In this powerful episode, I sit down with Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas — founder of Supporting Communities Australia and self-declared “Youth Mentor Queen.”

Yosmerys shares her journey from disability support worker to CEO, and how her background in criminology and youth work shaped her trauma-informed mentoring model, Elevate Youth Lab.

We talk about:

• Youth mentoring in the NDIS
• Supporting young people with disability and trauma backgrounds
• Capacity building and confidence
• Female leadership in the disability sector
• Transitioning from support worker to business owner
• Building strong support worker teams
• Mental health and community support

Yosmerys opens up about the challenges of leadership, the lessons she learned in major organisations, and why everything she does is intentional.

Her goal? To reach 300,000 young people in 50 years.

This conversation is for:
Support workers, NDIS providers, youth workers, founders, female leaders, and anyone passionate about building strong communities.

If you believe choice, trauma-informed care, and real empowerment matter in the disability sector — this episode is for you.

🎧 Listen on Spotify
📺 Watch on YouTube
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In this episode I sit down with Michelle Flynn, Growth & Marketing Manager at aryse (https://aryse.com.au/) — a service doing great things in the disability space.

Michelle unpacks what ethical, effective marketing really means in an industry where trust and connection matter more than slick ads. We get honest about:

✨ Why emotional, values-based messaging will always beat hype
✨ The difference between posting content for the sake of it vs content with purpose
✨ How your team’s behaviour out in the community is your most powerful marketing tool
✨ Balancing creative ambition with clear strategy and outcomes
✨ How to scale, delegate and lead without losing your brand’s heart
✨ The importance of real stories that humanise your service
✨ And the marketing mistake that involved 2,000 mousepads with the wrong name 😅

If you’re a provider, business leader, support worker, marketer or anyone wanting to grow in the NDIS sector with integrity — this one will give you practical takeaways, grounded insights, and a fresh way to think about promotion in a space that’s not always “sexy,” but absolutely essential.

Find aryse + connect with Michelle on LinkedIn to continue the conversation and keep learning.

Running a SIL service and feel like you’re constantly juggling rosters, funding, staff needs, and compliance… and still wondering if you’re getting it right?

You’re not alone — and you’re not failing.

In this episode, Sarah chats with Josh Pix from Resolv, a team that works alongside SIL providers across Australia to fix one of the biggest hidden problems in the sector: rostering and claiming that doesn’t actually match participant funding.

We talk about:
• Why SIL rostering is one of the hardest jobs in the NDIS
• How “being nice” and adding extra hours can quietly cost providers thousands
• The real impact of incorrect rostering on participants and staff
• Why leadership in disability looks different (and starts with kindness)
• What a SIL “health check” actually looks at
• Why even experienced providers get this wrong — and why that’s okay

Josh shares insights from working with hundreds of providers and explains why this isn’t about working harder — it’s about having the right systems and support in place.

If you’ve ever cried over a roster, worried about funding gaps, or felt like SIL is an impossible puzzle… this episode will make you feel seen — and give you a clearer path forward.

🎧 Perfect for SIL providers, service managers, team leaders, and anyone responsible for rostering or compliance in the NDIS space.