Short Black with Sandra Sully

Gail O’Brien AO has been a health professional for 40 years. Originally trained as a physiotherapist, she is now executive director of the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse centre in Sydney where she also works as a patient advocate.

Gail’s husband, renowned head and neck surgeon Chris O’Brien, had a dream of opening Australia’s first fully-integrated and comprehensive cancer centre. Gail played an integral part in realising his vision after ...

There’s a lot more poverty in Australia than people realise, according to Yolanda Saiz. And she should know. As CEO of the St Vincent De Paul Society in New South Wales, Yolanda sees first-hand every day the toll the current cost of living crisis is taking on everyday Australians.

One of the largest providers of homeless and domestic services in NSW, Vinnie’s is now more needed than ever, with a staggering one in three people turnin...

Tara Moss had it all. A former model and the successful author of 14 bestselling books, hers was a glamorous life. Until eight years ago when she was struck down by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, a debilitating chronic pain condition for which there is no cure.

She was told by numerous doctors that she would never recover, that being wheelchair bound and unable to do anything by herself was the way it would always be.

But Tara has n...

Sandra had the privilege recently of being the Master of Ceremonies for the first day of the Women in Media conference held in Sydney. The day was a source of great inspiration, with an array of remarkable speakers, and here are some of Sandra's highlights.

First we hear from Taryn Brumfitt, whose 10-year campaign into body positivity resulted in her being named the 2022 Australian of the Year. You can find out more about Taryn’s Bo...

Jelena Dokic had a phenomenal tennis career. But it was what happened off the court and her decision, years later, to talk openly about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her father that has seen her constantly in the public eye.

Having been raised to be silent, Jelena found her voice six years ago and wrote her first book, Unbreakable. Since then, she has made it her mission to speak up for those who can’t. There is no denying ...

Sally Dowling SC is the first woman to be appointed Director of Public Prosecutions for New South Wales.

Sally is only the fourth person to hold this role, and one of only a few female DPPs in Australia. Previously she served as a Crown Prosecutor and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2013. In that role she appeared as lead counsel in more than 300 appeals in the High Court and the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal.

Two years in...

Despite the challenges and setbacks she has faced over the last few years, including seeing her beloved business collapse not once, but twice, Kristina Karlsson has managed to find a new sense of purpose and passion.

Previously known for revolutionising the stationery world through her successful Scandi-inspired company kikki.k, Kristina has come bouncing back with even more determination and a new venture that encourages us all to ...

On average men in Australia retire with a lot more superannuation than women, about 35% more. That’s a staggering amount.

But it seems that money is still a taboo subject, and most women would rather talk to their friends and colleagues about sex than about their finances.

Someone who is trying to break that taboo is Christina Hobbs, who has made it her mission to make us better with our money. Christina is the CEO and co-founder of ...

Dr Karla Lopez is a forensic psychologist and is currently using her skills to track down fugitives on the Australian version of the popular TV show Hunted.

But what does a forensic psychologist do?

Karla and Sandra tackle a range of topics from Australia’s youth crime crisis to AI to coping mechanisms, as well as her top tips for staying safe – and keeping our children safe – online.

And what are the things we do that give us away ev...

It’s all about Mary today! Mary Konstantopoulos is a passionate advocate for women in sport. Ten years ago she founded sport media company Ladies Who League, and since then she has broadened the conversation with Ladies Who Leap, Ladies Who Legspin, Ladies Who Lineout and Ladies Who W-League. She’s also a lawyer and sits on the board of Hockey Australia.

Mary opens up about dealing with the pressures of social media, finding the cou...

Returning to Australia a decade ago, Maryjane McKibbin-Schwenke saw many changes. With her husband Fred she established the Matavai Cultural Arts Centre in Sydney to promote community and connection to Pacific culture, helping people of all ages learn about themselves and their history through dance and music and sharing stories.

As well as strengthening identity and confidence through cultural arts Maryjane is a strong advocate for...

Andie Halas is one of the unsung heroes of the fashion industry. With fashion waste continuing to be a massive issue worldwide, Andie saw the potential in giving unsold clothing that would normally end up in landfill to people in need – providing the most ethical solution to fashion excess.

Just over a decade ago she set up Thread Together to make that happen in Australia, giving those in need the dignity and choice to get on with t...

Dr Manasi Mittinty’s interest in pain management and living with pain started as a child, after suffering an accident which left her with third-degree burns and ongoing chronic pain.

Dr Mittinty now leads benchmark research in a number of key areas including developing scales for improved assessment and management of chronic pain for Indigenous Australian communities. She talks to Sandra about what Western civilisation can learn fro...

Kat Stewart has been a familiar face on Australian stage and screen for a number of years now. The award-winning actress is probably best known for her roles in the television series Offspring, Underbelly and Five Bedrooms, which is just starting its fourth season.

But who is Kat Stewart when she’s not being someone else?

Kat opens up to Sandra about the fame game, the pain of losing her mum, and the importance of telling women’s sto...

Josie Clarke is a true force of nature. She’s on a mission to give people from regional and rural areas with a disability a voice, and create opportunities for them to be able to work in the agricultural industry.

Josie’s dad became a paraplegic as a result of an accident on the family’s farm when she was five and it was this, together with the realisation years later that there was a lack of disability support groups in the ag indu...

What kind of leader are you? Do you lead with your head or your heart?

From joining the Royal Australian Air Force at 17 to being acting chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Kirstin Ferguson has learnt a thing or two about what it takes to be a good leader.

Kirstin, an author, company director and columnist, talks to Sandra about how you can work out your own leadership style, what the attributes of a great leader are, t...

Faith Agugu could never understand the negativity surrounding ageing for women in Western society, especially as in her native Africa the oldest person is always the most revered. She decided to do something about it, and Silver Sirens was born. Silver Sirens is all about redefining ageing, and provides a platform for women to rewrite this negative narrative and redirect energy to themselves.

In this frank, funny and honest look at ...

You could say Buds & Beads was born out of love and friendship. Founders Jo Thomas and Karina Barry have been best buddies for more than half their lives and, when the opportunity presented itself, jumped at the chance to try something new.

Launching the business in late 2022 with a range of 17 loose-leaf teas and three sparkling, their sparkling tea is the first of its kind in Australia and is already winning awards.

They talk t...

Welcome to Season 5 of Short Black!

Rosemary Kariuki’s joie de vivre is infectious. She is so vivacious it’s hard to believe that she fled her native Kenya to escape from family abuse and political unrest. Now happily settled in Australia, she is the Multicultural Liaison Officer for NSW Police and spends her time helping migrants overcome situations including isolation, financial stress, domestic violence and, of course, language b...