Meet Abbey Gray | Speech/Feeding Therapist & Lactation Counselor

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

Hi Abbey, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind my success is my desire to help people, especially other parents. I loved my career before becoming a parent myself, but now that I have two children, I have a deeper passion for and understanding of the emotional aspect of my work. I have struggled with feeding both of my boys and I know how difficult it can be. I truly understand and feel the need for support in such a vulnerable time of being a mother. I love connecting with other caregivers and helping them reach their goals for themselves and their children.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a speech-language pathologist and certified lactation counselor specializing in feeding and lactation and the founder of Gray Eat, Speak, Play LLC. I began my career as a speech-language pathologist and feeding therapist working for other private practices. While I loved my clinical work, I felt that many business decisions didn’t align with my values, especially when the pandemic hit. I wanted to be able to control these aspects and also have flexibility to make my own schedule. It’s important to me for my business to reflect my values and who I am as a clinician and person.
It hasn’t been easy getting to where I am today because we have moved several times since I began my practice. I was established in my clinical career originally in Boston, and then we moved to Maine (where we still reside part-time), then to Atlanta. Each time I had to get my name out there and make connections in order to get clients and referral sources. During this time, we also had two children who are now almost 3 and 1. I have found many personal and professional connections through my kids, which has been great. I have also found balancing running my own business while being a “stay-at-home mom” to be challenging. I have learned that it requires carving out time to focus on my business, mostly at night after the kids go to bed. Work-life balance is something I’m still working on and learning about! I understand the mental load of parenting and am very compassionate about helping others navigate it.

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.
I would definitely take my best friend to the aquarium and the botanical gardens! Both spots are so nice with lots to see and do. We would go to Chastain Park, grab coffee and pastries to go from The Chastain, and walk around the park. I would also take her to Chamblee to eat- so many of my favorite spots are there: Southbound, The Frosty Caboose, Blue Top. I also love Buckhead for dinner and drinks and a fancier night out: Le Colonial, Bistro Niko, Umi, The Garden Room, Nobu. If it were warm, we would go to the pool and splash pad at Lynwood Park (with kids) or the pool at Life Time in Buckhead (without kids). Food and drinks at Canoe are also very fun when the weather is nice since it is right on the river and the gardens are pretty. The zoo is another good spot with kids! I also enjoy working out with FIT4MOM so if my best friend were visiting with her two kids, we’d do one of the stroller workouts in Dunwoody.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my husband. He has always been my biggest support and cheerleader, throughout the building of my business and my journey in motherhood. We have been through challenges and he has encouraged me to persevere and thrive through them.

Website: https://www.grayeatspeakplay.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram,com/grayeatspeakplay

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grayeatspeakplay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grayeatspeakplay

Other: Email: abbey@grayeatspeakplay.com
Classes: https://www.grayeatspeakplay.com/classes

Image Credits
Siobhan Bogle, Maine Tinker Photography