We were lucky to catch up with Sydney Bassard recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sydney , we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
Resilience was instilled in me from an early age. My mom always taught me that it was not just good enough to “try and try again”, but to “try, try, try again”. This mindset has helped me in adulthood and as a business owner! I was waitlisted for graduate school, which was a huge stressor for me at the time. Ultimately, I was admitted into my program and excelled as a student.
Even after embarking on my journey as a business owner, I’ve had setbacks. Once promising contracts ended abruptly, and business relationships soured. It is easy in those moments to want to quit and give up. Yet, I kept pushing through and focusing on my mission. The same mission that I have held since day one, which is to make information accessible to families of all economic backgrounds.
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?
Sydney Bassard, MSP, CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist who specializes in working with individuals who are Deaf and hard of hearing and literacy. She owns The Listening SLP, which is her private practice and social media brand. Sydney was noted as a Distinguished Early Career Professional in 2020 and an Innovator in 2023 by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association for her work centered on the equity of health information. Through her social media page, she engages with professionals and parents on the topics of hearing loss and literacy. In 2023, Sydney co-authored a children’s book, A Day with Mom, with her mother. The book tells the story of a little girl who is excited to spend the day with her mom on a typical Saturday.
My family has a personal connection with loved ones needing services and struggling to find information for ways to receive assistance. This has fueled me to create The Listening SLP. A place where families and caregivers can find information for free or low-cost. My goal is for professionals and parents to listen, learn, and advocate together.
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?
Three qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey have been being flexible, knowing how to laugh at myself, and building authentic connections with those in and outside of my profession. Business as in life will have unexpected turns and challenges. It is best to embrace the ride and not allow yourself to get too caught up in things that you cannot control. Knowing how to laugh at myself has saved me a lot of tears. You are not perfect and will make mistakes. It is best to laugh in those moment instead of beating yourself up. My connections have taken to places I would have never imagined. I’ve been able to work with people and in spaces I could have only ever dreamed of because of the connections I have made over the years!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thelisteningslp.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thelisteningslp
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thelisteningslp
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-bassard-42417296/
Image Credits
BRENT STREET STUDIOS
