1.       What cause or mission lights you up the most?

For over 20 years I’ve had a fire up my backside and a passion in my heart for making a difference to the lives of kids with dyslexia. Helping bright, creative kids with dyslexia to finally see themselves the way we see them. Not as broken, or behind, or difficult, but as whole, capable, and full of potential.

I’m a speech pathologist and run a clinic to assess and teach kids with dyslexia. There’s something heartbreakingly common in the stories I hear every week. A child who once loved learning begins to shut down. A parent who’s done everything they can still feels lost and unheard. A school meeting ends in more confusion than clarity. And somewhere in the middle of it all is a child, trying harder than anyone realises, who starts to believe they’re “just not smart.”

That’s what lights a fire in me.

Because it’s not that these children can’t learn. It’s that they haven’t been taught in a way that works for them. And more than that, they’ve often absorbed the message that their struggle is a reflection of their intelligence or worth.

It’s not. And it never was.

My mission is to change that.

I want every parent to walk into a school meeting with confidence and clarity, not fear and overwhelm. I want every child with dyslexia to understand how their brain works, not just so they can learn to read, but so they can believe in themselves again. And I want to be part of shifting the system, from one that waits far too long to act, to one that sees, supports, and celebrates neurodiversity from the start.

So while my work began as teaching kids with dyslexia how to read and write, this work is now so much more than that. It’s about identity. It’s about protecting a child’s sense of self. It’s about giving families answers, hope, and a plan.

That’s the mission that lights me up every single day. And I don’t think I’ll ever stop fighting for it.

2.     How have you used your platform or business to create positive change?

At its heart, my business has always been about creating change. Not just for individual children, but for families, schools, and the broader conversation around dyslexia in Australia.

As a speech pathologist with nearly 30 years of experience, I’ve worked with hundreds of bright, creative kids who were falling through the cracks. Kids who were trying harder than anyone realised, but who still couldn’t seem to make sense of the letters on the page. Kids who’d started to believe they were stupid because no one had helped them understand how their brain works.

My clinic, Little Voices Speech Pathology, exists to change those outcomes. Through one-on-one therapy, school visits, and family education, we don’t just teach reading, we rebuild belief. We help kids feel capable again. And we equip parents with the tools and understanding they’ve so often been denied.

Outside the clinic, I’ve used my voice online to reach thousands of families who may never step into my therapy room. Through Instagram, newsletters, and a growing library of free resources and webinars, I offer practical, compassionate support to parents who are often overwhelmed, exhausted, and unsure who to trust.

I also created my signature course, Navigating Dyslexia, to walk families through the journey step-by-step, because access to clear, evidence-based guidance shouldn’t be about where you live or what you earn.

But creating change means more than helping the families who find me. It also means working to change the system itself.

I’m also proud to be a founding member of the Code Read Dyslexia Network—a volunteer organisation fighting for a future where all kids are screened for dyslexia early, taught with proven methods, and seen for who they really are.

Through Code Read, I’ve spoken at conferences, manned information stalls, and stood alongside other passionate advocates to raise awareness and push for better policy. Because every child deserves to be understood, and every parent deserves answers, not roadblocks.

Everything I do, through my business, my courses, my volunteer work, and my content, comes back to this:

Changing the story for children with dyslexia.

And I won’t stop until that change is real, lasting, and nationwide.

3.     Tell us about a moment you saw your "good work" ripple outward.

It’s so hard to pick just one moment. There are dozens.

Like the day Sam, a funny and sporty 10-year-old who’d been labelled the “naughty kid,” finally read a paragraph aloud, and believed he could do it. He told me he used to get sent to the principal’s office on purpose, he chose to be the naughty kid, just so no one would find out he couldn’t read. He said, “If I’m the bad kid, no one thinks I’m the dumb kid.” That moment where he saw himself differently was so powerful. But it was what happened next that showed me the ripple.

His mum called me weeks later to say, “He’s reading signs in the street. He wants to read menus now.” His confidence had begun to touch every corner of his life.

Or Lucy’s mum, who walked into my clinic with a notepad filled with every missed word and spelling mistake, convinced she was doing something wrong. After our sessions, she told me, “I finally feel like I understand her. I can actually advocate for her now.” The next school meeting? She went in calm, clear, and grounded. And she walked out with the support her daughter deserved.

Then there are the teachers.

One emailed me after a masterclass: “I’ve been teaching for 20 years and no one ever explained dyslexia to me like that. I used your strategies with a student today, and she finally got it. Her face lit up.”

Those are the ripples.

When a child starts to believe in themselves again…
When a parent goes from confused to confident…
When a teacher changes their approach and unlocks learning for a whole classroom…

That’s how change spreads.

It starts small, in therapy rooms, Zoom calls, school staffrooms, but it doesn’t stay there.

The good work echoes. In kids’ voices. In parents’ advocacy. In classrooms across Australia.

And that’s the most rewarding part of all.