Are you tired of losing sleep over your financial future? In this empowering episode of the Thriving Business Podcast, hosts Kate and Sam are joined by seasoned financial strategist Gayle McKew, who reveals how to transform financial stress into strategic confidence.

Gayle shares her journey from a career in banking to becoming an independent financial planner. Her journey shows us how taking control of your financial decisions, even when they're difficult—can lead to both ethical alignment and financial freedom.

After leaving the banking world twice due to values conflicts, Gayle built a practice that proves you don't have to choose between doing what's right and building wealth at the same time.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed by financial decisions, confused by conflicting advice, or worried about your retirement security, this episode shares:

• How to move from financial anxiety to confident decision-making.
• Why growing up in a feast-or-famine household shaped Gayle's approach to financial security.
• The moment Gayle realised corporate banking wasn't aligned with her values—and what she did about it.
• A real-life example of choosing ethics over easy money (and why it pays off long-term).
• How to build wealth without compromising your personal values.
• Why professional financial guidance beats "BBQ advice" every time.

Sam also shares a personal update after a few episodes away, and the trio explores what it means to take control of your financial future with integrity and confidence.

Key Takeaways:

• Financial confidence comes from strategic planning, not wishful thinking.
• Trust your instincts—when something feels ethically wrong, it probably is.
• Breaking the feast-or-famine cycle requires professional guidance and clear systems.
• Taking control of your financial future starts with aligning your money decisions with your values.

Guest Spotlight – Gayle McKew: Gayle is a financial strategist who specialises in helping people move from financial anxiety to financial freedom. With over 25 years of experience in banking and financial planning, she's passionate about providing the strategic guidance that transforms financial stress into confident, values-aligned wealth building.

Connect with Gayle: 👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaylemckew-financial-strategist-retirement-agedcare-successionplanning/

Thanks for tuning in!

If this episode helped you feel more confident about your financial future, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who's ready to take control of their financial destiny.

Connect with the Hosts:

Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business

Website: https://katedejong.com/

Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusiness

Email: kate@katedejong.com

Sam Morris | Digital Systers

Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/

Instagram: sammorris.businesscoach

Welcome to another episode of Thriving Business podcast, real stories and innovative insights to help you grow a business that truly thrives.

Today, Kate and Sam share an open, thoughtful, and at times surprising conversation about the rapid evolution of AI — how they’re using it today, how it’s impacting their decision-making, and where it’s all heading next.

They also take a deep and personal dive into the field of Human Design and how it's helping them both rethink how they structure their work, energy, and business offerings.

Highlights:

• Real AI in Practice: Kate shares an example of how AI helped cut hours of analysis down to seconds when choosing between job candidates using Harrison Assessments — another example of significant time savings and efficiency.
  
  
• Gut Feelings vs Pattern Recognition: A fascinating and candid discussion on what our intuition actually is — and whether our “gut” is just our brains quietly recognising patterns we can’t consciously process, but which AI can recognise instantly.
  
  
• Human Design in Business: Sam introduces Human Design and how it’s offering deeper insight than traditional personality tests. They explore how knowing your type can help you realign your business model to match how you actually like to work.
  
  
• Finding Business Alignment: Kate reflects on how misalignment in her work left her uninspired, and how Human Design reminded her to structure her offers around deep work, spaciousness, and collaborative group settings.
  
  
• Agentic AI Is Here: Sam explains the next wave of AI — agentic AI — and how it's fundamentally different from the AI tools we’re used to. These new AI agents can actually take action on your behalf (think booking flights, answering emails, or running parts of your business). Exciting? Definitely. A little terrifying? Also yes.
  
  
• Ethics, Trust, and the Future of AI: The conversation gets real about what it means to give AI more responsibility in our lives — from inbox management to robotic surgeries. Where do we draw the line? And are we really ready for what’s coming?

Tools & Resources Mentioned:

• Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini (generative AI tools)
• Harrison Assessments
• Free Human Design Chart - [hint, copy and past your results into ChatGPT or Claude.ai and ask it to interpret the results and what they mean for you and your business model]
• Human Design types: Manifestors, Generators, Manifesting Generators, Projectors, Reflectors

This episode blends tech, intuition, and personal reflection in a way that feels fresh, relevant, and deeply human. Whether you’re AI-curious or totally overwhelmed by it, there’s something here for you.

Connect with the Hosts:

Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business

Website: https://katedejong.com/

Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusiness

Email: kate@katedejong.com

Sam Morris | Digital Systers

Website: https://www.digitalsysters.com/

Instagram: sammorris.businesscoach

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow, rate, or share the podcast with someone who’d love to hear it. Until next time, keep growing, keep aligning, and keep thriving.

This week, Kate was honoured to sit down with Dee Skillicorn, founder of Digi-Secure, “your trusted guide in the ever-evolving world of digital assets”. Dee is on a mission to demystify cryptocurrency, making it simple, accessible and safe for everyone. Dee and her husband have built their wealth through cryptocurrency and love helping others to do the same.

With over 30 years of hands-on experience in business, finance, system analysis, and implementation, Dee has honed a sharp eye for what works in the digital currency landscape.

In our discussion, Dee shares her personal journey from being a newcomer to the world of crypto to living off it with her husband, and how they built a secure financial future outside traditional banking systems.

Dee sheds light on the common myths surrounding crypto, explaining how it’s not as complicated as people think — if you treat it like any other currency. She talks about her transition into crypto in 2017, the mistakes she made along the way, and how those mistakes led to creating a course to help others navigate the complex world of digital assets safely.

We also discussed the differences between traditional finance (Fiat) and decentralised finance (DeFi), and how blockchain technology is quietly revolutionising the financial system worldwide.

From security concerns to tokenisation and the rise of real-world assets in the crypto space, Dee provides practical insights for anyone interested in getting involved in cryptocurrency. Plus, she talks about the upcoming regulatory changes and what it means for the future of crypto. If you’re ‘crypto-curious’, don’t miss this!

Episode Highlights:

• What crypto really is: Breaking down how crypto works and why it's not that different from traditional currency.
  
  
• Dee's personal crypto journey: From learning to invest in crypto to living off it for retirement.
  
  
• Common crypto myths: Addressing fears around security and volatility in the crypto market.
  
  
• Tokenisation and real-world assets: How physical assets like real estate and gold are being represented on the blockchain.
  
  
• The future of finance: Why decentralised finance (DeFi) is set to be the norm and how the traditional banking system is evolving.
  
  
• The importance of security: Dee shares why securing your crypto assets is critical and how Digi Secure helps people navigate this space.
  
  
• DeFi vs TradFi: How decentralised finance is changing the landscape of finance

If you’re ready to dive into the world of crypto, but need help navigating its complexities securely, head over to Digi Secure to learn more about protecting your digital assets. Don’t let fear hold you back—empower yourself with knowledge and get the tools to make smarter investments in this exciting new world.

And, of course, if you enjoyed today’s episode, don’t forget to subscribe to The Thriving Business Podcast and share it with a friend who might find this topic interesting!

Connect with the Hosts:

Kate De Jong, PhD | Inspired Business

Website: https://katedejong.com/

Instagram: katedejong.inspiredbusiness

Email: kate@katedejong.com

Sam Morris | The Business Implementor

Website: https://thebusinessimplementor.com/

Instagram: sammorris.businesscoach

Email: sam@thebusinessimplementor.com