Meet Brittany Avera | Mother & Speech-Language Pathologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Avera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I never thought I would own my own business. It scared me too much. However, after being a speech-language pathologist in a rehab center for 2 years, in private practice for 4 years, in the school system for 6 years, and having my first child, I wanted more out of life. I dedicated everything to my profession. However, now I had a greater mission in my life: raising my daughter. I wanted to spend time with her, teach her how to be a kind, smart, and strong human, and not be completely exhausted at the end of the day. I also did not want to sit in countless meetings and be stuck inside cinderblock walls and fluorescent lights for 40+ hours a week, encountering all the red tape and roadblocks the school system often faces. I wanted to have my own business where I could provide therapy my way and spend more time with my family. I wanted my cake and I wanted to eat it too. Turns out, you can.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I own Practical Speech Therapy, a private practice that provides in-home, teletherapy, and clinic-based speech/language evaluations and treatment. We work with children, teens, and adults who have difficulty understanding and using language to communicate, difficulty producing speech sounds, and difficulty socializing with peers. We provide individualized treatment and social groups in the community setting such as the mall and restaurants. My practice specializes in treating the whole child and focusing on strengths, not just the deficits. We provide practical activities for you and your family’s everyday routines in life to improve communication. I started my business on the side while I was working full time in the schools and raising a toddler. No, it was not easy. It was one of the hardest, yet most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I overcame the challenges through constant communication with my husband who stays at home with our daughter, a synced google calendar, and an efficient documentation and scheduling system for my practice. I worked nights and weekends for a year. I want the world to know I am a mom and Speech-Language Pathologist who wants to give you quality and meaningful speech/language treatment tailored to each individual client, but I do not work nights and weekends anymore so I can spend quality and meaningful time with my family.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Battery to sit on the rooftop and people watch before going to a Braves game, Ponce City Market to shop, The Beltline to see the art and rent bikes, hike at Indian Seats, and eat at Tacos La Villa, a little hole in the wall restaurant in Smyrna with the most authentic tacos and nachos.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are TONS of people that helped me along the way in creating Practical Speech Therapy. First and foremost, my husband, Jason. He believed in me and encouraged me to go for it despite my fears. I am the breadwinner of the family and I felt very conflicted about leaving my consistent income and health benefits job to pursue this dream. He said, “Brittany, we will figure it out. We always do.” And we did! I would also like to give a shout-out to Meric, my speech intern supervisor, for mentoring me in starting my own business. I also have other friends and family who supported me. There are two Speech Groups filled with knowledgeable and helpful Speech-Language Pathologists on Facebook that answered multiple questions I had. There are so many resources out there to help small business owners such as SCORE which provides business help and support in your area. I also want to shout out my two friends, Katrina and Stephanie, who are also starting their own businesses. Without their encouragement when I was terrified I made the wrong decision to start my own business, I might not have made it this far.

Website: www.practicalspeech.com

Instagram: practicalspeech

Facebook: Practical Speech Therapy

Image Credits
Stephanie Lane