Margie’s Insights & Interviews
Welcome to Margie’s blog where she shares personal stories, interviews, tools and more for living bravely.
Don’t betray your future self. Bet on them.
Ever sold yourself short? If you can think back to a moment you wished you’d backed yourself more—taken that chance, made the ask, leapt—you’re not alone. The truth is, most of us regret the risks we didn’t take far more than the ones we did. By a long shot. That...
Brave the Awkward: Forging Real Connection In A Digital World
I almost sent a text I would have regretted. Someone had misinterpreted something I’d said, and I wanted to fix it — without making things worse. So I started composing a carefully worded message before I caught myself. Instead of hiding behind my iPhone screen, I...
The 100th Monkey Effect: What Ripple Will You Spread?
For over 30 years, scientists had been observing Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) in the wild. In 1952, they began an experiment—dropping sweet potatoes in the sand for the monkeys to find. The monkeys loved the taste but hated the gritty sand that clung to them.Then...
As the world speeds up, walk at the pace of wisdom, not urgency
My Uber to Union Station in Washington DC this morning took twice as long as it often does, the traffic heavy as everyone returns from summer breaks. Crawling across the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, bumper to bumper with hundreds of other commuters, I couldn't help but...
What’s your ‘helicopter moment’? Why courage compounds.
A few weeks ago, I found myself buckled into a helicopter seat, headset on, lifting off above the ancient sandstone cliffs and winding waters of Katherine Gorge in Australia’s Northern Territory. Beside me sat my 90-year-old dad. “Dad, want to take a chopper ride over...
Rewrite the Story Fear Wrote Long Ago
I was nine the day my dad sold his entire herd of dairy cows.A long and devastating drought had forced his hand. As the cattle truck rumbled down the laneway, I looked up at him and asked: “How will we get money now, Dad?” “I don’t know, Margie,” he said, before...
When “It’s Fine” Isn’t Fine at All
Note: This is clearly not my normal type of column. But on this occasion, I want to share a personal experience that, while involving nudity, holds some powerful lessons that I hope will be helpful for you in some small way. I’m really disappointed in myself. I did...
The Power of Your Presence in a Noisy, Fast World
Saluti da Firenze! I’m in Italy this week to attend and speak at the Monash University Global Leaders Summit—my alma mater. The title of my session: Leading in a World Demanding Change. As distinguished alumni gathered from across the globe (we Aussies are known for...
When Fear Becomes Fatal
In 1995, a team of five Navy SEALs embarked on a high-risk mission in Venezuela to test a relatively unproven capability at the time—navigating extreme rapids in inflatable boats. The theory was that rivers could serve as highways through rugged jungle terrain...
Now The Real Curriculum Begins: A Guide For New Grads
Just last week, my youngest son Matt graduated from Baylor University. As he walked that stage—broad smile, degree in hand, future wide open—I felt incredibly proud and a little relieved. After all, this was the same kid who once told his first-grade teacher he'd...
When Humility Becomes Your Hiding Place
"I never want to be one of those egomaniacs jostling for position," said Sandra, her brow furrowing. "It's just not my style." "But how will the new CEO know what you want if you don't tell him?" I asked, leaning forward. "He knows about my work. My track record...
Hope is a risk that must be run.
Today is Good Friday, a sacred day in the Christian calendar and one that holds special significance for me and my family. It was on Good Friday 17 years ago that my older brother Frank was injured in a motorbike accident that left him with paraplegia, unable to ever...
Dear Fellow Women, You don’t need to prove your worth – just own it.
Women in leadership have always faced a higher bar. Yet amid the pushback on DEI, pressuring women to validate their worth - again - they need to boldly own it, not prove it. “I feel like I have to prove myself all over again.” That’s what a senior female executive...
My Lesson from the Trapeze: Courage is a Decision, not a Feeling.
Have you ever found yourself standing at the edge of something you knew you needed to do—knowing you needed to step up or speak up or lean in and 'take the leap', yet hesitating and holding back? I’ve been there. Not just in life, but quite literally, on a trapeze...
Five Years On from Fire: Finding Courage When Fear Looms Large
Back in Australia for Christmas, I’m reminded of a moment five years ago, in early 2020, that feels both distant and vividly present. Charred leaves drifted down from an apocalyptic sky as I hurriedly helped my parents pack up their most precious belongings before...
Embrace the hard yards and run your own best race: Insights to my first marathon!
Growing up on a dairy farm, my dad often called me “bumblefoot”—it was meant as a term of endearment but that label that did what labels do... it stuck. For years I internalized it to mean I lacked all athletic talent and anything requiring coordinated physical...
Disagreement Doesn’t Have To Divide: Navigating Family Tensions
“It’s completely fine to not be around [Trump voters] and to tell them why,” said Dr. Amanda Calhoun on MSNBC. She went further, saying it’s “essential” to do so. Statements like this capture the heightened tensions of our time. They reflect the polarizing dynamics...
Be the captain of your life, not captive of your circumstances
“We can't all have the textbook life we once imagined at 18, 21, or 30. Life is what it is. Your future depends on the decisions you make from here on.” I’ll never forget the day my brother Frank was told he’d never walk again. I sat beside him in his hospital bed,...
When to Lean in to Uncertainty and Trust Yourself
Many years ago, my younger sister Anne volunteered with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), a French medical humanitarian organization – also known as Doctors Without Borders. Anne was not long out of medical school but wanted to heed a long-held desire to help...
You think failure is hard? Not near as hard as learning from it
Failing is hard. But not near as hard as learning from it. Thomas J. Watson, former CEO of IBM, once said, “If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate.” It sounds good. Yet it’s not wholly true. Sure, risking failure is crucial for success....
