Outlaws Podcast: Embracing Career Freedom

What if the real lesson from this season is that you’re allowed to change your mind about your career? In this episode, Shayla and Kate wrap up Season 2 of the Outlaws podcast, reflecting on the biggest themes across the season, from career change and career pivots to leaving corporate and redesigning work in a way that actually fits your life. This season has been full of conversations with people who stepped off the expected path. Lawyers building careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago. Professionals walking away from corporate roles. People making bold shifts, and others making small, steady changes that led somewhere completely different. What becomes clear is this, career change doesn’t always look like a dramatic leap. Sometimes it’s a pivot. Sometimes it’s a slow burn. And sometimes it starts with simply questioning whether the path you’re on still makes sense. We talk about: – Why some of the most interesting careers today didn’t exist a decade ago – What it really looks like to leave corporate, and what comes after – The difference between overthinking and actually being “not ready” – Why intuition is pattern recognition, not something mystical – The concept of burnout beyond long hours, including misalignment and moral injury – How small decisions, made consistently, can lead to big career shifts Whether you’re thinking about a career change, curious about a career pivot, or quietly wondering if leaving corporate might be an option, this episode brings together the insights, stories and lessons from a season of people doing work differently. In this episode – The top episodes of Season 2 and why they resonated – Lessons from guests who left traditional paths to build something new – Why “procrasti-learning” keeps people stuck in careers that don’t fit – The idea that there’s no perfect decision, only the one you make work – Real examples of redesigning work without burning everything down – Why career change is more possible, and more varied, than it seems 🔧 Resources & Links 📩 Got ideas for Season 3? Email us: [email protected] 💬 Connect with us on social media and share your favourite episode from this season   If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this Outlawbrary episode, Kate and Shayla discuss Mattering: The Secret to Building a Life of Deep Purpose and Connection by Jennifer Breheny Wallace and explore a deceptively simple idea: feeling valued and adding value is a fundamental human need. From burnout and loneliness to leadership and workplace culture, they unpack why achievement alone isn’t enough and what happens when connection and contribution are missing. They reflect on: Why “fine” might be the worst way to describe your job The link between burnout and a lack of mattering The tension between individual responsibility and broken systems Why self-care matters (and not just to make you more productive) The concept of “personal policies” and setting boundaries that stick How small, everyday acts of recognition make the biggest difference The risk of “mattering too much” — when everyone depends on you Competitive workplaces vs cultures of connection What great leadership looks like when people genuinely feel seen Kate and Shayla also share personal stories from legal practice and leadership  including what it feels like to truly matter at work, and what happens when you don’t. This episode is a reminder that mattering isn’t about grand gestures or big achievements but built in the small, relational moments of everyday life. If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode of Outlaws, Kate and Shayla sit down with Hollywood talent manager Rob Marsala—a former Perth lawyer who walked away from a traditional legal career to build a life in the entertainment industry. Rob shares his unconventional journey from law school (which he admits he never really wanted to attend) to the mailroom at a major talent agency in Los Angeles—earning just $300 a week despite holding a law degree and an MBA. What follows is a story of persistence, humility, and backing yourself—even when it means starting from the very bottom. In today’s episode we cover: Why Rob chose law (hint: it wasn’t passion) The moment he realised legal practice wasn’t for him Getting retrenched—and why it was the best thing that ever happened Moving to New York and completing an MBA in media management Starting over in Hollywood’s mailroom at 26 The reality of “paying your dues” in a competitive industry How legal skills became a surprising advantage in entertainment If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What happens when the career you spent decades building no longer feels like success? In this episode, Kate and Shayla speak with a guest who spent years at the highest levels of global banking, finance and corporate risk. From investment banking in London to senior roles across Australia’s major financial institutions, her career was built on structure, certainty, status and performance. From the outside, it looked like the definition of success. Inside, something was slowly dimming. What followed was not one dramatic leap, but a long and honest career change from corporate life. Burnout, severe migraines, and a growing sense of disconnection forced a reckoning with the life she had built. A sabbatical opened the first real space to question whether success had been defined by the wrong metrics all along. What began as curiosity, volunteering at Lifeline, exploring psychology, and learning to trust instinct over certainty eventually led her somewhere completely unexpected: becoming a therapist specialising in somatic psychotherapy. This is a conversation about burnout in corporate careers, identity, uncertainty, and the uncomfortable but powerful space between the life you had and the life you are still figuring out. In this episode – Building a high-powered career in global banking, finance and risk – Why corporate environments reward certainty, status and performance – The quiet “dimmer switch” of burnout in high-achieving careers – How volunteering at Lifeline became the turning point in a corporate career change – Following curiosity and learning to trust instinct rather than certainty – Redefining success around meaning, flexibility and being excited for the day ahead This episode will resonate with anyone in banking, finance, law, consulting or other high-pressure professional environments who has ever wondered why a successful career can still feel misaligned. It is an honest look at what happens when the identity built around work begins to shift, and the slow process of reinventing success on your own terms.   Find Jo at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-bowles/  If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with career counsellor and founder of Career Wisdom, Lois Keay-Smith, to unpack one of the most common blockers in professional life: readiness. So many smart, capable people tell themselves they’ll make the move, apply for the role, start the business, or ask for the conversation “when I feel ready.” But what does ready actually mean? And how long are we allowed to wait for it? This conversation explores the uncomfortable truth about readiness and career change. Often, what we call preparation is actually overthinking. What we call learning is sometimes procrasti-learning. And what we’re really waiting for is certainty that rarely arrives. Lois shares what she’s seen across 20 years of supporting executives, elite athletes, and professionals navigating major transitions, from voluntary career pivots to forced change through redundancy or illness. The pattern is clear: action creates clarity, not the other way around. In this episode – Why “I’m not ready” often really means “I don’t know where to start” – The perfectionism trap that fuels overthinking career change – Procrasti-learning, and when more courses are helping versus hiding – How MOOCs (massive open online courses) can be a low-stakes way to test ideas – The power of getting “oot naboot” and having real-world conversations – How to ask better networking questions that actually generate opportunities – The career theory of “planned happenstance” and why serendipity needs movement – Why forced change sharpens clarity fast – The small scripts that make asking for help less awkward One of the most powerful ideas from the episode is this: you don’t feel ready and then act. You act, and then you start to feel ready. If you’ve been stuck in analysis mode, researching, planning, mapping, learning, and still not moving, this episode will gently (and sometimes directly) challenge you to consider whether readiness is the real issue, or whether it’s fear wearing a very professional disguise. 🔧 Resources & Links Career Wisdom – Lois Keay-Smith Search “MOOC + [your topic]” to explore free or low-cost university courses If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode of Outlaws, we sit down with Sam Flynn, former litigation lawyer and co-founder of Josef, an AI automation platform transforming how legal work gets done around the world. Sam started on the traditional legal path. Law school. Top firm. Supreme Court clerkship. The funnel was working exactly as designed. But along the way, something shifted. What began as volunteering with civil liberties organisations led to a lightbulb moment: when Sam and his collaborators built a simple legal tool to help people navigate Victoria’s infringement system, 30,000 people used it on day one. Within a month, 60,000 people had accessed it. The law eventually changed. That experience sparked Josef. Today, the platform is used by organisations like Bumble, L’Oreal and Bupa, as well as community legal centres and universities, to automate legal questions, generate documents and streamline workflows. At its core is a belief that self-service legal tools, when properly supervised, can help close the access to justice gap rather than widen it. But this conversation isn’t just about legal tech. Sam talks openly about what he had to unlearn from legal training. The obsession with risk. The fear of embarrassment. The idea that failure defines you. He shares the moment he realised that striving is far less embarrassing than staying small to avoid criticism. We explore identity shifts, burnout, creativity, storytelling in business, and why lawyers statistically make “bad founders” unless they learn to turn down the risk dial. If you’ve ever felt pulled toward something different. If you’ve wondered what else you could do with a law degree. If you’ve felt the weight of prestige pressing in. This episode is your reminder: you can follow your curiosity. You can build something new. You can strive anyway. If you’re a lawyer wondering whether the traditional path is right for you, or you’re curious about legal tech, AI in law, or alternative career options for law graduates, this episode offers both inspiration and practical insight. You don’t have to abandon law to reinvent it. Sometimes you just have to step into the arena. Theodore Roosevelt’s speech - The Man in the Arena Sam on LinkedIn  Sam’s newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/scooped-7183318477628223488/ Sam's Fireside Chat series with Tom Dreyfus https://open.spotify.com/show/2tBSFrxTSO30Pknjmyb7RG Josef If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this Outlawbrary episode, Kate and Shayla dive into The Five Types of Wealth by Sahil Bloom and ask a deceptively simple question: what if financial wealth isn’t the only kind of wealth that matters? Sahil Bloom’s Five Pillars of Wealth framework challenges the traditional scoreboard of success. Instead of measuring life purely by income, status or external validation, he argues that we should also be investing in time wealth, social wealth, mental wealth and physical wealth. For high performers, especially lawyers and professionals trained to optimise for achievement, this conversation hits close to home. We also explore whether this kind of framework feels obvious… or whether it’s exactly what people stuck in high-pressure careers need to hear. And yes, we share honest thoughts about what worked in the book, what didn’t, and whether we’d recommend it. If you’ve been quietly wondering whether the ladder you’re climbing is leaning against the right wall, this episode is for you. If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What happens when telling the truth could cost you your career? In this Outlaws Diary episode, Kate and Shayla sit down with Rabia Siddique, international human rights lawyer, former British Army officer, and leadership consultant, to explore what it really means to choose truth over safety. From a hostage crisis in Iraq to a discrimination case against the UK government, Rabia’s story is extraordinary. But the tension at its core is universal: what do you do when the system tells you to stay quiet? This episode explores courageous leadership, workplace discrimination, whistleblowing, and what it really means to speak truth to power. Rabia shares the personal and professional cost of challenging authority, and why values-based leadership often requires breaking the rules that protect powerful institutions. We talk about what happens when silence feels like complicity, why speaking up can feel career-ending, and how real leadership sometimes begins the moment you refuse to comply. In this episode – Rabia’s journey from Legal Aid lawyer to the British Army – The hostage crisis in Iraq and what happened behind closed doors – The discrimination case that challenged the UK government and military – Why injustice by those you trust can cut deeper than trauma itself – What whistleblowing really costs and why it matters – How to practise ethical, values-based leadership inside rigid systems – The myth that success requires perfection and conformity – Why you don’t have to be in a war zone to feel “held hostage” by your career This conversation moves beyond the extraordinary circumstances of a military hostage situation and into something far more familiar: the moments in our own careers where we feel stuck, silenced, or pressured to conform. And sometimes, the real outlaw move is this: speak up anyway. Resources & Links Rabia’s book: Equal Justice Connect with Rabia via her website and social media If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if your side hustle wasn’t about making money, but about becoming more of yourself? In this Outlaws After Dark episode, Kate and Shayla are joined by Sandrine Alexandre-Hughes, a lawyer and mum of three who built a creative side hustle while working full time, not to chase millions, but to explore something her legal career simply couldn’t offer. After hearing devastating stories about online grooming and bullying, Sandrine felt compelled to act. Instead of approaching the problem with fear or lectures, she asked a different question: if the problem is dark, does the solution have to be? That question led to All the Likes, a card game that teaches online safety through play, followed by Smoke, Mirrors and Filters, a conversation game about our digital habits and the conversations we avoid. What followed wasn’t overnight success or financial freedom. It was exposure to creativity, manufacturing, education, media, and whole new worlds that sit well outside the legal profession. This episode is an honest look at starting a side hustle without quitting your job, and what can open up when you stop overthinking and start making.  In this episode Building a side hustle while working full time, without a grand plan or exit strategy Why Sandrine never saw herself as creative, and how the creative process surprised her The reality of starting a creative side hustle from scratch, sketches, designers, manufacturing, and learning as you go How legal training both helped and hindered her ability to create Why not all side hustles are meant to become businesses, and why that’s okay Marketing, visibility, and the parts of a side hustle that are far less glamorous Why boredom, rest, and stepping away often unlock the best ideas Practical advice for starting a side hustle without quitting your job, including one small first step 🔧 Resources & Links Team Together Online, Sandrine’s company focused on healthier online lives All the Likes, a card game teaching online safety through play Smoke, Mirrors and Filters, a conversation card game about digital habits Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, online safety resources for families If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode of Outlaws, Kate and Shayla are joined by Dr Carly Schrever, a former lawyer who retrained as a psychologist and went on to become Australia’s first dedicated judicial wellbeing adviser. Carly shares her own journey from law to psychology, including the moment she realised she was more interested in the human dynamics of the courtroom than legal argument. That pivot ultimately led her to groundbreaking research on judicial stress and wellbeing, including her role in the National Judicial Stress and Wellbeing Study. In this episode, Carly shares what the data actually tells us about stress in the legal profession and why judicial officers, despite deep job satisfaction and commitment, experience alarmingly high levels of burnout and secondary trauma. Carly explains why judges aren’t ‘above’ stress, why lower courts are under the greatest pressure and how systemic injustice itself becomes a source of psychological harm. The conversation also explores moral injury, intentional hope, and what it really takes to build a sustainable legal career inside an imperfect system. Rather than focusing solely on individual resilience, Carly makes a compelling case for systemic change  and for leaders being willing to speak honestly about the human cost of legal work. This is a thoughtful, rigorous discussion about law, justice, and what it means to stay human while working inside systems that are often broken. If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode of Outlaws, we’re joined by Michael Kingsbury, a former M&A lawyer who walked away from corporate law to co-found Uluu, a climate tech startup creating seaweed-based materials designed to replace fossil-fuel plastics. What began as curiosity about science, technology and impact has become a globally significant attempt to tackle plastic pollution, climate change and ocean health—using seaweed. Michael shares his journey from law school to top-tier firms, through strategy and innovation roles, and into the uncertain, exhilarating world of startups. We talk about leaving law, redesigning work, and why legal skills like problem-solving, clarity of thinking and working under pressure can be powerful assets far beyond the profession. This is a conversation about career reinvention, calculated risk, and the courage to follow what genuinely interests you—even when the path isn’t obvious. For lawyers questioning the traditional trajectory, professionals craving career freedom, or anyone wondering whether meaningful work can look radically different from what they were taught to expect, this episode offers both inspiration and permission.

What if career freedom isn’t about walking away from work altogether, but about consciously redesigning how you work? In this Outlaws Escapes episode, Kate and Shayla are joined by editor, book coach and founder of the Expert Author Academy, Kelly Irving, who shares how she radically restructured her business to avoid burnout, reclaim her time, and create a life that worked for her family. A few years ago, Kelly and her family packed up their lives and travelled through 11 countries — all while she reduced her one-to-one workload and experimented with working just 20 hours across an entire year. In this conversation, Kelly unpacks what redesigning work actually looks like in practice, from delegation and community-led business models to letting go of perfection and the myth of indispensability. Together, they explore career freedom, the courage to tolerate discomfort, and why bold change rarely comes from having a perfect plan — but often starts with simply naming what you want and beginning. This episode is for anyone questioning traditional definitions of success, feeling the early signs of burnout, or wondering whether there might be another way to work, live, and lead. In this episode, we discuss: What career freedom really means (and what it doesn’t) Redesigning work to reduce burnout and protect energy Why working on your business matters more than working in it Delegation, community, and letting others step up Family travel as a catalyst for perspective and change The power of intention, discomfort, and starting before you feel ready More about Kelly Irving Connect with Kelly at www.kellyirving.com or www.expertauthor.community Follow on LinkedIn and Instagram.  Nail your best book idea with the Book Canvas here. If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer  

What if making a big decision isn’t about finding the right answer, but learning how to trust yourself? How do you make big decisions without overthinking, spinning in circles, or waiting for certainty that never comes? In this episode, Shayla and Kate are joined by Bethan Winn, one of Australia’s leading experts in critical thinking and human skills, to unpack how decisions actually get made, and why so many high-achievers feel stuck when it matters most. From intuition and values to analysis paralysis and permission, this conversation reframes decision making as a skill you can build, not a personality trait you either have or don’t. In this episode – Why most professionals were taught how to analyse, not how to decide – The myth of the “good decision” and why the real work starts after you choose – What’s really happening when you feel stuck between two good options – Gut instinct, what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters even in rational professions – How overthinking is often a sign of fear, not lack of intelligence – “Nibble rather than scoff”, making big decisions through small, reversible steps – A practical decision-making framework built around permission, values, data, noise, and testing – Why values sit underneath every decision, whether you name them or not – How to reflect on decisions without self-blame when things don’t go to plan – Creating space to think in a noisy, fast-moving world More about Bethan Winn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethanwinn/ https://www.instagram.com/bethan_winn_critical_thinking/ https://www.facebook.com/bethanwinn.com.au/   The book is available www.bethanwinn.com.au/shop or on Amazon and soon from any good bookshop  If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community

What happens when the person everyone relies on can no longer keep going? In this episode, Kate and Shayla sit down with Dr Emily Amos, a former GP whose own experience of burnout stopped her in her tracks and ultimately reshaped her entire understanding of care, success, and sustainability. Emily spent 15 years in medicine, building a thriving practice and supporting others through some of their most vulnerable moments. From the outside, she was capable, calm, and deeply competent. Inside, she was running on adrenaline, guilt, and a relentless sense of responsibility, until her body finally said no. What followed was not a neat recovery story, but a profound reckoning with rest, identity, and the cost of always being the strong one. This is a powerful conversation about burnout in caring professions, why capable people often miss the warning signs, and what real recovery actually looks like when you stop trying to outpace yourself. In this episode Emily’s path into medicine and why general practice is as much about life as it is about illness The slow, invisible build-up to burnout and why she didn’t see it coming The moment everything stopped, and why her body became the final boundary The difference between altruism and self-sacrifice, and why self-awareness matters How perfectionism and identity can trap high achievers in unsustainable patterns Why rest is essential, not indulgent, especially in helping professions What changed when Emily redefined success around inner capacity, not output How Whole Hearted Medicine was born, and why practitioner wellbeing is not optional This conversation explores burnout, rest and recovery in medicine, but the themes will resonate with anyone in law, healthcare, leadership, or any role where being capable has become part of your identity. Connect with Emily:  Whole Hearted Medicine W: www.dremilyamos.com IG: @dremilyamos  If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

In this episode, Kate and Shayla sit down with author and imposter syndrome expert Alison Shamir to unpack one of the most universal, misunderstood experiences in modern work: that persistent belief that you don’t deserve your success. Alison breaks down what imposter syndrome actually is, why high achievers are especially prone to it, and how those old origin stories from childhood quietly shape our confidence, our careers, and our sense of belonging. Together they explore why external success never fixes the internal narrative, how perfectionism and overworking keep the cycle alive, and what it really takes to rewrite the story that keeps so many brilliant people stuck. From self-worth to self-confidence to the “trilogy of selves,” this conversation goes deep into the psychology, the patterns, and the practical tools that help people move beyond self-doubt and into grounded, evidence-based confidence.  If you’ve ever found yourself minimising your achievements, waiting to be found out, or discounting every win… this episode will feel like someone finally turned the lights on. In this episode What imposter syndrome is Why competence isn’t the antidote and why confidence alone can’t save you The origin story: how early experiences shape adult self-belief The difference between self-worth, self-esteem, and self-confidence Why high-performing professionals mask their doubt so well The imposter cycles and self-sabotaging patterns Alison sees in her coaching How to build an evidence bank that your brain will actually believe The surprising role of authenticity and psychological safety at work What it takes to rewrite the internal narrative… and why it changes everything Resources: Buy the book: https://amzn.to/48yQYSP  Clance Imposter Scale test - https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf Connect with Alison Shamir: Linkedin - https://au.linkedin.com/in/alison-shamir-67440b17 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/ Websites - https://alisonshamir.com/  If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if that familiar “I’m about to be found out” feeling isn’t the truth… but a story your brain has rehearsed for years? In this Outlawbrary episode, Shayla and Kate dive into Conquer Your Imposter by confidence and imposter syndrome expert Alison Shamir. It’s a book packed with research-backed insights, personal stories, and practical tools for anyone who’s ever questioned their capability, underestimated their achievements, or secretly worried they’re “winging it.” They unpack the history of imposter syndrome, the surprising statistics behind it, the ADHD connection, the trilogy of selves (self-confidence, self-esteem and self-worth), and the five imposter syndrome types that show up in high-achievers. They also share their test results from the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale and reveal what they learned about their own patterns of self-doubt. Then, in a special guest appearance, Alison Shamir joins the conversation to talk about why she wrote Conquer Your Imposter, how her personal story shaped the book, and what she hopes readers will take away from it. If you’ve ever wondered why capable people feel like frauds, or you’re curious about how imposter syndrome shows up in your own life, this episode offers clarity, compassion and a heap of practical insight. In this episode – What Conquer Your Imposter teaches us about understanding imposter syndrome – Why Shayla and Kate scored higher than expected on the imposter syndrome test – The overlap between ADHD and imposter syndrome – The five imposter syndrome types and how to spot your dominant pattern – How perfectionism, identity and self-talk keep imposter syndrome alive – Alison’s personal journey and why she decided to write the book – The biggest myths about imposter syndrome and what actually helps Resources: Buy the book: https://amzn.to/48yQYSP  Clance Imposter Scale test - https://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPTestandscoring.pdf Connect with Alison Shamir: Linkedin - https://au.linkedin.com/in/alison-shamir-67440b17 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/ Websites - https://alisonshamir.com/  If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What happens when your life looks perfectly fine on paper, but you're quietly trapped in a life or career that no longer fits? This episode began with an email from a listener. She is accomplished, respected, highly capable, and yet she feels like she has no room to breathe, no time to think, and no idea how to get unstuck. She told us she feels weighed down by the golden handcuffs, unsure whether she can take a step backward in seniority, afraid of starting again, worried about losing flexibility, and pulled between gratitude for what she has and a growing sense that something needs to change. These feelings are more common than most people realise. So today, we wanted to talk about what being stuck really looks like, why it happens to smart people with good careers, and how you can begin to loosen the grip without blowing up your life. We unpack the emotional, financial, practical and psychological forces that keep people exactly where they are. From the sunk cost fallacy to confidence dips, cognitive load, the fear of making a wrong move, the weight of responsibility, and the false belief that flexibility and fulfilling work cannot coexist, this episode goes deep into the real barriers that make change so hard. And then we talk through ideas and small, practical moves to help you start shifting things. Because getting unstuck is rarely one big leap. It is usually small, intentional changes that slowly make space for clarity, courage and choice. Whether you are feeling trapped in your job, sitting in the discomfort of "fine", craving more fulfilment, or just needing permission to question the rules you have internalised, this conversation will meet you where you are and offer gentle ways forward. In this episode The reality of feeling stuck in your career Why cognitive load makes it impossible to plan a way out Finding micro-moments of time when life feels full The sunk cost fallacy and why your brain fights against change Golden handcuffs and the fear of going backwards Using the Backwards Budget to understand what you actually need Rebuilding confidence after a break or big life shift The devil you know and the myth that change is always riskier How to experiment, test ideas and make decisions with less fear Why small shifts are often more powerful than dramatic ones If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps

What happens when a lawyer turned author finally stops waiting for the “right time” and writes the story she’s been carrying for decades? In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with Emily Tsokos Purtill, former commercial lawyer and newly crowned award-winning novelist, whose debut book Matia just won the 2025 WA Premier’s Book Award for an Emerging Writer. Emily’s story captures everything we talk about on Outlaws, the tension between safety and creativity, a career that looks great on paper but doesn’t fit anymore, and the quiet bravery of making space for the thing you’ve always wanted to do. If you’ve ever wondered how to leave law for writing, or whether it’s too late to follow that creative itch you keep ignoring, this conversation is a beautiful invitation to rethink what’s possible. We dive into: – How Emily went from corporate transactions to fiction – Writing scenes in the car between school pickups – Why reading like a writer changed everything – The moment a publisher said “yes” and everything clicked into place – Letting go of productivity conditioning to create freely – What rejection taught her, and why it made her work better – Money, motherhood, and making unconventional choices – The surprising skills lawyers take with them into creative careers In this episode – Emily’s path from commercial law to becoming a published author – How to build a writing life when time is in short supply – The power of tiny creative acts – Why your first published book might not be your first written book – How legal skills translate surprisingly well into storytelling and publishing To enter the competition for a copy of Emily's book, please go to www.outlawspodcast.com and sign up for our newsletter.   See more about Emily at https://www.emilytsokospurtill.com/ To buy her book https://amzn.to/44tlPyW If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s wanting a change (or just needs permission to do the thing!). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if taking time off wasn’t a luxury, but a smart, sustainable part of your career? In this episode of Outlaws Escapes, Shayla and Kate chat with Kate Cranney, a scientist, artist and communicator who pressed pause on her career for eight months to travel, hike and cycle across some of the world’s most stunning landscapes. From Patagonia to the Alps, Kate and her partner swapped meetings for mountains and discovered what happens when you stop working and start living deliberately. Her story isn’t about quitting everything and running away. It’s about designing a life that has space for rest, adventure and curiosity, and how that can actually make your work richer, too. In this episode – The planning and mindset behind an eight-month career break – Living with less, and why simplicity can feel freeing, not limiting – How slow, physical travel builds patience, perspective and creativity – The real value of time off: clarity, confidence and courage – What “coming back” looks like after stepping away 🔧 Resources & Links Kate's website -- https://katecranney.com/  Warm Showers -- https://www.warmshowers.org/ EuroVelo is a series of cycling networks all around Europe -- https://en.eurovelo.com/ Tim Minchin's address -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoEezZD71sc&t=1s Ken Robinson's 'Finding your element' talk. I listen to this many times a year. I love it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17fbxRQgMlU  'The Gap' by Ira Glass, I love this, on the importance on putting out a body of work https://vimeo.com/85040589 and here is the full article https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-gap-by-ira-glass-9651a750408f?gi=655cd32905f6  Connect with Kate Cranney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katecranney ❤️ If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s overdue for a pause (or just needs permission to take one). Rate and review Outlaws on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find their next great escape. Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What happens when a lawyer calls out the legal and corporate world for what it really is - often unhealthy, unsustainable, and quietly breaking people who care? To launch Season 2, Shayla and Kate go international with UK-based lawyer, content creator and TEDx speaker Henry Nelson Case. After years of watching toxic behaviour get rewarded and burnout get normalised, Henry decided to stop pretending everything was fine - and start saying what everyone else was thinking. From vomiting before work to going viral online, Henry has turned his lived experience into a platform that exposes the quiet damage of corporate culture - with humour, compassion and brutal honesty. His videos have reached millions, not because they’re flashy, but because they’re true. In this conversation, Henry, Shayla and Kate dig into why law so often rewards overwork, how younger generations are refusing to play along, and what happens when someone finally says, “this isn’t okay.” In this episode – The invisible toll of toxic workplaces and the myth of “just toughing it out” – What burnout looks like when you’re still performing well on paper – Why we keep mistaking exhaustion for excellence – How humour can break the silence on mental health in law – What Gen Z and younger lawyers are teaching the profession about boundaries and wellbeing – Why content can shift culture faster than any policy ever will 🔧 Resources & Links 🎥 Watch Henry’s TEDx talk on toxic masculinity and men’s mental health 📱 Follow Henry on Instagram,  TikTok, Linkedin and Youtube for more of his corporate-law truth bombs or visit his website 🗣 Join the conversation in the Outlaws Podcast Facebook group If you loved this episode... Share it with someone who’s quietly burning out under “business as usual.” Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us. Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean

20 episodes. Countless conversations. One big Outlaw experiment. In this special wrap-up episode, hosts Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer look back on Season 1 of the Outlaws Podcast, where career change, career pivots, and the pursuit of real career freedom were front and centre. What started as two ex-lawyers chatting has become a community of professionals unlearning the rules, ditching the shoulds, and designing work-life balance that actually fits. Along the way, we’ve laughed a lot, learned even more, and gathered the kind of stories that remind you you’re not stuck, you’re just one experiment away from change. Here’s what you’ll hear in the Season 1 finale: – The most downloaded episodes and why they struck a chord – Tiny experiments vs giant leaps: why the small stuff sparks big career pivots – The Backwards Budget and how it reframes money, worth, and freedom – Outlawbrary highlights from 4,000 Weeks to Tiny Experiments – The best guest quotes (hello, “discomfort is uncomfortable”) that made us laugh and rethink everything – What’s coming in Season 2: imposter syndrome, decision-making, Outlaws going international, and more Whether you’re contemplating a career change, testing out a side hustle, or just craving better work-life balance, this wrap-up will give you a boost of courage and a peek at what’s next. If you’ve loved Season 1… Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more Outlaws find us! Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer  

Sleep isn’t wasted time. It’s the secret weapon for clarity, creativity, resilience - and not being permanently cranky. And if you’re not getting enough, it is probably making you sick. But in a world where pulling an all-nighter is treated like a badge of honour, no wonder so many of us are exhausted. In this episode, Shayla and Kate talk to Alicia Visser, clinical psychologist, HeartMath® trainer, and founder of Becoming Conscious. With almost two decades of experience working with trauma, resilience, and wellbeing, Alicia explains why sleep is more than rest - it’s a biological need that protects your brain, body, and even your career. From late-night doomscrolling to the “I’ll catch up on sleep later” myth, they explore: – How stress and cortisol mess with your sleep cycles – Why sleep and productivity are deeply connected – The truth about burnout and 3am wakeups – Practical ways to reset your body and finally get better sleep – Why choosing rest is the most rebellious, Outlaw move you can make If you’re tired of being tired, this episode will show you how to get better sleep, why it matters, and how prioritising rest can actually make you sharper, healthier, and more effective at work and in life. This episode is for you if: – You lie awake at 3am replaying that awkward email – You think “sleep is for the weak” but secretly feel wrecked – You’ve ever worn exhaustion like a badge of honour – You’re ready to treat sleep as a superpower, not an afterthought 🔧 Resources & Links Learn more about Alicia Visser and her work at Becoming Conscious Try out HeartMath® techniques to rewire your stress and improve sleep - https://www.heartmath.com/quick-coherence-technique/ https://www.heartmath.com/science/#  Get in touch with Alicia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciavisser/  or https://www.instagram.com/becomingconscious.au/ Website launching soon: http://www.becomingconscious.au/  If you loved this episode... Share it with your colleague who brags about working on four hours’ sleep. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, it helps more Outlaws find us! Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer  

Breathwork. Can sounds a bit woo woo, right? Even Alicia thought so, until it became the one thing that helped her crawl out of burnout and rebuild her life. In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with Alicia Snijders, a former corporate lawyer who spent eight years chasing promotions and pay rises, only to end up bone-tired, wired, and wondering who she was without her job title. After a traumatic turning point, Alicia discovered that the most basic thing we all do, breathing, was the key to recalibrating her nervous system and starting over. Together, they dive into: – Why a lawyer with a “perfect” CV still felt like a failure inside – How trauma and burnout became Alicia’s unexpected teachers – Breathwork explained (and why it’s more science than incense) – The grief, shame and identity loss that comes with leaving law – Why change doesn’t have to mean blowing up your whole life and how small steps matter Whether you’re secretly gasping for air in a job that looks good on paper, or just curious about how something as simple as breathing can change your life, this episode proves you don’t have to wait for a crisis to start listening to your body. Resources & Links Connect with Alicia Instagram  LinkedIn   🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer  

What if you could learn how to stop chasing goals and instead start running tiny experiments? In this Outlawbrary episode, Shayla and Kate dive into Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff. It’s part science, part storytelling, and part permission slip to ditch the pressure of big, shiny goals in favour of curiosity-led experiments. Anne-Laure’s journey from Google to neuroscience brings a practical and deeply human perspective on how to live and work with more freedom. She reminds us that uncertainty isn’t failure, but fertile ground for discovery. From liminal spaces to cognitive scripts, from curiosity over passion to rewriting the “shoulds” that hold us back, this book (and this conversation) is a toolkit for anyone ready to stop chasing goals that don’t fit and start designing life on their own terms. In this episode – Why tiny experiments are more powerful than big goals – How curiosity can replace clarity when you don’t know your “purpose” – What neuroscience can teach us about uncertainty, fear, and growth – The role of pacts: simple, repeatable actions that move you closer to what matters – A Chinese parable that reframes failure, luck, and growth Resources & Links 📖 Book: Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World by Anne-Laure Le Cunff Talk by Anne-Laure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs2jR38lcWg  Book: Big Magic: Creative Living without fear; Elizabeth Gilbert 🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for updates, tools, and more Outlawbrary picks Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if your “side gig” was more than just extra cash, what if it was your way out, or your way to more joy and fulfillment? In this episode of Outlaws, Shayla and Kate kick off a brand-new semi regular series on side hustles.  From bold experiments to quiet projects done late at night, side hustles are often where rebellion meets reality. And they just might be the bridge between the job you tolerate and the life you actually want. And to launch the series, they’re joined by Katie Sierakowski, a lawyer who spends her weekdays in the courtroom and her weekends running a cattle business with her family. From courtrooms to cattle, Katie’s story proves that the best side hustle ideas aren’t about escape, they’re about joy, grounding, and creating balance in a busy life. They talk about: Why joy is mandatory for side hustles Why side hustles aren’t just about money (but yes, money matters, but don’t start there) How farming became Katie’s pressure release valve for life in the law The mental health boost of having something that’s yours Stories of flops, holding your nerve, and unexpected benefits Whether you’re already dabbling with a project, dreaming of quitting your job, or just want a reminder that you’re not crazy for wanting more, this episode is for you. 💡 This episode is for you if: – You’re hunting for side hustle ideas that fit into a busy life – You’re curious about making money in ways your boss doesn’t control – You’ve got a notebook full of “someday” projects – You want more energy and creativity back in your life – You’ve ever said “I wish I could just try it” but stopped yourself 🔧 Resources & Links 💬 Join the conversation in our Facebook Group: share your wins, fails, and side-gig dreams. 📩 Want updates and tools? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop. ❤️ If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s always Googling “side hustle ideas.” Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us! 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: [email protected] 💬 Join the conversation: 📸 Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer

What if taking a year to live overseas wasn’t a fantasy, but a plan you could actually pull off? In the first episode of our new semi regular episodes of 'Outlaw Escapes', Shayla and Kate talk with lawyer and mum Melissa Hii, who moved her family to Bordeaux and ran her law practice from France. No secret money tree, just thoughtful planning, a willingness to compromise, and the courage to try something different. From visas to village schools, here’s what we dig into about career break travel: – Why intuition beats a perfect plan, and how to act when “sensible” says don’t – Funding a year abroad: renting out your home, buffers for exchange rates, and realistic costs – The admin reality: long‑stay visas, relocation agents, French bureaucracy, school enrolments, and bank workarounds – Working remotely across time zones without dropping clients or income – Kids and culture shock: making friends, and the confidence they gain – City vs regional costs, decluttering early, and choosing a location (hello, TGV lines) – Identity, success, and ignoring the “shoulds” when your gut says go Whether you want sun-soaked months in Europe, a family reset, or a break that helps you come back clearer and braver, this conversation shows that career break travel is possible for regular people, not just influencers or billionaires. In this episode – Shayla’s own 18‑month escape to Provence and the “columns” test for big decisions – Melissa’s Bordeaux leap while co‑running a firm in Melbourne – Practical steps: visas, schools, housing, relocation agents, and time‑zone workflows – Using rental income and interest‑only periods to make numbers work – The best mindset shift: you’re moving to live, not to holiday 💡 This episode is for you if: – You’ve dreamed of how to live overseas for a year but think it’s impossible – You want a career break that isn’t a résumé gap, it’s a life design choice – You’re curious about raising kids abroad and the reality of foreign schools – You feel weighed down by jobs, mortgages, and stuff, and want more freedom – You’ve ever said “I wish I could do that” and meant it 🔗 Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast - https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/the.outlaws.podcast LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast - https://www.linkedin.com/company/106681587 Email: [email protected] 📩 Sign up for our newsletter for more tools and real talk on our website 🎧 Hosted by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎙 Produced by the Outlaws Podcast  

What happens when a casual side hustle turns into a global movement for mental health? In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with Nick Hudson, engineer-turned-entrepreneur and founder of The Push-Up Challenge. What began as friendly banter at the surf club became one of Australia’s biggest mental fitness events, raising over $50 million for mental health and connecting hundreds of thousands of people. Nick shares how open-heart surgery, a battle with depression, and the itch to create something meaningful pushed him toward a bold career change. What started as a side hustle became his passion, proof that following a spark can change not just your own life but the lives of many. From engineering rules to outlaw moves, Nick talks about: – Why innovation is so hard inside traditional careers – The leap from side hustle to full-time mission – “Mental health by stealth” and how a push-up can start a conversation – Taking risks, funding your dream, and failing hard (in the best way) – The tension between being sensible and going all in when you follow your passion Whether you’re contemplating a career pivot, building a side hustle, or wrestling with your own mental health journey, this episode is packed with real talk, risk, and resilience. This episode is for you if: – You’re dreaming of a career change but stuck in the “what if” loop – You’ve got a side hustle that lights you up more than your day job – You want to know how to follow your passion without burning it all down – You’re interested in practical, hopeful ways to engage with mental health 🔧 Resources & Links 🌐 Learn more about The Push-Up Challenge 📩 Subscribe to the Outlaws newsletter for updates and extras ❤️ If you loved this episode… Share it with a friend who’s sitting on a “one day” idea. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us! 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Email: [email protected] 💬 Join the conversation: 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn

Need to make a decision but not sure how to start?  If you’ve ever felt stuck, second-guessed yourself, or wondered whether you’re making the right call, this episode might just help. In this third Outlawbrary edition, Shayla and Kate dive into Greta Bradman’s inspiring and practical book What Matters to You — exploring the big question: how do we know how to make good decisions? Greta is a psychologist, a four-time number-one classical singer, and someone who knows how powerful values based decision making can be in creating a life that actually fits you. Through honesty, humour, and real-life examples, Shayla and Kate unpack: – How to recognise when “shoulds” are steering your choices – Why threat-based values can hijack your decision making without you noticing – The difference between chasing perfection and making progress – How imposter syndrome can keep you from making values aligned choices – Practical steps to bring your values into every decision you make This isn’t just a book review. It’s a conversation about clarity — identifying your true values, spotting when fear is running the show, and building the confidence to make decisions you won’t regret. In this episode: – Shayla’s battle with perfectionism while learning French – Kate’s reflections on ADHD, avoidance, and imposter syndrome – The pull between comfort and growth in decision making – Why knowing both your core values and threat-based values is a game changer – How to put values based decision making into practice every day  This episode is for you if: – You’ve ever wondered how do we know how to make good decisions? – You want tools for more confident, intentional decision making – You’re tired of letting fear or perfectionism dictate your path – You’re ready to make values based decisions that feel right for you 🔧 Resources & links 📘 What Matters to You by Greta Bradman – add it to your Outlawbrary ❤️ If you loved this episode... Share it with someone who’s been second-guessing their choices. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify – it helps more Outlaws find us. 🎧 Find out more 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect with us Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast Email: [email protected] 📩 Sign up for our newsletter for more tools and real talk 🎧 Hosted by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎙 Produced by the Outlaws Podcast

What if the skills that made you successful are the same ones making you miserable? In this episode focused on career change and career pivots, Shayla and Kate invite career counsellor Anna Black to discuss transferable skills and how to identify the ones that truly resonate with you. We're not just talking about what you're good at; we're exploring what you actually want to do - and spoiler - they are probably two different things! Together, they unpack the real reasons changing careers feels daunting, how to get unstuck in your career pivot, and why your next step doesn’t have to mean starting over.  From existential crises to actionable steps, they cover important insights: Why being good at something doesn’t mean you should keep doing it How to spot your burnout skills (and why people keep asking you to use them) The role of transferable skills in a career pivot and strategies to pinpoint the right ones What to do when your job looks great on paper but feels all wrong How to find the common thread between what you’ve done and what you genuinely want to pursue. If you’ve ever stared at your resume and thought, “I can do all this, I just don’t want to anymore,” this episode is designed for you. In this conversation: Anna’s journey from geophysics to career counselling What your past jobs can reveal about your future direction Why it can be difficult to see your own value — and how to change that The surprising way career clarity often starts (hint: it's not Seek) How to reconnect with what energises you This episode is perfect if you're stuck in a job that doesn't feel right but are unsure of your path forward, or if you’re craving a career change, a pivot, or even just a redefined work-life balance.  🔧 Resources & Links 💬 Connect with Anna: https://www.strategiccc.com.au/  📩 Want updates and tips? Subscribe to our newsletter for tools, stories, and outlaw encouragement. ❤️ If you loved this episode, share it with someone questioning their career path — they're not alone! Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more Outlaws find us. Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎧 Hosted on Podbean

What if sitting in the discomfort of "I don’t know" was the first real step in your career change? In this episode, Shayla and Kate delve into the liminal, messy, and often uncomfortable space that exists between knowing what you don’t want and having any clue what comes next in your career pivot. They discuss the emotional toll during a career change, the allure of certainty, and why high-achievers struggle without a solid plan. Whether you're mid-career and dreaming of something new, stuck in a job that no longer fits, or flailing in the deep end after making a career change, this episode is designed for you. You’ll learn about the powerful lessons hidden in uncertainty and why embracing it can lead to transformative career advice.  We’re calling this the “goop phase” (from butterflies come caterpillars) that weird, stuck, squirmy space where you’ve let go of the old thing but haven’t figured out what’s next. It’s confusing, it’s chaotic, and if you’re in it? You’re not alone. In this episode, Shayla and Kate get raw about what it really feels like to be a competent, ambitious person who suddenly doesn’t have a plan — and why that might be the very thing that sets you free. Whether you're thinking about a career change, navigating burnout, or just tired of pretending you have it all figured out, this is your permission slip to pause, sit in the uncertainty, and trust that answers don’t always come from spreadsheets. In this episode: – Why the unknown is so hard for high-functioning professionals – Shayla’s story of burnout, chronic pain, and forced reflection – Kate’s near-miss with the “wrong job” and what it taught her – The dangerous allure of certainty, and the jobs we apply for just to avoid the unknown – What liminal space is, and why it might be where the magic happens – The difference between fear of change and your gut saying no – How to stop making every decision feel like it has to be “the right one” This episode is for you if: – You’re contemplating a career change and feel overwhelmed by the unknown – You’ve ever applied for a job you didn’t want just to escape the discomfort – You're terrified of making the wrong choice and failing – You’re trying to think your way out of a season you need to feel your way through – You’re craving real talk, not just polished LinkedIn updates Resources & Links 📚 The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck – home of the “caterpillar goop” metaphor 🎙️ Elizabeth Gilbert quote: “Don’t rush through the experiences of life that have the most capacity to transform you.” Shayla’s golden rule: “Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.” Join the conversation in our Facebook Group 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter for unconventional career advice at www.outlawspodcast.com  If you loved this episode… Send it to a friend who’s stuck in the “what now?” phase Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us Find out more 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎧 Hosted on Podbean  

What happens when the job you thought you'd stay in forever — the identity you've carried since age 17 — stops feeling right? In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with David (Dave) French, former infantry officer turned leadership coach, who spent 21 years in the Australian Army, followed by a second act in corporate consulting, and now has started his own business to follow his purpose. Dave describes a deeply personal reckoning with identity, values, and purpose - and a brave decision to walk away from stability and seniority to start over. This is not your classic “pivot” story. It’s about responsibility, guilt, family, and the hard emotional work of letting go — and what happens when you realise you don’t want to keep climbing the ladder. Together, they talk about: The identity shock of leaving a long-term career Why walking away from command roles was harder than it looked The pressure men feel to be providers — and how that shapes career choices How networks and connection can be two very different things What happens when your kid’s playdate leads to your next job The tough, transformative work Dave is now doing with incarcerated veterans This is a story about honour, courage, and values — not in war, but in everyday life. And it’s about knowing when to stay loyal… and when to let go. In this episode: – Dave’s story of turning down the job he thought he wanted – Why success stopped meaning rank and started meaning alignment – How military belonging compares to the identity of lawyers – Leaving consulting after confronting a values clash — and what happened next – The power of purpose, and how it guided every step that followed  Resources & Links 📚Book - Man's Search for Meaning: Viktor E Frankel   Find more episodes: www.outlawspodcast.com 📩 Subscribe to the newsletter for updates, tools & more If you loved this episode... – Share it with someone questioning their own career – Rate and review us on Apple or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us! Connect & Explore 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📸 Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 📬 Email: [email protected] 🎙️ Hosted by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎧 Produced by Shayla Strapps 🏠 Hosted on Podbean

In this episode, Shayla and Kate sit down with global burnout expert Sally Clarke to discuss burnout prevention and how to achieve sustainable work-life balance. Chronic stress can hijack our energy and identity, but through actionable insights, we uncover how to reboot before we break. Drawing on her extensive research, bestselling books, and experience with Fortune 500 companies, Sally reveals the warning signs of burnout and offers her BRNT framework for sustainable wellbeing. Listeners will learn to: - Differentiate between fatigue, stress, and full-blown burnout - Understand why controlling burnout often leads to more stress - Navigate Sally’s three-phase roadmap: Recognition, Recovery, and Resilient Redesign - Implement the BRNT model: Breathe, Rest, Nourish, Talk - Leverage reduced work hours and intentional boundaries as secret weapons against burnout Whether you find yourself leading a high-pressure team or simply grappling with the next wave of overwhelm, this episode provides clarity on maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. Tune in if you: - Have ever pushed past your limits and paid the price - Are responsible for others and fear letting them down - Seek immediate, actionable tools to reclaim your energy - Believe in better alternatives to hustle culture and burnout. 🔧 Resources & Links Connect with Sally Clarke: https://www.salcla.com/ Protect Your Spark (Prevent Burnout Authentically): https://amzn.to/3Immg65 Relight Your Spark (Evolve from Burnout): https://amzn.to/44K7hdJ  If you loved this episode… Share it with someone running on empty. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to help more Outlaws find us!   Hosted by Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer Produced by Shayla Strapps 🎧 Find out more Website: www.outlawspodcast.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community   Hosted on Podbean

What if the most rebellious thing you could do wasn’t to break the rules — but to stop worrying what everyone else thinks? In this episode, Shayla and Kate crack open Mel Robbins’ bestselling book The Let Them Theory and explore why these two tiny words are such a potent tool for living like an Outlaw. Because Outlaws don’t build their lives by managing everyone else’s opinions — they build them from the inside out. From family expectations to tricky work politics, they dive into how letting them think, feel, and do what they want (without you trying to control it) is actually one of the most radical ways to reclaim your time, energy, and joy. It’s not just about ignoring people. It’s about getting very clear on what’s yours to carry - and letting the rest go. Inside, they unpack: - Why Let Them is the ultimate Outlaw move for stopping the exhausting job of managing everyone else’s feelings - How Let Me gives you permission to take up space, rest, fail, and chase dreams (even if no one else gets it) - Why guilt, culture and gender norms can make this shift feel “selfish” — and why that’s the very reason to do it - How letting go of control doesn’t make you a doormat — it actually clarifies where your real power lies Whether you’re a recovering people pleaser, stuck in overthinking, or just tired of asking for permission to live the way you want, this is an episode for Outlaws ready to build life on their own terms. In this episode - What exactly is Mel Robbins’ Let Them Theory (and why it’s a bestseller) - Shayla and Kate on people-pleasing, perfectionism, and why this has been life-changing for them - The hidden role of gender, culture & family messages that make letting go so hard - Why professionals often think they can — and must — fix everything and why it is uncomfortable to think you can't - Practical ways to start small: one let them or let me moment at a time - Scripts for when your brain spirals: “Their comfort isn’t more important than my peace.” This episode is for you if: – You’re tired of spending energy on what other people think – You keep bending yourself into knots to keep everyone comfortable – You want to live more from your own values (like a true Outlaw), not from guilt or expectations – You want real stories about how this simple idea helped two professionals stop burning out Resources & Links 📚 Read Mel Robbins’ book: The Let Them Theory 📝 Carolyn Hax, the advice columnist we love: Carolyn Hax at The Washington Post 🤯 Tim Urban on procrastination: Why Procrastinators Procrastinate 🎥 Tim Urban’s TED Talk: Inside the mind of a master procrastinator 📅 Wait But Why Life Calendar: Track your 4,000 weeks 🎵 Frank Sinatra’s “Love & Marriage” (for the bit Kate sings!): Watch on YouTube If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s always worrying what others think (or a recovering people-pleaser who needs a nudge). Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us! Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean

Ever feel like there’s something you’ve forgotten to do — but you can’t quite name it? For Sulari Gentill, leaving the law and picking up a pen finally let her breathe. In this episode of Outlaw Diaries, we talk to the incredible Sulari Gentill — a former corporate lawyer who swapped contracts for crime fiction, and found the thing she didn’t even know she was missing. From astrophysics to cow pregnancy tests to bestseller lists, her story is a beautiful, funny, and surprisingly relatable exploration of what happens when you finally listen to that quiet itch inside you. She shares: – Why being a lawyer never felt wrong, but never felt whole – The moment writing made her feel like she was breathing properly for the first time – The identity crisis that comes with leaving a high-status profession – How leaving a stable, high-status profession can make you feel untethered — and why that’s part of it – Why she “corporate-lawyered” her way into a sustainable creative career (yep, you can do that) – How her legal background (and a bit of astrophysics) helps her write brilliant mysteries – What happened when she tried to write literary fiction (spoiler: a body showed up) If you’ve ever dreamed about writing a novel, leaving your profession, or just finding the thing that feels like breathing — this episode is a must-listen 💡 This episode is for you if: – You’re stuck in the “shoulds” and wondering if it’s too late  or too hard to start again – You’re craving a more creative life but worried it’s impractical – You’re torn between security and soul-sparking joy – You’ve ever told yourself “I can’t afford to leave” and secretly hoped someone would prove you wrong – You need permission (and a strategy) to make your leap 🔧 Resources & Links 📚 Explore Sulari Gentill’s books — including The Mystery Writer and the award-winning Crossing the Lines (due to be released in August) https://ultimopress.com.au/collections/sulari-gentill  ❤️ If you loved this episode... Send it to a friend who’s got “write a book” on their someday list. Leave us a review on Apple or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us. 🔗 Connect & Explore with us 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: [email protected] 💬 Join the conversation: 📸 Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: 💼 LinkedIn Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🎧 Hosted on Podbean Chapters 00:00 From Lawyer to Author: A Journey of Transition 07:30 The Search for Identity and Fulfillment 11:13 The Creative Awakening: Discovering Writing 16:18 The Leap of Faith: Embracing a New Career 18:56 Untethered Identity: The Transition from Lawyer to Writer 24:06 The Solitary Nature of Writing: Finding Community 27:20 The value of Sulari's legal education in her writing 29:42 Using Life Experience as Material for Writing 29:47 Redefining Success: A Writer's Journey 30:21 Navigating Financial Realities in Writing 31:40 The Shift to Contemporary Writing 33:03 Strategising for Success in a New Market 34:35 Preparing for Opportunities: The Importance of Readiness 35:07 Building a Supportive Community 37:40 Advice for Aspiring Writers: Planning and Community

What if success wasn’t about ticking boxes, climbing ladders, or polishing your LinkedIn profile — but about something quieter, deeper, and more you? In this episode, a follow up to our very popular Backwards Budget episode, Shayla and Kate take the conversation beyond the Backwards Budget and dive into the real question underneath it all: What does success actually mean to you? Spoiler: it’s probably not “I worked 80 hours a week and missed all the good bits.” From French school lunches to flow states, from joyful routines to redefining ambition, this is an invitation to slow down and think about how you really want to live — and how to put that in the budget. 🎧 In this episode, we talk about: – Why your version of success might be totally different (and why that’s a good thing) – The difference between happiness and fulfillment – How daily routines, small pleasures, and deeper conversations can signal what really matters – Cultural differences in how we value time, connection, and work – The power of “flow” — and how to know when you’re in it – Practical steps for weaving more meaning into your days — without burning everything down 💥 This episode is for you if: – You’re tired of chasing someone else’s dream – You want to feel more joy, energy, and purpose in your everyday life – You’re craving space to ask bigger questions – You want to shift how you spend your time, not just how you spend your money – You’re ready to start building a life that feels like yours 🎶 Bonus inspo from the episode 📚 Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi → Penguin link 🎵 Turn! Turn! Turn! by The Byrds → Listen on YouTube 📚 2025 Personal Planning Template by Grace Clarke at (grace-clarke.com)   🔧 Resources & Links 🎁 Download the Backwards Budget Tool: Sign up on our website to get your copy! 💬 Join the Facebook Group and let's get chatting in real life: Outlaws Podcast Community 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter via the website www.outlawspodcast.com: Tips, updates & occasional shoe reviews. ❤️ If you loved this episode... Send it to someone who’s been questioning their 9–5. Rate and review us on Apple or Spotify — it helps other Outlaws find us. 🎧 Find out more 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect with us 📸 Instagram: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎙️ Hosted and produced by Shayla Strapps & Kate Offer 📍 Recorded in Australia, available wherever you podcast. We pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which we live and record this podcast, the Wajduk people of the Noongar Nation.  

💡 What if your budget started with the life you want, not the one you’re stuck in? In this episode, Shayla and Kate unpack a deceptively simple but transformative tool: the Backwards Budget. Born out of Shayla’s own burnout and a desire to live more deliberately, this approach flips traditional financial planning on its head — starting not with income, but with the kind of life you actually want to live. From spreadsheets to existential questions, they talk about: – The real cost of the life you want (and how to calculate it) – Why your gut reaction to “what would you do with $70 million?” matters – The slow, doable steps toward change — even when quitting your job feels impossible – How financial clarity can give you emotional and creative freedom 🎧 Whether you're contemplating a career shift, craving more time for your family, or dreaming about becoming an author, this episode will help you turn that dream into a budget — and then a plan. 💥 In this episode – Shayla’s story of burnout and rebuilding her life from the budget up – The power of starting with what you want and working backwards – Kate’s thoughts on financial fear and practical freedom – The emotional side of money — and how budgeting can be liberating, not limiting – Why this isn’t just for rebels and risk-takers — but for anyone who wants to live with more intention 💡 This episode is for you if: – You’re constantly dreaming of quitting your job – You want more time, more freedom, or more space to breathe – You’re curious about how to start over — without starting from scratch – You’re craving real, grounded conversations about life design and money – You’ve ever said “I can’t afford to change” and wished it weren’t true 🔧 Resources & Links 🎁 Download the Backwards Budget Tool: Sign up on our website to get the spreadsheet as soon as it’s ready! 💬 Join the conversation in our Facebook Group: Share your budget stories, ask questions, or just lurk for inspo. 📩 Want updates and tips? Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop. ❤️ If you loved this episode... Share it with a friend who’s always Googling “how to quit my job and not starve.” Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify — it helps more Outlaws find us! 🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted and produced by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean

In this episode, Shayla and Kate crack open Oliver Burkeman’s powerful book 4,000 Weeks — and let’s be clear, it’s not about to-do lists. They explore the confronting reality that 4,000 weeks is roughly all we get in a lifetime, and how that number becomes a springboard for bigger questions: What truly matters? Why do we equate our worth with productivity? And how can we let go of the pressure to do it all? With personal stories, a healthy dose of irreverence, and some classic Outlaw-style reflection, this first Outlawbrary episode offers insights on how to rethink your relationship with time — and find more meaning by doing less. 🎧 Whether you’ve read the book or not, this one’s for anyone questioning the hustle, craving a slower life, or wondering how the heck to use their 4,000 weeks.   💥 In this episode – Why 4,000 weeks hits harder than any productivity hack – Time anxiety and the trap of “trying to do it all” – How accepting your limitations can actually set you free – Stories from Shayla and Kate on how this book shifted their thinking – The case for slowing down — and living better, not faster 💡 This episode is for you if: – You secretly feel like you're always behind – You’re craving more meaning but not sure how to get there – You’ve ever googled “how to be more productive” at 2am – You love a good book that messes with your worldview (in a good way) – You’re ready to rebel — gently — against the cult of busyness Learn more about Oliver Burkeman and 4,000 Weeks: https://www.oliverburkeman.com/books Oliver's last Guardian column 🎧 Find out more 🔗 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer Produced by: Shayla Strapps 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Email us: @the.outlaws.podcast 📘 Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community 💼 LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean

In this Outlaws episode, we kick off our first Outlaw Diaries as Shayla interviews Fiona McLay, a former litigation lawyer who made a bold career change into legal tech and authorship. Her journey shows how stepping away from the traditional legal path can lead to more balance, creativity, and a career that feels like your own. Fiona shares candid stories about the messy middle of reinvention, the fears that come with pursuing a new vision of success, and the courage it takes to back yourself before you feel ready. Together, they explore: The unexpected turning points in Fiona’s legal career The messy process of career change and finding clarity and fulfilment How coaching and community can support you when leaving litigation Defining “enough” on your own terms Merging legal tech, creativity, and your personal niche Why stepping off the traditional legal script can open new possibilities This Outlaws conversation is for anyone wondering if their current role is the right fit, standing at the edge of a big decision, or looking for an inspiring, real-world example of a successful career change story. 🎧 Press play to hear how Fiona transitioned from litigation to legal tech and author — and built a career that truly resonates with her. 🔗 Connect & Explore Hosted by: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer Produced by: Shayla Strapps 🌐 Website: www.outlawspodcast.com 📬 Get in touch: @the.outlaws.podcast Facebook Group: Outlaws Podcast Community LinkedIn: Outlaws Podcast 🎧 Hosted on Podbean 🎙️ Learn more about Fiona McLay Fiona is a legal tech evangelist, author, and consultant helping the profession evolve with purpose. You can find her work and insights and buy her book at: 🌐 www.fionamclay.com.au 🔗 LinkedIn: Fiona McLay 📘 Facebook: Tech Enabled Lawyer

In this episode of Outlaws — the career change podcast for high achievers ready to rewrite the rules — Shayla and Kate pull back the curtain on the hidden curriculum, the sneaky, unspoken rules that shape how we define success, worth, and ambition. From career ladders you never questioned to the belief that being busy means you're important, they unpack the beliefs that ruled their lives (until they didn’t). They share five deeply ingrained “rules” they’re actively unlearning and how it’s changing the way they work, live, and measure success. But this conversation goes deeper. They explore what happens when you realise you’ve been performing an identity that isn’t fully yours, the burnout that comes from trying to be palatable, professional, and perfect, the pressure to be “good” at everything, including being human, and the radical relief of asking: what if I just stopped? 💥 In this episode: The myth of the ladder: Why climbing higher doesn't always mean going further How we confuse busy with worthy (and how to stop) The sunk cost fallacy: Why time spent doesn’t have to equal a lifetime commitment External validation vs. internal clarity The cost of performance: When “doing it all” means losing yourself Why redefining success is a radical act, and a necessary one 💡 This episode is for you if: You’re in the middle of a career transition or questioning your career path You’ve ever felt guilty for not wanting more You’ve internalised rules that no longer serve you You’re tired of performing an identity just to “fit” You’re ready to design success, and your life, on your own terms 🎧 Listen now and start unlearning the rules that were never yours to begin with. Links Alain de Botton TEDX talk https://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success?language=en    CREDITS Hosts and producers: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer Website - www.outlawspodcast.com  Get in touch  - [email protected]  Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335594167730235  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/outlawspodcast  Hosted on Podbean.   

You followed the rules. You ticked all the boxes. You built the “successful” career. So… why does it still feel like something’s missing, or that you're not really happy? In this first episode of Outlaws — the career change podcast for high achievers rethinking success — your hosts Shayla and Kate (two former lawyers turned question-askers and life-redesigners) get real about what brought them here, from burnout and breakdowns to career pivots and the messy in-betweens. We talk: Walking away from careers that once felt like a calling Burnout, identity, and the cost of "success" Why we started this podcast (and who it’s for) The power of unlearning and choosing your own way Why you don’t need to have it all figured out to begin again This is not your average self-help show. Outlaws is for anyone standing at the edge of a big career transition — curious, scared, maybe a little bit fed up — and wondering what life could look like off-script. Whether you're ready to quit, pause, pivot, or just take a breath, this is your permission slip. CREDITS   Host and producers: Shayla Strapps and Kate Offer   Website - www.outlawspodcast.com    Get in touch  - [email protected]    Join us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.outlaws.podcast/    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1335594167730235    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/outlawspodcast    Hosted on Podbean. 

Outlaws is the podcast for professionals who look successful on paper but feel stuck inside. Hosted by two (out)laws who walked away from traditional legal careers, we explore bold career pivots, honest stories, and practical tools for rewriting the rules of work and life. If you're craving more meaning, freedom, and truth in your career—this is your space. Subscribe and start your own outlaw journey.