07th December 2025
Inspire Club Podcast: EP #38 – Ali Killaly
This episode of the Inspire Club Podcast features Ali Killaly, founder of WorkPants, leadership coach, educator, and storyteller redefining what it means to design work that fits.
Ali talks with Matt Manners about the people who’ve inspired her career — from Mindy Martin, her early-career manager who modelled “people-first leadership,” to Ryan McGrory and Dave Sunderland, whose friendship and humour continue to shape her approach to work.
She also shares the experiences that inspired her to start WorkPants — including redundancy, discrimination, and the emotional whiplash of navigating parenthood alongside career change. “I was a turtle on my back,” she admits. “But I realised I could help others through the same chaos.” Today, WorkPants helps individuals and organisations support parents, handle redundancy with humanity, and design careers that truly fit their lives.
Ali’s insight on leadership and wellbeing is refreshing and relatable: “The temptation is to fix everything, but people don’t grow if you never let them experiment. Listening is the real superpower.”
Her best advice came from a colleague in defence: “Is it life or death?” — a reminder not to sweat the small stuff and to laugh more often.
From forming accidental boy bands at work to turning personal setbacks into bold ideas, Ali’s story is proof that humour, empathy, and optimism are the most underrated leadership tools.
