Join the Conversation - Montclair Speech Therapy
Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Lori Caplan-Colon, Owner of Montclair Speech Therapy, located in Montclair, NJ, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a multi-disciplinary practice of speech, feeding, occupational and behavioral therapists working with individuals from birth through the end of life. Our mission is to provide inclusive, research-based therapies that serve the unique needs of individuals across a lifespan.
We offer creativity, support, applied learning and skill, camaraderie, and compassion as we meet our clients at the start of the therapeutic process and bring them to their goals while celebrating all of the steps.
Tell us about yourself
I love what I do every day, and I hope that my two kids can one day feel the way I do about the work that I am privileged to do every day. I am energized by working with and progressing with infants, toddlers, and children with feeding challenges.
I am offered the opportunity daily to enter the village of my clients and positively affect their worlds and their relationship with food. I also get to be a part of finding these same clients' voices and working closely with the entire family to understand the language and help develop that conversation. I am motivated each day by my amazing clients and their families.
I am committed to ongoing development and proficiency in the skills of my staff and myself. I have an extensive background in areas of oral motor and feeding dysfunction. She is trained to use PROMPT (Prompts for restructuring oral/muscular Phonetic Targets.)
I am trained through Level 3 in Talk Tools and am proficient in SOS. The Sequential Oral Sensory Feeding Approach. I am a two-time ACE (Award for Continuing Education) Award the recipient. She has completed a yearlong program at New York Medical College, achieving an advanced degree in Pediatric Dysphagia.
I began a new journey in IAOM, which is the tract to Orofacial Myology Certification, in 2021 to form the certification of orofacial myology. I recently completed and gained my degree in applied behavior analysis after a year-long program at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology, which will allow me to sit for the board exam to become a board-certified behavior analyst.
I don't miss a day of working out and enjoy training for half marathons. I have recently started snowboarding with my family. I have two children (11&13) and a husband who has consistently recognized, supported and built my dream.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my most significant accomplishments is our growth. I began as a sole practitioner and now have 30 employees and four different disciplines.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest part of being a business owner is managing staff. I always knew how to support my clients and families, but as we grew, I needed to invest in the team to support their ability to maintain a work-life balance that is so important to this generation.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Surround yourself with people who believe in you and will support your dreams, even if that means you are making sacrifices.
- Be present among staff, clients, and customers to allow them to get to know the business owner and the why of the business.
- Never stop learning.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.montclairspeechtherapy.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montclairspeechtherapy/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loricaplancolon/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/montclairspeaks
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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