Jamie Giannino is a speech-language pathologist, private practice owner, and nonprofit founder who has spent the last decade working in the gaps the system pretends don't exist. Luba sits down with Jamie to talk about building Bee Bright Therapy and the Wordwise Speech Therapy Foundation side by side, what it actually takes to become an early intervention agency in New York State, and what pushed her to dress up as the Grinch and end up on the news fighting for providers who weren't getting paid. They also get into what parents need to know about IEPs, why you should never sign one you don't agree with, and how Jamie thinks about advocacy as someone who once needed someone to fight for her too. If you've ever felt like the system wasn't listening, this one's for you.

00:00 Welcome and intro to Jamie Giannino

02:52 Inside Bee Bright Therapy and serving rural counties

06:22 Jamie's road to becoming an SLP and finding her path

14:18 Building an agency and surviving New York's payment freeze

18:48 The private client who changed everything: discovering apraxia

24:42 Why Jamie started the Wordwise Speech Therapy Foundation

26:00 Dressing as the Grinch to get the state's attention

32:53 Funding a nonprofit and the grant writing reality

37:46 How providers can better support families beyond the session

43:09 Reading the IEP line by line and fighting for what's right

What happens when a pediatric SLP gets tired of reinventing the wheel before every session and decides to build something better? Luba sits down with Stephanie Feero, MS, CCC-SLP and founder of Chomper Champs, a speech therapy companion tool born in a feeding therapy room and now shipping to SLPs across the country. They talk about why play-based therapy produces better outcomes, how Stephanie went from a single janky 3D printer to a growing subscription box business, and what it actually takes to turn a clinical idea into a real product. Stephanie also gets honest about clinician burnout, the pressure SLPs put on themselves to create custom materials, and why low-prep tools aren't a shortcut. They're just good clinical sense.

Check out Chomper Champs here: https://www.chomperchamps.com

00:00 Welcome & intro to Stephanie Feero

01:36 Stephanie's path to becoming an SLP

05:28 Building Chomper Champs from her home workshop

08:41 Why fun is the driver of progress, not a distraction

12:00 From janky prototype to version 30

19:16 Advice for SLPs with an idea but no time

26:17 Preventing clinician burnout & what's next for Chomper Champs

29:50 Where to find Stephanie & Chomper Champs

The Growth Lab is back, and Luba is marking one full year of the podcast with a solo episode that's equal parts reflection and momentum. She gets honest about what year one actually looked like behind the scenes, how the show evolved from a business-focused platform into a space built for families and providers navigating child development, and why she didn't have it all figured out when she started. She also shares what's ahead, including new episodes with a sharper focus, and the launch of her book, coming this May. If you've been here since episode one or you're just finding the show now, this is the conversation that sets the tone for everything coming next.

00:00 One year of The Growth Lab

02:08 Starting before you're ready

03:22 The pivot from business to families

05:49 The real work behind the podcast

08:16 How hosting sharpened her voice

11:52 What's next: the book launch

14:14 Thank you to the listeners