Feeling burned out? Wondering if private practice is the answer for you?  You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Vanessa Alcala, who decided to start her private practice after feeling the effects of burnout and having the desire to be her own boss.  This is her second time on the show and she talks about her non-traditional journey to the field of SLP. Vanessa discusses how having her own private practice has helped her avoid burnout and how...

Ever wish you could hear directly from the “regular” SLPs or OTs who transformed into successful private practitioners after going through the Start Your Private Practice Program?  Their words? Their experience? Their outcomes from being in the program?  Well, now you can!  In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m introducing you to 4 amazing Start Your Private Practice student alums: Kacie Bartlet, Emily Gavin, Caitlin Celendano, and Melissa Perez. All 4 of these Start...

Wondering how you can get more clients in your private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Melissa Perez, a speech-language pathologist with a private practice called Honeybee Speech in El Centro, California. She decided to start her private practice after experiencing burnout from teletherapy and discovering the Start Your Private Practice program in 2022. Melissa has been one of our Start Start students who recently joined The...

Have you been thinking about starting a neurodiversity-affirming private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Samantha Rothman, an occupational therapist with a private practice called Play and Purpose in Phoenix, Arizona. She decided to start her private practice after being laid off during the pandemic and realizing she didn’t want to rely on others for income anymore. Join us as she talks about creating a...

Have you ever thought about starting a coaching-based private practice? You’re going to love this episode!  I sat down with Emily Gavin who decided to take the leap into private practice with encouragement from her peers and spouse after being laid off from her job. In this episode, she talks about her journey from SNFs and inpatient rehab to owning her own dementia-focused business. Emily shares how caring for her mother-in-law with dementia inspired her special interest.  Emily S. Gavin,...

Have you ever dreamed of opening a small niche private practice so you can specialize in working with your dream clients?  If so, you’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Jodie Wallis, who decided to take the leap into private practice when her mentor moved locations, leaving an opening in her area. In this episode, she talks about how she discovered her love of feeding therapy and turned it into her own private practice, what it’s like to have...

Dreaming of starting a private practice with a specialization? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Kaitlin Malcahey, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice called Competent Communicators. She first started thinking about private practice while feeling burned out during COVID, and by 2022 she took the leap and did it.  I got to know Kaitlin during her time in The Grow Your Private Practice program, and it has been so...

Welcome to a special episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  In this episode, I’m making a huge announcement about the future of private practice education, and it’s the biggest announcement in Independent Clinician history. Introducing…Private Practice School! We are rebuilding the structure of our programs to make them bigger and better than ever. The private practice movement is growing, and Private Practice School is at the center of it. Private practice is truly an opportunity...

Wondering how private practice can help you get more flexibility in your life? This episode of Private Practice Success Stories is for you!  I sat down with Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice in Kingsville, Ohio called Inspire Speech and Language Therapy.  After working in the schools for 10 years she was overwhelmed by the high caseloads, paperwork, and long hours. Feeling the burnout, Evelyn quit her job,  joined the Start program, and...

Wondering about different types of private practice models? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Meghan Samuels, who started her private practice in order to have more flexibility, work-life balance, and time to spend with her family.  In this episode, she talks about how she started offering language enrichment groups for toddlers and preschoolers in her area, and then expanded this idea and began selling the curriculum to other...

Thinking of starting a private practice with a partner? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with two students from the Start Your Private Practice program, Jessie Lanford and Josephine Lougee. They are a speech-language pathologist and physical therapist duo with a private practice in Augusta, Georgia. They started their private practice after working together and realizing they had similar goals and wanted more autonomy and work-life...

Ready to finally make the transition from schools to private practice?  You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Kim Jenkins, a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia. She started her private practice in 2018 after feeling inspired to become her own boss. She shares how she started her private practice journey by seeing clients on the side while working full-time in the schools, and how much she loves...

Wondering how you can market to medical private practices? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I spoke with Meaghan Arnold, a speech-language pathologist with an adult and geriatric-focused private practice in Tyler, Texas. She began her career working in skilled nursing facilities and home health and quickly realized the need for continued care. This prompted Meaghan to start her own private practice in 2020.  We discuss how being passionate about your niche and patient...

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m sharing something a little different. I sat down with Rachel Archambault, who is a speech-language pathologist and trauma educator.  She started her Instagram account and consulting practice, The PTSD SLP, after experiencing a traumatic event at work. This experience led Rachel to discover trauma-informed care and how it could help her better serve her students and professionals understand how In this episode, she talks about what...

Interested in learning more about turning your niche as an SLP or OT into a thriving private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories. I sat down with Jaime Perez, who is a speech-language pathologist and lactation consultant with a private practice in Tampa, Florida. She started her private practice after facing burnout in the hospital setting and wanting to spend more time with her family.  I got to know Jamie during her time in the Start program and...

Ever wish you could hear directly from the “regular” SLPs or OTs who transformed into successful private practitioners after going through the Start Your Private Practice Program?  Their words?  Their experience?  Their outcomes from being in the program?  Well, now you can!  In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m going to introduce you to 3 amazing Start Your Private Practice student alums: Lexey Pruitt, Claire Powers, and Asha LeRay. All 3 of these Start students came...

For many SLPs and OTs, the path to this career isn’t always straightforward. And that’s okay!   If you are looking for a way to integrate your unique career path into private practice, you’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories.  I sat down with Jaimie Gant, a Start Your Private Practice student, whose previous career in law enforcement led her to discover the field of speech pathology. She was then driven to open her own private practice by the desire to be her...

Ready to go all in on your private practice?  In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my students Michael Johnston to discuss how she did it! I got to know Michael in the Start Your Private Practice Program and oh my goodness has she grown quickly! She is one year into her private practice journey and already has a multidisciplinary practice serving 100 clients a week because she’s in a rural area that desperately needs services because it didn’t have any...

Welcome to one of my favorite episodes of the year: My Private Practice Predictions for 2024! And specifically, I’m talking about how to thrive in a changing economic landscape. I’m going to make 3 BIG predictions that you’re going to want to know if you’re thinking about starting your private practice this year.  I’ll give you a hint of one of them: The Importance of Diversification of Income.  I tell my students in the Start and Grow Your Private Practice programs all the time about how...

Have you ever considered running a private practice while living abroad? I sat down with Dyan Dickerson who is a speech-language pathologist with a virtual, floortime-focused private practice in the US and London. Dyan discovered her passion for floortime therapy after working with a very special child and his family during undergrad.  In this episode, Dyan shares her love of floortime therapy and talks about how starting her own private practice allowed her the freedom to move abroad with...

Thinking about starting a private practice to find more flexibility in your life? You’re going to love this episode!  In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Martha Boiardt, a Grow Your Private Practice student who started her private practice in 2020 after becoming a mom and wanting the flexibility to spend more time with her family.  Martha talks about how she went from working for a private practice to starting her own! Starting her private practice gave her...

Wondering what the potential is if you just start your private practice as a side gig?  In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Gina Sanfelippo who started her private practice on the side shortly after graduating. After gaining experience and seeing the growth potential, Gina left her school position in June 2023 to focus on expanding her private practice.  I got to know Gina during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program. It has been amazing to watch...

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice so that you can provide more personalized care for your ideal clients and have more work-life balance? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Lexey Pruitt, a Start and Grow Your Private Practice student who started her private practice on the side when living in St. Louis and then moved to Houston and has been building it from there. In this episode, she talks about establishing new...

Looking for flexibility and freedom in your life? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!  I sat down with Victoria King Erb. She started her private practice during the pandemic in 2020 after she almost left the profession due to high caseloads and difficulty providing children with quality services.  I got to know Victoria during her time in the Start and Grow Your Private Practice Programs and it has been amazing to watch her start her practice and find the...