AI is rapidly becoming part of the modern workplace, but learning to work with it isn’t always as simple as adopting another new tool.

For administrative professionals whose careers have been built on expertise, accuracy, judgement, relationships and attention to detail, AI can feel exciting, overwhelming and, at times, threatening. How do you embrace its potential without outsourcing the human intelligence that makes you so valuable?

In this episode of The Admin Avenues Podcast, Candice Burningham speaks with leadership and neuroscience expert Kristen Hansen about what happens in our brains when we encounter significant change, uncertainty and new technology.

Kristen explains why resistance to AI doesn’t mean someone is incapable or unwilling to adapt. Often, it is the brain responding exactly as it was designed to respond when something feels unfamiliar or unpredictable.

Together, Candice and Kristen explore how administrative professionals can move through resistance and self-doubt, reduce cognitive overload and gradually build confidence with AI - without feeling pressured to become an expert overnight.

They also discuss why human capabilities such as emotional intelligence, judgement, organisational knowledge, relationships and contextual understanding will become even more valuable as AI grows more capable.

In this episode:

• Why AI can trigger such a strong emotional response
• What happens in the brain during periods of change and uncertainty
• The difference between thoughtful caution and fear-based avoidance
• Why becoming a beginner again can feel particularly uncomfortable for experienced admins
• How perfectionism and high standards can make experimenting with AI more difficult
• Why women may experience greater self-doubt or hesitation when adopting AI
• What cognitive load is and how to recognise when it has become too high
• How AI can reduce repetitive work without replacing critical thinking
• The tasks administrative professionals can begin exploring with AI
• Why context, judgement and human oversight remain essential
• How to build trust in AI through gradual, low-risk experimentation
• Practical ways to develop confidence without trying to learn every tool at once
• The uniquely human capabilities admins should continue investing in
• Why administrative professionals could become important leaders of AI adoption

The answer isn’t to hand all our thinking over to technology—and it isn’t to ignore AI and hope it disappears.

The opportunity is to create a genuine power partnership: using AI to support productivity and reduce cognitive load while continuing to apply the judgement, emotional intelligence, relationships and organisational understanding that administrative professionals bring to the workplace.

Kristen Hansen will present her keynote, The Power Partnership: Combining AI and Human Intelligence for Better Workplace Outcomes, at all three 2026 Admin Avenues Conferences:

• Sydney — Monday, 12 October 2026 at Doltone House Hyde Park
• Brisbane — Monday, 26 October 2026 at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

If AI has left you feeling curious, uncertain, overwhelmed or under pressure to catch up, this conversation will remind you that you don’t need to master everything immediately. You simply need to start learning how to work with it- one practical step at a time.

Find out more and secure your ticket to an Admin Avenues conference to see Kristen in action click here: www.adminavenues.com

Connect with Kristen on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenlouishansen/

To find out more about EnHansen Performance - go to their website here: https://enhansenperformance.com.au

If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review and share it with a someone in your circle who would find this chat as fascinating as I did!

Most of us already know what would help.

We know we need to start the task, have the difficult conversation, make the decision or take the next step, but we still aren’t doing it.

Instead, we get caught in overwhelm, overthinking, procrastination or the belief that we need to feel motivated before we can begin.

In this episode of The Admin Avenues Podcast, Candice is joined by global motivational speaker, TEDx speaker, award-winning author and creator of the Two Minute Method™, Lizzie Williamson.

Known as “The Excuse Buster from Down Under”, Lizzie helps people stop waiting for the perfect moment and start taking action - even when they don’t feel ready.

Lizzie explains why capable, high-performing people can still feel completely stuck, particularly when they spend their days managing competing priorities and creating momentum for everyone else.

She also shares how making the first action small enough to begin can help us move through procrastination, perfectionism and fear - without needing to overhaul our entire lives or working habits.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why capable people still become stuck
• The difference between genuinely needing rest and avoiding discomfort
• Why overthinking can feel like productivity
• Whether confidence comes before action or because of it
• How reactive working environments affect our own priorities
• The mental energy consumed by unfinished tasks
• Why trying to change everything at once rarely works
• What makes two minutes so powerful
• How to identify a useful two-minute action
• Using the method for difficult conversations, boundaries and salary discussions
• How movement can shift our physical and emotional state
• Recognising and challenging the “excuse voice”
• Taking action while still feeling uncertain, tired or afraid
• How perfectionists can start small without lowering their standards
• Rebuilding trust in ourselves through consistent small actions
• Using the method to introduce workplace change, technology and AI
• How admins can help executives take action on something they have been avoiding

Lizzie also guides listeners through a practical two-minute challenge that can be used immediately to shift their energy or begin something they have been putting off.

Lizzie will deliver the closing keynote, Just 2 Minutes: What to Do When You Feel Stuck, at the 2026 Admin Avenues Sydney Conference.

After a full day of learning, conversations and new ideas, Lizzie’s session will leave attendees feeling energised, connected and ready to take action.

Come prepared to move, participate and discover what can change when you stop waiting to feel ready and simply begin.

2026 Admin Avenues Sydney Conference
Monday, 12 October 2026
Doltone House Hyde Park, Sydney

Learn more and secure your ticket here: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/the-2026-admin-avenues-conf-syd

Connect with Lizzie on LinkedIn here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizzie-williamson/

Check out Lizzie’s Website here: https://www.lizziewilliamson.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love you to subscribe, leave a review and share it with another admin professional.

And remember - when something feels too big, you don’t necessarily need more motivation. You may simply need to make the first action smaller!

Great teamwork doesn’t happen by chance. It is built through shared experiences, genuine connection and creating opportunities for people to engage beyond their usual roles and routines.

In this episode of The Admin Avenues Podcast, Candice is joined by leading corporate team-building expert Will Mason, the driving force behind Beyond the Boardroom, Pinnacle Team Events and Corporate Volunteering Australia.

With more than 20 years of experience designing and delivering purposeful corporate experiences across Australia, Will has worked with teams of every size- from intimate leadership groups to large-scale events involving more than 1,000 participants.

Will shares why some of the most powerful workplace connections happen in the moments between the agenda: during a shared challenge, an unexpected laugh or a spontaneous conversation.

Together, Candice and Will explore what separates a meaningful team experience from forced fun, how to create activities that are genuinely inclusive and what administrative professionals should consider when they are asked to organise the next team day, conference or workplace event.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why great teamwork is never accidental
• How shared experiences help build trust and stronger relationships
• Why face-to-face connection matters in a hybrid working world
• The difference between purposeful team building and simply filling time
• How to engage different personalities and participation styles
• Creating inclusive experiences for different ages, cultures, abilities and confidence levels
• The questions admins should ask before planning a team activity
• What information to provide when engaging a team-building company
• Common mistakes organisations make when choosing team activities
• How small, intentional actions can help employees feel more connected

Will also gives us a preview of what attendees can expect when Beyond the Boardroom and Pinnacle Team Events kickstart each of the 2026 Admin Avenues Conferences with a high-impact icebreaker.

And if the thought of conference participation makes you nervous, don’t worry - Will explains how his team creates experiences that feel welcoming, comfortable and enjoyable for everyone.

Beyond the Boardroom and Pinnacle Team Events are proud National Sponsors of the 2026 Admin Avenues Conference Series in Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane.

Connect with Will Mason on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-mason-18952844/

Check out these amazing businesses

Beyond the Boardroom:
https://www.beyondtheboardroom.com.au/

Pinnacle Team Events:
https://www.pinnacleteamevents.com.au/

Corporate Volunteering Australia:
https://www.corporatevolunteering.com.au/

AND of course discover the 2026 Admin Avenues Conference Series and secure your ticket:
https://adminavenues.com/

If you’re joining us at an Admin Avenues Conference, arrive ready to move, laugh and meet some new people - because Will and his team will make sure there is plenty of energy and connection in the room from the very beginning.