Meet Shaquille Cooper | Speech Language Pathologist

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

Hi Shaquille, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Since my undergraduate studies, I have actively talked about opening my own practice, however; I didn’t know what direction I wanted to take until graduate school. In graduate school I was an intern at a bilingual clinic catered to multicultural families and I feel in love with the idea of inclusion and service. When I was in the development stage of my practice, I wanted to create a business that thrived on representation and inclusivity. Commonly when you think of a speech therapy private practice you think of something that is frequently catered to children and colorful; I wanted to play with that concept but in a different way since I treat adult patients. I treat a variety of different patients from various backgrounds therefore I thought it only made sense to name my company “Hues.”

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m Shaquille Cooper and I’m the proud owner of Hues Speech Therapy Services Corporation. My company is different from others because not only do we serve pediatric populations; but we also serve adult/geriatric populations. Majority of clinicians only specialize in one discipline but in recent years I thought it was very important to strive for inclusivity and representation. Speech therapy should be for everyone. I am most proud of my ability to actually create a practice because given my background; all that I’m doing is a dream come true. I’m a first-generation Afro-Caribbean/Latino college graduate and being able to do all that I have done in this short time is almost unbelievable, I’m my grandparents wildest dreams. I would say that I have gotten to where I am business-wise from working in variety of settings. I have worked in several private practices, in skilled nursing facilities, clinics, home heatlh, and even in the school district with different ages. From each of my various positions, I picked up skills that helped influence how I wanted to run my own business. It hasn’t been easy creating a business or gaining the experience because ultimately; there is no formula for the perfect business. In spite of all my challenges I have been able to overcome them by remaining patient. I am a strong believer that if you are consistent and humble then anything is possible in business. I can say that possibly one of the most important lessons I have learned is to always ask questions and remain flexible. I think we live in an age where many people feel entitled to information or experience; but the reality is that if you do not seek it…then it’ll never come. I want the world to know that my story ultimately isn’t too different than that of any child from immigrant parents; I just never gave up on myself or wasn’t too scared to dream out loud.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I lived in N. Carolina for a few years, I grew up overseas as a kid, and I spent a lot of time on the east coast as a youth, but California is home. Although I am relatively slim, my favorite thing to do is eat. In no particular order we would visit Nobu in Malibu, Crustacean in Beverly Hills, Castaway in Burbank, Madre in Torrance, 555 East American Steakhouse in Long Beach, Shawarma House in Garden Grove, and Stevie’s Creole Cafe in LA. I love theme parks therefore Six Flags and Disneyland are mandatory. I would absolutely take them to visit Santa Monica, I love Third Street Promenade and the pier. Considering that I’m a new father in the pandemic I haven’t done much bar hopping; but I love Joeys DTLA for drinks and/or Tempo Cantina in Downey.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would love to dedicate my Shoutout to my wife London and our daughter Eden, starting a private practice isn’t easy and there have been several times where I have questioned my effectiveness and even sometimes was unsure as to whether my ideas would translate well. My wife has always supported my vision and admired that I am able to run a practice and balance family life. My daughter is still too young to understand what I do or my career; but I’d like to think that I can inspire her to chase her dreams and passions. As well, I would like to recognize my friends and fellow colleagues David Dean and Denise Holland. David is also a speech language pathologist and is the proud owner of Key Communication Speech and Language Services Inc. in Ontario, CA. During the formulation of my company, he has answered so many questions about things that I didn’t understand or when I needed clarification. Moreover, Denise Holland has supported my career as a speech language pathologist since I was a teenager. Denise is the senior speech language pathologist at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Long Beach, CA and she was instrumental in exposing me to the field when I was her intern. Denise absolutely pushed my career and even wrote my letter of recommendation for me to get into graduate school. I can’t thank them enough.

Website: www.huestherapyservices.com

Instagram: @huestherapyservices

Other: email: admin@huestherapyservices.net email: cooper@huestherapyservices.net phone: 213-577-0121