Meet Erin Burge

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erin Burge. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Erin , so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?

I am your typical eldest daughter of the 90’s. A people pleasing, over achieving, under-diagnosed ADHDer through and through so it should come as no surprise that I chose the endurance sport of running as my particular form of self care.

I love running! It started as an option to try and manage my weight but it has morphed into so much more for me. Running is my “me” time to think, pray and process. It gives my body something to focus on while my mind finally rests.

perhaps to my surprise mor than anyone, I have truly become a long distance endurance runner over the last few years running several half marathons and now I am actively training towards running a marathon. I love the community that comes with running, the therapy it has become for me and the fact that it is a me-vs- me sport where I am really just competing against myself.

I also love how much it has taught me about being an entrepreneur. Yes. You read that correctly. Becoming an endurance athletes has cultivated tools within myself and sharpened skills that have absolutely impacted the success of my business.

When you are a runner you have to learn to get very comfortable with discomfort. It builds perseverance and a stick-to-it ness that is unmatched. You learn to push through mental, emotional and physical walls. You learn the power of deciding that what you want in the future is more valuable to you than the discomfort you are feeling now. That is frequently true within a business. I don’t know any successful entrepreneur who didn’t walk through a season of perseverance, grit and fortitude to make it to where they are. There is not one business owner living their dream that didn’t have to press into the belief of that dream long before it became a reality.

Additionally, I have learned the value of identifying when the discomfort is an indicator of a true problem. Sometimes the answer is not to push through. It is to stop, re-assess and make a different game plan. It is important to be able to tell the difference in feeling discomfort because you are growing and feeling that unsettled news when something is really wrong. In both running and business there are times where it is absolutely vital to stop and reassess your plan because pushing forward will mean creating very long lasting issues that could ultimately end your career.

Finally, the community aspect is so vital in both areas. In running I am absolutely competing against myself in time and effort. I set my own goals and I am not concerned how the person next to me is running. I just want to run my best race. However, I am very impacted by others around me at a race and having them there undoubtedly impacts my degree of success. Any runner can tell you that you will always be able to run faster and farther on race day- why? The people. The energy and vibe and literal adrenaline rush that happens when we are surrounded by a community of individuals pursuing a similar goal. Did you hear that? Our bodies and brains literally change in a chemical way to support our success when we are surrounded by others encouraging us in words and actions. The same is true in business. As a small business owner I am the one who is ultimately responsible for my success or failure. You could say it is a me- vs- me business model. I am trying to be a better therapist, business owner, mom, community member etc. than I was yesterday. However, when I surround myself with other individuals pursuing similar paths- either in person or virtually in spaces like these- I will always be more successful in my endeavors across all aspects.

As a speech therapist it should come as no surprise that I believe there is phenomenal power in our words. As business men and women we should seek to change our inner monologue to reflect perseverance when things get hard and offer grace when we need to learn from mistakes. We must surround ourselves with others dream-chasers where we can offer one another positive energy, encouragement and a model worth emulating.

My business and my life are forever changed for being an endurance athlete. All that from lacing up some running shoes. Who would have thought?!

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I have been a practicing speech language pathologist for about 15 years now. I started my career as a second grade teacher and quickly realized that I wanted to specialize in supporting children with needs in speech therapy. Most of my therapeutic career has been in the school setting with a few experiences working at a variety of private practice locations. I am grateful for all the opportunities in each setting but I found myself growing more and more frustrated by the outside demands placed on my profession. It felt like in the school setting I couldn’t offer quality intervention due to volume of students requiring support and in the private practice setting I couldn’t offer quality intervention because it became a numbers game of chasing revenue and insurance claims. I simply wanted to help families. I longed for the opportunity to build genuine relationships with my clients and their families, to support and encourage them with quality care and exceptional personal connection. As our tag line states, I wanted to offer “speech therapy with heart.” The Lord opened incredible doors and Burge Therapy Services was born! We work hard to provide our community with quality speech and language intervention and are committed to pouring back into our community through supporting local schools and youth events.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

I think the three qualities that are most important are

– A willingness to learn and grow. You will constantly be doing that as a business owner. Taking inventory of what works and what doesn’t. Growing your skills in business and in your profession and putting those into place.

– An ownership that you serve a unique purpose. When I first got started I struggled so much with imposter syndrome. I am not at all a business minded individual and it seemed laughable to me that God called me into this space. I am almost all heart and no head in any decision. I felt so lacking because I did things differently that other similar business- intentionally remaining small and heart focused. But I offer something that no other speech therapist does, me! Sure I provide quality speech therapy but I am one of many speech therapist available for that. My clients come to me because of my heart, how I form relationships and connect with them and their families. I love them well and ironically the very thing that I thought discrete me as a business owner is what makes my business unique and valuable. The same is true of you! Don’t try to fit yourself into the mold other business have created.

– Gratitude. There is always an area to grow, improve, expand and gain more. It is a wonderful quality to be able to see those areas and set goals for growth but it is absolutely vital that you don’t trade the pursuit of success for the gratitude of how far you have come. Take time to intentionally be grateful for where you started, where you are now AND where you want to go. They all hold value.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for individuals to collaborate with. I work in pediatrics and what I miss about previous work experiences in a larger setting is that opportunity for a more inter-disciplinary approach. Kid are just tiny adults waiting to be developed. I think that as adults we frequently understand the value in seeking support that targets a variety of issues from various perspectives- psychiatry, health and nutrition, counseling, medicinal support, community building etc. We value supporting adults as a whole because we see how interconnected everything is. Yet with children we are often lacking in that same interconnectedness realization. A speech issue may be the result of psychological trauma or perhaps a reading deficit in a child is a lot less about needing an English tutor and a lot more about getting some language processing support. I am always interested in building a network of other pediatric interventionists where I can refer my patients.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.burgetherapyservices.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgetherapyservices?igsh=YjZpemIzbDQyb2Zw&utm_source=qr