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

Rhonda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

When I started college back in 19??, I was determined to be a math major. I was good at math and always touted about how much I LOVE math! Well, after my first semester of math classes including a course called discreet math that involved calculating letters instead of numbers, I quickly figured out that I only liked math, I did not love it! At that point, I started looking through the course catalog and searching for different ideas on what my next move would be. I came across a course called Introduction to Speech Correction. I wasn’t sure what it entailed, but I was curious. Needless to say, after taking that introductory course and getting a glimpse of the word of Speech Correction, which is now called Speech Pathology, I knew this was something I wanted to do. It gave me an opportunity to really make a difference in someone’s life not just from a communication standpoint, but from an overall health wellness aspect whether I decided to work in a school, hospital, nursing private practice, etc. After taking that one course, that one semester, it truly changed the trajectory of my professional career and I have never looked back nor regretted that decision. My first job was in a school system and I also worked in a nursing home part-time, which gave me an opportunity to use my skills in two totally different environments simultaneously. This opened the door for me to be more curious about hospital settings and outpatient rehab centers. After five years of working in various settings, I settle down into early intervention speech pathology, and this has been my primary treatment population for the past 23 years. It is a blessing to wake up every day and do something you love.

Rhonda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Articulate Today Inc. provides private speech therapy services for children birth to 18 who are medically fragile, developmentally delayed, or born with disorders that affect their ability to effectively communicate with others or use their oral motor structures appropriately for speaking and/or swallowing all while providing support and assistance to the caregivers. We offer face to face therapy sessions as well as virtual therapy sessions. I pride myself on establishing a good rapport with my clients and their families and making their care my top priority. Because I have a true passion for my job, it carries through to how I treat my clients and how I interact with my families. I want my clients and their caregivers to feel like a team working toward the same goal, which make intervention strategies much more successful.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was once a part of a treatment team with other professionals (Occupational therapists, Physical therapists, etc.) We shared the joint responsibility of several clients and their caregivers. I learned over time that there was one particular therapist of another discipline expressing to other professionals and caregivers her dislike for my methods of treatment, as well as how I interact with my clients and their families. I’m not sure if she thought I was too likeable or accommodating, or what exactly the case was, and I don’t think I will ever know. Nonetheless, this ended up in me leaving a job I truly loved to save my professional career. I learned quickly that just because you work together does not automatically mean you have professional courtesy with others, and words have power. If you allow, people can destroy your life with the use of their tongue. For the sake of not losing the ability to do what I love, I felt it was in my best interest to move forward in a different career setting. It was a difficult transition, but one that I’m glad I made. There were a few lessons learned there. First, everyone is not going to value your worth as a professional. Second, remaining professional even when you feel wronged is the best way to take the high road when transitioning from any setting, and lastly, know when to leave the party and try somewhere or something different!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I know for a fact word of mouth has built my reputation. I’m not a big social media influencer or look for “likes” to propel by skills and business. Furthermore, I am proud to be able to measure my success by having people reach out to me through the relationships I have formed with other families and their children, as well as other professionals such pediatricians and social workers I have worked with in the past. To me, this is how I truly know that I have made an impact on other people’s lives, and it is quite humbling. That is a feeling Facebook or Instagram just can’t provide for me.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: Articulate Today Inc.
• Other: [email protected]