From Ready to Sell to Thriving Again: Building a Practice Through Injury with Karissa Gussmann

What if your biggest setback became your greatest catalyst for growth? Today’s guest turned a traumatic brain injury into a turning point that transformed her private practice and her life. I’m so excited to share her story with you!

I’m introducing you to Karissa Gussmann, a certified Speech-Language Pathologist and the founder of Speech Pathways of St. Johns, a private speech and occupational therapy clinic serving Jacksonville and St. Johns, Florida.

Since becoming an SLP in 2011, Karissa has dedicated her career to helping children, teens, adults, and families discover the power of communication. With a background in psychology and speech-language pathology, she blends evidence-based practices with a holistic, family-centered approach that focuses on the whole person, not just a diagnosis. 

Karissa specializes in supporting individuals with complex communication needs, including autism, apraxia, AAC, developmental delays, speech and language disorders, fluency disorders, and neurological conditions. She believes that communication is so much more than words; it is connection, confidence, independence, and the ability to share who you are with the world.

After working across medical, educational, and private practice settings in both New Jersey and Florida, Karissa founded Speech Pathways with the vision of creating a place where families feel supported, children feel celebrated, and therapy is individualized to each person’s unique pathway.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice from Monmouth University and her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Kean University. She is a proud member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association and is licensed in Florida and New Jersey.

Today, Karissa is still treating, has an incredible clinical director, is converting team members to W-2 employees, and is finally understanding her numbers through KPIs. Her journey is proof that private practice is not for the weak but for those who believe in their purpose, it’s absolutely worth it.

Outside of being an SLP and business owner, Karissa’s favorite roles are being a wife and mom to her two boys. Her mission, both professionally and personally, is helping others recognize their strengths, find their voice, and “kiss your brain” along the way.

In Today’s Episode, We Discuss:

• How a parent’s offhand comment started it all
• Growing a clinic one room at a time, on purpose
• Building through a TBI, nearly losing it all, and finding a reason to keep going
• What happened when she realized she couldn’t be her own clinical director
• Why community has been the secret ingredient behind everything she’s built

Karissa is truly living proof that even when the world stops, you can keep going. She didn’t have a vision for a big practice, she just had a heart for the mission. And that was enough to build something extraordinary.

Her story does not have to be the exception. You, too, can build the private practice of your dreams even when life throws you curveballs.

Want to build your private practice to the point where YOU can weather any storm and thrive just like Karissa has? Learn more about our Start Your Private Practice where our coaches can help you set up systems as you shift from clinician to CEO. To learn more, please visit www.StartYourPrivatePractice.com

Or, if you already have an existing private practice and you’re ready to take it to the next level we’d love to support you inside the Next Level Private Practitioner. You can learn more at www.nextlevelprivatepractitioner.com.    

Whether you want to start a private practice or grow your existing private practice, I can help you get the freedom, flexibility, fulfillment, and financial abundance that you deserve. Visit my website www.independentclinician.com to learn more.

 

Resources Mentioned:

Follow Karissa on 

Instagram: instagram.com/speechpathways_stjohns/ 

Facebook: facebook.com/SpeechPathwaysofStJohns/ 

Check out her website: SpeechPathwayssj.com

 

Where We Can Connect: