What happens when life as you know it ends overnight—and you choose to rebuild from nothing?

In this powerful episode, I sit down with Stephenie Rodriguez—digital entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and one of Women in Tech’s Top 100 of 2024. Stephenie’s story of survival after contracting cerebral malaria is nothing short of extraordinary.

Given a 2% chance of survival, she awoke from a coma to find both feet and part of her hand gone. But instead of giving up, she chose a different path—one of radical resilience, reinvention, and purpose.

From ICU to international para-athlete, Stephenie is now the first Australian woman to compete in para fencing since 1968. And she’s only getting started.

We talk about the mindset shift that changed everything, the rituals that anchor her, and her mission to impact a billion lives through tech, advocacy, and inclusion.

In this episode, we explore:
The mosquito bite that changed her life forever
Choosing to amputate both feet—and why it was an act of power
The difference between surviving and truly living
How Stephenie became her own best friend
Why daily gratitude and affirmations became her non-negotiables
Becoming a para-athlete and a global voice for inclusion
The truth about identity, reinvention, and leading yourself forward

This episode is a masterclass in mindset, courage, and becoming who you were always meant to be.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to the Leading You Podcast
00:20 Meet Stephenie Rodriguez: Digital Entrepreneur and Global Changemaker
01:16 A Life-Altering Mosquito Bite
05:54 The Battle with Cerebral Malaria
08:11 The Road to Recovery and Resilience
11:59 Embracing Disability and Finding New Purpose
22:31 Becoming a Para Athlete and Fencer
26:16 Future Goals and Ongoing Impact
29:49 Conclusion and Call to Action

Rate & Review:
If this conversation moved you, please leave a review or share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps us amplify voices like Stephenie’s.

Links:

Get the Clarity Compass Mini Program

Connect with Julie:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/
Instagram:@juliehydeleads
Website: https://juliehyde.com.au

Connect with Stephenie:
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/digitalgodess/
X (Twitter):https://www.x.com/digitalgodess/
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalgodess/
TEDx:https://www.ted.com/talks/stephenie_rodriguez_how_i_met_my_best_friend

What happens when life as you know it ends overnight&mdash;and you choose to rebuild from nothing?
In this powerful episode, I sit down with Stephenie Rodriguez&mdash;digital entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and one of Women in Tech&rsquo;s Top 100 of 2024. Stephenie&rsquo;s story of survival after contracting cerebral malaria is nothing short of extraordinary.
Given a 2% chance of survival, she awoke from a coma to find both feet and part of her hand gone. But instead of giving up, she chose a different path&mdash;one of radical resilience, reinvention, and purpose.
From ICU to international para-athlete, Stephenie is now the first Australian woman to compete in para fencing since 1968. And she&rsquo;s only getting started.
We talk about the mindset shift that changed everything, the rituals that anchor her, and her mission to impact a billion lives through tech, advocacy, and inclusion.
In this episode, we explore:
<ul>
<li>The mosquito bite that changed her life forever</li>
<li>Choosing to amputate both feet&mdash;and why it was an act of power</li>
<li>The difference between surviving and&nbsp;truly&nbsp;living</li>
<li>How Stephenie became her own best friend</li>
<li>Why daily gratitude and affirmations became her non-negotiables</li>
<li>Becoming a para-athlete and a global voice for inclusion</li>
<li>The truth about identity, reinvention, and leading yourself forward</li>
</ul>
This episode is a masterclass in mindset, courage, and becoming who you were always meant to be.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to the Leading You Podcast 00:20 Meet Stephenie Rodriguez: Digital Entrepreneur and Global Changemaker 01:16 A Life-Altering Mosquito Bite 05:54 The Battle with Cerebral Malaria 08:11 The Road to Recovery and Resilience 11:59 Embracing Disability and Finding New Purpose 22:31 Becoming a Para Athlete and Fencer 26:16 Future Goals and Ongoing Impact 29:49 Conclusion and Call to Action
Rate &amp; Review: If this conversation moved you, please leave a review or share it with someone who needs to hear it. Your support helps us amplify voices like Stephenie&rsquo;s.
Links:
Get the&nbsp;<a href="https://programs.juliehyde.com.au/programs/claritycompass/">Clarity Compass Mini Program</a>
Connect with Julie: LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/" data-href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hyde/</a> Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/juliehydeleads/" data-href="https://www.instagram.com/juliehydeleads/"> @juliehydeleads</a> Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://juliehyde.com.au/" data-href="https://juliehyde.com.au/">https://juliehyde.com.au</a>
Connect with Stephenie: Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/digitalgodess/" data-href="https://www.instagram.com/digitalgodess/">https://www.instagram.com/digitalgodess/</a> X (Twitter): <a href="https://www.x.com/digitalgodess/" data-href="https://www.x.com/digitalgodess/">https://www.x.com/digitalgodess/</a> LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalgodess/" data-href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalgodess/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/digitalgodess/</a> TEDx: <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/stephenie_rodriguez_how_i_met_my_best_friend" data-href="https://www.ted.com/talks/stephenie_rodriguez_how_i_met_my_best_friend">https://www.ted.com/talks/stephenie_rodriguez_how_i_met_my_best_friend</a>

Want to know the secret to confident and successful leadership?

Every week, Leading You showcases leadership of all kinds and you get the scoop on how to be an effective, modern leader who makes an impact.

There’s one thing we all have in common. We’re all leaders. First and foremost, you’re a leader of you. You don’t need a title to be a leader. Leadership is a mindset which anyone can adopt to create influence. The more leaders the world has, the better it will be.

I'll let you into something I know to be true - You can’t be a leader of others unless you’re a leader of self first. So if you want to have impact that leads to prosperity and happiness, it all starts with you. With your mindset and personal leadership toolbox, which Leading You will help you build up.

Leading you is hosted by Julie Hyde, an entrepreneur, corporate drop out and passionate leader. Julie knows one thing: you can’t control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. It’s why Leading You is important.

Each week, guests share their secret sauce. They reveal their roadmaps to success. How they’ve stayed anchored to who they are, insights into their courage and resilience and how to be emotionally and behaviourally agile. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation, and you’ll hear the human side of household names.

Want to know the secret to confident and successful leadership?
Every week, Leading You showcases leadership of all kinds and you get the scoop on how to be an effective, modern leader who makes an impact.
There’s one thing we all have in common. We’re all leaders. First and foremost, you’re a leader of you. You don’t need a title to be a leader. Leadership is a mindset which anyone can adopt to create influence. The more leaders the world has, the better it will be.
I'll let you into something I know to be true - You can’t be a leader of others unless you’re a leader of self first. So if you want to have impact that leads to prosperity and happiness, it all starts with you. With your mindset and personal leadership toolbox, which Leading You will help you build up.
Leading you is hosted by Julie Hyde, an entrepreneur, corporate drop out and passionate leader. Julie knows one thing: you can’t control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. It’s why Leading You is important.
Each week, guests share their secret sauce. They reveal their roadmaps to success. How they’ve stayed anchored to who they are, insights into their courage and resilience and how to be emotionally and behaviourally agile. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation, and you’ll hear the human side of household names.

A Podcast dedicated to business owners and leaders to inspire you to make it count

Leading You

Want to know the secret to confident and successful leadership?
Every week, Leading You showcases leadership of all kinds and you get the scoop on how to be an effective, modern leader who makes an impact.
There’s one thing we all have in common. We’re all leaders. First and foremost, you’re a leader of you. You don’t need a title to be a leader. Leadership is a mindset which anyone can adopt to create influence. The more leaders the world has, the better it will be.
I'll let you into something I know to be true - You can’t be a leader of others unless you’re a leader of self first. So if you want to have impact that leads to prosperity and happiness, it all starts with you. With your mindset and personal leadership toolbox, which Leading You will help you build up.
Leading you is hosted by Julie Hyde, an entrepreneur, corporate drop out and passionate leader. Julie knows one thing: you can’t control what happens to you but you can control how you respond. It’s why Leading You is important.
Each week, guests share their secret sauce. They reveal their roadmaps to success. How they’ve stayed anchored to who they are, insights into their courage and resilience and how to be emotionally and behaviourally agile. It’s a conversation, not an interrogation, and you’ll hear the human side of household names.

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