CEO Sweetheart
CEO Sweetheart is hosted by Emma Seibold, the founder of the fitness brands Barre Body and Bende. In each episode she explores how to pursue personal and business dreams while staying true to your heart and values. The show focuses on the idea that you can be a powerful, successful leader without giving up kindness, empathy and contribution to the world. It mixes practical business advice with mindset and wellbeing topics for aspiring and current entrepreneurs.
Episodes
Episode 7 | The Future of Modern Movement Education with Holly & Phoebe from FŌMME
Holly and Phoebe are the founders of FOMME — a Pilates conference that is doing something genuinely special for our industry. They are bold, visionary women and I loved every minute of this conversation.We talk about why community matters so much in the Pilates world right now, what powerful feminine leadership looks like in practice, and what it takes to build something new in a fast-moving indus
Episode 6 | The Full Life
This is the episode I've wanted to record for a while — because it's the one that feels most personal.Building a business while navigating a divorce, raising two kids, falling in love again, doing long distance, and trying to actually enjoy my life in Byron Bay... it's a lot. And I wouldn't change any of it.In this episode I get real about what it looks like to build something huge while also buil
Episode 5 | Leading With Love
People sometimes raise an eyebrow when I say I lead with love. Like it's a nice idea but not a real business strategy. I'm here to tell you it absolutely is.In this episode I share what compassionate leadership actually looks like in practice — not the theory, but the real, everyday decisions that have shaped my team, my culture and my bottom line. Kindness and profit are not opposites. In my expe
Episode 4 | Franchising, Marriage & Making People Feel F*ing Awesome — With Tori Clapham, Peaches Pilates
Tori Clapham is one of the most impressive women I know in the Pilates world — and we have quite a story. I sold two of my Barre Body studios to her, and today Peaches Pilates is one of our biggest studio partners in Sydney and Melbourne.In this conversation we go deep — on building, scaling, selling, and what it really takes to lead in this industry. We talk about the Pilates boom, where it's hea
Episode 3 | The Business of Pilates
I have a front-row seat to one of the most exciting moments in the global wellness industry — and I want to bring you into it.Pilates has exploded. The global wellness economy is booming. And the opportunity for women who want to build a business in this space has never been bigger. In this episode I share what I'm seeing from the inside — the trends, the shifts, the opportunities — and why I genu
Episode 2 | 15 Years, 15 Lessons
Barre Body turns 15 in November 2026. Fifteen years of building, pivoting, failing, growing, and learning — and I have so much to share.In this episode I share my 15 biggest lessons from 15 years in business. Some of these I've touched on before, but I'm going deeper this time — more honest, more hard-won, more me-right-now. If you're building something of your own, I think you'll find a lot here
Episode 1 | Hello, CEO Sweetheart
Welcome to CEO Sweetheart — a new chapter, a new name, and a more grown-up version of me. If you've been here since Nice Bossy, thank you — this is for you too. And if you're new, I'm so glad you found your way here.In this first episode I share why I've rebranded, what CEO Sweetheart means to me, and why — after 15 years of building Barre Body — I'm finally, fully claiming my role as CEO. Not apo
CEO Sweetheart | Trailer
Something new is coming.After 15 years of building Barre Body from a $20,000 dream into a multi-million business, Emma Seibold is done doing it quietly.CEO Sweetheart is the evolution of her podcast Nice Bossy. More grown up, more honest, and more her. It’s for women (and men) who want to build something bold, lead from a place of love, and live a life that genuinely lights them up.The first episo
Ep 13 - People pleasing and boundary setting
This episode explores what it means to be a people pleaser (from a self-confessed card-carrying people pleaser in recovery) and how to unwind from this deep-set behavioural story and patterns. I also delve into the wonderful world of boundaries; what they are, how to set them, and what happens when you do.
Ep 12 - How I cope with stress (and how you can too)
In this episode I talk about how I manage and reduce stress. This episode goes beyond the obvious stress reduction techniques and in it I share my quite unique strategies for balancing all my priorities (running a big business, being a mother to two neurodiverse children, and managing my own health) and calming my stress levels. It's a good one and I recommend it to anyone who has a lot to juggle.
Ep 11 - Goal setting & manifestation
This is a fun episode. In it, I lead you through a full goal setting and manifestation session. Make sure you have a notebook and pen and can spare an hour or so to fully immerse yourself in this transformational session. Heart-based goal setting is one of my favourite things to do and I have honed this skill over many years. The technique and process I take you through in this episode is potent a
Ep 10 - My 10 biggest lessons in business to date
It's been a long time between podcast episodes, but I'm back with a new episode (recorded months ago!) on my biggest lessons in business to date. Here's what to expect: 1:55 Reflecting on 2022, one of my most challenging years3:33 2023, a year of rebirth6:00 My 10 biggest lessons to date6:15 Lesson 1: Be brave8:50 Lesson 2: Treat people well14:00 Lesson 3: Don’t be afraid to pivot or l
Ep 9 - Building resilience during tough times
How do you get through the tough times? How do you keep getting up when life feels hard? This episode delves into the importance of these more challenging times in life and how they can make you a stronger, fuller, more powerful person. Resilience is defined in the dictionary as "the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness." I would add that it also means that you are better equip
Ep 8 - My daily routines, practices and tools for success and joy
This is a great episode and I know you'll love it. In it, I share some of my favourite daily routines, practices and the tools I use to create my magical life.
Ep 7 - The ongoing effects of COVID on my business (and life!)
Gosh, this is a big episode. I recorded it in June 2021 towards the end of the fourth lockdown in Melbourne, where I have three studios. I talk about the effects of COVID on my family, business and life, and boy, is it a big one! The continuing ripples and waves of COVID impacts keep coming and shifting things in my business - sometimes for the worse and sometimes for the better. I have lots to sa
Ep 6 - Why leading with love is so important
A guiding principle in my life has long been to choose love over fear. In this episode, I talk about my relationship to love and fear and how leading with love has guided my life and business for the past 20 years. Running a business from a place of love is pretty unique and it has served me well.
Ep 5 - The work/motherhood/self juggle. How I "do it all".
Gosh, this episode is a minefield. I don't actually believe in juggling or that you can "have it all". In this episode, I talk about my approach to balancing and managing all the things that I have on my plate and how I stay sane (hint: it's all about compromise and surrender) and give my best to the things that really, truly matter. I hope you enjoy it and that it helps you to make peace in amids
Ep 4 - What is Nice Bossy and why is it so important?
This is a very special episode to me. I share the origins of the phrase "Nice Bossy" and what is means to me at home and in business. I have a beautiful, spirited, powerful daughter who is often called "bossy" and I want her to know that bossy isn't a bad thing; rather it means that she is a leader, but that there are ways to lead that are Nice Bossy by using empathy, kindness and compassion. This
Ep 3 - Does it make your heart sing?
This question has always been my guide to know if I am on the right track in my life. It's a gut-check (or heart-check) that I do to feel into different areas of my life and know I am where I am meant to be. In this episode, I share how this question has shaped my life and how you can use it to guide and design your life.
Ep 2 - How I started Barre Body with just $20k
Would you believe that I started my multimillion dollar empire with just $20k? It's true, and in this episode I share exactly how we managed to create the Barre Body brand and all that goes with it AND open our first studio with just $20,000.
Ep 1 - I took a huge risk and am now living my dreams
9.5 years ago I took a big risk in starting Barre Body and it has paid off big-time. In this very first episode, I share the beginning of my journey and some insights and tips from taking the start-up leap.
