(Exploring the entrepreneurial mindset and the freedom that comes with running your own business)

When working in this field, your first job (or even your first internship) puts you in the mindset to fall in line. SLPs are often “people pleasers” and fear criticism, so we do as we’re told by our employers (even when something doesn’t seem quite right). This creates an anxious therapist who loathes Sunday evenings as we can sense the number of emails in our inbox for the following morning. How about we take all of that negativity and put it towards something amazing? All this stress and obsession to be perfect is growing a powerful entrepreneur in you. 

Use the knowledge you’ve gained as someone’s subordinate to become a strong, independent therapist who works for yourself. There are various ways you can make this transition—the important part is to create a situation that highlights your strengths and inevitably brings you joy in your career. As you start to consider this an option (which you really should), jot down scenarios and think critically about how you can make it happen in reality. 

How do you Envision Your Freedom?

• Being an independent contractor who gradually builds their caseload in your community.
• Creating a group of speech-language pathologists to promote a new outpatient facility.
• Contracting directly with a school.
• Producing therapy products to sell online and at conference exhibit halls.
• Offering consultation services to families and other therapists who want to increase their knowledge in your area of expertise.
• Being an online influencer for the SLP and SpEd community.
• Narrowing down your services to solely doing assessments.
• Diving into the world of AAC and providing training services. 

These are just a few ways to contour your career and make it how YOU want it to be. If any of these sparked your interest or made a lightbulb go off in your head about another option, please look into the next steps to make it your new reality. 

Why Should You Seek This Freedom?

• You will only have to answer to yourself. Period.
• There’s a luxury in just accepting tasks that you WANT to take.
• A reduction of unnecessary, irrelevant duties thrown your way.
• Focusing on your strengths rather than being expected to be an expert in hundreds of areas just because you have the SLP title. 
• Flexibility to set your hours based on personal needs.
• The ability to work from home, a coffee shop, or browse workspaces to rent.
• Setting a rate that ensures you are reimbursed for what you’re worth. 
• You will rebuild the confidence that was knocked out of you in grad school and under intense supervision. 

If all of this sounds too good to be true- it’s not. Find groups via social media or within your network of SLP friends who have started their own thing. I can think of a handful of therapists I know who went from working for someone to being their own boss. Seek guidance from those successful individuals or request consultation from professionals you may meet in speech groups online or at conferences. This is where the SLP community comes in to get you to your next step- the only way it won’t happen is if you do nothing to try. 

If you need help with learning how to secure your own school contracts, sign up for our on-demand school contract training today!