This conversation is for two kinds of people:

The ones who love a little woo-woo deep dive but quietly use it to avoid reality aaaand the ones who don’t believe in any of it — astrology, energy, manifestation — and honestly just think it’s all a bit much.

In this episode, I’m joined by Linda Willow Roberts for a grounded, practical conversation about how tools like astrology, Human Design, Lunar cycles and energy work are meant to be used — not as answers, not as excuses, and not as something to outsource your thinking to.

We use the lead-up to Lunar New Year and the Fire Horse year as a real example of this:

how collective narratives, energetic cycles, and “this is what this year means” language can either become insight… or a very neat way to avoid taking responsibility for your own choices.

We talk about:

• Why “the universe” isn’t responsible for your decisions

• When spiritual modalities become bypasses instead of mirrors

• How scepticism can actually be an asset, not a limitation

• Using systems as reference points, not rulebooks

• Integrity, self-analysis, and personal responsibility as the real work

• Why insight without action changes nothing

• Living deliberately instead of reacting — whether you believe in energy or not

This isn’t about believing harder.

Just a conversation about how humans use frameworks — spiritual or otherwise — to understand themselves better, make cleaner decisions, and stop repeating the same patterns under different labels.

https://lindawillowroberts.com.au/

https://www.facebook.com/Willowswayoflife

2026: The Year of the Villain

Let’s get one thing straight: this is not about being a dickhead.

It’s about being done contorting yourself to keep everyone else comfortable.

In this episode, Mel introduces 2026: The Year of the Villain and the five commandments that will probably offend your inner people-pleaser and quietly liberate the part of you that’s been exhausted from over-explaining, over-analysing and over-managing everyone else’s feelings.

At some point in your life, you will be the villain in someone else’s story.

Not because you’re cruel.

But because you chose yourself.

We unpack:

• Why you can’t control how people see or receive you (no matter how “nice” you are)

• Why analysing, understanding, and labelling doesn’t actually change the situation

• How anticipating other people’s reactions disconnects you from your own direction

• The difference between being a villain and being a dickhead (important)

• And why the villain isn’t a punishment, it’s feedback

This episode is for those who are tired of ducking, weaving, scripting conversations in their head, and shrinking their truth to keep the peace.

Because villains don’t destroy stories.

They shape the hero.

🎧 Prefer to read? The companion Substack article is linked here.

00:00 Welcome to the Her Advantage Podcast

00:44 Introducing '2026 Year of the Villain'

01:06 Foundational Concepts for the Next 12 Months

02:16 Embracing the Villain Energy

05:42 The Difference Between a Villain and a Dickhead

06:49 Commandment 1: You Cannot Control How Others See You

10:14 Commandment 2: Analyzing Doesn't Change the Situation

12:56 Commandment 3: Understanding Why Doesn't Make It Easier

17:42 Commandment 4: Anticipating Their Next Move

20:59 Commandment 5: You Don't Get to Call Someone Else the Villain

26:01 The Villain Shapes the Hero

26:59 Final Thoughts: Embracing Both Sides of Yourself

At some point, the work, the identity or the path we’ve invested everything into stops feeling true. That’s the moment we whisper, “this isn’t it.”

For Dr. Olivier, that moment came after a lifetime in science, from a microscope at eight years old to a PhD in molecular genetics until the lab no longer gave him meaning. In this conversation, we explore what happens when you leave convenience behind to follow curiosity into the unknown.

We go deep. We talk about the bridge between science and spirituality, the gaps that shape our deepest values and how documenting your life becomes the ultimate act of self-leadership. This isn’t just a story of leaving a career; it’s about the courage to be honest with yourself, to own every side of who you are, and to choose the life that finally feels like it.

00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome 01:04 Diving into Molecular Genetics 01:24 The Impact of Environment on Genetics 04:23 Journey from Science to Spirituality 07:27 The Intersection of Science and Spirituality 20:40 Transition to Coaching and Personal Development 29:20 Exploring Mindset and Personal Growth 42:31 The Value of Adversity and Voids 45:56 Creating Change: Assessing True Desires 46:52 Understanding Injected Values 48:25 Linking Activities to Values 52:41 Overcoming Emotional Blocks 56:11 Developing Clear Strategies 56:53 Embracing Flexibility in Planning 58:34 Introduction to Human Design 01:02:21 Exploring Human Design Layers 01:05:43 The Value of Human Design 01:18:28 Integrating Multiple Modalities 01:21:17 The Beauty of Diversity and Unity 01:29:28 Book Recommendations and Final Thoughts

At ten years old, Shil Shanghavi was punched in the face because he couldn’t say his own name. That moment could have silenced him forever but instead, it sparked a lifelong journey in finding his voice.

In this moving conversation with Shil, he reveals how stuttering shaped his resilience, why “good” is forgettable, and the brutal lessons he learned from humiliation, rejection, and failure on stage. We unpack the micro-stories that build connection, the courage to call out uncomfortable truths, and the reinvention that turns pain into purpose.

If you’ve ever believed your story isn’t worth telling or felt life hitting harder than you can take... this episode will show you what it means to turn punches into purpose.

60 second story challenge - HERE 5 worst presentations - HERE Find Shil on the gram - HERE

In this episode of This Isn’t It, I sit down with strength coach and podcast host Amy Bowe to talk about why women stay stuck despite doing “all the right things.”

Amy shares why effort isn’t the issue — “women are strong, they’re capable, they’ve built amazing careers and families… but their physiology isn’t strong enough to hold the vision.”

We dive into what she calls an elegant strategy — “simple, efficient and effective” — built on four essentials: energy, systems, time, and a table of support.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’m doing the things, but it’s still not working,” this conversation will give you a new lens (and a new strategy) for building the body and life you actually want.

👉 Follow Amy on Instagram 👉 Learn more at Warrior School

⚠️ Trigger warning: we talk about suicidal thoughts in this episode.

This conversation with emotional intelligence coach Narita Bint goes deep into the messy middle between knowing “this isn’t it” and actually creating the life you want.

She shares her story of battling depression and suicidal ideation while on the surface had a successful business and relationship.. and how learning to sit with her emotions changed everything.

We talk about why so many women still feel stuck in business and their relationships even when they’re doing all the “right” things, the five emotions that quietly run the show, and why receiving — in relationships, money, or success — is one of the hardest (but most powerful) skills to learn.

If you’ve been pushing through, building, achieving, but still wondering why it doesn’t feel the way you thought it would… this one’s for you.

https://www.neridabint.com/master-course Code: PODCAST

https://www.instagram.com/neridabint/

The podcast for the moments when the life you’ve built stops making sense.

We’ve all hit that point — life that looks good on paper but feels hollow, the relationship that’s “fine” but quietly breaking you, the version of success that leaves you empty. This Isn’t It is where we go when pretending doesn’t work anymore. Honest conversations, sharp questions, and the unfiltered stories behind the moment everything changes.

We're back baby!

It was an absolute intentional decision to hit pause on the pod.

2025 has been HUGE and we're only 4 months in.

This pod is a little place setter, life update & naturally.. a little moment of reflection on what comes from prioritising personal goals.

PLUS I want to introduce you to a piece of writing that I hope you'll find as moving as it did me.

As always, let me know your take away.

It's good to be back x

Tune in to hear Mel's introspective journey and thoughts on living a connected and grounded life.

00:00 Introduction to Her Advantage Podcast 00:23 Life Updates and Prioritizing 03:40 The Radiant Symposium Experience 06:10 A Weekend of Solitude and Reflection 10:52 Finding Clarity and Certainty 14:29 Journal Entry and Final Thoughts