We recently connected with Patrice Thomas and have shared our conversation below.
Patrice, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?
One of the most important lessons I learned in college was that my self-worth is not limited or equal to how others view me. My future does not thrive on the opinions of humans but on God’s plan. During my tenure as an undergraduate student, I experienced what was once a paralyzing moment in my life. I allowed a negative perception of me to impact my ability to take bold steps within my career as an entrepreneur. One of my professors used one of the most powerful things anyone could use towards another person, “words”. She humiliated me in front of my class and in private. She used the word “dumb” in a joke to describe me as she passed out our graded exams! I was in awe and always as quiet as a mouse. I had finally made an “A” on a neuro exam and they were never multiple choice and hard! I was more of a “B” student! I was one of those people who was not supposed to make it as far as I’ve made it today. I was encouraged to look into a new major or career. No one was really aware that I had about three jobs in school to make sure I could pay for books and other necessities to remain in school. I lived in the library when I could and carried notecards with me everywhere to make sure I studied. It wasn’t that I couldn’t do my work, it was my learning style and the fact that I was in survival mode. This lesson stuck with me because that seed of negativity once hindered me from everything I’ve gained so far. I’d never really explored the root causes of what had been attacking my confidence to take risks. Because of this experience, I’ve made it mandatory that each person who enters my speech therapy clinic must choose a positive word and reflect on it the entire day. Even the infant visitors! They have to babble or coo in agreement to the word I choose! No exceptions, just coo the best you can! Words are powerful and underrated. I don’t take them lightly anymore and I rather use mine to plant, create and uplift. Lessons in life challenge your ability to shift and adapt. It’s all about perspective and the ability to shift it often in order to maintain a healthy mindset and outlook on life.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Sure, I’m Patrice and I encourage people through the ongoing adversities of life. I also transform lives by providing quality speech therapy and creative experiences vital to impacting communication. I’ve always enjoyed taking care of people and encouraging others. I love to see broken things mended, so this led me to pursue a career that would put me in a position to serve and share lots of love and light in an impactful way. Each day, I’m faced with the challenge of discovering ways to resolve or restore communication in some aspect. I’m a board-certified Speech-Language Pathologist with over 12 years of experience. I’m a mentor, teacher, and an author of the book entitled, “Unpredictable Shifts”, which has an expected release date in 2024. I’m the founder of Unique Speech Techniques, PLLC, a private practice located in Mansfield, TX where we prioritize building relationships and remaining active in the community! Unique Speech Techniques has partnered with St. Augustine University and Baylor University to assist graduate students in obtaining clinical hours. At this time, the private practice offers free monthly mentoring sessions for aspiring SLPs and SLP-A’s that are geared towards personal development, understanding clinical grammar and therapy strategies. I make an effort to create an environment for everyone to thrive effortlessly regardless of their learning style or understanding about the profession. A bit about my background, I have experience treating children and adults of various ages. My youngest patient was about 4 months and my oldest to date is 107 years old. Areas of expertise include language (expressive, receptive, semantic & pragmatic), articulation/phonological, fluency, voice, neurocognitive (attention, memory, problem-solving, reasoning), aural rehabilitation, aphasia, adult dysphagia, and augmentative-alternative communication systems (AAC). My career has taken me around the world and I’ve traveled extensively locally and abroad. I’ve practiced in multiple states as a traveling SLP and currently licensed by the board of Mississippi, Georgia, and Texas. I’ve worked in every possible setting an SLP could work in including private practice, school districts, skilled nursing facilities, dementia care units, in-home health, and hospitals. Everything I’m connected to is linked to nurturing, growth and change!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn in regard to business was that being afraid of taking risks will hinder your growth and ability to expand. You have to be open to making mistakes, spending money, and taking risks that may seem crazy initially. In the world of entrepreneurship, there isn’t a way around taking risks. It’s a consistent faith builder that requires long hours and extensive amounts of problem-solving and critical thinking! I learned very quickly that this is not for the weak and the hustle is ongoing. No one is going to play a game of “my little pony” with you or actually hand anything to you. You have to play hard, work, network, and go get it. It’s a beautiful process that will develop your character, create an open mind, and transform your way of thinking. Prior to embarking on this journey, I’ve always played it safe and settled for a comfortable zone. My previous way of thinking hindered my progress, and I’ve missed opportunities by giving in to my own fear and “safe zone” thoughts. At this point, I’ll jump off the cliff and figure it out when I get down there! God has always sent someone my way or aligned the right people at the right time to provide what I need at the moment. I attempt to stay connected to people who will encourage me and provide wise insight in regard to my challenges. My mistakes haven’t killed me or beat me yet, but they keep me out of my comfort zone! Ditch the comfort zone and allow yourself to savor the uncomfortable for “a season” to savor the freedom of entrepreneurship.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
My life is a story that illustrates my resilience. I’ve lived a silent and eventful life for the most part. I’m a delicate storm and you’d have to come with your best swing to knock me down for good. I’ve beat statistics and overcome some of the worst things that life could have thrown at me, and I continue to evolve by the grace of God. I grew up in poverty and had no clue of what I grew from until I left home and went to college. I met students whose parents paid for their tuition, vehicles, name-brand clothes etc. but mine couldn’t afford it. They did the best they could and gave their last to my siblings and I. I’m the fifth of seven children so imagine more than one kid in college on a combined income of about 25K or less a year in Mississippi. I used my refund checks from my student loans to take care of things I needed. I held 2-3 jobs throughout college and created jobs for myself on campus to keep money in my pocket. I met some amazing teachers and staff who became parents away from home and provided necessities at the most random and on-time moments. I went on to finish graduate school during unforeseen circumstances and I became a travel Speech Language Pathologist. I was determined to finish college so that I didn’t have to go back to what I came from in the same position. My desire has always been to return in a different position that would be impactful and transform others. I’m the first documented certified African-American Speech Language Pathologist known to my small hometown, Cary, MS. My own journey has taught me endurance. I will never lie down without a fight. When life takes a jab, you take a jab back and you go for the KO! You can call me Patrice Mayweather baby, the seed of Floyd Mayweather! My background, experiences, and past circumstances are a driving force behind everything I do today. I’m on a mission to encourage others in a way that they have never experienced it and to meet people where they are. So many people suffer in silence or lack willing supportive resources to remain resilient.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.uniquespeechtechniques.com
- Instagram: @uniquespeechtechniques
- Facebook: uniquespeechtechniques
- Linkedin: Patrice Thomas M.S., CCC-SLP
- Youtube: @UniqueSpeechTechniques
Image Credits
shotsbyalexharris avionthomasphotography