Meet Courtney Joesel | Speech and language pathologist

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

Hi Courtney, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
There are points in careers the phrase “When a door closes, another one opens” seems all too real. I had a decision to make when I knew a change was needed. I could either continue to work for others in my field and experience the challenges with little ability to be an agent of change, or I could take matters into my own hands. I had been experiencing burnout from the high demands for being a healthcare worker and knew that this was not sustainable for me or for many of my colleagues. I decided to start a business/private practice where staff are excited to come to work creating high quality care, prioritize the client experience and relationships, and be an agent of change.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I would consider my career path periods of “seasons”. Firstly, I never imagined myself working with children for a living, let alone owning a speech and language pathology practice. As my master’s program was coming to a close, I had made the decision I was going to return to Bay Cliff Health Camp as a speech and language pathologist. However, this position was only based in the summers, therefore working in the schools as a school speech language pathologist made sense. For 4 years, I worked during the school year in the schools and worked through the high caseloads and never ending paperwork then would spend my summers providing treatment to children at the camp and build life long friendships with others. Bay Cliff Health Camp taught me how to look at treatment from different lenses and make the treatment a part of their daily life and fun.

After working at the school and Bay Cliff, I decided it was time for a change. I wanted to find a position that allowed me to grow my skills as a clinician. I was provided an opportunity to join a large practice of many professionals and building their speech program. It was there I was able to find who I was as a clinician, where I wanted to focus my skill development, and also learning some business side of things. As I grew as a professional, it was clear there was a time to advocate for myself as professional and make a decision. Following a series of events, I made the leap of faith and decided to start my own practice.

Starting the practice was one of the most stressful times in my life. I did not have time to prepare for this transition and had to put all my time and energy into getting the practice off the ground. I was able to get a couple part time jobs so bring in the income to pay the business costs and slowly things started to fall into place. I was persistent through the challenges and knew I would make mistakes along the way. As I grew, I built new and strong relationships. Some of those relationships were with who would be considered my competitors. However, we were able to see how we can help each others business and build a strong trusting network. I believe that the personal relationships are essential for the growth and support of your business and yourself.

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?
Grand Rapids has so many amazing things to offer. Seeing the variety that is available would be key. I would want to spend an afternoon or evening downtown. Eating at Butcher’s Union and grabbing some beers at the breweries nearby would be essential. The next day, I want to highlight the amazing recreation that is available in the area. Taking a ride on the White Pine Trail and stopping at Third Nature Brewery and Eastern Kille along the way would be a blast for the day. I would also want to highlight the network of mountain bike trails that are really fun and grab some food or drink after.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My experiences at Bay Cliff Health Camp have been a road map for making a difference and believing in others. This amazing organization knew the person behind their “employee”. I knew that they truly believed in me as a person and professional. The life long friendships, experiences, and support has shaped how I approach many situations.

Website: www.buildingblocksgr.com

Instagram: buildingblocksgr

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/buildingblockstherapyservicesgr

Other: Non-profit website: www.buildingblocksfoundationinc.org