experiences revealed about belonging, safety, and the kind of life I want to model.

What are you consciously modelling in your life right now? Because the small things matter more than we think and sometimes the biggest lessons come from the people watching us most closely.

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

YouTube Channel

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

In this episode, I’m talking about one simple phrase that has completely shifted the way I think about generosity, boundaries, and leadership in business: commit to the committed.

As women in business, we are often generous by nature. We want to help, support, encourage, and open doors for others. But when that generosity isn’t paired with clear boundaries, it can leave us exhausted and overextended. In this video, I share why protecting your energy is not selfish; it’s essential for sustainable business growth.

I also take a look at how commitment changes results, why boundaries create better outcomes, and how to recognise the people who are truly ready to do the work. If you’re building a business and want to stop chasing, over-giving, or carrying people who aren’t meeting you halfway, I hope this episode helps you.

Emma McQueen:

BD Sprint:

https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/

Website

For a copy of Emma's book, 'Go-getter: Raise your mojo, shift your mindset and thrive' – https://emmamcqueen.com.au/want-more/emmas-book/

YouTube Channel

Mentioned in this episode:

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

Tracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram