Advertise on podcast: Behind The Milestones

On the surface, this might look like an unlikely collaboration. We recently shared an episode reacting to Rita Shamoun's podcast, which was marketed to spark debate around one question: should speech pathologists start a clinic with less than five years of experience? If you listened to our reaction, you'll know we actually agreed. So we invited Rita to sit down with us and keep the conversation going, this time looking at clinical and business growth more broadly. What we cover: What university placements don't prepare you forWhy being honest with parents about what you haven't done yet builds trust, and the risks of "fake it until you make it"Burnout, overcommitting and getting support before you hit a breaking pointWhy collaboration beats competition in a small professionSometimes a controversial headline hides a lot of common ground. This one is for early career clinicians and business owners alike. Want to hear more from Rita? Find Wine with Wita wherever you get your podcasts. Looking for a mentor who has been where you are? We offer 1:1 OT and Speech mentoring - milestones.au/mentoring

If you disappeared from your role for three months tomorrow, what would break? In this solo episode, Emily (very pregnant and very much in planning mode) walks through everything she has done to prepare her clinic for parental leave, and what any business owner, clinician or admin can borrow from it. What we cover: Why a business that only works when you are there is a systems problem, not a personal failingThe end-of-year and end-of-week checklists that should have existed ages agoHow highlighting every part of her position description showed exactly who takes on whatHanding over 95% of a caseload with verbal, written and in-person handoversKeeping clinical supervision going with external supervision and regular group sessionsSetting boundaries and contingency plans between business partners, including a back-up plan for the back-upPerfectionism, baby brain and letting go of "no one does it like I do" all make an appearance. You don't have to be pregnant to need this one. Want support building a career that's sustainable AND successful? That's exactly what our mentoring is designed for - milestones.au/mentoring

Waiting until you feel inspired is a great way to get nothing done. In this solo clinic commute chat, Joey talks through the tension between needing creativity and needing output, and how to build a rhythm that protects both. What we cover: Why motivation is unreliable, and how momentum is what actually creates driveWhy Joey's best ideas come when she is regulated, happy and rested, not when she forces itThe difference between creative time and productive time, and why both need to be scheduledWhat changes when your creative work becomes paid client workWhy you need a protected block each week for creative experimentation, with zero output expectationsThe traps at both extremes: chasing views and output, or hyperfixating until client delivery slipsYou don't have to choose between your creative spark and your business goals. Keep putting your work out there. A good mentor changes everything. Find out how we can help - milestones.au/mentoring

If demand is sky high, why can't allied health practitioners just work flexible hours and earn more for it? Joey and Emily discuss a reel where Jules (from Next Chapter Business Coaching) reacts to a clip where we have been "mansplained". The clip suggests speech pathologists should simply work weekends and after hours to fix the workforce shortage. We unpack why it's not as simple as it sounds. What we cover: - Why weekend and after-hours work doesn't add up when award wages meet NDIS price caps - Why weekends are sacred for practitioners with families, and the hidden costs (like childcare) that eat into a higher rate - How flexibility already exists in private practice as far as the finances allow, and what we've learned building our own clinic - Why finding clients for early, late and weekend sessions is a challenge of its own. It's not that we haven't thought of it. It's that the numbers don't work! We'd love to hear how your own work schedule looks in the DMs @behindthemilestones Clip referenced: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Hevou4frt/?mibextid=wwXIfr Interested in mentoring with Joey or Emily? Find out more - milestones.au/mentoring

Thinking about going out on your own as a new grad? Read this first. Joey and Emily react to a clip from the Wine with Wita podcast where it was discussed why less than five years in, you shouldn't be opening your own practice. Joey and Emily share where they land, and it's a bit more nuanced than a hard rule. What we cover: - How many years Joey and Emily had when they started Milestones - How business experience and life experience change the picture - The cognitive load of learning a new job and running a business at the same time - Whether parents should be asking clinicians when they graduated, or how supported they are Not a dig at anyone who's done it earlier, just an honest look at what you might be signing up for. Tell us in the comments how many years of experience you had when you started your clinic, and how it went. If you want support at any stage of your career, find out more about our mentoring at milestones.au/mentoring Clip referenced: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dco2u3MlK8J/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

A teacher tells a struggling reader to look at the picture to help them guess the word. That's not reading. That's the whole approach Emily spent this episode pulling apart. Emily traces reading recovery and balanced literacy back to their origin in 1960s New Zealand, where researcher Marie Clay watched what good readers do and built a teaching method around it, without ever checking whether those behaviours actually caused good reading. She unpacks what the follow up research actually found once those kids grew up, and why speech pathology caseloads are still full of the fallout today. What we cover: • Where reading recovery actually came from, and the flaw baked into the research from the start • Why self-correction and guessing from context are signs of a struggling reader, not a skilled one • What happens in the future to children who have completed reading recovery programs according to the research • The current reading landscape in Australian adults and how this impacts everyday life • What Emily see in clinic when a child has to unlearn years of guessing before they can actually read This isn't a matter of teaching style or preference. It's a matter of what the evidence actually shows, and what happens to the kids caught in the middle. Send your questions via Instagram DM @milestoneskth to be featured anonymously on the show. If mentoring is on your list, we'd love to chat: Milestones Mentoring Mentioned in this episode: Sold a Story by Emily Hanford (Spotify)

"Just because we are professionals, does not mean we have to be boring". Tune in to hear Joey's real, unfiltered opinion about social media for allied health businesses. As she drives to the clinic, you will gain her candid and conversational advice that will help keep social media fun, practical and innovative for your business. Looking for Speech Pathology or OT mentoring from practitioners who can also support your business growth? Find out more at milestones.au/mentoring

Uncertainty isn’t a sign you’re failing at business, it’s just part of owning one. Joey and Emily get real about the unpredictable side of running an allied health practice, from funding changes to losing team members, and share the mindset shifts that help them stay grounded when things feel out of control. What we cover: • The CIA framework for managing what you can control, influence, and need to accept • Why business feels unpredictable, even when you're doing it right • Navigating the loss of team members without it feeling like a personal failure • How non-negotiable self-care keeps you steady through the chaos • Why not all advice deserves to be actioned, even when it’s well meant If running your practice feels unpredictable right now, this one’s for you. If mentoring is on your list, we’d love to chat - milestones.au/mentoring

Joey and Emily break down the resources every paediatric OT and speech pathologist needs on their shelf, from toddler sessions right through to school aged goals. What we cover: The foundations every clinic needsCause and effect toysPretend play setsSensori-motor resourcesSchool-based resourcesFunctional resources You do not need a huge budget or a fancy clinic, you need the right basics done well. Plus, we are giving away a Bunny Ear Buddy shoelace tying aid! Follow us on Instagram and DM us the secret word from this episode to go in the draw. Australian residents only, full terms on our Instagram post. Resource links: Animal pop toy Stepping stones Letter writing scaffold Car ramp Tunnel Bubbles Fruit cutting set Tell the time set Want support building a career that's sustainable AND successful? That's exactly what our mentoring is designed for, milestones.au/mentoring

Emily didn't train in business. She trained as a speech pathologist. So how did she learn to actually run one? In this episode, Emily takes us through her journey into the financial and business side of clinic ownership, and why having the right people around her made all the difference. She covers the support, technology and software that helped her along her journey. You don't need a business degree to run a great clinic, you just need the right support around you. Looking for a mentor who has been where you are? We offer 1:1 OT and Speech mentoring - milestones.au/mentoring

If you're constantly busy but still feel behind, this one's for you. Recorded on the way to clinic, Joey shares the biggest lesson she's learned running a business: working smarter will always beat working harder. Here are the five things that have made a real difference. What we cover: Why an amazing receptionist and/or VA changes everythingThe AI tools actually worth using to save timeWhy not overdelivering means you don't over receive, and normalising the short replyUsing Loom to document systems instead of repeating yourselfClosing the feedback loop to avoid lingering stress outside of work hours (you can listen to the Mindset Mentor who explains this concept here) It's not about doing more. It's about protecting your time, energy, and brain space. If you're a business owner, start with one small change this week and notice the difference. Want support building a career that's sustainable AND successful? That's exactly what our mentoring is designed for - milestones.au/mentoring

You finally book the leave. Or you're sick, injured or mentally exhausted. And then the guilt sets in. Most allied health practitioners know this feeling - and most are unable to take guilt free time off. What we cover: Why allied health practitioners are so bad at switching offWhere the guilt actually comes from - identity, the caring profession trap, and the double-edged sword of being passionate about your workOur own experiences from both an employee and employer perspectivePractical strategies to combat this so that you can ensure longevity in your role It should not be taboo, however our research shows it is. So let's talk about it! Like, follow and subscribe wherever you listen. Find us on Instagram @milestoneskth and if you want support building a sustainable private practice career, head to milestones.au/mentoring

This one is personal. Emily has some news and in true BTM fashion, we are not just celebrating it, we are talking honestly about what it actually means to navigate pregnancy while running a business, showing up for your clients, and building a career you care about. Because nobody really talks about what happens to your business partnership when life gets this personal. Or what it feels like to be a woman trying to hold everything together while your body and your world are changing around you. What we cover: Emily's news and what this season has looked like from the insideWhat pregnancy actually looks like when you own the business - the physical, the mental load, and the identity stuffThe pressure women in business face to keep performing like nothing has changedHow our partnership has shown up through this.Why the best business partnerships are not always 50/50 - and why that is okayHow we plan for personal milestones inside the business, not around itWhy making room for each other to grow as people is what keeps a partnership healthy long term This episode is for every woman building a career in allied health who has wondered how the personal and the professional can possibly coexist. Spoiler: it is messier and more beautiful than anyone tells you. Loved this episode? Come find us on Instagram @milestoneskth - and if you want support building a private practice career that actually works for your life, head to milestones.au/mentoring

Ever had a week where you think "wouldn't life just be easier if I stayed employed?" Same. This one's a clinic commute chat. Emily talks through the reality of running a business when everything feels like it's crashing down at once. This too shall pass, and your current tough week is only a chapter, not the whole story. Want support building a career that's sustainable AND successful? That's exactly what our mentoring is designed for -milestones.au/mentoring

Nobody tells you that becoming a leader means learning to sit in silence you used to feel obligated to fill. In this episode, Joey gets honest about what leadership actually looks like in allied health, and the constant balancing act between client needs, team wellbeing, business sustainability, and clinical outcomes. What we cover: Why leadership is a completely different skill set to being a clinicianLearning to listen more, talk less, and let others step up and developWhy regulation, reflection, and getting comfortable with discomfort matter more than having the answerHow perfectionism can get in the way of seeing the bigger pictureChoosing progression over perfection If leadership feels hard right now, this is your reminder that difficulty doesn't mean you're failing. The best leaders are the ones who keep showing up, stay open to feedback, and keep learning how to lead with balance and humility. Want support navigating the leadership side of running an allied health business? That's exactly what our mentoring is designed for - milestones.au/mentoring