House of Speech: Making Quality Communication Support More Accessible
House of Speech is a paediatric speech pathology clinic supporting children, families and educators across regional Queensland and the Gold Coast. Founded by Hermione Chettle, the clinic provides evidence based therapy, parent coaching, educator training, and school and kindergarten partnerships. Alongside clinical services, House of Speech develops practical resources, workshops and community programs designed to bridge the gap between professional knowledge and everyday support, empowering families and educators with the tools and confidence to help children thrive. Their mission is to make quality communication support more accessible, particularly for children and families living in rural and regional communities.
Background & Business Journey
House of Speech was founded from a passion for ensuring all children have access to quality communication support, regardless of where they live. After working as a speech pathologist and seeing firsthand the challenges faced by families in regional communities, I recognised the need for more accessible, practical and family centred services. The waitlists are always growing, so we strive to build the capacity of stakeholders alongside providing quality intervention for impactful and lasting outcomes.
What began as a single owner operated clinic, running from the sunroom in my mother’s home, has transformed into a collaborative model of support with two clinic locations, supporting families, educators and the community. House of Speech now has a clinic in Kingaroy, Queensland, and one in Currumbin, Queensland.
Over the past three years, we have expanded our team, developed resources and training programs, and created opportunities to support not only children, but the adults around them who play a vital role in their development. This has come with considerable learning opportunities. As a clinician, the business side of things with cash flow, managing human resources and tax requirements has not come naturally. This has been an area where I have received a lot of support through Many Rivers and it has been invaluable.
This support from my business mentor at Many Rivers and our commitment to community connection, innovation and continuous learning has helped shape our growth and played an important role in shaping the business we have today. By accessing this business support, it has allowed me to continue focusing on the clinical side of my work to ensure meaningful impact for children and their families.
What motivates me most is seeing the impact communication has on a child’s confidence, relationships and everyday experiences. There is nothing more rewarding than watching a child achieve a goal they have been working towards and seeing the joy, relief and pride that families feel in those moments.
I am also motivated by the opportunity to build capacity within the community. By supporting parents, educators and caregivers with knowledge, practical strategies and confidence, we can create lasting change that extends far beyond therapy sessions. Seeing families feel empowered and educators develop new skills to support children’s communication is incredibly rewarding and reinforces the importance of making evidence based support accessible to all communities, particularly in regional areas.
From a business perspective, I am driven by continual learning and growth. Each stage of business ownership brings new challenges, opportunities and lessons, which keeps the journey both rewarding and exciting. While leading a team and navigating the human resources side of a growing business can be challenging at times, I find it incredibly motivating to mentor and support clinicians in their own professional development. Being able to shape a positive workplace culture, help team members build confidence and see them thrive in their careers is a rewarding part of the journey and ultimately strengthens the support we can provide to children and families.
Journey With Many Rivers
When I first connected with Many Rivers, I was looking for support in almost every aspect of running a business. As House of Speech began to grow quite quickly, I realised that being a clinician and being a business owner required very different skill sets.
While I felt confident supporting children and families, I was less confident navigating the technical and financial side of business, particularly areas such as cash flow forecasting, budgeting, growth planning and making strategic decisions for the future. Many Rivers has provided guidance, knowledge and reassurance in these areas, helping me build confidence as a business owner and giving me the tools to plan sustainably for continued growth.
The planning workshops and business tools have encouraged me to slow down and be more intentional with my time, particularly when it comes to balancing working in the business with working on the business. As a business owner who is deeply passionate about what I do, this is something I am still working towards achieving and I believe it will continue to evolve as the business grows.
Having dedicated time to step back, review our direction and focus on areas such as cash flow management, forecasting and strategic planning has been incredibly valuable. It has helped me feel more confident in the financial side of the business and has given me the space to make more informed decisions, ensuring we can continue to grow sustainably while maintaining the quality of support we provide to children, families and communities.
The most significant part for me has been the ongoing support delivered in a non judgemental and unbiased way. I feel comfortable bringing any challenge, idea or uncertainty to my coach, knowing we can work through it together.
What I appreciate most is that they always take the time to meet me where I am on any given day, which as a business owner can be constantly changing. Some conversations focus on strategy and growth, while others centre around problem solving, confidence building or simply navigating the demands of balancing clinical work, leadership and business ownership. Having someone in your corner who genuinely understands that journey and provides consistent support has been incredibly valuable.
Business Growth & Impact
Absolutely. This journey has given me an entirely new perspective on what it means to own and operate a successful business. Transitioning from being a sole trader to leading a growing company with employees has been one of the biggest professional shifts I have experienced.
My understanding of income, sustainability and business growth has changed significantly, and I have developed a newfound respect for owner operated businesses where people are balancing both clinical work and the responsibilities of running a business. There are so many moving parts behind the scenes that clients and communities often do not see.
The concept of the Dunning Kruger effect is something I reflect on often, particularly in relation to business. The more I learn, the more I realise how much there is still to understand. It has been one of the most challenging endeavours I have undertaken, but also one of the most rewarding. I am grateful for the passion that drives me, the incredible children and families we work with, the dedicated staff who share our vision, and the educators we support. They are the reason I continue to grow, learn and persevere through the challenging days, because the impact we create together makes it worthwhile.
The program has had a significant impact on both me personally and on the growth of House of Speech. As the business has expanded, one of the greatest benefits has been having support to organise, prioritise and streamline our systems and processes.
I am not naturally an organised person, and I tend to be driven by ideas, passion and opportunities, which can sometimes mean moving quickly from one thing to the next. Having the support of the program has helped me create more structure around the business, slow down when needed and focus on planning strategically rather than simply responding to what is in front of me each day.
As House of Speech continues to grow, this guidance, accountability and practical support has been invaluable. It has helped me feel more confident in managing the business side of things while continuing to focus on the work I am most passionate about.
My goals have definitely changed and evolved over time, and I see that as a positive part of the journey. As the business has grown, I have achieved things that I once thought were well beyond my reach, while other goals have taken longer than expected or shifted in a different direction altogether.
I think business ownership teaches you to be flexible and willing to adapt as opportunities, challenges and priorities change. Looking back, I am incredibly proud of the progress we have made. It certainly has not been a smooth road, and there have been plenty of challenges along the way, but each stage has brought valuable lessons and helped shape both the business and me as a business owner.
Rather than focusing solely on whether I have met every goal exactly as planned, I now value the growth, resilience and impact that have come from the journey itself. Seeing the positive difference we are making for children, families, educators and our team is something I am very proud of.
The challenges are still quite similar to when I first started, but the stakes are much higher. As the business has grown, I have become responsible not only for the families we support, but also for the livelihoods of our team, which brings a different level of responsibility and pressure.
I continue to work on my mindset, organisation and finding ways to balance the many competing demands of business ownership. Adapting to change, navigating external pressures and remaining flexible are challenges that I think will always be part of the journey.
Managing cash flow and clinician capacity is an area I am currently focused on. As a clinician myself, I naturally approach things from a holistic, family centred perspective, and concepts such as productivity measures and KPIs do not come naturally to me. My priority has always been providing high quality, meaningful support to children and families. However, I have also come to recognise that as the business grows, I need to wear my business hat as well as my clinician hat. Finding the balance between maintaining our values and ensu
ring the business remains sustainable is an ongoing learning process, but one that is essential for creating long term impact for the families, communities and staff we support.
Future Goals & Advice
The next steps for House of Speech are centred around sustainable growth and increasing access to quality services for regional communities. We are
focused on strengthening our systems, refining our approach to managing clinician capacity and cash flow, and continuing to build a business that balances strong clinical values with long term sustainability.
We also hope to expand our multidisciplinary support model so that families in regional areas can access a broader range of allied health services closer to home. In addition, we are exploring opportunities to expand our Kingaroy premises to create more space for our growing team, community programs, educator training and innovative services that support children, families and educators across the region.
Ultimately, our goal is to continue evolving in a way that allows us to make an even greater impact, while staying true to our values of providing holistic, family centred and accessible support.
Absolutely. I believe goals require more than hope alone. They need commitment, persistence and a willingness to adapt along the way. While the path to achieving them may evolve and look different to what I originally envisioned, I remain confident that I will get there in one way or another.
My passion for the work we do, combined with a strong sense of purpose and determination, continues to drive me forward. I have learnt that business growth is rarely linear, but each challenge brings new opportunities to learn, refine and improve. That gives me confidence that, regardless of how the journey unfolds, we will continue moving towards creating meaningful and lasting impact for the children, families, educators and communities we support.
If you’re passionate about what you do, you can achieve it. My advice would be to embrace all of the support that Many Rivers has to offer and make the most of every opportunity, resource and conversation available to you. There is so much value in having people alongside you who genuinely want to see you succeed.
Business ownership can feel isolating at times, but you are not alone in the journey, even when it feels that way. Remember that the community you serve is better because your business exists, and that impact is worth holding onto during the challenging moments.
There will be hurdles along the way, late nights, difficult decisions, stressful conversations and even a few tears at your desk, but that is all part of the process. Keep showing up, keep learning and keep moving forward. Growth rarely happens in a straight line, but if you stay committed to your purpose, you’ll look back and be incredibly proud of how far you’ve come.
Connect With House of Speech
To learn more about House of Speech and follow Hermione’s journey, visit:
Website: www.houseofspeech.com.au
Instagram: @houseofspeech_
Interested in starting or growing your own business? Connect with Many Rivers to access practical business support, mentoring and workshops designed to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs build strong, sustainable businesses.
CLICK HERE to see if Many Rivers is right for you
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