Connect Inspire Create
Welcome to Connect Inspire Create: The Mindset & Business Coaching Podcast. I'm Carol Clegg, your host and Progress and Accountability coach for women business owners.
Listen to conversations that delve into taking action, business and life coaching,
creativity, and different ways to foster a positive mindset. Whether you're a woman
solopreneur navigating midlife, seeking to overcome procrastination, or
striving for balance in your business, you'll find an episode or two on this show that will be insightful and motivating. That's the plan!
Let's embark on a journey to connect, inspire, and create a
space where our connections inspire us —welcome to Connect Inspire Create!
Connect Inspire Create
183 Small Steps, Big Growth: Brittany Smith on Entrepreneurship, Partnership, and Purpose-Driven Leadership
Brittany Smith shares her entrepreneurial journey co-founding Jump Ahead Pediatrics with her business partner Janki Patel, from a pivotal meeting with school administrators to celebrating 100 employees and expanding their healthcare staffing business.
• Started as occupational therapists providing clinic services before pivoting to school staffing
• Built their business partnership on trust and complementary working styles
• Balanced business growth while raising three children
• Found self-care in small moments like early morning routines
• Recently hit milestone of 100 employees and expanding into adult healthcare facilities
• Learning to pause and celebrate achievements rather than always focusing on next goals
• Taking small steps every day toward business goals creates meaningful growth over time
Connect with Jump Ahead Pediatrics on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn as they continue to expand their staffing services for schools and healthcare facilities.
Coaching Mental Fitness & Accountability
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Hello from your host, Carol Clegg – your mindset and accountability coach for women coaches, entrepreneurs and small teams!
As a coach or heart led entrepreneur, you know all the right tools and strategies to support your clients—but when it comes to applying them to yourself, it’s easy to get stuck. You might find it hard to prioritize self-care, stay motivated, or maintain a positive mindset, especially when juggling the demands of your business. That’s where I come in.
I love helping women reconnect with their own practices. Together, we’ll explore what’s getting in the way, reignite your motivation, and put the right tools in place to support your well-being.
If you're ready to start prioritizing your own mindset and motivation, take my complimentary “Insights into You” (aka Saboteur discovery assessment” and follow up with a free coaching session to explore your results. Take your assessment here, or visit carolclegg.com for more details.
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...I am entitled to celebrate this, however big or however small, and I love to remind my clients that as well is that when you come to the end of your day and just sit back and reflect and we always get pushed with this gratitude and okay, what am I grateful for? But there's another side to that that I feel is what can you celebrate that you've accomplished today, that you can either write about it in your journal or just reflect before going to sleep. Well, welcome everybody back to another episode of Connect, inspire, create, where we explore ways for midlife women business owners to take action, stay inspired and lead with their hearts, get in touch with what really matters to them. Thanks for listening to the show today and welcome to my guest, brittany Smith. Hi, brittany, lovely to have you here.
Speaker 2:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Oh, I am looking forward to sharing. Brittany is in partnership with her partner. I want to say Yankee, but you pronounce it so much better, so I'm going to let you share her name with me.
Speaker 2:Her name is Janki Patel.
Speaker 1:Janki Patel, and they are the owners of Jump Ahead Pediatrics, a pediatric staffing company, and just to give you a little bit of insight behind that, before we dive into all sorts of questions that I have for you today, brittany, I wanted to share that together they have spent nearly a decade building a company that helps schools thrive by providing top-notch OT, pt, speech, physiology and other school-related support, and now they are jumping ahead into something new.
Speaker 1:So I'm excited to find out what that's all about. But, brittany, I'm looking forward to this conversation. I know that you have built something really meaningful in the world of health care and education, something that you can be super proud of, and all doing that while raising a family and then running a business in partnership with somebody, which we'll dig a little bit into that, because that's also can be a beautiful journey, but sometimes has its own challenges, and you bring your own strengths to the table. So I'm looking forward. So, before we jump in to the nitty gritty, I have a quick question for you to share with my listeners what is a moment from your journey with Jump Ahead that still gives you goosebumps?
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, journey with Jump Ahead. That still gives you goosebumps. Hmm, sure, um, yeah. So there was, um one instance. So we started out doing clinic work. Um, so I am an occupational therapist, is also an OT, and we started doing, you know, clinic-based services. So I would provide services to the children, so would she. And there was this kind of coming to moment where we switched to school related services, where then we realized we were going to be staffing and sending to the schools. So this was probably about six years ago, if I'm not mistaken, maybe a little no about six years ago and you know I had just had my son.
Speaker 2:So you know there was a lot, there was a lot going on and we, you know, were invited to go into one of the superintendent's office of one of the first schools that we had ever signed with. So we were super nervous and we were getting ready and we were like, do we do suits, do we do jackets? We were like so nervous and you know, cause this was our first time meeting with, you know, some big school administrator and you know, and, and being so young, you know we were very intimidated but you know we talked to each other off and we were like ready and sweating in the waiting room and we went in and we answered all the questions and did a great job because we ended up getting the contract.
Speaker 2:So, like as we were walking out, we were just like, wow, you know, we did it. You know, kind of like rubbing elbows on the way out and, you know, really proud of ourselves. So, yeah, I think that was kind of one of the turning moments where we were like we're doing this and we're confident enough to, you know, go into these schools and with these big school administrators and get these contracts. And you know, since then, you know our confidence, you know it was definitely a confidence booster and you know we've been in schools ever since and you know, definitely growing. So I think you know that was definitely the moment for me Turning point.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, that is so wonderful and I know you've kind of shared a little bit. But I'd love to just take us right back to the spark that started your business together. Starting at the beginning, what led the two of you to co-found Jump Ahead Pediatrics?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So we, jonke and I, went to school together, we went to college together, we did a five-year accelerated master's program for OT, and so we studied together, we partied together, we hung out together, we were neighbors. So we were always, you know, just in each other's lives throughout college. After we ended up working together. So we worked at one of the same facilities, we always kept in touch, we studied for our board exam together and really remained close.
Speaker 2:After that we had always just talked about wouldn't it be cool if we opened up our own business Keep me in mind, kind of thing. And then it kind of just happened. We kind of had the conversation. At the time I was with my first son and in my head I was like I still want to work, but I don't want to be working these 10 hour shifts that I was working an hour away. You know, I was like I'll never be able to see this baby. So, you know, at that point we really started getting you know the, the conversation flowing and you know the, you know, just very slowly building it until we were like all right, let's just start taking cases. And it was kind of very like all right, let's just start this. And you know what, if we just do this and it was very like you know, whatever in the beginning- Organic, would you say?
Speaker 1:Like organic and then just kind of created, let it flow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure, for sure, organic. And then just kind of create it, let it flow yeah, for sure, for sure. And then it kind of was flowing and we were like all right, this is. You know, this is great, and you know now this is a lot of work, and you know so. There's definitely been different stages, but that's kind of how it formed.
Speaker 1:And were you jump ahead pediatrics right from the beginning, or did you? You were, you were yeah.
Speaker 2:We wanted a name that didn't tie down to just therapy, because we, you know, had a bunch of different ideas as to where the business was going to go. Was it going to be groups? Was it going to be, maybe, academic based? You know we're going to get other professionals in here too. So we want to kind of, you know, to screen kids. But you know, jump ahead meaning. You know we had a whole bunch of different meanings. So, but yeah, wonderful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love the name. I mean it certainly is, and it's just so inspiring even for kids, because I'm sure they kind of go jump ahead. I'm going to jump ahead.
Speaker 1:I could just it's lovely so but, I, have to come back to navigating partnership and sharing leadership together. I know that you you obviously were very close to each other and you and you've shared so much of life already together, so you obviously knew each other well. But was there something special that kind of helped you sustain your partnership now, which is now almost over a decade?
Speaker 2:I think you know her and I have talked about this before. I think for both of us, trust has been the biggest thing. I trust that she has good intentions for the business. I trust she has good intentions for me. I trust that she is, you know, has good intentions for the business. I trust she has good intentions for me. I trust that she, you know, knows what she's talking about. So I just I trust so many pieces of her. I know, you know, she's not going to steal from me, not steal from the business. And you know, and I can say, because we've talked about it, you know she has that same trust in me. So I think that that is has been the absolute basis of our relationship, you know, whether professional or you know and friendship.
Speaker 1:So important. Yeah, just the solid foundation of trust, because then that just covers like an umbrella over so many other things that you. That allows open discussion and not necessarily always agreeing. Would you say that you have different strengths that complement each other, or are you very similar?
Speaker 2:I think we have. We always say we balance each other out. So she definitely is more cutthroat. She definitely is, you know, definitely a fast decision maker. And I'm a little like let's take a step back, let's, you know, figure this out, let's sleep on it.
Speaker 1:Let's I love that. I always say that. Let's sleep on a big decision. Yeah, see what tomorrow brings.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, so I think that it, and I think you know you know a lot of situations, you know you need a little bit of both some situations. I'm like you please handle this, because I know you need to. Just, you know, dive in and you know and give the person you know whatever advice they need, and you know other situations. She's like you know what, I need you to just handle this. You know a little bit later and you know I do that. So I, yes, we definitely balance each other out.
Speaker 1:So I want to now just touch briefly on motherhood and business, because I know you mentioned in the beginning that you said having your son and wanting to be with him kind of was where you started. Now you're a mom of three. Was there a moment that you went oh, this is really hard, juggling both being a mom and being a partner in a business and offering a service, because there's one thing, when you're doing something that doesn't involve other people, but you are offering a service and there's hours of commitment, so sometimes I'm sure it must have been quite challenging.
Speaker 2:Yes, for sure, I love all my kids the same. So I had my son and I had my daughter about three years later and then, when she was six months, um, I became pregnant with my third. And at that you know we're excited and everything. And then when I had my third, it was like wow, this is really tough being a mom. And now I'm juggling this business and I don't want to let Jahnke down and I don't want to let anyone else down myself, my family. I have to just keep trucking along. And that point was really really hard for me, for sure. And then we recently just went through construction to where we were displaced for six months with the, with the three kids. So that was another really, really hard mom moment, business owner moment for me.
Speaker 1:So those were probably the two was there anything that you specifically did to take care of yourself? Because I know that, you know that's always the thing is like we, we do so much for others, we pour out into others and everybody said, oh, self-care, you know, you need to, you need to, and sometimes it can only be a tiny moment that we grab or something that we do. Was there a routine or something that you just, you know, turn to or relied on for yourself?
Speaker 2:Yeah, um, I would say with when, like to differentiate to when my son, when my third was born, um, I would just, you know, my husband just understood like I need it. I needed a minute when, whether that looks like, you know, I know there's, you know, different views, but whether that looks like going grocery shopping by myself or, you know, going to the gym, was always like my thing, you know, to feel better about myself and just you know. Have a moment and listen to the loud music and, you know, kind of dissociate.
Speaker 2:But I would say, recently or, you know, when we did construction, for me it was getting up early getting myself ready, so doing my hair, doing my makeup, you know, putting on something other than sweats for the day, and then I felt put together and like I could accomplish something for the day. So that was how I kind of got by.
Speaker 1:It's funny, I smile, because when you said going to the grocery store on your own and you know I've we're having some health challenges here at home with my husband and I said to a friend I just went to the grocery store the other day and that it was like I don't like going to the grocery store at the best of times. You know, all of a sudden I'm finding peace and quiet. Yes, and her comment was something along the fact that, well, sometimes just doing something mundane and boring just kind of settles your nervous system.
Speaker 2:Uh, you know it allows you. So yeah, yeah, for sure, and I feel like you know, again, I feel like I've heard like mixed views on like, oh, you know, grocery shopping shouldn't be like your time in your moment, like you should dedicate something else, but sometimes there's just not time. So I feel like you just have to kind of live in the moment and you're feeling good going grocery shopping, then that's what it is for that day.
Speaker 1:And I know I mean you've touched on what you've shared with us so far a little bit, you know, on the resilience and all these things that happen. But is there a moment and you shared in the beginning that feeling of confidence and stepping into yes, this is really happening. But is there another moment that's made you pause and feel, wow, we're really proud of what we've accomplished.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes. I think a common thing that Janki and I share is that it you know, just in light, like it's never enough, like we're always like you know, we accomplish these things or we'll meet these goals, and we're like all right, that's great, but we, you know what's next, like we have to get you know, you know to X amount of schools or you know in X amount of seats.
Speaker 2:So I think that it is a very come to moment. We do have a CFO that we meet with regularly and he is fantastic on, like bringing us back to, like I need you to stop and look at what you accomplished. Like look at these numbers, look at what you accomplished. And he's like this is great. And we're like, yes, like it just just someone to bring you back, to be like this is where you were, you know three years ago, two years ago, whatever. And he's like you were, you know three years ago, two years ago, whatever. And he's like, no, this is, this is great, and this is the projection, and this is great. So he, for me and I think for junkie as well, can really just be like you just stop, look at this. Fantastic. Now we can talk about all the goals Like there's always goals, of course, but you know, to bring us back. I think it has been really helpful and really great.
Speaker 1:No, and that's what you're sharing right now. It just is so important to remember, to celebrate, you know, and sometimes to actually tie it to an action, and it could be something so small, but you know, whether it be like just clenching your hands or having a big smile or, you know, punching the air or something, but actually saying I am entitled to celebrate this, however big or however small. Right and I love to remind my clients that as well is that when you come to the end of your day and just sit back and reflect and you know, we always get pushed with this gratitude and OK, what am I grateful for? But there's another side to that that I feel is what can you celebrate that you've accomplished today? That you can either write about it in your journal or just reflect before going to sleep. I think it's just, you know, adds to a good helping for a good night's sleep. So I know that you mentioned, and I read somewhere, that there's something ahead or something new for Jump Ahead. So what are you excited about? What is next?
Speaker 2:Yeah, sure, so we recently had hit 100 employees, so we were really excited about that Um and are celebrating, so I'm glad that you brought that up.
Speaker 2:Um, you know, bringing all. So we have internal admin um in a couple of different states so we're flying them all into um to New York and we're going to celebrate together and you know, just try to enjoy the moment. But with that we've decided to go into staffing for adult facilities as well. So where we've done a lot of the schools and are still definitely continuing to do that, we are trying to branch into different adult facilities, to staff for different populations there. So we're really excited.
Speaker 1:Oh, that is fantastic. So where can people find out more about what you're doing, how to connect with you? What are the best places to find both of you?
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely so. Instagram, you know we definitely post regularly, so we're just Jump Ahead Pediatrics on Instagram. Facebook, we're on there as well, still under Jump Ahead Pediatrics, and LinkedIn, for sure, janki has her own page, janki Patel myself, Brittany Smith, and then we have our company page for Jump Ahead Pediatrics.
Speaker 1:Fantastic. Well, I will make sure to put that all in the show notes so that people can just reach out, because you just never know, you never know. I love the fact that you're moving into adult facilities because so so important. We have OT and PT coming to the house now for my husband and it's been a gift. It really has you know, so certainly have appreciated that. So for my listeners who might be going, I have an idea, but I'm just not sure if I can make it happen. Do you have any advice for them?
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure. I mean it's kind of mundane. I go for it like do it. I think that you know even just the smallest ideas. If you just take little steps every day towards them, I think that you know you could definitely find something really special and really awesome.
Speaker 1:And rewarding, yeah. So what I have loved about this conversation is just the reminder that partnership and presence and trust are so important to exist together. And look how far you've come If you sit and reflect back where you both started, when you were still at school and still training, and before children and now look at where you're going to now. So, Brittany, thank you. Thank you for sharing your story and thank you for the inspiration and for being our guest today.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much. I appreciate it. This was fun.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening. If our conversation sparked some inspiration for you, I invite you to share this episode with others, and I do encourage you to embrace your own unique way of connecting, inspiring and creating this week, hence the name of the show connect, inspire, create. So let your choices in your business and your life bring you a sense of ease and flow into your world. And if you are looking for tools to build powerful habits around a lifelong positive mindset, then I'd love to explore what results you are looking for in your life and your business.
Speaker 1:As a mindset and accountability coach, I work with women business owners in midlife to find balance in not only their business endeavors, but also to help prepare the foundation for a positive mindset. And by blending personal accountability and mindset coaching with the powerful positive intelligence program that I use, you will gain lifelong tools to create a shift in all areas of your life, from personal to professional, and reduce that negative self-talk and discover more self-love. So feel free to reach out if you have any questions for me, and I am here to support you on that journey. You can connect with me on LinkedIn at Carol Clegg You'll find me there or look for my website, carolcleggcom. So until the next time,
