In this special 20th episode of The Madeleine Eliza Show, I’m pulling back the curtain on my own creative journey — from the initial spark that inspired this podcast to the lessons I’ve learned about voice, vulnerability, and visionary leadership.

This episode is a love letter to creativity: the wild, sacred impulse to make something from nothing… and the discipline it takes to show up, even when it’s messy. I reflect on my personal growth, the dance between art and business, and how women’s voices — especially in leadership — are a revolutionary force. Plus, I share how AI is amplifying my creative process (not replacing it), and why alignment is the theme guiding everything I do this year.

Whether you're a creator, a leader, or a woman finding your voice — this one’s for you.

✨ In This Episode:

Why I started this podcast & what it's become for me

Rick Rubin, raw creativity & the tension between art and commerce

Why discipline is the backbone of true creative freedom

The power of women’s voices in business and culture

How AI has changed my creative process

Vulnerability vs. perfection: the magic of showing up raw

Personal growth, creative courage & walking in alignment

🔗 Resources & Links:

Follow me on Instagram: @madeleine.eliza

Interested in working together? Learn more at www.madeleineeliza.com

And as always, if the episode resonates — rate, review, or send it to someone who needs it.

What happens when a woman expresses desire — not ironically, not sarcastically, but fully, freely, and unapologetically?

In this episode, I unpack the backlash to Sabrina Carpenter’s latest album cover — where she sits confidently, hair being pulled, gaze steady — and why it struck such a nerve. This isn't about defending a pop star. It's about what this image reveals about our culture’s ongoing discomfort with female erotic power.

We explore:

Why so many women feel disconnected from their bodies — and how that disconnection keeps us disempowered

The difference between erotic submission and subjugation, and why choosing to surrender can be an act of power

How the male gaze has shaped our collective lens — and what happens when a woman plays with it, instead of performing for it

Why the feminist response to images like this often hides a deeper truth: our own shame

The ancient link between erotic power and spiritual vitality — and why reclaiming one means reclaiming both

This conversation isn’t about provocation. It’s about wholeness — and asking why, even in 2025, female desire still feels dangerous.

If this speaks to you, you might also enjoy my episodes on self-actualisation and soul-led leadership — or join me on Instagram @madeleine.eliza for upcoming workshops and classes on embodiment, feminine power, and sacred practice.

And as always, if the episode resonates — rate, review, or send it to someone who needs it.

References

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt2322441/

This episode unpacks the concept of living a soul-led life. We explore the ways in which many of us have put our minds in charge; the risks of this; and the tendency of the mind to cling to control and resist change… even if the change is moving towards a life of deeper alignment and soul truth.

We look at the twinned concepts of discipline and devotion, and why even the most feminine-identified, cycle-synced, #softlife embodiment girlie still needs to practice the more “masculine” qualities of discipline.

This whole episode is grounded in my studies in Tantra and Kundalini yoga - practices designed to direct the mind towards the infinite, and unite the self with the divine. We explore the concept of “pratyahar” or the science of dedicated devotion.

Finally we turn to an experiential discussion of what it actually means to make your soul the CEO, when the language of the soul is descent. Choosing to listen to the whispers of your soul can be a destructive journey, as the old ill-fitting layers fall away. It can also cause very loud resistance to arise within the mind and the ego. Forewarned is forearmed and this whole episode works as a primer for those eager to step into a soul-led life!

If this resonates, you might like to check out my season 1 podcast episode “Self Actualisation, Entrapment and Breaking Free” which explores similar themes from a mythological and storytelling perspective. 

And, keep an eye on my website www.madeleineeliza.com and Instagram @bhakti.lab for details of upcoming classes and workshops. 

If you enjoyed the show please don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe and/or share with a friend who might enjoy it! 

The corporate world is very concerned with female empowerment. 

Rightly so: globally, women remain outnumbered by men at every level of leadership, with women holding just 29% of C-level positions globally.

The conversation I believe we need to be having, revolves not around the idea of female empowerment, but around the very real fact of female power: and the critical role that sex and sexuality has to play in shaping gender relations - including power dynamics in the corporate workplace. But not in the sleazy way you might think.

Let’s be real: sex is at the intersection of male / female relations.

Sex is the biological point of difference between men and women.

We are all here because of sex, and as adult humans we are all sexual beings. 

So why are we so coy about it!?

One of the main reasons patriarchy exists is because, to quote UCL Professor Ruth Mace, “Reproduction is the currency of evolution”. The female capacity to create life - and therefore a woman’s sexuality, fertility and desire - represents a kind of wild power which men have sought to control, in order to control paternity and therefore legacy.

Our sexuality has been the source of our oppression, and so we have learnt to view it as dangerous, and hide from it.

But the actual truth is that our sexuality is the source of our power.

This podcast episode is an invitation to radically reframe the way you relate to your own erotic power. We  discuss the fabulously named Feminist Sex Wars of the 1980s, explore the concepts of feminine radiance and magnetism, and discuss the liberation that results when you quit trying to speak a masculine language of power at work, and fully embrace your feminine power instead.

This has got nothing to do with how you relate to anyone else, and everything to do with how you relate yourself, your body, and your own life force energy.

If you’d like to dive deeper, check out my free ebook Hollow to Whole which offers powerful tools for healing distorted feminine patterns. You can access all the details and get your download at www.madeleineeliza.com/whole

If you enjoyed the show please don’t forget to rate, review, subscribe and/or share with a friend who might enjoy it! 

References

Mace, R. 2022 “Analysis: How did the patriarchy start – and will evolution get rid of it?”, The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/how-did-the-patriarchy-start-and-will-evolution-get-rid-of-it-189648

McKinsey & Company 2024 “Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th Anniversary Report”, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace

Saini, A. 2023 “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule”, Beacon Press

I am an executive-level female leader and I agree with Mark Zuckerberg’s comments on masculine energy in the workplace. In this episode, I explain why!

A few weeks ago, Mark Zuckerberg went on Joe Rogan’s podcast and in the course of their long conversation, Zuckerberg made some comments about how workplaces have become “culturally neutered” and argued that we need more masculine energy and specifically more aggression in the workplace.

Cue feminist outrage.

The response to Zuckerberg’s comments was swift and brutal, ranging from earnest academic concern about the rise of toxic masculinity, to outright derision and contempt.

I was left scratching my head and wondering if the (mostly female) journalists writing these scathing articles had actually bothered to listen to the whole conversation, or just taken soundbites out of context?

In this episode, I explain the context behind Zuckerberg’s comments. The parts where he acknowledges the historical suppression of women, and argues for both masculine and feminine energies to be more honoured in the workplace. In fact, he’s talking about polarity, which is central to my leadership teachings.

There is a spiky and somewhat confrontational aspect to this conversation, which is that if you as a woman are triggered by strident expressions of masculinity - if you are offended by traits such as competitiveness and wanting to win - then chances are, you are probably not fully embodied in your own feminine power. If you are fully empowered as a woman, then healthy, archetypal masculinity doesn’t feel threatening.

We unpack why the outrage is unhelpful and reframe the rise of the “brosphere” from a perspective of curiosity. Asking, how did we arrive in this place where men like Donald Trump and Elon Musk are ruling our society? How can we better understand the appeal of these leaders particularly to men? How did we as feminists create the space for this current cultural moment?

If you are a woman interested in leadership, I believe these are very empowering and impactful questions to be asking.

If you’re interested in polarity teachings, I have recorded a number of other podcast episodes in Season 1 unpacking similar themes. You might also like to check out my free 3 part training series, the De-Armoured Leader which introduces 3 pillars of next-gen feminine leadership: Vulnerability, Polarity and Embodiment. It’s available at www.madeleineeliza.com/leader

And, you can also find me on Instagram @bhakti.lab

Thanks for listening and if this resonates, please remember to rate and review the show and share the episode with a friend who might enjoy it!

Blitzscaling is a term coined by Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, which can be defined as “prioritising speed over efficiency in the face of uncertainty”.

I learned the true meaning of blitzscaling when I led Operations and later Product at TripADeal, an Australian online travel agency, during its period of exponential growth. We were crowned the fastest growing company in Australia 2 years running (AFR) as we scaled from $2m to $20m to $80m in revenue.

In this episode we unpack the concept of blitzscaling and explore 10 key lessons from the TripADeal story:

1. Listen to the customer: they are your greatest source of wisdom

2. Suck it and see: be willing to experiment and fail forwards

3. Embrace risk: do the things everyone else is too scared to do

4. Everything is figure-outable: the mantra of every Ops leader!

5. Creativity and play: how to maintain buoyancy when stakes are high

6. The importance of self leadership and self regulation

7. The importance of radical trust in leadership teams

8. Embed psychological safety into the teams you lead

9. Recognise that if you’re on the vanguard, everyone is winging it

10. All it takes is everything

I have integrated all of the lessons gained from this experience, plus everything I’ve done in the decade since, into my brand new incubator Bhakti Lab. If you’re a startup seeking a clear path through the jungle, a scale-up experiencing growing pains, or a leader wanting to step into the biggest, brightest version of yourself, I can help you. Check out all the details and book a free strategy call at https://www.madeleineeliza.com/bhakti-lab or you can also find me on Instagram @bhakti.lab

Thanks for listening and if this resonates, please remember to rate and review the show and share the episode with a friend who might enjoy it!

Stress gets a really bad rap. But did you know it can actually be good for you?

Something that high performers share - whether it’s in a successful entrepreneur, Olympic athlete or superstar musician - is a high tolerance for stress and discomfort.

The good news is that this is a skill you can cultivate. 

Stress, fear and discomfort are inevitable when you are trying to do something bold and new. Today’s episode dives into the concept of stress capacity via a cinematic metaphor from Wicked and an invitation to reflect on the tools you may already have in your toolkit for managing stress. 

We discuss the importance of building a support network of friends and peers who are on a similar path to you, rather than relying on loved ones who perhaps have a different and more conservative relationship to risk.

We explore the different states of the autonomic nervous system via Stephen Porges’ work on Polyvagal Theory: the ventral vagal state (regulation), the dorsal vagal state (aka hypoarousal or collapse / shutdown), and sympathetic arousal (aka hyperarousal or fight / flight).

We also explore two blended states which are different combinations of those listed above: a) freeze, where we feel simultaneous stress activation and immobilisation, and b) most significantly for this episode, the state of play, where we learn to use stress activation to our advantage.

Each time we practice operating in this state of play (which by the way can feel very uncomfortable), we stretch our capacity, and take a step closer to achieving our most audacious goals.

If you’d like support in bringing YOUR most audacious goals to life - whether you’re a startup seeking clarity, a scaleup experiencing growing pains, or a leader wanting to step into your fullest capacity - I can help you! 

Bhakti Lab, my brand new incubator for soul-led entrepreneurs, is open for business. You can view more details or book a free 20-minute strategy call via my website www.madeleineeliza.com/bhakti-lab

What is Tantra? Is it all about sex? How does it relate to kundalini energy and the practice of kundalini yoga? And how is any of this relevant to entrepreneurship?!

These are the questions we’ll be unpacking in this episode.

Tantra is an ancient Eastern spiritual tradition which seeks to “weave together” the polarities of physical and spiritual, masculine and feminine, dark and light. Unlike some spiritual paths which preach asceticism, Tantra is a gritty, embodied practice that works to clear mind-body blocks and open up the self as a channel for the divine.

While sacred sexuality teachings are only a small component of the classical Tantric texts, learning to harness your own sexual life force energy is fundamental to this path.

This episode explores the history and key principles of Tantra, including the differences between white, red, pink and black Tantra; and explains why I focus on white (or right-hand) Tantra which is a path of devotion and deep inner work, as opposed to the red (or left-hand) path, popularised by Osho in the introduction of neo-Tantra to the West in the 1970s, which has a much more prominent focus on sexual practices.

We also dive into the power of kundalini yoga as a daily movement, breath and meditation practice, which beautifully complements the white Tantric path and works to raise our consciousness to a state of communion with the divine. We spend some time unpacking the concept of the “soul bride” and its relevancy to masculine/feminine polarity teachings here.

These tools are incredibly powerful for entrepreneurs, leaders, artists or anyone who wants to overcome their inner limitations, and reach their brightest, fullest expression. 

If you’re ready to step into the truth of your soulfire, this episode is for you!

If you’d like to journey deeper, I now offer 1:1 sessions for soul-led entrepreneurs, harnessing my decade of experience working with founders and CEOs to help turn big bold visions into reality. I can help you to clarify your vision, build tactical pathways to delivery, and/or journey into the deep inner work required to unleash your full potential.

You can learn more on my website madeleineeliza.com or find me on Instagram @madeleine.eliza

If this episode resonates, please be sure to rate, review and share. I really appreciate your support!

Season 2 is coming in hot with my analysis of the Trump election victory and what it means for feminists.

Please note: I am not a pro-Trump advocate, and this is not political commentary. This is cultural commentary exploring the broader ongoing tensions beneath the “shock” election result.

I’ve been speaking for some time about the failings of neoliberal woke feminism, in the way it demonises men and the masculine, and drives women to a state of unsustainable burnout in our quest to do it all.

Trump is a lightning rod for this cultural moment. The election result, clapback of all clapbacks, has brought all these gender dynamics which were bubbling away under the surface up to the light of day to be reckoned with.

This episode unpacks the ways in which woke feminism has contributed to the twin epidemics of female burnout and male depression; the appeal of Trump not just to “angry white men” but also to women and non-white voters; and our not-so-secret craving for alpha masculine strength and stability in this chaotic late-stage capitalist world.

Ultimately, this is an invitation to explore new models of feminism: stepping off the self-righteous soapbox, honouring both men and women, and leading by listening rather than arrogantly assuming we know best.

If this episode resonates, please rate and review wherever you get your podcasts, and/or share with a friend who you think might enjoy it. Thank you for listening!

References

Conroy, O. 2017 'Angry white men': the sociologist who studied Trump's base before Trump, The Guardian Australia, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/27/michael-kimmel-masculinity-far-right-angry-white-men

Crabb, A. 2014 The Wife Drought, Ebury Australia

Crowley, T. Nov 2024 The popular vote tells the story of Trump's victory, with inroads in most states and demographics, ABC https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-07/trump-victory-by-the-numbers/104573034

Kahloon, I. 2023 What’s the Matter with Men?, The New Yorker, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/01/30/whats-the-matter-with-men

Kimmel, M. 2013, Angry White Men, Nation Books

Smerconish, M. Nov 2024 Why did young men shift to Trump? 'Aspirational masculinity', says Scott Galloway, CNN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjwYQ4kIgEw

Trigger warning: this episode discusses mental illness and suicidal ideation. If you need support and you’re in Australia, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14. If you’re outside Australia please look up the relevant free-call health services in your country. 

There is also a minor language warning on this episode.

Today’s conversation is deeply personal. I share my own journey with mental health and particularly my diagnosis with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder at age 12, which so dramatically shaped the course of my life and set me on the path of spiritual seeking.

This is an on-ramp to discussing the limitations of our healthcare system and the biopsychosocial model of health. We also look at the nuances of victimhood mentality and the choices we can sometimes face: whether to identify as broken, weak and constricted - or whether to choose the path of power and personal responsibility. 

We explore the concept of yin and yang, and the ways in which the darkest aspects of the self are usually twinned with the brightest - you can’t remove one without the other. This is a clarion call for self-intimacy, self-acceptance, and for standing fully in your truth. 

We also look at the concept of post-traumatic growth and the upsides of experiencing adversity.

If this episode resonates, please rate and review wherever you get your podcasts, and/or share with a friend who you think might enjoy it. Thank you for listening!