Leading with Heart: How One Family Built an NDIS Business That’s Changing Lives

When you meet Raelene “Rails” Wynyard, it’s immediately clear that she’s a woman on a mission—one rooted in love, empathy, and deep personal experience.

Her journey began not as a business dream, but as a mother’s determination to create a better world for her son. When he was diagnosed with autism almost two decades ago, there was no NDIS, no roadmap, and very little understanding of what families like hers faced. “He was treated like a number,” she recalls. “They didn’t see him—just the label.”

That experience lit a fire. Over time, as her family grew and her professional path evolved, Rails found herself drawn into the world of disability support—not from textbooks, but from real life. When her husband’s career in civil construction took a toll, he joined as a support worker. Her grown children followed soon after. Today, their family-run company provides compassionate, hands-on care through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), employing 11 staff and supporting clients across a range of needs—from community access to 24/7 in-home care.

But what makes Rails’ business truly remarkable isn’t just what they do—it’s how they do it.

“We never wanted to be just another provider,” she explains. “We wanted to give people dignity, consistency, and connection.” Her team uses humour and lightness as tools for resilience in what can often be emotionally heavy work. “We laugh a lot. You have to. Laughter keeps us human.”

Rails’ approach also extends to the financial side of her business. She’s unafraid to call out the unnecessary fees and markups she’s seen across the industry—things like $695 onboarding charges or inflated travel costs. “That’s money taken directly out of a participant’s plan,” she says. “That could be five hours of real support, gone.”

Her philosophy? Run the business ethically, manage the money wisely, and always align financial decisions with core values.

That same wisdom shows up at home, too. Rails and her husband, now in their mid-40s, have not only built a thriving business—they’ve raised financially empowered children. Their 20-year-old daughter, who was born with half a heart and faced major health challenges, has already saved enough for a house deposit. “We’ve made every money mistake there is,” Rails laughs, “but we learned, and our kids learned with us.”

When asked what’s next, Rails says the goal isn’t to build an empire. “We don’t want to get so big that we lose touch with the people we serve. For us, growth is about creating time—time with our grandchildren, time to rest, and time to give back.”

Her story is a powerful reminder that business success doesn’t have to come at the expense of humanity. You can make money and make a difference. You can run a company with systems, ethics, and heart.

Rails is living proof that when you lead with love—and manage your money with purpose—you create more than a business. You create a legacy.