Kelly is a thoughtful leader with a fountain of knowledge. She grew and ran an OT consulting practice for 10 years, and then sold that in the spring of 2020 and transitioned to practicing as a solopreneur. During that time, she started the Sensory Collective. The Sensory Collective is a membership group for OTs in pediatric private practice with three plus years of experience, of which I have heard very amazing things. She is born Canadian, a dual citizen currently living in the eastern United States.
Interview completed on October 28, 2022 by Ashley Reina, Owner of Therabyte App
Are you new to working in private practice? Tell us a bit about your transition story.
I’m not a new private practitioner. I began and grew a group practice (Occupational Therapy Consulting) for 10 years before selling it in spring 2020 to launch Kelly Beins Consulting. I shifted from a clinic-based to an in-home community-based practice with a lesser caseload while growing the Sensory Collective. It’s for sensory-based OTs in private practice who feel alone and wish to feel more confident.
What were some key resources that you relied on during your transition into private practice, or in improving your private practice?
There were fewer resources when I started. Since those early days, I eventually leaned on local support in my city for small business administration. There are several Podcasts that I have leaned on for learning including: Laura Park Figueroa; Donald Miller, Brooke Castillo, Maggie Patterson. The best business books I’ve read are: Start with Why, Leadershift, Good to Great, This I know.
What made Therabyte stand out from other options?
The cost was better for a solo provider, but it didn’t lose functionality. I could track development according to how I thought as a therapist, and mobile access was helpful as a community/in-home therapist.
What transformation has your workflow experienced with Therabyte?
I was able to finish notes MUCH more quickly using Therabyte and this was an unanticipated but VERY helpful side-benefit. I believe it is because it was intuitive and assisted me in documenting on-the-spot in a way that was consistent with how I think as a therapist.
What would you tell someone who is considering Therabyte?
I loved it! It was easy to use and met my needs. As a US therapist, setting up billing had some challenges initially, as we were learning together, but once set up, I was able to give my clients everything they needed to submit for reimbursement.
Your path has led you through a brick and mortar you’ve done in-home practice, and now you’re forging this new role for yourself in coaching and mentorship. How are you finding that transition, and how does it compare to the work that you did in private practice?
It’s very similar to growing my practice, in that you learn as you go. Everyone practices differently. My mentorship and role with Unite are new, so I’m learning as I go.
Building a network along the road, as you and everyone else here are doing, is incredibly valuable. I’m dating myself here with this comment, but, when I started the practice years ago, none of this online networking existed, so I was far more lonely than I am now. Today, I’m doing more networking online, and am surrounded by amazing individuals practically every day.
When I started practicing, I felt alone. Following my intuition wasn’t simple, and I’m not saying it gave me the right answers, but it led me to recognize I needed to try something different or that something was or wasn’t working. I leaned on that intuition to take steps that felt correct to me each step of the way.
In private practice, you can always make a different decision. Because of my private practice, I appreciate that I can now fit things into my life.
What is your advice for someone considering the switch into private practice either part time or fulltime? What is the one thing you wish you had done or would tell yourself?
Any struggle you encounter is “just a problem to be solved.” It’s not personal. Too often we internalize and feel “less than” or like we are lacking the “magic recipe,” but there isn’t one. I wish I had known this, as well as the fact that iteration and change were all part of the process. You have to do something in order to know what to do and what not to do. I also wish someone would have told me never to compromise my own well-being and my own income—two giant life lessons.
To read the full OT panel transcript and hear more from Kelly and the other panelist on various questions regarding building a thriving private practice – click here
Connect with Kelly!
Email: kelly@kellybeins.com
Website: www.kellybeins.com
Instagram: @kbeins_sensoryexpert