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

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