Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Brigeman.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m Ashley Brigeman, better known to my kids as Miss Ashley! I was born and raised in Northeast, Ohio and my journey actually started on a very different path than where it is now! I originally went to school for Fashion Merchandising. That’s about as far from speech pathology as one could get! My first jobs were that of a retail manager as well as a sales representative with a home builder.
Eventually, though, that little voice that we all have inside of us was telling me that I had no passion or drive for what I was currently doing so I made the choice to go back to school with a focus on speech therapy. Some of my favorite times were spent in the public school system as well as a private school for children with Autism. I knew that this was the direction my life was supposed to go.
I eventually moved to Tennessee and continued to work in the public school system but soon felt the calling to step out on my own. I worked very hard, often putting in hours of work after working all day at school, and opened my practice in June of 2020.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely not been a smooth road. They say nothing worth having comes easily and I have found that to be true. Any entrepreneur knows there are challenges in those first years but imagine that challenge being a global pandemic! That’s the challenge I faced when my business opened in June of 2020. I was forced to think creatively and outside of the box as to how I was going to make this business that relies so much on personal contact work during this unprecedented time.
I also had to learn a whole new side of therapy. When I worked in the school setting, I really just focused on the therapy and what I did during my sessions. Now being out on my own, I also had to learn the business side of therapy which brought along insurance claims, billing, denials, and appeals, etc. I found my way by making a lot of mistakes early on and learning from them! Another challenge I faced was my caseload. In a school setting, your caseload is provided for you and now I had to create my own caseload from scratch!
I definitely had to work hard to build my client base. Anyone in customer service knows that you can’t just obtain the clients but you also have to work hard to keep those clients! I knew I had my work cut out for me but because I had the passion and drive for this job I also knew I could do it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My pediatric speech and language therapy practice opened in June of 2020 during the middle of the pandemic. It was definitely a leap of faith to open my doors then but 2020 proved to be a great year for my business despite the situation around us. My brand new business won its first award and I was so honored to receive the award for Best of Knoxville 2020. This award was special to me because it is voted on by the general public and recognizes outstanding businesses and services in our community.
It was great validation that I made the right decision in the opening when I did. Another exciting milestone for my business was when I was accepted into the directory for the Apraxia Kids Website. In order to be accepted into this directory, I had to complete a multi-step process and also demonstrate foundational knowledge in the assessment and treatment of children with apraxia. Over the next year, my business really took off and my client base continued to grow. I found myself knowing I needed help but again wanted to make sure it was the right time. In July of 2021, I officially hired Liz, an SLP, to come alongside me and continue to grow my business.
Just a month later, in August of 2021, I was thrilled to hire Laurel, an occupational therapist, to join our team. I never dreamed that in one short year I would have two additional team members! We have been able to add new clients and provide new services that they need and that just makes me very proud and happy. We have also recently added some cool things like a monthly newsletter and a blog to our website.
Every month is bringing new opportunities and challenges for my business and we are just focused on continuing to be successful in providing the best treatment we can for our pediatric clients.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Communication is such a critical skill in everyday life. When kids come to be unable to communicate or have difficulties communicating and we work together to see improvements it really is the greatest feeling. I know the small consistent things we do on a daily basis make a huge impact on these children and will continue to impact their daily lives in a positive way.
At Little Big and LOUD we are very focused on the whole child and the skills we teach our children also give them great confidence which in turn makes a positive difference in their overall quality of life. These children are true superheroes and we get to be the ones to help them discover their own personal superpowers. Any time a child not only learns but also uses the tools we give them to overcome a challenge is a win for them as well as a win for me.
Contact Info:
- Email: ashley@littlebigloud.com
- Website: www.littlebigloud.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebigandloud/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebigandloud
