So, this year’s tips for 2025 are snippets from Earning Power and quotes from the wonderful lineup of book interviewees:
Believe in Yourself.
1. Leila McKinnon, ‘In the back of my mind, I thought, “I’m not going to fail. I’m going to work hard and do whatever I can”. I’ve always been good at backing myself and being a little bit bullish’.
2. Let go of seeking approval from others and appreciate your own value.
Hard Work.
3. ‘Don’t be afraid of hard work’ ‘…there is no substitute for it. Nothing is going to land in your lap.’ – Peta Credlin
4. Nagi says of her first job, ‘I worked my guts out from day one.’
5. Leila talks of her first job as a journalist cadet, ‘In the back of my mind, I thought, “I’m not going to fail. I’m going to work hard and do whatever I can.”’
The Power of I Can.
6. Julia Ross had the belief that ‘there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do. I had no perception
or preconditioning that I wouldn’t be able to do something, and I took that with me to the corporate world. From a gender viewpoint, it’s so important as many women are preconditioned to think a certain way.’
7. Fiona Wood, ‘I was brought up with a solid belief you can do anything if you are prepared to work hard enough. And that is what I came to the table with: capacity.’
8. Leila says, ‘I always thought, well, if other people can do it, I can too.’
Empowerment.
9. In the 19th century, education was pursued not to empower daughters but to ensure they married well, to make them better wives and mothers. The goal wasn’t independence but to mould women into being more accomplished and appealing.
10. Empowerment begins with how we see and assert ourselves. Empowerment is not just about being given opportunities—it’s about claiming them with confidence. The next time you’re given an opportunity, don’t just accept it. Embrace it, own it and let the world know you deserve every bit of it.
11. Financial independence empowers and liberates. Financial resources grant us the freedom to choose our own paths in life.
Labelling.
12. ‘You’ve got balls’ – said to a female – this is not a compliment.
13. Let’s drop the ‘working women’ label. We don’t say ‘working men.’
Resilience.
14. ‘The smart money is to invest in your resilience. You can’t predict when you will be under the pump and need it, and you will need it at some point.’ – Fiona Wood
15. ‘Be prepared for rejection—it won’t kill you.’ – Phil Kearns
16. In forming RecipeTin Eats, ‘I worked so hard and ridiculous hours and there were times when I broke down. But you just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going.’ – Nagi Maehashi
17. ‘I am not afraid to shake the tree, I’m not afraid to take a risk, to fall and have to get up again.’ – Peta Credlin
Bias and discrimination.
18. Bias doesn’t operate in a vacuum; it often finds its most damaging expression in the form of discrimination. Biases, whether they arise in a casual conversation or at work, are akin to the undercurrents of a river: they guide the course of our interactions in ways we often overlook.
19. Kristina Karlsson’s, ‘Growing up on a farm in Sweden, I never saw myself as different from a male.’
20. Why can’t we buy our own ring and do the proposing?
Mentoring and Networking.
21. One of the first things Phil Kearns said to me ‘I know the business world is dominated by men, so use us!’ In the nicest possible way, we are there to be used.’
22. ‘Get yourself into a position of seniority so you can employ, sponsor and mentor other
women. Then you can change women’s lives.’ – Julia Ross
23. Women need mentorship and not only women but also men as mentors. Better yet, find a sponsor. Sponsorship makes a dramatic impact on career and earning advancements.
Courage and confidence.
24. Confidence may be intangible, yet its absence has a noticeable heft.
25. ‘Whatever life was going to be for me, I wanted a life of consequence. I wanted to live a brave life.’ – Peta Credlin
I couldn’t help myself, there were just a few more than 25 and I had to share them!
Dreams and passion.
26. Surround yourself by those who are as invested in your dreams as much as you are. Find your passion. The link between passion and achieving success or personal goals cannot be overstated
27. ‘Sometimes, to achieve your dreams, you’ve just got to be brave and take the plunge.’ – Nagi Maehashi
28. Self-doubt is the number one killer of every dream.’ – Kristina Karlsson
Stop the negative narrative.
29. ‘There are plenty of people who say you can’t do things. But you don’t have to listen to them. It’s their frame of reference and judgement. Not yours. Yes, I was told women don’t do surgery, but I choose not to listen’. – Fiona Wood
30. Silence the negative self-talk. The real challenge lies in stopping the internal negotiations that limit your potential.
I hope you enjoyed our 25…ahem, 30 tips, snippets and quotes. I also hope they provided intrigue, a smile and maybe even a laugh. Of course, my desire is that they provoked something inside you to question and wonder if you, too, are reaching your earning power. If you want to find out more, you can purchase your copy of Earning Power here.
It takes every female to decide what they can do in their life to change it. If every female decides what they’re going to do personally to change it, then the world will change rapidly. – Julia Ross
