
Episode #2
Taryn Brumfitt on doubt, self-compassion, and building a global movement
Taryn Brumfitt posted one photograph and it travelled around the world. What followed was 7,000 messages from strangers, a book, a Kickstarter campaign nobody thought would work, and a documentary that beat Guardians of the Galaxy on opening night at the German box office. In this episode of You're In Charge, Sav Perera sits down with the 2023 Australian of the Year, founder of the Body Image Movement and co-founder of The Embrace Collective, to talk about what actually got built and what it cost. Taryn is candid about the early years: selling a car, working a second job, and painting a Steve Martin line onto her office wall because the rejections kept coming. She talks about why removing ego mattered more than being the smartest person in the room, why self-compassion beats self-criticism as a performance strategy, and why she is now taking body image into boardrooms through Embrace@Work. There is also a conversation about doubt that Sav names as her own biggest takeaway. Taryn does not try to get rid of hers. She gives it a rug, a thermos of tea, and a seat in the boot of the car. If you are early in building something, or deep in it and quietly hard on yourself, this one is worth your time. Recorded on Kaurna Land. You're In Charge is brought to you by ThincHer, an initiative of ThincLab at Adelaide University. Chapter timestamps 00:00 Cold open 00:15 Welcome to Season 2 00:41 Meet Taryn Brumfitt 01:36 Before the world was watching 03:18 From body positivity to body neutrality 05:26 The motherhood double standard 06:18 The photo that went everywhere 08:50 Kickstarter: $331,000 and 8,909 backers 10:41 "Who's we?" Building the team 12:10 Scaling without diluting the message 14:58 The runner and the coach 16:30 Reframing doubt 18:20 Be so good they can't ignore you 19:55 When they go low, and the messy middle 22:15 The least interesting thing about you 24:14 Body image goes to work 26:55 Getting in early with Embrace Collective 29:32 Movement, not punishment 32:50 Showing up authentically 34:29 Feminine leadership 35:09 Where do you put your doubt? 38:46 Ask for 15 minutes, not a coffee 40:40 What Taryn wants to master next 41:36 Sav's takeaway 42:32 Next week on You're In Charge See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.






