Single Mom Builds a Thriving Private Practice with Zero Financial Safety Net with Erin West
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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 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.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 Castric Asbon, and I'm so excited for you to meet today's guest, Aaron West. Erin is a pediatric speech language pathologist and the founder of Wildflowers Pediatric Therapy in Bradeton, Florida. She's also a single mother of two children who built her private practice from the ground up after her divorce. She also did this after leaving what most people would consider a quote good job, decent pay, flexible schedule, and supportive team, but it just wasn't aligned with her values anymore.
In this episode, Erin shares her incredibly inspiring journey of going from burned out to building a business that gives her the freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment that she was craving, not just for herself, but for her small family. We talk about everything from taking the leap without a financial safety net to To building a niche around feeding, autism, and sensory needs, why she joined the Start Your Private Practice program to learn how to do all of this, and how her 13-year-old son literally helped her run the numbers to get started. Just wait until you hear that part. If you are in a situation that is no longer serving you, whether it's a marriage or a job, and you've been wondering if private practice is really possible for you, then this is a good idea.
This is a must listen episode. Erin's story will inspire you, motivate you, and show you what's possible when you trust yourself and take action. 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. All right, so before we dive in, can you please share your name, your location, and the name of your private practice?
My name is Erin West and I am in Bradenton, Florida. And the name of my private practice is Wildflowers Pediatric Therapy.
Aaron, I'm so excited to be doing this with you today. I've gotten to know you in the Start Your Private Practice program, and you actually came on as one of our guest speakers in our most recent boot camp, which was so cool that you know me and some of our students got to know your story a little bit, but our larger audience hasn't heard your story. And it's a really good one. So before we get to kind of where you are right now in your life and in your practice, can you please take us back to when you first got started in the profession? And then at what point did you start thinking about private practice?
Yeah, so I've been working in the profession for gosh, about fifteen years, which sounds crazy to even say.
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Chapters
7 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–5:33
2
What inspired Erin West to leave her hospital job and start a private practice?
5:33–14:04
3
How did Erin’s 13‑year‑old son help her calculate the numbers needed to launch Wildflowers Pediatric Therapy?
14:04–20:17
4
What niche did Erin choose (feeding, autism, sensory needs) and why is it important for private practice success?
20:17–27:14
5
How did Erin secure funding through the Florida STEP UP scholarship program and other cash‑pay strategies?
27:14–33:54
6
What role did community collaborations (ABA clinic, music‑therapy studio) play in growing her client base?
33:54–40:12
7
Which tools and systems (website, EMR, SimplePractice) did Erin implement to run her practice efficiently?
40:12–45:32
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Private Practice Success Stories
She Spent 5 Years Too Scared to Start - Now She Has a 4-Room Clinic with Tiffany Fairdosi
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