In this episode, Cathy Love speaks with Vanita Clark, Director of Freedom Plan Management, about the often-misunderstood role of plan managers in the NDIS. Drawing on her experience across disability services, multidisciplinary Allied Health businesses, and plan management, Vanita shares a practical perspective on compliance, invoicing, collaboration, and participant funding oversight.

Together, Cathy and Vanita unpack what delays provider payments, why accurate invoicing matters, and how quarterly funding periods have increased operational pressure for both providers and plan managers. They also touch on group invoicing, late cancellations, the in-and-out lists, assistive technology recommendations, and the wider reform environment shaping the NDIS.

Topics covered on plan management, NDIS invoicing, and quarterly funding periods:

1. What plan managers actually do – Checking invoice compliance, confirming correct support categories and line items, verifying available funds, and managing financial risk.
2. NDIS invoicing that delays payment – Common provider errors such as incorrect line item numbers, missing bank details, and poorly configured practice management systems.
3. Quarterly funding periods and payment pressure – How funding periods have changed plan management through tighter budgeting oversight, software changes, and the challenge of exhausted funding periods.

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: Join Foundational Support for Thriving Providers Masterclass in April.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

If “systems” makes your palm sweat, this rerun is for you. Layland Webb (Business Manager at Nacre Consulting) with Marcus Jean-Francois (Systems Champion, Client Concierge, and Coach) cut through the noise and make systems feel practical and doable.

You’ll hear what “systems” actually means (hint: Standard Operating Procedures, not software), why you don’t need to document everything to get results, and how to start with one high-impact system that saves time fast. They also unpack the common objections:

There are clear ways to build buy-in, reduce risk, and create a culture where systems actually stick. You just need to know how and where to start.

Topics covered on time-saving systems, risk & resilience, team buy-in:

1. Time-saving systems – why spending a little time documenting now saves countless hours later.
2. Risk & resilience – moving “all in your head” knowledge into clear processes to avoid gaps and mistakes.
3. Team buy-in – involving staff in writing and testing systems so they actually stick.

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: Doors are closing. Join our Melbourne in-person workshop on 20th March.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

Joining Cathy Love this week is Sara Gingold, Editor-in-Chief of the Disability Services Consulting (DSC) Resource Hub, to unpack the fast-moving changes shaping the NDIS through an Allied Health Business lens.

They explore the shift toward I-CAN (Instrument for the Classification and Assessment of Support Needs) as the foundation for new NDIA-led Support Needs Assessments, and the unanswered questions about how assessment data will translate into individual budgets. They also examine the proposed Foundational Supports framework, including the Thriving Kids program, and what these reforms could mean for children currently receiving NDIS-funded therapy.

The episode also addresses mounting provider pressures ranging from therapy operational guideline updates and pricing uncertainty to the real-world disruption caused by quarterly funding periods. Throughout the discussion, Sara brings clear sector perspective, and key reflections for Allied Health Business Owners navigating uncertainty.

Topics covered on I-CAN & Support Needs Assessments, Foundational Supports & Thriving Kids, & operational pressure points for providers:

1. I-CAN & Support Needs Assessments – The critical unanswered question remains: how will I-CAN results translate into a participant’s budget?
2. Foundational Supports & Thriving Kids – An overview of the proposed Foundational Supports model, including Thriving Kids for children with mild to moderate developmental delay and autism, and the complexities of state and territory negotiations still underway.
3. Operational pressure points for providers – New therapy operational guidelines, discussions around differentiated pricing, the impact of recent price changes across therapy disciplines.

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: A workshop not to be missed. Join us in-person this March in Melbourne.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

In this episode, Cathy Love and Layland Webb unpack what “smarter marketing” really means for Allied Health Business Owners—and why it’s inseparable from revenue diversification. They explore how many practices become overly reliant on one narrow niche or one primary funding source, then feel blindsided when conditions shift. The solution isn’t a dramatic pivot overnight—it’s knowing where your revenue actually comes from, widening your thinking, and making deliberate small moves that add up over time.

You’ll also hear the marketing principles that matter most right now: understanding what your audience truly needs (not what you want to say), distinguishing between transactional and relational marketing, and why “always on” marketing protects your practice long before someone is ready to enquire. This conversation is practical, candid, and designed to help you replace “wait and see” with a plan.

Topics covered on revenue diversification, always-on marketing, transactional vs relational marketing:

1. Revenue diversification – The difference between adding services vs restructuring revenue streams
2. Always-on marketing – Why marketing must be “always on” (and what happens when you leave it too late)
3. Transactional vs relational marketing – The difference between transactional and relational marketing in Allied Health (and why both matter)

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: Join us in Melbourne this 20th March for an in-person workshop.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

In this episode of Allied Health Business Brilliance, Cathy Love is joined by Angie (Angelina) Saunders, Founding Director of the Online Breathing Academy, for a grounded, science-informed conversation about stress, breathing, and self-regulation.

Angie shares her personal journey from fast-paced production life, postnatal depletion, and emotional reactivity into the field of behavioural breathwork. Together, Cathy and Angie unpack why controlling the breath can keep people functioning while still operating at a physiological deficit — and why reflexive regulation, where the body leads, creates more sustainable calm, clarity, and capacity.

The conversation also explores how breathing patterns influence leadership decisions, energy management, and recovery for business owners under constant pressure.

Topics covered on reflexive regulation, stress breathing, self-regulation, business decision-making:

1. Reflexive breathing vs forced calm – Why “just take a deep breath” can backfire and what works more effectively instead.
2. Stress breathing patterns – How stress shows up through shallow, rapid, irregular breathing, sighing, or yawning — and why it’s highly individual.
3. CO₂ and nervous system regulation – The role of carbon dioxide in oxygen delivery, emotional regulation, and cognitive clarity.
4. Breathing, rest, and leadership capacity – How rest, sleep, hydration, nourishment, and breathing interact to support better business decisions.

Resources Mentioned

1. Online Breathing Academy – https://www.onlinebreathingacademy.com/
2. Podcast: Breathing Edge Podcast page – https://www.breatheme.com/the-breathing-edge-podcast
3. Book – 8 Superhuman Habits

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: Join us in-person this March for The Allied Health Business Reset.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

If your Allied Health business is busy — yet still feels heavy — this episode is for you.

In this solo conversation, Cathy Love speaks to Allied Health Business Owners who are highly capable, deeply committed, and working incredibly hard — but still feeling stuck.

This episode explores why effort alone isn’t creating clarity, confidence, or momentum. Cathy unpacks what happens when Business Owners are too close to the work, making decisions on the fly, carrying the emotional and financial load, and quietly guessing their way forward in an increasingly complex sector.

This is not about motivation.

It’s about leadership, perspective, and why stepping up and out of your business is essential.

Topics covered on capability without clarity, decision fatigue, and stepping up to the challenge:

1. Capability without clarity – Why being skilled and committed isn’t enough when you’re too close to the work
2. Decision fatigue and reactivity – How constant on-the-run decisions quietly drain confidence and momentum
3. Stepping up and out – What changes when you create space to stop guessing and start leading deliberately

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: Learn more about The Allied Health Business Reset in-person workshop!

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

In this episode, Cathy Love is joined by Emma Leckenby, OT and founder of Little Rockets Children’s Clinic, for a grounded conversation about building a paediatric business that stays values-led as it grows.

Emma shares what it’s been like moving from sole trader life to a small (and growing) clinic team — including the realities of waitlists, a brand-new clinic fit-out, and why the “little things” (like a kettle and a dedicated kitchen) matter more than you’d think. They also unpack Emma’s passion for community building, not just for families, but for clinicians too — and how strong professional networks reduce isolation, strengthen referrals, and support sustainability in an unpredictable Allied Health landscape.

Topics covered on community-led practice growth, sustainable business design, and cinician support networks:

1. Community-led practice growth – How Emma intentionally builds trusted relationships with families, schools, and fellow clinicians to support access, referrals, and long-term care.
2. Sustainable business design – Designing a clinic, team, and pace of growth that protects energy, avoids burnout, and supports high-quality care.
3. Clinician support networks – Why creating local professional communities reduces isolation, strengthens decision-making, and helps practices navigate uncertainty together.

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: The Allied Health Business Reset – Ready to step back and work on your business? Join us in Melbourne this March.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

Recruitment hasn’t stopped working, but you can’t treat it the way you used to.

In this solo episode, Cathy Love unpacks why recruitment feels harder, slower, and more unpredictable for Allied Health Business Owners — and why the traditional “post a job ad and wait” approach no longer cuts through. Drawing on recent work inside Nacre Consulting, Cathy introduces the recruitment ecosystem — a systemised, values-led approach to attracting and engaging the right candidates over time.

This episode reframes recruitment as a repeatable business system, not a reactive scramble, and walks through the mindset shifts, foundational assets, and strategic thinking required to consistently attract the right people.

If recruitment has felt exhausting, high-pressure, or hit-and-miss, this conversation will help you step back, zoom out, and rebuild your approach entirely.

Topics covered on the recruitment ecosystem, Employee Value Proposition (EVP), & marketing-led recruitment:

1. The recruitment ecosystem – Why recruitment now requires a system that works before, during, and after hiring
2. Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – The anchor that shapes messaging, fit, and candidate decision-making
3. Marketing-led recruitment – Applying visibility, consistency, and trust to attract the right clinicians

P.S. If this episode is hitting on pain points you’re facing, let’s chat. We can support you.

Book a 20-minute complimentary call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Midroll Message: The Allied Health Business Reset – Ready to step back and work on your business? Join us in Melbourne this March.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

This week, we have Carolyn Weatherby, a Speech Pathologist with 27 years’ experience across disability, private practice, and clinical supervision, to explore what has unfolded for providers during a turbulent year in the NDIS — and what comes next.

Carolyn shares her journey from deep frustration and loss of professional pride during the June–July 2025 NDIS cuts, to becoming part of a growing collective that found momentum through union support, Professionals Australia. The conversation unpacks why providers felt unheard, how reputational damage took hold despite “doing nothing to deserve it,” and why being believed again became a turning point.

This is an honest conversation about why the union pathway emerged, how it differs from professional bodies and peak organisations, and what a collective, electorate-based campaign is asking the NDIS to do next.

Topics covered on NDIS reform, union advocacy, collective voice, provider sustainability:

1. NDIS cuts and sector impact – How funding changes hurt both providers and the people they support, triggering widespread distress and loss of pride in professional work.
2. Professionals Australia Union – Carolyn explains why a union’s mandate to represent members directly made it the right vehicle to be heard, alongside (not instead of) peak bodies.
3. Being heard and believed again – How meeting with MPs, senators, and media changed the tone of the conversation and restored a sense of professional worth.

P.S. Need a little extra support on your business journey? Whether you’re navigating challenges or looking to reach new goals, we’re here to support your growth.

Book a Complimentary Power Call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.

Cathy Love is joined by Michelle Oliver, Chief Occupational Therapist at Occupational Therapy Australia, for a grounded conversation about the realities facing occupational therapists and Allied Health professionals across workforce, policy, and business.

Michelle shares what OT Australia is seeing on the ground, including mounting pressure on Allied Health businesses, the ongoing challenges of NDIS pricing and access, and why sustained relationship-building with government is critical. The conversation also explores how OT Australia is responding through advocacy, professional practice frameworks, and a significantly expanded approach to learning and development — all under the banner of being Stronger Together.

This episode is essential listening for OTs, Allied Health Business Owners, and leaders navigating reform, sustainability concerns, and the need for a clearer, more unified professional voice.

Topics covered on workforce pressure, advocacy, NDIS pricing, and professional development::

1. Workforce & sustainability
2. The increasing pressure on occupational therapists, including private practice viability, rapid workforce growth, and the tension between values-driven care and commercial realities.
3. Advocacy & influence
4. Why OT Australia is prioritising stronger relationships with ministers and departments, and working collaboratively through ARPA to strengthen allied health’s voice at a national level.
5. NDIS pricing & access
6. Reframing travel and service costs as issues of access rather than waste, and unpacking what provider survey results reveal about sustainability risks.
7. Learning, development & capability
8. How OT Australia’s capability frameworks and flexible CPD offerings are evolving to better support a younger, growing workforce.

Related Episodes

1. Episode 379: The Bill, the Rules, and the Realities of NDIS in 2026 with Muriel Cummins

P.S. Need a little extra support on your business journey? Whether you’re navigating challenges or looking to reach new goals, we’re here to support your growth.

Book a Complimentary Power Call with us, and let’s talk about how we can help you achieve your vision for your Allied Health business.

Connect with Nacre Consulting:

1. Let’s connect on Instagram
2. Follow us on Facebook
3. Let’s connect on LinkedIn
4. Join our Facebook Group online community

More about The Allied Health Business Brilliance Podcast:

The Allied Health Business Brilliance podcast (previously known as Private Practice Made Perfect) powered by Nacre Consulting features authentic conversations that offer real-life stories and expert perspectives for Australian Allied Health Business Owners. Cathy Love, our engaging host, gathers wisdom from Allied Health professionals and industry supporters alike.

We dive into the real experiences of running and growing Allied Health businesses in Australia, revealing both the rewards and the inevitable challenges along the way. It’s raw, sometimes vulnerable, but always valuable. Join us and stay tuned to keep up with every inspiring story and lesson shared.