From Private Practice to Global Impact: The Journey of Meaningful Speech with Alexandria Zakos

Dec 12

There is a very specific kind of tension that shows up once you are good at what you do.

You love your clients. You care deeply about your work. And at the same time, you are stretched thin trying to hold a business, a personal life, and your own well-being together. That tension was at the center of my conversation with Alexandria Zakos, founder of Meaningful Speech, on The ScaleSmart Podcast.

Alexandria’s story is not a polished highlight reel. It is honest, grounded, and deeply familiar to so many private practice owners who find themselves building something meaningful without realizing just how big it might become.

When helping turns into something bigger

Alexandria did not set out to become an online entrepreneur. She had been a speech-language pathologist for over two decades and ran a brick-and-mortar private practice in the Chicagoland area. Like many clinicians, she saw a gap long before she saw a business opportunity.

When Alexandria discovered Gestalt Language Development through Marge Blanc’s work, it changed how she supported clients. She immersed herself in learning and mentoring, then started sharing what she knew with other speech therapists who were asking the same questions she once had.

What kept coming up was simple. People needed this information, and not everyone learned best from a book.

Meaningful Speech was born from that need. Not from a revenue goal. Not from a business plan. From a desire to help other clinicians and families better understand language development.

That intention mattered. It shaped everything that came next.

The accidental online business and the cost of saying yes

What Alexandria could not have predicted was how quickly the online course would grow or how much it would demand of her.

At one point, she was running a full private practice caseload while also managing an expanding online education business. She had no team, no boundaries, and no plan for what growth would require of her personally.

Burnout followed.

Alexandria shared openly about the years when she was exhausted, reactive, and constantly running on empty. She described reaching a point where her body forced her to slow down. There was no more capacity to push through.

This part of the conversation matters because so many clinicians assume burnout means they did something wrong. In reality, Alexandria was doing everything she thought was right. She was helping. She was responding. She was saying yes.

The lesson was not that she should have never built Meaningful Speech. It was that building without an end in mind comes at a cost.

Boundaries as a form of leadership

One of the most powerful shifts Alexandria described was learning to say no. Not out of disinterest or fear, but out of clarity.

She began filtering decisions through her real priorities: her health, her family, and the sustainability of the business. Invitations that once felt impossible to decline were now considered thoughtfully. Travel. Speaking engagements. New projects.

Instead of asking, “Will this help people?” she added new questions. Do I have the capacity for this right now? Is there another way to serve without overextending myself? Does this align with the season I am in?

That shift allowed her to rebuild her energy and eventually rerecord her entire course from a place of clarity instead of depletion. The result was better work and a better life.

Growth does not have to mean bigger

Another important part of Alexandria’s journey was redefining what success looked like in her private practice.

She never wanted a massive clinic or multiple locations. When Meaningful Speech grew, she made the intentional choice to downsize her brick-and-mortar practice. Fewer staff. A smaller space. A clearer niche focused on Gestalt Language Processors.

This decision brought joy back into her clinical work.

There is a lot of pressure in our field to equate growth with expansion. Alexandria’s story is a reminder that growth can also mean simplifying. It can mean choosing depth over scale and alignment over optics.

And those decisions are not permanent. Every choice is fluid. You can change direction when the season changes.

Hiring with clarity and trust

As Meaningful Speech expanded, Alexandria also learned what it meant to build a team. Her first hire was not about checking a box or outsourcing busy work. It was about finding someone who deeply understood the clinical content and could support learners with integrity.

From there, her approach to hiring stayed rooted in clarity. What does this role actually require? Does this person have the skills and independence to do the work well? Do they believe in the mission?

Alexandria shared that she is no longer willing to manage people who need constant hand-holding. That honesty is refreshing and important. Sustainable businesses are built by people who can be trusted to do their work with care.

Why this conversation matters

What stayed with me most from this conversation was Alexandria’s reminder that impact and sustainability have to coexist.

Helping people is a beautiful reason to build something. It is not enough on its own to carry you through years of growth, decisions, and responsibility. Without boundaries, planning, and support, even the most meaningful work can become overwhelming.

Alexandria did not burn it all down. She listened, adjusted, and stepped into her role as a leader in a way that honors both her work and her life.

That is the kind of growth I want more clinicians to feel permission to pursue.

If you are building something meaningful and wondering how to do it without losing yourself, this conversation will meet you right where you are.