I could not agree more. The best thing about my community is that not only are they truly supportive and have my back, but they also always push me to put my best foot forward. There are so many individuals in my circle who inspire me with what they have accomplished and what they stand for, and this act alone drives me to want to be my best.

What I love about the women in my life is that they always, without fail, have each other’s back. We can be in completely different career paths or have different challenges, however, irrespective of this, collaboration always comes before competition. I’m incredibly grateful to have such a supportive circle of women and cannot imagine where I would be without this.

So much! One of the most exciting and rewarding things in my work is seeing what we can achieve as a team. I work with so many kinds of scientists that all have different fields of expertise. What’s so rewarding and inspiring is seeing everyone come and work together on one research question or problem, developing research plans and techniques together on how best to answer this particular question or problem—and then seeing the results at the end of this! This can take years to get to that final result but nothing beats that feeling—making a new discovery that can help to improve survival rates for children diagnosed with brain cancer.

FRANKIE4 heels. I’m on my feet all day and it’s hard to find a comfortable high heel that you can walk in all night! I’ve had them for years but still wear them all the time.

I can’t thank FRANKIE4 and the FRANKIE4 community enough for supporting children and their families that are dealing with a brain cancer diagnosis. Every year, brain cancer kills more children than any other disease. Enormous advances in medicine have been made in the past few decades, but sadly when it comes to brain cancer, very little has changed. The FRANKIE4 community is directly driving a conversation for paediatric brain cancer and enabling a way for the broader community to help those that truly need it. We could not be more grateful.

I was lucky to have two amazing female mentors through my 20s and 30s who provided incredible guidance and motivation. And now many incredible and inspiring women who support me daily.

For our kangaroo sanctuary, we love the passion and kindness our fellow volunteer wildlife carers, visitors, followers, etc. demonstrate every day.

There isn’t one woman in particular. I am fortunate to have many women in my life who I admire and am inspired by. They include friends, family, wildlife volunteers, colleagues, Central Australian Aboriginal women, and other women out there, all doing incredible things. All who I admire and am inspired by for different reasons, including their compassion, kindness, humour, love, nurturing, passion, and profound connection with nature.

And of course, I am in awe of, am inspired by, and am nurtured by Mother Nature every day.

That we are able to be mum to orphaned joeys so that they are given a chance to survive, to grow strong, and to be released back to the wild. Or to live their life at our 188 acre sanctuary. Our oldest rescue who lives at our sanctuary is gorgeous Abi at 16 years young—she is pure love.

Through our BBC documentary Kangaroo Dundee, our few million followers on social media, and our guided tours that we inspire people around the world to be kind and caring to animals and nature. That we inspire people to rescue animals and many become wildlife carers, animal shelter volunteers, vets, etc. And to care deeply for nature.

Tabitha Dusty Rose Canvas. Comfy and a great colour!

My mother immediately comes to mind. It started with simple things like cooking me my favorite foods to get me through the rough years of medical school. The long days, the hundreds of pages of anatomy and physiology, and all the tests…oh the tests…..it was all doable because I knew my mom was there for me….even though miles away. After residency, I moved far from home with my husband to a place with no other family. Having three babies in six years could have been so much harder if it wasn’t for my mom helping me through the tough weeks after bringing each of them home. She understood how important it was for me to have a family and still continue to grow and excel in my career.

We all start from the ground up. It can be really difficult to do it alone. Find a support group of friends that can help you expand and stretch. Also keep learning—whether it is on the job or external. Learning can be done anywhere.

I love my community of women. I actually have two. My neighborhood “village of moms” who have helped each other look out for our children from when they were toddlers. We watch these kids grow and move on to college and cheer them on. My other community resides all over the country. Women I have met through work, through school and training and others just through social media. I am so grateful for all of them.

I most admire my mom…..I will never be the mother she has been to me. She came to this country with a two-year-old (me) alone. My father had flown out a year before. She had never been on a plane or out of India. They were not well off and had to learn a new way to get through the days without any family or support. She is a great mom and grandmother.

I am so lucky to be in healthcare. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I was able to work with people one-on-one for years in the emergency department and now I can make decisions that affect large populations of people as Chief Medical Officer at Optum. The patients and the people that deliver healthcare are always top of mind.

I also feel so lucky to have had great mentors, so I have made it part of my mission to give back. I'm a part of many mentoring projects—one being CSweetener. It’s a healthcare based program where healthcare executives are invited to be mentors. I have had the opportunity to meet with young energetic newcomers to the healthcare world. I have learned so much from my wonderful mentees!

I am a petite 5’2” and a great heel is my go to. I love that I wore my FRANKIE4s all over Vegas. They are comfortable AND stylish.

I am so honored to be a brand ambassador for FRANKIE4. FRANKIE4 as a company is about more than shoes. At their core they care about women, sustainability, and innovation.

As the oldest of 4 girls, I guess you could say women have always been an important part of my life. I was fortunate to have a beautiful childhood surrounded by strong, confident women. My mother, who raised 4 girls under the age of 7, was extremely active in our church and community and taught us at a young age the importance of getting involved and giving back. My grandmother, the CEO of a medical products company, was one of the original advocates for women’s rights and equal pay. She made it quite clear to me that I was capable of doing any man’s job, and probably better! They both taught me how to be a strong independent leader, and the importance of self-worth. And through example, they inspired me to be a philanthropist and advocate for women early on and throughout my career.

Be clear on your values and then surround yourself with people who align with them. As an entrepreneur and leader, it is easy to be swayed and sometimes that can take you off course. When you are surrounded by people who have similar pillars, they will naturally help lift you up, guide you, and support you when you most need it.

HeyMama is THE community for moms in business at any stage of their careers—whether they are just coming back into the workforce or are actively building an empire. The overall goal at HeyMama is to help members succeed in their careers while at the same time normalizing motherhood. This shared connection and vulnerability naturally builds a safe space for our community and I am constantly blown away everyday by stories of meaningful collaborations and bonds between members who are actively supporting each other—it truly does set our community apart.

My grandmother, Marcella Hanafin, was a woman well ahead of her time. Her and my grandfather founded a medical device business in their garage while raising 5 children! She was a huge advocate for women – in fact was the first woman honored by the Health Industry Manufacturer’s Association, traveled extensively (her favorite place to visit was FRANKIE4’s home country), and worked on setting up scholarships, educational opportunities for students of all walks of life, mentored and received numerous awards for her work. She continues to be my source of inspiration every day.

I’m also incredibly grateful for the women I have in my life today, especially HeyMama’s co-founder Amri Kibbler who is a visionary community builder. I admire Amri and her consistent ability to spread joy and happiness by helping women develop self-worth personally and professionally. She is truly an inspiration.

Giving back is part of my mission to compassionately raise women up through leadership, collaboration, philanthropy, and funding, on a global level. I have the privilege of working among an amazing team and with some of the most inspiring women I have ever met. Women who are raising families (some as single parents) and caring for aging parents while building remarkable companies. Each of these women inspire me daily and help me focus on being my best self.

Additionally, I mentor for several young women, am an advisor for a startup changing the wagon industry and sit on the board of EQUI-KIDS, a 501c3 organization that provides life-changing equine-assisted services to a large and diverse community of children and adults with special needs, active-duty service members, veterans, and first responders in Virginia Beach and within Hampton Roads. The work is rewarding to me on a very personal level. I am helping to make a difference in someone’s life. And I can see the impact my actions have, no matter how small, in the grander scheme of things.

I love FRANKIE4’s sneakers, especially my Jackie III White/ Rose Gold Lizard Emboss sneakers. They go with everything, and I can change up the laces to fit my mood. They are my go-to for travel and playing outside with my son.

A gentle reminder to all women, especially moms—there is no such thing as perfect, and you must put your oxygen mask on first. In the hierarchy of needs, you simply cannot succeed personally or professionally until you have taken care of yourself.