Private Practice Success Stories

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 practices
• How we grew as a business in 2022
• Starting 2023 off with a bang
• What to do if you want to start a private practice
• Some of our most popular podcast episodes so far
• How to know if the Start Your Private Practice program is right for you
• What to expect from me in the new year

Thank you so much for listening and being part of the private practice movement. I hope that you have an amazing New Year, and I’ll catch you in 2023.

To learn more about how we can help you start, grow and scale your private practice in the new year, visit www.IndependentClinician.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Learn More About The Independent Clinician: www.IndependentClinician.com

Register for Bootcamp: www.planyourprivatepractice.com

Get Help in the Growth Phase of Your Private Practice: www.growyourprivatepractice.com

Get the Clinic Forms: www.privatepracticeforms.com

Learn More About the Book: www.privatepracticebook.com

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 children and adults in clinical facilities, public schools, and private practice. Mindy specializes in executive functioning, myofunctional disorders (OMD), dysphagia, feeding/swallowing, pragmatic language, and early literacy development. Mindy is an author-presenter to other professionals specifically in the area of executive functioning. In her spare time, Mindy is the President of Building Awareness Rocks, a non-profit corporation that is dedicated to improving the lives of children with exceptionalities.

Rachelle is a Speech and Language Pathologist who has practiced in a variety of clinical settings including: education, rehabilitation, and hospitals. Her interests include executive functions, literacy, AAC and stuttering. Rachelle specializes in person-centered focused intervention to support emergent language learners and their families. Rachelle is a national trainer and expert author-presenter focusing on stress and its impact on executive functions. In addition, Rachelle provides trainings to support educators within the public schools. Rachelle specializes in evidence-based practices with an executive-function treatment lens.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• What it’s like creating workshops for other SLPs
• When they knew it was time to go on their own
• How private practice enables you to have a greater impact
• The freedom they get from their private practice
• How the partnership works for Mindy and Rachelle
• How they handle referrals
• The importance of an abundance mindset
• How they created multiple streams of income
• Their plans for adding to their team

I hope you enjoyed this episode with Mindy and Rachelle! I love that they've been wanting to do this for a while and they knew that there are children in their area who need what they have to offer. They also created multiple streams of income that allows them to have an even bigger impact on those around them.

In terms of starting your own private practice. Whether you want to do a slow rollout like Rachel or a fast rollout like Mindy, we can help. To learn more about how we help SLPs and OTs start, grow and scale private practices step-by-step, please visit: www.IndependentClinician.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Mindy and Rachelle’s website: https://www.achievectslp.com/

Follow Achieve CT on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/achievect_slp/

Follow Mindy and Rachelle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AchieveCTSLP

Follow Mindy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MindyHudonAuthor/

Follow Mindy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindyhudonauthor/

Follow Bee A Time Keeper Clock on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beeatimekeeper/

Follow Mindy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mindyhudon

Visit Mindy’s 30 Seconds website: https://30seconds.com/mindy/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 know how to make money from your business when the time comes to leave it, this is for you.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Thinking about your future as a speech-language pathologist
• Reaching your financial goals
• How to earn more money in less time
• Why debt isn’t always bad
• Resources available to build and grow your business
• Changing how you think about investing in your business
• Preparing to monetize and sell your business
• How to build a sellable business
• Relying on others who have gone through this process before you

One day, your business will be worth a lot of money. That might seem like a long way off right now, but the earlier you’re aware of it, the better you can set yourself up for success when the time comes. If you want to find out what it might look like to sell your private practice one day, Craig has got you covered in this episode.

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:

Check out Craig’s website: https://utterlyfinancial.com/

Tune in to the SLP Money podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/slp-money/id1500322616

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 the family, as well. She wanted to offer that knowledge and guidance, as well as be a shoulder to cry on and be a person to celebrate the milestones and progress with. When her son was a year and a half old, she took what felt like a leap of faith, and applied for Ithaca College’s Speech-Language Pathology Master’s Program and was accepted. She has worked as a pediatric SLP in a variety of settings since May 2013. In 2021, she took a (second) leap of faith and stepped into what was once just a far-off dream by opening up her own private practice.

Through her experiences as not only a mother of a child who receives related services but also as a related service provider, she has learned so much about what it means to advocate for her own child and the children of others. She has learned the value of providing a safe space for people to express their fears, hopes, and dreams for their children without judgment. She has learned the importance of connecting with people not only as a professional but as a human being.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Samantha got started with her private practice
• How she built her first website
• Why Samantha focuses on advocacy
• A typical day as a private practitioner
• The importance of being able to slow down
• Why private practice can help prevent burnout
• What’s next for Samantha’s private practice
• When it’s time to make your first hire

I hope you loved this conversation with Samantha. I love how she created her private practice with balance in mind so that she has enough time for her family and herself too. SLPs and OTs are so giving. But when you give everything you have to others all the time, you burn out. Starting a private practice makes it easy for you add in time for the self-care that you need.

If you want to learn more from Samantha, make sure to visit her website and follow her on Instagram.

Do you want help to start a private practice so that you have more balance and time for family and self-care? We would love to help you - just like we helped Samantha.

To learn more, please visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Samantha’s website: https://www.olivespeechtherapy.org/

Follow Olive Speech Therapy on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olivespeechtherapy

Follow Olive Speech Therapy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olive_speech_therapy/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 families, whose children are Deaf or hard of hearing, to maximize the use of hearing technology for listening and speaking. Rachel’s passion for personal and professional growth encourages others to work hard and succeed. Her experience in executive leadership, grant writing and fundraising for non-profit organizations, and the use of coaching strategies help Rachel support the growth of her clients, families, staff, and business. 

She enjoys speaking and providing educational in-services to professionals, pediatricians and schools to raise awareness and spread knowledge about hearing loss and language disorders in pediatric populations. Rachel is inspired daily by her supportive husband, Nick Mangan, children, Lantz (12) , Maddy (8), and Zoey (8).

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How she got started with her private practice
• Why parent coaching is a big part of her practice
• The transition from employee to private practice owner
• How she markets her practice
• Imposter syndrome and the upper limit problem
• The importance of systems
• Her plans for her private practice going forward
• Having a value-based business

I love how Rachel turned a very stressful situation into a new dream for herself, her family, and the clients that she’s serving. She stands strong in her values with her business and she is thriving because of it. 

Rachel was part of our two programs. She started in the Start Your Private Practice Program and then transitioned into the Grow Your Private Practice Program. If you would like to know more about these programs and how we can support you on your private practice journey—just like we’ve supported Rachel and most of the people you’ve hard on the podcast—please visit www.IndependentClinician.com

Resources Mentioned: 

Visit Rachel’s website: https://www.gabrieltherapygroup.com/

Check out our programs: https://www.independentclinician.com/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 and NC. She is also licensed in WA and CA. She created her private practice as she currently lives in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and wanted more flexibility and a better work-life balance. She also loves being her own boss!

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Megan ended up in Argentina
• Why she decided to start her own private practice
• How she finds her clients
• The payer sources she uses
• The types of clients she sees
• Where she’s licensed
• The flexibility her private practice gave her
• The benefits of growing slowly

If you can’t find a job that you want, create one that you love. Megan is the perfect example of someone who created a private practice based on her needs and now she gets to live wherever she wants while running a successful private practice.

Don't work for a telepractice agency! Cut out the MiddleMan and see telepractice clients through YOUR private practice. This is exactly what Megan shared that she's doing and it's something that you can do too.

To learn about how we can help you start or grow a telepractice-focused private practice, please visit: www.IndependentClinician.com

Resources Mentioned:

Check out Megan’s website: https://www.littlefishspeechtherapy.com/

Follow Megan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlefish_speechtherapy/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 grow
• Why now is a great time to be in private practice
• Ebone’s high retention rate among employees
• Tips for becoming an insurance provider
• How Ebone avoids burnout
• Tips for overcoming imposter syndrome
• Getting started on a shoestring budget
• Tips for doing daycare screenings

There is no denying that Ebone’s story is incredibly inspiring. She is a savvy businesswoman whose private practice is thriving. She’s helping her clients, their families, and her staff thrive too.

If you want to grow a large private practice like Ebone’s or a small one, we can help you. 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 Ebone’s website: https://www.sapedstherapy.com/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 Erin got started with her private practice
• Why the home environment is a great place for therapy
• How Erin got her first clients
• Networking tips
• Why she grew her private practice on the side
• Why she doesn’t want to leave the school yet
• The flexibility she gained with her private practice

I hope you found this episode inspirational. Erin is so thoughtful about how her private practice fits into her life and why she chooses to stay in schools while she grows her private practice.

We have enjoyed supporting Erin through her journey and we would love to support you too! To learn more about the Programs we offer to help folks like Erin build successful private practices full-time or "on the side" please visit www.IndependentClinician.com.

Resources Mentioned:

Visit Erin's website: https://www.ot4hope.com/

Follow Erin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ot4hope/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 has also served as adjunct faculty for undergraduate and graduate students in the field of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Dr. Sandiford holds an advanced certificate in Assistive Technology and is widely known for her award-winning research on Melodic Based Communication Therapy (M.B.C.T.) for nonverbal autism and her educational apps to assist the nonverbal population with autism.

Dr. Sandiford started Melospeech, Inc. during the Covid-19 pandemic in order to provide consumers with effective options for specialized online or in-person speech therapy. She is a member of ASHA SIG 18, Telepractice

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• How Dr. Sandiford started her private practice
• How she got her first clients
• Her experience being contracted with the state
• What payment sources she accepts and why
• The services she offers in her practice
• Why Dr. Sandiford decided to hire more help
• Learning from mistakes

Dr. Sandiford has such incredible drive. She was able to build her successful private practice in a short period of time because she wasn’t afraid to do the work. Now, her business is thriving.

For her, it all started in the Start Your Private Practice Program. To learn more about how we support SLPs and OTs across the private practice journey, please visit www.IndependentClinician.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 Dr. Sandiford's website: https://melospeech.com/

Connect with Dr. Sandiford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsandiford/

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/

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 SLP virtual coaching options.

In Today's Episode, We Discuss:

• Why Marica decided to start her private practice
• How Marcia got her first clients
• Parent coaching services
• Becoming an insurance provider
• Making your first hire
• Setting boundaries and saying no
• Finding your ideal clients
• Investing in your business

I love how passionate Marcia is about building a private practice that allows her to serve others while serving her family too. She’s the perfect example of someone who built their private practice with boundaries in mind. She believes in balance over burnout and she has mechanisms in place to protect herself as her practice grows.

Want help to grow your private practice just like we helped Marcia? We would love to help you grow your client base, increase your revenue, set up systems, and hire a team inside of the Grow Your Private Practice Program. Visit GrowYourPrivatePractice.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 Marcia’s website: https://www.pediatricspeechstars.com/

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

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/

Follow Me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jena.castrocasbon/