The Debra Shepherd Podcast

Hosted by Debra Shepherd

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200

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Welcome to The Debra Shepherd Podcast. The Debra Shepherd Podcast is for women who want to lead well, show up confidently, and create success on their own terms — all whilst experiencing more ease, joy, and meaning in both life and business. Through a mix of personal development, mindset, and business insights, the show provides practical tips, tools, strategies, and stories to help you reconnect with yourself, elevate your visibility, and build a life and business that truly reflect who you are. Listen to episodes and conversations with extraordinary women in business, as they share their personal journeys of passion, purpose, courage, resilience, and impact — giving you inspiration, guidance, and real-world strategies to lead meaningfully and make your mark. Debra Shepherd is a Visibility and Leadership Coach, Certified Human Design Specialist and Podcast Host for women in business. 'Debra's conversations are so genuine and inspiring. Real conversations and practical insights, and a softer, kinder outlook on business and life. Highly recommended. Five Stars'. Thank you for tuning in. Instagram @_DebraShepherd www.debrashepherd.com.au

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60 recent

September 10, 202628 min

220: Redefining The Way People Experience Ageing, Energy, and Wellbeing with Bree Tucker, Founder and CEO of Haús of Vitality

Joining me on The Debra Shepherd Podcast this week is Bree Tucker. Bree is the Founder and CEO of Haús of Vitality, an Australian skin and wellness franchise, entrepreneur, writer and passionate advocate for self-leadership. Bree's entrepreneurial journey has been anything but conventional—building and scaling businesses, navigating failure and reinvention, franchising a brand, starting over in a new city and doing it all while raising her son as a single mum. Bree speaks candidly about the side of entrepreneurship we don't always see taking risks before you feel ready, backing yourself when others don't, making decisions under pressure and developing the self-leadership to keep moving when things don't go to plan. Bree's message - Start before you're ready. Take the risk. Always trust yourself. HIGHLIGHTS Bree talks about what creating a meaningful life and business looks like for her. A serial entrepreneur at heart, Bree talks about her path to starting Haús of Vitality in 2022 and how the business integrates the skin and wellness industries. What makes Haús of Vitality unique and how Bree established Haús of Vitality using a different business model. A great leader is accountable and responsible for their own business and actions. Self-development is a journey you have to go on if you want to create a successful business. Resilience and the bounce back rate. You can grind all day, but it doesn't mean you're putting in your best work. Why creating space is essential for moving through your day and being more productive. Bree's top tips for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH BREE www.hausofvitality.com.au Instagram @hausofvitality_ www.breetucker.com Instagram @BreeTucker_ CONNECT WITH DEBRA Instagram @_DebraShepherd Learn more about Human Design and Coaching opportunities with Debra here.

September 2, 202646 min

219: Managing Difficult Conversations with Empathy With Jennifer Bicknell, Director & Principal of Bicknell Law & Consulting

I'm honoured to welcome Jennifer Bicknell to The Debra Shepherd Podcast this week. Most workplace disputes do not start with a legal problem. They start with a conversation someone avoided. Jennifer Bicknell is an employment lawyer who helps businesses fix both. Through Bicknell Law & Consulting she provides practical workplace advice, employment contracts, policies and Fair Work guidance, plus a steady hand when things get messy. Jen also runs Confident Conversations workshops, teaching owners and managers how to plan for and have the hard conversations, so small issues stay small. Jen has practised law for more than thirty years, most of it dealing with disputes, so she has seen exactly how they start and how to stop them. Her goal is to make herself redundant, by giving clients the confidence and tools to handle workplace challenges themselves. In this episode, Jen shares her story. We talk about how to manage difficult conversations with empathy. HIGHLIGHTS Jen shares what creating a meaningful life and a meaningful business means to her. What attracted Jen to law and how Seth Godin led her to do something different. The risks that can arise if you avoid a difficult or hard conversation in the workplace. The most common difficult conversations leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs leave too long, and what can happen as a result. The five key ingredients of every effective conversation. Jen's top three tips for managing difficult conversations. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH JEN www.jenniferbicknell.com.au Instagram @BicknellLaw Connect with Jen on LinkedIn. Jen's Workplace News CONNECT WITH DEBRA Instagram @_DebraShepherd Learn more about Human Design and Coaching opportunities with Debra here.

August 6, 20267 min

218: You've Created Success So Why Doesn't It Feel Like Success

Today's quick conversation on The Debra Shepherd Podcast is about success and why success doesn't always feel like success. Thank you for tuning in. SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH DEBRA Download the FREE Aligned Leader Scorecard here. Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Foundational Human Design Session Explore Visibility Coaching

July 23, 202649 min

217: How to Simplify Your Business for More Income and Freedom with Marissa Roberts

I'm thrilled to welcome Marissa Roberts to The Debra Shepherd Podcast. Marissa hosts The Simpler Business Podcast. Marissa is passionate about helping business owners, service providers, and entrepreneurs find simpler and easier ways to run their businesses. As a mum of two who built her first business Beautifully Organised working just 10 hours a week or less, Marissa has collected lots of ideas, hacks, and strategies along the way to help you simplify tasks, save time and make work easier - without sacrificing your income or lifestyle. Marissa shows business owners, service providers and entrepreneurs how to to lighten their workload with systems and processes, how to work to your strengths and natural talents, tighten your boundaries for fewer working hours, and find a simple business model that runs smoothly for you and so much more. In this episode, Marissa shares her story. We talk about simplicity, lifestyle and business design, wellbeing and prioritising self-care. You'll leave this episode with lots of tips to help you simplify your business for more income and freedom. HIGHLIGHTS Marissa talks about creating a meaningful life and business and what this means to her. How Marissa started her first business, Beautifully Organised and how this led to helping business owners simplify and scale their business without sacrificing their wellbeing. Why taking a holistic approach is important when it comes to simplifying and scaling your business. The importance of mindset when it comes to creating simplicity and designing and lifestyle and business you love. Marissa shares tips to get started if you want a simpler business. Ways to simplify your approach to marketing for more income, impact, and freedom. Ready to build a business simply, sustainably and profitably without sacrificing your wellbeing? Marissa shares her top tips. Marissa's approach to wellbeing and self-care. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH MARISSA www.marissaroberts.com www.beautifullyorganised.com Instagram @MarissaRobertsOfficial Instagram @BeautifullyOrganisedMarissa CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching

July 9, 202651 min

216: Live a Life You Love Now with Emma Lovell

I'm excited to welcome Emma Lovell back to The Debra Shepherd Podcast. Emma is The Bleisure Coach, helping people design a life they love now, not someday, by combining business, travel and self-care. With 17 years in business and 77 countries visited (and counting), Emma has built a life and career that allows her to work from anywhere, while being based on the Gold Coast with her husband Mathew, their son Finn, and fur baby T'Challa. Known for her practical approach to lifestyle design, Emma shares how to create greater harmony between work, wealth, travel and wellbeing through her Bleisure Life philosophy. Retreats have become a natural extension of this work. Through her retreat consulting business, Rest & Receive, Emma supports coaches, business owners, studios and venues to design, launch and deliver retreats that are strategic, impactful and profitable. Emma is also the author of The Art of Bleisure and A Life of Magic: Bill Hunter's Story, the biography of her cousin Bill Hunter, a WWII Navy veteran, magician, entertainer, and master storyteller. The book captures 102 years of service, showmanship, and unforgettable life lessons. An experienced emcee, speaker, author and consultant, Emma brings energy, honesty and real-world experience to every stage, conversation and retreat she leads. HIGHLIGHTS Contribution, connection, purpose, and presence. Emma talks about her definition of a meaningful life and a meaningful business. Emma shares her story and what led her to becoming The Bleisure Coach and to then starting her retreat consulting business, Rest & Receive. What makes a great retreat? The common mistakes retreat organisers make when planning a retreat. There are endless possibilities for retreats. Emma talks about her most memorable retreat experience. Emma's latest book, A Life of Magic: Bill Hunter's Story. The biography of her cousin Bill Hunter, a WWII Navy veteran, magician, entertainer, and master storyteller. Emma talks about the writing process, Bill's story, and what it was like seeing the book in print for the first time. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH EMMA Listen to episode 175 of The Debra Shepherd Podcast - The Art of Bleisure with Emma Lovell www.emmalovell.au www.restandreceive.au Connect with Emma on LinkedIn Instagram @restandreceiveretreats Instagram @emmalovell.au CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching

June 25, 202640 min

215: Burnout, Success and The Wellness Paradox with Amy Green

Joining me on The Debra Shepherd Podcast is Amy Green. Amy is a futurist for work and life who has spent over a decade challenging the stories leaders, teams, and organisations tell themselves about success, productivity, and performance, and what it actually costs them. With a background in teaching and leadership, and experience drawn from face-to-face conversations with over a thousand educators and corporate leaders across Australia, Amy doesn't just talk about the future of work, she helps people design their way into it. Her keynotes and workshops have shifted the thinking of leaders at every level, from staff and teams to executive leaders, leaving audiences not just inspired but genuinely seeing differently. Amy is a bestselling author, with her latest book being The Wellness Paradox, and she is the host of the Rethinking Success Podcast. In this episode, Amy shares her story. We talk about burnout, success, and Amy's book, The Wellness Paradox. HIGHLIGHTS What creating a meaningful life means to Amy now and how that has evolved over time. Amy shares her story. Amy talks about her experience with burn out, chronic stress, and the three biggest lessons she learnt during that time in her life. How burnout can happen when you're doing life perfectly. The increasing size of the global wellness industry and how it's creating additional stress and pressure. What led Amy to write, The Wellness Paradox. Amy takes us through the six paradoxes reshaping the way we work and live. Creating a slower, simpler version of success. The differences and the relationship between wellness, wellbeing, and self-care. The four dimensions of energy and knowing what builds your energy and what depletes it. A powerful question to ask yourself if you're chasing success and feel burnt out. How Amy is helping individuals and workplaces do things differently. Why being well shouldn't be complicated. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH AMY www.amygreen.com.au Connect with Amy on Instagram Connect with Amy on LinkedIn CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching

June 18, 20268 min

214: Working Harder and More Effort Isn't the Answer

Let's talk about why working even harder and putting in more effort is not the answer to leading well and creating success on your terms. Join me for this quick conversation on The Debra Shepherd Podcast. Thank you for tuning in. SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get my weekly newsletter Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Foundational Human Design Session Explore Visibility Coaching

June 3, 202642 min

213: Protecting Your Business: How the Right Legal Foundations Change Everything with Tracey Mylecharane

I'm honoured to welcome Tracey Mylecharane, Founder of TM Legal Atelier to The Debra Shepherd Podcast. Tracey Mylecharane provides established purpose-driven coaches, creatives and consultants with tailored legal support. Driven by her mission to transform legals from a necessary burden to a strategic foundation for small businesses, Tracey provides tailored legal frameworks that anticipate business growth challenges, contracts that maintain healthy client relationships and agreements that act as business enablers. Tracey is the host of the Rise Up in Business Podcast and the creator of the Legals by Design® signature approach, providing a clear alternative to cookie-cutter templates and confusing legal jargon. In this episode, Tracey shares her business story. We talk about protecting your business and how the right legal foundations can change everything. HIGHLIGHTS Tracey talks about her evolution of success and what creating a meaningful life means to her. From accounting to law and entrepreneurship, Tracey shares her business story. How leaning into your intuition, trusting and prioritising yourself led Tracey to a rebrand and business growth. Tracey's life changing experience with Human Design and how it has transformed her life, business, and relationships. What can happen if you don't have a strong legal foundation if you're a coach, consultant, personal brand, entrepreneur or business owner. Tracey's quest to change the narrative around the value and meaningful impact that properly tailored legal documents can have for a business. Why strong legal foundations are more important for smaller businesses than larger organisations. Here's what you need to know. Outgrowing your legal foundation and the red flags growing businesses need to watch out for. Tracey breaks down the big risks you'll face if you're a business owner using AI for legal advice or for your legal documentation. How Tracey reconnects and creates space for herself. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH TRACEY www.tmlegalatelier.com.au Connect with Tracey on Instagram CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Foundational Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching

May 13, 20267 min

212: How To Make Aligned Decisions

Did you know on average we make around 35,000 decisions a day? Join me for this quick conversation on The Debra Shepherd Podcast and learn how to make aligned decisions that support you and help you show up with confidence, clarity and purpose. Thank you for tuning in. SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Foundational Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching

May 7, 202635 min

211: How To Increase Your Visibility On LinkedIn With Kate Merryweather

I'm honoured to welcome LinkedIn Coach, Kate Merryweather to The Debra Shepherd Podcast. Kate teaches small business owners how to show up and get leads and sales on LinkedIn without being pushy or annoying. Kate has built her own successful business with LinkedIn and has helped hundreds of small business owners do the same. With an honest, blunt, no-nonsense approach Kate gives real tips, insights and strategies to help you increase your visibility and make the most of LinkedIn. HIGHLIGHTS Kate talks about what meaningful living means and looks like for her. From a successful career in PR to freelance copywriting and now a LinkedIn Coach, Kate shares her story and talks about her business and how she helps she people get visible on LinkedIn in a way that feels comfortable, natural and authentic. What holds many small business owners, founders and personal brands back from building their visibility on LinkedIn. How LinkedIn has evolved and what's working on the platform now (at the time of this recording). The content gap on LinkedIn. Common mistakes leaders, business owners and personal brands make on LinkedIn. Top tips for elevating your visibility and building your personal brand on LinkedIn. Plus, more! SHOW NOTES Get all episode show notes here: www.debrashepherd.com.au/debra-shepherd-podcast CONNECT WITH KATE www.katemerryweather.com.au Connect with Kate on LinkedIn CONNECT WITH DEBRA Subscribe to get the weekly newsletter Connect with Debra on Instagram @_DebraShepherd Book a Foundational Human Design Session Learn more and apply for Visibility Coaching