With decades of experience across human services and child protection in Australia and Europe, Tara and Ruth founded Flourish Academy with a shared belief that families and professionals deserve practical, compassionate support. Through accessible courses that bridge the gap between theory and everyday life, they aim to build confidence, strengthen relationships and help parents, carers and professionals navigate challenges before they become crises – making a real difference in children’s lives. Here, they talk to The Natural Parent Magazine about the inspiration behind their work, their biggest breakthrough, how they balance work and family life, and their hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
Ruth and I came to Flourish with different life experiences, but a very similar belief: families and professionals deserve support that is practical, compassionate and genuinely useful in the real world. Between us, we have decades of experience working across human services and child protection in Australia and Europe. We had both spent years on the frontline, working alongside children and families experiencing complex challenges and with professionals trying to support them within systems that were often under enormous pressure.
We could see incredibly committed people doing their best, but we could also see the gaps. Families often received support once things had already reached crisis point, while professionals could have plenty of theoretical knowledge but still need practical tools, confidence and support to navigate the realities of complex work. That became a big part of what inspired us to create Flourish Community Solutions seven years ago. We wanted to build something that could bridge the gap between theory and practice – an organisation that walked alongside families rather than judged them, recognised their strengths, kept children’s safety at the centre, and gave both families and professionals practical ways to create sustainable change.
Flourish Academy grew naturally from that work. Over the years, we listened closely to the parents, carers and professionals we worked alongside. Parents were asking for practical strategies they could use at home to understand behaviour, strengthen relationships and feel more confident before challenges became crises. Professionals wanted development that went beyond technical knowledge and helped them strengthen communication, emotional awareness, reflective practice and their ability to respond well in complex situations.
We realised there was an opportunity to take what we had learned through years of practice and make it accessible to many more people.
At the heart of both Flourish Community Solutions and Flourish Academy is a simple belief: when people are given practical skills, encouragement and the opportunity to recognise their own strengths, they are capable of creating meaningful change. For us, it has never been about having all the answers for someone else. It is about helping people build the confidence and capability to find their own way forward.
And ultimately, that is why we called it Flourish. We want children, parents, professionals and communities to have the opportunity not simply to cope, but to flourish.
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
The Academy developed organically from the work we were already doing. For many years, we had been coaching teams, supporting families and listening closely to the parents and professionals we worked alongside. Rather than beginning with a catalogue of courses, we began with the real questions people were asking us: What do I do in the moment? How do I understand what is happening underneath behaviour? How can I respond with more confidence and connection? Those conversations shaped the learning we created and continue to shape the Academy today. We work alongside professionals in social work, education, psychotherapy, etc., to develop and curate courses that are suitable for parents, carers and those working with children. We wanted this information to be accessible outside of a solely child protection or trauma forum.
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Our biggest breakthrough was recognising that meaningful learning does not need to be complicated to create real change. People were not looking for someone to give them all the answers; they wanted practical tools, trusted information and the confidence to find their own way forward. That became a guiding principle for Flourish Academy: bridge the gap between theory and everyday life, make learning useful in the moment, and focus on building capability before pressure becomes crisis. We’ve actually had this idea for YEARS – Flourish Community Solutions is seven years old and we always knew it was difficult to advertise to a public forum given our child protection connection, but only last year did we actually take action. The action element of transferring it over has probably been our biggest breakthrough.
Yin and Yang: How do you balance work and family?
Funny – I just had supervision with a practitioner this week where we talked about balance. We have learned that balance is continually changing your priorities. It is something you keep adjusting. Running a purpose-led business can easily expand into every available space, so we try to be intentional about boundaries, priorities and being present where we are. The same principles we teach – reflection, connection, asking for support and letting go of perfection – are just as relevant in our own lives. Some seasons are busier than others, but we try to keep sight of why we are doing the work in the first place. We are super fortunate to be co-founders. Ruth and I are each other’s yin and yang. We have a rule that we must never spiral at the same time. One must be the voice of reason in that moment and it has always organically worked that way, because we’re human, in a human-centred, high-stress industry – so spirals are not unheard of.
The drive: What challenges have you overcome?
One of the ongoing challenges has been translating years of experience and complex knowledge into learning that feels clear, accessible and genuinely useful. The families and professionals we support are often already carrying a lot, so more information is not always the answer. We have had to keep asking ourselves what people really need, how we can make learning practical, and how we can stay connected to our purpose as the business grows. That has meant being willing to adapt, learn, try things differently and keep moving forward without waiting for everything to be perfect. That and being forced to endure the sound of our own voices while editing the video learning modules!
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The greatest privilege is having the freedom to build something around a purpose we genuinely believe in. We can listen to what parents and professionals need, respond creatively and develop resources that have the potential to strengthen children, families, workplaces and communities. The other side is that running a business brings constant responsibility, competing priorities and a lot of work that happens behind the scenes. You have to become comfortable with uncertainty and with learning as you go. For us, the purpose makes those challenges worthwhile. Trust also plays a huge role. You need to build a lot of trust in your team, the professionals around you, the process even when you cannot see immediate results, and your own ability – imposter syndrome was a real barrier in the early days, but trusting our own knowledge, experience and deserved place in the industry was the only way to overcome that.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
We want Flourish Academy to continue growing as a trusted place where parents, carers and professionals can access practical, evidence-informed learning that makes a difference in everyday life. Our hope is to expand the range and reach of the Academy while staying true to what matters most: connection, compassion, early intervention and real-world application. Ultimately, we want to help more adults feel capable and supported, because when adults grow in confidence and understanding, children, families, workplaces and communities all benefit. We have some amazing things happening later this year that will really see us take a leap of faith in putting some much-needed education about domestic and family violence (DFV) out there for those who need it.
Visit the Flourish Academy website to find out more, and connect with them on Facebook and Instagram.
