Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a career that allows you to combine your passion with play every day?
That’s what Caroline Miller has crafted for herself and it’s bringing her great joy! A speech and language pathologist, Caroline combines her love of performing (singing and entertaining) with a passion for helping others become better communicators, especially with children (where play is the ideal learning environment). The opening of her practice in Milwaukee, The Speech Care Center, is only one step along the way to creating her vision – multiple offices throughout the country, staffed by speech therapists who share her passion for teaching through play.
As you might guess, Caroline’s forte is not the details of the business. Wise enough to recognize this, she is also lucky enough to have a fiancé who shares her vision and has the business skills. “If you are thinking about starting your own business, remember that passion and vision aren’t enough to get you through the day,” she told me in our rainy Saturday morning interview. “I am so blessed to have Cliff as my life partner and my business partner. Owning the business allows us to know that we are in charge of our own destiny and can build a future that is family-friendly, allowing us to be able to have our family and serve others’ families in a healthy way.”
The Speech Care Center serves children and adults who want/need to improve their speech, including pronunciation (production of sounds and words, reducing accents or learning to speak) and language (vocabulary and communication skills). Caroline’s favorite is working with the children. “My favorite success is the two year old who comes to me not speaking at all, or very little, and at the end of our work together, the child can actually carry on a conversation. It is so rewarding to hear this little person express who they are and their fascination with the world!”
“We are happy to do home visits, which is different in that we have the time to work with the children (we aren’t dealing with over-burdened case load). We can choose how much time the client needs and can arrange our schedule so that we have time in-between clients to work on treatment plans and tracking the client’s progress and needs. This allows us to offer a level of service and personal interactions that just aren’t available through the schools and non-profit organizations.”
Also offering learning play groups for children, Caroline and her associates give families the chance to interact with others who are experiencing similar difficulties. She reports that often they form friendships that last for years as the parents support each other in at home learning activities and dealing with the challenges that may come up.
Caroline’s fiancée, Cliff Bayer, grew up working in the family business until he was 25. He then went into sales and the entertainment business (stand-up comedy!) – the perfect repertoire of skills to support Caroline in The Speech Care Center. (I can’t help but wonder if he has created a special stand-up routine for the children?) They met during a performance and have been together ever since.
Caroline is a wonderful role model for women who want to own a business and have a great relationship (and eventually a family). Her advice to you? “Whether owning a business or having a career or family - do what you love, your way. Your passion and commitment to sharing your gifts in your unique way will attract people who want to be a part of your life or business. AND remember the practical side as well. Get help when you need it. You don’t have to do it alone.”
