FIRST MOVERS with Yas London

Yas London
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First Movers with Yas London is a podcast for women exploring #technology, #leadership, and #society, and the ideas and forces shaping our future. Through candid conversations with people challenging outdated systems and shaping the environments around them, Yas uncovers the tensions, truths, and possibilities hiding in plain sight. Because what we make visible shapes what others believe is possible. Watch, listen, subscribe — and become a #firstmover

  1. 14h ago

    He Stole $317K From Her. His Entire Identity Was a Lie with Tracy Hall

    Tracy Hall spent 18 months in a relationship with a man she knew as Max Tavita. They ran together, surfed, went on family holidays, and slowly built a life together. Tracy thought she’d found her person. Then one morning she woke up to a Crime Stoppers video showing her boyfriend being arrested outside his Bondi apartment. Max Tavita didn’t exist. He was Hamish McLaren, one of Australia’s most notorious conmen. A professional criminal who had spent decades perfecting his ability to gain people’s trust. He stole $317,000 from Tracy. In this episode of First Movers, Yas London sits down with Tracy, author of The Last Victim, to unpack what sophisticated manipulation actually looks like from the inside, and why intelligence, career success, and life experience don’t make us immune. Tracy reveals how Hamish meticulously built trust over time, asked questions, listened, mirrored her values, and created the version of himself he knew she could fall in love with. She also shares what happened after the truth came out: the psychological devastation of discovering the person she loved was a fictional identity, the shame that stopped her telling people what had happened, and what it took to rebuild trust in herself and take back control of her financial future. And then there’s what comes next. As generative AI gives criminals the ability to create convincing identities, images, voices, video, and personalised communication at enormous scale, Tracy argues that the target remains fundamentally human: “They don’t hack systems, they hack people.” In this conversation: → Why there is no “typical” scam victim → How a professional conman spent 18 months building and weaponising Tracy’s trust → The moment Tracy discovered “Max” was actually Hamish McLaren → Why shame and victim-blaming help keep scams hidden → Why Tracy believes we need to start teaching “trust literacy” → The financial boundary she will never surrender again → What a verification tick on a dating app actually tells you → Why Tracy believes dating platforms need stronger identity verification → How AI is supercharging scams and social engineering → How to protect yourself without becoming afraid to trust anyone This isn’t simply a conversation about scams. It’s about what happens when the qualities that make us human, trust, love, optimism, and connection, become the very things criminals learn to weaponise. And how we protect those qualities without losing them. RESOURCES: Tracy Hall Tracy Hall: www.tracyhall.com.au/ Author of The Last Victim, speaker, and scam awareness advocate. The Last Victim Tracy’s book about discovering that the man she loved was notorious conman Hamish McLaren, and the financial and psychological aftermath of the crime. Language Matters: https://tracyhall.com.au/resources Tracy’s trauma-informed guide to communicating about romance scams and financial crime. As Tracy explains in the episode, it is designed to move language away from questions such as “How did they fall for it?” and towards accurately describing manipulation, coercion, targeting, and criminal behaviour. CONNECT WITH YAS LONDON Website: yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: Yasmin London

  2. Sep 23

    The First Red Flags Aren't Red with Dannielle Miller

    Content warning: this episode discusses domestic and intimate partner violence, and may be distressing for some listeners. Please take care while listening, and skip this one if it isn't the right episode for you today.  One in four women in Australia has experienced intimate partner violence. One woman a week is murdered by a current or former partner. And the pattern that makes that possible almost always starts before adulthood - in classrooms, in teen relationships, and in those small invisible moments when a girl first learns to doubt herself. Dannielle Miller is co-founder and CEO of Enlighten Education, Australia's leading in-school workshop provider. In 23 years, she has worked with close to one million young women. She holds an Order of Australia Medal for service to women, youth and education, and serves as Director of Education for Women's Community Shelters - where 200 women and children find safety every single night. In this episode, Yas and Dannielle go deep on what is actually happening for teen girls right now that parents wouldn't believe, why coercive control in teen relationships has become normalised, the FRIES consent framework every young person should know, and what parents and carers can do at home today to raise girls who trust themselves - and boys who become good men. This is one of those conversations that will make you pause, reflect, and then act. If this one matters to you, share it with a parent, a teacher, or anyone raising young people right now. Connect with Yas London: Website: www.yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/ Connect with Dannielle Miller: Instagram: @danniellemiller https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannielle-miller-oam-a287b561

  3. Sep 22

    Trust Literacy: How Do You Know What's Real Anymore:?

    You’re smart. You’re careful. You think you’d know if something wasn’t real. But what happens when your daughter’s voice can be cloned, your boss can appear on a video call, or the health expert in your feed looks credible, sounds authoritative, and has the followers to prove it? Would you actually know? In this solo episode, Yas London explores trust literacy, the skill of deciding who and what deserves our trust when the signals we’ve traditionally relied on can increasingly be manufactured. You’ll learn: → Why intelligence doesn’t make us immune to manipulation → How social media has blurred the line between popularity and expertise → Why urgency, fear, outrage, and confirmation bias can override good judgement → Yas’s five-question Trust Check for higher-stakes decisions → Why sometimes the smartest thing you can do is slow down This isn’t about becoming cynical or trusting nobody. It’s about becoming more discerning. Open enough to trust. Skilled enough to verify. Resources mentioned in this episode: Scams: Scamwatch — https://portal.scamwatch.gov.auAustralian fact-checking: AAP FactCheck — https://www.aap.com.au/factcheck/ | factcheck@aap.com.auHealth information: WHO — https://www.who.int/International fact-checking: PolitiFact — https://politifact.com/ | FactCheck.org — https://www.factcheck.org/Fact-check search: Google Fact Check Explorer — https://toolbox.google.com/factcheck/explorer/searchAustralian independent news: Women’s Agenda — https://womensagenda.com.au/ | The Daily Aus — https://www.thedailyaus.com.au/ | Cheek Media — https://www.cheekmedia.co/ Subscribe so you never miss a First Mover episode: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstMoversCo Connect with Yas London: Website: yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/

  4. Sep 17

    The First Phone Conversation Most Parents Don’t Think About

    Your child wants their first phone. They want to stay connected with friends, have more independence and, of course, “everyone else has one”. But there’s a conversation we need to have before we hand it over. Because a first phone doesn’t just introduce a child to technology. It introduces them to a new set of rules around privacy, access, boundaries, consent, friendship, and eventually relationships. In this solo episode, Yas London draws on her years working in online safety, and her own experience as a parent, to explore how we can give children greater digital independence without teaching them that constant access is the price of belonging, or worse, love. You’ll learn: → Why the first phone should be a series of permissions, not one big decision → The difference between digital care and control → Why location tracking doesn’t automatically mean greater safety → How to build capability rather than relying solely on parental controls → The five conversations to have before the first phone arrives The goal isn’t to remove every digital risk. It’s to raise children with the judgement and confidence to navigate those risks when we’re no longer standing beside them. Because ultimately, the best safety tool we can give our kids is their own capability. RESOURCES Online safety advice for parents and young people: eSafety Commissioner Practical guidance for parents on devices, parental controls, privacy, location sharing, online relationships, consent, and navigating online risks. Research referenced in the episode: eSafety Commissioner Research Australian research into young people’s experiences and attitudes online, including digital behaviours within relationships. Parent resources and advice: eSafety Parents Advice on helping children safely navigate devices, social media, games, online relationships, and difficult online experiences. Enlighten Education: Enlighten Education Founded by Dannielle Miller, whose upcoming First Movers conversation explores consent, confidence, online culture, healthy relationships, and raising girls and boys in the digital world. CONNECT WITH YAS LONDONWebsite: www.yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/ Subscribe so you never miss a First Move Podcast Episode: “What we make visible shapes what others believe is possible.”

  5. Aug 11

    Speaking Up Has A Cost. So Does Staying Silent - with Jo Tarnawsky

    Jo Tarnawsky ran one of the most powerful offices in Australian politics: Chief of Staff to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, after twenty years as a diplomat in postings from Iraq to Zimbabwe to India. Then she raised a bullying complaint. Within weeks she was locked out of her own office. Five months later she stood in front of the cameras and asked for an apology. When it didn't come, she sued the Deputy Prime Minister, the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff, and the Commonwealth, reaching a confidential settlement in one of the most significant workplace cases in recent Australian political history. We talk about what it actually costs to speak up inside a system built on discretion and power, why women are statistically more likely than men to face consequences for raising concerns, what moral injury really means, and what she tells the women who message her at midnight asking what they should do. Please note: No adverse finding was made against any party in this matter, and the settlement is confidential. Connect with Yas London: Website: www.yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/ Connect with Jo Tarnawsky: Website and resources https://www.jotarnawsky.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-t-94568417a/ Want more strategies to become a First Mover? My book, First Movers: Courageous Leadership for a Human Future in the AI Era out September 2026. Reference material:Kintsugi Heroes: https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/Future Females Australia: https://futurefemalesaustralia.com.au/ Set the Standard report (Kate Jenkins, Australian Human Rights Commission): https://humanrights.gov.au/resource-hub/human-rights/set-standard-2021

  6. Aug 3

    Wired to Fail: How the Digital Workplace Was Built Against You with Dr Kristy Goodwin

    You’re optimising with AI. You're hitting your KPIs. You look like you're killing it. But behind the scenes it’s a different story. Dr Kristy Goodwin calls it the success tax - and in this episode, she makes the case that high-performing women in the digital world are paying it with their health, their relationships, and their biology. Every. Single. Day. Kristy is one of Australia's leading researchers on performance, technology, and the brain. She's the expert behind the concept of digital presenteeism, and the Focus Quotient - and she's had her own code-red burnout moment that changed everything she thought she knew about how we work. In this conversation, Yas and Kristy go deep on: → Why we have a Palaeolithic brain trying to run 2026 software - and what that mismatch is actually costing us → The success tax: what high-performing women are paying to stay in the game (and why the bill always arrives at the worst time) → Why meditation, sleep hygiene, and wellness apps aren't working - and what to do instead → AI, cognitive debt, and why your brain might be quietly atrophying while you bot-sit → What deep work actually requires (and why leaders are getting it wrong) Plus: Kristy's code-red hospital story. The CEO who made $25M from a surf session. And the line that will stop you mid-scroll: "success was never supposed to feel like burnout in a designer blazer." This is not a conversation about self-care. It's a conversation about the system - and what it's going to take to change it. Follow Yas on Instagram @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/ Website: yasminlondon.com Email: hello@yasminlondon.com Follow Dr Kristy Goodwin on Instagram: @drkristy  Subscribe to the First Movers Podcast on this channel so you never miss an episode #burnout #highperformance #womenleadership #successtax #digitalwellbeing #productivity #AI #womenwhowork #firstmoverspodcast #kristygoodwin #podcast

  7. Jul 14

    Raised Ready: The Hidden Cost of Being the Girl Everyone Could Count On

    I was hosting a leadership conference. Senior women. CEOs, founders, executives. Ruth Limkin asked one question -"How many of you are the eldest child?" - and 85% of the room put their hands up. That's not a quirky data point. That's a pattern worth pulling apart. This episode is about the conditioning that shapes high-achieving women long before they ever step into a boardroom. The identity that gets built around reliability. And the specific ways that wiring — combined with the demands of career, family, and everything in between — becomes a very direct route to running on empty. I get into the signs (including the ones that hide behind achievement), the systems that exploited those traits, and practical steps that don't involve vague advice about self-care. The Banyans Healthcare: thebanyans.com.auRuth Limkin / The Banyans research on professional burnout and alcohol use trendsResearch on birth order and leadership (eldest child studies)Research: 90% of female CEOs played competitive sport Connect with Yas London: Website: yasminlondon.com Instagram: @yaslondon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasmin-london/

  8. Jun 29

    Abuse With a Glow Up: How Everyday Technology Has Become the New Weapon of Control

    ⚠️ Trigger warning: This episode contains references to domestic abuse, coercive control, and family violence. What if the most dangerous weapon in a domestic abuser's hands isn't a fist — but your bank account? In this episode, Yas London sits down with Catherine Fitzpatrick, CEO of Flequity Ventures and Australia's leading expert on financial abuse and technology-facilitated domestic violence. Catherine spent nearly a decade as a senior bank executive before uncovering a disturbing pattern: everyday products — bank accounts, insurance policies, smart devices, utility bills — being weaponised as tools of coercive control. In this conversation, you'll learn: — How bank transfer descriptions are being used as weapons of harassment and surveillance — Why 51% of Australians will experience technology-facilitated abuse in their lifetime — What Safety By Design means — and why most companies still aren't doing it — How AI is both the problem and the solution in financial abuse detection — What you can do right now, whether you're a business leader or an individual If something feels off in your relationship with money or technology, this episode will give you language, clarity, and a clear next step. Catherine Fitzpatrick | Flequity Ventures: https://flequity.au Learn about Design to Disrupt: https://designedtodisrupt.au Respect & Protect Campaign (check if your company has signed up): https://respectandprotect.au/ 1800RESPECT (National domestic violence support line): 1800 737 732 | www.1800respect.org.au Connect with Yas London: Website: yasminlondon.com Instagram: @_yaslondon_ LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yasminlondon "What we make visible shapes what others believe is possible."

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First Movers with Yas London is a podcast for women exploring #technology, #leadership, and #society, and the ideas and forces shaping our future. Through candid conversations with people challenging outdated systems and shaping the environments around them, Yas uncovers the tensions, truths, and possibilities hiding in plain sight. Because what we make visible shapes what others believe is possible. Watch, listen, subscribe — and become a #firstmover

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