Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christa Sisson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Christa , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
As an academically-focused, rule-following individual, taking risks is not something that has always been easy for me. This is especially true when it comes to taking any sort of financial risk. Growing up with the awareness of financial hardship at a young age, I have always had a side job plan in my back pocket- waitress, tutor, virtual teacher, dishwasher, babysitter… there is always something I am capable of doing “just in case”. This carried over into my professional career, too. Until starting my own business, I have never had just one job to focus on. I was either doing something on the side, or searching for something to do on the side- again, “just in case”. I never thought I could be brave enough or risky enough to venture out into private practice ownership until having my son put many things into perspective for me. In January 2020, I gave birth to the most wonderful tiny human. As March 2020 rolled around, meetings began regarding my return to work at the large (and rapidly growing) company I worked for prior to my maternity leave. As structural changes had occurred while I was out, these meetings were a whirlwind of discussions regarding leadership, changing locations, an adapted job description, new projects, and even bringing my new baby to work (what?!). I look back now and think of my new-mom self and how overwhelmed I was when I kept being asked, “What do YOU want to do?”. Ironically, on the day one of these emotional meetings occurred (with my newborn strapped in a wrap on my body, I might add), the world shut down with COVID-19. Every therapist’s job description changed that day. I worked tirelessly on conducting new evaluations with clients online, learning new online platforms, and on projects to support telehealth learning for our clients and parents; all between feedings and with my child in a swing or on my lap during sessions. I did what was asked of me without a second thought. Sometime during this chaos, a free week-long trial course regarding starting your own private practice came on my radar. I still have no idea what compelled me to join this course, besides maybe curiosity, as I had no plans of going out on my own. After taking the course and crunching some numbers, it started to feel possible that I might want to have my own practice someday. Soon after, my current company changed the payscale and scheduling, making it nearly impossible for a working mother to have a successful career. I started to think more about the parents of my clients, my connection with them, and how limited our interactions were in the clinic setting. I also pondered on how my clients shined on the rare occasion we were able to venture out into the community and the special bond we created with the parents at those times. Soon, this translated into a business plan. In June 2020, I quit my salaried position to create TideSpeak Language & Speech Therapy. At that time, I had no backup plan and only about 3 early intervention clients on the side. I had no idea how it was going to work, but I knew that the new gift of motherhood I had received made me more connected, empathetic, and motivated to support fellow parents.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
TideSpeak Language & Speech Therapy is a company formed out of love and passion to help other humans navigate their individual and unique abilities. I also joke sometimes that postpartum rage played a role in the formation of TideSpeak, too. We specialize in family involvement in therapy, sensory regulation for communication, and bridging the gap between families and professionals for communication and feeding. My goal when forming this company was to do something different that works for families without the barriers of productivity, clinic walls, or therapeutic bureaucracy. Many times as therapists, we give home programs without ever stepping foot into clients’ homes. We recommend expensive equipment without a second thought to the desperation some families feel when it comes to supporting their autistic or sensory child, and without any knowledge of the financial burden these families already experience from having a neurodivergent child. At TideSpeak, we always tell families that the expectation is to work together during sessions, because we aren’t planning to move in! We typically see clients 1-2 times per week, as we believe in leaving families with the confidence to implement our programs when we are not there. Another expectation we have as clinicians going into client homes is that “if we bring it, we leave it”. There are many reasons for this, but the most important part is to show parents that they already have all the tools they need for their child to succeed. Magic flashcards do not exist. A swing will not solve all problems. Fancy feeding tools are not what make picky eaters eat. We like to show parents that success in therapy comes from connection, collaboration, and acceptance. We are not here to “fix” your child, as they are already perfect. Our goal is to support successful communication for safety and real-world integration.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Many of our referrals come from past clients or colleagues. I think part of this is due to our willingness to collaborate and connect with teams for the success of the families we serve. Due to our in-home model, we also build strong and honest relationships with our clients and their parents. We acknowledge that we are human, life happens, and we don’t know everything. We go above and beyond for our clients, and this is clear for those who have seen us at work. Being kind and accepting goes a long way- and people talk!
Can you open up about how you managed the initial funding?
I have to giggle a bit at this question, because… I still don’t know! This is part of the huge risk that I took in the beginning, and somehow it worked out. I was working with a few clients on the side when I first began, so I used some of that revenue for attorney fees to help me form my corporation. This was my biggest expense at first, but it was important to me to get support in this area that I was not experienced in. After that, I took a school contract to build capital and gave myself one school year to build my own caseload before going “totally TideSpeak”. With my in-home model, I kept overhead low by waiting a couple of years to get a clinic space. For the first few years, I did not turn any clients away. I was willing to travel and support anyone, anywhere to get my business going and get my name out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tidespeak.com
- Instagram: @tidespeak
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tidespeak
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/christa-sisson-1376a5233