Her Ambitious Career

Hosted by Rebecca Allen

Business Education

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227

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Jun 2026

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About the show

Ever wish you had the insight, strategies and encouragement of an executive coach, with over 14 years experience, coming straight to you every single week? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into 'Her Ambitious Career', with your host and personal brand expert, Rebecca Allen! What you'll get from Rebecca: Step-by-step, practical strategies to help you build your executive profile, manage up and establish yourself as that sought out expert. Set yourself up on the fast track to senior leadership. Articulate your value with confidence. Be more influential. This podcast is here to help you take the guesswork (and stress) out of proactively managing your career, building credibility and visibility and having a lot more fun in the process! Tune in, get inspired, and discover how hundreds of corporate women have achieved promotions, pay rises and dramatically grown in confidence by following Rebecca. Whether you're a female leader who feels unrecognised, are unsure of your direction, wish you were better at articulating your value or are ready to step into our own light and showcase your personal brand - we've got you! Each week Rebecca comes to you with ideas to help you take fresh action on the most important strategies you need to enjoy the career success and fulfilment you deserve!

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June 8, 2026Episode 22614 min

Ep 226 - Why Some New Leaders Fail to Build Team Engagement

Today we’re talking about a situation that comes up sometimes in leadership coaching engagements - a newly appointed leader who inherits an existing team and then struggles to establish credibility.This is one of the reasons organisations bring me in as a leadership coach. On paper, promoting this person to leader makes sense. The leader is capable, experienced, technically strong, maybe high-performing in previous roles.But then they step into a new leadership position with an inherited team… and things start to wobble.Maybe the team doesn’t fully buy in. Momentum slows. Relationships become strained. The leader starts second-guessing themselves.In today’s episode we are exploring why this transition can be so hard and how coaching can help the leader build engagement and thrive.Rebecca, on taking a step back in the first few days and weeks of your new leadership role: "What makes it particularly difficult is that many new leaders think they need to prove themselves quickly. So they overcompensate. They move too fast. And they try to establish authority before establishing trust."Links:Get a copy of Rebecca's 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact LeaderBook a free 15 minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to get your career off to a fresh start. Don't stay stuck - get new thinking and new action to move forward in your careerRate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

May 25, 2026Episode 22525 min

Ep 225 - Why Authenticity Wins in Sales: A Conversation with D'Leanne Lewis, Laing & Simmons

Leadership. Sales. Marketing. Work-life balance. Let's learn it all from D'Leanne Lewis.My guest today is Dleanne Lewis a Principal Real estate agent of Laing & Simmons in Double Bay, Sydney. D'Leanne is responsible for the sale of some of Sydney's most prestigious properties. She has won multiple awards for her work and commercial impact and was also one of the agents featured in Luxe Listings Sydney, a high-end real estate reality show which premiered in 2021 on Amazon and aired for 3 seasons. In today’s conversation D'Leanne is talking about her early career, how she now balances a phenomenally successful career with motherhood, and shares too her leadership, sales and marketing philosophies with us. D'Leanne, on the value of building relationships: "Vendors should expect a higher level of service [from their agents] - they should demand it. The industry should be lifted to expect that. The seller must know fundamentally that you're doing everything you can and that they can trust you and that you'll go beyond expectations to deliver for them."Links:Visit D'Leanne's websiteConnect with Rebecca Allen on LinkedinGet a copy of Rebecca's guide, 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact Leader Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About D'Leanne:D'Leanne is a Principal of Laing & Simmons Double Bay and a licensed Real Estate Agent, responsible for the sale of some of Sydney's most prestigious properties. Working with Laing & Simmons Double Bay over the last 30 years has seen D'Leanne develop and maintain a strong understanding of sales and marketing in all areas of the residential and commercial property market. She also offers a breadth of experience in consulting on residential properties and development sites. Her personal philosophy behind her many successes is simple and unwavering: consistently deliver the highest level of service and commitment to buyers and sellers alike. D'Leanne has been honoured three times as the New South Wales Residential Salesperson of the Year and awarded Australian Residential Salesperson of the Year also by the Real Estate Institute of New South Wales. D'Leanne has been the highest income producer within the national Laing & Simmons Group for the last 25 years and featured in the Amazon TV Series Luxe Listings Sydney which aired for 3 seasons. On a personal level, D’Leanne is a mother to 3 beautiful girls and enjoys having the best of both worlds, combining motherhood and her professional life. About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching program. Connect with Rebecca

May 11, 2026Episode 22411 min

Ep 224 - Are You Promotable? How to Make it Easy for Your Boss to Say 'YES!'

Today I am going to help you get that promotion. Because today, we are challenging the assumption that your boss is rooting for you...Wake up! I mean that in the kindest possible way. :)Assuming your boss is currently consumed with all the reasons s/he should promote you is a massive mistake. Because here's the thing: perhaps they are looking for all the reasons not to.In this episode I am sharing three reasons your boss won't promote you. This 12 minute clip could be all you need to shake things up and finally.... get that promotion!Rebecca, on challenging your assumptions: "You might have been asking yourself: 'What do I actually have to do to get promoted?!' and no doubt it's driving you crazy. Well, here's the thing: promoting you is a potential career risk to your boss - so why should they promote you?"Links:Book a free 15 minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to get your career off to a fresh start. Don't stay stuck - get new thinking and new action to move forward in your careerRate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

April 27, 2026Episode 22324 min

Ep 223 - Why NGOs Attract Top Talent, with guest Nicole Yade, WAGEC

Today I had the privilege of interviewing Nicole Yade, CEO of WAGEC (Women and Girls' Emergency Centres) established to support women and their children, seeking support from situations of domestic violence. Australia continues to struggle with a national crisis in terms of violence against women with 1 in 4 women having experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15 and nearly 9 in 10 hospitalisations for assault by a partner – were for females (Source: AIHW).Today, Nicole Yade is sharing insight from her diverse role as CEO at WAGEC and how she needs a multitude of skills to adapt to lots of different stakeholders including individual women and their children; communicating with Ministers; and meeting with people with inter-generational wealth who want to invest their money into an NGO such as WAGEC. We also talk about the misconception that NGOs struggle to attract the best talent... and the kinds of people who do well in NGOs.Nicole, on NGOs attracting the best talent: "One of my pet peeves... is hearing the idea that if you were really good at your job you'd be working for government or in a corporate setting. But for me, nothing could be further from the truth. What I see everyday at WAGEC, I see people [in our team] who are really good at their jobs, with incredible heart and soul and professionalism and adding wisdom to some of the most complex problems in our community."Links:Connect with Nicole and the work of WAGEC at www.wagec.org.auConnect with Nicole Yade on LinkedinInstagram follow Nicole Yade (@nicoleyadee)Connect with Rebecca Allen on LinkedinGet your copy of Rebecca's free guide, 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact LeaderRate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Nicole:Nicole Yade is the CEO of the Women’s and Girls’ Emergency Centre. She has over 25 years experience leading, designing, and delivering services for marginalised people in the NGO sector. Much of this work has involved working across cultures with traumatised populations, including extensive work with victim survivors of violence, refugees, and Aboriginal communities. In 2024 Nicole was awarded the Chief Executive Women Not for Profit scholarship which enabled her to attend Harvard University to study leadership development. Nicole holds a MA in Counselling and Psychotherapy and a Bachelor Arts with Honors in Anthropology from The University of Sydney. She is a proud victim survivor advocate and was recently nominated as Advocate of the Year in Marie Claire’s Women of the Year Awards. About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

April 6, 2026Episode 22214 min

Ep 222 - 3 Powerful Questions to Unlock Your True Potential

Today I am giving you an insight into a real client coaching session by sharing 3 powerful questions that I use with clients to help unlock their potential.There are many different kinds of coaching question. And I have seen, over the decade I have been coaching, that a single question might be all that's needed to unlock a client's pain or 'stuckness' - and help them move forwards to achieve new goals.Today I am exploring questions that might help you break a negative belief pattern; that will help you see your 'reality' in a new way to challenge your own assumptions; and help you see how you might be adding layers of meaning to situations - that simply aren't there.Rebecca, on being more aware of your actions: "Human brains intrinsically want to be correct so when you run a belief, particularly over a number of years, the brain will continue to look for 'evidence' to support the belief so that it can hold. But often when you ask a client what their 'evidence' really is - there isn't any!"Links:Book a free 15 minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to get your career off to a fresh start. Don't stay stuck - get new thinking and new action to move forward in your careerRate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

March 23, 2026Episode 22111 min

Ep 221 - Hear From My Client Gill - How Coaching Helped Her Get Promoted (Twice) in 3 Months

Today I have a real treat for you - I am interviewing my client Gill who is sharing her experiences working with me on her career.Today I am interviewing my client Gill about what she loved (and found surprising) about her coaching journey, what she learned and the game-changing impact coaching has had on her - and her career.Gill, explaining what she got most from her coaching program: "Coaching has helped me get clear on what I want from my career next and become clear on the value I bring and what I can do to my career to the next level. It's also been really useful to identify stakeholders inside and outside the business to shape how I sell myself and what that value is and these conversations have helped me make those bigger asks in my career and I became confident enough to have those conversations."Links:Get your copy of Rebecca's free guide, 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact LeaderSpeak to Rebecca today: book a free 15-minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to make sure you're a great fit for one another, to discuss your career goals and current challenges and work on your plan moving forwards.Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

March 9, 2026Episode 22015 min

Ep 220 - 3 Blind Spots Holding Leaders Back

If you’re interested in being an effective leader that means also investing in understanding your own blind spots. In this ep, I am talking about 3 common blind spots that hold leaders back.Technically blind spots are beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that you are unaware of. In actual fact you might be aware of them, but to date haven’t wanted to acknowledge them, or haven’t known how to address them. Leading without addressing your blind spots can cause all sorts of problems:You might be unaware of your impact on individualsYou might be allowing negative behaviours to persist (in you and others)Those patterns might be eroding trust in your leadershipAnd those patterns might also be negatively impacting your credibility and reputationWorking on blind spots isn't a nice-to-have - it's absolutely mission critical.Rebecca, on being more aware of your actions: "We talk a lot in my business about observable behaviors. What observable behaviors are influencing how other people experience and see you ? Do you have patterns where you repeatedly tolerate poor behaviours yourself? Do you have an avoidance pattern for example? It's important to differentiate between - and be aware of - your intentions and your actual patterns of behaviour."Links:Book your 90-minute Leadership Reality Check session with Rebecca right away! Your first step is to book a free 15-minute 'alignment' call with Rebecca to make sure you're a great fit for one another, to discuss your career goals and current challenges Enjoy this related episode: Leadership Fundamentals: Integrity and Self-Awareness (15 mins)And this blogpost: 10 Ways to be a More Self Aware Leader Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

February 23, 2026Episode 21929 min

Ep 219 - From Bias to Equality: The CEO's Critical Role, with guest Sandra D'Souza

Today we are talking about the critical role of the CEO in embedding equitable practices in their organisations. I am talking with expert Sandra D'Souza, who is sharing research insights from her book, "From Bias to Equality". Join us!My guest today is Sandra D'Souza, author of the book, 'From Bias to Equality: How business leaders can drive innovation, success and profitability by embracing true gender balance' and Founder of Women's Business Networking group Ellect.Her book, From Bias To Equality provides actionable insights from successful business leaders who have achieved greater women representation on their boards and in C-Suite roles. In showcasing real-world examples and best practices from international leaders, this book empowers organizations to build diverse and inclusive leadership teams, leading to improved decision-making, enhanced company culture, and increased innovation and profitability.In this ep, Sandra is discussing:The critical importance of a CEO in instigating change on gender equity in the workplaceKey business impacts of diversity: growth, profitability, running better operationsThe need and the want of having gender equity in the workplace The role of CXOs generally in bridging the gender equity gapCreating Leadership KPIs around hitting equity measures and the importance of role modelling as leaders Gender equity quotas... and so much more! Sandra, on her research of ASX listed companies:"Research shows that with a gender balanced leadership team and Board, companies have achieved greater profitability, 27% more collaboration and faster innovation cycles because of the diversity."Links:Get a copy of Sandra's book : "From Bias to Equality: How business leaders can drive innovation, success and profitability by embracing true gender balance"For Career & Leadership coaching, connect with Rebecca Allen on Linkedin or visit the Illuminate website Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Sandra:Sandra D’Souza, founder of Ellect, is a passionate advocate for gender equality in business leadership. An Amazon bestselling author of From Bias to Equality, Sandra's leadership is driven by resilience and a growth mindset. Recognised as the Most Influential CEO of 2023, she is committed to closing the gender gap and empowering women in leadership roles. Find Sandra on Linkedin hereAbout Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a Career & Leadership Coach for corporate women, aspiring to senior levels of leadership. Over the last decade, Rebecca has helped women realise their potential at companies including Woolworths, ANZ, J.P. Morgan, PwC, Coca-Cola Amatil, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and AbbVie Medical Research through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs.

February 9, 2026Episode 21810 min

Ep 218 - 5 Questions Leaders Can Ask to Promote Psychological Safety in Teams

Psychological safety is necessary and important for many reasons. Most notably, when people feel psychologically safe, they’ll feel more secure and perform better. Today I am sharing 5 simple questions you can ask, to help build psychological safety in your team.As a leader, you want to be supporting your team however you can. One easy way to do this is to create a culture of psychological safety in your team, where people feel safe to:* Ask questions* Admit their own mistakes* Challenge existing ideas or present their own...And without recrimination, humiliation or punishment.Want to learn these simple questions to help you ask the RIGHT questions and maintain that sense of support and encouragement in your team? Join me!Rebecca, on the importance of creating psychological safety in your team:"No one likes be shamed for not knowing something. Or to be humiliated in front of others. Which is why it’s valuable to think abut how you’re framing questions to bring out the best in your team."Links:Get your copy of Rebecca's free guide, 7 Strategic Shifts to Position You as a High-Impact LeaderSpeak to Rebecca today: book a free 15-minute Career Strategy call with Rebecca to make sure you're a great fit for one another, to discuss your career goals and current challenges and work on your plan moving forwardsRate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca

January 26, 2026Episode 21715 min

Ep 217 - 3 Steps To Initiate A Direct Conversation & Get A Fresh Outcome

The time has come to have a direct conversation with a peer, client or team member and you know you've been avoiding it. In this episode, I am teaching a simple 3-step process to help you confidently maintain a direct, courageous conversation and get a mutually beneficial result.3 ways to be sure you're avoiding having a direct conversation:You're attributing negative meaning to this conversation, before you've even had it, i.e. 'This is going to be difficult', or 'They'll think badly about me.'You're avoiding having a face to face conversation, defaulting to writing an email instead.You're struggling to maintain eye contact because you know there's a deeper conversation that needs to be had.By the end of today's episode, you'll have total clarity about your own avoidance strategies as well as a simple, 3-step process to help you initiate a successful, direct conversation at work to get to the true heart of an issue or challenge fast.Save yourself sleepless nights and a mountain of wasted time, by learning how to have successful and direct conversations with others.Links:Book a free 15-minute Strategy Call with Rebecca - make sure you create the opportunities for you and your team in 2026Enjoy this related episode: The Value of Rehearsing a Difficult Conversation Out Loud (9 mins)And this one: How Avoiding Difficult Conversations is Keeping You Stuck (16 mins)Rate, Review, & Follow our Show on Apple Podcasts:Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We air every week and I don't want you to miss out on a single broadcast. Follow now!About Rebecca:Rebecca Allen is a warm and dynamic Leadership Coach who helps build high-performing leaders and teams by working on 4-core pillars: how do we want to show up; how do we want to add value; how should we elevate our thinking; and how should we elevate our communication? Rebecca has coached managers through to CXOs at Woolworths, Coles, ANZ, RBA, J.P. Morgan, PwC, ANSTO, Ministry of Defence, Frontier Sensing and abbvie through her Roadmap to Senior Leadership coaching programs. Connect with Rebecca