Team with the Queen

About Team with the Queen

The podcast that goes beyond the titles and the LinkedIn bios, where we uncover the real stories behind the leader shaping the industries. 100 leaders in Australia whose stories are worth hearing. That's the mission. Team with the Queen is the fortnightly interview podcast on the journey to find them. Not the ones on every panel. Not the ones with the loudest LinkedIn. The leaders actually doing the work — the ones nobody's putting a microphone in front of yet. Until now. Hosted by Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas, a Latina-Australian, founder of Supporting Communities Australia, and the host who got tired of waiting for the gatekeepers to choose the guests for her. Every second thursday, one guest. Their real stories. The wins, the failures, the stuff they only tell you off the record. Vulnerability that earns the moment. Humour that earns the rewatch. Conversations you can't get anywhere else, because nobody else is having them like this. You'll meet founders, support workers, sector-shapers, accidental leaders, the unsung ones whose work is changing how Australia actually runs. If you've ever felt like the conversations that matter most aren't the ones being broadcast — this show is for you. New episodes every second thursday. Follow on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube @teamwiththequeen. Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production.

Publisher

Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

10 Jun 2026

Latest episode

30 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

10 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   30 Sept 2026

   The Truth About Leadership in the NDIS

   If you've ever wondered what actually separates a good boss from a bad one — or wondered whether the people running the systems meant to protect vulnerable Australians actually care — you need to hit play. Today, Yosmerys sits down with Ben Revill, co-director of Safe Harbour, a SIL and STA provider built after years spent inside the NDIS and youth services sector — first in the Navy, then as a pastor, then leading NDIS and youth programs before deciding the only way to build something right was to build it himself. If you've ever worked for someone who only cared about what you could do for them, watched an industry cut corners on people who couldn't speak up for themselves, or wondered what actually makes people choose to follow a leader instead of just tolerating one — you need to hear this. Ben will challenge the way you think about leadership, loyalty, quality, and what it actually costs to build something with integrity in an industry where cutting corners is easy to hide. Think of it like this: a happy customer tells five people. An unhappy one tells ten. In an industry built on caring for people who often can't advocate for themselves, that math should terrify every provider — but it doesn't always. Ben shares stories from his time fostering children who'd been found searching for food in the bin, from NDIS participants fed through metal bars, and from the quiet, consistent moments — like sitting down for a shared meal — that rebuild trust trauma has broken. His message is simple: you can't fake care, and the people you're meant to be serving always know the difference. You'll also learn: Why leadership is "what happens when no one's watching," not when they are The real difference between authority and true leadership Why remote work quietly erodes the relationships that leadership depends on How food and shared meals become a tool for building trust and belonging Why "people matter" has to be more than a slogan How trauma sharpens a young person's radar for who's genuinely present Why Ben believes disability support should be measured by warmth, not just paperwork The real reason negative experiences spread faster than good ones Why "you've got to listen more" is the career advice most people ignore How growing up with undiag This conversation will push you to rethink what leadership actually requires, question what "quality" really means in an industry meant to protect vulnerable people, and consider whether the people around you can tell — even without a word — whether you actually care. By the time it's over, you'll understand why the most important metric in this work might be the one nobody's measuring. Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: leadership is not what happens when people are watching 00:01:04 Welcome to Team with the Queen 00:01:55 Meet Ben: from Navy to pastor to NDIS leader 00:04:11 Safe Harbor Care: building a home with heart 00:05:32 The weird quirks: counting wheels on trucks and living with dyslexia 00:09:26 The headbands game: guessing leadership 00:09:39 Brought to you by Wholii 00:13:00 What people misunderstand about leadership 00:16:41 The qualities of good bosses: confidence, knowledge, and genuine care 00:20:30 Relationship is the secret sauce: building trust through consistency 00:22:13 Food brings people together: cooking as connection 00:26:13 The foster care story: malnourished kids and the power of dinner time 00:28:14 Why Ben walked away and started his own thing 00:31:07 Is the NDIS actually improving, or just better at hiding problems? 00:34:45 How to regulate heart: the thing the NDIS can't measure 00:38:39 Kids pick up on everything: hypervigilance and trauma 00:41:25 Celebrity question from Sarah Heria: listen more, speak less 00:47:05 The ripple question: what Ben hopes his legacy will be 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@wholii_au • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wholii Ben Revill — Safe Harbour Care LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-revill-3a01b3163/ Website: https://www.safeharbourecare.com.au Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Creator of Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys/ @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #Leadership

2. 

   16 Sept 2026

   Expert Exercise Physiologist: Why Women Lose Bone Density Before Menopause (And How To Prevent It)

   This episode is a MUST-listen. If you've ever felt afraid of your own body — afraid to bend down, afraid to fall, afraid to trust yourself to move the way you used to — you need to hit play. Today, Yosmerys sits down with Jeremy Pucheta, founder of Move2Thrive, an exercise physiology-led allied health clinic in Western Sydney, and an award-winning leader in his field. Jeremy and his team work with people across NDIS, DVA, Medicare, and aged care — helping people rebuild strength, confidence, and independence, one movement at a time. If you've ever avoided a movement because you were scared of what would happen, put off exercise because life felt too stressful already, or wondered why some people bounce back from setbacks while others stay stuck — you need to hear this. Jeremy will challenge the way you think about pain, fear, confidence, and what it actually takes to change. You'll learn why confidence isn't something you wait for, why "consistency is the only thing that truly compounds," and why the people who help you most are often the ones who simply ask better questions. Jeremy also shares real stories from inside his clinic — including a woman who hadn't left her house in months, afraid to even check her mailbox, and what it took to help her trust her body again. His message is simple: you don't need to overhaul your life to change it. You need reps, consistency, and the right support system — and the rest follows. You'll learn: Why confidence is built through repetition, not motivation The real difference between an exercise physiologist and a physiotherapist Why so many people misunderstand what it takes to build capacity How a strong support system determines long-term success What "filling your cup" really means — and how exercise itself can be a stressor Why rest and recovery matter as much as the workout itself How gradual exposure helps people overcome fear of movement after injury or diagnosis Why preventative health through movement should be treated as seriously as medical treatment What happens to muscle and bone mass after age 30 — and how to protect it Why routines and systems beat willpower every time How asking the right questions changes a patient's entire healing journey What Jeremy hopes changes in the disability and health sector over the next 10 years This conversation will push you to stop waiting until you feel "ready" to move, stop underestimating what small, consistent action can do, and stop believing that fear of your body is something you just have to live with. By the time it's over, you'll understand exactly why movement is medicine — and you'll be ready to put in the reps. Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: exercise is a stressor and you have to be careful how much you fill that cup 01:12 Welcome to Team with the Queen 02:18 Meet Jeremy: the exercise physiologist who won an award 05:44 Move to Thrive: building strength, confidence, and independence through movement 09:33 Network out: the term Jeremy coined for working out while networking 12:08 Brought to you by Wholii 12:43 The headbands game: guessing confidence 16:22 Why people misunderstand the need for consistency to build confidence 18:56 The lady with Charcot Marie Tooth disease who had never been asked these questions 22:34 The biopsychosocial approach: treating the person not the diagnosis 26:11 Filling your cup: exercise is also a stressor 29:47 Why the Australian government should invest more in preventative health 32:19 Routines and systems over willpower: the Tim Tams strategy 35:41 Celebrity question from Michael Clarke: what feedback stings the most 38:52 King of Movement: Jeremy's award 40:01 What he hopes the sector says in 10 years about movement and fragility 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@wholii_au • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wholii Jeremy Pucheta — Move 2 Thrive LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypucheta090/ Website: https://move2thrive.com.au/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Creator of Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys/ @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #WomenHealth #ExercisePhysiology #MovementMedicine

3. 

   2 Sept 2026

   Support Worker to Executive: Leadership, Burnout, and Building Legacy in Community Services

   Twenty six years in community services taught him that legacy isn't about what people say about you. It's about helping others build theirs. And the daughter who was nonverbal in kindy became a school prefect by year five. This conversation explores what happens when a leader realizes that showing up every day isn't about titles or recognition. It's about the support workers who stay, the families who find hope, and the young people who exceed every expectation anyone ever had for them. We discuss the gap between executive leadership and personal chaos, the self care strategies that prevent burnout, and why asking a simple question like are you happy can change someone's entire relationship with work. Anthony shares why retention matters more than recruitment, why culture isn't optional, and what it means to serve the people you lead instead of expecting them to serve you. Subscribe to follow our journey of sharing the stories of 100 leaders in Australia. Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: it's not about building your legacy, it's about helping others build theirs 00:54 Welcome to Team with the Queen 01:33 Meet Anthony: the support worker who became an executive 03:49 Shout out to unpaid carers: the unsung heroes 04:56 Paramount Care and Connect: capacity building and life stages 07:43 Capacity building: the girl who fixed her eyes on me 14:43 Self-care is part of doing the job right 19:33 Culture and retention: why support workers leave after 18 months 28:19 Brought to you by Wholii 28:54 The headbands game: guessing youth 33:43 What is the real issue about supporting youth? 35:08 No matter how much experience you have, it doesn't protect your own family 38:36 Lila's story: from nonverbal to prefect 42:56 Celebrity question from Michael: what would younger you need to hear? 46:36 King of the Village: helping others build their legacy 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@wholii_au • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wholii In this conversation, Anthony shares: The unpaid carers in his family looking after his mum, who has dementia Why Paramount Care and Connect was built so participants don't need them forever The focus on life stages and capacity building most providers overlook The nonverbal, level three autistic client who reacted with pure curiosity to something as small as red lipstick Leading as an executive while navigating full chaos at home How self-care strategies and Carers Gateway counselling kept him grounded Why support workers hold more leverage than they realise, and why retention costs less than recruitment The $2,000 it costs to onboard every new support worker, and why most leave within 18 months unless leaders actually care The boss who once asked "are you happy," and why that question still shapes how he leads years later Why his son is in a correctional centre, and why that's not the end of his story The long waiting lists and support groups that weren't right for his family How his daughter Lila went from nonverbal in kindy to school prefect by year five Why today's youth face pressures his generation never had to navigate The advice he'd give his younger self, starting with being kinder to himself Why he no longer wants to build his own legacy, but help others build theirs There's also a headbands game where Anthony guesses the word "youth" in under two minutes wearing a tropical flower crown, and a celebrity question from Michael Clarke on what his younger self needs to hear. This episode is about leadership, burnout, capacity building, and what happens when professional success refuses to come at the cost of humanity. Anthony Inu — Paramount Care & Connect LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-inu-1b241159/ Website: https://paramountconnects.com.au/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Creator of Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys/ @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #Leadership #CommunityServices

4. 

   19 Aug 2026

   Why NDIS Support Workers Are Set Up To Fail, And How To Fix It w/Louisa from Silva Lining Support

   this time it's a registered nurse who built an NDIS education model because support workers had the skill but not the confidence to deliver it. Louisa Silva is a registered nurse, behaviour support practitioner, and care manager. She co-runs Silva Lining Support with her daughter, also a registered nurse. Together they built an education and delegation of care model that trains support workers in high skill descriptors like peg feeding, medication management, and complex bowel care. Not generic training. Participant specific training built around clinical history and care plans. This conversation examines why NDIS providers continue to underinvest in education, why margins being thin is not an excuse, and what happens when you train workers so they can leave but treat them well enough so they want to stay. Subscribe to follow our journey of sharing the stories of 100 leaders in Australia. Chapters: [FLIGHT CAST CHAPTERS] 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@wholii_au • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wholii In this conversation, Louisa shares: • Why she was a naughty kid who sometimes went to school when she felt like it • The nan named Mercedes who raised her from age five and is now 93 and still independent • Why her three year nursing degree took five years because she was a single mum • The one wish her nan had before she died and why Louisa made sure she graduated first • How she studied at the same uni as her eldest daughter and they exchanged notes • Why she works across aged care and NDIS and what transferable skills actually mean • The community nursing role that inspired her to build the education model • Why support workers have the skills embedded but lack confidence to deliver high risk care • What the eight high skill descriptors are and why clinical oversight is not optional • Why she builds education models specific to each participant's clinical history • The difference between generic training and person centred education • Why providers think education is the last priority when margins are thin • What would happen if the government subsidized specialist training like they do Cert IV • Why choice and control gets limited when you can no longer afford the carer you want • The nurse who changed a patient's outcome more than the doctor because she listened • Why delegation of care is the term most people have never heard but desperately need • What she hopes people say in 10 years about the lasting impression she left There's also a headbands game where Louisa takes less than a minute to guess the word education while wearing a ladybug crown. And a story about being raised by her Chilean nan. And the moment Michael Clark sends a celebrity question about what she'd keep if everything disappeared. This is about clinical care education compliance and what happens when a nurse refuses to accept that support workers should stay undertrained because the system won't pay for it. Louisa Silva — Silva Lining Support LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisa-silva-6322683ab/ Website: https://silvaliningsupport.com.au/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Creator of Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys/ @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #Education #ClinicalCare

5. 

   5 Aug 2026

   Buy Now Pay Later Just Ruined Your Home Loan (You Don't Know It Yet)

   A mortgage broker who picks unicorn crowns at podcast recordings spent five years in plan management before he realised support workers couldn't get home loans. And the social worker at an Able Plus event didn't ask about plan management. She asked for help buying a house. Chapters: 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: tiktok.com/@wholii • YouTube: youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: facebook.com/wholii Episode featuring David Easton, founder of Support Finance Group. David is known as the King of Keys. He helps casual NDIS workers and allied health professionals get mortgages when banks say no. He spent five years in plan management and trust accounting. He built a mortgage brokerage because support workers kept getting rejected. And now he's fixing the gap between caring for others and owning your own home. In this conversation, David shares: • The social worker at an Able Plus event who asked for mortgage help instead of plan management advice • Why casual employment in NDIS aged care and child services is the biggest labour creator in Australia • The support workers in their 40s and 50s who thought they'd rent for life • How car loans wreck your ability to get a home loan if you don't plan them right • Why offset accounts give false positives to impulsive buyers • The difference between a $2 million dream and what you can actually afford • Why he tells clients not to borrow the maximum even when the bank says yes • The 5% and 2% government schemes most people don't know exist • How interest gets calculated daily and why weekly repayments beat monthly • Why credit cards and buy now pay later products destroy credit scores • The inquiries section of your credit report that most Australians ignore • Why nurses physios and OTs can get special deals from different banks • What rent vesting is and why giving up in your early 20s is not the answer • Why we need more Australians owning one home not investors owning 20 • What he hopes one or two families say about stability in 10 years There's also a headbands game where David guesses the word mortgage in two and a half minutes while wearing a unicorn crown. And a story about people losing deposits because of bad mortgage advice. And the moment Teresa Lam sends a celebrity question about financial independence. This is about security stability and what happens when someone finally understands your casual income. David Easton — Support Finance Group Website: https://supportfinancegroup.com.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-easton-08089656/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the creator of Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #MortgageBroker #HomeOwnership

6. 

   22 Jul 2026

   From Retail to CEO to Purpose: Beulah Lenanne on Finding Her Calling in Disability Care

   A marriage ended because too much money went to people who needed it. And 18 years after emigrating from Northern Ireland, the volunteer in the Port Lincoln aged care home finally found her calling. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Cold open: passion is everything in disability care 00:01:25 Welcome to Team with the Queen 00:03:06 Meet Queen Bee: from Northern Ireland to NDIS 00:05:06 Finding purpose: the moment everything clicked 00:05:53 From CEO back to operations: choosing purpose over title 00:07:42 The Campanelli brothers: family-owned excellence 00:11:17 SIL, SSRC, and supporting families with children 00:13:58 Treating participants like family: dignity and respect 00:16:57 Brought to you by Wholii 00:17:48 The headbands game: guessing leadership 00:21:24 Leadership done wrong: leaders who won't do the work 00:25:51 The pressure no one sees: what people misunderstand about leadership 00:28:46 Listening: the secret to long-term leadership success 00:30:57 Career journey: from stay-at-home mom to operations leader 00:32:06 Wesley Mission training: where passion met education 00:34:47 A house vs a home: what makes SIL actually work 00:37:27 Hospital to home: the participants stuck in limbo 00:38:17 NDIS from day one: inequity in access 00:39:41 The solution: hire people who actually care 00:42:34 Celebrity question: Emanuel's word association game 00:43:58 Advocacy: helping the underdog, always 00:45:56 Queen Bee gets crowned: making a difference, one life at a time 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: tiktok.com/@wholii • YouTube: youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: facebook.com/wholii Episode featuring Beulah Lenanne, CEO at Top Disability Care. Beulah is known as Queen Bee. Hospital doctors call her that when participants get admitted. She's been in the sector since the NDIS started rolling out in 2015. She started as an admin assistant in aged care. She climbed from operations to CEO. And then she walked away from the corner office to pursue purpose over position. In this conversation, Beulah shares: • Why she emigrated from Northern Ireland and ended up volunteering in Port Lincoln • The marriage that ended partly because she gave away too much money to people in need • How she went from retail at Target to admin assistant to CEO • The moment Wesley Mission made her entire operations team redundant • Why she helps NDIS providers prepare for audits and what she finds 18 months later • The Campanelli brothers and how Angelo lined up 20 interviews in one day • Why Top Disability Care is the best SIL home support coordinators have ever walked into • The difference between a house with support and an actual home • Why leaders who have never done the job they manage shouldn't be in the industry • The sleepover bed story and the manager who got made redundant • Why immigrants with limited English get $8,000 plans while others get a million • The NDIS planner who demanded to speak to a participant who has never spoken a word • What she hopes people say in 10 years about the difference she made There's also a headbands game where Beulah takes seven minutes to guess the word leadership while wearing a ladybug crown. And a story about taking homeless people into her house. And the moment Emanuel Gini sends a celebrity word association game featuring coffee, chaos, and hope. This is about leadership that listens, homes that feel like homes, and what happens when passion drives every decision. Beulah Lenanne LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beulah-lennane-352a6049/ Top Disability Care LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/top-disability-care/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys-aparicio-cuencas/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #Leadership #SIL

7. 

   8 Jul 2026

   99 Problems but Solving One Isn't: AI, Compliance & the Future with Hashim Ahmed (Wholii) EP 04

   Hashim says thank you and please to AI because Terminator taught him manners. And 10 years in disability services taught him that friction isn't about people trying to do the wrong thing. It's about people misunderstanding people. Chapters: Chapters 00:00:00 Cold open: AI is going to come and kill them 00:00:38 Welcome to Team with the Queen 00:01:25 Meet Hashim: the man who loves problems 00:04:57 From support worker to DreamMaker founder 00:05:52 Introducing Wholii: AI compliance platform for NDIS 00:06:34 How Wholii works: from hiring to participant onboarding 00:09:48 AI safety and data security in NDIS 00:13:09 Context is everything: treating AI like a person 00:14:48 Voice-activated workflows and automation magic 00:19:01 The power of data and continuous improvement registers 00:22:49 The 1% improvement philosophy and Atomic Habits 00:26:07 Brought to you by Wholii 00:26:54 The headbands game: guessing friction 00:31:24 The real issue behind friction in NDIS 00:35:48 Collaboration: what it really means 00:39:51 Why the disability sector is slow to adopt technology 00:43:25 AI is not the enemy: innovation through history 00:44:23 From India to Australia: the toll road story 00:48:38 Celebrity question from Solomon: the collaboration car 00:52:33 Hashim crowned King of Solutions 00:53:39 10 years from now: legacy and impact 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: https://instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@wholii • YouTube: https://youtube.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/wholii • Facebook: https://facebook.com/wholii Episode 4 of Team with the Queen featuring Hashim Ahmed, founder of DreamMaker and Wholii. Hashim is known as the guy who built a compliance platform because spreadsheets and manual admin were the friction nobody asked for. He's been in the NDIS space for more than 10 years. He started as a support worker. He built DreamMaker from the ground up. And now he's solving the problems the entire sector didn't know how to name. In this conversation, Hashim shares: • Why he says thank you and please to AI just in case Arnold Schwarzenegger comes back • The 1% improvement theory that turned the worst Olympic cycling team into champions • Why his dad refused email because the fax machine worked just fine • How Wholii uses voice transcription to auto fill forms and generate service agreements • The internal audit function most providers are doing but never recording • Why friction in the sector isn't about bad intentions but about misunderstanding people • The difference between real collaboration and open to collaborations spam on LinkedIn • Why the Toyota Prius is the official car of let's catch up for a coffee and collaborate • What he hopes the sector will say in 10 years about the system not the individual There's also a headbands game where Hashim takes seven minutes to guess the word friction while wearing a helmet. And a story about his mum who used to pay for 10 minute international phone calls and now can't stop talking on WhatsApp. And the moment Solomon Rokotavaga sends a celebrity question about beards and car personalities. This is about AI compliance workflow and what happens when a problem solver refuses to stop solving. Hashim Ahmed — Wholii LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hashim-ahmed-512459247/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys-aparicio-cuencas/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortnightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #AICompliance #WorkflowAutomation

8. 

   24 Jun 2026

   Dignity of risk: the participant wanted to smoke. He said yes. | Emanuel Gini, Ability Connect

   A man with Huntington's wanted to keep smoking. His whole care team said no. Emanuel Gini said something else. The behaviours dropped overnight. This is what dignity of risk looks like when it is actually practised, not just written into policy. Episode 3 of Team with the Queen featuring Emanuel Gini, National Operations Manager at Ability Connect, the Sydney specialist support coordination team that takes on the complex NDIS cases other providers refuse. 🎯 What you'll learn: • The Huntington's cigarette story and the harm-reduction reframe behind it (27:57) • Why information, not the diagnosis, is the real issue behind every complex case (22:41) • The 4-month brain-injury patient breakthrough that came from just staying (25:20) • How a car accident at 18 ended his pro soccer dream and pivoted him into community work (15:59) • The 3-step Ability Connect model that runs the same way it did on day one: Listen, Connect, Monitor (34:08) • Why he tells every support coordinator: stop assuming, the person is the expert in their own life (36:12) • Knowing when you are not the right fit, the Venezuelan proverb about gold coins (40:18) CHAPTERS: 0:00 The patient who wanted to smoke 1:20 Meet Emanuel: Mister Eggy, family, food, community 9:17 World Cup edition: soccer, Uruguay, Australia, why football still matters 15:29 The car accident at 18 that ended the soccer dream 17:31 Bakery shifts from 2am to 2pm, seven days a week 19:04 Brought to you by Wholii 20:00 Headbands game: the topic is complex cases 22:41 Information is the real issue behind every complex case 25:20 The brain-injury patient breakthrough, 4 months of just being there 27:57 Dignity of risk: the Huntington's patient he let keep smoking 28:58 Blue plate or pink plate: small choices, big behaviour changes 32:02 Ability Connect: 10 years, 20 specialist support coordinators, one philosophy 34:08 The 3-step model: Listen, Connect, Monitor 36:12 Stop assuming, the person is the expert in their own life 37:13 Stop being curious, start dying 38:45 Soccer equals coordination: every player knows their role 40:18 You cannot be a gold coin, knowing when you are not the right fit 42:26 The celebrity question from Plan Manager Stew 46:33 The King of Coordination award 47:03 What do you hope they say about what you built 49:05 Stops managing plans, starts coordinating lives 💎 PLATINUM SPONSOR: Wholii Team with the Queen is proudly powered by Wholii, our Platinum Sponsor. Wholii is the compliance and workflow platform built for Australian NDIS providers by people who have lived your problems firsthand. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit-ready without even trying. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Follow Wholii: • Instagram: instagram.com/wholii_au • TikTok: tiktok.com/@wholii_au • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/wholii • YouTube: youtube.com/@wholii_au • Facebook: facebook.com/wholii 👤 ABOUT THE GUEST: Emanuel Gini is the National Operations Manager at Ability Connect, a Sydney-based specialist support coordination team that has operated for over a decade. The team focuses on the high-complexity NDIS cases other providers turn away. Emanuel leads a 20-person case-management team: listen first, connect to the right services, monitor and adapt. 🔗 Ability Connect: https://abilityconnect.com.au 🔗 Emanuel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emanuel-gini-0452991b0/ 👑 ABOUT THE SHOW: Team with the Queen is the fortnightly interview podcast hosted by Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas, a Latina-Australian founder on a mission to find 100 Australian leaders whose stories are worth hearing. Not the ones on every panel. Not the ones with the loudest LinkedIn. The leaders actually doing the work nobody is putting a microphone in front of yet. Until now. 🎙 New episodes every second Thursday. 🔗 Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ All links: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys 📲 FOLLOW @teamwiththequeen on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. 🎧 Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #DignityOfRisk #DutyOfCare #TeamWithTheQueen #FounderPodcast #NDIS #SpecialistSupportCoordination #DignityOfRiskInDisability #HuntingtonsDisease #AustralianPodcast #InterviewPodcast #LeadershipPodcast #DisabilitySupport #AgedCare #AbilityConnect #EmanuelGini #YosmerysAparicio #AustralianLeader #SupportCoordinator #NDISProvider #DisabilityServices #SydneyPodcast Thank you for listening to Team with the Queen. You can find us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as @teamwiththequeen

9. 

   10 Jun 2026

   She Sang Stevie Wonder in Her Dad's ICU at 16 with Jillian "Gigi" Bichara (Connect Community and Respite Services)

   NDIS's most connected operator started as the 16-year-old who sang Stevie Wonder to her father in ICU. Chapters: 0:00 — Cold open: the life support decision 0:36 — Meet Gigi: the NDIS's best connector 2:24 — Two roles fill my cup 4:17 — Dad's accident at 16 12:14 — Choice and control + dignity of risk 13:25 — The Heartbreak High reveal 18:09 — Doctor or pharmacist? I chose neither 23:43 — Singing Stevie Wonder in dad's ICU 26:18 — Brought to you by Wholii 27:01 — The headbands game 39:13 — 'Open to collaborations' is the new spam 43:54 — Footprints in the sand 44:53 — The No BS Queen award This episode is proudly presented by Wholii — built by compliance specialists for Australian NDIS providers. Wholii cuts admin time, automates the manual stuff, and keeps your whole team compliant and audit-ready. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au Episode 2 of Team with the Queen featuring Gigi Bichara — Business Development Manager and Support Worker at Connect Community and Respite Services (Beverly Hills, NSW). Gigi is widely recognised as the best-connected person on the NDIS — but the path there started somewhere most people don't see. In this conversation, Gigi shares: - The day the medical team asked her family to turn off her father's life support - Why she rejected the "doctor or pharmacist" expectations her Egyptian Orthodox family had for her - What being on Heartbreak High Season 1 taught her about reinvention - The line that separates real collaboration from "open to collaborations" spam - Why dignity of risk is the missing pillar of choice and control - The one thing she'd keep if everything she'd built disappeared tomorrow Gigi Bichara — Connect Community and Respite Services https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-gigi-bichara-701127320/https://www.linkedin.com/company/connect-community-and-respite-services/ Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes every second thursday. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #LeadershipPodcast #AustralianPodcast Thank you for listening to Team with the Queen. You can find us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as @teamwiththequeen

10. 

    10 Jun 2026

    NDIS Providers Got Marketing WRONG — with Solomon Rokotavaga (Aligned Community Care)

    15 years in the NDIS. Now head of marketing for one of its most data-driven providers. So why does Solomon say every provider's marketing is broken? CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome to Team with the Queen 0:48 Why Solomon is the first guest 2:00 From Fiji to 15 years in the NDIS 4:30 Starting at DSA and working the front line 6:30 The Criminal Justice Program years 9:00 Black don't crack and the Venezuelan heritage detour 10:50 Aligned Community Care and why they built their own CRM 13:30 The data justification trap most NDIS providers fall into 18:00 Elevate Youth Lab and the "Queen" origin story 21:00 The headbands game (and the shark-head story) 27:30 What's on Solomon's forehead? 30:15 A word from our sponsor: Wholii 30:50 Back to the game 32:30 Why content in the NDIS sector is broken 33:50 "Hey guys, my name is Solomon" – scroll 40:15 Vincent Shian: 127 likes, under 100 connections 43:45 Vulnerability is the strategy 46:20 The hard question: ethics of marketing vulnerable people 49:25 The Lamborghini-NDIS problem 51:00 Gigi's celebrity question 52:30 Inclusive influencing: the centre Solomon would build 58:30 10 years from now, what will the sector say? 1:00:50 The Marshall Islands ripple story 1:02:00 Why community services are invisible online SPONSOR Wholii – NDIS compliance, without the chaos. Cuts admin, automates the manual stuff, keeps your team audit-ready. Book a free demo: https://wholii.com.au (ad read at 30:15) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wholii/ This conversation goes deep on what's broken with how the NDIS markets itself, and the small shifts that change everything. Solomon's 15-year origin story. Why Aligned built their own CRM. The post that got 127 likes with under 100 connections. The ethics of marketing vulnerable people. The kind of inclusive content centre Solomon would build if money was no object. There's also a headbands game. And a shark head. Stay for both. Solomon Rokotavaga is Head of Marketing & Community Engagement at Aligned Community Care, an NDIS provider specialising in complex mental health. Aligned Community Care is also a presenting sponsor of this episode. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/solomon-rokotavaga-26a466107/ Website: https://alignedcommunitycare.com.au YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AlignedCommunityCare Yosmerys Aparicio Cuencas is the founder of Supporting Communities Australia and the Elevate Youth Lab. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yosmerys-aparicio-cuencas/ Website: https://linktr.ee/Yosmerys @teamwiththequeen on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. New episodes fortightly. Team with the Queen is a Supporting Communities Australia production. #NDIS #ContentMarketing #SupportCoordinator Thank you for listening to Team with the Queen. You can find us on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube as @teamwiththequeen

Contact Team with the Queen

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.