What if the life you really wanted was on the other side of one brave decision?

At 22, Maria Perry packed up her life in the UK, moved to Australia completely on her own, knew not a single person, and decided to build on her recruitment career.

7 years later, she's built successful recruitment careers across two continents, stepped into leadership, helped grow a business from the ground up, and perhaps most importantly, she's done it without ever losing sight of who she is.

When I created Women Who Recruit, I wanted to represent women at every stage of their careers. Not just those looking back on decades of experience, but those still in the middle of building something extraordinary.

Maria is exactly that.

What struck me most about this conversation wasn't how much she's achieved by 25. It was her perspective.

We spoke about building a career around your own strengths instead of someone else's blueprint, navigating the uncertainty that comes with backing yourself, and why some of the biggest lessons are learned while you're still finding your feet- especially as a woman.

Maria leads her life with her heart. She trusts her intuition. She says yes before she feels completely ready. And in doing so, she's created opportunities most people only ever talk about.

I'm incredibly grateful to have watched part of that journey unfold, and even more grateful that she shared it so openly on this episode.

I think so many people, whether you're just starting out or years into your career, will see a little of themselves in Maria's story.