Episodes

  • Countdown to India - our move is getting real!

    Countdown to India - our move is getting real!
    Oct 28 2026
    The countdown is on - we go to India in less than 3 weeks! In this episode of The Emma Lovell Show, I’m taking you behind the scenes as we prepare to spend two and a half months away as a family, with India as our base, a visit to Nepal and an unexpected Bali stopover along the way. India is my favourite country in the world, and after 18 visits, this will be my longest stay yet. But taking my husband and son along, preparing our home for short-term guests and keeping my businesses running brings a whole new layer of planning. I’m sharing how we’ve approached the budget, why we booked our flights via Bali, how we chose our first Delhi apartment and the support we’ve put in place at home. I also talk honestly about the tears, nerves and strange in-between feeling when you’re still living your everyday life but getting ready for something big. This is the bleisure life in practice: bringing work, travel and family together, while leaving room to enjoy the experience. If you’ve been dreaming of an extended trip or wondering how you could make it work with your family and business, come along for the journey.
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    35 mins
  • Lessons in Capacity from USA and India

    Lessons in Capacity from USA and India
    Oct 22 2026
    Have you ever wanted to do something so much that you pushed through, even when you had nothing left in the tank? I feel like I'm learning the TRUE meaning of capacity now. That was me on my recent trip to the USA with Finn. Recovering from influenza, navigating long-haul travel with a 5 year old and spending time with my much-loved 103-year-old cousin brought some big lessons about capacity. A definition shared with me earlier this year finally hit home: capacity is desire and resources. You might have the want and the desire to do something, but do you have the resources: time, energy and money, to support it? In this episode, I share the realities behind our trip, the changing demands of parenting and why I used up ALL our frequent flyer points just to get home earlier. There’s also a travel tip I’ll be using from now on, a very grateful shout-out to my team and an update on our upcoming family adventure to India. If you’ve been running on empty while still trying to make everything happen, this one might feel familiar.
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    41 mins
  • Retreat Me Happy

    Retreat Me Happy
    Oct 15 2026
    Retreat Me Happy: Bringing the world of retreats together. Retreats have been a huge part of my life and business, and now I’m taking that love in a new direction! In this episode, I’m introducing you to Retreat Me Happy, an established retreat directory that I became the owner of in August 2025. I share how this opportunity came about, why it fits so beautifully alongside my existing business Rest & Receive, and my vision for connecting the retreat industry around the world. Because retreats come in so many forms. Business, wellness, writing, family, couples, spiritual and so much more. And behind every retreat are the people, places and services that help make it happen. Whether you’re looking for your next retreat, hosting one, offering a beautiful venue or supporting the industry with your skills, there’s a place for you. I also share the realities of taking over an existing business, the team helping bring this vision to life, and what’s coming next for Retreat Me Happy. Come and take a look. Can we retreat you happy?
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    21 mins
  • It Starts at Five: Why We Need to Talk About Domestic Violence

    It Starts at Five: Why We Need to Talk About Domestic Violence
    Oct 7 2026
    ⚠️ CONTENT WARNING: This episode discusses domestic violence, violence against women, sexual assault, alleged gang rape, coercive control, bullying and violence involving children. I woke up angry, and I needed to use my voice. It feels like we are seeing story after story after story — Sam Wood, the recent Sydney Swans allegations, another domestic violence case here on the Gold Coast, and the horrific allegations surrounding Cornell University. Some of it is almost impossible to comprehend. But we cannot let that overwhelm turn into silence. In this episode, I talk about why we need to speak up, why we need men to publicly join this conversation, and why saying something as simple as “This is not OK” matters. But the part I keep coming back to is this: it starts at five. My five-year-old son was recently encouraged by another boy to hurt a little girl. He knew it was wrong. He felt physically sick about it, and eventually he told me everything. We addressed it immediately with his school and after-school care, and we continued the conversation at home: we do not hurt people, we do not encourage others to hurt people, and when you see something that isn't right, you use your voice. We cannot wait until our boys become men to start having these conversations. Please listen. Please share this episode. Please have the uncomfortable conversations with your children, your partners, your friends and the men in your world. You don't need a huge platform and you don't need the perfect words. If speaking up encourages even one other person to use their voice, that matters. This is a topic we have to keep talking about. Violence is not OK.
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    16 mins
  • Perseverance: Knowing When to Keep Going and When to Let Go

    Perseverance: Knowing When to Keep Going and When to Let Go
    Sep 18 2026
    Perseverance: the quality of continuing to try and achieve a goal despite facing difficulties, delays, or failures After nearly two weeks of influenza A and a secondary infection, I’m slowly finding my way back to myself. Being this unwell affected far more than my body. Without the connection, movement, food, scents and everyday pleasures that usually lift me, I found myself in some incredibly difficult mental spirals. It gave me an even deeper appreciation for anyone living with chronic or life-altering illness and searching for the tiniest glimmers of light. The word that keeps meeting me through all of this is perseverance. It is also a word that makes me want to roll my eyes and ask, “Haven’t I persevered enough?” In this episode, I share what perseverance has looked like across my health, 17 years in business, the relaunch of Retreat Me Happy, changing our flights to the United States this week and continuing to hold onto our vision of spending three months in India. But perseverance doesn’t always mean pushing through. Sometimes it means completing the next difficult step. Sometimes it means fiercely protecting the dream. And sometimes it means releasing the plans, expenses and commitments that are draining the energy the real goal requires. India is still the vision. Retreat Me Happy is still the business I believe in. But I’m learning that I don’t need to persevere with every plan simply because I once made it. This is a vulnerable, real-life update from inside business, illness, motherhood, travel, money and holding onto a very big dream with reduced capacity. What does perseverance mean to you, and where in your life are you being asked to keep going or let something go?
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    30 mins
  • House Music With Annie Reid

    House Music With Annie Reid
    Sep 2 2026
    What happens when you give a big idea the space to be spoken out loud? In this episode of The Emma Lovell Show, I’m joined by my brilliant client, friend and colleague Annie Reid, an author, design journalist, copywriter and founder of Atrium Media and House Music. Annie has written and collaborated on 12 published books, with a career spanning architecture, interiors, property, sustainability and business. We talk about her creative career, the evolution of Atrium Media, and how conversations on our retreat in India helped Annie find the confidence to bring an ambitious idea she’d been carrying to life. That idea is House Music, an immersive sound and design experience planned for Melbourne in July 2027, where multidisciplinary artists will transform the rooms of the historic Labassa Mansion through sound, objects and visual elements. Annie shares the vision for House Music, where the idea came from, where it could go next, and what happened when she finally started saying it out loud. A beautiful conversation about creativity, courage and asking yourself: What if it works?
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    35 mins
  • How do you celebrate & reflect

    How do you celebrate & reflect
    Aug 27 2026
    What have you done, experienced, changed or overcome in the past year that deserves to be celebrated? In this special birthday episode, I’m sharing 39 things I’m celebrating at 39. Some are big, tangible milestones, including publishing A Life of Magic, buying Retreat Me Happy, reaching 80 countries and preparing to move my family to India. Others are quieter achievements, like holding my boundaries, letting go of relationships that no longer serve me, returning to morning walks and becoming more comfortable with who I am. I also reflect on the passing of the incomparable Dolly Parton and the lessons she leaves us about knowing who you are, shining brightly and bringing joy to the world simply by being yourself. This episode is an invitation to pause, look back and give yourself credit for everything you’ve accomplished. You don’t have to wait for your birthday or another major milestone to celebrate your progress. Choose a number, make your own list and remember: you have done more than you think! Celebrate it - today!
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    29 mins
  • I Bought a business

    I Bought a business
    Aug 15 2026
    I bought a business. Actually, I bought it almost a year ago …and today I can finally tell you about it. Meet Retreat Me Happy, a global retreat discovery and industry platform bringing together retreat guests, hosts, venues and suppliers. In this very spontaneous (and very fast!) episode, I'm sharing the story of how Retreat Me Happy came into my world, why I knew almost immediately that I wanted to buy it, and why I then spent nearly a year quietly holding the business before I was ready to bring it properly to life. I talk about becoming the custodian of something another founder created, how Retreat Me Happy fits alongside Emma Lovell and Rest & Receive, and why this business feels different from anything I've built before. Because this one isn't meant to be all about me. It's about creating a place where the whole world of retreats can come together, whether you're looking for a retreat, hosting one, searching for the perfect venue or providing the products and services that make incredible retreat experiences possible. And after more than a year of dreaming, visioning, waiting and wondering what this could become, we're finally here. Welcome to Retreat Me Happy. Discover. Connect. Retreat.
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    14 mins