What do you do when you walk into your first defence event in your early 20s, wearing a bright pink suit … and realise you’re the only woman in the room?

In the premiere of The Progress Report, Defence Connect’s Natasha Taylor sits down with Olivia Agate – president of Women’s Defence Connection and HR partner at Navantia – to unpack what it really takes to show up, speak up, and stand tall in a still male-dominated industry.

From rainbow dresses at 6am breakfasts to the quiet power of allyship, Agate and Taylor trade stories of imposter syndrome, backing yourself (and each other), and how simply saying yes can change the entire trajectory of your career.

Listen in as two women pull back the curtain on what’s working, what’s not, and what still needs to change across Australia’s defence industry. The Progress Report. New voices. Real stories. Big shifts.

Enjoy the podcast, The Progress Report team