Behind The Milestones

On the surface, this might look like an unlikely collaboration. We recently shared an episode reacting to Rita Shamoun's podcast, which was marketed to spark debate around one question: should speech pathologists start a clinic with less than five years of experience? If you listened to our reaction, you'll know we actually agreed. So we invited Rita to sit down with us and keep the conversation g...

If you disappeared from your role for three months tomorrow, what would break? In this solo episode, Emily (very pregnant and very much in planning mode) walks through everything she has done to prepare her clinic for parental leave, and what any business owner, clinician or admin can borrow from it. What we cover: Why a business that only works when you are there is a systems problem, not a perso...

Waiting until you feel inspired is a great way to get nothing done. In this solo clinic commute chat, Joey talks through the tension between needing creativity and needing output, and how to build a rhythm that protects both. What we cover: Why motivation is unreliable, and how momentum is what actually creates drive Why Joey's best ideas come when she is regulated, happy and rested, not when she...

If demand is sky high, why can't allied health practitioners just work flexible hours and earn more for it? Joey and Emily discuss a reel where Jules (from Next Chapter Business Coaching) reacts to a clip where we have been "mansplained". The clip suggests speech pathologists should simply work weekends and after hours to fix the workforce shortage. We unpack why it's not as simple as it sounds. W...

Thinking about going out on your own as a new grad? Read this first. Joey and Emily react to a clip from the Wine with Wita podcast where it was discussed why less than five years in, you shouldn't be opening your own practice. Joey and Emily share where they land, and it's a bit more nuanced than a hard rule. What we cover: - How many years Joey and Emily had when they started Milestones - How bu...

A teacher tells a struggling reader to look at the picture to help them guess the word. That's not reading. That's the whole approach Emily spent this episode pulling apart. Emily traces reading recovery and balanced literacy back to their origin in 1960s New Zealand, where researcher Marie Clay watched what good readers do and built a teaching method around it, without ever checking whether those...

"Just because we are professionals, does not mean we have to be boring". Tune in to hear Joey's real, unfiltered opinion about social media for allied health businesses. As she drives to the clinic, you will gain her candid and conversational advice that will help keep social media fun, practical and innovative for your business. Looking for Speech Pathology or OT mentoring from practitioners who...

Uncertainty isn’t a sign you’re failing at business, it’s just part of owning one. Joey and Emily get real about the unpredictable side of running an allied health practice, from funding changes to losing team members, and share the mindset shifts that help them stay grounded when things feel out of control. What we cover: • The CIA framework for managing what you can control, influence, and need...

Joey and Emily break down the resources every paediatric OT and speech pathologist needs on their shelf, from toddler sessions right through to school aged goals. What we cover: The foundations every clinic needs Cause and effect toys Pretend play sets Sensori-motor resources School-based resources Functional resources You do not need a huge budget or a fancy clinic, you need the right basics done...

Emily didn't train in business. She trained as a speech pathologist. So how did she learn to actually run one? In this episode, Emily takes us through her journey into the financial and business side of clinic ownership, and why having the right people around her made all the difference. She covers the support, technology and software that helped her along her journey. You don't need a business de...

If you're constantly busy but still feel behind, this one's for you. Recorded on the way to clinic, Joey shares the biggest lesson she's learned running a business: working smarter will always beat working harder. Here are the five things that have made a real difference. What we cover: Why an amazing receptionist and/or VA changes everything The AI tools actually worth using to save time Why not...

You finally book the leave. Or you're sick, injured or mentally exhausted. And then the guilt sets in. Most allied health practitioners know this feeling - and most are unable to take guilt free time off. What we cover: Why allied health practitioners are so bad at switching off Where the guilt actually comes from - identity, the caring profession trap, and the double-edged sword of being passiona...

This one is personal. Emily has some news and in true BTM fashion, we are not just celebrating it, we are talking honestly about what it actually means to navigate pregnancy while running a business, showing up for your clients, and building a career you care about. Because nobody really talks about what happens to your business partnership when life gets this personal. Or what it feels like to be...

Ever had a week where you think "wouldn't life just be easier if I stayed employed?" Same. This one's a clinic commute chat. Emily talks through the reality of running a business when everything feels like it's crashing down at once. This too shall pass, and your current tough week is only a chapter, not the whole story. Want support building a career that's sustainable AND successful? That's exac...

Nobody tells you that becoming a leader means learning to sit in silence you used to feel obligated to fill. In this episode, Joey gets honest about what leadership actually looks like in allied health, and the constant balancing act between client needs, team wellbeing, business sustainability, and clinical outcomes. What we cover: Why leadership is a completely different skill set to being a cli...

Over 400 clinicians told us billing in private practice makes them uncomfortable - and we are finally talking about it.| Joey and Emily unpack the results of their audience survey on billing, KPIs, and the money conversations nobody in allied health seems to want to have, and share their honest take on what the data actually revealed. What we cover: What over 400 clinicians and practices said abou...

The headlines are scary, the policy changes are real, and most allied health practitioners are quietly wondering whether private practice is still a safe place to build a career. Joey and Emily break down what is actually happening right now with the NDIS reforms, award rate changes, and the pricing pressures private practices are facing, and separate the genuine risks from the noise. You do not n...

Marketing in allied health gets it backwards more often than not, and its costing practitioners clients. Joey takes you along for a solo clinic commute chat about the biggest shift she's made in how she thinks about marketing, inspired by Donald Miller's Building a StoryBrand , and why making it about your client (not you) changes everything. What we cover: The mistake most allied health practitio...

Emily recorded this one on the commute to clinic - and she is not holding back. As a Speech Pathologist, Emily shares her honest clinical take on Yoto devices and whether the hype around them stacks up when it comes to children's language development. Spoiler: she has concerns. What we cover: • Why audio-only devices are not as language-friendly as they seem • The difference between independent li...

If you have ever said yes when you meant no, over-explained a boundary, or left a session feeling responsible for everyone's emotions but your own - this one is for you. Joey shares her article published in Occupational Therapy Australia's Convention Magazine - an honest reflection on people-pleasing tendencies in allied health and why the profession attracts them, and why it is time to break the...

NDIS and Thriving Kids: What every paediatric allied health professional needs to know The NDIS is changing - and if you work in paediatric allied health, you are already feeling it. Joey and Emily break down exactly what is happening with Thriving Kids and the NDIS reforms, what it means for practitioners and families right now, and how to navigate the noise without losing your mind. What we cove...

Busy isn't the same as productive - and in allied health, it can be really hard to tell the difference. In this episode, Joey and Emily get honest about the hidden cost of always doing more, and share the systems, mindset shifts, and tools that have helped them run a clinic and still have a life outside of it. What we cover: Why hustle culture is actively harmful for allied health practitioners Th...

Imposter syndrome gets a bad reputation - but what if it's actually pointing you somewhere useful? Joey and Emily explore a reframe that might change how you relate to self-doubt in your clinical career. Rather than trying to eliminate imposter syndrome, what if you learned to work with it? What we cover: Why imposter syndrome is almost universal in allied health - and what that tells us The diffe...

Good mentoring can transform your career. Bad mentoring can quietly hold you back. So how do you tell the difference before you commit? Joey and Emily break down exactly what to look for in an allied health mentor - and what to run from. As practitioners who both have mentors and offer mentoring themselves, they bring a perspective from both sides of the relationship. What we cover: The qualities...

Everyone has a productivity tip. But which ones actually hold up in the reality of allied health practice? Joey and Emily go head-to-head in a debate on the productivity advice that genuinely helps versus the stuff that sounds good in theory and falls apart in real clinical life. Expect disagreement, laughter, and at least one opinion that might surprise you. What we cover: The productivity tips w...