We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyra Quinones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyra, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Lately, I’ve been looking at my life as a delicious apple pie. Each of us has our own pie divided into various slices representing the different responsibilities each of us have. The slices that make up my life include work, kids, partner, friends, family, hobbies, community, faith, and health. When I first started my business four years ago, about two-thirds of my pie was all about work. The other third of that pie was focused on everything else. Those slices were not equal, and it took me quite a while to figure that out. I remember sitting in my car in 2018, pregnant, driving to a client located on the opposite side of Los Angeles, when I suddenly felt a wave of anxiety come over me. I was stretching myself too thin from building my business, caring for my patients, and neglecting some significant things in my life. I put so much pressure on myself to succeed while not giving myself credit for all of the hard work I put in or even the goals I’ve already achieved. Having my own child made me realize that to have a successful work-life balance, you need to set real boundaries, and more importantly, you need to be kind to yourself. For me, setting boundaries meant saying “no” when I just couldn’t make something work, or not answering emails at 10 pm so I could enjoy alone time with my husband, or leaving my phone at home while I take an evening walk with my daughter. I also realized that I had to be nicer to myself and know that I’m doing the best I can. It’s essential to take time for myself when I need it. Once I had my boundaries set and gave myself the permission to take that time for the other aspects of my life, I realized how much happier and balanced I was. Naturally, my business will always be a large slice of my pie. Still, I have made a conscious effort to put time aside for things in my life that I love, like exercising, enjoying time with friends, having a date night with my husband, uninterrupted playtime with my daughter, or grounding myself by taking a walk. As a business owner, there is no doubt that my whole heart is dedicated to growing my clientele and serving my community. But instead of allowing my company to take over my life, I’ve worked hard at setting boundaries and improved my ability to work smarter, not harder. I’ve shifted my role in the company to become more strategic about how I use my time. Rather than providing therapy directly to clients, I now focus more on our digital marketing strategies, streamlining the client intake process, and building new avenues for profitable partnerships. I’ve brought on enough team members to help serve our network of clientele along with administrative staff so I can focus on running a successful practice without putting my mental health at risk.

What should our readers know about your business?
Sound It Out Speech Therapy is a Speech Therapy practice providing in-home speech therapy and teletherapy services by licensed speech-language pathologists throughout Los Angeles and Orange County. Besides the fact that we conveniently come directly to our patients, what sets us apart is that our therapy process is streamlined to help you achieve your goals! We get many clients coming to us whose children have been receiving speech therapy for years with little to no progress. All of our therapy plans are personalized and geared towards helping you or your loved one achieve your goals so that ultimately you don’t need a specialist’s help anymore! There is not a one size fits all equation when it comes to speech therapy. Whomever you work with must understand that developmental, medical, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds need to be considered and taken into account when providing therapy. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and can assure you that you won’t always get this type of comprehensive care with just any SLP. I can honestly say that I am most proud of my team! I honestly believe that we have such a qualified team of experts who make a massive difference in the lives of our patients and are helping them achieve their communication goals! My favorite experiences as a clinician and business owner are when I hear directly from my clients how amazed they are by how much speech therapy works! We see a lot of children who just aren’t talking yet, and their parents are distraught. It’s the most rewarding feeling to get that email from that child’s parent saying how happy they are that their child is finally talking and expressing themselves! My company started with just me providing in-home speech therapy and quickly grew to a team of speech therapists serving multiple locations. I realized early on in my career that, just like everything else in our lives, there was a demand for convenient, personalized therapy. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned along the way is that no one teaches you how to run a business. In many ways, you have to teach yourself. I was a psychology major at Loyola Marymount University and didn’t take one class about accounting, business management, or finance. One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn is how to manage the day to day operation of running the company! In my experience, being hyper-organized, quick to respond, and staying on top of that ever-growing “to-do” list is key to a successful practice. I’m excited about what 2021 has in store for us. Our presence in Los Angeles and Orange County continues to grow, and we are slowly expanding our team to other locations in California like San Diego and San Francisco. We are also diversifying our service offering by bringing on two occupational therapists who support our clients with sensory needs, challenges with fine and gross motor movements, and daily living skills. Over time, I see my business evolving into a full-service home health company specializing in speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy! I would like the world to know that I have my whole heart in what I do, and at the end of the day, we are here to help our patients achieve their goals in living their best life. We are a strong, knowledgeable team of therapists and I can assure anyone looking for help with their communication goals that we promise to provide the highest quality, evidence-based care.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love this question! Just a fun fact about me, I love putting together travel itineraries! If you ask any of my friends, I promise they’ll say I’m the best person to travel with because I come up with the most fun, thought out travel experiences! L.A. is AMAZING! There are so many great places to see, and you need way more than just a week to experience all it has to offer. I’ll share some of my favorite restaurants, places, and things to do in my 7-day itinerary below! Day 1: Brentwood/Santa Monica Walk around Farmers Market in Brentwood and grab breakfast on the go; shop on Montana Ave or 3rd Street Promenade. Get a drink at Big Deans on the beach, Dinner at Pizzana in Brentwood before hitting up some Santa Monica Nightlife at the Bungalow! Day 2: Malibu Walk along the beach and admire the beautiful homes along the coast; lunch at Nobu if you’re wanting to spot a celeb or are just feeling fancy! Check out the Getty Villa to admire some beautiful art, gardens, and tranquility. Dinner at Taverna Tony for some delicious Greek food! If you have time to stop at one of the wineries, I love Rosenthal Winery! Day 3: Venice/Playa Del Rey Wake up and go Paddle Boarding in the Marina, Grab a breakfast sandwich at Eggslut, Walk around the boardwalk and check out all the unique personalities, Grab a drink and watch the sunset on the rooftop of Hotel Erwin, Dinner at Felix Trattoria, and a night walk or bar hop down Abbot Kinney. Day 4: Manhattan Beach Grab a coffee at Two Guns in Manhattan Beach and walk on “The Strand”, Pick up sandwiches from Manhattan Meats and hit the beach, Dinner at Fishing For Dynamite! Day 5: Palos Verdes Walk around Pointe Vicente Lighthouse in Palos Verdes, then have lunch at Nelson’s at Terrenea Resort overlooking the Ocean. On your way back down PCH, stop in the Hollywood Riviera in Redondo Beach and shop at some cute boutiques. I highly recommend Riviera Mexican Grill for some delicious Mexican food on their patio. Day 6: El Segundo/Hawthorne Go brewery hopping! Start at Common Space in Hawthorne, head to El Segundo Brew Co, and end at Surfridge Brewing Company! We love having dinner at Richmond Street Bar and Grill (tell Riley I sent you), Sausal, or Jame Enoteca! Day 7: Downtown LA Visit The Broad, Bottega Louie for some macarons and delicious Italian food, Angel City Brewery for some beers and lawn games!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my Yia and Papou (which means grandma and grandpa in Greek). My Papou came to Los Angeles from a small village in Greece over 70 years ago with nothing in his pocket to find the American Dream. He met my Yia when she was just 18 years old, and together, they started a family and worked night and day to build a better life for their children and grandchildren. Over time they opened up and ran several fast-food restaurants in The South Bay of Los Angeles, which are still operating today. (Check out Y Not Burgers for one of the best burgers in Torrance!). I like to think that I get my passion for running a small business from them. I hope to achieve what they have earned in life and create a better life for my family as they did for theirs. I also want to dedicate this shoutout to my husband, Mike. Mike has been my biggest fan along this ride and inspires me to create and cultivate my brand. He continually encourages me to think outside of the box and has been advocating for my business’s success since I first launched my practice. I feel so lucky to have a partner who truly believes in my work and business, and I can’t thank him enough for all of the love, support, and help he gives me.

Website: www.sounditoutspeech.com
Instagram: @sounditoutslp
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/kyra-quinones-7aaa30a7
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sounditoutspeechtherapy/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/sound-it-out-speech-therapy-manhattan-beach
Other: Google: https://g.page/sound-it-out-speech-therapy?gm

Image Credits
Kimber Collective

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