[3] Staley completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance from the Securities Institute, a Post Graduate Diploma in Finance from Melbourne University, a Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation through the CFA Institute USA and a Masters in Public Policy at Flinders University.
[4] Following a career in finance, Staley joined her partner Stephen at Willaura, where they farmed cereals and canola.
[5] Staley has held several positions, including serving as President of the East Grampians Health Service.
[11] In June 2023, The Australian Financial Review reported that Staley had been engaged to revive the H. R. Nicholls Society, a right-wing think tank, to "support growing business opposition to Labor's upcoming laws to regulate gig workers, labour hire and casual employment".
[12] In 2023 Staley ran for the positions of State director of the Victorian Liberal Party,[13] and to fill a casual vacancy in the Legislative Council caused by the resignation of Matthew Bach,[14] but was unsuccessful in both attempts.