The ScaleSmart Podcast
The podcast for Private Practice Owners, Therapists, Coaches, & Course Creators. Each episode will bring you inspiration, actionable strategies, and real-world tools to help you grow a successful private practice, master your marketing, strengthen your mindset, and explore both passive and leveraged income opportunities. Whether you want to attract more clients, build a stronger brand, streamline your systems, or create an additional income stream, you’ll find the clarity, strategies, and encouragement you need right here.
You Don’t Have to Be Fluent to Show Up for Bilingual Kids with Keila Gutierrez
You don’t have to be fluent in a language to serve a bilingual child well. That’s the message Keila Gutierrez is on a mission to get into the hands of every SLP who has ever hesitated at the therapy room door.
Keila is a bilingual SLP, private practice owner, and digital product creator who grew up 45 minutes from the Mexican border. She owns Desert Lily Bilingual Speech Therapy Clinic and recently co-created a physical card product with Bilingual Speechie to help clinicians apply the complexity approach with bilingual children. In this Community Chat...
Stop Measuring Your Progress Against Someone Else’s Highlight Reel
You can’t miss the boat because it’s your boat, so it will be ready and waiting for you when you arrive… on time according to your timeline.
In this solo episode, I'm talking about something I've been sitting with a lot lately: time, the timelines we create, and how often they're working against us instead of for us. Not because having goals and deadlines is bad, but because the measuring stick most of us are using isn't actually ours.
Here’s what I’m diving into
Why setting...Building a Business That Fits Your Life with Loevy Afanador
You got into private practice because you wanted freedom. Then somewhere along the way, the freedom disappeared and the 60-hour weeks moved in. If that sounds familiar, this episode is going to hit close to home.
I sat down with speech therapist and private practice owner Loevy Afanador to have an honest conversation about what it actually looks and feels like to pivot out of hustle mode and into a business that aligns with your real life. Loevy started her practice in 2023 with big dreams and ended up grinding through 60-hour weeks until her body finally said...
What Happens When Your Self-Worth Is in the Driver's Seat with Theresa Harp
You keep thinking that if you could just get caught up, you'd finally feel okay. But what if catching up was never the real goal?
In this episode, I sit down with Theresa Harp, SLP and certified productivity coach, for one of the most honest conversations I've had on this show. Theresa works with SLPs and related professionals who are burned out, overwhelmed, and convinced that a better system is the answer. What they discover is that the real work happens a lot closer to home.
We go deep on why burnout keeps...
The Real Cost of Hiring in Private Practice with Jamie Perez
If you’ve ever looked at your full caseload and thought, I should hire someone, this episode is going to give you a much more honest picture of what that actually means. Jamie Perez, speech therapist and owner of Thriving Joy Therapy, spent nearly a year trying to hire her first clinician, and what she learned in that process changed how she runs her entire business.
Jamie specializes in infant feeding and medically complex cases and built a practice that quickly outgrew her capacity. In this conversation, she gets candid about the real cost of...
Why Your Private Practice Needs More Than One Way to Make Money
If all of your income depends on you showing up, you already know how fragile that feels. One sick day, one insurance change, one clinician leaving your team and the whole thing wobbles. This episode is about what it actually looks like to build income that doesn't require you to be in the room.
This week I'm talking about passive income and leveraged income — what they really are, what they are not, and how to start figuring out where they fit in your practice. I was just speaking at the AAPPSPA conference on this exact topic when a...
When Closing Up Shop Actually Opens New Doors with Christina Beta
This episode is part of Community Chats, a special segment of the ScaleSmart Podcast where I sit down with SLPs, OTs, and PTs from our community to share the stories you don't always hear. Because growth doesn't only come from the same few voices. It comes from learning from people who are actually in it with you.
Christina Beta is a speech therapist with over 25 years of experience, primarily in school-based settings. She opened a private practice clinic in 2023, built something she was proud of, and then made the hard call to close it...
The Real Reason You're Overwhelmed (and What to Do About It)
If you have been saying "I am overwhelmed" on repeat lately, I want you to consider something. That word itself might be part of what is keeping you stuck.
Overwhelm is a powerless word. When something is overwhelming you, it has taken over. And the more you say "I am overwhelmed," the more your brain gets to work proving it true. That is not a personal failure. That is biology. And once you understand what your brain is actually doing when you feel that way, the path out becomes a lot clearer.
In this episode...
From Going Slow to Getting Creative, Asia McNealey Has Figured Out How to Make Private Practice Work
This episode is part of Community Chats, a special segment of the ScaleSmart Podcast where I sit down with members of our community to share the stories you don't always hear. Because growth doesn't only come from the same few voices... it comes from learning from people who are actually in it with you.
Asia McNealey is a speech therapist specializing in autism, early language, and speech sound production. She is a mom, a veteran, a full-time school contractor, and the owner of McNealey Speech Therapy. She has been building her private practice since 2023...
What 11 Years in Private Practice Actually Teaches You with Luba Patlakh
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...
The Hardest Part of Running a Business Nobody Talks About
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...
If I Were Starting a Private Practice Tomorrow: 6 Things I’d Do Without a Doubt (Part 2)
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...If I Were Starting a Private Practice Tomorrow: 6 Things I’d Do Without a Doubt (Part 1)
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...
Everything You Need to Know About Taking Insurance in Private Practice with Rebecca Ingram Rowe
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...
Your Business Can Only Grow to the Level of Problems You Can Solve
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...
Money With a Side of Woo with Audrey Faust
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 i...
From Burnout to Breakthrough: Using Animal Assisted Therapy in Speech Therapy with Sharlet Lee Jensen
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...
Can You Really Make Money Selling Courses and Digital Products Online?
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:<...
Stop Building the Future From Fear
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 avoidHow to rewrite past experiences by finding the wins, lessons, and gratitude instead of the...Add a New Revenue Stream to Your Speech Therapy Private Practice with Carly Dorfman
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Carly Dorfman, pediatric speech therapist and founder of KIDnection, to talk about how parent and me classes can become a powerful part of a sustainable private practice. Carly shares how a small waitlist problem turned into a community-centered model that supports families, creates leveraged income, and allows therapists to expand their impact without adding endless one-on-one hours.
This conversation is especially relevant for therapists who feel stretched thin, boxed into the therapy room, or unsure how to grow without burning out. We talk about building groups...
Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
In this solo episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I’m talking about why discomfort is not a sign that you’re doing something wrong, especially when you’re growing a private practice or building something new. So many clinicians know what they need to do to move forward, but they get stuck because the next step feels awkward, scary, or unfamiliar. This episode is about understanding why growth almost always feels uncomfortable and why avoiding it keeps you stuck longer than you realize.
I’m sharing personal stories from moving to New York City as a teenager to walki...
Rethinking Private Practice to Avoid Burn Out & Expand Your Impact with Claire Powers
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Claire Powers, speech therapist and creator of Authentically You Speech, to talk about what happens when you love your profession but the traditional model starts to break you down. Claire shares her honest journey from early burnout and private practice limits to building a career that includes online education, parent coaching, and digital offers that actually support her life.
This conversation is real and reflective, especially for clinicians who feel boxed in, underpaid, or quietly questioning if this is all there is. We talk...
Everything You Need to Know About Websites
In this solo episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I’m breaking down why your website is one of the most important marketing tools for speech therapists and private practice owners. Your website is often the first impression a potential client has of your speech therapy practice, and when it is unclear, outdated, or hard to navigate, it costs you inquiries and referrals. This episode is about understanding what actually makes a speech therapy website work and why simplicity and clarity matter more than flashy design.
I’m sharing the most common website mistakes I see speech therapists make...
Building a Sustainable Practice with Ellie Richter
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Ellie Richter, bilingual speech therapist and founder of The Essential Teletherapist, to talk about what it really takes to build a sustainable practice using virtual services. Ellie shares her journey as she transitioned from in-person services to 100% virtual school contracting, and how teletherapy became not just a service model, but a way to protect her energy, time, and family life.
This conversation goes far beyond private practice, speech therapy, tools, and platforms. We talk honestly about boundaries, buy-in, and the mindset shifts clinicians...
Trusting Yourself Again: 2025 Lessons and 2026 Predictions with Hannah Boeck
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I’m reflecting on the biggest lessons 2025 taught me and what I’m intentionally leaving behind as I step into 2026. This year stretched me in ways I didn’t expect. I found myself listening to too much outside noise, questioning what I already knew, and chasing advice that pulled me out of alignment. These lessons didn’t break me, but they did force me to get honest about where I stopped trusting my intuition and started playing small.
I’m also sharing my grounded predictions for private practices...
The CEO Shift: Building a Profitable and Sustainable Practice with Dr. Adam Robin
What happens when you stop relying on hustle, emotion, and instinct to run your private practice and start leading with clarity, data, and the identity of a true CEO?
That shift is what helped physical therapist, clinic owner, and entrepreneur Dr. Adam Robin transform his practice from stressed and unstable into a financially grounded, profitable, and scalable business. After realizing that hard work alone wasn’t enough to grow, Adam dug into the deeper mindset and financial foundations that private practice owners are rarely taught. Now, he teaches clinicians how to step into confident leadership, bu...
From Startup to Growth: Private Practice Tips with Jill Shook
What happens when you stop winging your private practice and start building it with intention, structure, and the mindset of a true medical professional?
That single shift is what helped speech-language pathologist and private practice owner Jill Shook move from flailing through decisions to running a grounded, sustainable, and well-designed business. After years of figuring things out the hard way, Jill now teaches clinicians how to avoid the overwhelm she once experienced by getting clear on their vision, setting up systems that support growth, and stepping confidently into the role of CEO.
In...
The Link Between Parent Involvement, Fewer Cancellations, Faster Progress, and Happier Staff with Stephanie Wagers
What happens when you shift from “fix my child” to true collaboration with the adults who spend the most time with them?
That single mindset shift is what helped occupational therapist and private practice owner Stephanie Wagers transform her clinic, reduce cancellations, and rebuild trust with families after years of feeling stuck. What began as a desire to understand why some parents stayed engaged and others drifted away turned into a research backed framework that boosted progress, increased consistency, and improved therapist satisfaction across her entire practice.
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podc...
The Power of Imperfect Action with Farwa Husain
What happens when you stop waiting to feel ready and start following the needs you see right in front of you?
That’s exactly how Farwa Husain stepped into private practice ownership and later created First Phrases, a digital platform now used by clinicians and families around the world.
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Farwa, a bilingual speech-language pathologist and founder of First Phrases, to talk about how trusting her gut and staying rooted in her why shaped every part of her journey. Wh...
From Private Practice to Global Impact: The Journey of Meaningful Speech with Alexandria Zachos
What happens when a simple idea to solve one problem turns into a movement that changes an entire field?
That’s exactly what happened for Alexandria Zachos, a speech-language pathologist whose curiosity about Gestalt Language Development sparked a global ripple effect.
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Alexandria, the founder of Meaningful Speech, to talk about how her desire to make complex information more accessible led to the creation of one of the most recognized online resources for clinicians and parents alike. What began as a passion project grew into a...
Your Skills Are Worth More: Creating Impact (and Income) Beyond 1:1 Work
When you became a clinician, therapist, or service provider, you probably thought you were signing up for a meaningful and stable career. But what happens when your earning potential hits a ceiling, even though your expertise keeps growing?
In this episode of The ScaleSmart Podcast, I’m opening up about how I discovered passive income, what it really means (and doesn’t mean). I’m also diving into how you can use your skills to create new streams of income, without walking away from the work you love. You’ll hear the real story behind my first digital...
The Lie We Were Sold: Why So Many Speech Therapists Feel Trapped (and How to Break Free)
When I became a speech therapist, I thought I was choosing a stable, respected, and well-paying career. I believed that if I worked hard, earned my degree, and gave my all to my clients, I’d be rewarded, both financially and emotionally. But what I found instead was exhaustion, low pay, and a system that capped my potential.
In this episode, I’m getting real about what so many of us in speech therapy have felt but rarely say out loud: we were sold a dream that doesn’t quite match reality. From my first job to my pri...
Protect Your Brand: The Smart Way to Trademark Your Business
In this episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Joey Vitale, trademark attorney, founder of Indie Law, and host of the Owning It Podcast. Joey shares the truth about what it really means to protect your brand, why every small business owner should understand the difference between a trademark and a copyright, and how legal clarity can actually make you more confident as a CEO.
If you’ve ever wondered when (or if) you need to trademark your business name, or you’ve been putting off the legal side of growth, this conversation will clear the...
Stop Letting Excuses Run the Show
Do you ever catch yourself saying, “I don’t have time,” “I’m not ready yet,” or “I just need one more thing before I start”? Those excuses feel real, but they’re actually protective stories your brain creates to keep you safe and small. And while they might make you feel productive, they’re often the very thing holding you back from the life and business you want.
In this episode, I break down the three types of excuses that keep us stuck—protective excuses, disguised priorities, and those tied to self-worth—and share how to spot them in your own li...
Stop Doing It All: The Case for Choosing Your Niche with Keisha Nolan
In this episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Keisha Nolan, speech therapist, certified myofunctional therapist, private practice owner, course creator, and coach. Keisha shares how niching transformed her practice, how her faith shaped her business decisions, and why aligning with your values matters just as much as strategy.
What you’ll take away from this episode:
How niching can increase your referrals, income, and professional fulfillmentWays to stay specialized while still offering a range of services through collaborationHow to align your business with your personal values and faith for long-term successA mindset shift to...The Therapist’s Guide to School Contracting with Elise Mitchell
In this episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with Elise Mitchell, speech therapist and founder of The Therapist Support Network. Elise shares her journey from working inside large staffing agencies to building her own school contracting business — and why she now helps other therapists do the same.
What you’ll take away from this episode:
Why strong contracts and legal protections are non-negotiableUnique ways therapists are serving schools beyond direct therapy (AAC support, IEP compliance, professional development, compensatory services, and more)How to build real relationships with schools so they see you as a trus...5 Business Lessons Every Private Practice Owner Needs
In this episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I walk you through five of the most important business lessons I share with my speech therapy private practice coaching clients. Think of this as your private business coaching call. You're getting simple, actionable advice you can start applying in your private practice today to reduce stress, grow smarter, and build a business that actually supports your life.
What you’ll learn:
Why selling is actually serving — and how not selling is a disservice to your communityHow your money story may be holding you back (and what to do abou...Turning Expertise Into Opportunity: Private Practice, Speaking, and Beyond with Sydney Bassard
In this episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I sit down with speech-language pathologist, private practice owner, and educator Sydney Bassard, also known online as The Listening SLP. Sydney shares how she went from specializing in hearing loss and literacy to building a thriving speech therapy practice to growing her personal brand, and creating opportunities to speak, write, and expand her impact.
You’ll hear:
How to confidently specialize in your private practice (and why narrowing your focus helps you grow faster)The social media strategies Sydney uses to connect, educate, and build community without chasing trendsWhy ne...Be the First Liker: Overcoming Fear and Building Relationships in Business
In this solo episode of the ScaleSmart Podcast, I break down one of the most important — yet often overlooked — skills in growing your practice practice or career: building relationships. If networking, referrals, or putting yourself out there makes you freeze, this episode will give you tools to move forward with confidence.
What you’ll learn:
The psychology behind popularity and how it applies to business growthWhy being the “first liker” changes the way people respond to youHow to get comfortable being uncomfortable so fear stops holding you backWhy most people’s reactions have nothing to do with you — a...How Hallie Sherman Turned Her SLP Expertise into a Thriving Online Business
Is there still room to build and sell digital products in today’s online space? Absolutely. In this episode, I sit down with Hallie Sherman, CEO of Speech Time Fun, Inc., who proves that success comes from solving real problems, not chasing trends.
Hallie shares how she grew Speech Time Fun into a thriving business by leaning into her expertise, focusing on what her audience actually needed, and embracing failure as part of the process.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
Why solving problems matters more than following trendsHow to reframe failure as a st...
