Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah King.
Sarah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started as a special education teacher. It was then that I realized how much I loved working with children who need behavioral help and that I have an affinity for this work. After I had children, I met another mother at church who had a four year old child with autism. She was lamenting about potty training issues they were having. She took me up on my offer to potty train her son. I went to their house one Saturday and successfully potty trained him! She started giving my name to other families who needed help and I began going into homes to help children and families. I joined a private pediatric practice as a behavioral specialist in 2013 and enjoyed being a part of a private practice. In 2015, the owner closed the practice and I decided to open up my own.
In May of 2015, I started The TEACH Group. I didn’t have a “group” yet, but knew that I loved working and collaborating with others and the creative synergy that comes when a group of people are working toward a shared goal. This continues to be my vision for The TEACH Group today–to help as many families and children as we can by providing excellent treatment in order to make a positive difference in their lives. Eleven years later, we have grown a lot. We have speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, behavior therapists, and a psychologist on staff. Through this team of practitioners, we have developed procedures for providing excellent therapy, several different programs, and have had the opportunity to serve many families in the Knoxville area.
We now have two locations: one in the Bearden/West Hills area and another in the Hardin Valley/Farragut area. We love serving families through individual therapy, social skills groups, our executive functioning program, our PLAY program, and summer camps.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a fun experience with many challenges! Sometimes I think, “I’m just a girl from East Tennessee who loves to help children and families…what am I doing running and growing a business?” I’ve made plenty of mistakes and worked hard to learn about business, leadership, the private practice world, and the financial side of things.
It can be lonely at times. It can also be empowering. There have been a lot of very early mornings, some late nights, and many moments where I’ve had to step way outside my comfort zone. Every challenge has taught me something. It’s made me a better leader and helped me grow as a person.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At The TEACH Group, we put a lot of importance on our core values: excellence, serve, team, purpose, and commitment. They shape who we hire, how we train therapists, how we provide services to families, and how we make decisions every day. We are always looking at the needs of our community and asking, “How can we solve this problem?” rather than simply offering the same services everyone else does.
One example of this is our Executive Functioning Program. We designed this multidisciplinary program to help children and families improve executive functioning skills. Therapists from multiple disciplines work together to teach practical strategies and help families build habits that support long-term success—not just in therapy sessions, but at home and at school.
Another example is our PLAY program. It is a contrived preschool program that helps children learn to follow directions in a group, develop social and play skills, strengthen communication and language, and improve behaviors that occur in group settings. It is led through our behavior department, with speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists also providing support when needed.
One thing I’m especially proud of is our willingness to innovate. When we see a gap in services or hear families struggling with something, we don’t wait for someone else to solve it—we create programs that meet those needs. This is how some of our best ideas have started. Our goal has always been to provide evidence-based, collaborative services that help children and families thrive.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that you don’t have to know everything before you begin. When I started, I knew how to help children and families, but I didn’t know how to run a business. I had to learn about leadership, finances, hiring, marketing, and so many things that were completely outside my comfort zone.
One of my personal mottos has always been, “I may not be the smartest person in the room, but no one will outwork me.” I’ve spent years reading books, listening to podcasts and speakers, asking questions, and learning from people who know more than I do. I’ve learned that if you’re willing to keep learning and keep showing up, you’re capable of far more than you think.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theteachgroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theteachgroupknoxville/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teach.group.knox
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-teach-group-llc/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTEACHGroup
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.teach.group
