Episode 12

Chantel Brayley on Ambition Without Guarantees — Growth, Infertility, and Rewriting the Metrics That Matter

Published on: 8th January, 2026

In this episode of Her Kind of Brave, Chantel Brayley shares what it looks like to build a thriving career while quietly carrying grief, infertility, and a life that hasn’t unfolded as planned.

Raised in a single-parent immigrant family by her Japanese grandmother — a survivor of World War II — Chantel learned resilience early. She speaks openly about moving to Australia alone, years of not being taken seriously professionally, and eventually building a successful career in ecommerce and marketing while running her own consulting business.

Alongside professional success, Chantel shares her experience with unexplained infertility, miscarriage, egg freezing, and considering solo motherhood. This conversation explores therapy, boundaries, burnout, self-worth, and the courage it takes to keep chasing motherhood while accepting uncertainty. It’s a deeply honest look at ambition, grief, and learning how to hold both at the same time.

Contact our guest:

@chantelbrayley

Podcast: @ifyouknowyougrow_

@meetatgoldenour

Support the brands that keep these brave conversations (and your co-hosts) going:

GENEA FERTILITY – genea.com.au · @geneafertility · 1300 361 795

CENTRE FOR REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE & SURGERY - (Dr Kee Ong) – Call 07 5519 1602 · @drkeeong

IN HER OWN WORDS: IVE, LOSS & MIRACLES BOOK: @Inherownwords_official https://amzn.in/d/c2wsW2J

KOSI – kosi.au · @kosi_au

MR CONSISTENT – mrconsistent.com.au · @mrconsistent_

Be sure to join the chat in our Community Group www.facebook.com/groups/herkindofbrave/

Follow us on Instagram @herkindofbravepodcast and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/herkindofbrave

Do you have a brave story, or are you looking to sponsor an upcoming episode? Reach out to us at herkindofbrave@gmail.com

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About the Podcast

Her Kind of Brave

Messy. Real. Braver than she thinks.

Her Kind of Brave is a podcast for women who know that the hardest parts of life rarely make it to the highlight reel — and that bravery often lives in the quiet, unseen moments.

Hosted by Chloe Davidson and Kellie Johnson, this show goes behind the glossy endings and into the real stories. The backstories. The messy middles. The chapters we live through before things make sense.

Each episode features raw, thoughtful conversations with women who have faced loss, illness, identity shifts, motherhood, ambition, grief, rebuilding, and becoming — and kept going anyway. These are stories of building businesses while breaking inside, navigating bodies that don’t cooperate, grieving what was hoped for, and creating meaningful lives alongside uncertainty.

Chloe and Kellie don’t show up as experts with all the answers. They show up as women in it — walking their own hard roads while holding space for others to tell the truth about theirs. Together, they create a warm, honest space where nothing needs to be wrapped in a bow and listeners are invited to simply be human.

This is a podcast for anyone who has ever wondered if they’re the only one struggling behind the scenes. For anyone navigating the space between who they were and who they’re becoming. For anyone who wants to feel less alone in the hard stuff — and more connected to the strength it takes to keep showing up.

Her Kind of Brave isn’t about perfect endings.
It’s about courage in real time.
And the power of sharing the story while you’re still living it.

If you’re craving honesty, depth, and conversations that feel like a hand on your back saying me too — this is your place.

About your host

Chloe & Kellie

Chloe Davidson and Kellie Johnson are the voices behind Her Kind of Brave — a podcast built on honesty, depth, and the courage to tell the stories that usually stay hidden.

Chloe is a writer, podcaster, and business owner, and the co-owner of Mr Consistent. She is also the curator of the anthology In Her Own Words: IVF, Loss & Miracles. Through her work, Chloe explores womanhood, identity, grief, fertility, ambition, and the emotional load women carry — especially in the spaces between who they were and who they’re becoming.

Kellie is a mum, entrepreneur, and the founder of Kosi, a 360° wearable heat pack created from her lived experience with stage four endometriosis. A passionate advocate for women’s health, Kellie brings strength, warmth, and lived credibility shaped by miscarriage, birth trauma, chronic pain, and rebuilding life alongside illness.

Together, Chloe and Kellie create a space where women feel seen, understood, and less alone. Her Kind of Brave is rooted in real conversations — honouring the hard seasons, celebrating resilience, and reminding women that bravery doesn’t require a polished ending, only the courage to keep showing up.