Today, we're joined by Katherine Dowson, the Associate Program Director for Lived Experience in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Program at Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia.
Katherine’s career began in child protection, but it was an experience working in Malawi, East Africa, after completing her Master’s in Public Health that truly shifted her career path. She describes her calling as being rooted in empowering women to bring about change in their lives, the lives of their children, and their communities.
What’s fascinating is Katherine's journey through different fields—she started in psychology, then moved to social work, and eventually transitioned into public health. These diverse experiences led her to realize that both individuals and systems are only as strong as the support structures around them. She also delves into the challenges and rewards of leading through periods of significant change and resistance. So do join us for Katherine’s stories. She is a visionary who is deeply passionate about transforming systems to better support people. Let’s dive in.
Key moments in the podcast:
02:56 Rapid Fire Questions with Katherine
07:33 Katherine's Career Journey and Insights
17:42 Challenges and Successes in Public Health
25:48 The Role of Mentorship
30:04 Balancing Career and Family
43:51 Advice for Aspiring Leaders
48:12 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview
Here is what stays with us from this conversation:
✅ Safe Spaces as a Catalyst for Change
🔹 When People Feel Safe, They Show Up Differently – True empowerment happens when people don’t have to fight to be heard.
🔹 From Crisis to Confidence – Shifting from reactive support to proactive, long-term change.
✅ The Power of Education
🔹 Knowledge Isn’t Just Power—It’s Freedom – Breaking generational cycles by giving women the tools to shape their own futures.
🔹 What Malawi Taught Me – Sometimes, the biggest lessons come from unexpected places.
✅ Leading Through Change
🔹 The Resistance Is Real – Changing systems means facing pushback—here’s how to push forward anyway.
🔹 From the Frontlines to the Big Picture – Learning when to stop fixing symptoms and start tackling the root cause.
✅ Knowing When to Step Away
🔹 Not Every Door Is Meant to Be Walked Through – Recognizing when staying means sacrificing yourself.
🔹 Letting Go to Move Forward – The hardest but most powerful leadership move is sometimes stepping aside.
✅ The Role of Mentorship
🔹 Find People Who See the Bigger You – The right mentors won’t just support you; they’ll challenge you to level up.
🔹 You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone – Wisdom is borrowed from those who’ve walked the road before you.
✅ Balancing Career and Family
🔹 You Can Have It All—Just Not All at Once – Timing your career moves to match the seasons of life.
🔹 The Guilt, the Juggle, and the Reality Check – Making peace with imperfection in both work and motherhood.
✅ Humility in Leadership
🔹 Leading Without Making It About You – Influence doesn’t require a spotlight—it requires impact.
🔹 Owning Your Voice Without Losing Yourself – The tension between speaking up and staying grounded.
This episode is a compelling look at the choices that shape leadership, impact, and personal fulfillment. Tune in for a conversation filled with real talk, hard-earned wisdom, and game-changing insights.
Listen to this podcast on Spotify or Apple or subscribe to it on Substack. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road.
Connect with Katherine Dowson
This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will Find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland
Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior.
Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music.
Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and
Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with.
Share this post