Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jessica Schwartz, Founder of Resonate Voice and Speech Services, located in Philadelphia, PA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Resonate is a speech-language pathologist-owned private practice that offers specialized speech therapy and professional voice training. My practice specializes in the evaluation and treatment of voice, swallowing, and upper airway disorders, gender-affirming voice therapy, and preventive voice training for professional voice users who talk all day for their job and are at a higher risk of developing voice problems. Professional voice users, also called occupational voice users, include jobs like teachers, professors, executives, customer service and sales reps, bartenders/servers, clergy, and more. I provide evidence-based therapeutic exercises and functional strategies for clients and patients to help them improve their quality of life and restore or preserve their voice, breathing, or swallowing so they can return to normal daily activities as much as possible.

Tell us about yourself

Speech-language pathology is my second career. I started out as a communication-public relation major with a minor in journalism and set out as a young professional who really didn't know much about "the real world" workforce. After several years, I realized I wanted to work with people "face-to-face," develop relationships and help others. I worked hard to get the necessary prerequisites and go back to school to pursue a master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders to do just that.

As I learned the trade, I realized my lifelong passion for singing and knowledge of voice led me to my specialty. I then interned at the Duke University Hospital in their Voice Care Center and ultimately pursued a role working with specialized Ear Nose and Throat physicians at a private practice for 4 years. Here I learned invaluable information and had a fantastic mentor, but we realized that our line of work requires a lot of self-advocacy and education within the medical field. I have always had the motivation to "be my own boss," and I felt I could expand my vision and outreach as a speech-language pathologist better by separating from this practice and starting my own. This decision was solidified as we entered into the pandemic, where I had ample time to zoom out, rethink my situation, and devote a lot of time to the foundation and launch of my company.

I am motivated daily by how much I love my work, my patients, and the relationships I've built with them. I enjoy helping people to find or regain their voice, a journey so extremely personal and individual, along with other conditions where I can help to improve someone's quality of life. Lastly, I am motivated by how hard I've worked to get to where I am, the ideas I have swirling in my head that I want to make a reality, and how much more I need to do to continue growing my business to where I want to be.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

This is a tough question! I would have to say so far; I am proud of the network I'm creating. To help one person achieve their goals is enough of an accomplishment, but knowing that they found me and chose me, whether they were referred by a doctor, word of mouth, or a search engine, is exciting to "feel seen" within a sea of options. I am currently working on a project that I hope I can say will be my biggest accomplishment yet, primarily to help reach professional voice users such as teachers to preserve and maintain their voices. But I'm still in the early stages!

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

I have an industry-specific answer and a general answer to this question. The general answer is managing the rollercoaster of unforeseen events! Adapting and going with the ebb and flow of a business can be tough, especially in the first few years as you are growing. The industry-specific answer is the learning curve and difficulty of working with insurance companies! While this is important to provide care, it is not always easy or ideal for the provider from a business standpoint.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. You have to be self-motivated with good time management. It is so easy to put work on the back burner or get distracted when no one is holding you accountable but yourself. It can be harder than you'd think to adjust to this as you shift to being self-employed. It can sometimes feel overwhelming when you have a million tasks to address (especially if you are a sole proprietor or single-member LLC like myself with no employees).
  2. Find a niche, know your audience, and be authentic in your brand. Niche work can be helpful to separate yourself from others and demonstrate special skills. When you have a more defined skill set, you can tailor your business to those people and feel extremely qualified to provide your service or product. And authenticity matters; not only is your brand easier to maintain when you are being true to yourself, but your customers or clients will see and feel this.
  3. Have a great support system. Whether it's your colleagues or team, spouse or partner, family or friends (preferably all of the above), having moral and/or industry support of people who may have shared experiences or share in your vision, these people can "give you life" and/or inspire you to grow throughout your entrepreneurial experience.

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

Thank you so much for reaching out and allowing me to participate in your GoSolo interview series!

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.resonatevoiceandspeech.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/resonateslp/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/resonateslp/
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3fngQcF

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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