Got a business? Welcome - you are a founder!

In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, we’re joined by Kirstin Hunter - the current CEO of Birchal and former Managing Director at Techstars NSW.

From co-founding ethical investing platform Future Super to mentoring Australia’s most promising founders, Kirstin brings a unique lens to what it takes to lead and grow mission-driven businesses.

We explore what makes a great founder, the mindset shifts needed to transition to startup life, and why conscious leadership matters more than ever in today’s business climate.

This is an inspiring, grounded conversation for anyone navigating the evolving path of entrepreneurship.

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• The traits successful founders share - and how to cultivate them

• What it really means to lead a business with purpose

• Lessons learned from mentoring startups at Techstars

• What it’s like stepping into the CEO role at Birchal

SHOW RESOURCES

• Learn more about Birchal – HERE

• Follow Kirstin on LinkedIn – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

ABOUT THE GUEST

Kirstin Hunter is the Chief Executive Officer at Birchal, Australia’s leading crowdsourced funding platform. Before Birchal, Kirstin was the Managing Director (NSW) at Techstars, where she selected and mentored some of the country’s most promising startup founders. She is also the co-founder and former CEO of ethical superannuation platform Future Super, and has held executive roles at Brighte. A reformed lawyer and ex-management consultant, Kirstin brings deep expertise across fintech, impact investing, and high-growth ventures. She’s also a long-time mentor with Blackbird's Giants program and Startmate Fellowships and serves on the board of Morphic Ethical Equities (ASX:MEC). Above all, she’s passionate about helping founders build companies that combine purpose and performance.

Bless it be.

With love, Laetitia!

We often think business growth comes from adding more - more content, more tools, more strategies. But what if the real shift comes from letting go?

In this episode, I’m sharing why spaciousness isn’t just a nice-to-have - it’s a core business strategy.

I will share with you a key principle of lean management and we’ll explore the unseen clutter that drains your time, energy and creativity.

If you’re drowning in digital files, stuck in inefficient processes, or simply overwhelmed by too many ideas, let this episode help you identify what’s actually getting in your way - and how to create more room for clarity, momentum and meaningful results.

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? ⁠JOIN THE CIRCLE⁠ ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• Why decluttering is the first step in sustainable growth

• The 7 types of waste blocking your momentum (and how to spot them)

• What lean management has to teach even the most creative businesses

• How simplicity can create space for strategy, energy, and innovation

SHOW RESOURCES

• Join the Flow in Business Accelerator – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

Bless it be.

With love, Laetitia!

We often talk about AI in the context of speed, automation, and productivity. But what if AI could help make the world fairer?

This week’s episode is a powerful conversation about using technology to bridge one of the biggest gaps in our systems: access to justice.

If you’ve ever tried to navigate a legal dispute, you’ll know it can be overwhelming, expensive, and inaccessible. Especially if you don’t have legal training or support. That’s where AI can help.

In this episode, we’re joined by founder of Dispute Buddy, Jenny Rudd, who’s using AI to empower everyday people – helping them turn chaotic digital evidence into court-ready documents and reclaim their voice in a system that often silences them.

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? ⁠JOIN THE CIRCLE⁠ ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• How AI can be used to drive equity, not just efficiency

• How personal values can shape powerful tech solutions

• What it takes to lead courageously in the legal and funding space

• Jenny’s previous business experience + how she build this startup

SHOW RESOURCES

• Learn more about Dispute Buddy – HERE

• Learn about The Gender Investment Gap NZ – HERE

• Follow Jenny on LinkedIn – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE
  

ABOUT THE GUEST

Jenny Rudd is the Founder & CEO of Dispute Buddy, a tech startup creating access to justice for people in legal disputes by organising complex digital evidence (texts, emails, etc.) into court-ready documents. She is also the Co-Founder of The Gender Investment Gap NZ, a national research project measuring and addressing gender disparities in venture capital.

Jenny lives in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand, with her husband Mat and their five beautiful children. Her work is grounded in values of fairness, disruption, and inclusion – and she’s leading change in the tech and funding space one courageous action at a time.

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia

If you’ve ever set a big, bold vision… but found it hard to stay the course, this episode is for you.

I want to share with you what it means to actually commit to the things you say matter. Not just once a year, but week after week, quarter after quarter.

To bring this to life, I have real stories of women who’ve used Quarterly Planning as a way to reconnect with their purpose, stay accountable to their dreams, and take tangible action.

Because strategy isn’t just about structure. It’s a mirror, reflecting back the kind of leader, creative, and business owner you want to be.

This isn’t a goal-setting chat. It’s a grounded, inspiring look at what’s possible when you put your vision on paper… and then follow through.

✨ Curious about Quarterly Planning? Join our next workshop HERE ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• Why committing to your vision isn’t a one-time act

• The power of gathering in community to set goals (and stick to them)

• 3 stories of women who turned vision into aligned action

• Why your business needs both structure and soul
  

SHOW RESOURCES

• Join the next Quarterly Planning Workshop – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia

Whether you have a team or just contractors, you are creating a workplace culture.

In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Miks and Cam, co-founders of Capyble - a Techstars-backed platform that helps businesses turn respect-at-work legislation into meaningful, measurable action.

We dive deep into what it really takes to build safer, smarter workplaces - from listening to lived experience, to weaving cultural safety into operations, to using AI without losing humanity. This is a big conversation on leadership, boundaries, and creating work cultures that don’t just tick the box - but transform it.

If you are a leader in your business, you should listen to this. Set the foundations early and create a safe place for people to work (even if they are only doing 3 hours a week in your business).

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? ⁠JOIN THE CIRCLE⁠ ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• Why safety isn’t just physical - it’s emotional, cultural, and structural

• What we get wrong about leadership (especially in small businesses)

• How to use AI in ways that protect, not perpetuate, harm

• The mindset shift from performative compliance to practical impact

• Why boundaries are leadership skills – not personality traits

SHOW RESOURCES

• Learn more about Capyble – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

ABOUT THE GUESTS

Miks is a serial global entrepreneur who believes business is a tool for creating positive structural change. She’s had 3 successful exits and is now full-time on Capyble, with a mission to bring expertise to 1 million workplaces by 2030. She’s a TEDx speaker and has been recognised as a finalist for the Women in Digital Rising Star of the Year 2024, Young Australian of the Year (QLD), AFR Top 100 Women of Influence, and more. Miks is a Harvard alum and Techstars Sydney 2024 participant.

Cam has spent the last decade building profitable social enterprises and educational products, with a background in world-building and strategy for narrative-led companies. A master of translating complexity into clarity, he now focuses on making expert support accessible through Capyble, and creating better ways for survivors to share their stories with workplaces and communities through Impact by Design.

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia

You can absolutely start a business on your own - but if you want to grow and sustain it, leadership becomes the key.

In this episode, I share the leadership mindset shifts that helped me scale without burnout, build a deeply aligned team, and lead with clarity and boundaries.

If you’re doing too much alone, this episode will help you shift how you lead, so you can grow your business village with purpose and trust.

If you LOVE the episode, don’t forget to share it on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift!

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? ⁠JOIN THE CIRCLE⁠ ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• Why leadership is the real foundation of sustainable business growth

• How to identify your true zone of genius - and lead from it

• What “building your A Team” really means

• The role of boundaries in healthy leadership

SHOW RESOURCES

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE
• Follow me on Instagram – HERE
• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia

What if your next big breakthrough didn’t happen in a zoom meeting or a brainstorming session - but in the stillness of nature?

In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I’m joined by Stephanie, the visionary behind Fern Valley Retreat - a soulful, eco-glamping haven tucked in rural New Zealand.

We talk about the intuitive nudge that changed her family’s entire life trajectory, what it really takes to build a retreat space from scratch, and why stepping away to rest is essential for women in business.

Get ready to re-treat!

If you LOVE the episode, don’t forget to share it on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift!

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? JOIN THE CIRCLE ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• How intuition guided a bold, life-changing decision

• The healing power of nature and the magic of glamping

• What it really takes to create a successful retreat space

• Why it’s okay not to have it all figured out at the start

• The difference between doing it all and doing what matters

SHOW RESOURCES

• Explore Fern Valley Retreat – HERE

• Follow Fern Valley on Instagram – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE

• Follow me on Instagram – HERE

• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

ABOUT THE GUEST

Stéph is the heart and soul behind Fern Valley Retreat. Together with her husband Mike, she left behind the hustle of Auckland to follow her heart after falling in love with a rural property south of Tauranga, New Zealand. Driven by a deep belief in the power of nature to enhance well-being, she created an off-the-grid glamping escape - a place where guests can reconnect with nature without sacrificing comfort.

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia

What happens when a simple fruit analogy reaches millions and sparks a global conversation?

In this episode of The Essential Shift Podcast, I reflect on the viral moment that unfolded after I shared a metaphor comparing neurodivergent minds to different fruits for my Understanding Zoe business.

Inspired by Sandhya Menon’s words: “You would never say an orange has an apple disorder”, the post struck a deep chord with parents, educators, and professionals around the world.

But what happens when our business attracts more attention than we expect? I am going to talk about the reality of going viral (the good and the bad).

If you LOVE the episode, don’t forget to share it on your Instagram stories and tag me @essential.shift!

✨ Want to connect and build your business with a support network? JOIN THE CIRCLE ✨

KEY EPISODE TAKEAWAYS

• What the viral moment taught us about the appetite for change

• How the marketing team put together a plan for attraction

• The good and bad with viral content
  

SHOW RESOURCES

• Learn more about Understanding Zoe – HERE

• Watch the viral video – HERE

• Read the full viral post: Substack Article – HERE

• JOIN THE CIRCLE – A community for conscious, creative entrepreneurs - HERE
• Follow me on Instagram – HERE
• Find me on LinkedIn – HERE

Bless it be.

With love,

Laetitia