E14: Living my Best Life | Vicki Hartley on Family, Career and Freedom

What does living your best life actually look like? For Vicki Hartley, it has meant building a fulfilling career while knowing when family, purpose and life outside work need to come first.In this episode, Vicki reflects on moving from the UK to Australia at 30 and starting a new life, saying yes to opportunities that stretched her, achieving her goal of becoming a CFO - not easy for a young woman! - and eventually building a portfolio of non executive director and advisory board roles. But some of the most important decisions Vicki's made were about much more than work. She talks openly about stepping away from a major career opportunity for her family, finding purpose through volunteering, and creating a life that now gives her room for meaningful work, travel, family and freedom.Vicki also gives a shout out to Dr Adam Fraser for his work and reminder of the reality and benefits of struggling and the importance of striving.You’ll uncover• Why saying yes to opportunities outside her comfort zone helped Vicki grow, even when she did not feel completely ready.• What being told she was too young for boards in her mid 40s revealed about the barriers women faced around the boardroom table.• Why Vicki chose family over the next big career opportunity, and how that decision shaped what came next.• How volunteering with Domestic Violence Services Management and Dress for Success brought purpose and contribution into her life.• Why success today looks like meaningful board work, time with family, travel, and the flexibility to handle the occasional broken down car in remote South Australia.Vicki’s story is for women thinking about what a good life looks like at different ages and stages. It is about ambition without allowing work to become everything, making choices that reflect what matters at the time, and recognising that our definition of success can change. Sometimes the biggest leap is giving yourself permission to claim your own time and place.Vicki Hartley is a former CFO and experienced non executive director whose board work has included Domestic Violence Services Management and Dress for Success. She is on the board of Defence bank Australia and is settling into a new non executive director role at UTS College.Wondering if it's your time, your place? Her Time, Her Place is hosted by Amanda Webb, CEO of Xplore for Success, where she helps women build the clarity and confidence to lead their own next chapter. The women who join her on this show are exactly who Amanda works with every day, ambitious, thoughtful, ready for what's next. It's work she describes simply: changing leaders, lives, and careers in all kinds of organisations. Learn more at xplore.net.au.