My guest, Ashley Ballou, is someone that I really admire for her deep commitment to enhancing the wellbeing of clients, caregivers, and therapists.

In this conversation, we take a deep dive into the holistic approach of occupational therapy discussing the vital role it plays, not only in daily activities, but also in mental health and spiritual wellbeing.

We explore the importance of servant leadership, the intersection of personal values and professional practice and the different challenges OTs face in Canada and the US, particularly in the area of mental health.

Ashley opens up about her personal journey, sharing compelling experiences from caring for her grandmother to juggling professional life, while being the mother of five.

We also touch upon the essential need for occupational therapists to embody bravery, authenticity, and encourage them to trust their clinical intuition, and to align their actions with their true purposes. This conversation is packed with heartfelt insights, practical advice, and unwavering encouragement to pursue your calling with courage.

You can find Ashley on Instagram @caregiver_thrive

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If you are enjoying The BRAVE OT Podcast, I'd love it if you'd rate us, subscribe and share the a meaningful episode with a friend.

Listeners of the podcast are eligible for a 1 month grace period with the EMR, Jane. Visit Jane.app/switch and use the code VITALITY for this perk!

In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, I’m thrilled to bring you a highly motivating conversation with two trailblazing occupational therapists, Alyson Stover and Karen Jacobs, and their courageous journey in reshaping the landscape of occupational therapy by putting a very important occupational therapy stamp on artificial intelligence.

Alyson is the president of the American Occupational Therapy Association, an associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh in their Department of Occupational Therapy, and is an occupational therapist and clinic owner at Capable Kids in Pennsylvania.

Karen's occupational therapy practice spans over four decades. She is Associate Dean of Digital Learning & Innovation, Program Director of the post-professional doctorate in Occupational Therapy (OT) program, and Clinical Professor at Boston University’s Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences.

Through this conversation, Alyson shares her how she is embracing bravery through accountability, advocacy, and self-care, while Karen highlights the pivotal role of intentionality and the exciting intersection of occupational therapy and artificial intelligence. We'll explore the transformative potential of AI in healthcare, including the groundbreaking Korro app, which is revolutionizing therapy for children.

I encourage you to listen through the lens of your own area of practice. How might you hear what they are doing with this technology and consider how you might embrace AI similarly or differently in your work.

OTs have a unique lens, skill set, and collaborative nature that is highly valuable in AI development, which positions us to become leaders in the AI revolution.

Whether you're an experienced practitioner or a student, I know you’ll feel inspired by this discussion of bravery and dedication. We also touch on the importance of setting boundaries, leaning into emotional intelligence, and the invaluable connections forged through global OT networks like OT4OT.

This conversation highlights the power and potential that lies within our profession—whether it’s advocating for ourselves and our clients, embracing new technologies like AI, or simply taking those brave steps to do what matters in our personal lives.

Follow Alyson and Karen through their upcoming blog on the Capable Kids website, where they'll continue empowering the OT community with valuable insights and support. You can also reach out to them here by email or social media.

Alyson Stover - adstover@pitt.edu, LinkedIn

Karen Jacobs - kjacobs@bu.edu, LinkedIn

If you enjoyed today's episode, please consider leaving us a review and sharing the podcast with your friends and colleagues. Together, we can continue to build a brave, informed, and connected occupational therapy community.

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I will be accepting applications for enrolment from OT practitioners for the ACTivate Vitality program until June 15/24, when I pause enrolment. Book a Clarity Call Here

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Be sure to check out the Jane.app and use the code VITALITY to indicate you're a Brave OT Podcast listener and receive a 1 month grace period. Jane is embracing AI as it evolves features that solve problems for the clinicians in their community.

My guest for this episode is a physiotherapist by training who went on to be a Vice President at a national health care company and has recently pivotted to share his knowledge and level the playing field, supporting smaller businesses in maximizing their potential. This conversation with Gary Thorne will get therapy business owners thinking about how they can create transferable value in their business, ultimately converting that business into something that can be sold instead of closed with retirement.

This episode is for any therapy business owner, even if they’re many years away from closing.

Check out Gary’s blog post on creating a maximum value exit plan. If you’re a business owner in any stage of your developpement and don’t know what’s next, book a free consultation with Gary on his website or reach out via his LinkedIn.

If you love The BRAVE OT Podcast, I'd be so grateful if you'd tell a friend, post about it, tag me or leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening!

P.S. I hope you can forgive the sound quality on this one and hear the great info shared!

In this episode, we're joined by Mel Homan, a fellow OT who has turned her experiences with burnout into a transformative program for others. Whether you're an OT, a helping professional, or anyone navigating the challenges of a demanding career, this episode is packed with insights just for you. We share invaluable insights on overcoming hustle, nurturing our mental health, and the significance of building strong community ties.

Mel is extending an invitation for you to join her Facebook group, Building Fulfillment and Transformation, which is a great place to continue these discussions on getting out of burnout and you can learn more about her offerings at melhoman.com.

If you are an OT...

who has been listening and today’s discussion resonated with you, I’d love to know about it. A really great way to do this is to share the episode Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and tag me in the post with any points on what you found helpful about it.

If you’re looking for more ways to enhance your vitality and well-being, I invite you to explore my ACTivate Vitality program. It’s designed specifically to create a community of support for OT business owners like you, aiming to get out of the things that hook us into overworking like self-doubt, perfectionism, and fear of failure and get on with loving how you live and work. https://www.balanceworks.online/avprogram

Remember, you’re not alone in your journey. Let’s continue to build on what we’ve learned today and support each other along the way. You learn from the people around you so make sure you’re surrounding yourself with media and peers who nudge you in the direction you want to be going. Be sure to subscribe to our podcast, leave a review, and share this episode with a colleague or friend who might benefit from our conversation.

In this episode, down-to-earth business coach, Brettany Sorokowsky shares many tangible tips to help you simplify your business, including some golden instructions on using ChatGPT to streamline your business marketing.

Brettany and I found each other because we share values around making your business work for you and not listening to the generic business coaching advice that is regularly thrown our way.

What do you love to do?

What is an indicator of success in your day?

How can you do what you love to achieve success by this definition each day?

If you want to reach Brettany, you can find her here:

Facebook

The Link

The Hive

Here are those ChatGPT instructions in case you don't want to take notes. She is specifically talking about turning a podcast into many pieces of content but you can start with any type of long-form content:

1. Transcribe the podcast episode (use an app like Otter.ai or Descript)

2. Copy and paste the interview into ChatGPT and ask for a summary, having programmed your ideal client info in for context

3. Ask ChatGPT for 5 newsletter topics

4. Ask for articles from those topics with specific word count.

5. Ask for 5 motivational quotes related to the topics and your ideal client’s struggles

6. Bulk Create in Canva (do a YouTube Search for how to use this feature, it's a gamechanger)

7. Schedule the posts in a social media scheduler

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If you're in the mood for spring cleaning your business so that it can feel fresh and light, I'd love to book a breakthrough session with you to see what we can do. BOOK HERE

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Our podcast sponsor, Jane, is offering listeners of The BRAVE OT Podcast a 1 month grace period when you create a new account with their clinic management software if you use the word VITALITY at sign-up. Book your appointment now to make the switch jane.app/switch I'm in the process of a seamless switch right now myself. They've been so helpful!

In this relatable episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast, I sit down with Jarrett Dottin, a trailblazing occupational therapist and business owner, who shares his inspiring transition from feeling overwhelmed to achieving a state of calm mastery in his professional and personal life. Discover how Jarrett embraced intentional choices, cultivated his own version of work-life balance, and harnessed his unique strengths to create a thriving practice that resonates with authenticity and purpose.

You can find JD the OT online at jdtheot.com or check out his YouTube channel

I am grateful to be one of the mentors in Jarrett’s corner. If you would like some guidance in pausing to reflect on what would make your business feel more aligned, The Thriving OT Reflective Business Workshop is available on-demand. You can Carlyn Neek, BA, BScOTn up and get instant access here: https://activatevitality.online/thriving-ot-workshop

This is part 2 of our discussion with Rebecca Rae-Hodgson, The Chronically Resilient OT. She shared a lot about her lived experience as am ADHD and Autistic OT who found her way to practicing OT in New Zealand while accommodating the energetic and nervous system regulation ups and downs of persistent mental and physical illnesses.

In Part 2 we discuss how she’s crafting and curating her work to fit her strengths and needs in creative and brave ways.

Make sure you visit her resources shop here https://www.chronicresilienceot.com/resources-shop

If you are enjoying The BRAVE OT Podcast, please leave a review or a rating through your podcast player’s platform.

In this episode of The BRAVE OT Podcast our guest, Rebecca Rae-Hodgson bravely shares her real and raw lived experience as a ADHD and autistic OT who has crafted a business and life that is sustainable while living with chronic illness.

With the energetic and nervous system regulation ebbs and flows of fibromyalgia, borderline personality disorder, chronic fatigue and other persistent medical conditions, working in a typical OT job would not work for her. Just as she has crafted a home life that fits, she has curated a way of working that works with her strengths and needs.

As we lean into this conversation with Rebecca Rae Hodgson, The Chronically Resilient OT, we would like to share a content warning to let you know that there is discussion of suicide, trauma and self harm. If you’d like to skip to more detail about how Rebecca is working now, Part 2 doesn’t come with the same content warning.

Be sure to check out Rebecca’s work at https://www.chronicresilienceot.com/

If you are enjoying The BRAVE OT Podcast, please leave a review or a rating through your podcast player’s platform.