Private Practice Success Stories

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 amazing to watch her business shift to become AAC focused and watch her create the work-life balance she craved. She shares how she loves working with kids and how she’s becoming known for specializing in AAC. Kaitlin also shares the fulfillment she gets from being able to work with clients in a more personalized, meaningful way.Kaitlin is an SLP with over 8 years of experience who opened her own practice in January of 2023. She specializes in AAC, gestalt language processing and sensory-informed play-based t

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 to change your life, your family's life, and the lives of your clients and their families, and we are so excited to help you achieve that with Private Practice School. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:The 2 core principles that drive everything we do at Independent ClinicianHow we are rebuilding our programs to make them stronger than everHow this growth will impact our current students and programs What you can expect from this bigger, stronger program The Private Practice Movement is growing, and Private Pract

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 had her first client within two weeks! In this episode, she talks about how the marketing tactics from the Start program helped her build her caseload to start seeing pediatric clients in local libraries across her rural area. She also discusses how the flexibility of having her own private practice gives her the power to make her own schedule and have more work-life balance. Evelyn Pierce-Ruhland has been an SLP for over 30 years. She worked for 11 years and then had the privilege of taking time

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 SLPs! Meghan is a Nashville-based speech-language pathologist.  Meghan has been an SLP for 10 years and a private practice owner for 2 years.  Meghan's private practice was opened out of necessity for her family - to work but be present for her family. Over the past two years, Meghan has built a practice focused on the early childhood population.  Language-rich play ™ opportunities are a major part of the Tiny Talkers PLLC business model.  Tiny Talkers Groups are held within the Nashville communi

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 balance. In this episode, they talk about building their multidisciplinary practice together, getting referrals through social media and networking, and the importance of creating a caring company culture. Jessie Lanford, PT/DPT, and Josephine Lougee, SLP are the founders of Better Days Therapies of Augusta. Both clinicians have almost 5 years of experience working together in different outpatient pediatric clinics and a local hospital. They decided to start the journey of owning a private practice and just celebrated

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 the flexibility, freedom, and control over her schedule that she gets from owning her own private practice.Kim Jenkins is a pediatric SLP and the owner of Empowering Speech Services, a private practice in Atlanta, Georgia, that specializes in speech therapy for autistic children who are gestalt language processors.Through Empowering Speech Services, she creates an environment that celebrates and supports neurodiversity, emphasizing the unique abilities and strengths of each individual.Beyond her professional pursuits, Kim

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 population is key to success. Meaghan shares why she is so passionate about physician and community education and emphasizes the importance of both clinical care and business aspects in running a healthcare practice.Meaghan Arnold is a speech-language pathologist and owner of Speech Swallowing and Neurological Rehabilitation, a private practice in Tyler, Texas. SSNR exclusively serves the adult and geriatric populations across voice, speech, memory, cognition, language, and swallowing deficits. Meaghan received her Ba

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 howIn this episode, she talks about what trauma-informed care is, why it matters, and how to apply the principles to your interactions.This isn’t a private practice-specific episode but it’s information that all private practitioners need - even if you don’t think you need to know it. I promise. This episode is well worth your time because it will inform how you practice and how to interact with not just clients, but everyone you know. Rachel Archambault, MA CCC SLP, is an SLP Program Specialist in Broward County Florida. Previously, she was an SLP at Marjory

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 it has been so exciting to watch her find her niche in feeding therapy.In this episode she talks about her journey from event planner to SLP, finding her calling in the NICU, and how private practice empowered her to put her family first. Jaime Kaley Perez is an ASHA-certified Speech Language Pathologist, passionate feeding specialist, and mother of two crazy boys. She is also a Certified Neonatal Therapist, Certified Neonatal Massage Therapist, Certified Lactation Counselor, and has been treating medically complex

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 from different backgrounds and had their own unique reasons for starting their own private practices. Some had experienced burnout early on in their careers, and others wanted more freedom and flexibility in their day-to-day lives for their current - or future families.All 3 of these students had the same fears, doubts, and hesitations as you do, but they decided to go for it, join The Start Your Private Practice Program, and create a new future for themselves! In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How fast y

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 own boss. In this episode she talks about her unconventional path to being an SLP, how networking helped her find more clients, and why she recommends a five-year plan for clinicians to determine if private practice is right for them. Jaimie Gant, MS, CCC-SLP, CBIS, is the owner and founder of Avec Therapy Services, a speech therapy private practice in Tampa, FL. Jaimie is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist and Certified Dementia Practitioner with experience in inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation s

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 pediatric therapy services. In addition to wanting to serve her community, Michael started her private practice to have more flexibility for her family. Michael is the type that likes to go “All In” and she has with her private practice. Whether you live in a rural or populated area, if you’ve been thinking about starting a private practice to fill your needs, your family's needs, and the needs of people in your community, this is a must-listen episode!In Today's Episode, We Discuss:When Michael made the decis

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 business isn't something that you learn once. Just like you're a lifelong learner for clinical education, it's important to invest in being a lifelong learner for your business education. One of the reasons is that this landscape of practice changes every few years, and you need to be prepared and know how to navigate the ups and downs, the feast and famine cycles, and different positive and negative trends when it comes to things like finances, marketing, hiring, and more. So I know what I'm talking about.

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 her family while still seeing clients virtually.Dyan is an SLP, private practice owner, and mom working in America and the UK. Dyan worked at The Floortime Center in Bethesda MD straight out of grad school after falling in love with the Floortime Approach and DIR model in her undergraduate program. She learned from a team of amazing professionals while working there and was able to be a part of some great experiences from giving trainings, lectures both stateside and abroad, and being a part of a top-notch team.&nbs

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 the flexibility and freedom she needed as a parent to care for her own children while continuing to serve the needs of children in her community. She also discusses the importance of parent coaching and her future plans to offer a support group to her clients' families. Martha Boiardt, MS, CCC-SLP is a Speech-Language Pathologist based in Miami, FL. She became a practicing SLP in 2010, working in private practice, public schools, and specialized private schools. In 2014, she founded Miami Speech Thera

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 her private practice become successful while also finding a better work-life balance and being able to focus on her expertise and passion in assistive technology. In this episode, she talks about starting out by seeing private clients on the side of her full-time school job, growing her business, and hiring. She found that working with her own clients was more energizing and fulfilling, and her client base grew steadily, leading to a successful transition. Gina Sanfelippo is a pediatric speech therapy pr

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 connections and marketing herself in a new city, how she receives a lot of referrals through a directory associated with a certification program, and the benefits of being an in-home mobile therapist, which often allows for more personalized care and time for parent coaching. Lexey Pruitt is a certified speech language pathologist, founder of Leading Little Language, LLC, and an NLA-trained clinician. Lexey specializes in early language development and Gestalt Language Processing. After graduating from Southern Il

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 flexibility needed as a new mom and a business owner to successfully be able to grow.In this episode, she talks about expanding her therapy practice, hiring help, getting a physical location, and how she became credentialed with insurance companies to accommodate more clients. Victoria King Erb is a pediatric speech-language pathologist located in Southern California. She received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Redlands. She’s been an SLP for over 5 years. She started as an SLP

Is your work impacting your mental health? You’re not alone. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Renée Bruder to talk about how starting a private practice allowed her to finally start prioritizing her own mental health and self-care.I got to know Renée during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program where it’s been amazing to watch her practice grow to be exactly what she needs. In this episode, she talks about her mental health, how she’s embraced the neurodiversity movement and shifted her practice to work more with autistic children and Gestalt Language Processors, and her goals of expanding her income streams, hiring, and moving to a larger office space.If you’ve been thinking about starting or growing a private practice and want to make sure you're prioritizing your health in the process, this is a must-listen episode!Renée Bruder is a pediatric speech language pathologist and owner of Heyday Speech & Language Therapy just outside of Salt Lake Cit

Wondering if you should start a private practice so that you can have more flexibility for your family? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!I sat down with Krista Jones to discuss how she did just that. She started her private practice after realizing that the long hours and low pay for her job weren’t enough for her family. I’ve gotten to know Krista during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program and it has been amazing to watch her take off and truly build a practice that she loves while having the income and time flexibility that her family needs.In this episode she talks about where she gets most of her referrals- hint: it’s a great strategy for pediatric clinicians! She also discusses what she’s doing with her clinic space and her plans to hire additional staff so that her clinic can run without her so that she can focus on other aspects of her business and still be there for her family. Krista was born and raised in Southern California and moved to