Tall Poppy Society with Merilyn

Hosted by Merilyn Wilson Beretta

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Episodes

335

Latest episode

Feb 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

The Tall Poppy Society podcast is a cheeky middle finger to Tall Poppy Syndrome especially when it comes to building a personal brand and working for yourself. A love letter to anyone done with dimming their own light. No ladders. No self-help sequins. Just fire, moving freely. Hosted by Merilyn Wilson Beretta, founder of Tall Poppy Society, Lead Your World and WowArchetypes. Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

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60 recent

September 5, 202629 min

339. The Woman Everyone Reads Wrong | with Nida Leard

Out of everyone I've interviewed, Nida Leardprasopsuk is one I never forgot - so I brought her back. We just... connected. And interestingly, that's where her business and brand as evolved to today: relationship os designed to reconnect a disconnected world. Nida was born in Baltimore, moved to Bangkok at ten without being able to write Thai, did her master's in Sydney, went into Fortune 500 corporate life and got out fast. She's a coach, she gets incredible transformations in clients and she's building a reality show with no drama in it. Here's the thing about Nida: almost nobody reads her correctly. Not the people in Bangkok. Not the coaching industry. Not even the clients who see the go-getter. This isn't a conversation about business or personal brands. It's about what happens when you let go of the version of you that everyone admires. In this episode, we unpack: Nida's thesis on why making friends is exactly like dating. Why an introvert can be the loudest person in the room. The reality show she's auditioning people for - and who she wants on it. Why she quit her PhD, and why she has no regrets. The message her body sent that she couldn't argue with. Why she wants her life's work to be free. What she wants to be remembered for (it isn't what you'd guess). Episode Chapters 00:00 I Never Released These… 00:59 A Thesis on Friendship 01:47 Friendship Is Dating 04:13 The Five Who Looks Like a Seven 05:12 Loud Introverts 05:58 Two Days in Bangkok, Just Talking 08:39 A Reality Show With No Drama 10:00 Who Gets On the Show 12:16 Her Learning Edge12:47 Nine Hours Is Not Lazy 14:07 "I Quit My PhD" 16:25 When Quitting Is Deliberate 17:27 You Can't Have It All 18:29 What Her Body Was Saying 21:05 Make It Free 23:48 Remember Me for My Heart 25:29 The Age of Integrity 27:00 Nida Turns the Question 27:58 A Loaded Word This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes , a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Nida: Website: nidaleard.com Instagram: @nidaleardofficial Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

September 4, 202619 min

338. Bring All of Yourself Into the Room | with Melanie Weller

A patient once walked into Melanie Weller's clinic with a suicide planned for that night. She had no protocol for what he was living through. She had herself. Melanie is a physical therapist, a nervous system expert, and something she calls a neurotheologist - a word she'd been looking for long before she found it. This isn't really a conversation about neuroscience. It's about what happens when you stop leaving parts of yourself at the door. In this episode, we unpack: Why hiding parts of yourself creates stress. The difference between expertise and intuition. What "Fearless Presence" really means - and why so many high performers are missing it. Why your body may know before your mind does. A simple breathing practice to calm your nervous system. Episode Chapters 00:00 — I Never Released These... 00:39 — The Patient Who Wanted To Die 02:01 — Discovering Neurotheology 04:55 — Why We Hide Who We Really Are 08:08 — Your Body Knows Before Your Mind 10:02 — A 60-Second Nervous System Reset 11:55 — Why Stories Heal Better Than Facts 12:54 — What My Broken Ribs Were Trying To Tell Me 18:00 — Fearless Presence 19:48 — Remember Who You Were This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes , a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Melanie: Website: melanieweller.com Instagram: @embodyyourstart Facebook: @WellerWorld Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

September 3, 202620 min

337. She Designed a Life Most People Only Dream About | with Hannah Verrall

Hannah is one of those people who quietly makes you rethink what success actually looks like. I wanted you to meet her. Hannah spends her days helping companies solve incredibly complicated technology problems. Then she spends the rest of her time renovating a 400-year-old farmhouse on the coast of Wales, rewilding a meadow (which has badgers living underneath), and running a glamping business. This isn’t a conversation about escaping work. It’s about creating a life you adore, along side it. In this episode, we unpack: Why designing your life matters just as much as designing your career. How Hannah accidentally built a career in technology. The beauty and history of life on the Pembrokeshire coast. Why deep work needs space, silence and good design. What restoring an old farmhouse taught her about legacy. Episode Chapters 00:00 I Never Released These… 01:00 Meet Hannah Verrall 01:15 A Life on the Welsh Coast 02:49 A 400-Year-Old Farmhouse 04:36 Glamping, Beaches & Slow Living 08:22 Local Food, Seaweed & Welsh History 10:17 An Accidental Career in Technology 11:42 Working From Home 13:06 Why Home Offices Are Designed Wrong 14:54 Is Design a Feminist Issue? 16:03 The People Who Shaped Hannah 18:08 Three Things She’d Save From a Fire 19:47 What Legacy Really Means This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes , a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Hannah: Website: https://hannahverrall.co.uk/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-verrall/ Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

September 2, 202624 min

336. You’re Not Burnt Out… You’re Just Ignoring This One Thing | with Emma Gray

I recorded this conversation several years ago… and never released it. Until now. It has changed the way I think about exhaustion. Clinical psychologist Emma Gray argues that many of us aren’t just tired- we have become fundamentally disconnected from our own bodies. If you have ever pushed through deep exhaustion, ignored your instincts, or struggled to know what you actually need, this conversation is for you. In this episode, we unpack: The "Good Girl" Lie: Why women are conditioned to put everyone else first. Somatic Disconnection: How your body tries to speak to you before it burns out. The Self-Care Fallacy: Why standard rest advice fails when you are truly stuck. The 3 Questions: Surprisingly simple prompts to reconnect with your inner wisdom. Episode Chapters: 00:00 I Never Released These... 00:39 Meet Emma Gray 02:03 Why Women Lose Themselves 05:28 The Self-Care Lie 07:36 Why We Always Put Ourselves Last 08:47 The Science of Rest 11:53 How To Listen To Your Body 15:37 The Boundary That Changed Everything 18:07 Values, People Pleasing & Saying No 20:06 When You Can't Walk Away 22:23 The People Who Shaped Emma 22:59 How She Wants To Be Remembered 23:48 One Final Message __________ This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes , a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Emma: Website: https://emmagray.net/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaGrayCoaching Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emmagray.soulcoach Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

September 1, 202617 min

335. The Biggest Risk Isn't Failure - It's Comfort | with Leslie Kuster

I recorded this conversation in 2022. Then life happened. It sat on a hard drive for years. Today, it's finally seeing the light of day. I originally thought this interview was about building a seven-figure business. Listening back now, I realised it's really about something much more important. Leslie Kuster shares the decisions that changed the course of her life - from devastating personal loss, to leaving everything familiar behind, to building a multiple seven-figure business. But this isn't a conversation about money. In this episode, we unpack: The Comfort Trap: Why playing it safe is the riskiest decision you can make. Purpose Through Pain: Navigating grief and using it to redefine your path. The 7-Figure Shift: The exact mindset changes required to scale a business. Starting Late: Why your timeline doesn't matter when it comes to reinventing your life. 00:00 – Why I Never Released These 01:20 – The Real Cost of Staying Comfortable 06:40 – The Loss That Changed Everything 11:45 – Finding Purpose Through Pain 15:15 – Building a Business from Bali 19:45 – The $\$7$-Figure Decision 24:00 – Why Mindset Beats Strategy 30:00 – It's Never Too Late to Begin Follow Leslie: Website: https://www.lesliekuster.com/ Book:” 7 Keys to 7 Figures - The Women Entrepreneurs' Guide to Money & Freedom” Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leslie.kuster/ This episode is part of I Never Released These... The Lost Tapes , a special 12-part series featuring interviews I recorded between 2022 and 2024 that never made it into the world... until now. Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

February 23, 202630 min

334. Year Of Fire

What if the timeline you’ve feared was never a delay… but a promise? Thirty years after blurting out the words, “I won’t come into my own until I’m older,” the spark has landed. Not astrology. Not reinvention. Ignition. Year of Fire isn’t about burning your life down. It’s about finally lighting the match you’ve been gripping for decades... and refusing to shrink at the exact age society expects you to. If it hits, follow. Share it. Let’s light a few more. Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

June 26, 202548 min

333. What if you're already the one? | Melanie Ann Layer

What happens when you dare to abandon others' blueprints and forge your own destiny? My profound conversation with Melanie Ann Layer of Alpha Femme reveals just that. From navigating life in her car to manifesting a global empire, Melanie's journey is a testament to the sacred alchemy of leading from within. We explore the pivotal shift from external striving to embodying the magnificent force you already are . Melanie shares philosophies like "pineapple season is coming" for divine timing, "for me, for you, for us" for authentic connection, and "I am the one or the one who got away" for pure sovereignty. This dialogue transcends old paradigms, inviting you to see growth as an exhilarating exploration of boundless potential. Melanie's ultimate legacy? Cultivating a future where daughters celebrate their mothers' powerful paths. This conversation isn't just about success—it's about transmuting its very definition into an experience of sublime unfolding. Find Melanie on Instagram: @melanieannlayer and @alphafemme More info here Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

June 19, 202521 min

332. The Power of Your Voice | Merilyn

Have you ever noticed those competing voices in your head? The one that spirals into doubt, questioning your progress, and another that whispers wisdom and reassurance? During a peaceful evening by my cottage fireplace, I experienced this familiar internal dialogue - what I call my "Woe" and "Wow" voices. This episode explores how to recognise these distinct inner voices and strengthen the wise, powerful "Wow" voice that often gets drowned out by our noisy inner critic. I share a profound revelation that changed everything for me: "You'll know you're there not when you're rich, but when you stop needing money to prove you're worthy of being heard." This insight applies beyond finances to any external validation we desperately seek. The transformation happens when we realise that money (or any measure of success) doesn't respond to begging or desperation. These resources want to build with us, not rescue us. Becoming your empowered 'Wow' self requires courage rather than confidence, changing on the inside before seeing evidence on the outside. Most people who seem to "make it" don't feel any more ready than anyone else - they've simply stopped waiting for the world to crown them and claimed their role first. Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

June 13, 202551 min

331. From $4K to Spain | with Richelle Gamlam

What happens when you stop forcing a business model that doesn’t fit—and start building one that actually reflects who you are? In this bold and honest conversation, Richelle Gamlam shares her journey from struggling entrepreneur to founder of Move Abroad Coach , a thriving international coaching business helping people design lives they actually want to live—abroad. We dive into: How she grew from $4K a year to a million by ditching the standard "webinar-to-course" formula The moment she realised her worst-case scenario was already happening—so why not bet on something better? The personal fears she faced relocating her family to Spain after five years in Tbilisi Georgia How she now helps others create personalised relocation plans that address mindset and logistics The behind-the-scenes of living internationally in China, Vietnam, Tanzania, and beyond Why bootcamps, not blueprints, helped her clients finally move Richelle’s story is a masterclass in alignment, courage, and creating freedom on your own terms. Whether you’re dreaming of living abroad or ready to rewrite the rules in your business or life—this episode is your permission slip. Join Richelle's next Escape Plan Bootcamp HERE Instagram: @MoveAbroadCoach Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com

May 28, 202523 min

330. Criminalising Care | Prof India Thusi

What happens when a legal scholar rides shotgun with police—and builds trust with sex workers—on the streets of Johannesburg? Professor India Thusi spent nearly two years embedded in both worlds. The result? A radical inside look at how policing really works—and why the criminalisation of sex work does more harm than good. In this episode, she shares the story of being detained during her research, the power dynamics it exposed, and what her journey from Yonkers to Johannesburg taught her about justice, race, and reform. If you care about policing, power, or what it means to build safety in society—this conversation will shift something in you. Contact India online here Follow Merilyn: Instagram: @merilyn Website: merilyn.com