Private Practice Success Stories

Becky McArthur is fully embracing the new way to start a private practice. I am seeing a lot of new SLP’s take this route for their career - doing things such as seeing clients at home, being lean when it comes to finances, not straying away from technology. This is exactly what Becky did as the pandemic hit, she quickly learned how to take her private practice online and started doing telepractice to meet her clients. In this episode she discusses this experience, what led her to start her private practice, differences between SLP from the U.S. and Canada (where she’s located) and what she’s learned since opening her private practice.What we discuss:How Becky got started in the SLP profession and what led her to the decision to start a private practiceWhat differences she’s noticed between SLPs in the U.S. and CanadaWhat she’s learned over the past year from having a private practiceHer experience with doing telepracticeLinks:We CommunicateFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Rene Robles and Cristina Ramos are private practice owners who are known for taking strong, decisive actions. Rene and Christina were on the podcast in early 2019 and shared their story of building a SLP practice with three locations and over 700 patients. In this episode, they dove back into their 5-year business plan and the progress they’ve made on their goal of opening one new practice a year for 5 years. Rene and Christina shared how they’ve successfully navigated the transition to teletherapy practice during the pandemic in just three days! The pair also talk about their upcoming plans and how they will continue to weather the storm while growing their private practice.What we discuss:How Rene and Christina ended up starting a private practice togetherWhat their 5-year business plan was and how their progress is at year 4How they’re handling the transition into teletherapy in the midst of coronavirusTheir plans going forward with opening their next clinic and weathering the stormLinks:Five Oaks Speech TherapyFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Jeannette Washington is someone who continually seizes the opportunities that come her way. She started her career as a SLP working for schools before deciding to take the leap into private practice. She founded her company, Bearly Articulating and in this episode, she talks about what led her to that decision and how the transition was for her. We chat about why she decided to learn to code and how she’s weaved this into her work as an SLP.She also talks about her new book, Technical Difficulties: Why Dyslexic Narratives Matter In Tech.What we discuss:Why Jeannette decided to go to the private practice routeWhat the transition of being a private practice owner was likeWhy she learned how to code and how she’s integrated tech into her work as a SLPHer advice for people who want to get into speaking and publishingFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Ruth Bass, MS, CCC-SLP started her career as a speech-language pathologist later in life. After working for another company, she decided to branch out on her own. Ruth started her pediatric private practice, Island Therapies with the intention of remaining small on purpose. In this episode, we talk about how to keep things simple but profitable and her perspective on taking things back to the basics. She talks about going at your own pace and doing what you want as a private practice owner. Ruth and I explore some of the best marketing strategies she’s uncovered over the years that have led to client referrals and how she makes the most out of referrals.Here's what we discuss:Her reasoning behind why she’s wanted to stay a small practiceHer advice on asking for help and hiring for the things you aren’t good atRuth’s tips for someone thinking about going down the road of private practiceHow she feels about starting small and taking baby stepsHow Ruth uses the concept of friend-raising to get more client referralsFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Ebone Williams, did not ever really consider the private practice path until recently. In this episode, she shares how she launched her practice in December and was full by early March. She discusses how she uses screenings and professional development to grow her practice, and how her family’s motto: “Do it afraid,” has helped her move forward and grow her practice. What we discuss:What motivated Ebone to start her private practiceHow she developed her business modelThe benefits of being an on-site therapistFuture plans for Affinity Therapy ServicesFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

As the first occupational therapist to be featured on this podcast, Hana Eichele is a highly-driven owner of a new private practice. She transitioned to private practice from working in the schools and in clinics, where she found less freedom and flexibility than she desired. Hana is excited about the prospect of expanding her practice in the near future.Here's What We Discuss:Her many sources of inspiration to start and continue her private practiceHow she arranged a smooth transition between her previous position to seeing her own clientsHow she plans to diversify by drawing upon her other talentsHer experienced advice to therapists that are starting their journeyJena’s take on an overwhelming obstacle for many new private practice ownersLinks and Resources:Feeding Matters105 West DesignRoots Pediatric TherapyFeeding LittlesFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Susannah Silvia, a friend of Jena's from high school in New Orleans, was determined to overcome the odds despite the staggering effect of Hurricane Katrina on her personal and professional life. She pursued a career in early intervention and now is the director of the same private practice at which she started her clinical fellowship. Currently she balances being a mother, author, and professor with a goal to increase her impact on the SLP world in the upcoming year.Here's What We Discuss:How she discovered her passion for speech-language pathology in lieu of other helping professionsHer decision to pursue an ownership position within her first professional settingHer commitment to developing multiple streams of income for multiple life-enhancing reasonsHow another SLP helped her make her book publishing dream come trueHow she transitioned from being a university guest speaker to an adjunct lecturerLinks and Resources:First StepsYour Baby Loves To Say That!For more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

On this episode, I'm going to introduce you to Tami Teshima of Duncan Lake Speech Therapy. Tami is one of the star students from the Start Your Private Practice Program. She is one of our biggest cheerleaders for our students, always celebrating their wins and providing encouragement. And now she has #LeveledUp and has become a member of Grow Your Private Practice. Tami was a school-based SLP who got laid off (a year before covid!) She had always wanted a private practice and took it as a sign to do it. So she joined Start Your Private Practice and we recorded this episode on the anniversary of her first year in private practice.Tami loves working with young kids and also doing gender affirming voice and communication modification. Tami's bubbly and friendly fun personality is something that you will fall in love with.As you listen - be thinking about what aspects of Tami's story you identify with. To learn more about starting your own speech therapy private practice, visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com

Yvette McCoy has cultivated a wide-reaching private practice over the last 15 years. She currently employs and collaborates with a variety of specialists, including ENTs and audiologists, in order to serve her clients from infancy to adulthood. Yvette has had an inspiring influence on her community and continues to grow with their needs in mind.Here's What We Discuss:Her first foray into private practice as an SLP conducting home visitsThe business mindset she developed over time to lead her to a vibrant practiceHer advice to become board-certified which surprised her colleaguesHer persistence in the presence of internal and external doubtJena’s valuable opinion on why a slow and steady start to your private practice is the way to goConnect with Yvette:LinkedInFor more information, visit: www.IndependentClinician.com