#awinewith Tina Bambury: what play therapy is and how she built a business around it
✨ Thank you to IP Australia for supporting the SPARK podcast and women in business ✨
Listen on Spotify or [Apple]([PASTE APPLE LINK]).
Tina Bambury kept losing early intervention jobs every time the funding ran out, so she started her own thing with nothing but a diary and a garage full of kept toys. P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose is now a therapeutic play practice and children's experience business in Murray Bridge, South Australia, with a team, a trainee and a legacy plan. In this episode she covers what play therapy actually is (hint: it's not just for kids), the government traineeship tip more small businesses should know about, and why there are no rules in business.
From funding cuts to founding her own thing
Tina trained as an early childhood teacher, but a lecture on early intervention changed everything: "This is it. This is what I want to do." The catch was that early intervention programs live and die by funding rounds, and she kept losing positions when the money ran out. "I thought, I don't want to be having to lose my job and find new ones. So I've created my own, and that was the birth of P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose." Her startup cost in 2014 was a diary, and the name is an acronym: the Power of play, the Love of learning, Attachment, and the Yin and yang. Over a decade later, she's a CEO with a team, running therapeutic play sessions and a mobile music and sensory experience business across regional South Australia.
Play isn't just for kids
Half of Tina's business is therapeutic play supporting children's emotional and social regulation, often with their whole family circle involved. But she's clear the benefits don't stop at age 12. "Adults have really forgotten the benefit and the power of play. Just playing. No pressure. Absorb yourself into it, let everything else go, and just be." Training to become a registered play therapist, she's been rediscovering her own inner child, and highly recommends every burnt-out business owner do the same.
The traineeship tip more small businesses should know
Tina recently took on her first trainee, and the way she did it is worth stealing: the government traineeship system. You register with your state's administering body, the minimum is 15 hours a week (so no full-time commitment needed), and there are financial benefits for both the employer and the trainee. "It's a win-win situation." Going through an employment provider linked to Workforce Australia can unlock further subsidies. For businesses that need help but aren't ready for a full-time hire, it's an option too few people know exists.
Building a legacy, one welcome at a time
Tina trains her team the way she works with children: they sit in her sessions, observing, listening and absorbing, so the work outlives her. "Not everyone can continue working forever. I want people to know how to do this work, so that I leave that legacy." The culture shows: her new trainee told her that "being here is almost as good as therapy". And it's built on one deliberate foundation. "The most important thing for me in my business is that people feel welcome. No matter who it is, where you're at, however you are, I want you to feel like you can come in."
Tina's one piece of advice for women in business
"Be your authentic self. No one can do what you do in the way that you do it. So don't worry about the other people down the road. Be friends with them, really, because you just never know how things are going to work out. Be your authentic self, be friendly, be kind, and things will happen. And be committed to how you want to deliver things, no matter what other people say. When I first started, lots of people said I should change what I was doing, that I should only focus on one aspect of my business. But if you think you need multiple avenues in your business, have multiple avenues. There's no rules in business. That's why you started this in the first place. Stay true to yourself and where you want to go."
Meet Tina, Founder of P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose
Tina Bambury is the Founder of P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose, a therapeutic play practice based in Murray Bridge, South Australia. A therapeutic play and listening practitioner and early childhood trained teacher with nearly 20 years in the field, Tina runs one-on-one and family therapeutic play sessions (NDIS plans welcome), plus mobile music and sensory experiences, from Music Miracles sessions at early learning centres and libraries to her inclusive Sensory Wonderland at country shows and community events.
You can find her here:
Full transcript
Danielle: Amazing. Tina, welcome to Spark TV.
Tina: Hi, Danny. It's lovely to be here. Thank you so much for having me.
Danielle: Oh my gosh, of course. I'm very excited to chat to you. We've spoken before and I just love your business and your vibe. So this is going to be great.
Tina: Yeah, I'm really excited to share with you. It'll be fun.
Danielle: Amazing. Let's start out by telling everyone who you are and what you do.
Tina: So, I am Tina from P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose. I am a therapeutic play and listening practitioner, that is also training to become a registered play therapist at this point in time. So I'm really excited about that. And I dabble a little in music and yoga and dance, and playing with sensory play, that's the best thing. So all of that stuff combined together. I love to have my finger in a few different little pies.
Danielle: I love it so much. And is this for kids, for adults? What's the kind of target market? Who's your customer? Who do you look after?
Tina: Yeah. Well, primarily we are focused on children at this point, and their families, so their circle around them. It can include their early learning centre or their school as well, because we do visit them. And we also target early learning centres, playgroups, country shows, things like that, with our entertainment side, if you like, of our business, with our music and sensory play programs.
Danielle: I love it. I was just thinking as you were describing, I was like, I think I need a little play therapy in my life this week. It sounds incredible.
Tina: Yeah. Well, you know, play therapy is not just for children. It actually can be for adults. And as I'm exploring becoming a registered play therapist, it's opening up all these doors that I never thought would open before. I got to role play as part of the training that I just went to, literally, and I loved being able to tap into my inner child. So I highly recommend, if you have the opportunity, do explore a play therapy session as an adult.
Danielle: Yeah. Well, I was literally just thinking, you know, my most valuable time as a business owner is when I switch off. But sometimes switching off and doing nothing doesn't help, because you're just thinking about work and the to-do list. And I kind of have those moments of, like, okay, I've got an hour that I have to rest, and I'll be totally inspired and all the things, and because you're forcing so much, it just doesn't happen. And I just thought, wouldn't it be incredible if you had time carved out to play, and to totally focus on something that's joyful and incredible? And I can only imagine, you know, me, I'm always thinking of the business outcomes, but I was like, that just sounds like such an amazing hack to bring some joy, switch off, and find a little inspiration, which I think never goes astray, no matter what age you are.
Tina: Absolutely. Like, adults have really forgotten a lot of the benefit and the power of play. Just playing. No pressure. Just absorb yourself into there. Let everything else go and just be. And that's the beauty of play therapy.
Danielle: I love this. So, how did you even get into this realm?
Tina: Ah, so I was studying to be a teacher, actually, and that is my qualification, I feel, along with a few others. So I'm an early childhood trained teacher. But while I was studying, I came across early intervention, and as I was sitting there in my lecture, I went, this is it. This is what I want to do. I'm going to dovetail now to early intervention. I don't think I want to be a school teacher. I want to be someone who works with children prior to them getting to school, and helping them be the best people that they can be.
Danielle: Oh, wow.
Tina: Yeah. And that was my lightbulb moment. And that was when I went out of early learning centres, and being in a room working with many children, into services that were about early intervention. But sadly, most of the early intervention programs are funding based, and come to the end of the funding, if they aren't successful in getting more, then people lose their position, and that's what happened to me. And it had happened, in a variety of different ways, a few times. I thought, I don't want to be having to lose my job and find new ones.
Danielle: Yeah, totally. That does not feel like a good way to live.
Tina: So I've created my own, and that was the birth of P.L.A.Y. with a Purpose. And the P.L.A.Y. actually has dots in between, and so it's an acronym: for the power of play, the love of learning, attachment, and the yin and yang, which is the balance.
Danielle: Wow, that's incredible. I just am so wildly fascinated by, you know what, this career path isn't giving me what I need. That's fine, I'll just invent my own path. This is amazing.
Tina: Well, that's how it came to be. And that was in 2014. And I started out with a diary. That was my cost.
Danielle: Oh, wow.
Tina: I bought a diary, because I had to convince my partner, my husband, that it was going to be okay. And so I said, there's no cost. I have all of this stuff, I don't have to buy it. This is why I've kept all these toys of the kids for all these years, for this reason. There was a method to the madness. And so, yeah, then I started the business, and as it happened, where I had just finished working with the organisation, they had just got funding for somebody to run the playgroups for the families. That was in Sydney, I was originally from Sydney, and it was in Western Sydney, and it was for their early learning through play program, which was with asylum seeker and refugee families.
Danielle: Oh wow, amazing.
Tina: So I originally started off with two, because I knew the person who was running that program, and then it grew to five, across five sites during the week, to the point where I had to actually put staff on, and was training them as well as doing this stuff for this organisation. And unfortunately, that came to an end, and they took it back in-house. But I still had some really great connections, so I was starting to rebuild some programs, and then we moved across here. But it was lovely to build those connections with those people and start to really flourish in Sydney, which was a little bit exciting. And then we came over here for family reasons. So yeah.
Danielle: Yeah. And it's so interesting, isn't it? I think that oftentimes people think that business is going to be like this linear journey, and that you'll just do this and it'll grow, and this will happen, this will happen, and all of a sudden I'll be a billionaire and sipping margaritas on a beach. But it just doesn't work like that. It is about capitalising on those opportunities that arise, and they sort of come and go and grow and expand, and some leave, but you always learn something. You always get connections, you always get, you know, probably revenue at the time. It's all stepping stones towards building an amazing business.
Tina: Yeah. And I can't agree more. Initially, I started out as a sole trader, but now I'm a company. You know, I'm a CEO of a company.
Danielle: Yes, you are.
Tina: It blows my mind. Like, I simply cannot believe it, that I am here where I am. Like, originally it was 2014, but the company started in 2016. So I've been in business for 12 years now. And now I am at the point where I just put my first trainee on.
Danielle: Oh my god, this is so good. How does that feel? And what's that process been like for you?
Tina: Um, yeah, sometimes it can be tricky to find the right person. It's been a bit of a process, and it's also a process knowing what you can offer the trainee, you know, within your business. And I'm outside of the box with my early childhood, so I can't have anyone that is training to be an early childhood person, but I can, and I found that out in the process of doing the traineeship stuff, I can offer people who are doing a community services or mental health certificate. So yeah, I'm really excited to be able to be working with my new trainee, and she's so excited to be on board, and it's just wonderful.
Danielle: And because that's a formal government program, isn't it? The traineeship stuff.
Tina: Yeah, yeah, it is. So you have to be registered with your state, with who is administering the traineeships in your state, and you have to sign a contract. And the minimum number of hours is 15 hours, and so you don't have to have a full-time trainee.
Danielle: That's good to know.
Tina: Yeah. So they just have to have somebody supervising them, if you're not confident in the fact that they have done this before. And you need to be aware of the training packages that are within the qualification that you are going to be supporting them with, and you have to give them time off to study, and things like that.
Danielle: And does the government help fund trainees at all? Is there any financial benefit to this?
Tina: Yeah, there is a financial benefit to both the employer and the trainee, actually.
Danielle: Wow.
Tina: Yeah. So it's a win-win situation, which is really amazing, because you both get a win, you know.
Danielle: Yeah. I was just thinking, this is super interesting for people who maybe even aren't ready to hire a full-time person, but they kind of need help, and it's in an industry where the traineeships would exist. I just think it would be really interesting to explore for some businesses listening, that they might be able to get some help, and have it a little subsidised.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. And if you go through an employment provider which is linked to Workforce Australia, then there may be other options that you can explore, like subsidies and things like that as well, to support you with having employees.
Danielle: Yeah. Oh, that's incredible. I always love these little tips, because I think sometimes we think about business, again, just what we've seen in the media, and we just go, oh my god, I need help, therefore I've got to hire a full-time staff member. And I think it's interesting to know that there are other options out there. So, that's always fascinating. I love this. So, what's your service offering look like? How do you actually make money and find customers right now in your business?
Tina: So, at the moment, about 50% of our business is therapeutic play, to support emotional and social regulation for children. And usually their families are in the programs as well. But we do have some children that do the one-on-one with just myself, or they might have me and my trainee or another staff member in there with them. The other staff member supports by observing, and that's also my way of training up people. So they are seeing what I'm doing, listening, watching, you know, they're absorbing all of that stuff that I'm doing, and how I'm responding to the child, so that they can learn what I do. Because, like, obviously not everyone can continue working forever, and so you come to the stage where you're going to need to have some help, and I'm going to start dialling back. So I want people to know how to do this work that I'm doing, so that I leave that legacy.
Danielle: You know, I think that's so incredible. Not a lot of people actually think long-term like that. That is really fascinating, to kind of think, okay, what is the legacy that I want to leave? So obviously we're here to serve, you obviously create great impact with the people that you work with, and obviously you've got to pay the bills, you know, that's business as well. But I love this idea that you're building something that will last longer, and without you, and into the future as well. Why do you think like that?
Tina: Um, not very many people think about what children need, and what they need to be able to succeed. They find it hard to put themselves in the child's shoes. Like, what is it that's causing this for you? Why are you throwing things at me? Why are you kicking me? Why are you hitting me? You know, like, where did that come from? What started that process? So, you know, I think that that is something that not everyone has that's in this field, and so I want to be able to share that with as many people as I can, and training up my team to be able to do that is really important for me.
Danielle: Yeah. Wow. It's so interesting. And you're so right. As you're talking, I'm just thinking about, sure, we have preschool or whatever it is in your state, but you're right, the developmental stage starts from the moment that you're born, and you're in a certain environment and experiencing different things. I think it's just interesting that parents don't have these kinds of tools available to them. So it's so incredible that you're stepping in to offer them, and teaching other people what's important and how they can make an impact.
Tina: Yeah. And I think that everyone that's been part of my team, like, some people have moved on and other people are still with me, they always say to me, I just learned so much being here, and I love coming to work. Like, my beautiful trainee, she said this week, she said, being here is almost as good as therapy.
Danielle: I love that. So beautiful.
Tina: Thank you. Like, I don't know what it is. I mean, we just try, or I try... the most important thing for me in my business is that people feel welcome. I want you to walk in my door, and I want you to feel welcome. No matter who it is, where you are, where you're at, however you are, I want you to feel like you can come in.
Danielle: I feel like that just talking to you. You've got such an amazing, calm, zen vibe.
Tina: Oh, thank you. It's certainly not like that on the inside all the time. But sometimes I go into that place, and I'm just like, I am here for you, and I'm with you. And it's something that's come about from all of the different trainings that I've done, and the work that I've done, because I've been in the field now for nearly 20 years. It's a long time that I've been doing this, and I've had some magical people that I've worked with that have influenced it. You know, it's such a privilege to get to do this work. It really is. You get to be part of a child and family's life. That is huge trust that's being placed in you, and I never, ever take that for granted. It's such an honour to be part of their lives. It really is.
Danielle: And it's just so interesting, you know, that intentionality that you have. That desire to, okay, when anyone steps in the door, employee, trainee, customer, child, parent, whoever it is, you want them to have this experience and this feeling of being welcome, and feeling calm, and that they're in this safe place. And you can clearly see that that is something that you have designed intentionally, that this is a result of your training, your experiences, and it's just beautiful to see. I just love it when people have designed a business that they're so proud of, and that it just comes out in everything that they do. So it's just incredible. I love this.
Tina: Thank you, Danny. I really appreciate that. It means the world to me, you know, it really does. As I said before, it's my legacy, and I really want to be able to... this is something that I can leave with whoever ends up with my business, because I don't know yet what that's going to look like. Working on a business plan at the moment. But, like, that's not really one of my strengths, to do that. I tend to be more of a, okay, I'm at this point, I need to do this now so that I can move to the next step. And writing my business plan is part of it. I've tried about three times to write it, and it keeps changing as I go back to it. I'm like, oh, okay, well, that's not really how I want it to look anymore.
Danielle: Yeah, we've moved on. It's evolved a bit.
Tina: So I want to go down this line. So yeah, and as I was saying, like, 50% of my business is that therapeutic side, but then the other half of my business is the side where we go do children's, sort of, entertainment, if you like.
Danielle: Ah, yeah, entertainment, like a show.
Tina: It's an experience. So we provide a Music Miracles program to early learning centres, and we travel to them. So we're mobile, and we travel to them, and we go into early learning centres or playgroups or libraries and places like that, country shows. And we do an hour of music and story time. And that can include instruments, puppets, streamers, dancing, all sorts of nursery rhymes, all that sort of thing. Like, we're going to be doing something really special in World Nursery Rhyme Week, and so that's really exciting that we're going to get to do that. And we're going to go to the Fringe down here in Adelaide.
Danielle: Ah, cool.
Tina: So it's our first time going to the Fringe, and so we're really excited about that as well. We've applied, and so we'll see how we go. But yeah, we're very excited to be a part of that. And we also have our Sensory Wonderland, and that is our inclusive sensory experience. So it's all swings, ball pits, sensory play. Like, we have water marbles, which are little beads that are like Orbeez, but not called Orbeez, and they grow from this tiny, tiny little, like, hundreds-and-thousands size, up to a little marble size.
Danielle: Oh, cool. Amazing.
Tina: It takes time to happen as well, so it's like this delayed gratification effect. And we do that. And Play-Doh, the best experience in the world. The best for children's learning. There's so much in it. So we always have Play-Doh at our events, and you can never underestimate what children learn from it. We went to Colour Tumby this year, and it was the first time we'd been there, and we were invited to attend, which was so exciting.
Danielle: Wow.
Tina: And the Play-Doh table was the one that had the most children at it the whole event.
Danielle: I remember Play-Doh. I remember my mum used to make it on the stove somehow, I don't know, because she's a genius. I remember making lots of food, like hamburgers and things. We had like a kitchen, and we'd make everything out of Play-Doh. How funny.
Tina: We make our own Play-Doh as well, because lots of our experiences are taste safe, for children that are still mouthing, or likely to put things in their mouth. We want to make sure that it's safe for children. So if there's any worry about that, we will only put out the experiences that are taste safe.
Danielle: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think I ate a lot of Play-Doh in my time as well. Oh, so how are you finding... this is so incredible, and you're at the stage where people are inviting you to their events, and you're obviously applying for things as well. What is your kind of sales and marketing plan? How do you get the word out about your business at the moment?
Tina: So, we do have a website, and we have social media on Facebook and Instagram, and we also have a YouTube channel. And mostly, with our therapy side of the business, that actually comes from referrals these days. Often, like, you know, if you're part of a Facebook group and there's mums in it, and they're looking for people, you can say, you know, I might be able to help, and then that comes sometimes into work, and the children come and see me. We are fairly well known within our Murray Bridge area, because we're based here in the regions in South Australia, which is not so common for services to be in this area. And then, I put things on Facebook. I have events that I do, where we have children come in that are children from the community, as well as children who may have NDIS plans, and they can find it on Facebook or Humanitix and come along to that. And then, with our country show side, that's sort of a bit of networking, applying to be there, testing out the market, offering little bits for free, and then it sort of builds from there, and people will approach and say, would you like to come along and do this for us? And so now we're doing some Christmas Sensory Wonderlands for some of the local centres that have asked us to come and do their end-of-year celebration, or a Christmas one. We're being part of a Christmas parade event this year. So, you know, it just sort of grows with opportunity, I think.
Danielle: Yeah. And I do love that it's not one thing, right? I think that's the thing with sales and marketing that I find, is there's not one thing that is just the source of all customers and solutions. There is so much that goes into it. Whether it is networking through Facebook groups, or posting organically, or networking, or attending events, there is so much that goes into it. So I'm always interested to hear what people are doing in their business. I think you do have to test a lot in your business and find the stuff that works for you, until you get to that stage where you are now, where it is a little bit more, well, we've got such a great reputation that people do refer us, which is like the ultimate place to be in business, I find.
Tina: Yeah, absolutely. So, yeah, when we get a referral, I always do a little exciting happy dance.
Danielle: Yes. So good.
Tina: You know, like you said, the place that you want to be.
Danielle: Yes. Well, well-deserved. And I could talk to you all day, but I always love to wrap up these podcasts with one last piece of advice. So, reflecting on your time in business, what would be a piece of advice that you would give to another woman on her business journey?
Tina: Um, be your authentic self, I think, is really, really important. No one can do what you do in the way that you do it. And so don't worry about the other people down the road. Be friends with them, really, because you just never know how things are going to work out. So, you know, just be your authentic self, be friendly, be kind, and things will happen. And be committed to how you want to deliver things, no matter what other people say. Because I've had a lot of advice as well, you know, especially because when I first started this, I'd never had a business. And lots of people said that I should change what I was doing, that I should only focus on one aspect of my business. But if you think that you need to have multiple avenues in your business, have multiple avenues in your business. There's no rules in business. That's why you started this in the first place. So stay true to yourself and where you want to go.
Danielle: Oh, I love it so much, Tina. You are absolutely incredible. Thank you so much for sharing your story and your wisdom with the Spark community. That was incredible.
Tina: Thank you so much. It's been such a pleasure. I've so enjoyed sharing about it, and I look forward to being part of the Spark community. I'm really excited to be part of it.
