Danni Augustine is a speech-language pathologist and alum of the Start Your Private Practice program who was able to pay off $52,000 worth of debt and double her school SLP salary through her private practice.

Isn’t that impressive?! She is very much into finances, so she educates other SLPs on how to get ahead financially.

This episode features an Instagram Live that Danni and I did where we discuss several ways that SLPs can get ahead financially without fear.

Throughout the episode, we talk about so many things, but we focus on the importance of investing in yourself so you can improve your finances as an SLP. Whether you already have a private practice or you are interested in starting one, these tips all about finances will help you prepare for a better financial future.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The rate of inflation and how that relates to our salaries
• Starting a private practice as a way to create other streams of income 
• Investing in yourself as a way to make more money
• Investment mindset versus transaction mindset
• Why SLPs should be earning more
• Whether or not you should wait to start your private practice until you pay off your debt
• Examples of smart ways to invest your money as an SLP

Danni is an action taker, and that is clear in this episode. If you're an SLP who is stressed out about finances and wants to get out of debt, I hope this episode with Danni is super helpful to you. 

To learn more about Danni's Augustine's Budget without Burden, click here: http://www.thespeechgoods.com/a/oafmx. You can message her with any questions you have about it too over on Instagram.

You can also send me a DM with the word “calculator” and I will send you a resource that will help you figure out your finances and understand how to make your private practice happen.

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. Send me a DM with the word “start” or “grow” - whichever one you need help with! We will figure out if I can help you, and if I can, I will guide you to the right resources and/or program.

Resources Mentioned: 

http://www.thespeechgoods.com/a/oafmx

https://www.instagram.com/speechgoods/

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

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Only a handful of speech-language pathologists were offering telepractice before the pandemic, but our entire profession switched to telepractice overnight once it started!

Some speech-language pathologists absolutely love it and some prefer in-person. Those who love telepractice are trying to find ways to continue to do it because they love the flexibility it offers. I always tell those clinicians to start their own private practice and offer teletherapy!

Starting a private practice that offers teletherapy is a lot easier and cheaper than you’d think, so in this episode, I am breaking down how you could do it and telling you about some clinicians that have implemented teletherapy into their private practices!

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why you should consider cutting out the middleman
• How business licensing differs for telepractice
• Whether or not you should take insurance
• Examples of how clinicians offer private practice differently
• The benefit of convenience to both clinicians and clients

If you are ready to use your clinical skills to earn what you're worth and have the flexibility that you crave, private practice is the number one way to accomplish this. 

It's completely up to you as the business owner to decide if you want to offer telepractice, in-person services, or a mix of both. Decide what's right for you and what's right for your clients!

Learn how to start a private practice that offers teletherapy in the Start Your Private Practice Program. Visit www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist to sign up!

Also, if you have SLP friends who are burned out and seeking other job opportunities, send them over to my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more about how to work for themselves!

Resources Mentioned: 

www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist

https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician

Emily McCullough’s Episode: https://independentclinician.com/building-a-private-practice-and-safe-space-for-lgbtq-clients-and-families-emilys-story/

Martha Horrocks’s Episode: https://independentclinician.com/balancing-her-life-private-practice-and-tpt-business-with-martha-horrocks/

Katie Brown’s Episode: https://independentclinician.com/adult-focused-private-practice-success-with-katie-brown/

Gloria Miller’s Episode: https://independentclinician.com/building-a-private-practice-and-safe-space-for-lgbtq-clients-and-families-emilys-story/

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Are you a Type A or Type B SLP?

There is a belief that speech-language pathologists who identify as Type A SLPs are more suited for private practice, and before I started my Private Practice, I thought the same thing!

As a Type B SLP myself, the thought of this made me very nervous because I was worried that I wouldn’t be successful.

In this episode, I am sharing my thoughts and feelings on this idea now as well as some data that I think you will find very interesting!

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What I feared before I started my private practice
• The things I did to stay organized and on top of deadlines
• Why I started my education company
• How to leverage your unique strengths
• The strengths of Type A SLPs versus Type B SLPs

I was shocked in the best way when I realized that a lot of SLPs are Type B! I love it when false beliefs, assumptions, and stereotypes are challenged, including my own. 

Private practice isn't for any one type of person. It's for anyone who has the drive and the inclination to help people!

Instead of trying to be someone else or wishing you were more Type A or Type B, why don't you let all of that go and lean into your strengths? Especially in Private Practice, you can focus on the things that you are good at, and you can rely on your team to do the things that you aren’t so good at.

Whether you're Type A, Type B, or somewhere in between, and you're interested in starting your own private practice, make sure that you hop on the waitlist for the Start Your private Practice Program over at https://www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist!

Resources Mentioned: 

https://www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

If you're an SLP who is stressed out right now and working in a school, a hospital, early intervention, a university clinic, or someone else's private practice, this is a must-listen episode.

It features a conversation that I had with Lauren Hermann that originally aired on Instagram Live. We discussed common stressors that SLPs are facing right now and how they can advocate for themselves.

Lauren is a speech-language pathologist, author of the book titled But My Speech Is Fine, and copywriter for various SLP and healthcare businesses. She's passionate about advocating for the SLP profession and improving interprofessional practice. 

Lauren and I both believe that if you're stressed out by how things are going at work, you have to do something about it. This conversation will give you the tips and confidence to do exactly that.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The benefits of starting your own private practice
• What you need to get started in private practice
• Self-limiting beliefs that many SLPs have 
• Defining which underserved community you could serve
• How easy it can be to start a private practice with the right guidance
• How stress affects our ability to help others

Sometimes life has various twists and turns and initial plans end up changing. Those changes can be scary to navigate, but they often leave you in a much better place. Lauren is a great example of someone who has taken control of the twists and turns in her career and has come out on top. She is so much better for them and so is her career!

Remember, if you want things to get better, you have to make them better! Don't wait for opportunities. Create them.

SLPs are creating new lives for themselves every day through my program the Start Your Private Practice program. If you're curious if it's right for you, head over to www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist to sign up for the waitlist and get notified as soon as we re-open the Start Your Private Practice Program!

If you just want to talk about the program and whether it's right for you, send me a DM with the word “start” on Instagram. My handle is @independentclinician.

Resources Mentioned: 

www.startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist

https://www.instagram.com/independentclinician/

www.instagram.com/slp.advocate

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-hermann-25412349

Link to Lauren’s book: https://rb.gy/vksnsz

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Everything is figureoutable. 

Do you believe that? I do!

My guest, Dr. Dawn Moore, does too, so she is joining me to share her private practice success story. We talk about how she got started, how she grew, and the challenges that she has faced along the way.

Dr. Dawn Moore ClinScD., CCC-SLP, COM® is the founder of Expressions Speech, Language, & Myofunctional Center in Burlington, North Carolina. She is a certified and licensed Speech-Language Pathologist holding the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

Additionally, she is a Certified Orofacial Myologist® through the International Association of Orofacial Myology (IAOM). Dr. Moore has over 23 years of experience in Speech-Language Pathology, earning her clinical doctorate in 2018. 

For 15 years, she practiced in the schools of North Carolina as both a clinician and Lead SLP with recognition as a Teacher of Excellence and expanded into pediatric private practice in 2010, serving children of all ages. Her main interests include orofacial myology and speech sound disorders (articulation, phonological delay, and apraxia). She uses her own program, Let’s Hear It For /R/! which was the subject of her doctoral capstone, to correct the difficult /r/ sound. For phonology, she uses and teaches others how to use Barbara Hodson’s Cycles for Phonology due to the success she continues to have with the program. 

Dr. Moore became a Certified Orofacial Myologist (COM®) after struggling to find help for her own daughter with a severe tongue thrust. Through this training and practice, she is presenting across the country educating SLPs, orthodontists, ENTs, and dentists about the impact myofunctional disorders have on speech, feeding, chewing, breathing, and dentition.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Transitioning from the schools into private practice
• The learning curve that comes with billing
• Finding the right people and the right clients for your private practice
• How to get your name out there and get referrals
• Making your private practice work with the help of SLPAs
• Learning from others and applying those lessons to your own practice

There are times when Dawn mentions challenges associated with private practice throughout this episode, but keep in mind that everything is figureoutable. When you hit a roadblock (which you will) it's worth trying to figure out a way around it.

If it was easy all the time, everyone would do it! What separates those who are successful from those who are not is persisting versus giving up when things get difficult.

One of the best ways to be successful in private practice is to make sure that you have a network of people who can support you. My programs offer a community of like-minded private practitioners who help you navigate the bumps and celebrate the wins.

To learn more about how I support private practitioners at all levels of private practice, visit www.independentclinician.com to see how I can support you too!

Resources Mentioned: 

www.expressionsspeech.ciom

https://www.facebook.com/expressionsspeech

https://www.facebook.com/expressionsseminars

www.expressionsseminars.com

www.whereisyourtongueresting.com

independentclinician.com/building-a-practice-with-slpas-jessicas-story

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Should you take private pay or insurance for your private practice? There are pros and cons to each of these options!

In this episode of the Private Practice Success Stories podcast, I'm discussing the options and helping you decide which route to go.

I want you to know that there is no one way to do it, and you get to choose which one feels best for you and for your community. You can always start with private pay and then branch out into becoming an insurance provider later if you need to increase your volume of clients!

I've helped over 10,000 SLPs start, grow, and scale successful private practices using both private pay and insurance, so I am answering your questions about billing, how to decide which payer sources to accept, and more.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What I recommend to most SLPs
• Deciding what your rate is with private pay
• Which option allows you to start your private practice quicker
• The pros and cons of payer sources
• What a superbill is and how it works for practitioners and families

Getting paid in private practice is really important because the business needs money to support it, but remember, you get to decide which sources you accept and you can always change your mind later! 

In the Start Your Private Practice Program, we teach SLPs how to bill for private pay insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, and how to give superbills, so whichever route you choose, you will know exactly how to do it. 

If you want more information on how to start a private practice step by step, head over to www.independentclinician.com to sign up for one of my free trainings or one of my paid implementation programs!

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: 

www.independentclinician.com

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Do you want to create a business or businesses that help pay the bills, but also make sure that you have a work-life balance?

You’re going to love this episode with my guest, Martha Horrocks, because she is doing exactly that!

Martha has a private practice, a TpT business, AND a Boom Learning business, but she intentionally keeps her businesses smaller and more manageable to make sure that she's maintaining a work-life balance.

Martha is the owner and speech-language pathologist at Martha Speech, LLC - a pediatric private practice that serves children across Maine via teletherapy. Martha will be celebrating the one-year anniversary of her practice in November! She also shares resources and ideas related to her passion (fluency disorders) on her professional Instagram, Martha Speech, and creates materials for SLPs on Teachers Pay Teachers and Boom Learning.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Choosing your own adventure as a private practitioner
• Learning where you are most effective as a clinician
• Creating the business that serves you and your community
• Why success doesn’t always mean having a huge private practice
• Word of mouth, SEO, and more marketing strategies
• Why it’s okay to start small with private practice

I love that Martha is not only passionate about both of her businesses, but they pay the bills and allow her to have the balance that was missing when she worked in the schools.

Private practice isn't just a work setting, it's a vehicle to help you get what you want and also help the people around you get what they need.

If you've been thinking about private practice for a while and you are inspired when you finish listening to this episode to learn more about it, make sure that you visit www.independentclinician.com to get more information about The Start Your Private Practice Program (the same program Martha went through!)

Resources Mentioned: 

www.marthaspeech.com

www.instagram.com/martha_speech

www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Martha-Speech

wow.boomlearning.com/author/marthaspeech

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Do you struggle with putting yourself out there? Does this affect your ability to market your private practice or hold you back completely from starting one? Do you have so much going on in your life that you can’t even begin to believe that having a successful private practice is in the cards for you?

Unfortunately, all of these feelings are pretty common. To help you with that, I am joined by Amanda Modrowski in this episode because she has overcome all of those feelings. She is going to share her story and share some pretty incredible marketing strategies and tips too.

Amanda Modrowski is a Speech-Language Pathologist who has worked in almost every setting in her career. After working in multiple settings, she realized that none of them let her practice speech pathology in a way that fulfilled her and didn't add mountains of paperwork or stress to her life. So, Amanda went looking for another option and found it when she discovered Jena's SYPP program. 

After slowly beginning in 2018 to get her “ducks in a row” while working full-time in a public school system, she finally pushed past the fear and went full-time into private practice in the summer of 2020. Since getting her first client, she has never second-guessed her choice and has never felt so happy and fulfilled working with her private clients.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Creative ways to get paid
• How to market your services
• How you can use your time wisely to build connections
• Getting past the fear of putting yourself out there
• Using business cards, brochures, flyers, and more
• Getting prepared and starting small
• Pushing past fear to find your niche
• Making more of an impact
• Tips for starting a private practice during a busy season of life

If you have a lot of things going on in your life and you needed to hear that it is possible to start a private practice even with a lot of distractions OR if you’re experiencing a little bit of imposter syndrome and fear, I really hope you find this episode inspiring and motivating.

A mentor of mine once said, “you can either let your kids be the excuse or the reason,” and Amanda is a great example of someone who started her private practice, put herself out there, and is now on my mentor team helping other students just like you get started.

If you want more information about The Start Your Private Practice Program (the same program Amanda went through!) visit www.IndependentClinician.com! We are approaching our goal of helping 1,000 SLPs start their private practices this year, and I want you to be one of them! Every private practice starts with one client. Amanda's did, and yours will too.

Resources Mentioned: 

www.IndependentClinician.com

www.enhancingcommunicationtoledo.com

www.facebook.com/enhancingcommunication

www.instagram.com/enhancingcommunication

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Have you ever thought about building a telepractice? Have you thought about being the CEO of a telepractice?

My guest in this episode, Glory Lichon, did just that, so she is joining me to share her story!

​​Glory Lichon is an Air Force veteran that started Glow Bright Therapy in April 2019 with the encouragement and support of her husband Brian Lichon (also an Air Force veteran). Due to the burnout in the schools, Glory made the difficult decision to leave after five years of being a school SLP. During that time, Brian encouraged her to start their own practice with a mission to fulfill the need of providing accessible services through the online delivery model. 

Glow Bright Therapy is a veteran-owned telepractice with a mission to provide accessible and effective services to children and families in need of support. They truly believe in not only providing evidence-based therapy, but also building meaningful connections and relationships with the families they serve because that is also an integral piece to supporting our families. They believe in not only supporting and helping the kids they serve, but also empowering the parents in knowing how to help their children at home.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• The benefit of telepractice due to its accessibility
• What it looks like to start a private practice that offers telepractice
• The difference between telepractice in the past and telepractice now
• Navigating private pay and insurance
• How to communicate your value confidently
• Moving out of therapy and into the CEO role
• Working through mindset blocks as a new CEO

Glory is a member of one of my higher-level programs, and it has been wonderful to watch her private practice grow. She has been listening to the podcast and utilizing the resources that I have for SLPs for years now! 

I am so impressed with how she's built a private practice that works for her, her family, her community, and even communities and states that she doesn't live in by bringing telepractice services to people who need them.

If you have an existing private practice, are beyond the beginner level, and looking to grow your private practice, head on over to www.growyourprivatepractice.com to learn more about the higher-level programs that I offer and apply!

If you are just getting started, visit startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist to get on the waitlist for the Start Your Private Practice program. This is the only step-by-step program designed specifically for speech-language pathologists who are ready to be business owners (even with absolutely no prior business knowledge).

Resources Mentioned: 

www.growyourprivatepractice.com

startyourprivatepractice.com/waitlist

www.glowbrighttherapy.com

www.facebook.com/glowbrighttherapy

www.instagram.com/glowbright_therapy

www.instagram.com/talk_ingtoddlers

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com

Why are some private practices popular, in demand, and constantly getting new referrals and others are working hard, spinning their wheels, and barely getting any inquiries?

It all comes down to word of mouth!

In this episode, we're talking about word of mouth marketing and one of the major things that you need to focus on in order to get it. 

Word of mouth marketing is what I like to call the “holy grail” of marketing, and it is something that really can benefit those of you who are hitting roadblocks.

Keep in mind, this is a more advanced marketing strategy for those that are looking to grow, but it is an important one.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What word of mouth marketing is
• What happens if you don’t position yourself optimally
• How your positioning impacts your practice
• Why you should change your marketing to reflect your positioning
• How the Grow Your Private Practice coaching program can help you

When it comes to your private practice, what do you want to be known for? What do you want people to think of when they think about you and your practice? I really want you to think about these questions and answer them honestly. 

Positioning your private practice isn't something that happens overnight, but it is something that you can control.

I hope this episode gives you a little taste of what you can expect from my Grow Your Private Practice coaching program. We have a lot of conversations just like this one in the program, but we don’t just talk about it, we take action on it!

If you think this episode is helpful and you're interested in learning more about the Grow Your Private Practice coaching program, head on over to Instagram and send me a DM @independentclinician with the word “grow”. We will talk about if it is the right fit for you! 

If you want help to grow your private practice by increasing your client base, income and team, visit www.growyourprivatepractice.com to learn how we can help.

Resources Mentioned: 

www.growyourprivatepractice.com

Where We Can Connect: 

Follow the Podcast

Follow Me on Instagram

Follow Me on Facebook

Mentioned in this episode:

Register for the "See Clients This Summer" Free Training Event --> www.PlanYourPrivatePractice.com