bev
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Barry: [00:00:00] welcome Bev Jessup to the podcast. How are you today?
Bev: You're doing great. Thank you for asking. Glad to be
Barry: here. I love it. I love your accent.
It is way better than mine, so I appreciate that.
Bev: Yes.
Barry: Tell us a little bit about yourself. Bev.
Bev: Well, I'm a trained speech language therapist. I've been working as one for over 30 years now in the uk and in 2015 I transitioned to working solely online and now I train other speech therapists to do the same and to do it with confidence.
Barry: Oh, that is so good. So you train people who train people on speech therapy to. Train people. That's good. I like that. We'll go into a, a, black hole of, what is, when people say it's a circular definition's, have you ever heard of a circular definition?
Bev: So we we're, as speech [00:01:00] therapist, we're obviously experts in communicating effectively.
Um, but sometimes we actually lack a bit of confidence in our skills. That's so good. Yes. I think we do as professionals. Anyway. Yeah.
Barry: This, this hits home to me. My son, who is 18 years old now, his name is Luke. He was Lucas at the time, and he, it, it is a joke. It's a cosmic joke. If your name is Lucas and you can't pronounce your Ls, Yes.
And so he got this fantastic speech therapist. She's, she's local to us. She is now one of, he plays golf and her son played golf with him. They're in the same grade. Mm-hmm. But she helped him and, and really it only took, I think Three or four months to really help him. So you know you're doing God's work.
I say that's good. Yes, I like
Bev: that. Yeah. I mean, I see now clients all over the world, so that's why I decided I wanted to go online and it was before Covid cause it was [00:02:00] 2015. , but , it allowed me to, oh no, I see. I've got clients in, in Canada and , I've had in Dubai, Nigeria, Oh, wow. Around the UK and, Europe.
So yeah, it's, it's It's a great opportunity to, to serve
Barry: people. Yeah. So you told me, you told me where you were from before we started recording, so, you know, tell people where you're from and, and, and a little bit about yourself right there. How did you grew up there? I mean, what, what happened? No,
Bev: I was born in Uganda.
Oh. And um, I. I dunno if any of your listeners will know the story of Ed Armin in 19 72, 73. Um, he basically threw all the Indian, the Asians out of Uganda and we became refugees, scattered all the way around the world. Um, so I've got cousins in Canada and um, all over the world really. And um, so [00:03:00] we ended up in the uk, my family and I, and, um, We in London, sort of.
So I was brought up in London, um, and I trained as a speech therapist in Lester, which is in the middle of the uk. Um, and then, um, met my husband at uni. We got married, got been married for about 30 years or so. Um, and we've got three boys and we now live on the island of White, which is a little island just off the coast of Southampton.
Portsmouth, um, in, in
Barry: the uk. I love what I do cause I meet so many interesting people from all over the world with so many interesting stories, and that's one of the most interesting stories I've ever heard, . Yes. So how did you get your start in, in, in your business? Well, I
Bev: actually transitioned from a nine to five job, so I worked in various schools and clinics and, um, I worked for the nhs.
So the NHS is the National [00:04:00] Health Service here in the uk. It's free. At the point of need and, um, really loved working with them. And then I transitioned to working in a school and I was given the opportunity to become a manager, that school, but I decided I wanted to spend more time with my family. Um, I had two young boys at the time.
So on the side, on a Saturday, I'd be doing training, I'd be training, teaching assistants, and, um, You know, parents and things like that. And then I eventually got some clients that I would see, in the evening or after school or that sort of thing. And I thought, well, let's transition to being full-time.
As, um, a private speech therapist. So that's what I did. Mm-hmm. And then, you know, um, with work you have to kind of like go with the ebbs and flow of life, you know? Cause obviously your children need you different points and that's [00:05:00] what being self-employed allowed me to work flexibly. And I love that because I didn't have to be accountable to a boss.
Mm-hmm. I was the boss. Yeah. Um, and I could set my own hours and, um, You know, also meet their needs. My, my young, um, boys' needs at the same time. So yes, that's how,
Barry: how long ago has that
Bev: been? So I started, um, my own private practice in 2005. Um, and then 10 years, 10 years later, I decided I wanted to just go solely online.
And that was really because I got my first online client who was a real challenge.
Barry: What made him a challenge?
Bev: Well, he, he was in Italy at the time. Mm-hmm. And, he. Couldn't speak at all. And he needed an alternative means of communication. so I set him up with an iPad with a particular app, [00:06:00] and he needed to pass five oral exams.
And given that he couldn't speak at all, and he was 17 doing his state exams, and in Italy, they don't have special schools. They have, you know, they just have mainstream schools. Um, so he did have special support. He did have assistants that supported him and I had to train them on how to use the app all remotely.
Um, I had to design their, the different exam grids. Um, on different subjects like Unti or Picasso, world War I and various topics like that he had for his exam. Um, and in the end he passed his exams. Um, and I thought, well, if I can see such a complex case online, I can see anyone online a hundred percent.
And that's why I, that's why I transitioned.
Barry: So, do you help people with speech therapy with, with English mainly, or [00:07:00] do you have multiple languages?
Bev: No, I only speak English. Okay. Um, and so yes, I just I help them with their unclear speech. So at the moment I've got, um, a Canadian. Medical student. Um, and he's got, um, a lisp.
Okay. And he came to me and he said, you know, I just don't want to be known as the doctor with the lisp. And he just wants to sort that out. So usually lis it, they take me about six to eight weeks. Um Wow. And, um, yeah.
Barry: Well, you, you know, your craft. Then you're like, okay, I've got, which I wouldn't expect nonetheless.
Right. So how does one not be able to speak? Because it, it sounds like it's like the, not the ability to, you have the ability to speak, but you just don't. Yeah. Know how, like
Bev: what, what does, how does that happen? Well, I mean it could be all sorts of different reasons. I mean, I'm currently doing, um, a [00:08:00] contract for the NHS cuz we're, um, the NHS is so short of staff, so I'm doing a short-term locum contract for them.
And I wanted to get, cause I've, I left the NHS such a long time ago and I wanted to see what the need was. Mm-hmm. Um, and it's interesting because the children there have got multiple. Learning different disabilities and physical disabilities. So cognitively, they've got the, they've got problems.
They can't speak at all. Um, they don't have the understanding of words. Um, and they don't, again, don't have any means of communicating. So I am getting to grips with what they, what they can do. At the moment and what they need to do. So it's sort of bridging the gap between what they have and what they don't have and, and giving them a system so that they can, communicate effectively at home On just a basic level, like being able to say that you'd like to have the, , strawberry milkshake rather than the.
Banana [00:09:00] milkshake or whatever the situation is. And, you know, I work with stroke patients who, um, their left hemisphere has been damaged and they can't get the words out. They can't, you know, you have this sort of tip of the tongue, tongue syndrome. They know what they want to say, but it just doesn't come out.
So again, I've, I've given them a different system to allow them to communicate. So I had a, a South African lady who you know, wanted to talk to her parents while they were in South Africa. She was actually in the uk and her parents were in, in South African. She was able to have a conversation with them using the iPad.
So, you know, it's, it's great. Yeah,
Barry: I'm sitting here amazed at. The things that I do not know. You know, I started out being like, Hey, my son couldn't say his ELs. And then I'm listening to you and I'm, I'm getting a little, a little emotional inside because number one, you know, I'm a speaker and, and it's one of the unique abilities that I have just been gifted.
I've [00:10:00] been able to speak well, and, and just as a kid, I mean, they couldn't get me to shut up. Right. That's all I do today. Mm-hmm. And then I'm sitting here thinking about it. I'm like, how? How would life be without that gift? And we take it for granted. And then I'm listening to you and I'm like, wow, man, there's such big bigger problems in not being able to pronounce your Ls.
Right? And then you, you're, you're taking people from not being able to speak. And I, I, I mean, it makes me a little emotional inside,
so
Bev: Yeah, it does, it makes me emotional as well, because there's lots of things we take for granted, like going to McDonald's and saying, I'd like, you know, large fries and chicken nuggets, you know, and.
A medium coke, whatever, it's, you know. Yeah. And so with this lady with a stroke, you know, we, we rehearsed using her iPad that she could go to the, go to McDonald's and press the right buttons and, and make her order. And even even order for me, even though I wasn't there, I was just pretending, but you know, that she could actually order for [00:11:00] someone else as well as order for herself.
Barry: That's so good. So now you've, are you doing half of your business where you're actually doing speech therapy and you're teaching people how to do proper speech therapy?
Bev: Yeah, so I have, um, two memberships actually. Um, one's I've only just, um, about to launch it properly. Um, so one is, um, really for parents and teachers and teaching staff, educators, preschooler educators, as well as, um, speech therapists who.
Want to feel confident in how to deliver their therapy. Hmm. So it's a very low cost membership. It has, um, it has all the resources I've put in Excel spreadsheet split up. Into different categories, whether you're working with stammers or whether you're working with children with comprehension difficulties or expressive language or whatever it is.
Mm-hmm. I've bit of a [00:12:00] nerd, really? I've organized it. Oh, I'm glad you are. And, um, got all my resources of 30 years of experience put into that Excel spreadsheet. So that they can then have the resources on the screen or they can print it off, um, to use with their children. Um, and inside there, there's, um, networking opportunities and, um, chance to just feel supported that, you know, you're not on this journey alone when you're trying to support, um, a child with communication difficulties or an adult with communication difficulties.
And the mother membership is for. Solely for speech therapists who want to get that sort of clinical experience, and support in delivering their therapy, but then thinking about transitioning to, um, setting up their own private practice. So I give them sort of business guidance
Barry: as well. That's so good.
Good. You're, you're, you're actually, you know, 10 xing your impact or more. [00:13:00] Based
Bev: on that too. Yes, that's right. Yeah. So I mean, basically I feel like after 30 years, I think I'm ready to retire from being a speech therapist. Okay. And I wanna hand over the bat to these younger therapists and I come across them saying, oh, I don't feel confident enough to do it.
You know, they might have the qualifications to do, to do the job, but sometimes you just need that extra support and boost. They need a mentor and ideas to, to get going.
Barry: I need that mentor. Are you cre? So, so are you created in a cl an online digital course for that?
Bev: Yeah, so I've got my, if you go to maven business haven.com, that's where, um, the membership information is about.
And, um, so I do, I, um, I'm, I'm building that resource up as well. And how'd
Barry: you get that name? How'd you come up with that
Bev: name? Well, Maven means expert.
Barry: Yeah, I knew that. Yeah, that's good. That's what I was thinking that you were going with. Yeah.
Bev: [00:14:00] Yeah. And so business and then Haven being just a safe place where you can come and say, you know, I'm having problems with this.
I don't know how to set this up, or what do you think about this idea working with this child? Or, you know, it's just a safe place to do it.
Barry: It's interesting Maven, because, you know, I first learned of that word from. Malcolm Gladwell. So Maven, I first heard that word with Malcolm Gladwell and he talks about Tipping Point.
Have you ever read the book Tipping Point? No, I haven't. So, tipping point, and this, this is an interest. Interesting because you, you have a business, you're growing your business, especially a new business. And so he says that you need three types of people to make a business tip. Right. It's a tipping point.
And that is number one. You need, um, connectors. You need salespeople, and you need mavens. And mavens, he says, is people who are an expert in what you do [00:15:00] and. So they really care about what that is. So he said that there's people, you know, on the back of a bar of soap in a hotel, there's an 800 number that you can call if you have comments.
And he's like, well, who does that? And he says, the Mavens of the world who really care about soap. Right, and so connectors and salespeople, and then mavens, and so those three people, if you have those three in your, like your sphere, then your business is going to tip eventually. Yes. Is that
Bev: good? That's really good.
Yeah. That's a very encouraging story.
Barry: Yeah. Yeah, it is. It is. So Tipping point. Malcolm Gladwell's my favorite author of all time. Because he, he makes me think differently. And, and he, he, he, he re he, you know, he writes all kinds of different books, but a lot of business, you know, some of them business and things like that, but he's really good.
Malcolm Gladwell. Mm-hmm. So, yeah. It's awesome. So where are you headed [00:16:00] now with your business? I know you're, you're now, you're creating something, the resources for. People who want, you know, young people or, or new people, maybe they're not young, but they're new people to the, to, to the industry. And so you're creating that and, and what's your, you know, where are you headed the next three years with that?
Bev: So my vision is to help these two sets of people, two sets of people, two sets of people. So you've got the parents and the, um, newly qualifiers and educators who want those resources. They want a safe place to, mm-hmm. Air out there gre not grievances, but you know, they're frustration because working with a child who's got communication difficulties, you want to feel supported.
Um, you wants some ideas. Yeah. And you want somewhere where you can like, because in that membership we've got like audio trainings. We've got, um, some meditations just somewhere to relax and just reflect on life and. You know, to, to get over our burnout [00:17:00] because there's a high rate of burnout in the speech therapy world in any or any therapist, but also for parents who, who've got, you know, children who are, , got lots of disabilities.
Mm-hmm. Um, and then the other membership is really for, as I said, , for therapists who want to. Strike out alone who want to set up their own business. And so I want to be able to support both sets really. That's so good. And, um, be able to encourage 'em, because there is a, this is, I just feel per therapists are undervalued.
Oh. Yeah. It worked. And we are losing a lot of speech therapists, , from the profession because they, yeah. Either they, they just can't keep up with it
all.
Barry: Yeah. Well, I just had another epiphany. I'm like, you know, I got a daughter, she's 14, and she's really good with the spoken word. She, if she, if, if, if she debates you and you don't know your [00:18:00] stuff, you will lose.
And you know, I've got a son like that. Do you? Yeah. But you know, when you talked about, You know, parents with kids who, who have, you know, speech difficulties, they would love to have a, a, a daughter or a son that will, could debate them so well, right? And then I'm like, wow, man. The thing that I, that will annoy me sometimes would be, I, I couldn't imagine the other way.
So, you know, my heart goes out to those parents and you're helping those people. That's just doing a great service for the world. That is good. I, I love listening to people like you and getting a brand new perspective of things that I, that I take for absolute granted. And you're doing really great work in the world, so thank you for that.
And, and then now you're giving resources, people to be able to, to multiply yourself really. That's, and so you said retirement. Um, are you trying to build something that you, that you're just not having to work at, or is this your new passion project for the next, I don't know, [00:19:00] 50 years.
Bev: I don't think I've got 50 years left, but it's something that I want to build.
Yeah. Cause as I said, I want to hand over that button. Yeah. And I believe actually that not only handing over the bat to other younger speech therapists and giving them the confidence, yes, you can do this and this is how you do it. Um, but also to parents in King way, you know? There are parents here in the UK who have been waiting a year, two years on a waiting list to get their child to be seen.
And when they've got such severe needs, you know, that's a long time to wait. And so in the meantime, if they can find a resource where, at a very affordable price, to be able to get the, um, tools and try to do it themselves. Yeah, that's good. And while they're waiting for the appointment, Is,
Barry: I would imagine with, especially with young kids, two years is an eternity. That's, that you're losing, you know, the what Wires together. What fires together. Wires together. Right. And [00:20:00] so they're losing, it seems like , , this brain capacity in that two years that it's hard to gain back. Yes,
Bev: that's right.
And also, I mean, you. The frustration just builds up it, it causes a, yeah, a ripple effect fact, not only on the child, but on the whole family, you know? Mm-hmm. And relationships break down. Parents are feeling very lonely. I spoke to one mom yesterday saying, I asked her whether she goes out to other friends and she says she can't go to anyone's house because her son just breaks everything.
And he, he doesn't have the understanding. I mean, he's six years old. He, he'll just run up and down, , making noises. , and he can't communicate with others cuz he's very spy autistic. , and she's alone. She's alone on this journey cuz she can't go to her friend's house because she's worried that he'll break.
Things.
Barry: Yeah. And, and, and I'm sure like a lot of things, it puts a [00:21:00] mar strain on the marriage too, right? That's right. Yeah.
Bev: And then, yeah, I'm sure I've only been doing it for a few days actually for this particular contract, but the number of people, um, to write in the report that please send two copies of my resources to mom and dad because they don't live in the same house.
You know? Yeah. And that's heartbreaking as well.
Barry: You know? It is. Yeah. Because I can imagine if, if, I'm sure if you looked up the numbers, that they probably get separated at much higher pace than people who don't have those
Bev: problems. Yes. And if you are a single mom having to cope with this on your own, it's really hard work.
Yeah.
Barry: Yeah. Wow. Things that I never think about. So you, you've, you're building this and how long do you have it all built out now that you're, you're, you I've got membership.
Bev: Yeah. I've got, yeah, both membership sort sorted out. I mean, the mini membership, I call it a mini membership because it's only seven pounds a month.
Um, it has all my resources, all my planners and my [00:22:00] journals, my, um, you know, everything in there. All So,
Barry: so what does seven pounds translate into dollars?
Bev: Probably about $9 a month. That's
Barry: very inexpensive.
Bev: Exactly. Yes. That's great. Make it affordable for parents. That's, that's extremely affordable. Yeah. And , then if they wanted to upgrade know some of the speech therapists wanted to upgrade into the, , main membership Maven Business Haven, then they would get more support from me.
Mm. And currently we're at the founding member price of. Of $27 a month is about, so, so
Barry: you, so here's something, you know, just a business, you, you're, you're making it, you know, seven pounds or $9, right? And so that's a very, very, very affordable thing. I wonder cuz I'm sure some people just don't have the money.
To, to really afford a lot of things, right? Mm-hmm.
Bev: No parents particularly.
Barry: Yeah. I wonder, especially something like [00:23:00] yours, like the idea that I would, I would have is, um, asking people who are paying nine if they would like to sponsor someone for an extra nine. So I'm paying an extra $18 a month to support another
Bev: child.
That's a, that's a really good idea. I should get some sponsorships from different Yeah. People really for, you know, I mean, these, these parents are really struggling. I mean, I. It's opened my eyes working for a public sector again, even though I'm a contractor working for them, you know? Yeah. Obviously they're paying me a lot more than they would, they're normal people.
Um, but I'm getting the job done sort of quicker really, because I've been doing it for such a long time, and. Find shortcuts. And that's the kinda thing I wanna to pass onto to the new qualified or even the experienced qualified [00:24:00] therapists who are like, oh, just bogged down with all these reports that they have to write.
Um, now, today I wrote two reports, quite long reports, and I just found a way of getting around it quickly.
Barry: Because I think, you know, if, if somebody's listening to this podcast, I think, and you know, I, I know you and I didn't talk about this, but I'd like to do it, that if anybody wants to sponsor someone for $9 a month, I think they should just reach out to you and be like, Hey, I'd like to sponsor 10 kids a, you know, a month.
You know, here's 90 bucks a month.
Bev: Oh, that would be amazing. Yeah. Wouldn't that be cool? That would be really cool. Yeah,
Barry: I think that's really awesome. , and I'll tell you what just go ahead and sign me up for three. Send me a link or something. I'll sponsor three kids.
I think it's an amazing to me, this is just , you know, you're doing God's work.
Bev: Yeah, I'm glad I'm impressed you said that because you know, actually, you know, for a, for a while, I dunno if you're, you are a believer I'm, I'm a Christian and well, yeah,
Barry: yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm in there.
Yeah. So I [00:25:00] do the best I can. Yeah.
Bev: So for a, for a while I actually said to, , I was having this battle with God, I suppose in a way. Every, every morning when I'd pray, oh, do I have to do this again? And well, these people because I'm done it for 30 years, can't you give me a break? And, um, And he was just, no, you've got to do it because you've got some, you've got a gift and you are giving people the gift of communication.
And one day I was working with this stroke patient, , whose parents are in , in South Africa, and she was sh. She was a person who could only say, wow, wow, wow. , I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, and she got stuck in a kinda rut. Couldn't, couldn't get the words out, couldn't get the sentences out. Ah, and her, her parents were trying to ask her questions and she wasn't able to to say anything.
So I gave her this communication system and. She was able to tell them about [00:26:00] what her husband's doing and what her, her son has been doing, and, you know, asking them questions. And at the end of it, she mom said to her, Bev, I, I don't she's had eight speech therapists before you and no one has ever given a system to communicate.
And I, I, I nearly cried at that point because I, I've had one of those discussions with God about wanting to stop being a speech therapist and, um, she said, you know, you've really got a gift. And, and they're Christians as well. Yeah. The parent and this this stroke patient. And, um, she said, I, I believe that God's put you in this place for a reason to work with Karin.
Hmm. And, and I said to her, and it's funny you should say that, you know, only this morning I was having a discussion with him and saying, oh, can I just, just, can I just have a rest now? And No, no, you know, you've got, you've got this [00:27:00] skill where you give people that ability to communicate, whether it's in McDonald's or whether it's talking to their parents in South Africa or whatever it is.
You've got this gift, so get on and do it. You know? And I feel a bit like Moses saying, oh no, no, I can't do this. You know, I've got stab or, or whatever. And Well,
Barry: what's funny about Moses is he had a speech problem. He did? Yeah. He had a stab. He his brother. Yeah, his brother Aaron was his voice, right? That's right.
Yeah. Yeah. That's so good. I mean, there's a lot going on here. Yeah, that's good. I love that. I love that. Um, yeah. I think this has been been fantastic. What, is there anything else you would want people to know about, about your business or about your, your
Bev: passion? Well, I do, I do have a freebie at the moment, so if people want to get a freebie, which is called make a sentence freebie, so it's got all the kind of like photographs of objects and.
Verbs and describing words [00:28:00] and places. Mm. Um, and they're all set out in grids with photographs that you could print off or use interactively on the screen. Yes, I've got freebie. So just go to maven business haven.com/freebie and you can get it there.
Barry: I love it. Where else can people find you?
Bev: Well, , if you have got a child or a, , You've got someone, an adult who's got communication difficulties. I tend to work with mainly sort of school-aged children. Mm-hmm. Up to 60 or whatever. Yeah. , so. You can come to bev jessup.com and that's good. My patient website, , you can book a demo if you go to bev jessup.com/contact, and that's how people tend to get to know me.
, they book, , a demo with me. We go, we go online like now, like, like going on Zoom. I get to know them a bit and then, , we take it from them
Barry: and I say, if you want to. Pay for someone, sponsor a few people, then you should [00:29:00] do that as well. And I'm sure Bev can make a way to do that, right? Yes,
Bev: I can. I can send you a link.
Um, yeah, to, to join.
Barry: I love it. Bev, thank you so much. It's been an absolute pleasure having you. You have a great day. Thank
Bev: you very much, Barry.
