Meet Amanda Donaldson | Amanda Donaldson, M.S. CCC-SLP

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

Hi Amanda, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I have always had a vision for how I want to live my life and starting my own business is the first step in doing that. I wanted to do something that would blend my passion for working with children, giving back and making a difference in the lives of others and speech pathology allows me to do that. Providing in-home services is unique in the Phoenix area and allows for me to see children in a natural and familiar environment. In creating a successful and lasting business, I hope to one day grow it out to a spot that will allow me to make my own schedule so I can comfortably care for my future children and family while at the same time doing the above and growing the most successful speech pathology business in Phoenix.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets my business apart from others is that I am mobile private practice meaning I travel to the families homes to provide speech and language therapy. I take away the stress of loading up all the kids, potential traffic, waiting somewhere during the session, and other inconveniences by going to my clients. Personally, I had an in-home speech therapist as a child and to this day my parents still have notes and recordings of my speech before and after. I know the impact it can have and I want to be able to give back and do that for other families.

I started CommuniCAN Speech Therapy as a part-time side gig while I was working full-time in the schools. I only saw my private clients once a week for about the first two years after which I gave up my other part time job at a rehabilitation hospital and started seeing my own clients twice a week. I did this for about 15 months until I realized I could be doing so much for kids and families, happier myself, and chasing after my dream by leaving the school system and moving to my business full time.

Was it easy? Absolutely not! There were a lot of days where hesitations and fears almost stopped me from doing it. But I reminded myself that I wouldn’t know unless I tried and no one could make that leap of faith but myself. Ultimately, I am fortunate that in my career there are always jobs open so I knew if something didn’t work out I would have a backup plan. The past year since transitioning to my job full time has taught me so much including to follow your heart and believe in yourself. No one is perfect and everyone falls at some point but we always stand right back up.

CommuniCAN Speech Therapy is dedicated to delivering skilled, individualized, and high-quality services backed by evidence and experience. We believe in family involvement and a client centered approach to foster progress and help every individual achieve maximum success. All of these helps us achieve our mission which is to help clients overcome challenges and to provide support and resources to families and the community. We are fueled by our passion for making a positive lifelong difference in the lives of others.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Phoenix Arizona is a growing area! I would recommend staying at a resort such as the J.W. Marriott or The Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale. Old Town Scottsdale is always fun to shop and dine, Unbaked is the best dessert spot! Other fun things to do depending on the person are golfing, hiking and day trips to places such as Sedona, Jerome and Tucson. A picnic at Fountain Hills is also an underrated part of Phoenix.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
A huge shoutout to my family and friends for being there from the very start of my business journey! Thank you to my parents for helping me with the logistical and financial pieces, my brother for being my sounding board and expert advice, my boyfriend for being my constant reminder of positivity and for always listening to my long stories, and my speech therapy friends for brainstorming with me. I wouldn’t be where I am today without each and every one of the people that surround me, so thank you!

Website: https://www.communicanspeechtherapy.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/communicanspeechtherapy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057067825449