What led you to pursue Occupational Therapy as a career?
I loved the idea of supporting others to be able to participate in the 'stuff of life' - the everyday tasks and activities that may seem small at first glance, but they're actually huge when you consider them through the lens of quality of life and engagement! The core of what occupational therapy is really spoke to me. I was lucky to have a number of people in my life who pointed me toward OT - I have an aunt who is a school-based SLP and suggested that I shadow the OT she worked with, my college advisor nudged me to get myself an OT internship, and then I met my fantastic OT mentor from there!
What is your favorite thing about being an Occupational Therapist?
I think my favorite thing about being an OT is the variety of settings we can work in, and the variety of populations we can work with! We have such a huge potential for impact through our holistic approach. I love when I can help clients or families feel truly seen and understood, and being able to work with people to meet their most essential needs is so rewarding.
What settings and populations do you have experience working with?
I started off in hand therapy/outpatient rehab, and then transitioned to school-based OT in 2021. I work with elementary, middle and high schoolers in my current role and I love getting to work with multiple age groups. When I was in OT school, I got to do a level 1 placement in hippotherapy and that was probably one of the coolest settings I got to experience!
What sparked your idea to start a side hustle?
I knew pretty early on in my OT career that I wanted to do something that would allow me to work for myself, but it took me a long time to land on what that might look like. After a few years in hand therapy, I experienced major burnout which led me to switch settings. Two years into to school-based OT, I started making my own documentation templates and data tracking spreadsheets out of necessity and decided to make them available on Teachers Pay Teachers - I figured that if I had a need for them, other school-based therapists would benefit from them too. I thought that was going to be my whole business concept...but then I realized that I kept wanting to talk about my experiences with therapist burnout, way more than the documentation supports I was making. It became clear that I needed to shape my business around my passion for supporting other therapists in burnout prevention and recovery, since it's such a pervasive issue and an unspoken battle for so many of us. We're so highly educated and trained as therapists to help and support others, and I saw a significant need to help clinicians support and care for themselves.
Explain what your business is for those who don’t know!
The Burnout OT provides holistic burnout prevention, management & recovery tips for clinicians! I'm active on Instagram & Tik Tok sharing strategies, tips & support throughout the week. I have a number of free resources including The Clinician's Quick Start Guide to Burnout Recovery and The Burnout Navigator Guide, for those who are considering if a change of setting is right for them. I also have a digital resource, The Burnout Recovery Planner, which I made specifically for clinicians to help them pinpoint precise areas to get started in their burnout recovery based on their individual needs. Later in 2024, I'll be launching a course and coaching program to be able to work with clinicians 1:1 to support their burnout recovery journey!
How long have you been in business?I'm still in my Newbie Era :) The Burnout OT officially became an LLC in October 2023! It's truly been so much fun getting to build this community and establish the foundations of this business. I have never considered myself to be a business-minded person so it's been one heck of a learning journey, and I'm so excited to keep going!
What is one long term goal you have for your business?
The biggest long-term goal I have is being able to run The Burnout OT full time! It feels a little scary to put that goal out there, but that's the dream. I don't have a set timeline for this goal because I don't want to stress myself out unnecessarily (the irony of a burnout-specializing OT burning out is not lost on me), but I want to steadily grow the business at my own pace until it can be my full-time gig.
What is the most challenging thing about running your own business?
Phew, there are many challenging things about running a business! I think one of the more challenging things for me has been running the business around my full-time job in school-based therapy. I often start the day thinking I'll get all sorts of things done for The Burnout OT when I get home, and then by the time I get home I have to reassess the original to-do list. Another big challenge for me has been learning about marketing, because I was totally new to marketing anything when I started my business and had to learn from the ground up. It's kind of felt like learning a new dialect of a language!
What is the most rewarding thing about running your own business?
The most rewarding thing by a longshot has been connecting with other therapists! I absolutely love when someone sends me a DM or comments on social media saying 'OMG, this is me!' or 'so true!'. I love when I can help other clinicians feel seen and understood in their struggle with burnout, as it can often feel pretty isolating in the moment. Social connection itself is really helpful in burnout recovery and prevention, and I love how an online business can help connect us from all over the world.
What does a typical week look like for you?
In a typical week, I'm working Monday - Friday in schools from approximately 8-4. My days are a mix of seeing students, attending IEP meetings, and working on documentation & assessments. I try to get my workout taken care of in my morning routine, because it's my grounding/regulating 'me time' before I do anything else in the day. On evenings earlier in the week, I'll get some work done for The Burnout OT - getting content prepped, writing emails (I send out weekly emails with a quick bit of burnout wisdom), and chipping away at building my upcoming course. Usually by the end of the week I take a break and rest in the evenings after school, and on the weekends I create my social media content for the upcoming week or so. My husband and dog have gotten used to me doing all sorts of things in front of my tripod while I'm making content!
What advice do you have for Occupational Therapy Students or New Grads?
Pay attention to your own needs while you're learning how to care for and support others. It's so exciting to finish school and start your career, but we can't lose sight of our own needs for rest, boundaries, occupational balance as well. I think a lot of us start our careers with such an eagerness to jump in and soak up as much as we can, and that's amazing, but it's also easy to let some boundaries slip regarding how much we can realistically take on, and that can lead to a slippery slope down the road. I know that when I first started working, I was a total 'yes' woman and I took pride in always being flexible to meet the expectations placed on me. That isn't a bad thing, but I didn't have the discernment to tell when I could realistically say yes to something and when I should have given a polite 'no.' Knowing yourself and having discernment regarding your current capacity is huge!