With everyone talking about community right now, we wanted to ask the question… why does it feel harder than ever to actually find it?

We grew up in environments where connection felt easy — school, university, even early careers — but as we’ve got older, building meaningful friendships and feeling part of something has become a lot less straightforward.

At the same time, we’re more “connected” than ever online… yet somehow more disconnected in real life.

So why is that? And what can we actually do about it?

In this mini episode, we unpack:
🏡 Why community used to feel easier (and what’s changed)
📱 How social media creates the illusion of connection
🤝 The difference between having friends vs feeling like you belong
🌍 Why everyone wants a “village” — but no one wants to build one
😬 Why putting yourself out there feels uncomfortable (but is necessary)
☕ How small, everyday moments can lead to real connection
✨ Why we decided to start building our own community for “5–9ers”

KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 Everyone wants a village — but no one builds one
01:00 Why community feels more important than ever
02:00 From built-in communities to building your own
03:00 The impact of remote work & post-COVID life
04:00 Why it’s harder to make friends as an adult
05:00 Social media vs real connection
07:00 Why “catch-up culture” isn’t real connection
09:00 Building community in small, simple ways
11:00 Why you have to put yourself out there
13:00 Finding your people (and trusting your intuition)

If you’ve ever felt like you’re missing “your people” — this episode is for you.

Follow us on socials @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod and send this to someone who might need the reminder 💛

In this episode, we’re joined by Jessica Lindfield - career strategist, author of Play the Game and founder of EmbraceHer.

From the outside, Jess’s career looks incredibly successful. But behind the scenes, her experience with ambition, burnout and navigating corporate life hasn't always been straightforward.

We talk about what it really means to “play the game” at work and why working hard alone isn’t always enough to get ahead.

✨We also get into:

• why ambition needs to be sustainable (not just impressive on paper)
• confidence vs self-trust (and what actually moves the needle)
• how to build visibility without it feeling forced
• the career advice women aren’t always taught
• and how to define success in a way that actually works for your life

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overlooked, or unsure how to navigate your next move, this episode is for you.

KEY MOMENTS:

00:00 – Introduction to Jess Linfield

02:00 – How her relationship with ambition has evolved

03:30 – Chasing promotions vs enjoying your day-to-day

04:30 – Rapid career growth at 24 (and realising it wasn’t what she wanted)

06:00 – Why she created Embrace Her

07:30 – What women are really struggling with: confidence vs career strategy

09:00 – Why self-trust matters more than confidence

10:30 – Imposter syndrome and getting out of your own way

12:30 – How confidence is actually built

21:00 – The DARE method explained

30:00 – Why working hard isn’t enough (visibility, strategy & impact)

💬 Follow us for more conversations on life, career & personal growth @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod

💛 And if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to follow, rate and share the podcast - it helps us reach more people who might need these conversations.

With everyone talking about the millennial career crisis, we wanted to ask the question… is it actually a crisis or are careers just evolving?

Many of us were raised to follow a certain path: go to school, go to university, get a stable job, work hard, and eventually everything will fall into place.

But the world we’re working in now looks very different.

AI is reshaping industries, the job market is shifting, and more people are questioning whether climbing the traditional ladder is the only definition of success.

So are millennials really lost or are we just redefining what work and purpose look like?

In this mini episode, we unpack:
💼 Why so many people feel stuck or uncertain in their careers
🤖 How AI and technology are changing the job market
🧠 Why your job title shouldn’t define your identity
🎨 The importance of passions and creative outlets outside of work
📉 Whether university is still the “right” path for everyone
🔄 Why pivoting careers is more normal than we think
✨ And how to build a life that isn’t defined only by work

KEY MOMENTS:
00:00 Are millennials actually in a career crisis?
02:00 Millennials were raised for a different world
03:30 AI, job security & the changing job market
05:00 The rise of personal brands and creator careers
07:00 University vs alternative career paths
11:00 Hustle culture vs Gen Z work values
13:00 Why life starts to feel like Groundhog Day
15:00 Finding purpose outside your job
18:00 Redefining success and pivoting careers

If you’ve ever felt like everyone else has their life figured out while you’re still working it out — this episode is for you.

Follow us on socials @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod and send this to someone who might need the reminder 💛

In this episode of What I Wish I Knew Sooner, we’re joined by Adam Smith - Co-Founder of HelpBnk and Chief Community Officer - to talk about entrepreneurship, purpose, and why waiting for the “perfect time” might be the very thing holding you back.

Adam shares his unconventional career journey, from following the traditional path into scientific research to leaving it behind, travelling the world, learning sales on the streets of Sydney, and eventually building and selling his own business.

We explore what it really takes to start something from scratch, why execution matters more than ideas, and how surrounding yourself with people who have purpose can completely change the direction of your life.

Along the way, Adam shares powerful lessons about taking action, embracing uncertainty, and why you probably have far more time than you think.

✨ In this conversation we discuss:
• Why the traditional career path isn’t always the safest option
• The mindset shift that turns ideas into action
• What entrepreneurship really looks like behind the scenes
• Why community and purpose matter more than ever
• The importance of doing things before you feel ready
• How one conversation can change the trajectory of your life

Whether you’re thinking about starting a business, building something on the side, or simply feeling stuck about your next step, this episode is a reminder that progress rarely comes from waiting - it comes from taking action.

KEY MOMENTS:

00:00 — Intro: Adam Smith (Co-Founder of HelpBnk)

00:02 — Why He Walked Away From the Traditional Career Path

00:03 — Traveling the World & Learning Sales Door-to-Door

00:06 — Starting His First Business

00:11 — The Story Behind HelpBnk

00:19 — Turning Ideas Into Businesses: The HelpBnk Accelerator

00:25 — The Rise of AI & Building a Personal Brand

00:30 — “Do It Scared”: Taking Action Before You’re Ready

00:35 — Why Execution Matters More Than Ideas

00:41 — The Non-Negotiables for Building a Business That Lasts

00:47 — What Adam Wishes He Knew Sooner

00:52 — Advice for Anyone Feeling Stuck

💬 Follow us for more conversations on life, career & personal growth @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod

✨ And if you enjoyed the episode, don’t forget to follow, rate and share the podcast - it helps us reach more people who might need these conversations.

As we wrap up love month, we’re talking red flags, green flags, and the standards we set in modern relationships…

Are we becoming more self-aware or just more picky?
Where did the obsession with “red flags” even come from?
And how do you tell the difference between a genuine warning sign and just… being human?

In this mini episode, we unpack:

🚩What a red flag actually is (and what it isn’t)
💬 Why consistency and communication matter more than grand gestures

🎯 The difference between attention and intention

🧠 How to spot subtle disrespect

🚦 Why not everything that makes you uncomfortable is toxic

💚 And the green flags that genuinely point to emotional maturity

Whether you’re dating, in a relationship, or just reflecting on your patterns, this one’s about listening to your intuition and not settling for less than you deserve.

Follow us on socials @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod and send this to someone who needs the reminder 💌

In this episode, we’re joined by Rebecca Emery, founder of Not Born Yesterday, to explore how we’re seen, why visibility alone isn’t enough, and what it really takes to build trust and credibility in a noisy world.

From PR and storytelling to perception, personal brand and modern visibility, Rebecca helps us unpack why being “out there” doesn’t always translate to being trusted and how the stories we tell (and don’t tell) shape how others experience us.

We talk about what PR really is beyond headlines, how credibility is built over time, and why staying human, intentional and consistent matters more than chasing attention. Rebecca also shares the lessons she’s learned building her own agency, working closely with founders and brands, and what she wishes she’d known sooner about backing herself and showing up with confidence.

We talk:
💬 Why visibility doesn’t automatically equal trust
🧠 How perception quietly shapes how we’re seen
📣 What PR really is (and what people often get wrong)
🌱 How to build credibility in a world that’s louder and faster than ever

KEY MOMENTS:

0:00 Intro & meeting Rebecca

1:00 What most people get wrong about PR

11:00 Why PR matters for your career and personal brand

13:00 What the people and brands who “get it” do differently

16:00 Why building trust and real connection is so difficult today

21:00 How to build credibility without it feeling forced

25:00 What the shift toward GEO means for modern brands

34:00 Staying visible in the age of AI without losing your human edge

35:00 How PR can support brands through a crisis

42:00 Lessons in resilience, reputation and leadership

48:00 Taking the leap: navigating the uncertainty of starting her own business

53:00 What Rebecca wishes she knew sooner

🎙 Hosts: Senna & Serenity
📍 Guest: Rebecca Emery, Founder of Not Born Yesterday (@notbornyesterdaypr)
🔗 Follow us: @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod

What I Wish I Knew Sooner is a podcast about the lessons no one teaches you — from careers and money to creativity, confidence, and navigating your twenties and thirties.

Hosted by Senna and Serenity, each episode features candid conversations with founders, creatives, and industry experts, sharing the insights they wish they’d known earlier.

In this new episode of What I Wish I Knew Sooner, we’re kicking off a new series of shorter, just-us conversations - diving into one topic at a time and sharing the lessons we’re learning in real time.

With 2025 often described as the Year of the Snake (shedding, reflection, letting go) and 2026 as the Year of the Horse (momentum, movement, and forward action), we reflect on what we’ve had to release and what we’re choosing to move towards next.

We talk about:

🐍 Why 2025 felt like a year of shedding and change

🐎 What the Year of the Horse represents as we move into 2026

✂ Letting go of old versions of ourselves and people pleasing

🚶‍♀️ What moving forward actually looks like without forcing it

🎙 Hosts: Senna & Serenity
🔗 Follow us @whatiwishiknewsoonerpod