Seize the Yay

You know I believe all our guests are impressive and inspiring in their own special way, but some are truly extraordinary humans. As you’ll soon hear, Shiza Shahid fits that definition in every possible way.
Born in Islamabad Pakistan, her passion for philanthropy and activism was evident even from her teens when at just 14 she started working in women’s prisons and volunteering at a relief camp following a deadly earthquake which struck Kashmir in 2005, killing nearly 85,000 people. At the age of 18 she won a scholarship to study at Stanford University, followed by pursuing a high flying career at McKinsey & Company in Dubai as a business analyst then founding her first business NOW Ventures focusing on funding startups. It seems crazy to skate over such huge achievement with a single line each, but that’s because there’s so much more to squeeze in and she’s only just getting started.
Shiza is also the Co-founder and CEO of the Malala Fund championing the right of every girl to education alongside Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for girls education. And if that weren’t enough, Shiza has also created Our Place with her husband - a direct-to-consumer brand of non toxic cookware rooted in her heritage and uniting people through shared meals.
On top of ALL THAT, I learned when she turned up for our recording that she is pregnant with her first child and about to conquer yet another frontier, what an extraordinary woman to have had the chance ot meet. You’ll be taken by her eloquence, humility, determination and warmth instantly.
Follow Shiza here.
SHOP OUR PLACE HERE.
LINKS

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+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!
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Happy New year lovely yayborhood and welcome to our first episode for 2026. I hope you all had a wonderful festive season and holiday period.

If you’ve been on the internet at all in the past few years, our first guest will need no introduction but just in case I’m thrilled to have Lia Georgantis with us this week, the dynamic CEO and creative force behind Girls with Gems.

This cult-favourite Australian fashion boutique first began in the form of intimate jewelry parties hosted by Lia and her Mum but quickly evolved and exploded into a must-shop destination for women everywhere with the launch of their iconic Double Bay boutique. Lia soon left her promising law career to take the reins of the business and transformed it into a trend-setting haven for real-life wardrobes and real-life women and if that weren’t enough, also went on to launch her own in house label Sneaky Link that has equally exploded onto the scene.

As you’ll hear, after mutually long time following first time calling, we got along like a house on fire and Lia’s energy is absolutely infectious so I couldn’t think of a better guest to kick off the year. Her approach to taking risks, chasing dreams and learning on the fly is both refreshing and motivating so if you need a little kick into gear, she is your woman.

SHOP GIRLS WITH GEMS HERE.

LINKS

+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah
+ Join our Facebook community here
+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibility.

But if you told me that would snowball into a four part dedicated espionage and intelligence miniseries, which would include not only two further intelligence officers from an even more secret spy service but also its Director General who then invited me as the first external visitor in the history of that service to record at their top secret training facility in an undisclosed location? I would have absolutely laughed in your face at the sheer impossibility and ridiculousness that it could ever happen… and yet it did… so, here we are…

I could not be more honoured or thrilled to present as our guest this week the actual head of our most secret organisation, Kerri Hartland - the Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (or ASIS as we will refer to it). As the first female and first external deputy director general of ASIO and now the first female Director General of ASIS, Kerri is my absolute hero not least because she turned up in head to toe pink with a warmth and openness belying the power of her position and her awe-inspiring experience.

Within the understandable confines of operational secrecy, Kerri opens up about the challenges of a stellar career of “firsts”, her experiences as a powerful female leader in a sea of black and navy clad males, whether her life resembles anything like that of M in James Bond (dropping a few Seize the Yay exclusives), and also the humbling role of Mum that she comes home to also experiencing the ubiquitous “juggle”. I still can’t believe I actually got to pick such an extraordinary brain and share many invaluable lessons on seizing the yay.

We are also releasing a second episode at the same time as this one sharing part of ASIS’ story from a different lens through the eyes of two senior intelligence officers, Jess and Tara - not their real names. So, you have plenty to catch up on this week jam-packed with jaw dropping storytelling and reflections - I feel so lucky to be sharing this with the yayborhood and hope you all enjoy as much as I did!

Visit the new ASIS website here.
Follow the new ASIS Instagram here.

LINKS

+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah
+ Join our Facebook community here
+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk regularly on Seize the Yay about the unlikely but incredible places you can end up and how many of the best experiences in life are unplanned. You already know how blown away I was to be approached by one of our intelligence services a few months ago and given access to a real life spy for one of our most fascinating episodes to date, which was not only unplanned but never even considered being such an outlandish impossibility.

But if you told me that would snowball into a four part dedicated espionage and intelligence miniseries, which would include not only two further intelligence officers from an even more secret spy service but also its Director General who then invited me as the first external visitor in the history of that service to record at their top secret training facility in an undisclosed location? I would have absolutely laughed in your face at the sheer impossibility and ridiculousness that it could ever happen… and yet it did… so, here we are…

I could not be more honoured or thrilled to present as our guest this week the actual head of our most secret organisation, Kerri Hartland - the Director General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (or ASIS as we will refer to it). As the first female and first external deputy director general of ASIO and now the first female Director General of ASIS, Kerri is my absolute hero not least because she turned up in head to toe pink with a warmth and openness belying the power of her position and her awe-inspiring experience.

Within the understandable confines of operational secrecy, Kerri opens up about the challenges of a stellar career of “firsts”, her experiences as a powerful female leader in a sea of black and navy clad males, whether her life resembles anything like that of M in James Bond (dropping a few Seize the Yay exclusives), and also the humbling role of Mum that she comes home to also experiencing the ubiquitous “juggle”. I still can’t believe I actually got to pick such an extraordinary brain and share many invaluable lessons on seizing the yay.

We are also releasing a second episode at the same time as this one sharing part of ASIS’ story from a different lens through the eyes of two senior intelligence officers, Jess and Tara - not their real names. So, you have plenty to catch up on this week jam-packed with jaw dropping storytelling and reflections - I feel so lucky to be sharing this with the yayborhood and hope you all enjoy as much as I did!

Visit the new ASIS website here.
Follow the new ASIS Instagram here.

LINKS

+ Announcements on Insta at @spoonful_of_sarah
+ Join our Facebook community here
+ Subscribe to not miss out on the next instalment of YAY!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when your entire identity is built on being the best in the world? For Jana Pittman, one of Australia's most famous athletes, the singular goal of Olympic gold was repeatedly torn away by devastating injuries and gut-wrenching losses.
You might think her biggest pivot was swapping the running track for the bobsled, becoming one of the very few athletes in history to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
But that wasn't it. Her real pivot was walking away entirely from being an elite athlete to become a doctor - all while raising six children.
In this episode of Pivot Club, Sarah Davidson speaks with Jana about this massive career change. They unpack how you cope with failure when your mindset is "silver is the first loser", and how you go from being one of the best in the world to a complete beginner back at the bottom of the ladder, surrounded by people half your age.
Jana shares the unfiltered story about how this profound pivot emerged from a period of intense personal and professional struggle - through divorce, miscarriages, failed exams and the financial lows of moving back into her own garage to make ends meet.
Join us for a raw lesson in resilience, a look into the unseen "messy middle," and a powerful reminder that your lowest moments can be the fuel for your greatest chapter yet.

THE END BITS:
Want more from Sarah Davidson? Check out her podcast Seize The Yay.
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CREDITS:
Guest: Jana Pittman
Host: Sarah Davidson
Executive Producer: Courtney Ammenhauser
Senior Producer: Sally Best
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Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
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