Channelling military discipline into business brilliance: Meet Tara and Josh, co-founders and partners of the family and veteran-owned Brisbane-based business, Nexus Ally.
With a combined experience of more than 20 years in both military and corporate settings, Tara and Josh harnessing their personal development skills gained through a life in Defence and applied it to a civilian setting as the co-founders of Nexus Ally.
With a strong focus on fostering personal growth, championing diverse talents and building high-performing teams, the business aims to empower individuals to translate their unique experiences into meaningful impact.
By tailoring their Defence-honed skills, such as leadership, adaptability and teamwork, to new environments, Josh and Tara hope to help others create lasting professional and personal change.
Meet the Team
Tara joined the Navy as a Maritime Warfare Officer straight from Year 12.
‘I always wanted to work on the ocean, travel, and loved a challenge,’ she said.
‘I loved that each day was different. The foundations that you learn within military training you don’t get anywhere else.’
The leadership skills she developed in service became the backbone of every role she’s taken on since and now forms a core part of Nexus Ally.
For Josh, joining the Air Force at 19 was about seizing opportunities beyond his small hometown. Defence life offered travel, new experiences and challenges unlike a regular 9-to-5 job.
‘Being posted to RAAF Base Learmonth in Exmouth, WA, was the highlight,’ he said. ‘It was the lifestyle over there. I would come home from work, get my spear gun, and go for a freedive in the ocean to catch a fish for dinner. We lived on and in the water.’
The strong sense of community, including close relationships with US Air Force personnel stationed at the Solar Observatory, made the experience unforgettable.
‘We still have great friendships with many of our US colleagues,’ Josh said.
Both Josh and Tara said their time in service did more than just shape their careers – it also shaped their vision for Nexus Ally. They now channel lessons of leadership, resilience and camaraderie into helping others grow.
The Founding Vision
Nexus Ally offers a variety of services designed to foster personal and professional growth. Their Integrated Team Development program tailors team-building experiences, ranging from one-day offsites to long-term team support, including LEGO Serious Play to enhance creativity and collaboration, driven by Josh’s interest in emotional intelligence and how that can integrate into a positive work culture.
‘Josh first became interested in emotional intelligence and building a great workplace culture about 10 years ago. His manager at the time was the epitome of what made a great leader-both as a manager and in developing his staff. He talked a lot about emotional intelligence and how important it was within workplaces,’ Tara said. ‘When Josh left the RAAF, he worked in an HR team for a Defence industry company. He found he wasn’t able to effect change the way he wanted to with cultural problems and was studying a number of emotional intelligence courses. We knew we wanted to help businesses build strong teams with a great culture.’
Healing, Growth and Leadership
Mental health and personal development are two important cornerstones of what Nexus Ally delivers.
‘With the staggering statistics of veteran suicide, there is so much more work to be done,’ Tara said. ‘Traditional therapies don’t work for everyone. Having access to alternative pathways to help close the gap on suicide is at the forefront of what we do.’
Their Individual & Couples Support focuses on mental health challenges, such as PTSD, trauma and family care, ensuring people receive the guidance they need.
Through their Emerging Leaders programs, Nexus Ally helps the next generation develop essential skills in both group and individual settings, preparing them to thrive in any environment. Their 1:1 Coaching is tailored to individual goals, offering flexible options from six-week sessions to ongoing support.
Tara said she saw the gaps in emerging leaders’ development firsthand while working as a corporate Executive Assistant.
‘When I came across an NLP coaching course, I enrolled and saw how valuable the techniques were in workplaces and also in a 1:1 capacity,’ she said.
Josh followed suit, completed his own studies and then witnessed the direct impact the methods could have.
‘I saw firsthand how powerful these techniques were in relieving PTSD symptoms for myself and how we could bring that across to veterans.’
Beyond coaching, Nexus Ally also offers Negotiation Excellence workshops, which blend theory with hands-on practice to develop strong workplace negotiators. The delivery of Emotional Intelligence Testing supports individuals, teams and recruitment processes by enhancing self-awareness and interpersonal skills.
By combining their lived experience with evidence-based strategies, Tara and Josh said their hope is to build more resilient individuals, teams and communities.
‘For us, success is defined by the impact we create-within both individuals and teams, as the two often go hand-in-hand,’ Tara said.
To learn more about Nexus Ally’s services and how they can support you or your organisation, visit: nexusally.com.au
