How much money should you save each week? Is there such a thing as good debt? Where does super actually go? When it comes to money, it’s very easy to avoid talking about it. This is where What The Finance comes in, Mamamia’s new podcast all about money. Over eight weeks, join financial expert and author Melissa Browne as she helps actress and activist Pallavi Sharda, and you at home, get good with money.
SUMMER LISTENING: How To Work Your Way Up (And Actually Get There)
This summer we’re curating your What The Finance playlist, filling it with unmissable episodes of BIZ the podcast that gets your work life sorted. Enjoy!
Working your way up isn't just about putting in more hours or waiting your turn. It's about being strategic, being visible, and knowing how to navigate the messy middle - like relationships, timing, and office politics. This week, we're giving you the exact playbook to stop waiting around for someone to tell you that you're ready for a promotion and how to actually make it happen instead.
We dig into how to know if you're actually ready to move up (spoiler: time in seat doesn't equal readiness), the art of asking for advancement without sounding pushy or awkward, and how to build the kind of reputation that makes people want to champion your career. Plus, we tackle what to do when you tick all the boxes but still don't get the promotion - and why that might actually be the best thing that could happen to you.
What you'll learn:
The Readiness Reality Check: How to get honest feedback about where you stand and what a "10 out of 10" performance actually looks like
The Promotion Conversation Reframe: Why you should never use the word "promotion" and what to say instead to get results
The Trust Factor: Why promotions go to the most trusted person, not the loudest, and four quiet ways to build your reputation
The Sponsor vs Mentor Distinction: Understanding the difference and why having a sponsor is crucial for career acceleration
The Rejection Recovery Plan: Four strategic experiments to try when you don't get the promotion (that set you up for success either way)
Our new BIZ hosts are Lisa Lie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-lie-42b705a1/?originalSubdomain=au) - a former Head of People & Culture and Organisational Coach - and Mamamia’s Em Vernem (https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en).
Learna (https://www.learna-app.com/) is Lisa’s microlearning app for practical people skills at work. Expert-led lessons to build confidence, solve challenges, and work smarter - in under 7 minutes. Get it on Apple (https://apps.apple.com/au/app/learna-people-skills/id6443828538) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/Learna?id=user.learnaapp.com&hl=en-AU).
(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKymlmzzCYg/?igsh=aXR6ZGN4emQ4bmdk)Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here (https://mamamia.au/3Eli0BR)
Find more BIZ here. (https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/)
THE END BITS
Support independent women's media (https://mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quicky&utm_content=mm-birthday&code=TQBIRTHDAY).
Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss for our Biz Inbox episodes - send us a voice note (https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960) or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon!
HOSTS: Lisa Lie (https://www.instagram.com/lisa.lie_learna/?hl=en) and Em Vernem
(https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en)SENIOR PRODUCER: Sophie Campbell
AUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/ (https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
9 Jan 2026
SUMMER LISTENING: Read Any Colleague Like A Book (In Under a Minute)
This summer we’re curating your What The Finance playlist, filling it with unmissable episodes of BIZ the podcast that gets your work life sorted. Enjoy!
Ever wondered why we reveal the secret weapon for decoding those frustrating moments when you and your colleagues seem to be speaking completely different languages.
Ever wondered why that one colleague drives you absolutely mental while another person finds them perfectly reasonable?
Discover the four distinct working styles that explain why some people obsess over tiny details while others just want to "get it done," and why the golden rule of "treat others how you want to be treated" might actually be sabotaging your work relationships.
You'll learn:
- How to instantly identify whether someone is a D, I, S, or C style (and what your own default mode is)
- The exact one-liners to use with each personality type to get better results
- Why your "difficult" colleague might not be difficult at all – just wired differently
- How to explain your own working style without sounding like you're making excuses
You’ll finish this ep knowing exactly why your DISC profile is the difference between friction and flow in any workplace.
Whether you're managing a team or just trying to better navigate office politics, these insights will transform how you approach workplace communication.
Resources That Actually Work:
Surrounded By Idiots (https://www.penguin.com.au/books/surrounded-by-idiots-9781785046209).
Do your own DISC test (https://professionalleadershipinstitute.com/disc-assessment/assessment/).
Our new BIZ hosts are Lisa Lie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-lie-42b705a1/?originalSubdomain=au) - a former Head of People & Culture and Organisational Coach - and Mamamia’s Em Vernem (https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en).
Learna (https://www.learna-app.com/) is Lisa’s microlearning app for practical people skills at work. Expert-led lessons to build confidence, solve challenges, and work smarter - in under 7 minutes. Get it on Apple (https://apps.apple.com/au/app/learna-people-skills/id6443828538) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/Learna?id=user.learnaapp.com&hl=en-AU).
Here’s her special on How To Get Along With Anyone With Lisa Lie
(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKymlmzzCYg/?igsh=aXR6ZGN4emQ4bmdk)Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here
(https://mamamia.au/3Eli0BR)Find more BIZ here. (https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/)
(https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/ep-1-pay-rise)THE END BITS
Support independent women's media (https://mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quicky&utm_content=mm-birthday&code=TQBIRTHDAY).
Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss for our Biz Inbox episodes - send us a voice note (https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960) or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon!
HOSTS: Lisa Lie (https://www.instagram.com/lisa.lie_learna/?hl=en) and Em Vernem
(https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en)EXEC PRODUCER: Sophie Campbell
AUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/ (https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
8 Jan 2026
SUMMER LISTENING: Why You Can't Switch Off (And What To Do About It)
This summer we’re curating your What The Finance playlist, filling it with unmissable episodes of BIZ the podcast that gets your work life sorted. Enjoy!
Do you feel guilty for taking breaks? Put work ahead of your relationships? Ignore your health in the name of productivity? You might be stuck in workaholic mode without even realising it!
Meet your new BIZ hosts: Lisa Lie (former Head of People & Culture who worked herself into burnout twice in one year) and Em Vernem (Associate Editor at Mamamia who discovered that giving 80% at work prevents the burnout that comes from constantly operating at 100%). They've been trapped in the cycle, escaped it, and now they're exposing the workaholic trap that's keeping high-achievers burning out—even when they love what they do.
You'll learn:
The signs you're already caught in the cycle
Where workaholic tendencies actually come from (hint: it's not what you think)
How the workaholic trap sabotages your daily life without you noticing
Why that promotion might be making everything worse
PLUS we take the University of Bergen’s 7-point Workaholism Test (finally, a way to tell the difference between working hard and working too hard), and chat the exact steps Lisa took to escape the workaholic cycle for good!
Resources That Actually Work:
Jane Martino (https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemartino/), Co-Founder of Smiling Mind and Coach at Kintsugi Way (https://kintsugiway.co/)
Mamamia's Well Burnout Episode: Is It Burnout Or Am I Just Really Tired? (https://omny.fm/shows/well/burnout)
7 Signs You May Be A Workaholic (https://fave.co/3GeM4jW)
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide To Personal Freedom'by Don Miguel Ruiz (https://fave.co/4lpSD1W)
Less Hustle, More Happy by Claire Seeber (https://fave.co/4lwh0uW)
Our new BIZ hosts are Lisa Lie (https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-lie-42b705a1/?originalSubdomain=au) - a former Head of People & Culture and Organisational Coach - and Mamamia’s Em Vernem (https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en).
Learna (https://www.learna-app.com/) is Lisa’s microlearning app for practical people skills at work. Expert-led lessons to build confidence, solve challenges, and work smarter - in under 7 minutes. Get it on Apple (https://apps.apple.com/au/app/learna-people-skills/id6443828538) or Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/Learna?id=user.learnaapp.com&hl=en-AU).
(https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKymlmzzCYg/?igsh=aXR6ZGN4emQ4bmdk)Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here (https://mamamia.au/3Eli0BR)
(https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/ep-1-pay-rise)Find more BIZ here (https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/)
(https://www.mamamia.com.au/podcasts/biz/ep-1-pay-rise)THE END BITS
Support independent women's media (https://mamamia.com.au/subscribe/?utm_source=shownotes&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=quicky&utm_content=mm-birthday&code=TQBIRTHDAY).
Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss for our Biz Inbox episodes - send us a voice note (https://help.mamamia.com.au/en-US/send-a-podcast-voice-note-467960) or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon!
HOSTS: Lisa Lie (https://www.instagram.com/lisa.lie_learna/?hl=en) and Em Vernem
(https://www.instagram.com/emilyvernem/?hl=en)SENIOR PRODUCER: Sophie Campbell
AUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges
Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.
Support the show: https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/ (https://www.mamamia.com.au/mplus/)
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
Who has been a guest on What The Finance
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Michelle Battersby
Soph Hirst
Catherine Fitzpatrick
Lauren Law
Sarah Conte
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
4.3 / 5
15 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 26 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
32
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
50
Contact What The Finance
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
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