52: Brenda Keane on Life After… Backing Yourself: Body confidence, starting a business at 57 & challenging beauty standards

57: Kristi McVee on Life After… Policing: Child abuse investigations, PTSD & protecting children online

What would you do if your child told you, "You're not the mum I remember"? Content warning: This conversation is confronting, emotional and, at times, difficult to hear. We discuss child sexual abuse, online exploitation, grooming, and the challenges families face when navigating these issues. Today I'm joined by Kristi McVee. Kristi is a former Detective Senior Constable, specialist child interviewer, and straight-talking child abuse prevention educator who doesn't sugar-coat the truth. During her decade in the West Australian Police Force, Kristi investigated child sexual abuse, interviewed vulnerable children, managed child sex offenders, and witnessed the devastating cost of silence, shame, and systems that fail. But after years of witnessing the impact of abuse, navigating broken systems, and carrying the emotional weight of the work, Kristi reached a point where something had to change. When her daughter told her, "You're not the mum I remember," Kristi made the difficult decision to leave policing and begin the long journey of recovering from PTSD. Since leaving the police in 2020, Kristi has become a sought-after keynote speaker, bestselling author of Operation KidSafe, and a leading voice in protective parenting education. Today, she helps parents, caregivers, and communities better understand the realities of child abuse and how to keep children safe, both online and offline. In this episode, we chat about: * Kristi's journey from young mum to detective and specialist child interviewer * The emotional toll of investigating child sexual abuse and living with PTSD * Why broken systems and a lack of support can impact frontline workers * The warning signs of child grooming and predatory behaviour * The growing risks children face online through social media, AI, sextortion, and image-based abuse * How parents can better protect children in a rapidly changing digital world * Why delaying access to social media can benefit children's development * The importance of having honest, age-appropriate conversations about safety with children While the topics in this episode can be confronting, Kristi shares practical knowledge, hard-earned insights, and the conversations every parent, caregiver, and trusted adult needs to be having. Because protecting children starts with understanding the risks, recognising the warning signs, and being willing to have the conversations that many of us never had growing up.   Connect with Kristi: Instagram: @kristimcvee [https://www.instagram.com/kristimcvee?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==] Facebook: @kristimcvee [https://www.facebook.com/kristimcvee] TikTok: @tiktokcop81 [https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktokcop81] YouTube: @kristimcvee81 [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFYjaqjWl8D30b3K40UcgDw] Website: https://www.kristimcvee.com [https://www.kristimcvee.com/] Podcast: https://www.kristimcvee.com/podcast [https://www.kristimcvee.com/podcasts/conversations-with-kristi] Resources & Courses: https://www.kristimcvee.com [https://www.kristimcvee.com/free-resources]   Support the show: Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast] - I would love to hear from you. New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

56: Life After… NOT Giving a TEDx Talk: Failure, fear & redefining success on my own terms

What if the thing you didn’t get was actually redirecting you toward something even more aligned? In today’s solo episode, I’m reflecting on something I genuinely didn’t expect to feel grateful for: not being selected for a recent TEDx opportunity. For years, standing on a TEDx stage felt like the pinnacle. The dream. The thing that would finally prove I’d “made it” as a speaker. But after attending a TEDx event shortly after receiving the rejection, I realised something surprising: The talk I had pitched wasn’t actually the message I wanted to share with the world. This episode is an honest reflection on validation, ambition, fear, failure, identity, and the pressure to chase goals simply because we think we should. I also share why I believe failure is one of the most important parts of growth, and how this experience helped me reconnect with what truly matters: the Life After I Left community, storytelling, vulnerability, and creating spaces where women feel seen, heard, and empowered. In this episode, I chat about: * Reflecting on our recent sold-out Life After I Left live event in Melbourne * Why I felt relief (not devastation) after not being chosen for TEDx * The pressure of external validation and tying success to big milestones * How rejection can reveal what you actually want * The difference between chasing a dream and chasing alignment * Why failure and “nos” are often part of finding your real path * Building Life After I Left into a movement, including live events, a future anthology, and a national tour * The fear-driven business I’m currently creating and why fear can become fuel for transformation * Letting go of the idea that success is one specific stage, title, or achievement This episode is a reminder that sometimes the closed doors are protecting you from stepping into something that isn’t fully aligned yet. And that your worth, voice, and impact do not depend on someone else choosing you. Sometimes the real work is choosing yourself first. Connect with Cat: Join my mailing list to be the first to know about the future of Life After I Left - and to get involved! https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list [https://catlouisedunn.myflodesk.com/mailing-list] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/] Big thanks to Simone Vanden-Driesen, our Headliner Sponsor for our live Life After I Left event on 28 May: https://www.leishmans.com.au/ [https://www.leishmans.com.au/]

55: Sally Jayne Eastland on Life After… Psychological Abuse: Leaving a narcissist, spiritual awakening & starting over in Spain

How do you rebuild your life when you’ve been conditioned to believe you can’t survive on your own? Today I’m joined by Sally Jayne Eastland. Sally moved to Spain with her husband of almost 20 years in 2020, believing they were starting a new chapter together. But while living in the mountains of Almería, she began experiencing what she describes as divine signs and synchronicities that forced her to realise there was something seriously wrong within her marriage. After confiding in a trusted friend who specialised in domestic abuse, Sally was told she had been experiencing long-term psychological and narcissistic abuse. In her mid-50s, in a foreign country where she barely spoke the language, Sally made the life-changing decision to leave with no job, no home, and no clear plan for what came next. In this episode, we chat about: * Recognising the signs of narcissistic abuse and coercive control * The role intuition, spirituality, and synchronicities played in Sally’s decision to leave * Starting over after abuse with no income, home, or support system * The fear of leaving abusive relationships and being conditioned to believe you can’t survive on your own * Life as an expat in Spain and finding community in unexpected places * Spiritual healing, Reiki, sound therapy, and returning to your authentic self * Why healing often involves reconnecting with the inner child * Learning to trust yourself, your instincts, and your own path again This episode is a reminder that it is never too late to leave, rebuild, and create a life that feels safe, aligned, and true to who you are. Sally’s story speaks to the courage it takes to start over and the possibility that exists on the other side of survival. Connect with Sally: Sally’s book - Silent Abuse: A Spiritual Journey to Freedom. It is available in most countries on Amazon. https://mybook.to/rDBs [https://mybook.to/rDBs] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-eastland-65034b28/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-eastland-65034b28/] Email: sallyeastland@icloud.com [sallyeastland@icloud.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallyj0101/ [https://www.instagram.com/sallyj0101/] Support the show: Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast] - I would love to hear from you. New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

54: Danikah Rose on Life After… Listening To Your Soul: Self-trust, alignment and a soul-led business

Note: There are brief mentions of domestic violence and suicide. Please take care when listening or skip this episode if this feels triggering. What happens when you stop abandoning yourself and start trusting what you already know? Today I’m joined by Danikah Rose. Danikah is a lifelong psychic and light language channel with over 17 years of experience in business management, sales, and marketing, bringing together strategy and intuition in a grounded, practical way. She works with women worldwide, supporting them to grow and scale their businesses through what she describes as energetic alignment and business intuition. She is also a mother of five. But Danikah’s story is about far more than business. In this conversation, she shares her journey through motherhood, toxic relationships, identity loss, and radical self-honesty, and the turning point that led her to rebuild her life and business. In this episode, we chat about: * Moving from survival mode into self-trust and clarity * Danikah’s thoughts on “misalignment” and why she believes you're always on your divine path * How her psychic abilities have shown up throughout her life, including a moment in her early 20s where she uncovered internal theft in a business she worked for * Why intuition is often suppressed * How Danikah reads the energetic blueprint of a business to guide messaging, pricing, offers, and strategic direction by blending intuition with practical strategy * Fear, motivation, and what drives real change * Why "quiet" is often the gateway to clarity If you’re in a season of questioning, rebuilding, or learning to trust yourself again, this episode is a reminder that clarity doesn’t usually come from more noise, but from learning to listen inward. Connect with Danikah: Links: https://www.danikahrosecreative.com/link-in-bio [https://www.danikahrosecreative.com/link-in-bio]  Website: www.danikahrosecreative.com [http://www.danikahrosecreative.com] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danikahrosecreative/ [https://www.instagram.com/danikahrosecreative/] Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/strategyandsoulbusinessgroup [http://www.facebook.com/groups/strategyandsoulbusinessgroup] YouTube: Strategy and Soul PODCAST - Introduction - YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abg1ovVNxys&list=PL5Nb1ou3AXzHB3ttv1QQKY6TeOMsdSrvP&index=1]   Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/strategyandsoul [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/strategyandsoul]  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/strategy-and-soul-with-danikah-rose-creative/id1669405584 [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/strategy-and-soul-with-danikah-rose-creative/id1669405584]    Life After I Left: Podcast Party tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-podcast-party-tickets-1982055720014 [https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-podcast-party-tickets-1982055720014?aff=oddtdtcreator] Support the show: Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast] - I would love to hear from you. New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.

53: Life After… One Year of the Podcast: Reflecting on storytelling, healing, community, and what’s next

One year ago, I launched the Life After I Left podcast. A space for women to share the stories they had spent years hiding. A space to break the silence. And now? 53 episodes, 39 guests, listeners in 45 countries, 6 live events, and a community that continues to grow in ways I never imagined. It’s just me here today, reflecting on the first year of the podcast, the journey that led me here, and the powerful impact storytelling can have when women feel safe enough to share their truth. I talk about why I created Life After I Left after surviving domestic violence relationships, how storytelling helped save my own life, and why I believe sharing our experiences can create connection, healing, and change. I also share some podcast and event milestones, reflect on the stories that have deeply impacted others, and give a glimpse of what’s coming next, including an international event, a national tour, a book anthology, and building a brand new business to help women move through fear and change their lives. In this episode, I chat about: * Celebrating one year of the Life After I Left podcast * The impact of sharing vulnerable, real-life stories, and how safe spaces can change lives * Podcast and event milestones from the past year * The top episodes and themes listeners connected with most * Using fear as a catalyst for growth and transformation * The future of Life After I Left, including an overseas event, a book anthology, a national tour, and more! Thank you for being here, for listening, and for holding space for these stories. Thank you for sharing episodes, attending events, sending messages, and helping this community grow. And remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable. Episodes mentioned: 40: Adrienne Donnelly on Life After... Rebuilding my Identity [https://open.spotify.com/episode/5ZDHVwus8G7qFALJpvlwau] 47: Marina Garbuio on Life After... Coercive Control [https://open.spotify.com/episode/0C7dD7DetLpbCbOAS7J2kh] 15: Sophie Spencer on Life After... Being Safe in My Own body [https://open.spotify.com/episode/79FbbvZR7SNjA47ZMrmkC1] 23: Irene Jones on Life After... Loss [https://open.spotify.com/episode/267AeKL4MzPDjBLWlNMnWo] 29: Annelise McCarthy on Life After... Finding her Voice [https://open.spotify.com/episode/1JzCJV2gW9f9zGiTDdTchc] Connect with Cat: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/ [https://www.instagram.com/catlouisedunn/] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catlouisedunn/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn/ [https://www.facebook.com/catlouisedunn/] Life After I Left: Podcast Party early bird tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-podcast-party-tickets-1982055720014 [https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/life-after-i-left-podcast-party-tickets-1982055720014?aff=oddtdtcreator] Support the show: Got a topic idea or would love to share your story on the podcast? Connect with me on Instagram @lifeafterileftpodcast [https://www.instagram.com/lifeafterileftpodcast] - I would love to hear from you. New episodes drop every Thursday. Make sure you’re subscribed, so you never miss a story that could change your life (or someone else's). And we’d love a 5-star review to help these stories reach the women who need them most. ❤️ Remember: Don’t be silent. Be unstoppable.