Private Practice Success Stories

Thinking about working part-time in private practice and want to make more money? Then you don’t want to miss this episode!

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Marissa Joy, a speech language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Eastern Pennsylvania. Her practice “Ripple Speech Services” focuses on speech, myofunctional, and feeding therapy and she’s also offered Lactation Consulting.

Marissa discusses her decision to open her practice due to her personal experiences with her son's feeding issues and a desire to help other parents avoid the struggles she faced. She joined The Start Your Private Practice Program because she wanted guidance and structure to launch her business.

In addition to her private clients, Marissa secured a small school contract which has provided extra financial stability while maintaining the flexibility to focus on her private practice. This arrangement allowed her to balance her professional and personal life, including spending more time with her children.

She just celebrated her 2nd private practice anniversary and this week, she made $2,000 in one week. Oh - and she doesn’t work on Fridays during the summer!

Marissa is the owner and speech-language pathologist at Ripple Speech Services, LLC - a practice that serves children and adults to speak, swallow, and breathe better. In her 11 years as an SLP Marissa has served in a number of settings, and even a brief hiatus from being an SLP, but found her passion through personal experience with her youngest son.

Marissa is a Pennsylvania-licensed and ASHA-certified speech pathologist and always strives to provide collaborative, personalized therapy for every person that walks through her doors.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Marissa’s path to private practice
• The key to getting your first clients, even if you live in a rural area
• What happens when you are open to new opportunities
• Marissa’s top tip for getting more clients and growing your private practice
• The passion project that is growing Marissa’s business
• One thing that can give you more stability as you’re building your private practice
• How Marissa is able to work part-time and make full-time income
• The important thing you have to remember when setting your rates

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Marissa! She is a perfect example of someone who works part-time, has Fridays off, and is making exponentially more than she was before her private practice!

If you want our help to start your private practice step-by-step (just like we helped Marrisa!) please visit: www.PrivatePracticeSchool.com to learn more!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Marissa’s website: https://www.ripplespeechservices.com/

Follow Marissa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ripplespeechservices/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice on the side in a niche you are passionate about? Then you’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!

I sat down with Kyarra Bright, one of my Start Your Private Practice students to share her story. Kyarra is a speech language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Orange County, California specializing in infant feeding.

She started her private practice after having frustrations with patients being prematurely discharged and not receiving continued services, which led to her private practice “Little Pod Speech and Feeding Therapy.”

In this episode, Kyarra shares her desire to continue working at a hospital while having her practice on the side allowing her to maintain her passion for hospital work and provide continuity of care for discharged patients. Kyarra also reflects on her journey in the Start Your Private Practice Program and how the program helped redefine what success meant to her.

After working several years as a pediatric medical speech-language pathologist, Kyarra Bright noticed an ongoing trend where many patients who were discharged from the hospital no longer had access to speech and feeding services due to the lack of provider availability. Little Pod Speech and Feeding Therapy was created to provide a solution to address this ongoing issue. Kyarra currently offers speech and feeding therapy for pediatrics in the heart of Orange County, California.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The need Kyarra saw in her community and how she decided to help fill it
• How the Start program helped Kyarra move forward with her private practice dreams
• How the support you’ll find in the program can help you push through challenges
• The key to finding your first clients in your private practice
• The possibilities when you follow your passion and zone of genius in your field
• The different ways you can make private practice work for you
• One way you can increase your impact within your field
• The doors that open to you when you have a private practice

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Kyrra! I love her advice to other aspiring private practitioners that you can create your own job based on what you like to do in the field of speech pathology through private practice.

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Kyrra’s website: https://www.littlepodspeech.com/

Follow Kyrra on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlepodspeech/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Thinking about starting your private practice on the side? 

You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories with SLP Instagram hero Dr. Dani Gaff! 

Dr. Dani Gaff aka The Messy SLP launched her practice, Messy Speech and Language Therapy, part-time on the side of her school job. 

However, the joy and fulfillment she found in private practice, coupled with the autonomy it provided, ultimately convinced her to take the plunge to go full-time.

Dani is an alum of the Start Your Private Practice Program and in this episode, she shares her journey from being a part-time private practitioner to fully shifting into full-time private practice. 

Dani also discusses the financial benefits she discovered, and how she nearly doubled her income by combining school contracts with her private practice work. Despite the challenges and uncertainties, she is loving the unparalleled freedom and fulfillment she now experiences.

Dr. Dani Gaff, aka The Messy SLP, is a pediatric speech-language pathologist and private practice owner in South Bend, Indiana. She is the owner and sole SLP at Messy Speech and Language Therapy, LLC, and is wrapping up her first year of working full-time for herself. 

Dani has worked in a variety of settings and has created a sensory-friendly office for families and kids of all ages to enjoy. Outside of her clinical time, Dani is passionate about reaching graduate students and helping them find balance.

When she's not wearing her SLP hat, Dani is a volleyball coach, a basketball coach's wife, a dog mom, and loves being active. 

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The wake-up call that burnout leads to in many SLPs 
• What happens when you set boundaries in your career
• What led Dani to start her private practice on the side 
• The creativity and freedom you can get in your private practice 
• The sheer joy you feel when you have your own private practice 
• What’s possible financially when you are a private practice owner 
• How you can create a flexible work schedule that fits in with your life, not the other way around 
• Dani’s plan to expand her private practice 
• The different phases of business and how to find what works for you

I hope you loved this episode with Dani! She is a perfect example of someone who started her private practice on the side, but ultimately transitioned to full-time after the realization that private practice offered her the joy and flexibility she was missing in her previous roles.

Want to start your private practice "on the side"? We would love to help you - just like we helped Dani - in the Start Your Private Practice Program. To learn more, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit The Messy SLP website: https://www.themessyslp.com/

Follow The Messy SLP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themessyslp/

Follow The Messy SLP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/themessyslp

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice early in your career? If so, this episode is for you!

In this episode of Private Practice Success Stories, I sat down with Breeah Carey, a speech language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in New Jersey.

She started her private practice at just 26 years old after getting the inspiration from other young private practitioners who had the flexibility and freedom she was striving for. After feeling stuck in a negative work environment, she decided to start her own practice.

In this episode, Breeah and I discuss a major shift with the younger generation who is simply not willing to wait for the freedom, flexibility, and income they desire.

Breeah S. Carey, M.S., CCC-SLP is a New Jersey native and the Director of B.E.S. As the daughter of an educator, Breeah was always interested in serving her community, similar to her mother.

Breeah graduated from Purdue University and received her undergraduate degree in Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, with minors in psychology and Spanish. As her passion grew, specifically around assisting individuals with speech, language, and cognitive impairments, she decided to further her education.

She completed two years of comprehensive training in Purdue's Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program; thus, receiving her master’s degree at the end of her studies. Her areas of focus include pediatric language disorders, speech sound disorders, and bilingualism.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The truth about what it takes to be successful as a private practice owner
• Breeah’s non-traditional path to private practice
• The populations you can serve as a private practice owner
• Breeah’s secret sauce to getting referrals to her private practice
• Why so many SLPs and OTs are successful in private practice
• The key to pricing your services and sustaining a private practice
• The impact freedom has had on Breeah’s life now that she’s a private practice owner
• How to know if starting a private practice is really for you

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Breeah! I love her advice to other young clinicians and why she thinks the younger generation is choosing private practice!

Are you an early career SLP or OT who wants help to start your own private practice?

If so, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/Resources to learn about our free and paid resources!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Breeah’s website: https://www.breezeeducare.com/

Follow Breeah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybreeslp/

Follow Breeah on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BreezeEducationalServices/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

🎧 You’ve built your plan — now it’s time to launch it.

Inside the Start Your Private Practice Program, you’ll get the step-by-step roadmap, templates, and support to sign your first private clients within 30–60 days so you can finally create the freedom and income you want.

👉 Check your email for your invitation and join us inside Start today!

Welcome to The See Clients Challenge, VIP!

This week, your only job is to show up, use your VIP tools, and take action.

Because this isn’t just about learning. It’s about building your exit plan.

You’re ready. And I can’t wait to watch what you do with this.

Let’s go.

VIP Area: SeePrivateClientsChallenge.com

Have you been thinking about providing parent coaching and want to connect with your client’s families and your community through your private practice? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!

I sat down with Sarah Pendergast, a speech language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Tampa, Florida. She launched her practice, Awesome Kids Therapy, in August 2023 after working in multiple private practices and finally decided she wanted to be her own boss.

Despite initial doubts about her ability to start her own practice, between the pandemic and support from her friends, she decided to join the Start Your Private Practice Program to get help with getting set up so she could start seeing clients.

In this episode, Sarah emphasizes the importance of community engagement and connection by providing caregiver coaching. She also highlights the value of organization, work-life balance, and having a supportive network.

Sarah Pendergast, an enthusiastic and child-led speech-language pathologist brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit and heartfelt passion to her private practice. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs/small business owners, Sarah's commitment to her craft is deeply rooted, driving her to forge meaningful connections with each client she encounters.

Through her personalized approach, she fosters a sense of familial trust and support. Sarah's private practice journey has shown her the true beauty of the "work-life balance" while actively engaging and enjoying the camaraderie of a vibrant professional community.

Sarah considers herself to be very lucky to be in the speech therapy profession, based on pillars of entrepreneurship, passion, and genuine connection.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The key pillar of having a successful small business or private practice
• How starting a private practice can impact your work-life balance
• How you can focus on your passions when you own a private practice
• The different services you can offer as a private practice owner
• The number one referral source Sarah uses to find her clients
• How you can use relationships to go to exactly where your ideal clients are
• The power of expanding your private practice and hiring help

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Sarah! I love that she advocated for herself so she could have the fulfillment and flexibility that come with being one's own boss and the ability to positively impact more families' lives.

Want our help to start your private practice? Please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com for details!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Sarah’s website: https://www.awesomekidstherapy.com/

Follow Sarah on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awesomekidstherapy/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice because you want to prioritize family and extra income? You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!

I sat down with Kristen Fernandez who is a speech language pathologist and the owner of Spark Pediatric Therapy in Northern Virginia. She started her private practice after being drawn to the independence, flexibility, and financial benefits that owning a private practice offers.

I got to know Kristen during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program and it has been amazing to see the success in her private practice in just 1 year!

In this episode, she talks about her background in school settings and previous experiences in private practices, which led to her inspiration to start her own practice using a child-centered, play-based therapy approach that is neurodiversity-affirming.

Kristen discusses the importance of setting boundaries, self-care, and prioritizing personal well-being to sustain a fulfilling and successful career in private practice.

Kristen Fernandez is a pediatric speech therapist with experience treating children of all ages in a variety of settings, including schools, private practice clinics, and hospitals. She started Spark Pediatric Therapy to create a place where therapy is based on relationships, empathy, and acceptance. Kristen takes time to really get to know the children and families she works with, forming strong relationships that allow her to provide personalized therapy that aligns with each family’s values and goals.

Her neurodiversity-affirming approach to therapy combines fun and play with parent education and evidence-based treatments to help her clients achieve goals that truly transform their lives. As a mother of three, she feels a deeply ingrained sense of responsibility to ensure that every child in her community has access to the absolute best therapy that is available.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The number one thing Kristen learned while working in other private practices
• The types of clients you can see when you have your own private practice- and yes, you get to choose them!
• The non-negotiable you need to have if you want to avoid burnout as a private practice owner
• One simple and effective way to bring in new clients on autopilot
• The pros and cons of the different ways you can see your clients
• The future that is possible when you have your own practice
• The one thing you need to remember if you are waiting for your kids to be older before you start your private practice

I hope you enjoyed this conversation with Kristen! I love how she emphasizes the importance of taking calculated risks and not waiting for the "perfect" time to start a private practice.

Want to learn more about what we help private practitioners within the Grow Your Private Practice Program, the program that Kristen was a part of? Please visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Kristen’s website: https://www.sparkpediatrictherapy.com/

Follow Kristen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sparkpediatrictherapy/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Have you been thinking about starting a private practice while still being there for your family when they need you?

You’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories! I sat down with Marcia Church, a speech language pathologist with a pediatric private practice in Dallas, Texas. In this episode, Marcia shares her journey from working in various locations and settings before establishing her private practice.

I got to know Marcia during her time in the Grow Your Private Practice Program. She has expanded her practice by hiring and offering additional income streams such as marketing and branding services to SLPs.

In this episode, she talks about her journey into private practice as a mom and how enforcing boundaries in her business allows her to remain flexible and available for her children.

Marcia Church, M.A., CCC-SLP is a Texas Licensed, ASHA certified Speech Pathologist of over 14 years and owns 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 SLP virtual coaching options.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The key element Marcia focused on to attract her ideal clients to her private practice
• The amazing things that can happen when you push past the fear of the unknown and start your private practice
• The unique offer that allows Marcia to diversity her income and help other SLPs grow their private practices
• The one thing you need to do if you want to be available to your family when they need you as a private practice owner
• Important marketing tips that will help you build trust with the moms of your clients
• The “super sauce” to relationship-building in your private practice
• The mindset shift you need around making mistakes if you want to be successful
• One important thing you need in your home and business that will prevent overwhelm

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Marcia! I love how she sticks to her boundaries for her family and how she attracts the right clients all while helping other SLPs with marketing, branding, and individualized support.

Want to learn more about what we help private practitioners within the Grow Your Private Practice Program? (The Program that Marcia used to learn how to hire and add income streams?) Please visit www.GrowYourPrivatePractice.com!

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Marcia’s website: www.pediatricspeechstars.com

Follow Marcia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pediatricspeechstars/

Visit Marcia’s SLP branding shop: https://www.pediatricspeechstars.com/shop

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/

Have you been thinking about starting to see private clients and are curious about offering Special Education Consultations through your practice? If so, you’re going to love this episode of Private Practice Success Stories!

I sat down with one of my students, Ali Moulton. Ali is a pediatric speech language pathologist with a private practice in Northern Virginia. She started her private practice after reevaluating her priorities to focus on family and fulfilling her aspirations as a clinician.

In this episode, she discusses the importance of family and personal fulfillment in her decision to pursue private practice. She also discusses how she added another income stream to her private practice in the form of special education consultations and advocacy work - and how starting to specialize made her sought after for these services.

Ali is a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and is licensed as a Speech-Language Pathologist by the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia. She received her graduate degrees in Speech and Language Pathology and Learning Disabilities from Northwestern University. She received her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders with a concentration in Speech and Language Pathology from Northwestern University.

Ali has created and implemented interdisciplinary educational programming and has assisted in the creation and implementation of special education curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school special education programs. She has developed and presented professional development on the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia and language development. She has trained special education teachers on the evaluation process for diagnosing dyslexia and was a member of the Dyslexia Core Team that assisted in the creation of the Dyslexia Handbook for a school district in Northern Virginia.

Ali recently completed the Inside Out Sensory Certificate for SLPs, which involved training in the assessment and implementation of sensory strategies in speech sessions. She is currently working toward her Qualification in Orofacial Myology (QOM).

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The one thing you have to do if you want people to send you clients
• An inside look at what it looks like to take your private practice from part-time to full-time
• How private practice can help bring you true fulfillment
• The types of decisions you get to make for yourself when you become your own boss
• How you can make your private practice stand out in the crowd and increase your impact by offering special services
• The key to adding additional income streams into your private practice

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Ali! I love how she started her private practice on the side while working in the schools and then took the leap to go full-time to focus on quality time with her family.

If you would like to know more about our Programs and how we help support SLPs and OTs who want our help to start and grow their practices - just like we helped Ali, please visit www.IndependentClinician.com/Resources.

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Ali’s website: ​​https://www.moultonspeech.com/

Follow Moulton Speech on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moultonspeech/

Where We Can Connect:

Follow the Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/private-practice-success-stories/id1374716199

Follow Me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

Connect on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/slp.private.practice.beginners/