The Evolve Academy

27/09/2026

I’ve been thinking about last night, and strangely, the thing I loved most wasn’t the awards. It was our table.

We arrived at the 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 as a group of finalists, all with our own little bit of hope that maybe our name would be called. Yet somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like we were there for ourselves and felt like we were there for each other.

We stayed right until the end. I think we were one of the only tables still going 😂 talking, laughing, sharing stories and cheering for women we had only just met.

I loved seeing two of the women at our table bring their daughters, aged 14 and 17. Now, let’s be real… sitting through an entire awards night at 14 or 17 could potentially feel like a VERY long night. 😂

Yet these two young women sat there with such poise and grace, taking it all in, listening to the stories and watching woman after woman be recognised for what she had built. I kept thinking about what they were witnessing.

✅ Women backing themselves.
✅ Women building businesses.
✅ Women taking risks.
✅ Women celebrating other women.

And then 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐲 𝐒𝐤𝐲 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐧 their category. ❇️

Well… our table ERUPTED.

We screamed. We clapped. We carried on like we had all just won it.

I remember looking around that table and seeing those two young women watching all of this unfold and thinking, this is what women supporting women actually looks like.

There was no comparison. No jealousy. No disappointment that it wasn’t us.

Just pure happiness that one of the women sitting beside us had her moment, and her daughter was there to embrace it. And I loved that.

Honestly, every woman at that event had worked bloody hard to get there. We’ve all had the late nights, the self-doubt, the risks and those moments where you wonder what on earth you’re doing running a business.

No, I didn’t walk away with a trophy. Yet I walked away really grateful. Grateful to have been chosen as a finalist. Grateful for the women around table #77.

22/09/2026

A new program always gets us buzzing.

We brought together an incredible group of 26 women from NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water today for the Evolve Program, Where Leadership Meets Wellbeing.

So wonderful to hear the flow of conversations, meaningful connections and so many feeling comfortable contributing to the open forums.

The Evolve Program is designed to ensure everyone feels safe to open up and be vulnerable and share their real life experiences without judgement, whilst gaining instrumental support.

And the greatest gift, they will all gain from the diversity in the room and build a strong community by showing up for each other.

Today was our opening workshop, we have six months together with an abundance of growth, connection and community.

Excited to see the moments of change along their journey.

09/09/2026

For anyone in my football community, let’s talk about how we can build a leadership wellbeing workshop that supports coaches and players before the season begins, we have also created a variety of customised journals for 9 - 18 year olds with weekly reflection for the season to drive accountability and bring more ownership to their game.

So many ideas to share.

Reach out here if you want support and guidance to apply for this grant.

We have had huge success with our Empower Her Program with Football NSW over the past two years. Loving the work to support the wellbeing of our teens.

Growing Football Community Grant Program The Growing Football Fund is designed to support the coaches and players of tomorrow by creating more opportunities for women and girls in football. The primary objective of the Growing Football Community Grants Program is to provide tangible support to clu.....

05/09/2026

Can you imagine swimming between the flags, feeling safe… And suddenly a four-metre great white is coming at you?

Heck, I’m an ocean swimmer, and it would have to be one of my most terrifying thoughts.

𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞. 𝐀 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭.

I have never experienced it, and I really don’t know what I would do.

I don’t know whether I would scream, freeze, fight, cry or completely panic.

And neither do most of the people judging how someone else responds after surviving something so terrifying.

That’s what has stayed with me after hearing the story of the Australian teacher who survived a shark attack.

Less focus on her experience, and more about the commentary afterwards.

The harshness of people judging how she told her story. How animated she was. How she reacted.

And I keep thinking…

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 “𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭” 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚?

I can think of plenty of frightening moments in my own life that were nowhere near as life-threatening, and in these moments I’ve screamed, cried, panicked, wanted to run and even shut down.

Because when fear hits, our body doesn’t stop to consider how our reaction might look to someone else.

Adrenaline surges.

Fight. Flight. Freeze.

And when the immediate danger passes, trauma doesn’t necessarily leave with it.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐓𝐒𝐃 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧.

- Some people cry.
- Some shut down.
- Some become incredibly animated.
- Some use humour.
- Some replay every detail.
- Some don't want to talk about it at all.

There isn't one acceptable way to carry something terrifying.

So perhaps instead of asking:

“Why is she behaving like that?”

We could ask:

“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏'𝒕?”

That question changes things.

In our workplaces.
In our families.
In leadership.
In our communities.

Because empathy isn't about knowing exactly how someone feels.

Sometimes empathy is recognising that we don't know.

We haven't walked in their shoes.
We weren't in that water.
We didn't feel that fear.

So maybe we can put the stones down.

Less judgement. More curiosity. More empathy.

We never really know what someone else’s nervous system, heart or mind is carrying.

01/09/2026

Leadership is not just about what we know. It’s about what we’re willing to give back. 💚

Today I want to shine a light on our incredible leadership coaching team — women who are generously giving their time, experience and wisdom to invest in the growth of other women within Sutherland Shire Council.

Because when women support women, something powerful happens.

Our coaches aren’t simply sharing their knowledge. They’re creating space for women to see themselves differently and to recognise the transferable skills they already have, build their self-awareness, challenge the stories that may be holding them back and find the confidence to step outside their comfort zone.

And the beautiful thing about mentoring is that it’s never one-way.

Our coaches will walk away with just as much richness from this experience by learning from women working in different areas of local government, hearing different perspectives, understanding the challenges and opportunities across organisations, and seeing the incredible capability that exists within our wider community.

When we connect women across teams, departments and organisations, we are creating a cultural shift:

- We strengthen the organisation as a whole.
- We build networks.
- We share knowledge.
- We challenge thinking.
- We create visibility.
- We open doors to new possibilities.

And sometimes, all it takes is one person believing in you, asking the right question or helping you see a skill you didn’t realise you had.

To our incredible coaching team, Michelle Whitehurst, Melinda McNaughton, Glenda Lord GAICD, PMIIA, Nicole Lewis, Jayme Wilson, Sarah Glennan and Hayley Barnes thank you for giving back, leaning in and being part of something that has the potential to make a real difference in women’s lives and careers.

I can’t wait to see the conversations, connections and growth that come from this experience.

This is leadership in action. And this is what happens when we invest in women.

27/08/2026

Sometimes the best feedback isn’t about the 𝑬𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒐𝒓 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎.

It’s about what someone starts believing about themselves because of it.

We recently received this feedback from a manager about one of the people participating in our Evolve Mentor Program:

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙗 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩. 𝙄𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 — 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙧𝙨.”

That last part really stayed with us. Because confidence isn’t about telling someone they’re capable. It’s about creating the space, tools and support for them to recognise it for themselves.

- To see the skills they already have.
- To communicate with greater confidence.
- To step forward.
- To believe they belong in the room.

And perhaps our favourite part of the feedback?

Their manager said they were almost jealous they were missing out on the experience themselves. 😊

That’s the kind of leadership development we believe in.

Deb is not about creating better leaders for today; she wants to help people see what they are capable of becoming.

26/08/2026

We all know Dolly Parton is an icon.

But hearing of her passing today has had me thinking less about the icon she was and more about the legacy she leaves behind. 💗

Dolly never seemed to spend her life trying to be someone else.

She was unapologetically Dolly.

The big hair. The sparkle. The humour. The ambition. The heart.

And she used the platform she built to give back, create opportunities and help others.

It got me thinking about leadership.

Maybe leadership isn't just about what we achieve.

Maybe it's about what we do with the influence we have.

Who do we give a voice to?
Who do we encourage?
Whose confidence grows because we believed in them?
Who is better because we were part of their story?

And perhaps the biggest lesson:

You don't have to become someone else to become a great leader.

You can be different.
You can be ambitious.
You can be kind.
You can be completely, unapologetically YOU.

Dolly has left a huge legacy.

And it made me stop and ask myself:

What do I want my legacy to be?

Not just what I achieved...

but who I helped along the way.

Rest peacefully, Dolly. 💗

20/08/2026

We’re finalists! 🌿

We are incredibly proud to share that The Evolve Academy has been named a finalist in the Australian Women's Small Business Champion Awards 2026 from over 3500 nominations.

For us, this recognition represents so much more than an award.

It represents every woman who has walked into an Evolve program unsure of what she was capable of—and walked out seeing herself differently.

Every young girl who has found her voice, discovered her strengths or felt safe enough to be herself.

Every mentor who has generously shared her experience.

Every organisation that has trusted us to invest in their people.

And every conversation that has sparked a little more confidence, courage or possibility.

Over the years, The Evolve Academy has evolved from a small business into a growing community focused on meaningful development, wellbeing, leadership and social change.

We don't believe in one-day fixes.

We create experiences that give people the time, tools, connection and support to learn, reflect and embed real change.

From women stepping into leadership, to 950 teenage girls across 28 football clubs, to regional and rural women accessing our programs online—our purpose remains the same:

To help people realise their potential and create positive change in themselves, their workplaces and their communities.

We are incredibly grateful to the clients, partners, facilitators, mentors, participants and supporters who have helped us get here.

This finalist recognition belongs to our entire Evolve community.

Thank you for believing in what we do.

We’re proud of how far we’ve come, grateful for the impact we’ve created, and very excited about where we’re going next.

14/08/2026

Yesterday we launched our next 𝑬𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒏’𝒔 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎 with an incredible group of women from Shire Council and what a way to begin!

We were privileged to have Jodi Tweed GAICD join us as our guest speaker, bringing not only her story but also her lived experience, resilience, and wisdom to the room.

She reminded us that our thoughts are not always facts. Sometimes they are simply moments, and those moments don’t always hold the truth.

We explored the power of positive self-talk, taking responsibility for our emotional well-being and building strategies that help us navigate life when things don’t go according to plan.

Yet we are often far more resilient than we give ourselves credit for.

Jodi’s story showed us how the experiences that shape our lives can influence the choices we make, how we respond to challenges, and ultimately, where we choose to go next.

And sometimes, a sidestep isn’t a step backwards. It can be the momentum we need to move towards the bigger goal.

A powerful part of today was hearing the energy, honesty, and wisdom of these women sharing how they navigate their own lives. There is something incredibly powerful about women learning from women.

And to think, today was just the beginning.

These women have committed to themselves, to the process, and to leaning in. I am absolutely pumped to watch them grow, challenge themselves, build confidence, and step into what’s next.

Thank you Jodi for sharing your story and reminding us of the strength we carry within us.

We are one workshop in with three more to go.

13/08/2026

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