Tea with the Queen

Hosted by Emma McQueen

Business EntrepreneurshipInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

229

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

About the show

Emma McQueen has been supporting women from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential for more than 20 years. She's passionately committed to ensuring women have what they need to feel fulfilled and excited by their working lives. We all have it in us to achieve our full potential- sometimes we just need a bit of understanding, some practical and logical actions and a gentle nudge to get that momentum which leads to progress and progress which leads to fulfilment. Emma McQueen chats with a range of women in leadership and in business to explore the practicalities of how they feel energised by their work and their personal definitions of success. Join Emma for a tea as she and her guests chat success, failure and optimism, sharing the actionable, results-focused tips and strategies that got them to where they are today.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 14, 202619 min

Stop Chasing Views: How to Position Yourself as the Expert

If you’ve been told to post more, show up more, and be everywhere, this episode is your permission slip to stop treating visibility like the goal. Visibility matters, especially early, but if you’re still hustling for every sale years in, it starts to feel like a treadmill that never switches off.We unpack the shift from visibility to positioning using a simple lighthouse test, plus a real example of what it looks like when a buyer arrives already warm, already trusting you, and basically already sold. No chasing, no convincing, no heavy lifting.You’ll hear the core building blocks that move you from being seen to being chosen, and the mindset shift that makes it stick. If sales feels harder than it should, or you keep attracting the wrong clients, this will help you figure out what’s actually going on and where to start.LINKSTracy Rudich, Initmo: https://www.instagram.com/tracy.rudich Emma McQueen:Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/websiteFor 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:Tracey Rudich - Intimo - InstagramTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

June 7, 202629 min

How to Delegate Without Micromanaging: Stop Taking the "Monkey"

If you’re burnt out as a leader, it’s probably not because you’re lazy or disorganised. It’s because you keep picking up “monkeys” that were never yours to carry, and you’ve slowly become the bottleneck while everyone else clocks out at 5.If you've been trying to figure out how to delegate without losing control or feeling like you're abandoning your team, this is for you.In this episode, I share the simple question that changes everything, plus the mindset shift that stops you rescuing and teaches you how to delegate effectively. It’s about keeping ownership where it belongs, while still supporting your team with clarity and rhythm so things actually move.We also talk about why being clear is kind, and how unclear expectations ruin your ability to learn how to delegate successfully, creating frustration, performance issues, and awkward conversations later. You’ll hear what intentional leadership looks like in real life, including the regular conversations that prevent surprises and help your team grow without drama.If you care deeply about your people but you’re tired of carrying everything, this one will land. What’s one monkey you’re ready to put down this week?CHAPTER MARKERS00:00 How to Lead a Team: The Mindset Shift01:02 Why Team Management Feels Hard (The Statistics)02:06 Why Employee Underperformance Starts With Clarity03:36 Who’s Got the Monkey? (The Secret to Delegation)05:06 Why Leaders Take on Too Much Employee Work06:02 How to Delegate Effectively: Next Move & Check-Ins06:45 How to Do a Monkey Audit to Stop Micromanaging07:58 The 3 Pillars of Successful Team Leadership09:32 Balancing Employee Accountability With Empathetic Leadership10:02 Fixing the Communication Gap in Small Business Management11:20 How to Run a "Role and Relationship" Chat With Staff12:45 Management Case Study: Fixing a Briefing Breakdown15:50 The 5 Core Conversations Every Business Leader Needs18:18 How to Give Employee Feedback With No Surprises19:20 How Clear Communication and Delegation Reduces Burnout20:10 How to Hold Your Team Accountable (Without Being Bossy)22:10 Managing Employee Performance vs. Employee Behaviour23:05 Leadership Case Study: Keeping Standards Clear24:30 Learn How to Delegate Successfully This WeekLINKS:BD Sprint:https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/Emma McQueen:Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/websiteFor 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/The One Minute Manager: Ken Blanchard - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-new-one-minute-manager-kenneth-h-blanchard/book/9780008128043.html?source=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22225225579&gbraid=0AAAAA-Ia9hPa9Du3bsdeLnKB4aXR1albY&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz9_QBhD_ARIsADnSCfDBe0tdEa77zKd82Jh8HAZGD0SGbJAVd9s6LvfviAwUuctIAjiaJDgaAvD5EALw_wcBThe One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey: Ken Blanchard - https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-one-minute-manager-meets-the-monkey-kenneth-h-blanchard/book/9780007116980.html?source=pla&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22225225579&gbraid=0AAAAA-Ia9hPa9Du3bsdeLnKB4aXR1albY&gclid=Cj0KCQjwz9_QBhD_ARIsADnSCfDPC_OOYVydaSaMk624ZQuz2ZRTD56gYdL-zRLu0PHS_WIlt4vOaqkaAlLJEALw_wcBMentioned in this episode:Style BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/Style BundleTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

May 31, 202620 min

Why Growing Your Business Feels So Chaotic

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 - InstagramTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

May 24, 202628 min

How to Avoid Making a Bad Hire

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.LINKSEmma McQueen:Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/websiteFor 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:Style BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/Style BundleStyle BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

May 17, 202619 min

How Successful Entrepreneurs Escape The Productivity Trap

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/websiteFor 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-habitsThe Third Space:https://dradamfraser.com/speaking-content/the-third-spaceMentioned in this episode:Style BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/Style BundleStyle BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

May 10, 202621 min

Why your Business Plan Keeps Falling Apart

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 MARKERS00:00 Stop Copying Playbooks00:53 Content That Sounds Like You02:24 Voice Notes and Better Inputs03:25 Realistic Posting Commitments05:29 Find Your Content Rhythm07:00 Networking Your Way10:30 Goals Money and Profit13:44 Bigger Rooms Better Principles15:38 Four Steps to Your Method18:11 Build Your Own Business Strategy BlueprintLINKS:BD Sprint:https://emmamcqueen.com.au/coaching-services/bd-sprint/Emma McQueen:Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/websiteFor 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:Style BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/Style BundleStyle BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

May 3, 202613 min

Your Mental Health is Your Business

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.LINKSEmma McQueen:Website: https://tea-with-the-queen.captivate.fm/websiteFor 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:Style BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/Style BundleStyle BundleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/style_bundle/

April 26, 20269 min

“I’m Not Good at Sales”: The Self Doubt Story That’s Probably Not True

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 - InstagramTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

April 19, 202612 min

Kindness Isn't Dead

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/WebsiteFor 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 ChannelAugust Go-Getter Event in Brisbane: https://emmamcqueen.com.au/events/go-getter-brisbane/Mentioned in this episode:Tracey Rudich - Intimo - InstagramTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram

April 13, 202622 min

Behind The Scenes of Running a Retreat

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/WebsiteFor 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 ChannelMentioned in this episode:Tracey Rudich - Intimo - InstagramTracey Rudich - Intimo - Instagram