Growing a Client Base Through Search, Word of Mouth and TikTok With Ahlam Issa
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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-trude 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.com backslash roadmap to sign up. Now on to the episode. Welcome to another inspiring episode of the Private Practice Success Stories Podcast. I'm your host, Jenna Castor Kasbon, and today we have a fantastic guest, Ahim Issa. Ahim is a passionate and driven speech language pathologist with a remarkable journey. Her story is a testament to the incredible transformations that can happen when one follows their heart and perseveres through challenges. In today's episode, We discuss her clinic location and how she initially started in a shared space, and what led her to move into a newer space. We also talk about her boutique-style private practice and how it works, how she's built her client base through word of mouth, online searches, and yes, TikTok, and Alem's long-term goal of taking her private practice to a national and international level to provide more services to underserved communities.
If you've been thinking about pursuing private practice, especially to underserved populations, this is a must-listen episode. So stay tuned. 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.
Before we dive in, can you please share your name, your location, and the name of your private practice? Yeah. So my
name is Ahlam Issa, and I'm from Ann Arbor, Michigan. And the name of my practice is Issa Speech Therapy, PLC.
And because you're kind of insta famous, can you share your Instagram handle so that people can follow you? Yes. So it's uh
Issa speech therapy, Issa's I S S A, and then speech therapy. And I also have TikTok.
What inspired Ahlam Issa to pursue a career in speech‑language pathology and private practice?
I'm more famous on TikTok.
That's right. Okay. Awesome. I'm more focused. So I'm trying to get on TikTok, but I'm uh not not doing as well as I am on Instagram. But anyway, this is about you. Let's go back to the beginning of your career. Can you please share a little bit about like how you got into like the profession? And then at what point did you start thinking about private practice?
Yeah. So when I was younger, I actually had a lisp and a stutter. But I never received the help for it. Speech therapy wasn't as popular during that time. But I did get teased for it. And it was really hard for me when I was younger. So I was like adamant about figuring out how to, you know, correct it and fix it because I didn't get the help that I needed. And I didn't really I didn't know at that time that the speech therapy career like field was even existed at that time. So I ended up like going on YouTube and, you know, doing my own research. And I was in middle school at that time, mind you. Very young. Very young. So I ended up treating my own list.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–3:21
2
What inspired Ahlam Issa to pursue a career in speech‑language pathology and private practice?
3:21–8:13
3
How did Ahlam transition from school‑based work to starting her own boutique private practice?
8:13–14:00
4
What strategies did Ahlam use to build her client base through word‑of‑mouth and online searches?
14:00–18:51
5
How has TikTok helped Ahlam grow her practice and attract new clients?
18:51–23:47
6
What does Ahlam’s current clinic space look like and how does she create a therapeutic experience for families?
23:47–27:39
7
What short‑term and long‑term goals does Ahlam have for expanding her practice nationally and internationally?
27:39–31:42
8
What advice does Ahlam give to clinicians who are scared to start their own private practice?
31:42–33:54
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Private Practice Success Stories
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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