Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Popoola. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I got the idea for my non-profit while studying for my doctorate and specifically while preparing for my final capstone project. I noticed a gap in my area of expertise and developed a program to fill that need by conducting research and identifying any existing solutions. After graduating, I turned my project into an actual non-profit. Some challenges I faced were identifying clientele, stakeholders, creating a marketing strategy and procuring funding. Despite any challenges, I wouldn’t change my process because I’ve learned from the path that I took and organically discovered ways to improve. My advice to young professionals is to spend time developing your “why” and conduct thorough research in your local area to ensure that the services you’re planning to provide will be useful to the community.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was introduced to occupational therapy by my mom. I work in an orthopedic hospital treating inpatients recovering from orthopedic surgery. I assess the safety of clients to assist with determining a plan for their return home. After assessing each client and introducing them to durable medical and adaptive equipment, I teach patients strategies for how to perform daily activities such as, dressing, showering, toileting, and transferring safely in their home. With my non profit, I specifically work with underserved communities to provide access to durable medical equipment. Typically my clients either lack insurance and the ability to pay out of pocket or have insufficient insurance. What sets me apart is that I provide a safety assessment prior to them receiving any equipment and that I provide services at no cost to my clients. I’m most proud of my ability to turn my capstone into a business that fills a need in my community.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Going to events where my specific customer base and those who support them are present and represented has helped with building my clientele. It’s also important that after you make connections with clientele and other stakeholders, you follow up. In addition to this, I partner with Occupational Therapy students and utilize social media outlets to ensure that potential clients are aware of my services.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Being consistent and open minded is extremely important for success. I stay current on new research and strategies that could best serve my clientele and ultimately increase our reach as a non-profit. Finally, it’s helpful to network and always be willing to share what you do with others. You never know how those connections can open doors for learning and new opportunities for growth.

Contact Info:

• Website: ValsHelpingHands.com
• Instagram: @valshelpinghands
• Facebook: Valshelpinghands
• Linkedin: Valshelpinghands
• Other: Email- [email protected] Tik tok- valshelpinghands

Image Credits
Instagram- @_marie_pascale [email protected]