The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys

Women make up two in three beginner investors. But as investing gets more advanced, that representation starts to fall away. Global X portfolio manager Jessica Leung thinks confidence is a big part of the problem — and she knows what it’s like to feel out of place in finance, having spent much of her early career as the only woman on her team. Jessica joins Sylvia to strip investing back to basics: how ETFs actually work, what to look for when choosing one, the fees that can eat into your returns and why a boring, long-term strategy might be a good thing. Plus, they unpack the AI investment boom — including why the opportunity extends well beyond the big tech names to data centres, infrastructure and even copper — and the biggest mistake Jessica sees new investors making. This episode contains general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why does a strong CV disappear into a recruitment black hole? Former recruiter and Project Roar founder Catherine Harris joins Sylvia Jeffreys to explain how hiring has changed, what can stop your application reaching a person, and why spending hours on job boards may be getting you nowhere.  They cover: How to make your CV easier for recruitment software and recruiters to read What to do if you’re worried your age is counting against you How to explain a career break, including time spent caring for children How to use conversations and referrals to find opportunities Catherine also shares what employers could gain by hiring more workers in their fifties and sixties.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Australia is one week out from the RBA’s next interest rate decision — and the possibility of another rate hike is firmly in focus. So what is the Reserve Bank actually watching? RBA Chief Economist and Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter joins Sylvia Jeffreys to take us inside how the bank thinks about interest rates, inflation and the Australian economy — and bust some of the biggest economic myths along the way.In this episode: What the RBA is weighing up ahead of its next rates decision Why interest rates affect far more than just mortgage holders Whether higher interest rates really push up rents Whether migration is adding to inflation How government spending factors into the RBA’s thinking What’s behind Australia’s housing downturn — and where prices could go from here Whether Australian households are showing signs of mortgage stress Why the RBA remains concerned about inflation Plus, Sarah explains what happens behind the scenes before every interest rate decision — from the economic data her team analyses to the papers that land in front of the Monetary Policy Board.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SportsGrad founder Reuben Williams quit his own company — then figured out how to buy it back. But that’s only part of his story. Reuben has gone from landing his dream job at Cricket Australia, to redundancy, entrepreneurship and almost losing the business he built. He’s helped close to 850 people find jobs in sport, travelled the world chasing some of its biggest events, and rebuilt SportsGrad after a buyback deal left him under enormous financial pressure. At the same time, Reuben spent six years navigating the legal system after taking a former colleague to court over a sexual assault. The experience led him to speak publicly about what happened and become an advocate for survivors. Reuben joins Sylvia Jeffreys on The Pay Off for a wide-ranging conversation about ambition, resilience, work and what happens when life doesn’t follow the path you expected. In this episode: The CV mistakes that could be holding jobseekers back Why AI is changing the entry-level jobs market What his experience taught him about the barriers facing sexual assault survivors The four values shaping how he lives and works See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Phoebe Saintilan-Stocks has built her career around a question: who gets heard — and who gets a seat at the table? After working inside Parliament House, she founded Missing Perspectives to give young women a bigger voice in media. What started as a Squarespace blog has grown into a global media platform, backed by major brands and amplified by the likes of Reese Witherspoon.  Now, her new book The Right Hand takes her inside another world of influence: the chiefs of staff behind some of the world’s most powerful leaders.In this episode, Phoebe talks about: Why working in Canberra changed the way she thought about power and representation How a cold LinkedIn message helped launch Missing Perspectives Why she turned down early investment — and later quit her job to go all-in What traditional media gets wrong about reaching younger audiences What the people closest to Tony Blair, Jacinda Ardern and Justin Trudeau revealed about leadership behind closed doors The surprising role empathy, trust and difficult conversations play at the highest levels of power Why sometimes the hardest part of building something is simply getting started See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sundae Body sells a product every six seconds and is stocked in more than 10,000 stores across 14 countries. But behind the rapid growth of the colourful Australian beauty brand are some costly mistakes and hard-earned business lessons. Lizzie Binks went from working in a call centre and receiving a school score of 59 to building one of Australia’s fastest-growing beauty brands.  The Sundae Body co-founder joins The Pay Off to explain how Sundae went from an idea to shake up the body care aisle to an international success story — and the decisions that almost derailed it along the way. Binks reveals how she launched into Woolworths and Priceline without a finished product, why the business took eight months to gain momentum and how a six-month cash-flow gap nearly broke the company. She also shares what happened when Walmart approached her at a New York trade show, why Sundae eventually lost its US shelf space and how the mistake helped the brand succeed at Target. Sundae Body is preparing for its next major step: A 36-product launch into Sephora in the Middle East.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar started Atlassian as two university friends with $10,000 in credit card debt. They went on to build a global software giant worth more than $100 billion — and become two of Australia’s richest people. But behind the extraordinary success, their friendship was beginning to fracture. Tech Bros authors and senior business journalists John Stensholt and Perry Williams join Sylvia Jeffreys to reveal what they uncovered about the relationship behind one of Australia’s greatest business success stories — from tensions inside Atlassian and a reported year in which the founders barely spoke, to a multimillion-dollar renovation dispute between their neighbouring Point Piper mansions. In this episode: How Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar built Atlassian from almost nothing The Point Piper property dispute that exposed cracks in their friendship What happened when tensions spilled into the workplace and why Farquhar ultimately stepped down as co-CEO How Atlassian’s culture changed as the company grew The impact of AI and 1,600 job cuts on Atlassian’s future What their story teaches us about friendship, ambition and knowing when to walk away See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Luci Ellis, Westpac Chief Economist and former RBA Assistant Governor, brings decades of experience on monetary policy and housing. She explains why recent rate moves matter for mortgages. Short sentences on why falling house prices look like a downturn, how migration and skilled tradies affect housing and infrastructure, and how AI is reshaping jobs and productivity.

What if technology could help us become better voters? Climate advocate, former elite long jumper and Build a Ballot co-founder Lizzie Hedding is trying to do exactly that. Her non-partisan voting platform attracted more than 600,000 users during the last federal election, helping Australians cut through political noise and make more informed decisions at the ballot box. In this episode of The Pay Off, Lizzie joins Sylvia Jeffreys to unpack the unlikely journey that took her from elite athletics to climate advocacy and, eventually, tech entrepreneurship. She reflects on how the Black Summer bushfires changed the course of her life, why she believes Australian democracy can work better, and what she learned building a political platform designed to remain fiercely neutral. They also discuss: Why younger Australians are engaging with politics differently Housing, cost of living and the rise of minor parties The challenge of remaining politically neutral in an increasingly polarised environment How social media has transformed political messaging Why Lizzie chose the not-for-profit path rather than trying to build the next tech unicorn See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to dedicate decades of your life to a dream that feels out of reach? In this episode of The Pay Off, Sylvia Jeffreys sits down with 2026 Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg, Australia’s first qualified astronaut, to explore what it really takes to pursue an extraordinary goal. From stargazing in her Sydney backyard to completing one of the world’s most demanding astronaut training programs, Katherine shares the mindset, resilience and curiosity that have shaped her remarkable career. She reveals what astronaut training is actually like, why humanity’s return to the Moon matters, and how space research is already improving life here on Earth. The conversation also explores Australia’s growing role in the global space industry, the country’s STEM skills challenge, and why Katherine believes inspiring the next generation—especially girls—to dream bigger has become one of her most important missions. She also shares an exclusive first look at Mission Sprouts, a new initiative bringing space-flown seeds into Australian classrooms. Whether you’re fascinated by space, navigating your own ambitious career goals, or simply wondering what’s possible when you commit to a lifelong dream, this episode will challenge the way you think about achieving the seemingly impossible. You’ll learn: What astronaut training is really like—and what it takes to qualify. Why the world is returning to the Moon, and Australia’s role in the next era of space exploration. How space research is leading to breakthroughs in medicine, technology and sustainability. Why curiosity, resilience and long-term thinking matter more than natural talent. How Katherine hopes to inspire more young Australians—especially girls—to pursue careers in science, technology and space. The story behind Mission Sprouts, bringing space-flown seeds into classrooms across Australia. Find out more about Mission Sprouts at www.space.gov.au. Applications close Sunday, August 23, 2026.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.