What a Former Detective Wants Every Woman and Girl to Know About Personal Safety | Danielle Godfrey

What does a former detective want every woman and girl to know about staying safe in the world? Melanie Suzanne Wilson sits down with Danielle Godfrey — Personal Safety Specialist, founder of Girl Aware, and former Victoria Police detective with 12 years of frontline experience — to talk about the realities of personal safety that most of us were never taught. Danielle shares what she witnessed on the job: romance scams unfolding over the years, predators targeting vulnerable people on public transport, and high-profile offenders caught on CCTV. Through it all, she saw the same pattern — the people most affected were the ones who simply didn't know these things existed. That insight became Girl Aware, an empowerment-based self-defence program for women and girls that starts with awareness, education, and the confidence to trust your instincts — before a situation ever escalates. In this episode, we cover: Why does self-defence start long before any physical contact The truth about romance scams and online danger What prisoners said when shown CCTV footage of women walking The five-step framework: Think, Yell, Run, Fight, Tell Why are women socialised to be polite in unsafe situations How to talk to kids about hard topics The basics that save lives — and why projecting confidence is one of the most powerful safety tools available This is not a conversation designed to scare you. It's a conversation designed to equip you. Connect with Danielle: 📸 Instagram: @danni_t_godfrey | @girlaware_ebsd 🎙️ Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts — search The Motivate Collective Podcast ▶️ YouTube: @TheMotivateCollective 🌿 Join the community: www.motivatecollective.com