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

Hi MARCIA, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I started my private practice because I wanted the flexibility to be at home with my two year old daughter AND fufill my passion by providing in home & virtual speech therapy to the early intervention population who were greatly in need post pandemic. I also wanted to teach my children the value of hard work. My husband had a successful 9 year career in the NFL and it was very important to me to model to our children that when you find your purpose, you must work hard and dedicate your time and energy to walk in your purpose.

As my practice grew, other Speech Language Pathologists took interest in how I branded my business & elevated my digital presence. I began recommending others to invest in a branding photo shoot, however, many were hesitant. I knew there had to be something I could do to assist and there was. I came up with the idea to serve as a branding director for a photo shoot to create SLP (Speech Language Pathologists) stock photos. I noticed the majority of the stock photos were lacking diversity and accurate representation of what we actually do. I also took note that no parents were involved in the stock photos, and there is clear research to prove how CRITICAL family participation in therapy is. I will be launching my Speech Stars Branding Shop on my website next month which will cater to helping SLP private practice owners ditch the overwhelm of branding and create some time saving resources for them to also elevate their brand.

MARCIA, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Marcia Church, M.A., CCC-SLP. I have been a nationally certified Speech Language Pathologist since 2008. I traveled all over the country working in school districts prior to settling in Dallas, TX where I met my husband. I switched settings to begin working in home health. Once we started a family, my career got placed on the back burner while I supported my husband’s NFL career and relocated to Florida. After returning to Dallas with our two children following his retirement from the NFL, the pandemic happened and a friend reached out to me to evaluate her child. I took that as an opportunity and went for it. I created Pediatric Speech Stars, a boutique private practice that provides in home and virtual services to the birth-5 population. I invested in business development, established my niche, and successfully branded my practice which lead to a variety of additional opportunities for me. I have been a guest on podcasts, offered an opportunity to serve on a clinical advisory board, offered both SLP and parent coaching virtual sessions, and now I am launching my branding shop to begin offering time saving resources & diverse SLP stock photos to increase other SLP private practice owners digital presence. Something I am very good at is establishing boundaries. I am able to establish a schedule that works for me, helps others, and also allows time to establish additional active & passive streams of income all which fulfill my passion and make what I do for a living ENJOYABLE and rewarding. The secret sauce is being able to say “No” to what will not serve you, and “Yes” to opportunities that elevate you.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Sure. I had just launched my beautiful website and was SO excited increase my SEO and digital presence so that more of my ideal clients would be able to find me. And then…I tore my ACL. We went on a ski trip 3 weeks after my launch and I had a freak accident which results in knee surgery and 6 months of physical therapy. To say I was defeated would be an understatement. But when I learned was even if you get knocked down in business, you have to get back up. I learned how to pivot, how to reach out to other colleagues to cover for some clients, establish a referral network, and had some parents come to my home for sessions until I was ready to drive again. It was also the first time I had EVER been a therapy client which was eye opening as a therapist. I remember the moment my physical therapist told me to jump and I responded “I can’t jump” and it was the moment I realized how limiting your mental beliefs are over your physical being. Because sure enough, once I consciously took over my mind control, my two feet jumped from that floor.
If you tell yourself, I could never be a business owner. I could never launch my e commerce store, I could never make money from anywhere…you indeed won’t. But if you adjust your mindset and speak to yourself in a way that CAN do all the things you dream of, then you will.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I 100% recommend every single business owner to invest in a branding photoshoot. We are living in the digital age where DIGITAL impressions are just as important as in person first impressions. You want to attract your ideal client through your brand- and a brand is much more than a logo. Improving your digital presence will increase the likelihood the prospects that visit your website, your google business page, or any of your social media, have found the right person to help them with their problem they are searching for. Feel free to visit my website for more information.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pediatricspeechstars.com
• Instagram: @pediatricspeechstars
• Facebook: @pediatricspeechstars
• Yelp: @pediatricspeechstars

Image Credits
@amberticephotography