Private Practice Success Stories

If you don’t already know, I have been teaching SLPs and OTs how to start and grow their own private practice since 2008. These 15 years of experience have taught me exactly what people need to know in order to start the private practice of their dreams. I knew I had to write a book so that I can share some of that with even more people. So in today’s episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m sharing an excerpt from my new book, The Path to Private Practice. This is the book that I wish I had when I decided to start my own private practice. I needed this book back when I was full of self-doubt, questions, and what-ifs.  I was desperately wanting to learn more about how private practices worked, how others were doing it, and what my first step should be.This book is a great read for people who are further along and may be experiencing some challenges, such as imposter syndrome or feeling guilty about charging for your services. In addition to practical tips, I also cover some mindset issu

Are you feeling like you’re being held back in your current position? Private practice may be the answer. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Jordan Scholl to talk about how starting a private practice has allowed him to show up as his most authentic self and it helped his clients show up authentically as well. Jordan Scholl (he/him) is a speech-language pathologist living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Jordan has spent his career as a speech therapist providing services to the adult population in rehabilitation hospitals, private practice, and research settings throughout Ontario. He is also a course lecturer and course designer for SLP programs in Quebec and Ontario and is a sought-after guest lecturer on topics of clinical anatomy/physiology, voice, and motor speech disorders.Jordan opened his private practice so he could emphasize a holistic, functional, and individualized approach to working with his adult clients. He believes everyone has a right to communicate i

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice and wondering how you can grow as a business owner and mom? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Amber Reese, one of my Grow Your Private Practice students,  to talk about how she did just that. She is not only a thriving private practice owner, but she is a mother as well and her practice gives her the freedom to be there for her family when they need her. Amber Reese, M.A., CCC-SLP is a Texas licensed and an ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over 8 years of experience. She graduated with her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Louisiana Tech University. Amber was born and raised in Louisiana but now considers herself a Texan after living in Texas for 8 years, thanks to her husband, Greg. Together they live in Spring, TX with their 5-year-old boy/girl twins. Amber is the owner of Bluebonnet Therapy Services, a private speech therapy practice in Tomball, TX, located in the North Hous

Are you facing career burnout? For many SLPs and OTs, this is all too common. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Corinne Zmoos who experienced early career burnout. She was tired of the expectation that she should be an expert generalist at her job in early intervention and felt trapped. She is very creative and started teaching music classes on the side and since the parents of the kids she worked with knew she was an SLP, they started asking for help. After joining the Start and Grow Your Private Practice programs, she now has a thriving private practice. Corinne Zmoos, M.S. CCC-SLP is a musical speech language pathologist in Baltimore, MD. Her private practice, Crescendo Communication provides highly individualized, neurodiverse language and executive functioning therapy for toddlers and young children. She specializes in AAC, musical intervention, and Gestalt language processing. As a neurodivergent individual herself, Corinne deeply understands how mu

Are you looking for some serious inspiration about how starting a private practice can change your life? This episode is for you. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Brittney Cotton, one of my Grow Your Private Practice students, to talk about her journey of bringing her dreams to life and running a successful private practice serving the clients she’s passionate about helping. Brittney has been a practicing SLP for 13 years. She received her Bachelor's & Master's degrees from Alabama A&M University. Brittney has worked in public schools,  home health, and outpatient private practice. She has always enjoyed the fun and flexibility of functional, client lead therapy in her client's natural environment. Speak Wonders was founded to fill a need for in-home speech therapy services for Black and minority children in underserved communities. Their mission is to provide equitable therapeutic services to ALL people. They know firsthand how healthcare dispar

Have you always wanted to start a private practice but are worried it’s too late? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Claudia Davisson who started her private practice after she retired! What started out as a way to supplement her retirement income has turned into a thriving private practice that earns her exponentially more money than she was making when she worked in the schools. Her private practice is a mix of private pay clients, insurance, and multi-school contracts. She hires contractors to provide services. This is a true private practice success story of someone who went from a side hustle to a booming private practice owner. Claudia started in the Start Your Private Practice program, and then she became a mentor for her students, where she is truly beloved. Claudia is also an alum of our Grow Your Private Practice program. It has been amazing to watch her progress, and I know you'll enjoy hearing her story and getting to know her in our paid programs.I

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Renee’ Rohan to talk about how she started her private practice part-time and grew it to full-time. She shares how she learned to set herself apart and find success, even though there were other private practices in her area, because of the huge need in her community.  Renee’ was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, and is proud to call Alabama her home. She received her bachelor’s degree from Auburn University of Montgomery (AUM), and her master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. Renee’ holds her Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC), which is a nationally recognized credential awarded by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). She has practiced as a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) serving adults and children in a variety of settings, including skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation, and outpatient clinics. Renee’ is certifie

For the 200th episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I am sharing a very special interview!Laura Shaw started her private practice in one of the most innovative ways ever. She started while she was a travel SLP, which helped exponentially grow her income on the side while traveling for work. Laura was a student of my Start Your Private Practice program and my Grow Your Private Practice program, and in this episode, she shares why she chose travel therapy, how she decided to get private clients on the side, how she started her blog, and how she’s grown her private practice. If you've been thinking about adding private practice as a side hustle, either as a traveler or on the side of your regular job as a way to grow your income, this is a must-listen episode.Laura is an SLP with a passion for all things speech pathology. Unable to pick just one setting to work in, Laura jumped into the world of travel therapy after her CF and experienced as much as she could—from inpatient and outpatient, to sc

Are you thinking about starting a private practice in 2023? If so, this episode is for you. In this week’s episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I’m sharing why it’s so important to plan your private practice before you start, and I’m giving a special behind-the-scenes sneak peek into our beginner's bootcamp that’s coming up at the end of the month. Most speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists are planners. Starting a private practice is a big deal. And my role at The Independent Clinician is to make it faster and easier for you, which starts with planning it all out. There are so many ways to be in private practice. You can have a solo practice or have an entire team providing multidisciplinary services to your community. You can be a specialist or generalist. You can offer teletherapy or in-person services. The list goes on. The point is that you get to choose! But in order to build the private practice of your dreams, you need to start with a plan. In Today'

Do you have any predictions for 2023? If you’re interested in hearing mine, listen to this episode closely.In last week’s episode, we looked at our year in review to see how we supported private practitioners in 2022. If you didn’t catch that episode, you can go back and listen to it anytime! In this episode, I’m sharing my plans and predictions for private practices in 2023.Whether you already have a practice or you’re planning on starting one this year, you’re going to want to listen closely and maybe even take some notes!In Today's Episode, We Discuss:What you can expect from the Independent Clinician in the new yearFuture content that I have planned When you can join the Start Your Private Practice program Predictions to help you navigate the coming yearWhy more people are shifting to private practice How mindsets have changed since the pandemic Why starting your private practice part-time can be limiting Deciding how to position yourself The popularity of school contrac

Do you like to take a look back at your accomplishments at the end of the year? I sure do, and I thought you might like to join me. This is the first installment of a 2-part episode where I’m taking a look at our year in review and then looking forward to next year. In this episode, I’m sharing who we helped this year and how we helped them, and in part 2, I’m sharing a behind-the-scenes look at what’s coming in 2023 and how we can support you in the coming year. I’m also dropping some major hints about what's coming in 2023 so that you can get excited for the new year! (There’ll be more on this in the next episode.)Join me to chat about how my business is growing, how things are changing in the private practice space, and what’s next for me and you. In Today's Episode, We Discuss:Why so many SLPs are starting private practicesHow we grew as a business in 2022Starting 2023 off with a bang What to do if you want to start a private practice Some of our most popular podcast episodes

Have you ever thought about opening a private practice with a partner? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Mindy Hudon and Rachelle Mauer to talk about how they decided to start a private practice together. In addition to talking about their friendship and partnership, this episode also explores multiple streams of income and how they use it to increase their impact.Mindy is a speech and language pathologist and the author of the graphic novel, “Kodi’s Adventures: How I Learned to Defeat the Time Snatcher,” ASHA Press (publishing date January 2023). She is the creator of Creative Child Magazine’s 2019 Educational Product of the Year, the Bee A Time Keeper® clock, a tool to help young children learn how to see and feel the passage of time. Mindy is the speech and language expert advisor for 30Seconds.com and has been published in newsstand magazines, and blogs. Mindy is a practicing Speech-Language Pathologist and has spent the majority of her career working with chil

Did you know that private practices are sellable assets?That means that when you’re ready, you don’t have to close your doors and give away everything you’ve worked for, you can sell your private practice and enjoy a payday!In this episode, I’m introducing you to Craig Goldslager. Craig is a financial advisor and certified exit planner. He specializes in working with SLPs because he’s married to one, so he cares deeply about the profession and the people in it. Craig has been invited to speak at ASHA and other conferences, and he wants to make sure that SLPs get what they deserve and aren’t selling themselves short. He cares deeply about those of us in the SLP industry and wants nothing more than to see us thrive. No matter where you are on your private practice journey right now, this is an important episode for you because one day that journey will come to an end, and selling your private practice could be a great way to go. Luckily for you, Craig is here to teach you all about it. If you want to

Are you ready to finally have more time for your family and for yourself? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Samantha Taylor to talk about how she started her private practice as a way to get more balance in her life to have more time to focus on her son and create advocacy for other children like him. Samantha is the owner of Olive Speech Therapy located in Rochester, New York. She, along with her husband, have two incredible, creative, and fun-loving boys. Back in 2009, she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with the dream of becoming a journalist. During that time, she welcomed her first son and his bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. Needless to say, she had to quickly re-evaluate what she actually wanted to do with her life as both a mother of a Deaf child and as a professional.It was through her son and his early journey that she learned about the amazing world of speech pathology and how remarkable it could be not only for the child but

Are you ready to be a part of the Great Resignation? In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Rachel Mangan, a Start Your Private Practice and Grow Your Private Practice student, to talk about how she took the leap during the Great Resignation. After her son’s cancer diagnosis, she realized that life is precious, and that if you have a dream, you should go for it. In this episode, she shares how she transitioned from employee to private practice owner, her tips for marketing and systems, overcoming imposter syndrome, and so much more. Rachel Mangan is the co-owner and CEO of Gabriel Therapy Group. An alumnus of the University of Central Florida, Rachel is nationally certified through the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association as a Speech Language Pathologist and is licensed in the state of Florida. She also holds her certification through the AG Bell Association for Listening and Spoken Language in Auditory Verbal Therapy. Rachel loves partnering with fami

Have you ever fantasized about living internationally and seeing telepractice clients in the U.S.? It’s totally possible! With teletherapy growing in popularity, you could easily see your clients online while living anywhere in the world and working on a schedule that works for you. When you have your own private practice, you have the freedom and flexibility to make those types of decisions. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Megan Ramirez, a student from my Grow Your Private Practice program,  to talk about how she started off working at a telepractice company but ended up deciding to start her own teletherapy practice while living in Argentina. She shares marketing strategies, payer sources, the services she offers, and whether or not she’s a specialist or a generalist. Megan is a bilingual (English-Spanish) speech therapist and works with children who are primarily between the ages of 2 and 10. Her private practice provides teletherapy services in NJ a

Are you looking for some inspiration from someone who has started and grown a wildly successful private practice? You’re in the right place. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I am joined again by Ebone Williams (a returning guest from one of my most popular episodes of all time!). In that episode, she talked about how she grew her private practice using daycare screenings. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, Ebone is talking about getting started on a shoestring budget, investing in her business, how offering daycare screenings has been a big contributor to her growth, her thoughts and suggestions on hiring and retaining staff, and her recent 40 Under 40 Award.Ebone is a speech-language pathologist in private practice based in North Carolina. She started her private practice with one client, as we all do, but now has grown her practice to serve 460 clients in just a few years.In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How teletherapy helped Ebone’s business growWhy now is a g

It’s always a great idea to start your private practice while still working your regular job so that you have time to get things going before you jump all in.In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Erin Zink to talk about how she is growing her OT private practice on the side of her full-time job in the schools. Erin Zink is an occupational therapist and parent coach with a mission to support children and their families in their home environment through the use of play, sensory processing activities, co-regulation to self-regulation, developmental skills, and all things OT and FUN! As a pediatric therapist for 30 years now across many settings (hospitals, early intervention, school, and home) it is through HOPE that she wants to help children and families flourish and grow in connection, success, and independence. She graduated from Eastern Kentucky University with a BS in Allied Health and Sciences (Occupational Therapy).  In Today's Episode, We Discuss:How Er

Are you wondering what can happen in just a year in your private practice? Many SLPs and OTs that start private practices find that it grows a lot faster than they expected because the need for services is so high. In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Dr. Givona Sandiford who I got to meet in the Start Your Private Practice Program, and she shares how she took the leap to start her private practice and grew it faster than she could have ever imagined. Dr. Givona Sandiford is a licensed/nationally certified speech-language pathologist, Certified Autism Specialist, Board Certified Telepractice Specialist, and SHRM Certified Professional with nearly two decades of experience successfully treating the pediatric and adult population with autism and other speech, language, voice, fluency, swallowing, and feeding disorders in multiple settings including private practice, schools, hospitals, telepractice, outpatient clinics, home health, and skilled nursing facilities. She ha

Many SLPs and OTs dream of having the freedom to work with their ideal clients AND have plenty of time for family and self-care. I’m here to tell you that both are possible! And starting or growing a private practice is the perfect way to do it. Why? You get to call all of the shots and create a practice that works for your life with the clients that you want to treat!In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with one of my Grow Your Private Practice students, Marcia Church, to talk about her story and how she grew her private practice so that she could work with her ideal clients, earn the income she desires, AND have a schedule that works for her family.  Marcia Church, M.A., CCC-SLP is a Texas Licensed, ASHA certified Speech Pathologist of over 14 years and the owner of Pediatric Speech Stars, a boutique private practice in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She specializes in the birth-5 population both virtually and in-home. In addition, Marcia also offers flexible 1:1 parent and