Her Seat Event Recap - 14th of May 2026

Our Her Seat Conversation: Brisbane brought together a room of women founders, business owners and leaders for a powerful afternoon of honest conversation centred around the realities of ambition, leadership and personal growth. Hosted in Brisbane, the experience created space for the conversations that often sit quietly beneath the surface but shape so much of how women lead, build and navigate life.

Following a beautiful experience in Sydney and overwhelming interest from women across Queensland, bringing Her Seat to Brisbane felt like a natural next step. More than an event, this gathering was intentionally designed to move beyond surface-level networking and into the conversations women are living every day but rarely have the opportunity to openly explore.

We were honoured to have Sheena Schuy and Brigette Panetta guide the afternoon, bringing wisdom, vulnerability and powerful perspectives to themes that deeply resonated throughout the room.

Across the conversation, we explored the foundations of confidence and where it truly comes from. We unpacked the distinction between genuine competence and the constant pull toward external validation, alongside the invisible pressure many women quietly carry to continually prove themselves while balancing multiple roles, responsibilities and expectations.

Sheena Schuy shared profound reflections around nervous system health, burnout and the emotional weight leadership quietly accumulates over time. Her insights created space for women to examine what happens when strength becomes something we perform rather than something we genuinely feel. It was a powerful reminder that leadership does not require constant self-sacrifice and that being capable does not mean carrying everything alone.

Brigette Panetta brought deeply moving perspectives around healing, personal evolution and returning to ourselves through deeper self-awareness. Through conversations around forgiveness, nervous system regulation and personal sovereignty, women were invited to reconnect with who they are beneath expectations, pressure and performance. Her reflections served as a reminder that growth is not always found in doing more, but often in returning to ourselves with honesty and intention.

Another theme that surfaced strongly throughout the afternoon was the relationship between fear and growth. Rather than seeing discomfort as something to avoid, the conversation encouraged women to understand what is happening within the body when we are being stretched and challenged. Through greater awareness came a deeper understanding that discomfort is NOT always a signal to retreat, sometimes it is evidence that expansion is taking place.

The atmosphere throughout the afternoon felt open, thoughtful and deeply supportive. Women shared honestly, reflected openly and connected through experiences that felt deeply personal, yet universally understood. There was a collective sense of relief in recognising that many of the challenges women carry are not theirs to hold alone.

Amy Guo and Serena Tran, founders of Her Seat, created these gatherings as part of their broader mission to redefine what networking and connection can look like for women in business. Her Seat exists to bring balance to ambition by creating spaces where women can grow, connect and evolve without losing themselves in the process.

The experience was made even more special thanks to FLEURAISON, a beautiful business founded by one of our own community members, whose support helped elevate the experience and bring even more warmth and beauty to the day.

What stood out most was the feeling in the room— women connecting openly, conversations continuing long after the discussion ended, and a shared sense of understanding between people navigating leadership, ambition and life at the same time.

Moments like these are exactly why Her Seat exists.

Because the right room does more than create conversations, it reminds us who we are becoming. 🤍