What do you do when your dream career suddenly loses its shine? Do you give it up for something new – or change the way you’re doing it?   If anyone had a dream career, it was Nina Karnikowski. As a travel writer at the Sydney Morning Herald, and later going freelance, she was off on adventurous travels a dozen times a year.   But in 2019, she went on a trip that would change her forever and left her questioning her lifestyle and career choices.   Nina had come face to face with the devastating impacts of climate change and how our collective love of travel was contributing to t ..read more

Are you at a career crossroads and thinking about ‘what’s next’ for you?   Then you’ll want to dive into this mini episode, to find out how our Career Change Kickstarter course can help you!   If you’re feeling the niggle (or roar) of needing a change, but you’re not sure what you want to do next or what steps to take, this course is for you.   Applications are now open for our April program (get in quick!). Join the waitlist on the ‘Our courses’ page at whatshedidnext.com.au to receive the course info.     CONNECT WITH US   Join us on Instagram: instagram.com/wha ..read more

Have you always dreamed of doing something creative? But you’re not sure how to turn that into a career?   For Kris McKee, her early creative interests fell by the wayside as she pursued a more stable career in nursing.   Being a nurse opened up opportunities to travel and live in London, and over 20 years, she worked her way up in a very specialised field.   Despite her success, there was always a sense that something was missing… but she was worried it was too late to make a change.   When COVID struck, it was the push Kris needed to embark on a new career path, exploring ..read more

Do you want to make a difference in the world without leaving your corporate career? Are you passionate about using your skills for good?   This has been a driver for Malini Raj throughout her working life, as she’s built a successful career in financial services.   Malini started out on a more traditional path in investment banking. But she soon discovered a passion for working with people and creating positive change… which steered her into the social impact space.   Today Malini has a multifaceted career, working as Head of Community Engagement at a large bank and lending her ..read more

Have you been rethinking your career after becoming a mum? Do you want to explore what else could be out there for you?   For Steph Jacobs, the transition to motherhood was a real turning point in her career… and after having two sons of her own, she became fascinated by the world of early childhood.   It was a big leap from her previous career, working in HR, but the more she explored, the more her interest grew.   Steph ended up retraining while her youngest was still in preschool and returned to work in 2018, as an early childhood educator.   She’s since gone on to disco ..read more

Are you in a career that has an expiry date? And soon, you’ll have to figure out ‘what’s next’ for you?   This was the case for Anna-Liza Mopio-Jane, who started out as an athlete in the world of swimming, going all the way to the Beijing Olympics representing Papua New Guinea.   But after more than 12 years competing internationally, she retired from the sport in 2015… and has retrained as an accredited counsellor.   Now running her own practice in Brisbane, she’s using her new skills to give back to the sporting world and support her fellow athletes.   In this episode, An ..read more

Have you fallen out of love with a career that once inspired you? Do you want to feel that spark of excitement in your work life again?   This is where Melissa Di Marco found herself after 12 years in the hairdressing industry, but she didn’t know what else she could do.   Putting her CV out into the world, she hit a raft of rejections – but she did land a job in a tea shop.   Being introduced to the world of tea opened up a whole new interest for her and she has since become a certified tea master and tea blender.   Today, Mel is the founder and creative force behind TeaEs ..read more

Do you love the idea of packing up your life to go travelling? Just stepping off the daily treadmill and seeing where it takes you?   That’s exactly what Evie Farrell did back in 2016 and her travel buddy was her young daughter, Emmie.   As a solo mum, Evie had been struggling to balance her busy corporate career with spending enough time with Emmie and she decided an overseas adventure together was the answer.   But what was intended to be a year-long trip away, exploring Asia, has turned into a whole new way of living and working.   Gaining a huge following on her Instagr ..read more

Are you thinking about making a career change? But you’re not sure ‘what’s next’ for you?   Join host Jacqui Ooi for Season 5 of What She Did Next, as she chats with women across Australia who’ve changed up their careers in all sorts of interesting ways – to create more freedom and flexibility, explore their creative interests and do work that feels more meaningful.   Whether you want to redesign your career in some way or completely change industries, these stories are for you.   We hope you hear something in these conversations that inspires your next move.   Season 5 wi ..read more

We’re wrapping up Season Four of What She Did Next with our always popular highlights episode.   If you’re new to the show, this is where you can get a little taster of the stories we’ve shared and if you like what you hear, you can scroll back through the feed to find the full episodes.   This season, we’ve been chatting to women who’ve made all sorts of inspiring career changes at all different stages of their careers.   Some of these women have redesigned their careers in some way – by going freelance or starting a business – while others have completely changed industries ..read more