In the new GIANT In Their Field podcast series, GIANTS AFLW player Chloe Dalton steps away from the field to chat to women in the business of sport. 

These interviews take a deep dive into the experiences, successes and failures of women across a range of industries, to find out what it is that makes them a GIANT in their field.

One of Australia’s most-loved television hosts Melissa Doyle discusses how to get your foot in the door for your first job opportunity, the importance of learning from people at the top of their game, and how to embrace failure.

Not surprisingly, Melissa Doyle describes herself as an ‘absolute chatterbox’ when she was a kid. A young girl who aspired to be an astronaut, it wasn’t until the age of 12 that she caught the journalism bug. For Doyle, the temptation was clear – she wanted to be present in real life to experience the stories that mattered.

1:00:59

GIANT in Their Field: Ep 3 Melissa Doyle

One of Australia's most-loved television hosts Melissa Doyle discusses how to get your foot in the door for your first job opportunity, the importance of learning from people at the top of their game, and how to embrace failure.

She wrote articles for “any local newspaper that would take them,” and learnt the importance of banging on the door of every potential future employee until she was given her shot.

Doyle understood the value in learning from the best in the business and spent many hours scouring over the polished work of her experienced colleagues.

Like sport, media can be a cutthroat industry. With that comes the experience of being dropped, or fired, and having to deal with the resulting emotions. Doyle learnt to embrace the change that came with that and developed the ability to recognise her own strengths and weaknesses, regardless of whether her employer saw those.

In her role as Sunrise host, Doyle was recognised for her ability over many years to meet the viewer in their loungeroom and relate to them on a personal level. She was the face of Seven’s coverage of the Lindt Café siege, a defining moment in her career.

Throughout it all, Doyle’s greatest joy has been her children, and she beams with pride as she speaks about them. She has continued to break down stereotypes around being the ‘perfect mother’, and challenges ideas around women and the ageing process.