Woman CEO Podcast

Friends, this one is a dooozy!

Before Avery Wagner ever built a marketing agency, the internet already knew her face, thanks to one of the most recognisable viral memes online. In this episode, Avery joins Kate to unpack how that unexpected moment sparked her obsession with the power of social media and storytelling, and how it eventually led her to found Wagner Perspective, a boutique social media strategy agency based in Austin, Texas.

After four years of working with clients across nearly every industry, Avery made the bold decision to niche right down, focusing exclusively on businesses in the home industry. She and Kate talk through why narrowing your focus can feel terrifying and be the smartest business move you make, plus how to know when it's time to make that shift yourself.

This episode also goes beyond marketing; Avery opens up about anxiety, antidepressants and what rebuilding her business after burnout really looked like.
Connect with Avery:
Website: wagnerperspective.com
Instagram: @itsaverywagner
Book a Social Media VIP Day: wagnerperspective.com/contact

In this episode Kate Astill is joined by creative business coach and seven-figure entrepreneur Laura Higgins for a practical conversation about business growth, sales confidence and building a business that actually supports your life.

Laura shares the frameworks she used to scale from a bedroom startup to a multi-seven-figure coaching business, including how she thinks about offers, leads, sales and weekly structure. If you want a clear, tactical conversation on how to grow without burning out, this one delivers.

Connect with Laura:

Website: www.laurahiggins.com
Instagram: @laurahiggins

In this episode, Kate Astill breaks down what AI actually looks like for female founders who want to use it well, not just because everyone else is doing it. She shares the mindset shifts, practical shortcuts and a step-by-step content analysis process that can save hours each week.

This episode matters because the adoption gap between men-owned and women-owned businesses is still real and Kate focuses on how female founders can close it with small, practical habits rather than overwhelm.

In this episode, Kate speaks with Jess Redfern, founder of SAVVI the Label, about confidence, identity and why dressing for real life can be a powerful act of self-expression.

Jess shares the personal journey that shaped her brand, from growing up on a farm and finding her love of fashion through styling work, to rebuilding her confidence after trauma and motherhood.

The conversation explores how clothing can influence the way women show up in their daily lives. Jess explains why she created SAVVI: to offer colourful, functional fashion that helps women feel bold, comfortable and confident from school run to Zoom call to dinner out. She also opens up about the emotional shift from wearing black activewear as a form of retreat to rediscovering colour, especially pink, as a symbol of returning to herself.

Connect with Jess:

Instagram: @jess__redfern

Instagram: @savvithelabel

Website: savvithelabel.com

In this episode of Woman CEO Podcast, Kate sits down with Kirsten Davidson, Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Founder of Mind The Gaps Psychotherapy.

Kirsten works with adults, couples and families navigating disconnection, emotional overwhelm, and the patterns that leave them feeling stuck, supporting a shift toward more self-led, connected ways of being. Her approach is grounded in relational, trauma-informed and existential theory, with a strong focus on Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy.

Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, Kirsten's work invites a deeper inquiry into what sits beneath them, exploring how attachment, emotional patterns, and lived experience shape the way we think, feel and connect.

In addition to her clinical work, Kirsten contributes to broader conversations in mental health through public speaking, community-based initiatives, and podcast interviews, bringing a thoughtful and reflective lens to topics such as relationships, identity and personal growth.

Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Psychology with a Minor in Family & Child Studies, as well as a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology. Alongside her clinical and speaking work, she writes poetry and is currently working on her first book, drawn to the same questions she explores in therapy.

Connect with Kirsten:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirsten.davidson

Email: [email protected]

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/mindthegaps

In this episode, Kate sits down with Mel Browne, an award-winning financial educator, bestselling author, ex-accountant and ex-financial advisor.

After building her own successful accounting and financial planning firm, Mel sold the business to an ASX-listed company and now helps women take control of their finances and build long-term wealth.

With over 13 years of experience, Mel has written five books on money and business including the global bestseller Unf*ck Your Finances and her latest book Dare to be Wealthy. Through her work, she is on a mission to make financial confidence and wealth creation accessible for everyone.

In this conversation, Mel shares practical advice around money habits, investing, building wealth and the financial mistakes even successful women make.

Connect with Mel:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melbrowne.money/

Website: ⁠https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/⁠

Free Resource:
https://www.melissabrowne.com.au/womanceo

In this episode of Woman CEO Podcast, Kate sits down with Brooke Vulinovich, business coach, speaker, Instagram strategist and online business mentor.

Over the past decade, Brooke has helped thousands of business owners across 37 countries grow their businesses online. She has worked with global brands including L'Oréal, American Express, Maserati and Dermalogica, helping businesses use social media as a profitable sales channel.

After building and selling her own successful membership community, Brooke now mentors ambitious women to create scalable, location-independent businesses that support the life they actually want to live.

Originally from Perth, Western Australia, Brooke now lives in Croatia with her husband and son, running her business globally while sharing the realities of entrepreneurship, motherhood and designing life on your own terms.

Connect with Brooke:
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/brookevulinovich/

Free Resource:
https://www.brookevulinovich.com/cheatsheet

Learn More:
Academy:
https://www.brookevulinovich.com/academy

Private Coaching:
https://www.brookevulinovich.com/apply

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@brookeabroadofficial

In this episode of Woman CEO Podcast, Kate sits down with Ali Oetjen, internationally recognised wellness expert, retreat leader, meditation and breathwork facilitator and holistic mindfulness coach.

Many Australians first came to know Ali through her appearances on The Bachelor Australia and later as The Bachelorette Australia. Since then, she has built a global wellness brand dedicated to helping people reconnect with themselves through mindfulness, nervous system regulation, breathwork and personal growth.

Today, Ali facilitates retreats, corporate wellness programs, workshops and transformational experiences around the world, helping people create more calm, clarity and fulfilment in their lives.

In this conversation, Ali shares her journey from reality television to wellness entrepreneur and how practices like breathwork, meditation and nervous system regulation can help us lead, perform and live at our best.

Connect with Ali:
Instagram: @alioetjen
Website: https://www.alioetjen.com/
A Year of Calm:
https://aliwellnesscoaching.thrivecart.com/a-year-of-calm/

High Vibe Morning Activation:
https://aliwellnesscoaching.thrivecart.com/high-vibe-morning-activation/

In this episode of Woman CEO Podcast, Kate sits down with Monique Forcella, founder of The Socialista, social media strategist and 2x founder who has scaled both of her businesses to $1M using organic content and strategy.

Named a “Reels Pro” by Instagram, Monique has worked with more than 2,000 clients globally and helps service-based businesses and coaches turn visibility into sales through content that converts.

In this conversation, Monique shares what actually drives growth on social media, the content mistakes that cost business owners revenue and how to create content that leads to clients, not just views.

Connect with Monique:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesocialista_/
Website: https://thesocialista.com.au/
Powerhouse Launch:
https://thesocialista.com.au/powerhouse-launch

In this episode of Woman CEO Podcast, Kate sits down with Melissa Ambrosini — bestselling author, coach, speaker and host of The Melissa Ambrosini Show.

Melissa has built a global community of women committed to creating lives and businesses they love. She is the author of several transformational books, including Mastering Your Mean Girl, Comparisonitis, Open Wide and Time Magic.

In this conversation, Melissa shares the mindset shifts, systems and daily practices that have helped her build a successful business while creating more freedom, fulfillment and impact.

In this episode we cover:
• Thinking and acting like a 7-figure CEO
• The daily habits behind sustainable success
• Running a thriving business in around four hours a day
• The importance of nervous system regulation in business
• Creating more freedom, impact and fulfillment as an entrepreneur

Connect with Melissa:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissaambrosini
Website: https://melissaambrosini.com/about
The Melissa Ambrosini Show:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-melissa-ambrosini-show/id1196106699