Dedicated, Personable, Involved - Hello Speech Solutions

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Faye Arbues and Tricia Ignacio, Founders of Hello Speech Solutions, located in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

We are both speech-language pathologists and provide in-home speech/language, feeding and swallowing, and myofunctional therapy services for children and adults. We work with various types of individuals who are: Autistic, delayed in early language and/or articulation/phonology development, hearing-impaired, suffer language and communication impairments (aphasia) from brain injury/stroke/neurodegenerative disease, developed dysphagia, voice, and/or cognition challenges, and orofacial disorders (e.g., tongue thrusts, mouth breathers, oral-motor development).

We work closely with the family, teachers, and other disciplines (OT, PT, doctors, teachers, etc.) to ensure continuity of care across all levels of care. We take special pride in ensuring that all of the families/caregivers are equipped with the confidence to engage their loved ones in speaking, eating, and playing.

Tell us about yourself

We started this business together with the dream of sharing our skills with the many children and adults who need our services. As children of immigrant parents, instilled with a strong work ethic and drive to passionately care for our clients, every day we are motivated with the gift of possibility- the possibility to grow a child's early language skills, feeding/oral-motor development, or rehabilitate an adult's ability to communicate following a brain injury. We let everything come out during play and guide our clients toward their desired goals (that's why so many of us enjoy board games, haha).

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

The relationships with other disciplines (OT, PT, pediatricians, dentists, and ENTs) and SLP colleagues that we've cultivated are most exciting to us! Inter- and intradisciplinary collaboration is essential so that we can incorporate shared knowledge with each of our clients. It's certainly a feat to grow your own referral program, and we're happy to have a budding network so that we can provide the appropriate services to those who need them.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

Being a business owner comes with many hardships, and one of them is insurance, in our opinion! We're still in the early stages of networking with some insurance companies, and that has challenges alone, making it difficult for us to provide care for underserved, marginalized communities. However, we're taking small steps by being a provider with Regional Centers, so children ages 0-3 years can receive state-funded Early Intervention speech therapy services.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

1. Hold space for yourself and give yourself permission to learn from your mistakes and grow. Things may get in the way, but don't let that stop you from reaching your goal of opening your business!
2. Learn to understand that it takes time. As many have mentioned, growing a business does not happen overnight, so make sure you have enough finances to support yourself while you're building your business.
3. Lean into your support system when things get too difficult. Their perspective may provide you some comfort for difficult moments in this building process. Some may give you better insight into how to approach those obstacles.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.hellospeechsolutions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelloSpeechSolutions/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellospeechsolutions/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hello-speech-solutions/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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