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During Connie Johnson's very public battle with cancer, her brother Sam was by her side spreading the word about the Love Your Sister campaign.  But there were many more people behind the scenes supporting Connie and building the incredible charity that is Love Your Sister.  Sam invited Mia to Canberra on the day before Connie's funeral, to meet some of the women who were closest to Connie.   In the second part of this Love Your Sister special, Mia speaks to Connie’s best friend and carer, Emma, her older sister Hilde and friend, Lucy. These are the remarkable women behind Connie Johnson.   Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guests Emma Rooke, Hilde Johnson and Lucy Freeman. To support Love Your Sister like them on Facebook or donate here. Connie's public memorial service will be held in Melbourne on Saturday the 23rd at St Paul's Cathedral This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff    CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or

It's been a little over a week since Connie Johnson died of cancer, and her brother Samuel Johnson is ready to talk. How is he coping? Is he okay? After years fundraising for Love Your Sister, what are his plans now? Yesterday, Sunday, Mia Freedman and her producer Elissa Ratliff headed to a house in the Canberra suburbs where Sam and Connie’s inner circle were gathering. They weren’t quite sure what they'd find when they got there, what state everyone would be in, or what the mood would be. But Sam spoke. He was raw - he’s always raw - but as usual, he was also incredibly articulate and passionate and generous. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Samuel Johnson To support Love Your Sister like them on Facebook or donate here. Connie's public memorial service will be held in Melbourne on Saturday the 23rd at St Paul's Cathedral This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff    CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or join the co

Samantha X describes herself as a normal person who does an unconventional job. She’s a 43-year-old business woman, journalist, author, a mother of two primary-school-age kids and she's Australia’s highest paid escort. Her real name is Amanda Goff, and before she was one of the country's most famous sex workers she was a beauty editor at a glossy magazine. So how do you manage two lives? Can you date as a normal person? And what happens when you fall in love with your client? Because that’s what recently happened to Amanda and it’s turned her life upside down. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Samantha X Find Back On Top at apple.co/mamamia This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. Mamamia proudly supports Rize Up CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamia

Annabel Crabb can make anything interesting. Whether she’s making Cory Bernardi seem human or making paella with some obscure backbencher on her hit ABCTV show Kitchen Cabinet, she is one of the most smart and delightful women on the planet. It is no surprise then, that her new show about Parliament House is extremely compelling. Yes, you just read that sentence. From a fight over the kangaroo’s scrotum on the coat of arms, the politician who keeps a fully stocked pantry in their office and even the fact that Annabel wore the same three outfits during the 10 months of filming it took to make this show, she genuinely makes Australia’s most powerful house come to life. You will be riveted - not just by the show, but by hearing her talk about it... Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Annabel Crabb Find The Wife Drought at apple.co/mamamia This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks

Nothing good happens to you after you turn 40. That’s what you think before….you know, you turn 40. Holly Wainwright did quite a lot before 40. She moved to Australia from Manchester, rose through the ranks of celebrity magazines, met her partner and had two kids. But that wasn’t the end. Soon after turning 40, Holly came to work at Mamamia where she embarked on a whole new chapter of her career. And now, she’s just released her first novel called The Mummy Bloggers. It’s the story of three very different women who blog about their lives as mothers and it’s a rollicking good read with loads of social commentary about this very fascinating subculture of women who live their lives all out there in the open…or do they? Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Holly Wainwright Find The Mummy Bloggers at apple.co/mamamia This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, whe

Wellness. Just reading that word makes you feel more healthy. Calmer. More virtuous. That’s why marketers are using the hell out of it, slapping “WELLNESS” on everything from yoga mats to activewear, vitamin supplements. But what does wellness actually mean? At a particularly unhealthy point in her life, journalist Brigid Delaney received an email from her editor about an assignment. Did she want to go on Malcolm Turnbull’s crash diet? It would involve eating nothing for weeks while drinking a concoction of herbs some have compared to bin-juice. Brigid said yes. And decided to write a book about her wellness journey called Wellmania. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Brigid Delaney.  Find Wellmania at apple.co/mamamia This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. CONTACT US Suggest a guest v

When you think of a psychopath, you probably imagine someone like serial killer Ivan Milat. But according to David Gillespie, it's more likely to be your boss or your grandma. Five to 10 per cent of the population qualify as psychopathic, and the rate can be as high as 20 percent among corporate leaders and politicians. So how do you spot them? What do you do if you have to work for or with them, or better yet, date them? Grab a cup of tea and get ready to go ‘OH MY GOD’... Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest David Gillespie.  Find Taming Toxic People: The Science of Identifying and Dealing with Psychopaths at apple.co/mamamia This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or join the conversation on facebook

Last year, George McEncroe had an epiphany. The single mum of four teenagers applied, twice, to be an Uber driver, but something didn't feel right about it. At the same time, her eldest daughter and her friends were walking home from parties because they didn't feel safe in either taxis or ride-share cars.  "I wish there was a female-only ridesharing service," she thought.  So she decided to make one. As you do. And after a few all- night planning sessions, untold amounts of hard work, throwing in her life savings and convincing family and friends to invest in her ambitious lady startup idea - Shebah was born. Over the past twelve months, the former teacher, radio host and comedian has built a business that benefits women in more ways than getting them from A to B. Because smart women with drive can achieve anything. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest George McEncroe.  Download the Shebah app here.  This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of

On the 7th of July, 2012, Kathy Kelly's family changed forever. The mother of three was at home with her husband Ralph when they received a phone call to tell them their 18-year-old son Thomas had been assaulted in Sydney’s Kings Cross just after 10pm. He was the victim of what came to be known as a 'cowards' punch', a random king-hit. Thomas never regained consciousness and two days later, he was dead. The Kelly family tried to make the best out of the horrific hand they had been dealt. But then, last year, the Kellys' youngest son Stuart took his own life. How do you go on after such unimaginable tragedy? And how do you find the courage to try to make a desperate situation better?  If you or a loved one is struggling with mental health, we urge you to contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Kathy Kelly. If you would like to find out more about the Thomas Kelly Youth Foundation click here. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executi

You’re 24, you’re on holidays with your mates in Bali, and you catch a cold. It’s nothing to write home about. Probably just a bug that was going around. But then you get home. And you’ve still got this cold. You can’t shake it. So you go to the doctors, and they tell you you’ve actually got pneumonia. So you take the drugs, and you hope you get better. Four months later, you collapse. You go to the hospital. And you are told that at 24, you have heart failure and that you will need a heart transplant. It sounds like a plot out of a Hollywood film. But for Gold Coast model Bec Craven, it quickly became her reality. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Bec Craven. If you have been inspired by Bec’s story and want to register your organs so that you can help someone else, head to donatelife.gov.au This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of podcasts is Monique Bowley. You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcast

25 years ago Cameron Daddo was the bloke every teenage girl in the 80's wanted to marry. He was the host of dating show Perfect Match, a multiple Logie winner, and he even released an album. Then, he married Dolly cover girl Alison Brahe and moved to America. Which is where things got interesting. Their marriage fell apart. But because this was the early 90s and pre-Internet, Alison and Cameron got to shrug off the mantle of being Australia's golden couple and work out their crap far from the eyes of the public. How they did that is a fascinating story, as is Cameron’s experience of going from a rolled gold Aussie icon and heartthrob to a door to door salesman…..and back again. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Cameron Daddo This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of podcasts is Monique Bowley. You can buy Mia's book, Work Strife Balance, or any book mentioned on our podcasts from iBooks at apple.co/mamamia, where you can also subscribe to all

Obsessive compulsive disorder is one of those things that people often joke about. Like, “You should see her desk at work; she's totally OCD". Or "I eat the same breakfast every day because I'm OCD." Actual OCD is very different. It can derail and even destroy your life. That's very nearly what happened to 23-year-old old model Lily Bailey. Hers manifested as a voice in her head when she was a child. She became convinced that she did horrible things that people noticed; convinced she had killed someone with a thought, and she would spend hours compiling lists of her imagined wrongdoings each day. When she was certain her parents had fallen asleep, the little girl would begin climbing up and down the stairs until her feet ached, or saying a sequence of letters over and over again, or tip toeing into her sister’s room to lay her ear against her sister’s chest to listen for her heartbeat. Lily concealed it all from her parents, and her friends until she couldn't anymore. Lily wants to help others who have OC

Debbie Malone says she 'saw dead people' as a child but found a way to shut them out. Then, after experiencing six near-death experiences in 1992, she began to reconnect to the spirit world and decided to put her visions to use. Now she works with the police as a psychic medium who can be used to pick up information that may provide new lines of inquiry in an unsolved crime... Whether you're a believer or a sceptic, Mia's conversation with Debbie is fascinating and strange.  Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Debbie Malone Debbie Malone is the author of Clues from Beyond: True crime stories from Australia’s #1 Psychic detective (Rockpool Publishing $29.99), now available at all good book stores and apple.co/mamamia, and this is where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of podcasts is Monique Bowley CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts

If you’re a woman of a certain age, the name Alison Brahe will make you squeal. Or at least step back in time to the 80's and 90's when she was on the cover of Dolly. And Cleo. And Cosmo. And then she married Australia’s most eligible bachelor, Cameron Daddo, who was the host of the dating show, Perfect Match. They were the Brad and Jen of Australia; the golden couple of their time. Now, after 25 years out of the country, and the spotlight - Alison is back home with her family. She sat down with Mia to talk about how modelling harmed her self esteem, what happened when her marriage to Cameron broke down for a year and what she plans on doing now she is home.  Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Alison Brahe Daddo. Buy any books mentioned in our podcast at ibooks at apple.co/mamamia, and this is where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of podcasts is Monique Bowley CONTACT US Sugg

Tina Arena was the child star who could. From her days as a 9-year-old on Young Talent Time, she matured into one of Australia's most successful singer/songwriters. Now, 40 years after she first appeared on TV, 'Tiny Tina' reflects on the sacrifices she made. From working 6 days a week, 52 weeks of the year during her Young Talent Time tenure, to making it big in Europe after realising Chains, the 49-year-old is philosophical about the journey that made her.   With an attitude to life that will surprise and delight, Tina Arena talks marriage, the music industry and menopause, and proves why she is such an enduring Australian success story. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guest Tina Arena.  See all Tina's Tour dates here: http://www.tinaarena.com/tours/ And buy Tina's book Now I Can Dance  from ibooks at apple.co/mamamia, and this is where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  The Executive Producer of podca

Pregnancy has never been easy for Sally Obermeder. In 2011, with the help of IVF, she fell pregnant. Nine months later she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She gave birth to baby Annabelle and then underwent 16 rounds of chemotherapy and two mastectomies, all while raising a newborn. After getting the all clear, Sally knew she wanted another child. The only problem was she couldn't have one. So with just four embryos she turned to surrogacy. In this interview, Sally is extremely open about the struggles that she’s had and how it was all worth it when her second daughter Elyssa came into the world. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to special guests Sally Obermeder. Find her frozen smoothie packs in Coles and Woolworths You can buy Sally’s books, from ibooks at apple.co/mamamia, and this is where you can also subscribe to all our other shows in one place. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff  CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or jo

Best-selling author, college professor and writer Roxane Gay's new book Hunger is not one of those happy tales that has a beaming photo of her on the cover, standing in one giant leg of her old pants. As she explains to Mia in this interview, it's also not just a story about obesity. It’s an extraordinary look at the trauma that triggered her to very deliberately gain weight. ‘Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body' by Roxane Gay is published by Hachette Australia on 13 June’ Available via Booktopia  Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to Roxane Gay Head to apple.co/mamamia to find a copy of Mia's book Work Strife Balance and Roxane's book Hunger This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or join the conversation on facebook This show is part of the Mamamia Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Maggie Alderson is a lot of things. She’s a former fashion magazine editor, mother-of-one, cancer survivor, and columnist. She’s stood behind Anna Wintour in the queue for the toilets at Fashion week in Milan. Written ten novels. And given some of the best fashion advice, Australia has ever seen. But Maggie Alderson is so much more than fashion and fiction. She opens up about being invisible when you hit 40, her worries about having an only child, and why she will never get botox. Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to Maggie Alderson Head to apple.co/mamamia to find a copy of Mia's book Work Strife Balance and Maggie's latest novel The Scent of You. This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or join the conversation on facebook This show is part of the Mamamia Podcast Network See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is a bit different. Instead of asking the inappropriate questions, Mia Freedman is answering them. Yep, she's in the hot seat. Sitting across from one of the world’s most formidable interviewers and journalists, Leigh Sales, talking about her new book Work Strife Balance. And, it's pretty epic. This was recorded in front of 300 people, and unlike most of her interviews, you’ll see a very different side of Leigh - she’s hilarious, warm, loves a laugh, sometimes gets teary and is a true woman’s woman. Listening to this interview you’ll get the sense of what it’s like to be friends with her. You'll also hear some of Mia's tips from Work Strife Balance.  Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to Leigh Sales Head to apple.co/mamamia to find a copy of Mia's book Work Strife Balance.  This podcast was produced by Elissa Ratliff CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@mamamia.com.au tweet us @mamamiapodcasts or join the conversation on facebook This show is part of the Mamamia Podcas

There are many assumptions made about Muslim women. That they are oppressed. Repressed. Distressed.  Depressed. Victims of a religion that persecutes them. That there is no way you can be a Muslim and a feminist. Susan Carland disagrees.  A devout Muslim woman, she converted from Christianity when she was a teenager.  Now an academic, she has been fighting assumptions ever since. In her book Fighting Hislam - Women, Faith and Sexism, she argues that there are Muslim women who are fighting for gender equality inside their faith and that being Muslim and a feminist are not mutually exclusive. This interview explores the difference between culture and religion, why Muslims aren't a monolith, and why Islam and feminism can - despite popular opinion - co-exist.  Show Notes Your host is Mia Freedman. With thanks to Susan Carland Her book is Fighting Hislam; Women, Faith and Sexism. Published by Melbourne University Press This podcast was produced by Monique Bowley CONTACT US Suggest a guest via: podcast@m