Chill, SLP: Mindset, Balance, Growth for Speech Pathologists

Amy and Angelyn get real about something most burnout conversations miss entirely: what chronic stress actually does to your brain. In this episode, they explore the powerful connection between burnout and executive dysfunction, and why so many SLPs find themselves making impulsive decisions, feeling stuck, or jumping from job to job without ever feeling better.

Because here's the thing. When you're in survival mode, your frontal lobe isn't fully online. And trying to make big life decisions from that place? That's where things get complicated.

Key Topics Covered:

• The link between chronic stress, burnout, and executive dysfunction
• Why burnout makes it so hard to think clearly, plan ahead, or make aligned decisions
• What amygdala hijack looks like in real life at work and at home
• Why switching jobs doesn't always fix the problem
• How to start regulating your nervous system before making big moves
• Practical questions to ask yourself before changing jobs or settings
• Why curiosity is one of the first things burnout steals from you

On why job hopping doesn't fix burnout:"When you are in that chronic stressed out state, you are in a place of executive dysfunction. We can be creative about where we're working, but in my experience, that works until it doesn't work anymore." - Angelyn

On what burnout actually does to your brain:"When we're in survival mode, we really don't have the capacity to think beyond what is right in front of us. And I think there's a relationship there that people don't even realize." - Amy

On making decisions while dysregulated:"When you're looking for a new job and you aren't grounded in what is important to you, your core values, all the pieces of a job that you want... you start to look for something out of urgency. Because that's what your brain is doing in a stressful state." - Angelyn

Connect With Us:

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on Instagram | [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on Instagram | [email protected]

Free resources: https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Amy and Angelyn welcome back Human Design expert Breanna Owen for a conversation that goes beyond knowing yourself and into the relationships that matter most. Using real-time chart readings for Amy's two-year-old Emma and Angelyn's teenage daughter Haylee, this episode explores how Human Design can shift the way you parent, connect, and stop spending energy trying to figure it all out on your own.

Because knowing yourself is one thing, but knowing how human design also impacts your relationship with others can help you nurture those connections.

Key Topics Covered:

• How your child's Human Design type shapes their behavior (and what to stop fighting)
• What an undefined solar plexus means for emotional regulation in kids
• The difference between fear motivation and innocence motivation in parenting
• How knowing your own design helps you show up with more compassion
• Using Human Design in relationships, business, and even client work

Notable Quotes

"When you can better understand each other, there's more compassion. There's more harmony." - Breanna

"You were made to be you. Everybody was made to be them. And the more we can embrace that, the better off we all are." - Breanna

"I have just started to be more aware of how I might be getting referrals or professional opportunities. And I will say that almost all of them have come from someone who saw me doing something. There was some kind of connection there." - Amy

"There are so many ways you can reduce all this extra energy of trying to figure it all out yourself." - Angelyn

Connect With Breanna Owen!

Website: https://owenyourmark.com/energy-type-email-playbook/

instagram: @owenyourmark

Connect With Us:

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on Instagram | ⁠[email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on Instagram | ⁠[email protected]⁠

Free resources: ⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description:

Amy and Angelyn sit down with marketing strategist and Human Design guide Breanna Owen to explore how understanding your energy can completely shift the way you run your business.

If you’ve ever felt like business feels harder than it “should,” this episode offers a different perspective: maybe you’re not doing it wrong. Maybe you just haven’t been building in alignment with your design.

Together, they unpack what Human Design actually is, how it applies beyond personality quizzes, and why understanding your energetic blueprint can bring more ease to decision-making, marketing, and messaging.

Because business is already hard enough. You don’t need to fight your own energy, too.

Notable Quotes:

“Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for you. Doesn’t mean it’s easy for you.” – Breanna

“There is a way to run business, to do business, to show up in marketing… in a way that feels easy. It is easeful. It feels good.” – Breanna

“When I just naturally say this is what’s happening… that type of messaging is so much easier for me. It feels so much easier. It’s so much more aligned.” - Angelyn

“Understanding the reason why I make certain decisions and even the best way to connect with my audience has been so, so helpful…” - Amy

Connect With Breanna Owen!

Website: https://owenyourmark.com/energy-type-email-playbook/

instagram: @owenyourmark

Connect With Us!

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram & TikTok || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram & TikTok || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description

In this episode of Chill, SLP, Amy and Angelyn kick off 2026 with an honest conversation about what happens when you’re the person who’s “holding it all together”… but quietly running on empty.

They unpack the difference between being capable and actually having capacity, and why so many SLPs, caregivers, and helpers get stuck over-functioning, people-pleasing, and pushing through long past their limits. Through personal stories from hospital work, motherhood, and burnout recovery, they explore how saying no, honoring your bandwidth, and letting “good enough” be enough can actually lead to more support, not less.

This episode is for the SLP who feels dependable, exhausted, and unsure how to stop doing the most, without letting everyone down.

You’ll walk away feeling validated, grounded, and with practical ways to start honoring your capacity, even if saying no still feels really hard.

Notable Quotes

“People will mistake your capability for capacity. And that’s where burnout starts.” – Amy

“Just because you can do everything doesn’t mean you have the capacity to.” – Amy

“When you keep saying yes, you become the yes person. And changing that expectation is uncomfortable, but also freeing.” – Angelyn

“Burnout isn’t just being tired. It’s being wired and exhausted at the same time.” – Angelyn

Connect With Us!

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description

What if you could gently retrain your brain to notice what’s working instead of what’s missing?

In this cozy, grounded conversation, Amy and Angelyn share how a simple practice—their Abundance Ledger—helped them shift out of burnout and scarcity mode and into a steadier, calmer mindset. They unpack what it means to look for small “glimmers,” why our brains are wired to focus on threats, and how noticing evidence of good (even a great parking spot) starts to change how we experience daily life.

Key Topics Covered

• Why practicing gratitude is so important. Amy and Angelyn talk about a practice that has been so helpful for them: using an abundance ledger

• How small “glimmers” help retrain your attention and mood

• The difference between manifesting and simply noticing what’s good

• How this practice supports neurodivergent brains (especially with ADHD)

• Reframing jealousy or comparison into evidence of possibility

• The power of saying “more of this, please”

Notable Quotes

“This isn’t about pretending everything’s okay. It’s about helping your brain find evidence that there’s still good out there for you.” — Amy

“When I started tracking abundance, it wasn’t about money, it was about noticing what was already working.” — Angelyn

“You can teach your brain to look for what’s right instead of what’s wrong.” — Amy

“Someone else’s success can just be evidence that it’s possible for you too.” — Angelyn

Contact Us!

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Abundance Ledger: ⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/episode19

Show Description:
What if making more as an SLP didn’t require three jobs or a nonstop hustle?

In this honest conversation, Amy and Angelyn unpack the money stories many of us inherited, how “helping professions don’t do it for the money” shapes our choices, and why wanting more isn’t selfish. Amy shares how undercharging led to quiet resentment and burnout, and how aligned rates created space for better care, like personalized videos and deeper parent support. Together they explore where beliefs come from, how to tell thoughts from facts, and simple ways to experiment with income that feels good to you, whether that is your current role, a niche private practice, or a side offer.

You’ll walk away with permission to want more, practical reframes that reduce burnout, and a gentler path to sustainable income that serves you and your clients.

Key Topics:

• The unspoken belief in our field that “you don’t do this for the money”

• How those stories quietly shape our boundaries, burnout, and sense of worth

• The emotional link between scarcity mindset and burnout

• Why wanting more doesn’t make you selfish, it makes you honest

• Challenging inherited beliefs: is it a thought or a fact?

• How early money messages from family can shape our professional limits

Show Description: Amy and Angelyn explore the concept of What if building your private practice didn’t have to feel like a sprint?

In this honest conversation, Amy and Angelyn unpack the early days of starting a business—the pressure to say yes to everyone, the fear of slowing down, and what it actually looks like to build something sustainable. Amy shares the lessons she learned from doing “too much” and how she eventually rebuilt her practice around freedom, values, and ease.

You’ll walk away with practical ways to pause, realign, and start shaping a business that feels like you—not the version everyone else says you should build.contributing to burnout and stress.

Key Topics Covered

• How Amy’s private practice began without a clear plan and what she learned from doing it the “fast” way.

• The hidden cost of saying yes to every client (and how it quietly leads to burnout).

• Why boundaries with your schedule are important and how Amy reclaimed hers.

• The difference between building a business that looks successful and one that feels sustainable.

• How to use your core values as a filter for decisions, opportunities, and daily tasks.

• The “parking lot” strategy Angelyn uses to manage ideas without adding overwhelm.

• Why comparison on social media can distort your view of success and what to focus on instead.

• How slowing down and trusting your timeline can actually help your business grow.

• The mindset shift that helps you build around ease, not exhaustion.

• A reminder that you’re human and your business should honor that.

  
  

Notable Quotes:

"I don’t want a business that just looks successful. I want one that actually feels good to live inside of.” — Amy

“You can’t build something sustainable if you’re constantly saying yes out of fear.” — Angelyn

“At some point, you’ve planted the seeds. You’ve done the work. The next step isn’t doing more, it’s trusting what you’ve already built.” — Amy

Connect With Us

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description:

Amy and Angelyn tackle the well-intentioned but problematic advice to "just make time" for everything. They explore why this common phrase creates unnecessary pressure and ignores the reality that while we all have the same 24 hours, we don't all have the same capacity, resources, or circumstances.

Key Topics Covered

• Why the "make time" mindset creates guilt and unrealistic expectations
• The difference between time management and capacity management
• How to recognize and honor your changing daily capacity
• The role of "shoulds" in creating unnecessary pressure
• Practical strategies for prioritizing based on values rather than external expectations

Notable Quotes

"We all have the same 24 hours, but we don't all have the same opportunities to do certain things every day. We all just don't have the same capacity to do everything the same way every day." - Amy

"None of this is about making your time. It's not about you being really poor with your time management. It's really just about honoring your needs and your capacity." - Amy

"The phrase that drives me crazy is when people tell me that I have the same amount of time or when people tell themselves, like they have the same amount of hours in the day as Beyoncé. Like, okay, but Beyoncé has a whole lot more resources than I do." - Angelyn

Key Takeaways

• Recognize that capacity fluctuates daily and seasonally
• Create a "parking lot" for ideas and requests that aren't urgent
• Connect tasks to your values to help prioritize what truly matters
• Practice saying "I don't have the capacity for that right now"
• Understand that not everything needs your immediate attention

Connect With Us

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description: Amy and Angelyn explore the concept of intentionally making life easier, challenging the notion that doing things the hard way earns extra points. They discuss how perfectionism, societal expectations, and internalized "shoulds" often lead us to overcomplicate our lives, contributing to burnout and stress.

Key Topics Covered

• Why we resist making things easier for ourselves
• How perfectionism and "shoulds" create unnecessary difficulty
• The importance of identifying what feels draining versus energizing
• Practical strategies for creating more ease in daily life
• The role of self-compassion in choosing simpler paths

Notable Quotes:

"Just because you can do something doesn't mean that you need to or that you should. And doing things the hard way doesn't earn you any extra points." - Amy

"I think having a mom that is modeling not doing things just because they feel like they have to is such an important thing for our kids to see. And I think also having a mom who is happy and grounded and not burnt out can also be so good for our kids to see." - Angelyn

"Being aware of what feels draining and then telling yourself it's okay for it to be easier is so freeing." - Angelyn

"When we have our grip on something so tightly, we're just not inviting ease. And it's just so hard to try to do all of these things because you've always been doing it this way and you think you should be able to do it. But does it mean that you have to keep doing that?" - Amy

Key Takeaways

• Batching similar tasks can reduce mental load and increase efficiency
• Setting clear boundaries through systems like out-of-office messages creates breathing room
• Letting go of perfectionism opens space for more sustainable approaches
• Making things easier isn't lazy—it's smart resource management
• Small changes in daily routines can significantly reduce overall stress

Connect With Us

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp

Show Description: Amy and Angelyn return from their intentional summer break to tackle an important topic: why vacations alone can't fix burnout. They explore how many SLPs count down to their next vacation only to feel the same dread upon return, creating a cycle that never addresses the root causes of burnout.

Key Topics Covered

• Why the post-vacation blues happen and what they reveal about burnout
• The importance of building sustainable daily practices instead of relying on temporary escapes
• How control and autonomy in your work environment affect burnout
• Making intentional changes that align with your values
• Building systems that support you between vacations

Notable Quotes:

• "At the end of the day, if I made my decisions based off of how other people were going to be impacted and always just putting others' needs first before my own, I would never have a business that I loved." - Amy

• "What is draining you? What feels so heavy in your business or at work? And then what can you do even if it's really scary? I'd rather do my day-to-day work in a way that feels good." - Angelyn

• "Every time you say no to something that doesn't align with your values or capacity, you're saying yes to your well-being. And that's not selfish, it's necessary for showing up as your best self." - Amy

Key Takeaways:

• Vacations provide temporary relief but don't address the underlying causes of burnout
• Identifying what drains your energy versus what energizes you is crucial
• Making intentional changes to align your work with your values can reduce burnout
• Building sustainable systems creates daily relief rather than relying on occasional escapes
• Sometimes the most difficult decisions (like Amy dropping insurance) can lead to the greatest relief

Connect With Us!

Angelyn Franks - @dr.angelynfranks on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Amy Zembriski - @amyz.theslp on instagram || e-mail: [email protected]

Free resources: ⁠⁠https://angelynfranks.myflodesk.com/chillslp