The other day, I shared my link on a site, in an answer to several questions regarding SLPs looking for dysphagia materials.  The posts were getting deeper as people were looking for templates for dysphagia. Now, I usually don’t post my site because I am not a lurker and nor a natural salesperson but I decided to reply with my website address because I truly felt that what these SLPs were looking for, I offered on my website.  So I shared. I received a snarky comment back that I was “Just someone trying to make a buck off SLPs’” In a roundabout way, I agree with the SLP who posted this comment. There are a lot of people out there willing to sucker SLPs out there with substandard materials, flashy sales pages, and disguised sales funnels. That is why I am creating Fresh SLP.  To date, I have spent more than $15,000 dollars on setting up my site and made $49.16 to date.  

Seriously, this is my legacy.

I’ve been in the field for 27 years and LOVE what I do.  I want to pass this passion alive in those coming behind me.  I started writing to be a BRIDGE between what you know and what you need to use.  I write on HOW to do this.

Now, I’ve been a proud holder of my CCCs for many years and they mean everything to me.  I went to ASHA 2019 in Orlando and one of the best courses I went to was SLPs starting podcasting and they laid out this smart template for those of us wanting to progress forward into this new territory.  They laid out our Code of Ethics and discussed how to ethically move forward, holding true to our standards. These are SLPs passionate about their work and finding new ways to share with other SLPs and the populations they serve.  I will follow in their footsteps, following the code of ethics, doing my best to not just “make a buck.”

This is my legacy.  I left a fantastic, challenging, and very rewarding career as a medical SLP.  I loved my patients, my colleagues and the problem solving I had the opportunity to do every day.  I was lured away from my favorite job of my career to one I love even more (imagine that!) to that of Assistant Professor at an accredited graduate CSD program.  I feel like I have to step into my purpose. Sounds corny, I know, but here I have the opportunity to work 1:1 with graduate students and undergraduate students, instilling in them words of wisdom that I have learned over my career.  I get to travel back with them to the very basics of what we do and why we do what we do. Magic happens in our halls and clinicians are born.

So you see, I am really not trying to “make a buck.”  I am trying to build a legacy and give back to a career that has so richly rewarded me.  When I found myself a single mom with 5 children ages 15 and under, I was able to provide health insurance and things my children needed.  When my children looked to me to figure out some of life’s questions, they saw me at my finest providing compassion and dedication. This career has brought out the best in me.  And I gladly give back. That being said, I have put in HOURS and HOURS of work developing my website and materials. Not counting the endless hours of planning, learning, and dreaming while I drive my 15 hours of commute each week.