Join Nicola and Di this week as they reflect on 2025 and their favourite moments and highlights from some of the incredible guests they’ve had on the podcast this year. They’ve been lucky enough to chat to psychics, actors, comedians, journalists, authors, Olympians, world champions, psychologists, entrepreneurs, and the list goes on. It’s true what they say, variety really is the spice of life. Share in some laughs and stories, as we remember some of our favourite moments from Season 3. 

We want to thank all of our guests for sharing their stories (and their hearts), our team at DM podcasts for their constant support, and most importantly our listeners - we love creating this show for you and we’re thrilled that you tune in each week. We wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and we can’t wait to be back in 2026 with even more amazing conversations for you to enjoy. Thanks for being part of our Over The Back Fence community. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com

Donate to the Northern Beaches Women’s Shelter Christmas Appeal here - https://nbws.supporterhub.net.au/donations/christmas-appeal-2025

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

Join Nicola and Di this week as they reflect on 2025 and their favourite moments and highlights from some of the incredible guests they&rsquo;ve had on the podcast this year. They&rsquo;ve been lucky enough to chat to psychics, actors, comedians, journalists, authors, Olympians, world champions, psychologists, entrepreneurs, and the list goes on. It&rsquo;s true what they say, variety really is the spice of life. Share in some laughs and stories, as we remember some of our favourite moments from Season 3.&nbsp;
We want to thank all of our guests for sharing their stories (and their hearts), our team at DM podcasts for their constant support, and most importantly our listeners - we love creating this show for you and we&rsquo;re thrilled that you tune in each week. We wish you all a very happy and healthy holiday season and we can&rsquo;t wait to be back in 2026 with even more amazing conversations for you to enjoy. Thanks for being part of our Over The Back Fence community.&nbsp;
This episode is proudly supported by <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Montgomery Investment Management</a>, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or <a href="mailto:investor@montinvest.com">investor@montinvest.com</a>
<a href="https://nbws.supporterhub.net.au/donations/christmas-appeal-2025">Donate to the Northern Beaches Women&rsquo;s Shelter Christmas Appeal here - https://nbws.supporterhub.net.au/donations/christmas-appeal-2025</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/">Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts">Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts</a>

Di Edwards and Nicola Dale have been best friends for close to four decades & they actually share a ‘back fence’ in Sydney! 
They share a love of life, a passion for people, and have discovered a simple conversation over the back fence, can change a life and give a sense of belonging . 

“We’re not neuroscientists, psychologists, doctors or monks - we just love people - and know with age comes wisdom."

Di Edwards and Nicola Dale have been best friends for close to four decades &amp; they actually share a ‘back fence’ in Sydney!  They share a love of life, a passion for people, and have discovered a simple conversation over the back fence, can change a life and give a sense of belonging . 
“We’re not neuroscientists, psychologists, doctors or monks - we just love people - and know with age comes wisdom."

Over the Back Fence

Over the back fence is a podcast by two incredible women in their 50’s and 60’s - for women.

Di and Nicola have an infectious energy that is bound to light you up. It’s a podcast which values community, connection and lifting each other up. 

Here, Di and Nicola will delve in to the highs and lows they’ve experienced in life… From starting a family, experiencing marriage breakdowns, to embracing new beginnings. They’ll discuss the lessons they’re still learning, and interview people with inspiring stories to tell. 

Di and Nicola will invite guests on OTBF from all over the globe. From close friends, entrepreneurs, comedians, councillors to motivators and life coaches - to unlock their wisdom and have a laugh along the way.

Over the back fence is a podcast by two incredible women in their 50’s and 60’s - for women.
Di and Nicola have an infectious energy that is bound to light you up. It’s a podcast which values community, connection and lifting each other up. 
Here, Di and Nicola will delve in to the highs and lows they’ve experienced in life… From starting a family, experiencing marriage breakdowns, to embracing new beginnings. They’ll discuss the lessons they’re still learning, and interview people with inspiring stories to tell. 
Di and Nicola will invite guests on OTBF from all over the globe. From close friends, entrepreneurs, comedians, councillors to motivators and life coaches - to unlock their wisdom and have a laugh along the way.

Holiday Wishes 2025 and Season Three Wrap Up

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredible Mary Coustas. Mary is one of Australia’s most loved actors and comedians, best known for her character Effie Stephanides. She’s been performing and entertaining audiences for over 35 years, and became known as part of the groundbreaking stage show Wogs out of Work in the 80s, which led to the sitcom, Acropolis Now. Mary also has one of the most amazing personal stories of determination, persevering through 23 IVF attempts with her husband George, before finally giving birth to her daughter at the age of 49. Mary wrote about this in a beautifully honest book, All I Know, and her most recent book Mary Pause, is a funny physical memoir about menopause. 

In this episode, we chat to Mary about what it was like growing up as a Greek Australian in the 70s, and how she turned her cultural background, which had been a liability at school and the source of a lot of bullying, into an asset and created one of the most iconic characters on stage and screen in Australia, Effie Stephanides.

Mary also shares about her incredible journey to motherhood, which took 23 IVF attempts, a miscarriage and a stillborn, before she finally got her miracle baby girl at the age of 49. This story is like nothing you’ve ever heard and Mary tells it with such openness and honesty - there were plenty of goosebumps and tears in the studio that day. 

We also chat to Mary about her latest book Mary Pause, which is a hilarious memoir about Mary’s experience with menopause. Mary wants to give everyone more knowledge about what menopause is really like, as well as help them with access to excellent care - which is why she’s set up the telehealth platform UnPause to provide Peri and Menopause care across Australia. 

We cannot wait for Mary’s next stage show, Frigid to Feral, where Effie is going through Peri! 

This was such an amazing conversation with Mary, who generously shared about so many parts of her life with us. We cried, we laughed and were enthralled by her stories. We hope you love this episode as much as we did.  

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com

For more on UnPause (Mary’s Peri and Menopause Care platform) go here - 

https://unpause.com.au/

To buy tickets to Mary’s next show and for more on her work go here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/

Buy Mary’s latest book Mary Pause here - https://unpause.com.au/marypause

Buy Mary’s book All I Know here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know

Follow UnPause on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/unpauseposse

Follow UnPause on TikTok here - https://www.tiktok.com/@unpauseposse

Follow Mary (Effie) on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

This week Nicola and Di chat with the incredible Mary Coustas. Mary is one of Australia&rsquo;s most loved actors and comedians, best known for her character Effie Stephanides. She&rsquo;s been performing and entertaining audiences for over 35 years, and became known as part of the groundbreaking stage show Wogs out of Work in the 80s, which led to the sitcom, Acropolis Now. Mary also has one of the most amazing personal stories of determination, persevering through 23 IVF attempts with her husband George, before finally giving birth to her daughter at the age of 49. Mary wrote about this in a beautifully honest book, <a href="https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know">All I Know,</a> and her most recent book <a href="https://unpause.com.au/marypause">Mary Pause</a>, is a funny physical memoir about menopause.&nbsp;
In this episode, we chat to Mary about what it was like growing up as a Greek Australian in the 70s, and how she turned her cultural background, which had been a liability at school and the source of a lot of bullying, into an asset and created one of the most iconic characters on stage and screen in Australia, Effie Stephanides.
Mary also shares about her incredible journey to motherhood, which took 23 IVF attempts, a miscarriage and a stillborn, before she finally got her miracle baby girl at the age of 49. This story is like nothing you&rsquo;ve ever heard and Mary tells it with such openness and honesty - there were plenty of goosebumps and tears in the studio that day.&nbsp;
We also chat to Mary about her latest book <a href="https://unpause.com.au/marypause">Mary Pause</a>, which is a hilarious memoir about Mary&rsquo;s experience with menopause. Mary wants to give everyone more knowledge about what menopause is really like, as well as help them with access to excellent care - which is why she&rsquo;s set up the telehealth platform <a href="https://unpause.com.au/">UnPause</a> to provide Peri and Menopause care across Australia.&nbsp;
We cannot wait for Mary&rsquo;s next stage show, Frigid to Feral, where Effie is going through Peri!&nbsp;
This was such an amazing conversation with Mary, who generously shared about so many parts of her life with us. We cried, we laughed and were enthralled by her stories. We hope you love this episode as much as we did.&nbsp;&nbsp;
This episode is proudly supported by <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Montgomery Investment Management</a>, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or <a href="mailto:investor@montinvest.com">investor@montinvest.com</a>
<a href="https://unpause.com.au/">For more on UnPause (Mary&rsquo;s Peri and Menopause Care platform) go here -&nbsp;</a>
<a href="https://unpause.com.au/">https://unpause.com.au/</a>
<a href="https://www.maryandeffie.com/">To buy tickets to Mary&rsquo;s next show and for more on her work go here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/</a>
<a href="https://unpause.com.au/marypause">Buy Mary&rsquo;s latest book Mary Pause here - https://unpause.com.au/marypause</a>
<a href="https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know">Buy Mary&rsquo;s book All I Know here - https://www.maryandeffie.com/books/all-i-know</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/unpauseposse">Follow UnPause on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/unpauseposse</a>
<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@unpauseposse">Follow UnPause on TikTok here - https://www.tiktok.com/@unpauseposse</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/">Follow Mary (Effie) on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/effiegoodthanks/</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/">Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts">Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts</a>

Mary Coustas: Baby at 49 after 23 IVFs, Changing Menopause Care and Effie goes through Peri

This week Nicola and Di are back with an end-of-year Christmas episode of Over The Money Fence with Roger Montgomery. This series aims to help you take control of your finances with clarity and confidence. Roger is the Founder and Chairman ofMontgomery Investment Management, has over 30 years’ investing experience and is a highly respected financial commentator featuring on various ABC programs, as well as his popular column in The Australian newspaper. He is also the author of best-selling investment guidebook Value.able.

In this episode, we take a look at what really shaped investment markets in 2025 and what we should all think about as we head into 2026. We chat about the impact that Trump has had on the world of finance and what the main themes were from the year - the big one being artificial intelligence (AI), along with increased interest in Gold and Bitcoin. 

Roger talks about the impact that AI technologies have had on the markets, and why he believes there isn’t enough money to provide a return on the amount of investment being funnelled into AI, so the bubble will either burst or gradually deflate over time. 

We also wrap up the key takeaways from the 6 episodes of Over The Money Fence this year, answer some listener questions, and talk about what may be in store for investors in 2026. 

As always, we loved having this conversation with Roger in the studio. We are so grateful to have found someone that makes us feel safe and relaxed to talk about our finances and empowers us with the tools to take control and feel more confident. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and we can’t wait to welcome Roger back to Over The Money Fence in 2026.

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com

Find out more about Montgomery Investment Management here - https://montinvest.com

Find out more about Montgomery private credit funds here -    https://www.montinvest.com/privatecredit

Learn more about Roger and read his articles here - https://rogermontgomery.com

Buy Roger's book Value.able here - https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/

Follow Roger on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/rogerjmontgomery/

Follow Roger’s YouTube channel here  - https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomery

Follow Roger on X here - https://x.com/rjmontgomery

Follow Roger on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/

Follow Roger on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Follow Nicola and Di on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

This week Nicola and Di are back with an end-of-year Christmas episode of Over The Money Fence with Roger Montgomery. This series aims to help you take control of your finances with clarity and confidence. Roger is the Founder and Chairman of <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Montgomery Investment Management</a>, has over 30 years&rsquo; investing experience and is a highly respected financial commentator featuring on various ABC programs, as well as his popular column in The Australian newspaper. He is also the author of best-selling investment guidebook <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/value.able">Value.able</a>.
In this episode, we take a look at what really shaped investment markets in 2025 and what we should all think about as we head into 2026. We chat about the impact that Trump has had on the world of finance and what the main themes were from the year - the big one being artificial intelligence (AI), along with increased interest in Gold and Bitcoin.&nbsp;
Roger talks about the impact that AI technologies have had on the markets, and why he believes there isn&rsquo;t enough money to provide a return on the amount of investment being funnelled into AI, so the bubble will either burst or gradually deflate over time.&nbsp;
We also wrap up the key takeaways from the 6 episodes of Over The Money Fence this year, answer some listener questions, and talk about what may be in store for investors in 2026.&nbsp;
As always, we loved having this conversation with Roger in the studio. We are so grateful to have found someone that makes us feel safe and relaxed to talk about our finances and empowers us with the tools to take control and feel more confident. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did and we can&rsquo;t wait to welcome Roger back to Over The Money Fence in 2026.
This episode is proudly supported by <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Montgomery Investment Management</a>, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com
<a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Find out more about Montgomery Investment Management here - </a><a href="https://montinvest.com">https://montinvest.com</a>
<a href="https://www.montinvest.com/privatecredit?utm_source=Over_the_Money_Fence&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=Private_Credit_2025_int&amp;utm_content=Over_the_Money_Fence_Podcast_show_notes">Find out more about Montgomery private credit funds here -&nbsp; &nbsp; https://www.montinvest.com/privatecredit</a>
<a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/rmotbf">Learn more about Roger and read his articles here - https://rogermontgomery.com</a>
<a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/value.able">Buy Roger's book Value.able here - </a><a href="https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/">https://rogermontgomery.com/valueable-book/</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/rogerjmontgomery/?hl=en">Follow Roger on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/rogerjmontgomery/</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomery">Follow Roger&rsquo;s YouTube channel here&nbsp; - https://www.youtube.com/user/rogerjmontgomery </a><a href="https://x.com/rjmontgomery">Follow Roger on X here - https://x.com/rjmontgomery</a>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/">Follow Roger on Facebook here - https://www.facebook.com/montgomeryroger/ </a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/">Follow Roger on LinkedIn here - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogermontgomery/</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/">Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts">Follow Nicola and Di on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts</a>

 Over The Money Fence: Our 2025 Wrap and Heading Into 2026 With Confidence

This week Nicola and Di chat with an internationally recognised expert on imposter syndrome, Alison Shamir. Alison is a former tech exec turned global speaker, coach and author. She has a clear, science-backed approach to help you recognise, understand and overcome imposter syndrome and we loved chatting through the tools in her book, Conquer Your Imposter, in this powerful episode. 

We chat to Alison about what imposter syndrome really is, the differences between imposter syndrome, masking and self-doubt, and understanding why these things may show up in our lives. We learn how 70% of people are affected by imposter syndrome, so if this conversation resonates with you it’s because you’re certainly not alone! 

We also hear Alison’s personal story of what it was like to be a high-achieving tech executive in her 30s, being overwhelmed by imposter syndrome, having panic attacks and feeling like a fraud. Alison’s research into uncovering what was going on for her and why she was struggling, is what led to her fascination with imposter syndrome and giving people the tools they can use to overcome it and be able to realise their own worth and unlock their true potential. 

We talk about the power of language and the words you say to yourself and we go through the simple 3-step process you can use to conquer your imposter - you’ll want to tune in for this! 

We were blown away by Alison’s knowledge on this topic and the way she shared such practical tips for anyone who may be challenged by feelings of imposter syndrome or self-doubt. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did. 

This episode is proudly supported by Montgomery Investment Management, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or investor@montinvest.com

 

Follow Alison on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/

Buy Alison’s book Conquer Your Imposter here - https://www.amazon.com.au/Conquer-Your-Imposter-undermines-potential/dp/1925452972/

Find out more about Alison’s work and coaching here - https://alisonshamir.com/

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/

Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts

This week Nicola and Di chat with an internationally recognised expert on imposter syndrome, Alison Shamir. Alison is a former tech exec turned global speaker, coach and author. She has a clear, science-backed approach to help you recognise, understand and overcome imposter syndrome and we loved chatting through the tools in her book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Conquer-Your-Imposter-undermines-potential/dp/1925452972/ref=nav_custrec_signin?mcid=a36205a9467f39db8f5bef72f4ee45d7&amp;tag=googleshopdsk-22&amp;linkCode=df0&amp;hvadid=712380760475&amp;hvpos=&amp;hvnetw=g&amp;hvrand=11350110421064223082&amp;hvpone=&amp;hvptwo=&amp;hvqmt=&amp;hvdev=c&amp;hvdvcmdl=&amp;hvlocint=&amp;hvlocphy=9071933&amp;hvtargid=pla-2579278525672&amp;psc=1&amp;gad_source=1">Conquer Your Imposter</a>, in this powerful episode.&nbsp;
We chat to Alison about what imposter syndrome really is, the differences between imposter syndrome, masking and self-doubt, and understanding why these things may show up in our lives. We learn how 70% of people are affected by imposter syndrome, so if this conversation resonates with you it&rsquo;s because you&rsquo;re certainly not alone! We also hear Alison&rsquo;s personal story of what it was like to be a high-achieving tech executive in her 30s, being overwhelmed by imposter syndrome, having panic attacks and feeling like a fraud. Alison&rsquo;s research into uncovering what was going on for her and why she was struggling, is what led to her fascination with imposter syndrome and giving people the tools they can use to overcome it and be able to realise their own worth and unlock their true potential.&nbsp;
We talk about the power of language and the words you say to yourself and we go through the simple 3-step process you can use to conquer your imposter - you&rsquo;ll want to tune in for this!&nbsp;
We were blown away by Alison&rsquo;s knowledge on this topic and the way she shared such practical tips for anyone who may be challenged by feelings of imposter syndrome or self-doubt. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did.&nbsp;
This episode is proudly supported by <a href="https://investwith.montinvest.com/otbf">Montgomery Investment Management</a>, trusted experts helping you build and protect your financial future. For further information, please contact David Buckland, Chief Executive Officer or Rhodri Taylor, Account Manager on (02) 8046 5000 or <a href="mailto:investor@montinvest.com">investor@montinvest.com</a>
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/">Follow Alison on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/alisonshamir/</a>
<a href="https://www.amazon.com.au/Conquer-Your-Imposter-undermines-potential/dp/1925452972/">Buy Alison&rsquo;s book Conquer Your Imposter here - https://www.amazon.com.au/Conquer-Your-Imposter-undermines-potential/dp/1925452972/</a>
<a href="https://alisonshamir.com/">Find out more about Alison&rsquo;s work and coaching here - https://alisonshamir.com/</a>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/">Follow Nicola and Di on IG here - https://www.instagram.com/overthebackfencepodcast/</a>
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts">Watch Over The Back Fence on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/@Overthebackfencepodcast/podcasts</a>

Holiday Wishes 2025 and Season Three Wrap Up

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