OT Week 2025: Building a Business You’d Actually Want to Work For: A Mentoring Conversation with “Ella”

In this episode of OT Coaching Confidential, Alyce Svensk shares a real mentoring conversation with Ella, a paediatric and young adult OT who brings deep intentionality to her solo practice.

Together, they unpack how chronic illness shaped her career journey, why she’s redefining supervision and professional development as business essentials, and how she’s navigating the tension between flexibility and financial sustainability.

This is a grounded, reflective episode for any therapist seeking to do private work differently and sustainably.

This episode provides space to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the kind of therapist you want to be. Whether you’re early in your career, leading a team, or building your own service.

You’ll Hear About

• Building a solo practice that protects energy and supports long-term sustainability

• Reframing PD and supervision as essential business overheads

• Exploring new business offerings that are nourishing, not just billable

• “What if your business was a job you’d actually want to apply for?”

Key Takeaways

You don’t need to follow a traditional path for your practice to be successful, but you do need to be clear on what success looks like for you. Treating learning, reflection, and support as business essentials (not luxuries) can help you sustain your work and yourself long term.

Mentioned in this episode Beki Eakins for inspiration around diversifying your OT income through supervision and training offerings. Find her podcast and offerings at www.bekieakins.com

Brought to you by Alyce Svensk at The OT Coach Australia

Supporting occupational therapists and allied health professionals to build confidence, clarity, and connection through mentoring, supervision, workshops, and The OT Coach Academy.

If this conversation resonated with you and you’d like to work with Alyce Svensk through mentoring, supervision, or professional development, visit www.theotcoach.au to explore how The OT Coach Australia can support you.

To express interest in being featured on a future episode of OT Coaching Confidential, apply at www.theotcoach.au/podcast-1