From Survivor to Founder: Kate Crowley-Smith on Recovery, Rebuilding and Hope

In this episode of The Voice of Survivors, host Nicci Heath sits down with Kate Crowley-Smith, Founding Director of Broken to Brilliant.

Kate shares her journey as a survivor of domestic violence, a mother of two, and a health professional with a background in nursing, injury prevention, and trauma-informed education. Together, Kate and Nicci explore why recovery from domestic violence is not a one-off activity in one moment, but a long-term journey that can last years.

The conversation reflects on:

• Why Broken to Brilliant was created by survivors, for survivors
• The importance of long-term, peer-led recovery support
• How programs like Stepping Stones help survivors reconstruct their sense of self
• The reality that healing is not linear and survivors can move between surviving, thriving, and being triggered
• Why lived experience education is critical for systems change, including police education.

Kate speaks candidly about hope, transformation, and why survivors deserve support that helps them move from survival to a life they choose.

Listen to more podcasts

• Women's Voice
• Two women committed to empowering survivors

Read more about Broken to Brilliant in our blog:

• The Launch
• Top Ten Strategies

Thank you

Thank you to Nicci for her passion for hosting this program and to Andrew (Nicci's Hubby) and all the family for your support in recording this podcast.

Karen Jacobsen, our International Patron and the Australian voice in Siri, welcomes and thanks you for listening.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity that domestic violence survivors founded to support fellow survivors to rebuild their lives after abuse.

We know how hard it is, having lived through the trauma of abuse and travelled the long road to recovery. Therefore, we founded the charity to provide hope and strategies to other survivors to make their journey a little bit easier.

Thanks to Sound Engineer Chris McCallum, known as SoundO for our Podcast training.

Thank you to Joanne Helder, a Radio, Podcast & Communications Professional, for podcast training.

GROW, Governance & Giving Back. Margaret's journey with Broken to Brilliant.

Hosted by Nikki.

In this episode of The Voice of Survivors, host Nicci Heath is joined by Margaret King, Director of Broken to Brilliant and founder of the GROW – Gardening for Recovery, Opportunity and Wellbeing program.

Margaret brings a wealth of experience from her career as a registered nurse, nursing director, and healthcare project officer, alongside extensive experience in governance, policy development, and project management. In the conversation, Margaret reflects on the vital role she plays within Broken to Brilliant — helping to ensure survivor-led ideas are backed by policy to ensure well-governed programs.

Listeners will hear how Margaret:

• Provides stability and governance to support creative survivor-led initiatives
• Ensures compliance with ACNC requirements, policies, working towards accreditation
• Supports fundraising events such as the High Tea behind the scenes
• Developed GROW, a horticultural therapy program that supports healing, confidence, and reconnection through gardening

Margaret also shares how her family supports her work and why structure, care, and compassion are essential foundations for survivor-led organisations to thrive.

For bookings into the GROW program - watch out for sessions on the Broken to Brilliant What's On webpage

Thank yo u to Nikki for her passion for hosting this program and to Andrew (Nikki's Hubby) and all the family for your support in recording this podcast.

Karen Jacobsen, our International Patron and the Australian voice in Siri welcomes and thanks you for listening.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity that domestic violence survivors founded to support fellow survivors to rebuild their lives after abuse.

We know how hard it is, having lived through the trauma of abuse and travelled the long road to recovery. Therefore, we founded the charity to provide hope and strategies to other survivors to make their journey a little bit easier.

Thanks to Sound Engineer Chris McCallum, known as Sound,o for our Podcast training.

Thank you to Joanne Helder, a Radio, Podcast & Communications Professional, for podcast training

In this inspiring episode of The Voice of Survivors, podcast host Nicci — a creative and talented domestic violence survivor inspired through Broken to Brilliant's Stepping Stones program — sits down with Karen Lindsay, Director of Broken to Brilliant™ and Founder of Financial Superwomen™.

Karen brings a unique and powerful perspective: although she has not personally experienced domestic violence, she has dedicated herself to helping break the cycle of abuse through financial education, compassion, and advocacy.

Karen shares how Financial Superwomen™ began with a simple idea — that every woman deserves the knowledge, confidence, and support to manage her money and rebuild her life. Today, her team of volunteer female professionals has delivered workshops across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Melbourne, empowering more than 450 women to gain financial security and stability.

In their conversation, Nicci and Karen explore:

• Why financial abuse is one of the biggest barriers preventing women from leaving abusive relationships
• The life-changing impact of Financial Superwomen™ workshops
• How continued support — not just a single workshop — helps survivors regain confidence
• Karen's personal journey into Broken to Brilliant™ and why she agreed to become a Director
• The ripple effect of empowering one woman — and how it transforms entire families

Karen's warmth, passion, and commitment shine through as she speaks about supporting survivors with love, kindness, and practical tools that can save lives.

Find out more about the Financial Superwomen workshop on the Broken to Brilliant blog page:

• Empowering Women: Financial Superwomen Workshops for Domestic Violence Survivors

• Empowering Financial Superwomen – a step closer to financial security and stability

• Empowering women to become financially secure and stable.

• Financial Superwomen

Thank you to Nikki for her passion for hosting this program and to Andrew (Nikki's Hubby) and all the family for your support in recording this podcast.

Karen Jacobsen, our International Patron and the Australian voice in Siri welcomes and thanks you for listening.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity that domestic violence survivors founded to support fellow survivors to rebuild their lives after abuse.

We know how hard it is, having lived through the trauma of abuse and travelled the long road to recovery. Therefore, we founded the charity to provide hope and strategies to other survivors to make their journey a little bit easier.

Thanks to Sound Engineer Chris McCallum, known as Sound,o for our Podcast training.

Thank you to Joanne Helder a Radio, Podcast & Communications Professional, for podcast training

In this episode, podcast host Nicci — a creative and talented domestic violence survivor inspired through Broken to Brilliant's Stepping Stones program — sits down with Kris Vicca, Director of Broken to Brilliant.

Kris shares her journey of healing, her passion for advocacy, and how she uses her role to support survivors of domestic and family violence. The conversation reflects on the power of creativity, connection, and walking alongside survivors with compassion.

Listeners will hear about:

• How art and creativity can support recovery and healing.

• Kristine's work in advocacy, community building, and friendship.

• The importance of mindfulness, presence, and finding beauty in small moments.

• The mission of Broken to Brilliant to turn lived experience into hope and guidance for others.

This episode is a gentle, uplifting reminder that healing often comes through connection, creativity, and community.

Kris Vicc - Director of Broken to Brilliant

Thank you

Thank you to Nikki for her passion for hosting this program and to Andrew (Nikki's Hubby) and all the family for your support in recording this podcast.

Karen Jacobsen, our International Patron and the Australian voice in Siri welcomes and thanks you for listening.

Broken to Brilliant is an Australian not-for-profit charity that domestic violence survivors founded to support fellow survivors to rebuild their lives after abuse.

We know how hard it is, having lived through the trauma of abuse and travelled the long road to recovery. Therefore, we founded the charity to provide hope and strategies to other survivors to make their journey a little bit easier.

Thanks to Sound Engineer Chris McCallum, known as Sound,o for our Podcast training.

Thank you to Joanne Helder a Radio, Podcast & Communications Professional, for podcast training

In this heartfelt episode, rich with lived experience, metaphor, emotion, and strength survivors share their deeply personal journeys through grief, growth, and healing. We explore the transformative power of Broken to Brilliant's Stepping Stones program, which helped participants rediscover themselves after experiencing domestic violence. Through raw and inspiring stories, survivors reflect on the grief of losing their sense of self and how they reclaimed it through self-exploration, connection, and empowerment.

The episode also features a survivor's reflection on being involved with the incredible creative expression of Circus in a Teacup, a performance by survivors at QPAC, that represents their journey of resilience and strength. Listen as these courageous voices take you on a path of transformation — from the grief of trauma to the growth that unfolds when survivors find their power once again.

The Stepping Stones program was funded by the Lord Mayor's Charitable Trust.

In this deeply moving episode of The Voice of Survivors, we sit down with Jane, a courageous participant in Broken to Brilliant's Stepping Stones program. Jane reflects on the emotional journey she has taken—from feeling scared and triggered on day one to discovering confidence, clarity, and hope through this trauma-informed, survivor-led course.

Jane shares how the support and shared lived experiences of other women in the group, combined with the thoughtful design of the program, helped her to regulate emotions, reconnect with her sense of self-worth, and feel truly seen and safe.

This episode highlights the profound impact of survivor-to-survivor mentoring, the healing power of sisterhood, and the life-changing strength of finding hope after hardship.

Tune in to hear a raw, real, and inspirational conversation about what it means to move from brokenness to brilliance—and why, for Jane and so many others, this program has been a lifeline.

Lord Mayor Charitable Trust funded the Stepping Stones program.

Broken to Brilliant Voice of Survivors

Get Uncomfortable to Get Comfortable: The Power of Stepping Stones

In this heartfelt episode of The Voice of Survivors, we join two incredible participants of the Stepping Stones program on the final day of their overnight retreat. The Rode podcast equipment is set up in the lounge of a Brisbane apartment, rain tapping gently against the windows, with the river and city skyline in the distance. After breakfast and 9 sessions of creative exploration, these brave survivors sit down to reflect on the transformative ten- session journey of the Broken to Brilliant Stepping Stones A Creative Journey to Empowerment program. .

Through poetry, art, and connection, they've uncovered parts of themselves once buried under the weight of trauma. In this episode, you'll hear a raw and inspiring conversation about what it means to get uncomfortable in order to grow, to heal creatively, and to rewrite your story with strength and self-worth. This is a powerful reminder that healing isn't linear—but when done in community, it becomes empowering.

The Stepping Stones program was funded by the Lord Mayor's Charitable Trust