The Climb with Cherie Clonan
The Climb is a podcast for people building something meaningful and finding their way through the ups, setbacks, and in-between moments that come with it.
Hosted by Cherie, founder of The Digital Picnic (a digital marketing agency based in Melbourne/Naarm), the show explores the realities of growth through marketing, leadership, and neurodivergence.
As a proud Autistic woman and agency founder of more than 11 years, Cherie brings both lived experience and strategic thinking to the conversation. Episodes blend practical frameworks, industry insight, and personal stories... including leadership lessons and moments rarely shared publicly.
The podcast creates space for honest discussion around modern marketing that works, neurodivergent leadership... and leadership in all its complexity, from decision-making and team culture, to resilience and long-term growth.
The Climb is named for the shared journey it represents. Whether you’re growing a business, leading others, or navigating your own next chapter, the climb looks different for everyone.
Episodes
14 episodes
What Makes A Great Social Media Specialist
We wrap season one by breaking down what makes a truly great social media specialist. For business owners, we tell you how to spot the real deal when you’re hiring. And for marketing professionals and freelancers, we s...
How to nail your first 90 days at The Digital Picnic
We unpack what actually helps you succeed in your first 90 days at a fast agency and why “dazzle” often backfires. We share the boring basics that build trust, how to handle culture shock, and what to do if your probation period ends with a no....
How to get a job at The Digital Picnic
We pull back the curtain on what actually gets someone hired at The Digital Picnic. We share the practical steps that help you stand out, plus the mindset shifts that keep you grounded when you’re applying to a workplace you admire.Key ...
How to hire a team that protects your energy
We break down what it really means to hire people who protect a neurodivergent founder’s energy. We share the frameworks Cherie uses to spot friction early, set boundaries and build a team culture that supports performance and wellbeing. <...
How to Grow on LinkedIn in 2026
We break down how to grow on LinkedIn in 2026 without chasing daily posts or virality, and why the platform still rewards real thinking over polished noise. We share practical ways to choose a single topic, add a true thought leadership angle, ...
Calm leadership: Founder habits that protect your energy
What changes after you survive a brutal season of founderhood? In this episode, we unpack calm leadership, the founder habits that help you protect your energy, and why reactive leadership can pull a team straight into chaos. Cherie shares the ...
Hyperfocus builds the business until boredom bites back
Hyperfocus can look like a superpower from the outside, but living inside it is a different story. We get honest about what autistic hyperfocus actually feels like and how it helped build The Digital Picnic when the hours were long, the stakes ...
Building a Personal Brand: No Followers, No Problem
We unpack why you don’t need followers to build a personal brand, and why starting at zero can be the most strategic move you make. We share the content choices, boundaries, and mindset shifts that turn visibility into trust, leads, and real in...
Lessons in Unoffendable Leadership
Today we talk about unoffendable leadership and why staying hurt makes leading a team harder than it needs to be. We share some of Cherie's honest stories from business ownership, plus the practical tools to regulate your reactions...
Rogue or neurodivergent? Unpacking the labels we give Founders
We unpack how the labels founders wear can start as a joke and end up reshaping trust, authority, and decision making. We share the “Rogue Clonan” story, why neurodivergent leaders get labelled so fast, and how to reclaim your voic...
How to grow on Instagram in 2026
Instagram didn’t “break”, it evolved and if your reach has tanked lately, you’re not imagining it. We unpack what an AI-first, user-first Instagram looks like in 2026 and why so many businesses feel like everything that used to work has...
How I course corrected my worst business year - Part 2
You dialled into episode 1 where Cherie talked about TDP's no-good-very-bad-year... but episode 2 is where we talk about how Cherie - quite literally - CLIMBED her way out of that no-good-very-bad-year.This year [21/22FY] was that one p...
How I course corrected my worst business year - Part 1
76% of your clients vanish in a day. Your team is looking at you through a Zoom screen for reassurance. You can do the maths and you know the runway is short, but you still have to lead. That’s where we start Episode 1 of The Climb, as Cherie t...