Ambition & Life Podcast Por Karis Dorrigan arte de portada

Ambition & Life

Ambition & Life

De: Karis Dorrigan
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Real stories. Brave leadership. Bold change. We have an opportunity not just to optimise work but to redesign it. Hosted by Karis Dorrigan, a product and innovation leader turned systems-change advocate and coach. Ambition & Life is where ambition meets humanity. Each episode explores how we can build systems that reflect real lives. Where success isn’t measured by hours or titles, but by impact, connection, and integrity. Through honest conversations with founders, leaders, and solo parents reshaping the future of work, you’ll hear stories of courage, practical tools for balance, and ideas that challenge the old rules of leadership and create new ones. We all deserve the opportunity to thrive at work and in life.Karis Dorrigan Economía Exito Profesional
Episodios
  • Why Georgie Dent Says Paid Leave, Childcare and Better Workplaces Are the Missing Bridges for Parents

    Why Georgie Dent Says Paid Leave, Childcare and Better Workplaces Are the Missing Bridges for Parents
    Apr 12 2026

    In this episode of Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, Karis sits down with Georgie Dent, CEO of The Parenthood, to talk about what it would take to make Australia the best place in the world to be a parent.

    Georgie shares the personal and professional journey that led her to this work, from starting her career in law, to experiencing a significant breakdown early in her professional life, to moving into journalism and spending years writing about gender inequity, paid parental leave, childcare, and family-friendly workplaces.

    She reflects on her own experience of becoming a parent, including the difficulty of finding childcare in Sydney, the cost of care, and how quickly it became clear that the policies in place were putting men and women on very different paths after having children.

    Karis and Georgie also go inside the work of The Parenthood, including its three policy pillars:

    • at least 12 months of paid parental leave that can be shared between parents and paid at a replacement wage rate

    • universal access to high quality early childhood education and care delivered by a professionally paid and qualified workforce

    • workplaces that value caregiving

    They discuss the progress that has been made, including the increase in paid parental leave from 18 weeks to 26 weeks with superannuation, the 15% wage increase for early childhood educators and teachers, the three-day guarantee, and the billion-dollar building fund for early education and care in areas of need.

    This conversation also explores the structural assumptions still built into Australian workplaces, the motherhood penalty, the role of policy in driving cultural change, the realities facing single parents, and why open conversations between employers and employees matter so much.


    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Georgie Dent and Her Mission

    06:24 Georgie's Journey to Parenthood Advocacy

    12:42 The Parenthood's Strategic Focus

    20:08 Challenges in Workplace Policies

    24:30 The Importance of Shared Parental Leave

    30:10 The Voices of Single Parents

    35:19 Designing Inclusive Workplaces

    39:47 Advice for Leaders and Parents


    Follow The Parenthood

    • Website: theparenthood.org.au
    • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/theparenthood/
    • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/georgiedent/



    • Website: https://www.ambitionandlife.com/
    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdorrigan/

    Karis Dorrigan is a Head of Product in InsurTech, coach, podcast host and solo parent. She has helped scale companies to their first million dollars in revenue and led product across billion-dollar enterprises, shaping organisations to be more customer-first, product-led and outcome-driven.

    Today, she coaches mid-career women in product and tech to step into senior leadership roles on their terms. Her mission is simple: to help more women rise into leadership without sacrificing the life they want to build. Because when more women lead, systems shift, customers win, and the economy grows stronger.

    If this episode speaks to your experience as a solo parent, caregiver or leader, follow Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, share this episode with a colleague, and join the movement to build systems where ambition and care can thrive side by side.

    Track: Brother BrotherArtist: BENSONLicensed by: Soundstripe, Inc.License Type: Master Recording & Synchronization LicenseLicense ID: #22026995Usage Rights: Worldwide, in perpetuity, across web, podcast, and social platforms© BENSON / Soundstripe, Inc. All rights reserved.Used with permission under a perpetual license.ZCQVE0RUQJPWL06T
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    44 m
  • From Qantas to Culture Amp: What Paul Keen Learned About Equity You Can Actually Measure

    From Qantas to Culture Amp: What Paul Keen Learned About Equity You Can Actually Measure
    Mar 29 2026

    In this episode of Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, Karis speaks with Paul Keen, VP of Engineering at Culture Amp, about leadership, culture, inclusion, and what he has seen across a career spanning Qantas, Airtasker, Tyro, and Culture Amp.

    Paul brings a perspective shaped by working inside organisations with very different experiences of gender equity, including companies that have struggled with gender gaps and others that have come much closer to pay equity. Together, Karis and Paul explore what leaders can learn from those environments, what actually helps people thrive at work, and why culture is shaped by everyday norms, not just formal policy.

    This is a grounded conversation about leadership in tech, the role culture plays in inclusion, and what it takes to build workplaces where people can do strong work and feel supported while doing it.

    • Paul’s leadership journey across major Australian tech and corporate brands

    • What has shaped his perspective as an executive leader

    • The difference between working in organisations with gender gaps and those closer to pay equity

    • Leadership, technology, culture and inclusion

    • Why policy alone is not enough

    • The role cultural norms play in shaping people’s day-to-day experience at work

    • What leaders can do to create more inclusive and supportive workplaces

    Chapters

    00:00 Introduction to Paul Keen's Journey

    04:02 Exploring Gender Equity in Organizations

    11:22 The Future of Work: Hybrid Models and Flexibility

    15:22 Retention Challenges for Women in Tech

    22:18 Attracting Diverse Talent to the Tech Sector

    24:22 Balancing Career and Life: Key Advice

    25:40 Creating Inclusive Environments in Leadership


    Connect with Paul

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenpaul/


    Connect with Karis

    Website: https://www.ambitionandlife.com/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdorrigan/

    Karis Dorrigan is a Head of Product in InsurTech, coach, podcast host and solo parent. She has helped scale companies to their first million dollars in revenue and led product across billion-dollar enterprises, shaping organisations to be more customer-first, product-led and outcome-driven.

    Today, she coaches mid-career women in product and tech to step into senior leadership roles on their terms. Her mission is simple: to help more women rise into leadership without sacrificing the life they want to build. Because when more women lead, systems shift, customers win, and the economy grows stronger.

    If this episode speaks to your experience as a solo parent, caregiver or leader, follow Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, share this episode with a colleague, and join the movement to build systems where ambition and care can thrive side by side.

    Track: Brother BrotherArtist: BENSONLicensed by: Soundstripe, Inc.License Type: Master Recording & Synchronization LicenseLicense ID: #22026995Usage Rights: Worldwide, in perpetuity, across web, podcast, and social platforms© BENSON / Soundstripe, Inc. All rights reserved.Used with permission under a perpetual license.ZCQVE0RUQJPWL06T
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    28 m
  • She Left Corporate Fashion to Build a Life and Business That Fit

    She Left Corporate Fashion to Build a Life and Business That Fit
    Mar 15 2026
    In this episode of Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, Karis speaks with Bernadette Payne, founder of That’s My Style, about her career in fashion, motherhood, and the decision to leave corporate life to build a business that worked better for her family.Bernadette shares her 25-year career across the fashion industry, covering pattern making, design, buying, producing and travel. She reflects on the pressure of senior roles, the constant expectation to keep juggling, and the reality of working in an environment where she did not feel seen as a whole person.When Bernadette became a mum, she realised the industry did not support the kind of balance she wanted. She talks about being expected to return after six weeks, fighting to take 12 months leave, and later negotiating part-time work that still came with full-time expectations.Bernadette also shares how founding That’s My Style allowed her to keep fashion in her life while working in a way that better aligned with her family, values and wellbeing. She explains how her work is not just about clothes, but about understanding women, their stories, their insecurities and what helps them feel like themselves.Karis and Bernadette also explore the ongoing challenges women face in 2026, including rigid work structures, the invisible mental load, and the importance of leaders having more open conversations about what support really looks like.Bernadette’s 25-year career in the fashion industryThe pressure of senior corporate roles in fashionWhy motherhood changed what work needed to look likeFighting for 12 months leave and part-time flexibilityThe challenge of part-time roles with full-time expectationsWhy Bernadette started That’s My StyleBuilding work around family lifeStyle, identity and understanding the woman behind the clothingHealth, boundaries and putting yourself firstWhat leaders can do to better support women and parents at work00:00 Introduction to Bernadette's Journey03:03 Transition from Corporate to Entrepreneurship06:00 Challenges of Balancing Career and Motherhood10:41 Creating a Business that Aligns with Family Life14:29 The Importance of Self-Care and Personal Growth19:04 Navigating the Gender Pay Gap and Workplace Challenges25:53 Advice for Women in Business and Leadership31:37 Closing Thoughts and Future AspirationsFollow Bernadette, That's My StyleWebsite: https://thatsmystyle.com.au/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatsmystyle_bybernadette/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatsmystyleAU/Connect with KarisWebsite: https://www.ambitionandlife.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdorrigan/Karis Dorrigan is a Head of Product in InsurTech, coach, podcast host and solo parent. She has helped scale companies to their first million dollars in revenue and led product across billion-dollar enterprises, shaping organisations to be more customer-first, product-led and outcome-driven.Today, she is Head of Product and coaches mid-career women in product and tech to step into senior leadership roles on their terms. Her mission is simple: to help more women rise into leadership. Because when more women lead, systems shift, customers win, and the economy grows stronger.If this episode speaks to your experience as a solo parent, caregiver or leader, follow Ambition & Life with Karis Dorrigan, share this episode with a colleague, and join the movement to build systems where ambition and care can thrive side by side.Track: Brother BrotherArtist: BENSONLicensed by: Soundstripe, Inc.License Type: Master Recording & Synchronization LicenseLicense ID: #22026995Usage Rights: Worldwide, in perpetuity, across web, podcast, and social platforms© BENSON / Soundstripe, Inc. All rights reserved.Used with permission under a perpetual license.ZCQVE0RUQJPWL06T
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    36 m
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