Take a Seat is a podcast by The Connection Table where your host, Jo Palmer, interviews women with rural roots who have taken a seat at the decision making table in their industry on a national and international stage.
In this episode of Take a Seat, I’m joined by a woman who has never waited for permission to lead.
From making 36 moves across Queensland and the Northern Territory as a young mum… to accidentally coordinating disaster recovery in a flood-hit town… to becoming Mayor of the North Burnett Regional Council… and now serving as Queensland’s first dedicated Food Farmers’ Commissioner — Rachel Chambers’ leadership journey is anything but linear.
Rachel is the first to hold this Commissioner role, a position tasked with strengthening trust between farmers and government, advising on food security, investigating market data, and helping shape the future of Queensland’s primary industries.
But what makes this conversation so powerful isn’t just the title — it’s the way Rachel thinks about leadership.
We talk about grief and grit. About running for mayor without ever having been a councillor. About what food security really means in a volatile world. And about the quiet strategic decisions — and pivotal advice — that shape a career in public life.
This is a conversation about backing yourself before you feel ready, about building teams that matter, and about connecting the dots between produce, policy, place and purpose.
Pull up a chair — and take a seat with Rachel Chambers.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
14 Jul 2025
Take a Seat with Robbie Sefton
In this episode of Take A Seat, we sit down with one of regional Australia’s most passionate and persistent advocates – Robbie Sefton. As the Managing Director of Seftons and Associates, a national communications and engagement firm based in the bush, Robbie is also a farmer, a leader on multiple national boards and a lifelong believer in the power of financial independence, community collaboration and straight-talking leadership.
Robbie shares her reflections on the grit and vision it takes to build a business from rural Australia, the role of fear and financial pressure as fuel for innovation, and her commitment to seeing young people thrive in dynamic regional communities. From the thrill of the chase in business to the power of influence without ego, this conversation is a masterclass in authentic, values-led leadership.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
8 Jul 2025
Take a Seat with Lisa Millar
Host Kate Meade interviews Lisa Millar, an ABC journalist, who recounts pivotal career moments shaped by overcoming fears and embracing opportunities, highlighting the impact of her rural background.
17 Jun 2025
Take a Seat with Shanna Whan
Shanna Whan, CEO of Sober in the Country, discusses accidental leadership and overcoming alcohol addiction in rural Australia, highlighting the power of speaking up in this interview episode.
11 Jun 2025
Take a Seat with Danica Leys
Danica Leys, CEO of the Country Women’s Association of NSW, discusses her journey and the organization's powerful advocacy for rural communities, highlighting the impact of lived experience in regional leadership in this interview.
14 May 2025
Take a Seat with Diana Gibbs
Diana Gibbs wasn’t born and raised in rural Australia but it has been her home for the last 50 years. Diana talks about her global upbringing, career as an economist in male dominated industries and how her first board role came about as a shoulder tap from NSW Premier Bob Carr after she won the inaugural Rural Women's Award. Diana gives some valuable advice on what is required to bring value to a board position and also about the importance of leaning into the fact that your leadership style will evolve with time.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Diana Gibbs.
18 Sept 2024
Take a Seat with Kristal Kinsela
Kristal Kinsela is a passionate and proud Aboriginal role model, a descendant of both the Jawoyn and Wiradjuri nations with nearly 20 years of experience in education and training, organisational and workforce development, and supplier diversity working across Government, Corporate and Not-for-Profit sectors. She is also a mum to a new generation of entrepreneurs and a fierce example of the leadership talent that lives in rural Australia.
Kristal shares her incredible leadership journey to date and delves into the enormous sacrifices she has made to combat the challenges faced by building a business in the bush. Kristal also shares an insight into her experience working for leaders that have been pivotal in her career.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Kristal Kinsela.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
18 Sept 2024
Take a Seat with Amy Kunrojpanya
Hailing from a town of less than 1000 people in rural QLD, Amy Kunrojpanya started her career with the Australian Government and has gone on to work for some of the world’s most recognisable brands. Amy delves into her fascinating leadership journey and shares some incredible experiences that have shaped how she manages people and teams today. Amy talks about hard work and gives fabulous advice on how to model it.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Amy Kunrojpanya.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
18 Sept 2024
Take a Seat with Hannah Wade
Hannah Wade grew up on the NSW Central Coast, trained as a corporate lawyer and is now the Australian Trade and Investment Commissioner to Indonesia. Hannah talks me through her leadership journey, the challenges she faced at university with one foot in the Sydney student scene and the other foot with responsibilities on the farm at home. Hannah shares some interesting insights into leadership development on a global scale most specifically on leveraging history to steer her leadership approach and strategy. Hannah also acknowledges the value that she places on her early leadership roles in grassroot organisations and committees in her rural community.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Hannah Wade.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
28 Sept 2023
Take a Seat with Di Tompson
Diane Tompson is one of those women you want to be when you grow up. For the last 30 years, Di has been at the helm of Novaris, the engineering and manufacturing company she founded with her husband in Tasmania which exports all over the world from both their HQ in Tassie and their factory in Malaysia. Di’s leadership journey has evolved over time and it is definitely a style that you don’t often read about in leadership books.
Di’s passion for supporting women in senior leadership roles in industries that are very male centric has taken her all over the world and by the sounds of it, will continue until her last breath.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Diane Tompson.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (www.theconnectiontable.com)
31 Aug 2023
Take a Seat with Jeanette Long
Jeanette Long is a bit of an institution in rural Australia. Many of you across the country may have participated in one of Jeanette’s sessions be it in extension, facilitation or leadership training or you’re a current or former member of one of the many organisations that she has played an integral role in establishing.
Jeanette talks about her passion for supporting women in leadership, particularly those from rural communities and she talks about the biggest challenges she sees blocking the pathways to leadership opportunities.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Jeanette Long.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
31 Jul 2023
Take a Seat with Edwina Sharrock
Edwina Sharrock is a self confessed leadership and professional development nut. Edwina trained as a midwife and transitioned to the startup world with the launch and development of her online birth education company Birth Beat. We discuss how she has leveraged her rural location to drive her leadership journey and why she thinks we need to change the narrative around the perceived barriers that our geography may present.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Edwina Sharrock.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
#ruralleadership #australianleadership #ruralleaders #leadership
5 Jul 2023
Take a Seat with Olympia Yarger
Olympia Yarger is a force to be reckoned with. Hailing from the Monaro in southern NSW, Olympia is the CEO of Goterra, a waste management infrastructure company that farms insects in autonomous robots.
Drawing on her experiences in Australian agriculture and the US Marine Corp, Olympia shares her fascinating perspectives on leadership and around the perceived barriers that people in rural areas face as they grow into leadership roles.
I hope you enjoy this conversation as I take a seat with Olympia Yarger.
To find out more about The Connection Table’s mission to get more rural Australians a seat at the decision making table, head to our website
www.theconnectiontable.com (http://www.theconnectiontable.com)
Who has been a guest on Take a Seat
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Lisa Millar
Shanna Whan
Danica Leys
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YouTube views
1,488
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Podcast Authority Score: 27 / 100
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Quality
26
Social presence
0
YouTube
68
Engagement
0
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