TL;DR - Opportunities that you can apply for YOURSELF are at the bottom. ;)

Three fairly significant career highlights happened within 54 hours for me in Canberra recently. I graduated from Course 32 of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, was voted in as the South Australian Director of Australian Women in Agriculture, and stepped into the role of AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award Alumni South Australian State Chair.

It all sounds very shiny when you write it down like that. Very LinkedIn. My calendar, on the other hand, probably needed a lie down. 

The part I want to talk about here on Be Simply Free is what happened behind those opportunities, because I have not created a fuller life by becoming better at doing everything. Over the past 15 months, I have actually had to get much better at deciding what I do not need to carry.

That distinction matters. A full life and an overloaded life are not the same thing.

The biggest leadership program I have ever done also became a giant family experiment

In September 2024, I applied for the Australian Rural Leadership Program (ARLP). I very nearly didn't. I had admired ARLP graduates for years, but there was still a little voice wondering whether I was really “of their calibre”.

Then fate sat me next to ALRP Alumni member at a WoTL conference dinner in August 2024. We talked about ARLP, she gave me the shoulder tap I clearly needed, and a month later I submitted my application. Without that conversation, I genuinely don't know that I would have put my hand up.

Thanks to a scholarship from GRDC, I then spent 15 months being stretched across four residential sessions in NSW, New Zealand, Alice Springs and Canberra. ARLP is designed for established leaders in rural, regional and remote Australia and involves four substantial face-to-face sessions, online learning and project work, including periods of limited or no contact with normal life back home.  

Session 1 gave my family a particularly enthusiastic test drive. I disappeared for 12 days with no phone, no laptop and no contact with Mr Farmer or the kids. For someone who historically knew where everybody needed to be, what they needed to take, what we were eating and approximately 147 other pieces of family information, this was quite the personal development exercise.

But here is the important bit. Home kept going but because we had already spent years changing the way our family worked. Mr Farmer and the kids were not merely “helping me” with my responsibilities. They had responsibilities of their own.

There were shared calendars and notes. There were systems for meals. The kids could cook. Other people knew what was happening. Things did not need to be done exactly the way I would have done them to still be perfectly fine.

Everyone survived. Even me. 

Left image: The "Burrawang" group next to a Burrawang plant on session 1 of the ARLP program in regional NSW in June 2025. Right image: Bridget (second from left) with fellow ARLP participant Belinda Lay and GRDC staff members at the ARLP graduation in Canberra in September 2026.

Boring systems create exciting capacity

I think this is one of the least glamorous secrets behind many of the opportunities I have been able to say yes to.

Boring systems create exciting capacity.

A shared family note is not particularly sexy. Neither is having a list of 28 favourite dinners so nobody has to reinvent the culinary wheel at 5.17 pm. Teaching children to cook dinner does not generate an impressive LinkedIn headline, and handing over a household responsibility rarely comes with applause.

But those things reduce the remembering, deciding, organising and checking that otherwise takes up an extraordinary amount of brain space.

That creates capacity. Capacity to take a last-minute conference ticket. Capacity to travel for professional development. Capacity to apply for a board. Capacity to take a mentoring call. Capacity to spend 15 months doing a leadership program that required me to occasionally disappear from family life altogether.

For years, my strategy for fitting in something new was essentially to become more efficient. Add the meeting. Add the committee. Add the business idea. Add the volunteering. Add the kids' sport. Add the application. Then somehow still remember we were out of toothpaste.

That is not a full life made lighter. That is calendar Tetris with a side serving of resentment.

These days, when I want to add something meaningful to my life, I try to ask a different question: What needs to become lighter so there is actually room for this?

Sometimes that means sharing something. Sometimes it means creating a system. Sometimes it means somebody else completely owning a responsibility rather than waiting for me to delegate each individual task. Sometimes it means accepting a different standard, and sometimes it means deciding something simply does not need to happen at all.

I am still learning this, by the way. I have not reached some magical level of household enlightenment where I float serenely through the house while everyone else intuitively unloads the dishwasher. But I am far more aware that being capable of carrying something does not mean it automatically needs to belong to me.

Leadership isn't a ladder, it's a landscape

One of my biggest ARLP reflections was that I had unconsciously thought of leadership as a ladder. You gain experience, move up, get the bigger job, accept more responsibility and continue climbing.

ARLP helped me see my own leadership much more as a landscape. I lead through local government, business, boards, agriculture, regional development, volunteering, community and family. I want meaningful professional opportunities, but I also want to be present for my family, look after my health, have holidays, laugh with friends and occasionally sit on a beach without turning it into a strategic planning session.

A full life, for me, is not about reaching the top of one ladder at the expense of everything else. It is about intentionally moving across that landscape and choosing where my time and energy can make the greatest difference.

That is also why I want other women to look at the leadership opportunities currently available and seriously consider putting their hands up.

If you are waiting for someone to tell you that you are ready, consider this your shoulder tap

GRDC is currently offering six fully funded places in the 2027 TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program, two in each of the northern, southern and western grain-growing regions. TRAIL is a seven-day immersive Australian Rural Leadership Foundation program designed to build confidence, self-awareness and practical leadership capability. The GRDC scholarships are specifically available to emerging grains-sector leaders, including early-career growers, agronomists, advisers and researchers.  

You do not have to fit somebody's stereotype of a “traditional farmer” to belong in agricultural leadership. Please do not make the selection panel's decision for them before you have even applied.

Right now, your answer is no. The only way you can turn it into a potential yes is to put your hand up. If TRAIL doesn't sound right for you, I've listed six other opportunities at the bottom of this article.

One last-minute conference ticket eventually led to a board seat

The second of my Canberra milestones has its own sliding-door story.

In August 2025, a last-minute opportunity appeared in our AgriFutures Rural Women's Award alumni LinkedIn group for tickets to the Australian Women in Agriculture conference in Adelaide. I had already had a fairly ridiculous amount of work travel and my sensible brain suggested that perhaps I didn't need to squeeze one more thing in.

Apparently I ignored her. At the conference I heard about the Australian Women in Agriculture Women on Agricultural Boards program. It sounded like exactly the stretch I needed, so I joined AWiA, applied and became part of the 2026 Tier 1 cohort.

Over 2026, the program helped me think more deliberately about the value I bring to boards, the roles I want to pursue and how I position my experience. I received firm but very necessary critique of my frankly substandard board CV, which looks approximately a million times better now, and invaluable 1:1 mentoring and guidance.

Then, just over a year after taking that last-minute conference ticket, I was voted in as the South Australian Director of Australian Women in Agriculture.

The program did not magically turn every application into a yes. There have been noes as well. What it did was make me much more willing and better equipped to apply.

The 2027 Women on Agricultural Boards intake is now open, with pathways for women who are exploring governance, building board experience or already board-ready and pursuing significant appointments. If boards have been sitting in your “maybe one day” pile, perhaps “one day” deserves a date.

Sometimes you don't have to win for an opportunity to change your life

My third Canberra career highlight might be the best example of this. In 2023, I was a South Australian finalist in the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award. I did not win.

Yet, as a SA finalist I became part of the Rural Women's Award alumni which has opened doors I could never have predicted at the time. I received an alumni scholarship to complete the Australian Institute of Company Directors Company Directors Course, have attended professional development and national events, and have met an extraordinary network of women creating change across rural and regional Australia.

In September 2026, I became the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award Alumni South Australian State Chair, stepping into the big shoes of retiring chair Jeanette Long. It was also a particularly exciting year to step in, with South Australian winner Narelle Zanker going on to be named the 2026 National Rural Women's Award Winner.  

There is something pretty special about going from wondering whether you should apply to becoming one of the people whose job it is to encourage the next woman to do exactly that.

The Rural Women's Award is designed for women with an established project, business or program creating impact in rural and emerging industries and communities. State and territory winners receive a $15,000 grant, professional development and access to the national alumni network.  

If you have the idea but are thinking, “Mine isn't developed enough for that yet”, have a look at the AgriFutures Rural Women's Acceleration Grant instead. It deliberately sits earlier in the journey, offering seven women each year a learning and development bursary of up to $7,000 to help develop an idea, cause or vision.  

There is not one correct starting point. The important thing is to start looking. 

L-R: Inside the 2026 Agrifutures Rural Women's Award Gala Dinner, with outgoing SA Alumni Chair Jeanette Long and with the SA Rural Women's Award Alumni that were at the 2026 gala on the stairs at Parliament House.  

We cannot keep telling women to step up without asking what they are already carrying

This is where all three career milestones come back to the work I do through Be Simply Free. We talk a lot about wanting more women in leadership, particularly across rural and regional Australia. We want women on boards, running businesses, influencing agriculture, leading communities and contributing to decision-making. I want that too. Very much.

But we cannot simply keep telling women to “step up” without also asking what they are already carrying. Sometimes ambition is not the problem. Capacity is.

If your brain is already responsible for meals, appointments, groceries, birthdays, school communication, family logistics, paid work, volunteering and the seemingly endless invisible list of things that need noticing before anybody else even realises they exist, the answer is not necessarily another time-management hack.

Sometimes we need to question why those responsibilities belong to us in the first place.

My professional life has become fuller over the past few years, but I do not want my life to become heavier with every opportunity I accept. That means continuing to build systems, redistribute responsibility, say no, lower unnecessary standards and allow the capable people around me to be capable.

That is what A Full Life, Made Lighter means to me. It is not about making your life smaller. It is about creating enough capacity for more of what actually matters.

Rural and regional leadership opportunities to watch

Last updated: 25 September 2026. This is the section worth bookmarking. Programs, scholarships and closing dates change from year to year, so I will keep this list focused on opportunities worth watching rather than turning the whole article into something that expires in November. Closing dates and program details change, so always check the official website for the latest information. 

GRDC Scholarships for the TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program

Program: 2027 TRAIL Emerging Leaders Program, delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation

Current closing date: 30 October 2026

Who it’s for: Early-career people working across the Australian grains sector, including grain growers, agronomists, advisers and researchers. GRDC is offering six fully funded places, with two available in each of the northern, southern and western grain-growing regions.

Website: https://rural-leaders.org.au/trail-emerging-leaders-program/

Bridget’s take: I haven’t completed TRAIL, but I have just graduated from the 15-month Australian Rural Leadership Program with the same Foundation. I think of TRAIL as a brilliant first step into immersive leadership development. You do not have to fit someone’s idea of a “traditional farmer” to apply. If you work in the grains sector and want to stretch yourself, build your network and understand yourself better as a leader, have a look. And please do not decide you are not “leader enough” before the selection panel gets the chance to decide for themselves.

AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award

Program: 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award

Current closing date: 4 November 2026 for most states and NT 20 January 2027. Check the website for your state or territory closing time.

Who it’s for: Women with an established project, business or program creating positive impact in rural, regional or remote Australia. State and territory winners receive a $15,000 grant, professional development and access to the national Rural Women’s Award alumni network.

Website: https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/rural-womens-award/

Bridget’s take: I was a South Australian finalist in 2023 and am now the SA Rural Women’s Award Alumni State Chair. I did not become the state winner, but the opportunities that came from becoming part of the alumni have been incredible, including a scholarship to complete the AICD Company Directors Course, national events, professional development and an amazing network of rural women. If you are in South Australia and wondering whether your project fits, please reach out to me. I would love to help you work out whether this could be your year.

AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant

Program: 2027 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant

Current closing date: 4 November 2026

Who it’s for: Women with an early-stage idea, cause or vision that could positively impact rural and emerging industries or rural, regional and remote communities. It is designed for women who are earlier in their journey than applicants for the Rural Women’s Award.

Website: https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/acceleration-grant/

Bridget’s take: I haven’t completed this program, but I love that there is an opportunity specifically for women who are thinking, “I have an idea, but I’m not ready for the Rural Women’s Award yet.” You do not need to jump straight to the biggest opportunity. Sometimes the right next step is simply the one that helps you turn an idea into something real.

Australian Women in Agriculture Women on Agricultural Boards

Program: 2027 Women on Agricultural Boards Program

Current closing date: Applications are open now. Check the AWiA website for the current closing date for your pathway and any sponsored places.

Who it’s for: Women across agriculture who want to build their governance capability and board careers. The program includes pathways for women exploring governance, building board experience and experienced women actively pursuing significant appointments.

Website: https://www.awia.org.au/women-on-ag-boards

Bridget’s take: I completed the 2026 Tier 1 program with a goal of gaining more board roles, and within a year I was voted in as the South Australian Director of Australian Women in Agriculture. The program did not magically turn every application into a yes, and there have definitely been noes along the way. What it did was make me much clearer about the value I bring to a board, improve my board CV enormously and make me more willing to actually put my hand up. If board leadership is sitting in your “maybe one day” pile, perhaps 2027 is the year you give “one day” a date.

WoTL Stepping into Leadership

Program: WoTL Stepping into Leadership

Current closing date: 18th October 2026. 

Who it’s for: Women in agriculture and agribusiness who want to grow their leadership capability through professional development, coaching, mentoring and connection with other women in the industry.

Website: https://wotl.com.au/sil/

Bridget’s take: I haven’t completed Stepping into Leadership, but WoTL has been part of my own leadership story in other ways and I really rate the organisation and the network it creates for women in agriculture. If you are looking for a structured program that gives you time to develop, reflect and build relationships over several months, I would absolutely put this one on your list.

Australian Rural Leadership Program

Program: Australian Rural Leadership Program

Current closing date: Applications and scholarship opportunities vary by cohort and sponsoring organisation. Expressions of interest for future courses can be submitted through the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

Who it’s for: Established leaders who want to increase their impact across rural, regional and remote Australia. Participants come from agriculture, community, government, business, industry and many other sectors.

Website: https://rural-leaders.org.au/australian-rural-leadership-program/

Bridget’s take: I graduated from Course 32 in September 2026 as a GRDC scholar, and it is one of the most significant professional development experiences I have ever undertaken. It is a serious 15-month commitment and it stretched me professionally and personally in ways I did not expect. I applied wondering whether I was really “of the calibre” to be there. I finished knowing I belonged there all along. If ARLP is sitting on your bucket list, start watching for the scholarships that align with your industry and have the conversation with your family and employer before you talk yourself out of it.

Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program

Program: Murray-Darling Basin Leadership Program

Current closing date: Applications for the 2027 cohort are currently open. Check the program website for the latest closing date.

Who it’s for: Emerging and established leaders connected to the Murray-Darling Basin who want to strengthen their ability to work collaboratively across communities, sectors and complex regional issues.

Website: https://rural-leaders.org.au/murray-darling-basin-leadership-program/

Bridget’s take: I haven’t completed this program, but it is delivered by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and is another substantial investment in regional leadership development. If your work, industry or community is connected to the Basin and you want to broaden your thinking beyond your own sector, I would have a serious look.

And my shoulder tap to you...

If one of these programs has made you think, “That sounds amazing, but I’m probably not experienced enough”, please stop doing the selection panel’s job for them. Check the eligibility. If you fit, apply.

Right now the answer is no.

The only way to turn it into a potential yes is to put your hand up.

And if your hesitation is not confidence but capacity, that is worth paying attention to as well. Instead of immediately asking, “How on earth would I fit this in?”, try asking, “What would need to become lighter to make room for this?”

That question has changed a lot for me.

I'm always happy to have a virtual coffee catch up with you, if you'd like to know more about these opportunities. Use this link to find a time we are both free - ZOOM VIRTUAL COFFEE CATCH UP.