The Balance Theory

From making just $300 a day in her early bakery days to raising $25 million in venture capital and expanding from local to global, this growth story is extraordinary. But this conversation isn’t just about numbers.

It’s about what happens when success comes fast.

In this episode of The Balance Theory, I’m joined by Brooki, founder of Brooki Bakehouse, for her first ever podcast interview.

We talk about the identity work that needs to happen before growth, the trade-offs that come with scaling a business publicly, and how to build something big without losing who you are. Because success doesn’t build your character, it reveals it.

In this episode, we unpack:
* How Brooki went from $300 days to raising $25M+
* The single decision that changed the trajectory of her business
* What it really felt like when everything started snowballing
* The reality of building a brand in public
* How she handles scrutiny and criticism
* The trade-offs of growing a global business while raising young children
* Why becoming a mum became her superpower, not a setback
* How to grow without losing yourself
* Why you need to build yourself before you build success

If you’re ambitious, building something, navigating change, or stepping into a new level of life, this episode will shift how you think about growth.

Because the real question isn’t how to succeed.
It’s who you become along the way.

Subscribe for more conversations on ambition, mindset, identity and building a life that feels aligned.

#Brooki #FemaleFounder #EntrepreneurMindset #VentureCapital #WomenInBusiness #PersonalGrowth #TheBalanceTheory #StartupJourney #WorkingMum #BuildingInPublic

LINKS

💆‍♀️ ⁠COZY EARTH⁠ - Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off ⁠HERE⁠ (I’m currently loving their comforters to enhance deep sleep)!

💧 AQUATRU Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off at https://www.aquatru.com

📸 I⁠⁠nstagram⁠⁠

TIME STAMPS
(01:54) Introduction
(07:15) How I Got To Know Myself
(16:19) What Made You Start Your First Bakery?
(23:27) How Did You Meet your Husband?
(26:31) When did you Realise It Was going to be Bigger than a Local Bakery?
(30:14) This Single Decision Shaped the Trajectory of My Business
(32:17) What Was your Dream When You Opened The Bakery?
(37:12) What Did You Struggle With Behind the Veil of Success?
(43:54) The Reality of Being a Working Mum
(55:50) Trade Offs You Have To Make in Life
(1:00:57) How do You Stay Confident When Your Integrity Is Questioned Publicly?
(01:09:28) Securing $25 Million in VC Funding
(01:15:19) What Has Been the Biggest Shift For You Being Local to Global

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠⁠

▶︎ ⁠⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠

📱⁠⁠Tiktok⁠⁠

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - ⁠⁠Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

What if the reason positive thinking hasn’t worked for you… isn’t because you’re doing it wrong, but because no one ever showed you how your mind actually listens?

In this episode, I’m joined by the incredible Marisa Peer, and we go far beyond motivation or feel-good affirmations. This is a practical, step-by-step breakdown of how the words you use, especially the ones you say to yourself, directly shape your self-worth, confidence, and the reality you experience.

We talk about why so many people know what they should think, yet still feel stuck… why saying “I’m trying” quietly reinforces failure… and how subtle language patterns can either work with your brain or cause it to push back entirely.

If you’ve ever:
* Felt like you’re “doing the work” but nothing is changing
* Struggled with feeling not enough, even when life looks good on paper
* Tried affirmations that felt fake or forced
* Wondered whether you can really have it all, career, health, relationships, fulfilment
…this conversation will land.

Marisa shares the exact phrases, sentence structures, and mindset shifts that actually create change, including one powerful sentence you can start using today to rebuild self-worth and self-trust.

This is an episode you may want to listen to twice, not because it’s complex, but because it’s precise.

LINKS

💆‍♀️ COZY EARTH - Use code “ERIKA” to get 20% off HERE (I’m currently loving their comforters to enhance deep sleep)!

📸 I⁠nstagram⁠

Marisa Peer's I am Enough Book - ⁠https://marisapeer.com/marisa-peer-books/⁠

Marisa Peer's Free Gifts - ⁠https://marisapeer.com/free-gifts/⁠

TIME STAMPS

(03:17) Can we have it all?
(06:21) Did you always believe you could have it all?
(10:26) How do we actually use our thinking to change our reality
(12:25) Surviving Cancer
(14:02) Crafting your phrases for success
(17:34) How to like yourself more
(24:13) Are you making someone else’s story, yours?
(27:07) Tools for kids to instil skills
(27:15) Is work-life balance a myth?
(35:24) Is AI being used as therapy a bad thing?
(39:51) Start saying this one sentence to yourself TODAY

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 ⁠Connect with me on IG!⁠

RESOURCES

▶︎⁠ 25 Day Self Development Marathon⁠

▶︎ ⁠21 Day Self Growth Challenge⁠

▶︎ ⁠Goal Setting System E-Book⁠

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 ⁠Instagram⁠

📱⁠Tiktok⁠

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - ⁠Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

In this episode, we explore what self-respect actually means, beyond confidence, beyond success, beyond applause.

For years, today’s guest chased respect externally, having thoughts like:
If you liked me, I liked me. If you approved, I felt safe.

But as she shares, that way of living slowly disconnects you from yourself. I’m joined by Dr Katherine Iscoe to unpack:

• Why people-pleasing is often rooted in the “fawn” trauma response

• How you might be subtly trading yourself away in everyday moments

• The restaurant “steak” example that reveals more than you think

• How to audit your calendar to see if you truly respect yourself

• Why boundaries aren’t just with other people, they’re with yourself

• How overthinking steals years of your life

• The difference between chasing happiness and building self-respect

• What it actually looks like to make decisions from self-respect

Self-respect isn’t loud.It isn’t aggressive.It isn’t about becoming selfish.

It’s about choosing yourself in small, daily ways, even when it feels uncomfortable.

Because the truth is, confidence might get you in the room... but self-respect is what keeps you standing tall.

If you’ve ever felt like:
* You say yes too often
* You overthink simple decisions
* You care more about others’ opinions than your own
* You don’t feel fully like yourself anymore

This episode is for you.

The life you want doesn’t start with more discipline. It starts with self-respect.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST

📸 Instagram

Dr Katherine Iscoe's book - https://www.drkatherine.com/self-respect-playbook

Dr Katherine Iscoe Website - https://www.drkatherine.com

TIME STAMPS

(01:50) Introduction
(05:40) Taking back ownership over your life
(09:29) Obvious Ways you are trading yourself away
(14:43) First time you felt proud of yourself
(17:37) Self Respect Zones
(21:49) Does your calendar show you respect yourself?
(25:58) Top Skills for Mastering your Self Respect
(29:11) Advice for people to move into self respect
(31:57) Resilience vs Abandon ship
(36:25) Leaving CEO Role
(39:27) How do I make decisions with self respect?
(44:19) Why do we lose momentum?
(49:17) Define Self Respect

WHO AM I?

My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 Connect with me on IG!

RESOURCES

▶︎ 25 Day Self Development Marathon

▶︎ 21 Day Self Growth Challenge

▶︎ Goal Setting System E-Book

LET’S BE FRIENDS

📸 Instagram

📱Tiktok

MY FAVOURITE STUFF

💻 Email & Calendar tool - Sunsama for 1 Month free trial

If you’re serious about podcast growth and creator growth, this episode will change how you think about building content that actually scales.

In this behind-the-scenes conversation, I sit down with Grace Miller, Head of Experimentation & Failure at The Diary of a CEO, to unpack how one of the world’s biggest podcasts thinks about growth, testing, and long-term success.

We go inside how elite creators experiment and how small, intentional decisions compound into massive audience growth. From YouTube analytics and thumbnail testing to failing fast without losing confidence, this episode is a masterclass for anyone building a podcast, YouTube channel, or personal brand in 2026 and beyond.

You’ll learn:


• How the world’s biggest podcasts approach growth and experimentation


• What actually matters in the YouTube backend for podcast growth
• How to test thumbnails, titles, and formats 


• How to build momentum through experimentation


• How to fail fast, learn faster, and grow with clarity


• Practical creator growth strategies you can implement immediately

This episode isn’t about hacks or virality. It’s about systems, curiosity, and sustainable growth, the foundations behind long-term success as a creator.

Whether you’re a podcaster, YouTuber, or creative entrepreneur, this conversation will help you stop guessing and start growing with intention.

CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST
📸 Instagram

Time Stamps

(00:00) Introduction

(01:20) How did you become Head of Experimentation for Steven Bartlett & Diary of a CEO?

(07:03) What does a typical day in DOAC office look like?

(10:54) Who should podcasters hire?

(16:59) Exactly what to look at in the YouTube backend

(19:00) Thumbnail testing strategy

(20:13) How do you Experiment at DOAC?

(25:30) How do you fail fast?

(27:22) Two things to test on each platform: YT, IG and Spotify

(30:10) How do we experiment in our own personal lives?

(34:19) Practical experiment for personal life to start TODAY

(38:14) Most uncomfortable thing you’re doing this year?

(40:48) Are podcasts over saturated?

WHO AM I?
My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel!

📸 Connect with me on IG!

RESOURCES
▶︎ My FREE Work Life Balance Workshop
▶︎ 25 Day Self Development Marathon
▶︎ 21 Day Self Growth Challenge
▶︎ Goal Setting System E-Book

LET’S BE FRIENDS
⭐ Substack
📸 Instagram
📱Tiktok
🌍 My website

🧡 This description may contain affiliate links that allow you to find the items mentioned in this video and support the channel at no cost to you. Thank you for your support!

Today, we break down the science of confidence, why self-doubt isn’t always the enemy, and how understanding your specific doubt pattern can unlock lasting self-trust, without becoming someone you’re not.
In this conversation, I’m joined by Dr Shadé Zahrai, behavioural researcher, award-winning peak performance educator, and one of the leading voices on confidence, self-image, and self-doubt.
This is not about hype or surface-level confidence. It’s about rewiring how you see yourself.
✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode
* Why confidence is trainable, not fixed
* The role self-doubt actually plays in growth and performance
* The 4 Self-Doubt Types and how they show up in behaviour
* How to diagnose your own self-doubt profile (including mine, live)
* The everyday habit that quietly erodes confidence
* How posture, environment, and physicality shape self-belief
* How to tell the difference between useful self-doubt and self-sabotage
* Why your self-image is the blueprint for your entire life
* Practical tools to build confidence in real time
* How to set boundaries with negative people without losing yourself
When you change how you see yourself, your behaviour follows.
Confidence isn’t something you chase, it’s something you build.
CONNECT WITH OUR GUEST
📸 Instagram
Link to free quiz online
Link to BIG TRUST
TIME STAMPS
(01:43) Introduction / Background
(12:06) What is the role of self-doubt?
(17:26) Self Doubt Profiles
(25:48) Diagnosing Erika’s doubt profile
(30:22) Tools for improving self doubt
(47:49) This everyday habit is ruining your confidence
(53:28) Do you need to change your environment to achieve?
(57:53) Setting boundaries for loved ones who are negative
WHO AM I?
My name is Erika and I am an Australian living in Dubai. I have my own business as a strategic legal consultant and run this podcast to explore my passion + curiosity for all things health, wellness, self growth & mindset. A big focus of mine is how to sustainably navigate a busy schedule and live my best life in the process. Welcome to my Channel! 📸 Connect with me on IG!
RESOURCES
▶︎ 25 Day Self Development Marathon
▶︎ 21 Day Self Growth Challenge
▶︎ Goal Setting System E-Book
LET’S BE FRIENDS
📸 Instagram
📱Tiktok
MY FAVOURITE STUFF
💻 Email & Calendar tool - Sunsama for 1 Month free trial
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