We were lucky to catch up with Vanessa Alcala recently and have shared our conversation below.

Vanessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I am a proud first generation college graduate, but I have such respect for those who developed certain life skills that school cannot teach. Neither of my parents had the privilege of attending college, yet the generational barriers they broke are truly admirable and worth more than any college degree. Some of the traditional beliefs are:

-Your worthiness is measured only by how hard you can work
-Stay humble at all times
-Don’t ask for too much; be grateful for what you have
-Don’t take too many risks

Although some of these beliefs still are applicable today, they can be especially damaging to first or second generations. Instead, what my parents did right was teach me that:

-Hard work is important, but get an education so you don’t have to work as hard as us
-Staying humble is important, but also give yourself praise when it’s due
-An education or unique skillset will give you a better chance of being appropriately compensated without having to work overtime like us
-Take any and every risk you want because we will be here to catch you

These “life lessons” my parents taught me impacted my work ethic, my dedication & my optimism as a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist & Private Practice Owner. They paved the way to show me that the most important things in life cannot be bought. I owe my success to them. They sacrificed everything they knew to give me a better life, and for that I am eternally grateful.

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 back background and context?

My name is Vanessa Alcala and I am a Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist, Co-Host of Sip & Social and Founder of TheraVolve Wellness Co. located in Tampa, FL. Our mission is to empower others through a culturally responsive and holistic approach to speech, cognitive and swallowing therapy.

A lot of people will ask me, “Are you a pediatric therapist or an adult therapist?” My response: I am a people therapist! My extensive experience as a caregiver to my abuela with dementia for over 10 years in combination with my experience as growing up bilingual and now raising a bilingual son allow me the unique perspective and opportunity to serve both populations. Each day is so unique and fulfilling because I witness the innocence and humor of engaging with small yet such brilliant minds, while also soaking up so much knowledge and wisdom from adults who understand what it is like to lose something so valuable and do everything in your power to regain it.

As a first generation college graduate, I understand the importance of a strong support system and the impact that has on a quality education. That’s why I’ve made it my life’s mission to give back to my hispanic community through a culturally responsive, child-centered approach to speech therapy care. I believe that being bilingual is beautiful and that communication is critical to forming relationships and interacting with others. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise!

As a caregiver to my abuela with Dementia for over 10 years, I can now say I have experienced sitting in both seats: caregiver vs. clinician. It is my honor and privilege to provide consultations that my family and I sincerely needed and would’ve benefited greatly from, during our personal experiences with Dementia.

Over the last year, I’ve also carefully curated marketing materials to illustrate my mission. In doing so, I quickly discovered a passion of mine was to also collaborate with other ambitious SLP entrepreneurs and show them that you don’t have to spend a ton of money hiring someone for high quality marketing and branding materials to stand out. This past Fall, I launched the online SLP Marketing Shop which offers editable marketing and clinical educational resources for private practice owners to efficiently and effectively market their business.

Lastly, as a female entrepreneur and private practice owner, sometimes you can feel like you’re on a lonely island. Which is why I teamed up with a local SLP turned biz bff, Sarah Breshears (Founder of Social Moguls) to host RSVP only events for female entrepreneurs in the healthcare industry to network and collaborate. Sip & Social hosts medical events for women in healthcare throughout the Tampa bay area and due to recent demand, we’ve gone across Florida and even to Boston! It has been so beautiful to witness the growth of our events and more importantly, the referral sources and friendships that have been established along the way.

I am most proud of my resilience and ability to establish a community footprint in close to 1 year of business (though I have been working on this dream of mine for quite longer). My goal this upcoming year is to grow and acquire a team that embodies the same values that I do, and give back to the community that has done so much for me.

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

I will NEVER forget, sitting across from my high school guidance counselor, asking her what I can do to graduate early and start college. She told me I didn’t have the grades for college and should look at other options. It was so unfortunate. I came to her as a young student with no knowledge or experience and asked for help. She knew I had testing anxiety. She knew I had no choice but to work 4-10 everyday after school. She knew my parents didn’t go to college. Yet she turned me away. She made the mistake of not seeing my worth, my strengths and my resilience.

Instead of getting discouraged, I became focused. I searched every possible scholarship option when I wasn’t working full time after school. Knowing what the requirements were allowed me to set the pace and get it done.

I graduated early with a bright futures scholarship and became a first generation college graduate and a part of the 8% of bilingual Speech-Language Pathologists. Even during my college career, I had setbacks. I had to remediate or retake courses. Scholarship funding costs continued to be cut down. Despite everything and with the help and support of my family, WE did it.

Fast forward to 2024. I’m a mother, wife, daughter, sister and now successful business owner. I wake up every day and get to help others. The biggest compliment I get from my clients is my personality and my ability to convey even the most challenging messages. My value is not comprised of an exam score or how many resources I have available for success. My value is comprised of how hard I work during times of doubt, how gracious I am during times of tension, and how grateful I feel to wake up everyday. This makes me think of my patients and what an honor it is to provide culturally holistic & responsive speech, cognitive and swallowing therapy.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I use SO many resources daily to ensure I am on top of my game as an entrepreneur. I tend to always gravitate towards self-development books. Some of my favorites are The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer, Grit by Angela Duckworth and the 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins. I use the Peacefully Productive Planner from Hustle Sanely to stay organized without feeling too overwhelmed and listen to the Hustle Sanely Podcast. I use the ‘I AM’ app and receive positive affirmations daily sprinkled throughout the day. From a financial standpoint, I use the Budget by PayCheck Method by Kumiko Love & The Profit First method to stay focused on goals. Aside from balancing mom life and entrepreneurship, this combination of resources usually does the trick to keep me consistent and focused!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theravolvewellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theravolvewellness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theravolvewellness
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theravolvewellness/
• Other: Google Business Profile: https://g.co/kgs/jiWzZvo

Image Credits
Danielle Nicole Photography