From the Kraft and Hallmark boardrooms to founding her own coaching business, Christine Khor shares what it really takes to bet on yourself after 25 years building other people's brands. Christine embodies fearless leadership forged through radical honesty, hard won resilience and a refusal to let anyone else write her story.

After being told she was "too opinionated" to make CMO, and refusing to let anyone dictate how she'd parent, Christine walked away from corporate at 30 to found Peeplcoach, with a mission to make executive-calibre coaching accessible to middle management and emerging leaders, not just the C-suite. She reframes "know your numbers" as the single biggest gap she sees, and shares how an embezzlement early in her career taught her to build financial safeguards without losing trust in people.

We dig into what it actually took to raise her first ten investors, why she treats advisors like a "tribe" she calls on for different needs, and the moment she called out a VC's "she's the whole package" excuse for backing a competitor instead of her.

Christine opens up about leading through her husband's cancer diagnosis and her own autoimmune illness, and the discipline she's built around energy, not perfection.

On AI, her view is blunt: it's a productivity tool, not a replacement for human connection, and the businesses that win will be the ones led by people.

Key takeaways:

• Know your numbers. If finance isn't your strength, get a trusted advisor, don't outsource the risk by ignoring it.
• Own your difference rather than hiding it, an accent, a background or an "unusual" profile can be a competitive edge, not a liability.
• Protect your energy: cut out neutral and negative relationships, and don't wait for burnout to force the reset.
• AI is an efficiency tool. Values, connection and human judgement remain the real differentiator.

Christine is generously offering Fearless Females Podcast listeners 10% off any Peeplcoach program, just mention "Fearless Females" when you get in touch : https://peeplcoach.com/peeplcoach-fearless-females-podcast/

Thank you to Westpac for supporting this episode of Fearless Females Podcast. Even the best ideas need backing. Westpac actively support female entrepreneurs through their new Female Founder Awards. Learn more about how Westpac actively support female founders here : www.westpac.com.au/fearlessfemales

Your hosts today are:

Anna Dimond from Palas Jewellery

Kelly Jamieson from Edible Blooms