In this heartfelt conversation, wellbeing expert Esmee Ng shares powerful insights on nurturing family wellbeing while honoring our own needs as caregivers. Drawing from her personal journey and professional expertise, Esmee offers practical wisdom on breaking free from perfectionism, creating meaningful connection, and embracing self-compassion as the foundation of family care.

This Episode

Esmee shares her journey with family wellbeing and self-care. We explore:

• Why self-care isn't selfish but essential to family wellbeing
• Practical ways to integrate micro-moments of wellbeing into busy family life
• How parents can overcome guilt and embrace self-compassion
• The power of presence and its impact on children's development
• Creating tech boundaries that nurture meaningful family connection

Quotable Moments

"Self-compassion is the opposite of selfishness. It's actually the key to bringing the best version of ourselves for our families." - Esmee

"When we're constantly running on empty, we lose our ability to show up with patience, with presence, and with energy that our families need." - Esmee

"Being truly present with ourselves and our children is one of the most valuable things we can offer." - Esmee

Resources Mentioned

• The "Five Cs" of family wellbeing: communication, collaboration, connection, compassion and consistency
• Mindful awareness practices for different age groups
• Tech-free family time as a cornerstone of connection
• The power of "being kind to your mind" as a self-compassion practice

Connect With Us

• Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies
• Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com

About Esmee Ng

Esmee Ng is a passionate wellbeing professional with a background in Positive Psychology and a deep commitment to helping families, especially mothers, thrive. Recognised as one of LinkedIn Australia's "Top 20 Voices" in 2020, Esmee has worked with over 1,500 children, 100 families, and 1,000 leaders, always with the goal of nurturing connection lovingly while honoring the wellbeing of each individual.

As a mother of three, Esmee understands the delicate balance of caring for others while honouring your own needs. Her approach combines practical strategies with compassionate understanding of the real challenges families face.

A Note on Wellbeing

She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women's voices on self-care and wellbeing. While we share personal experiences, please remember that this podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health support. If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a qualified mental health practitioner.

She Speaks is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government and Department of Communities Women's Grants for a Stronger Future Grants Program.

In this in depth and illuminating conversation, Narelle and Julie Ann welcome Professor Loretta Baldassar, an anthropologist whose work explores the intersections of culture, care, and aging. Drawing from her extensive research with migrant communities and leading the Social Ageing (SAGE) Futures Lab at Edith Cowan University, Loretta shares profound insights about how cultural backgrounds shape women's experiences of aging and caregiving, challenging us to reconsider our understanding of independence, support networks, and what it means to age well across diverse communities.

This Episode

Professor Baldassar shares her journey and expertise on cultural care and aging. We explore:

• How culture shapes our understanding of independence and care as we age
• The "intergenerational contract" and how it's changing across cultures and generations
• The power of positive social connections and the concept of "three positive nodes" for wellbeing
• How creative expression, arts engagement, and facilitated digital access can transform wellbeing for aging women
• The unique challenges faced by women in the "sandwich generation" who care for both aging parents and children

Quotable Moments

"Culture is a zone of disagreement and contest, and it has to be. That's not unhealthy culture. That's healthy culture, transforming and shifting and moving with the times." - Loretta

"If you strengthen, if you resource, if you enrich, if you welcome, if you encourage, if you nurture homeland culture, you'll have cultural groups who have the capacity to relax about the host culture, to be open, to be playful." - Loretta

"Loneliness now is more deleterious and risky to your health outcomes than smoking. We know that social isolation is the worst thing for dementia." - Loretta

"The communities that are doing better are the ones that have strong cultural brokers... who can do the translating back and forward, not just of language, but also of culture." - Loretta

"As you age, you need to lean in. You need to be more mobile, more active. You need to be more socially engaged." - Loretta

Resources Mentioned

• World Health Organization research on ageism as a barrier to aging well
• SAGE (Social Ageing) Futures Lab research on social and cultural care
• Social network analysis showing the importance of having at least three positive connections
• "Facilitated digital access" as a way to maintain important connections across distances
• Arts engagement approaches for enhancing wellbeing in older adults

Connect With Us

• Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies
• Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com

A Note on Wellbeing

She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women's voices on self-care and wellbeing. While we share personal experiences, please remember that this podcast is not a substitute for professional mental health support. If you're struggling, we encourage you to reach out to a qualified mental health practitioner.

She Speaks is proudly supported by the Western Australian Government and Department of Communities Women's Grants for a Stronger Future Grants Program.

In this candid episode of She Speaks, we explore what wellbeing and self-care really look like beyond Instagram perfection and commercialised images. Kate Hulett, a Fremantle business owner, community advocate, artist, and independent political candidate, shares her raw experiences of balancing multiple roles while navigating the demands of political candidacy. With honesty and authenticity, she reveals the challenges and small victories in maintaining wellbeing during intensely busy periods of life.

This Episode

Kate shares her journey with wellbeing and self-care during a transformative time in her life. We explore:

• The reality of self-care during campaign season and how small rituals become essential anchors
• How deep community connections influence personal wellbeing and create meaning
• The importance of establishing boundaries in public roles without sacrificing authenticity
• Navigating gendered expectations and scrutiny as a woman in politics

Quotable Moments

"I would never say to a friend the things that I say to myself. If someone else was doing what I'm doing, I would be incredibly supportive. So I can reflect and try to practice that to myself." - Kate

"We've been trained to believe that we are all isolated and powerless. But when we come together with others, we are very strong." - Kate

"The bravery and courage that we seek from our leaders has dissipated, and with that so has our bravery and courage. But I can see it bubbling back up—people are getting involved again, hoping for more and asking for more." - Kate

Resources Mentioned

• Community Connections: Kate highlights the importance of local community gatherings, like the monthly community dinners she attended where anyone can participate
• Digital Boundaries: Setting expectations through email signatures about availability and response times
• Wellbeing Policies: Discussion of government policies that measure wellbeing instead of just GDP

Connect With Us

• Follow She Speaks on Instagram: @shespeakswellbeingstrategies
• Visit our website: www.shespeakswellbeing.com

About Kate

Kate Hulett is a Fremantle business owner whose retail store, Kate and Abel, has been part of the local streetscape for the past 11 years. Living around the corner from her shop, Kate is a longstanding advocate for building a smarter, more liveable and vibrant Fremantle. She recently ran a groundbreaking campaign for state parliament that mobilised the Fremantle community and saw WA's biggest swing against Labor, coming within just a few hundred votes of winning despite challenges from major parties.

At this election (May 2025), Kate is running as a Community Independent for Fremantle, with the goal of putting Fremantle's voice front and center on a strong crossbench of independents and holding major parties accountable on critical issues. Not linked to any political party or controlled by big business, billionaires, or lobbyists, Kate represents the community and is accountable only to her constituents. Her campaign exemplifies her belief that Fremantle deserves positive and courageous leadership for a better future.

Connect With Kate

Kate of Instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/DITY_8FJWP0/

A Pirce of Kate Podcast https://www.kateforfremantle.com/podcast-a-piece-of-kate

Kate for Fremantle https://www.kateforfremantle.com/

A Note on Wellbeing

She Speaks is dedicated to amplifying women's voices on self-care and wellbeing. Whi