Caryn Walsh BE UNSTOPPABLE Interview

From Three to 93: Addressing the Challenges Every Generation of Women Face

The Australian bringing empowerment back to women all over the world, through an interactive new online Program

After 25 years of empowering leaders and women around the world, international business leader, motivational speaker and women's coach, Caryn Walsh has today launched a powerful tool to help women everywhere take control of their own lives.

Part of the Empowering Women to Thrive Series, BE UNSTOPPABLE is an interactive 9-stage online Program created for women, by women, to help them make positive changes to their lives. Written by Caryn, who has coached and counselled thousands of women in all kinds of settings over a 25-year career, the Program has been skilfully crafted into an online resource by gifted education consultant, Christina Randell.

An innately positive and powerful Program for women of all ages and backgrounds, the catalyst for creating BE UNSTOPPABLE initially came from a tragic event, familicide, which left a marked impression on Caryn.

In this situation, a man ended his own life and those of his infant children and it was then that Caryn realised she had to do more to help women around the world, and do what she could to prevent horrific incidents like this from happening again.

Those affected by Family and Domestic Violence are two of many groups of women who can benefit from BE UNSTOPPABLE, which can be accessed anytime, anywhere, by anyone who has access to the internet. However, the Program is not aimed specifically at addressing family violence.

The 9-stage online Program is designed to help women around the world learn how to grow in confidence, communicate assertively, manage stress well, learn how to become personally empowered, be emotionally intelligent at all times and set realistic and achievable goals for themselves. It is designed to tackle the nine most common challenges Australian women face today, helping them gain more control of their lives, in the privacy of their homes, to become more empowered in their choices over time.

BE UNSTOPPABLE address the challenges facing women of all ages, in life, in love, relationships, all career levels and job titles and all backgrounds.

"If you think women's empowerment, gender equality, parental leave and education is a problem for a specific gender, industry or age, think again," comments Caryn.

"The statistics speak for themselves - women are still earning less than men; they're feeling unsatisfied at work, in their home and personal lives; they lack confidence and the skills needed to communicate effectively and with authority. These are not just issues for children, for business women, for mothers or grandmothers. They affect everyone, all ages, all genders, all job titles."

In Australia, the average salary a female undergraduate will start work on is 1.8% less for women than men. This is despite the fact that 39.9% will have achieved a bachelor degree or above, compared to 30.9% of all men in the same age bracket. The full time average weekly salary for women is still 15.3% less than for men, women retire with 42.0% less superannuation than men, and 29.1% of Organisations reporting into the Workplace Gender Equality Agency in February this year had no key female management personnel.

Having worked with thousands of women and girls from three to 86 years old, at all levels, on various continents around the world, Caryn recognised common threads in the challenges all women face, which hold them back from living the life of which they dream. These challenges have been addressed in the 9-stages of the BE UNSTOPPABLE Program, with each stage building on the one before.

"The actions we take now affect the next generation, so making the Program accessible to everyone is one step towards a world full of empowered women, creating their own dreams," Caryn comments.

"It has taken a year to write and design BE UNSTOPPABLE, and we believe it is the only Program of its specific kind in the world. We know the need is there, for women of all backgrounds and ages. A month before launch, we already had 1,500 women register their interest in the Program, with the oldest being 86 years of age."

Caryn has an impressive resume, with over 25 years' experience in international leadership development and training, counselling and coaching women from all walks of life. Caryn has helped move women to safety, taken them to greater heights in leadership positions, become more confident in their own lives, helped them overcome areas where they struggle and move forward confidently and optimistically. Well known in business, Caryn coaches CEOs and senior executives internationally. A CEO she coached in 2016 (a woman) was awarded the 2017 Australian CEO of the Year, and Caryn is a regular keynote speaker at conferences in Australia and internationally each year.

"I have dealt with suicide, incest, distressed families and marriages, depression and anxiety, mental health issues, domestic violence and have assisted poor business leaders, bad organisational management and under-performing teams. I have worked with countless families, hundreds of marriages and women in refuges, and run self-esteem and conflict resolution programs in primary and high schools," adds Caryn.

"With this new Program, as with all my work, my aim is to help women unite. Let's guide, mentor and support each other. Let we women band together to make this world a better place. We need every one of you, no matter where you are, to turn gender inequality around, and help make this world a better place over time."

BE UNSTOPPABLE is a powerful, interactive 9-stage online empowerment Program for women around the world to access at www.empoweringwomentothrive.com.

Interview with Caryn Walsh

Question: What is BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: Part of the Empowering Women to Thrive Series, BE UNSTOPPABLE is an interactive 9-stage online Women's Empowerment Program created for women, by women, to help them make positive changes to their lives over time.

It has been written to help women around the world learn how to grow in confidence, communicate assertively, manage stress well, learn how to become personally empowered, be more emotionally intelligent and set realistic and achievable goals for themselves.

BE UNSTOPPABLE has been written by Caryn Walsh, an international leadership and team development specialist who has coached, trained and counselled thousands of women in all kinds of settings over a 25-year career. The Program has been skillfully crafted into an online resource by gifted education consultant, Christina Randell.


Question: What inspired you to create BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: I've been working with women for more than two decades and all settings – in business, as leaders, in relationships, dealing with domestic violence and helping them build confidence, for example. Helping women thrive is my absolute passion, it drives and inspires me every day.

However, a key catalyst for creating BE UNSTOPPABLE initially came from a very tragic event, familicide, which left a marked impression on me. In this situation, a man ended his own life and those of his infant children. I believe it could have been prevented. It was then that I knew I had to do more to help women around the world, and do what I could to prevent horrific incidents like this from happening again.

That said, any woman, not only those affected by Family and Domestic Violence, will benefit from BE UNSTOPPABLE, which can be accessed anytime, anywhere, by anyone who has access to the internet. The Program is not aimed specifically at addressing family violence - it's for any woman who wants to take control of her own life and live it happily, with purpose and clarity.

Question: What will women learn with BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: The Program encourages women to explore contemporary personal empowerment issues and build the skills they need to live an empowered life. Key empowerment principles are infused in the Program and create a stimulating and supportive learning journey for them.

In essence, it is aimed at helping women take control of their lives, really think about how they want to live and then learn the key skills (such as personal empowerment, emotional intelligence and community assertively, for example) to go out and thrive.

Be Unstoppable offers a diverse menu of carefully selected articles and videos that reflect current experience and thinking. The articles and videos stimulate the participants reflection and encourage her, with new found knowledge and insight, to swing into action.

Women on the Program gain skills through experiential learning - a natural process where we learn by doing. BE UNSTOPPABLE includes a range of activities that invite women to:

reflect on their own lives and experiences,
deepen their understanding of personal empowerment issues and challenges, refine their own thinking.


Question: Why is BE UNSTOPPABLE relevant to all women?

Caryn Walsh: Women around the world face similar challenges. Gender inequality, relationship dysfunction, low confidence and not speaking up for herself – many struggle to wear the many different hats they put on every day. These challenges are common to many women, at any age, across the world. Whether it's juggling a career and a family, dealing with difficult relationships, finding more confidence, moving forward in a job, managing challenging conversations or simply finding the happiness we all deserve. For many women, it's a struggle.

In my work over 25 years, I have dealt with homicide, suicide, distressed families and marriages, depression and anxiety, mental health issues, domestic violence and have assisted poor business leaders, bad organisational management and under-performing teams. I have worked with countless families, hundreds of marriages and women in refuges, and run self-esteem and conflict resolution programs in primary and high schools.

With BE UNSTOPPABLE, as with all my work, my aim is to help women unite and find the skills and power that already lies within them, to take control of their lives and achieve the goals they truly want out of life.


Question: How can we take responsibility for bridging the pay gap?

Caryn Walsh: We all need to take responsibility. Individuals, law and policy makers, Organisations and Governments. There is no reason a woman should be paid less than the man sitting next to her in the office doing the exact same job. But it's the reality. For example, the full time average weekly salary for women in Australia is still 15.3% less than for men.
Recent research indicates it will take about 80 years for gender inequality to even out. In the meantime, we can't sit around and wait for governments, Organisations and businesses to catch up with the times. We women need to learn to speak up and ask for what we want. Yes, it may be uncomfortable for us, it may make us anxious to think that we have to actually ask for what we deserve, but it's time.

If you are prepared, you know your worth and believe in you, you will feel more confident to get what you deserve. BE UNSTOPPABLE will help you unleash and strengthen your personal power and grow in confidence. It will teach you to Be Unstoppable.


Question: How did you research before creating BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: Realising the desperate need of many women around the world with whom I work, I knew something more had to be done.

We conducted market research to assess what other online women's empowerment Programs were out there and have not found anything like Be Unstoppable.

We interviewed many women before I spent time writing the Program to establish what specific topics would help them.

In addition, BE UNSTOPPABLE is a direct response to multiple requests to get my women's empowerment training Programs online, from those who have already benefited from them. It is a culmination of 25 years of experience working with women, at all levels and ages, in Continents all over the world.

It has taken a year to write and design BE UNSTOPPABLE, and we believe it is the only Program of its kind in the world. We know the need is there, for women of all backgrounds and ages. A month before launch, we already had 1,500 women register their interest in the Program, with the oldest being 86 years of age.


Question: What types of common challenges do women face, all around the world?

Caryn Walsh: There are many common challenges women face.

Have a look at these bigger picture statistics:

Of the 1.4 billion people living on just over $1 a day, 70 percent are women and girls.
Women do two thirds of the world's work but earn only ten percent of the income. This has to stop.
Women produce half of the world's food, but own only 1% of the land. This has to stop.
More than 900 million of the world's population cannot read or write, of which 75% are women. This has to change.
Women and girls are the poorest most excluded people on the face of the earth today, which is why the UN is promoting gender equality as Goal 3 of its critical goals to achieve within the next decade.
Source: UN Global Strategies (2020)

In daily living, less than 1.9 percent of women are in top leadership positions. In Australia (as in many countries around the world) women receive 15.3 % less for the same role that a man has. Many women lack in confidence, doubt themselves often, struggle to keep on top of the stress of daily living and mostly, put others before themselves all the time. Domestic violence (based on power and control one person over another) takes the life of one woman a week in Australia. It is higher in other countries per capita.

BE UNSTOPPABLE is designed to tackle the nine most common challenges women face today, helping them gain more control of their lives, in the privacy of their homes, to become more empowered in their choices over time.

The 9-stage Program has been designed so each stage builds on the one before:
Personal Empowerment
My Story - I Really Matter
Love, Trust and Safety in Relationships
A Woman in Business
Manage Your Stress in a Challenging World
Communicate Assertively and with Confidence as a Woman
You, an Emotionally Intelligent Woman
Real Resilience – Bouncing Forward
Setting Goals for the Life You Really Want


Question: What is involved in the 9-stage program of BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: From the moment women register, they become part of the Be Unstoppable community. Throughout the Program they are encouraged to share their ideas with others and learn from others. The Empowering Women to Thrive Facebook and Instagram pages are social media spaces linked to the Program that invite women to connect and share their experiences.

The Program offers women a Stage by Stage approach to building important personal development and empowerment skills. At the end of each Stage participants can practise specific skills in their day to day life. Life and learning are part of the learning spiral.

Women can easily include this Program in their busy day to day lives as the intuitive online design format allows each woman to engage with the Program in her own way. Each person decides how much effort to put into her journey and how long her journey will take.

The online design offers women the possibility of easily dipping in and out of the Program as and when they have time. Women can keep coming back to items in the Program throughout their learning journey and even after they have completed their journey.


Question: What message do you hope women take from BE UNSTOPPABLE?

Caryn Walsh: All of us can be our own champion in our lives. It is up to us to design and live the life about which we dream and to live it to the fullest.

We are women. We are unique. We are so powerful and so valuable. Now go out and believe it.


Interview by Brooke Hunter