Discover how Workforce Evolve supported TalkHQ Speech Pathology to strengthen systems, scale sustainably, and stay connected to their values.
TalkHQ Speech Pathology Co-Owners, Jenna Mottin and Alex Hartley have always been clear on their mission: deliver high-quality speech pathology services to communities that need them most. Growing up in Ayr, they saw first-hand the challenges families faced accessing therapy, from long travel days and missed school to limited local support.
Motivated to make a difference, they built TalkHQ with a strong commitment to regional care. What began with a clear purpose has steadily grown, with clinics now operating in Ayr, Townsville, Ingham, Brisbane and Sydney, alongside outreach services to Palm Island and Middlemount. Today, TalkHQ employs 30 people across multiple locations.
As the team expanded, maintaining a strong culture and shared values became increasingly important.
“Our values are family, community, quality, evidence-based practice, flexibility and innovation,” Jenna explains. “We review them every year with the team and talk about how they look in practice, inside and outside the clinic.”
Turning growth challenges into clarity
Like many growing businesses, TalkHQ faced workforce challenges as they scaled. Operating in a sector experiencing a nationwide shortage of speech pathologists added further complexity, with recruitment, change management and systemising processes all requiring attention.
Their turning point came when they discovered Workforce Evolve through the Business Chamber Queensland newsletter.
Funded by the Queensland Government, Workforce Evolve is designed to help businesses build inclusive and future-focused workplaces. For Jenna and Alex, the program quickly proved its value.
“Workforce Evolve really helped us refine a lot of our processes and policies,” Jenna explains. “It helped us recruit to some of our hard-to-fill clinics and plan for how we can scale the business and continue to grow, not just in regional areas.”
Practical tools that drive real change
A key strength of Workforce Evolve for TalkHQ was its practical, flexible approach. With busy schedules and geographically dispersed teams, the ability to engage with the program on their own terms made a real difference.
“It was all online, which was amazing. And if you missed a session, you could catch up later,” Jenna says.
The program also provided hands-on tools that could be implemented immediately.
“We could implement them straight away, which saved so much time. As business owners, we are time poor, so having those ready to go tools was invaluable.”
These resources helped TalkHQ strengthen internal systems, improve consistency across locations, and reinforce their culture without placing additional strain on the business.
Supporting regional businesses to succeed
For TalkHQ, operating across regional Queensland comes with unique challenges, including distance, limited access to training and higher costs for professional development. Workforce Evolve helped bridge that gap.
Alex describes the experience as having “a business mentor in your back pocket.”
“I loved having the opportunity to have coaching, and that is something that is really important for a business owner in a rural or regional area. We often feel like we miss out, it is hard to find courses, or it costs a lot to travel. Workforce Evolve gave us one on one coaching without those barriers.”
This tailored support ensured the program felt practical and relevant, helping the team confidently apply what they learnt to their day-to-day operations.
Stronger systems, stronger outcomes
Since completing Workforce Evolve, TalkHQ has implemented clearer systems and processes to support continued growth. Key outcomes include improved recruitment success in hard-to-fill regional roles, more structured and scalable processes, stronger change management practices and a reinforced team culture grounded in shared values.
The program also helped refine their employee value proposition, ensuring staff needs are balanced with sustainable business practices to support long-term success.
Beyond internal improvements, Workforce Evolve connected TalkHQ to additional areas of support, including HR consulting and sustainability advice.
“It really connected us to opportunities we did not know existed,” Jenna says.
Looking ahead
With stronger systems, clearer processes and a reinforced culture now in place, Jenna and Alex are focused on continuing to grow TalkHQ while staying true to their purpose.
With confidence in their workforce practices and a scalable foundation for expansion, they are well positioned to keep delivering high-quality care to both regional and metropolitan communities.
“Absolutely,” Jenna says when asked if they would recommend Workforce Evolve. “It does not matter what industry you are in, every small business can benefit.”
