Leadership, Legacy, and Learning to Flow: A Chat with Jeanette Allom-Hill

If there is one thing I love about building a business on the Sunshine Coast, it’s the incredible community of women who stand shoulder-to-shoulder to lift each other up. Recently, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down on The Spin Out with a very dear friend of mine who embodies this exact spirit: the brilliant Jeanette Allom-Hill.

For those who don’t know Jeanette, she is a powerhouse. From winning the 2020 Telstra Business Women’s Award to her role as CEO of the Lionhearted Foundation, her career spans major corporate transformations, high-level government advisory roles, and executive coaching. But beyond the impressive resume, Jeanette is someone who leads with radical empathy, deep vulnerability, and an unwavering commitment to creating safe workplaces.

We talked about everything from motherhood and toxic boss PTSD to the secret behind scaling a business without losing your soul. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways from our chat.

1. Finding Your Tribe: The Sunshine Coast Magic

Jeanette and I kicked off the episode reminiscing about the unique magic of the Sunshine Coast business community. Jeanette currently splits her time between the Coast and a beautiful, remote barefoot shack on Sydney’s northern beaches, but she noted that she’s never encountered a business community quite like ours.

When you are an entrepreneur or solopreneur, it can get incredibly lonely. Jeanette’s advice? Find a community that will wrap its arms around you. Whether it’s joining local chambers or attending networking events, having a "support team" behind you changes the entire trajectory of your business journey.

2. Overcoming Workplace PTSD and Creating "Safe" Spaces

Both Jeanette and I have experienced our fair share of toxic workplaces in the past. Jeanette opened up about being bullied earlier in her school years and career because she was deemed "too much" or "too bright".

What’s beautiful is how she has channeled that history into her leadership framework. Today, job seekers aren’t just looking for a paycheck; they are actively prioritising psychological safety. As leaders, it is our responsibility to build environments where people feel safe to show up as they are, mess up, and grow.

"Sometimes it's just about being brave enough to jump off the cliff and grow your wings on the way down, and be vulnerable. If you're vulnerable, then other people will be vulnerable." — Jeanette Allom-Hill

3. The Juggle is Real (and Why I Finally Outsourced My Laundry)

We laughed a lot about the elusive concept of "work-life balance." Jeanette shared a great quote: "You can do it all, but not all at once." Her trick for surviving peak parenting and corporate years was focusing entirely on bite-sized steps and asking herself each morning, "How do I survive today?"

Speaking of survival, I had a minor confession to make on the episode. Even though I run a laundry business, I only just started outsourcing my own family's folding and putting away to one of our Laundry Partners! The chaos of the laundry pile was stealing my time, and accepting help has been entirely life-changing.

4. Leadership Starts with Self-Awareness

Toward the end of our chat, we talked about what we hope our children are absorbing from watching us work. Jeanette shared that the core of the Lionhearted leadership framework always comes down to trust and authenticity.

To lead others well, you have to start with self-awareness. You have to understand who you are, what your strengths are, and ensure you are operating from a place of joy.

Her ultimate piece of business advice? Flow, don't force. You don’t have to follow a traditional corporate handbook or copy what everyone else is doing. Listen to your head, your heart, and your instinct, and let your business evolve naturally from who you fundamentally are.

A massive thank you to Jeanette for her time, her wisdom, and her beautiful friendship. Want to catch the full conversation? Listen to the latest episode of The Spin Out on your favourite podcast platform to hear more about Jeanette’s upcoming trip to Japan's Blue Zone, our thoughts on parenting teens, and why it's okay to filter your words sometimes!