Some people build a business and figure it out as they go. Luba Patlakh - Kaplun, M.S. CCC-SLP, OMT is one of them.

After 11 years, two locations in Philadelphia, a mobile therapy bus, a nonprofit preschool program, and a team of 20 administrative staff, Luba has a lot to say about what the figuring out actually looked like. And in this episode, she holds nothing back.

This is not a conversation about systems and strategies. It is about what happens inside the person building the thing. The moment you realize you do not know everything and have to get comfortable with that. The day you hit a wall doing everything yourself and finally make your first hire. The shift that happens when you stop trying to make everyone do things your way and start trusting people to find their own rhythm.

As Luba puts it, putting the puzzle of the business together was easier than the emotional transition of learning how to be with people and with yourself through the change.

What you will hear in this episode:

• Why letting go of the "I know everything" mindset is one of the most important things you can do for your growth
• What burnout looked like for Luba and why her first hire changed everything
• How delegating transformed Kidology and what she learned about trusting people to do things differently than she would
• The reason behind what you are building matters more than any strategy you will ever use
• What separates the people who rise quickly from those who stay stuck, and why it almost always comes down to the inner work

Your business can only grow to the level of the problems you can handle. This episode is about building the capacity to handle more.

Have a question for the show? Submit it at cuedcreative.com/podcast#questions

Connect with our guest, Luba Patlakh

Website: lubapatlakh.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lubapatlakh/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@thegrowthlabpodcast

For information about Kidology, visit kidologyinc.com.

The Growth Lab Podcast – hosted by Luba Patlakh-Kaplun, explores business growth, family balance, women’s empowerment, and creating meaningful impact. Through honest and inspiring conversations with entrepreneurs and leaders, the podcast shares practical insights and real stories on building successful, purpose-driven businesses without sacrificing what matters most.

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

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The hardest part of running a business isn't really the marketing or the systems or the hiring. The hardest part is being the only person in charge of every single decision, upholding every boundary, taking every risk. And doing it all alone.

In this episode, Hannah set out to talk about loneliness, but took the off-ramp into how to make decisions so you don't get stuck at indecision station, where to go for trusted support, and why you need to fill your own cup if you're going to sustain this crazy ride.

She dives into why she spent years hiding inside business partnerships instead of betting on herself, what happened when COVID forced her to go all in, and the real work it took to get off the self-worth roller coaster.

This episode covers:

• Why so many people enter business partnerships for the wrong reasons
• A simple decision-making filter to use when you're stuck and have nobody to ask
• The real difference between a mentor, a consultant, and a coach — and which one you actually need right now
• Why your results are always a data point, never a verdict on your worth
• How to fill your own cup so you can keep showing up for everyone who needs you

If you've ever felt completely alone in the driver's seat of your business, this one is for you.

Resources mentioned:

• Scale Smart Academy: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ 
• Follow Hannah on Instagram: @cuedcreative
• Submit a question for the podcast: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

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I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

This is Part 2 of a two-part series on starting and growing a private practice. If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, go back and start there before jumping in here.

In this episode, I cover the two remaining things I'd do from day one if I were starting over: learning to think like a CEO and building a second income stream before you need one. These are the moves that separate a practice that just survives from one that actually grows.

What's covered:

• What it actually means to run your practice like a CEO
• How tracking your numbers changes the decisions you make
• Why boundaries are the structure holding your business together
• How to start building a second income stream before you need one

Whether you're just getting started or you've been in practice for years, this episode will give you a clearer picture of how to build something sustainable.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-30 

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

Whether you've been running a practice for years or are just getting started, building with intention rather than reaction is what separates a sustainable practice from one that's fast-tracked to burnout.

Most of us start a business the way I did: with no plan, riding on a wing and a prayer, and figuring it out as we go. And you can certainly do that too, but at some point, running a business in reaction mode will stop working. If you're exhausted from piecemealing it together and ready to build with intention, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I cover:

• Start with the end in mind before you see a single client, so you know where you're headed and can make decisions that align with your goals and vision.
• Niche strategically based on your financial situation and market, because if you're trying to serve everyone, you'll find out quickly how hard that really is.
• Build referral relationships before you feel ready... meaning from day one. And if you're not actively building referral relationships, today is the day to start (I have some tips for you).
• Protect your time from day one so your practice works for your life, not the other way around.

Tune in to get the clearest, most practical framework I know for building a private practice with intention from the very first day.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-29 

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

You’re not alone if taking insurance feels overwhelming. Whether you’re currently in-network with insurance providers or you’ve considered taking insurance, this episode is for you.

I sat down with speech therapist, Rebecca Rowe, who has been running a very profitable multi-location, multi-disciplinary private practice in North Carolina for the last 10 years. She’s also just opened a full service billing company ACTivated Practice Solutions and she’s successfully negotiated increased reimbursement rates with many providers (something she teaches in her Insurance Renegotiation course.

Rebecca does not hold back as she shares:

• Tips on credentialing
• How she builds billing into her week
• What to do when you bring on a new hire
• How to review your contracts and rates (and negotiate them!)
• And so much more

This episode and Rebecca’s insight will be useful no matter where you are in the process with insurances.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-28 

Connect with our guest, Rebecca Ingram Rowe

Website: https://rrtherapyconsulting.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/activatedpracticesolutions/

https://www.instagram.com/rrtherapyconsulting/

Offer: Anyone that signs on with ACTivated Practice Solutions, you receive Rebecca’s Insurance Renegotiation course for free!

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

A few weeks ago, I was in full reaction mode.

Someone said something unkind about me online. Scammers were impersonating our business. I was sitting in traffic, angry, distracted, and ready to fight people I couldn't even see.

Then a fox ran across the road in front of my car. And something shifted.

That moment led me straight to one of the most important truths I've learned in 10 years of business. Your business can only grow to the level of problems you can handle. If a bad review sends you into a spiral, that's your ceiling. If a slow month has you making reactive decisions, that's your ceiling.

In this episode, we get into why your brain literally can't think strategically when you're triggered, the one question that pulls you out of reaction mode fast, and why some problems don't actually need to be solved at all.

If problems tend to knock you off your game, this one is for you.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-27

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

If you've ever felt guilty charging what you know you're worth, or if you've caught yourself saying your price like it's a question, this episode is going to stay with you. I sat down with Audrey Faust the Manifesting CFO and bestselling author of She Grows Rich, to talk honestly about the money mindset blocks that keep so many therapists and private practice owners stuck. 

We got into the subconscious programming around money that most of us picked up before age seven, how it shows up in everything from your pricing to your follow-up habits, and what it actually takes to start shifting it.

What we cover:

• How to recognize subconscious money beliefs that are quietly holding your business back
• The connection between your energy when you say your price and whether clients say yes
• Why charging more often leads to better client buy-in and better results

If you've been stuck at the same price point or feeling resentful about the work you're doing for what you're earning, this conversation will give you a new way to look at it.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-26 

Connect with our guest, Audrey Faust

Website: www.audreyfaustconsulting.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifesting_cfo/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manifestingcfo/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyfaust/ 

Book: She Grows Rich

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

What happens when traditional speech therapy approaches stop working and you start paying attention to what actually helps clients feel safe, calm, and willing to engage? For speech-language pathologist Sharlet Lee Jensen, that question led her down an unexpected path into animal assisted therapy and completely changed the way she experienced her work.

After years of feeling the weight of burnout, challenging client behaviors, and limited engagement, Sharlet began exploring how the human animal bond could support communication, regulation, and trust inside the therapy room. What started as a single experiment quickly became a passion, and eventually grew into a book, a course, and a growing body of resources for clinicians who want to work differently and more sustainably.

In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Sharlet to talk about what animal assisted therapy really looks like in practice, the responsibility that comes with it, and the personal growth required when you step outside familiar systems. Sharlet shares how connection transformed outcomes for anxious clients, why safety and consent are non-negotiable, and how persistence carried her through publishing, visibility, and learning entirely new skills.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What animal assisted therapy actually is and how it supports communication and engagement
• Why connection and regulation must come before technique for many clients
• The safety, consent, and animal communication skills therapists must understand
• How burnout can be a signal that something needs to change, not a sign of failure
• The learning curve of doing something new and why mistakes are part of the process
• How following curiosity led to writing a book and creating resources for other clinicians

If you have ever felt burned out, stuck with disengaged clients, or curious about doing therapy in a way that feels more connected and meaningful, this episode will expand how you think about progress, growth, and what is possible in your work.

Connect with our guest, Sharlet Lee Jensen

Website: www.speechdogs.com   

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speech_dogs/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552348942052 

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

Can you really make money selling courses and digital products as a speech, occupational, or physical therapist? The short answer is yes. But there's a formula, and most people are missing key pieces of it. In this episode, I am breaking down exactly what it takes to identify a product people will connect with and pay for, why most people don't see success (and it's probably not what you think), and what you can do differently to create a sustainable revenue stream outside of your clinical hours.

What we cover in this episode:

• Why a single income stream tied to your time is a vulnerability
• The difference between passive income and leveraged income, and how both can work for you
• The most common reason digital products don't sell, and it has nothing to do with bad ideas or poor marketing
• How to understand your audience's problem from their point of view, not yours
• Why selling is serving, and how to price and promote your offer without feeling like you're being pushy
• Why most online products fail (hint: it's not the idea)
• Why wanting to make money for your expertise is not only okay, it's something you've earned

If you have been sitting on an idea or wondering why something you launched didn't land the way you hoped, this episode will help you see exactly where the gaps are and how to fill them. Head to www.cuedcreative.com/podcast to listen now.

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast/episode-24 

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!

I've been having the same dream over and over for months. I'm traveling somewhere new and exciting, but I can't make my flight because I'm trying to cram everything into a suitcase that won't close. When I finally understood what it meant, everything clicked. I've been trying to drag all my old baggage into this new chapter, and it's keeping me stuck.

What you'll hear in this episode:

• Why the future you're building is shaped by the past you're trying to avoid
• How to rewrite past experiences by finding the wins, lessons, and gratitude instead of the fear
• Why tying your self-worth to outcomes keeps you making small, safe decisions
• The shift that changes fear-based decision making into forward momentum

If you've been holding back because you're afraid something won't work out, this episode will remind you that uncertainty is part of the deal and your worth has nothing to do with the outcome.

Connect with Hannah

Website: www.cuedcreative.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/cuedcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CuedCreative

Download the free guide to Step Into Your CEO Era: https://www.cuedcreative.com/ceo

Sign up for our next workshop: https://www.cuedcreative.com/join-us 

For the full show notes and links, visit: https://www.cuedcreative.com/podcast

Subscribe and Review

Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. 

I would be thrilled if you could rate and review my podcast! Don’t forget to share what you loved most about the episode.

Also, make sure to follow the podcast!