Building a Small Town Practice to Help Both Her Community AND Her Own Family with Alaina Verkinnes
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What is the free private‑practice roadmap and how can listeners get it?
Starting a private practice isn't what it used to be. Today's clinicians are starting private practices much quicker, easier, and cheaper than before. And they aren't guessing their way through it or getting stuck in analysis paralysis, they're following a tried and true roadmap in order to save time, money, and frustration. There is no reason to reinvent the wheel or struggle to figure out how to start a private practice on your own. We've helped thousands of SLPs and OTs through this process and now we want to help you too. For a limited time, I'm offering a free copy of our private practice roadmap, specifically for SLPs and OTs who are curious about private practice and want to see what the journey looks like.
To download your free copy, please visit startyourprivatepractice dot com backslash roadmap to sign up. Now on to the episode. Welcome back to another. Episode of the Private Practice Success Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Jenna Caster-Kasban, and I'm so excited for you to meet today's guest, Elena Verkenis. Elena is a speech language pathologist and the founder of Minnesota Speech Therapy Solutions in Princeton, Minnesota, which is a rural community where she's become the only local private practitioner who offers speech therapy services for families who need support. Now, What I love about Elena's story is that she didn't start her private practice because she wanted to, quote, run a business. She started it because she saw the impact that she could make, both for her community and for her own family.
So after 15 years of experience in the schools and in other people's private practices, she realized that she was ready for something that gave her the flexibility, the purpose, and the ability to serve in a deeper and more personal way. Personalized way. And even though she didn't have every single step figured out, she chose to take the leap anyway, and that decision changed everything. Now, I first got to know Elena during our first one-on-one call as part of the Next Level Private Practitioner Program. Elena knew that she needed help to grow her private practice in an efficient and profitable way, and she wanted my eyes on her business. Now she's following the growth plan that I created. For her, which includes things like setting up systems and hiring.
In this episode, Elena shares her journey of going from having only a handful of clients to having a full caseload and even a wait list, all while navigating things like credentialing, insurance, home visits, and the balancing act of being both a mom and a business owner. We talk about everything from how her years of experience prepared her for private project. Practice much more than she expected, why being volunteer to learn AAC ended up shaping her clinical passion and private practice niche, the moment her husband encouraged her to finally go for it, and how living in a rural town has opened up opportunities that she never imagined. So if you've been wondering whether private practice is possible in a small town, or whether you have enough experience, or can even handle
the business side of things, then Elena's story is gonna give you the clarity, confidence, and so much encouragement that you need right now. Elena proves that you don't need perfection, you just need purpose and the willingness to start. So let's dive in. I'm Jenna Castro-Kasbon, speech language pathologist, business coach, and creator of the Start Your Private Practice System. And I'm on a mission to turn stuck SLPs into successful private practitioners. If you're tired of dealing with high productivity requirements, high caseload sizes, and low pay, it's time to take control of your professional, personal, and financial life and finally get the freedom, flexibility, and financial abundance that you deserve by working with private clients in your own practice.
Join me here each week as I share tips, best practices, and inspirational interviews on the Private Practice Success Stories podcast. If you're a private practitioner or one in the making, you're in the right place, so let's get started.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the free private‑practice roadmap and how can listeners get it?
0:00–6:00
2
Who is Alaina Verkinnes and what motivated her to start a rural speech‑therapy practice?
6:00–21:50
3
How did Alaina’s early career in schools and private practice prepare her for entrepreneurship?
21:50–33:34
4
What role did Alaina’s husband play in encouraging her to launch her own practice?
33:34–37:54
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Private Practice Success Stories
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She Started With Two Clients on the Side - Now She Has Nine SLPs and a Clinic with Samantha Taylor
From 2 Clients on the Side to Ready to Hire — Then She Decided She Didn't Want To with Bianca Gizzi Fusco
She Told Her Dad She’d Never Start a Private Practice - Now She Has a Successful Clinic and Growing Team with Sarah Landry
She Started at 26 With One Referral - Now She Has a Downtown Office and a 3-Year School Contract with Becca Vilsaint
She Didn't Hate Her Job BUT She Left to Start a Private Practice Anyway with Heather Danielkiewicz