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Today, Trudy Heins sits down with Di Geddes, founder of Exceptional Care For You, a values-led disability and aged care business she started at 54 after rebuilding her life following breast cancer, divorce, workplace bullying, grief and years of caring for others.

What began with a desire to make a difference has grown into a business employing more than 90 people, proving it's never too late to start again.

Di shares how encouragement from clients, the support of mentors and learning to believe in herself gave her the confidence to take the leap into business. She reflects on the milestones that mattered most, from securing her first office to leading a growing team, and the mindset shifts required to transition from doing everything herself to becoming the CEO her business needed.

Together, Trudy and Di explore values-led leadership, compassion in business, building culture, trusting others, setting boundaries, overcoming loneliness as a business owner, and redefining success beyond revenue alone.

If you've ever questioned whether it's too late to start over, struggled to let go of control, or wondered what it really takes to lead a growing business, this conversation is for you.


Connect with Di Geddes

Di's book


Episode Highlights

01:22 Meet Di Geddes

03:07 Rebuilding after cancer, divorce and adversity

05:50 Finding purpose through care

06:38 The mentor who encouraged Di to start her business

08:54 Strength, support and healing

11:20 Letting go of resentment

12:41 Starting a business at 54

14:20 Why positive feedback changed everything

15:40 The mindset shift from employee to business owner

19:04 Moving from operator to organisation

20:57 Scaling the business and thinking like a CEO

23:30 Building a business led by compassion

25:09 Looking beyond the NDIS headlines

26:14 Can compassion and profit coexist?

26:51 Hiring for values before skills

29:52 Boundaries, trust and leadership

32:28 Building your business tribe

35:38 Lessons in loyalty and leadership

38:31 What the CEO Shift really means

39:14 Redefining success and leadership

41:28 Designing a business that supports retirement

43:22 Why it's never too late to begin again

45:18 Final takeaways


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