Ep 115 - Ellie Swift: Virtual Teams, Psychological Safety, Hiring, Feedback + Motherhood

This episode feels incredibly special to me, not just because of the conversation itself, but because of who I’m speaking with.

Ellie Swift has been a mentor, a guide, a colleague, and, most importantly, a dear friend who has shaped my leadership and my personal growth in ways I’m still discovering. She’s one of the people who has held space for me through seasons of expansion and challenge, and someone whose wisdom I trust with my whole heart.

So to sit with her in this space, woman to woman, mother to mother, leader to leader, felt like such a gift.

And I’m so excited to share it with you.This episode goes far beyond business strategy.

It’s a deeply grounded conversation about what it really looks like to lead people with heart… especially in the online space where nuance, safety, and clarity matter more than ever.

Together, Ellie and I dive into the topics so many Purposeful CEOs are navigating behind the scenes: the things you don’t see on social media but absolutely feel in your day-to-day leadership:

1. Psychological safety in virtual teams - What it takes to create a culture where people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and bring their full selves to the table. Practical examples. Real scenarios. No fluff.
2. Hiring through a values-led lens - Why so many hiring decisions go wrong, how to know if someone is truly aligned, and the exact red flags Ellie teaches her clients to watch for.
3. Feedback that strengthens relationships - The difference between supportive feedback and “rescuing,” and the scripts + language shifts that make feedback feel like care instead of criticism.
4. Motherhood and leadership - How becoming a mother changes the way we lead (in the best ways), why presence matters more than perfection, and the identity stretch that so many mums-in-business quietly carry.
5. The emotional weight of leadership - The doubt, the responsibility, the internal pressure and how to hold it with more spaciousness, honesty, and grace.

This episode is full of honesty, humanity, and the kind of wisdom you can only learn through lived experience. If you're building a team, navigating growth, or craving leadership that feels more grounded and less performative… this is the conversation you’ll want to hear.

Connect with Ellie

• Website: ellieswift.com
• Instagram: @elliehswift
• Podcast: Scalable Freedom

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @emma_lou_campbell
• LinkedIn: Emma Campbell
• Website: www.emmacampbell.com.au