Sarah Harden: The Career Playbook of Reese Witherspoon's Ex-CEO

Forget everything you think you know about career success, this is the secret playbook of one of Hollywood's most influential female executives. In this special episode, Em sits down with Sarah Harden, the Australian powerhouse who co-founded and was the ex-CEO of Reese Witherspoon's $100 million media empire, Hello Sunshine. Sarah reveals the exact strategic moves that transformed her from a politics grad into a leader who built a company responsible for hits like Big Little Lies and The Morning Show . Her philosophy? You have to "stretch and take yourself out of your comfort zone—there is incredible learning and growth in that." This is your practical blueprint for accelerated career growth. What you'll learn: The Accelerator Move: The specific career decision that turbocharges growth (and why most women skip it). Doubt vs. Curiosity: How to strategically swap out self-doubt for a curious mindset when evaluating opportunities. The Fastest Path: Why stepping into discomfort is the non-negotiable step for exponential career success. The Money Framework: The powerful process for turning consumer insights into multi-million dollar business decisions. Authentic Culture: Sarah's keys to building a strong, inclusive company culture that lasts. Connect with Sarah and Hello Sunshine: Follow Hello Sunshine on Instagram Learn more about Drop of Sunshine wines Visit their website: Hello Sunshine Must Watch Shows: Morning Wars Big Little Lies Little Fires Everywhere Our new BIZ hosts are Lisa Lie - a former Head of People & Culture and Organisational Coach - and Mamamia's Em Vernem . Learna is Lisa's microlearning app for practical people skills at work. Expert-led lessons to build confidence, solve challenges, and work smarter - in under 7 minutes. Get it on Apple or Google Play . Sign up to the BIZ newsletter here THE END BITS Support independent women's media . Got a work life dilemma? Send us all the questions you definitely can't ask your boss for our Biz Inbox episodes - send us a voice note or email us at podcast@mamamia.com.au. You can remain anon! GUEST: Sarah Harden HOSTS: Em Vernem SENIOR PRODUCER: Sophie Campbell AUDIO PRODUCER: Leah Porges Mamamia acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land we have recorded this podcast on, the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Become a Mamamia subscriber:

You can listen to Sarah Harden: The Career Playbook of Reese Witherspoon's Ex-CEO online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Sarah Harden: The Career Playbook of Reese Witherspoon's Ex-CEO is an episode from Lady Startup by Mamamia Podcasts.

This episode is 20:48 long.

This episode was published on Oct 13, 2025.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Lady Startup when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.