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Eps 42 “Leading from the Middle: Finding Your Voice in a Room of Experts” with Cassie Rauert Today we are joined by Dr Cassie Rauert, a Senior Research Fellow specialising in microplastics exposure at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Cassie is an Environmental Analytical Chemist who completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the Un
Time: 43:04
Today we are joined by Dr Cassie Rauert, a Senior Research Fellow specialising in microplastics exposure at the University of Queensland, Australia.
Cassie is an Environmental Analytical Chemist who completed her Bachelor of Science (Honours) at the University of Sydney in 2007, followed by a PhD at the University of Birmingham in 2014, where she investigated human exposure to flame retardants in indoor environments.
In 2014, Cassie moved to Canada, working with Environment and Climate Change Canada on major national and international environmental monitoring programs. She returned to Australia in 2019.
Her current research focuses on understanding human exposure to emerging pollutants such as microplastics, as well as developing new approaches to monitor chemicals of concern that affect both people and urban environments.
In our conversation we find out about how Cassie made her decisions to leave a country town in Australia, to study in Sydney, then move to the UK to study and then to Canada and back to Australia. A round the world adventure, building a strong network along the way. We dive into the importance of strategic relationship building, the courage required to advocate for others, and practical frameworks for managing professional overwhelm.
Let’s dive in.
Key moments in the podcast:
02:41 Rapid-Fire Warmup: Queensland Life, Crafts & Zombie Skills
04:58 What Cassie Does Now: Microplastics, Exposure Pathways & Health Risks
07:32 Why the Work Matters: Puzzles, Mentoring PhDs & the Global Plastics Treaty
09:38 Origins of a Scientist: Family Puzzles, Teachers & Early Mentors
13:50 Fork in the Road: Leaving a Small Town for Sydney (and Bigger Horizons) 16:06 Taking the Leap: Landing a UK PhD + Coping with Loneliness Abroad
18:53 Finding Your People: Building Community Overseas—and the COVID Curveball Back Home
20:25 Finding Your People: Community as a Career Anchor
21:06 Small-Town Roots to Sydney: Where the Science Nerds Gather
22:18 Why Canada? Strategically Expanding Your Research Network
24:44 Coming Home to Australia: Warm Networking & Timing the Move
27:04 Mentoring Early-Career Researchers: Conferences, Confidence & Saying Yes
29:00 Women in Science: Being Overlooked and Learning to Call It Out
32:42 Speaking Up on the Panel: A Real-Time Lesson on Gender Equality
37:08 Golden Nuggets for Forks in the Road: Sleep on It, Stretch, Break It Down
41:34 Wrap-Up, Next Episode Teaser & Credits
Here is what stays with us from this conversation:
Strategy is Built on the Strength of Your Connections
Success isn’t just about what you know, but how intentionally you cultivate the “warm” networks around you.
* Moving Beyond the “Cold” Outreach: Using social settings and mutual acquaintances to turn professional opportunities from cold emails into warm introductions.
* The Global Perspective: Why expanding your geographic horizons—even when it feels risky—diversifies your professional relationships.
* Mentorship as a Shared Path: The role of leaders in “opening the door” for others by providing the same enthusiasm and time that once helped them grow.
Leadership Demands the Courage to Challenge the Status Quo
True leadership often requires speaking up when the room is silent, ensuring that every voice is seen and heard.
* The Myth of Equality: Addressing why leaders must look beyond “not seeing gender” to recognize the different playing fields individuals start from.
* Advocacy in Real-Time: The impact of calling out bias in professional settings, not through aggression, but through firm, visible support for those being overlooked.
* Empowering the Next Generation: How senior leaders can use their influence to give courage to emerging talent by modeling advocacy.
Mastering the Professional “Circuit Breaker”
Longevity in any industry depends on your ability to step back, recalibrate, and approach complex problems with a cool head.
* The Power of the Pause: Why “sleeping on it” is a vital leadership tool for resolving conflict and providing thoughtful responses rather than reactive ones.
* Managing the Overwhelm: Using the “one small thing” framework to deconstruct massive, complex challenges into manageable, visible progress.
* The Strategic “Yes”: Learning to lean into opportunities that make you nervous (growth) while maintaining boundaries on those that compromise your ethics.
Connect with Cassie Rauert
Listen to this podcast on Spotify or Apple or subscribe to it on Substack. We would love it if you would leave us a comment, screenshot the episode and tag us on social, and share this episode with your community so that they can better navigate their forks in the road.
This is an original podcast by Flyntrok. We help organisations, communities and individuals change and adapt to a new world. You will Find Flyntrok on LinkedIn, Instagram and X.
Hosted by Stephen Berkeley and Anne Boland
Produced by Rajeev Nedumaran of Studior.
Music by Damian Smith of Bespoke Music.
Art work by Ben Tibbin of Mozmo Creative and
Social Media Creations by Alana Rauert of Muse Communications.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this episode were those of the hosts and the guest, not of any entity they work for or with.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit flyntrok.substack.com
GUID: substack:post:188214762
Release Date: 18/02/2026, 04:30:00
