Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Herde.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born and raised in Aruba, which fostered my fluency in four languages and my passion for the language arts. After graduating with my master’s degree from the University of Central Florida – GO KNIGHTS! – I had the opportunity to move around the country and work in Orlando, Boston, and Chicago, before settling in sunny Miami with my husband and two kids. At each of these career stops I was fortunate to be part of extensive pediatric medical teams, working closely with and learning from fellow speech therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nutritionists, lactation consultants, pediatricians, gastroenterologists, neurologists, early developmental specialists, respiratory therapists, behavior analysts, nurses, special education teachers and of course, parents and caregivers. Throughout my career, I’ve enjoyed being an advocate for families whose primary language is not English, and treasured the opportunities that I’ve had to help these and multiple other families along their feeding journey.
However, becoming a parent in the Spring of 2015 completely transformed my career perspective and approach. I now understand the anxieties and concerns that come with parenthood, and it has allowed me to become a different type of clinician… one who’s more empathetic and focused on educating families and providers. Spurred by this new found passion, and armed with 14 years of pediatric field experience, I’ve decided to venture into a new approach to therapy.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My biggest challenge to this day has been gaining momentum. As an entrepreneur, you need to be quick on your feet. You cannot wait until you have the perfect plan before taking action. You need to simply dive in and take risks. In the beginning, I was very indecisive and wanted to wait for all the stars to align before taking a step. Finally, I made a decision to let go of any doubt, set aside my fear of failure, knowing that what I have to offer will bring value to many families out there. It’s still early, but I can already sense the difference as I continue to build my business and momentum one small decision at a time.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Talk Eat Play story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a pediatric Speech & Language Pathologist specializing in Feeding & Swallowing. I would say that at least half of the parents who walk through my office door with their children have previously never heard of feeding therapy or what exactly it is that I do. In simple words, I help children (from birth to teenagers) eat properly. Sometimes it is part of a post-surgery rehabilitation, or it can also be a newborn who is struggling to maintain adequate nutrition. It’s a challenging career but also one of the most rewarding I can think of. We often take for granted simple pleasures like eating and don’t realize how difficult this simple life activity can be for others.
I’ve been practicing for 14 years and recently noticed that there’s a general lack of education on feeding development. Over 40% of my patients, ages two and up, attending feeding therapy have one thing in common: their parents did not have the correct information or coaching at the time solids were first introduced. So, now two to three years later, parents are struggling with children who do not eat well and have limited diets that are nutritionally lacking and developmentally harmful. This is why I started Talk Eat Play. Our mission is to educate and provide researched-based information to parents and providers so they can make the most effective decisions and referrals for their children and/or patients.
At Talk Eat Play, we provide educational and consultation based services to families and providers of children with developmental speech-language concerns and feeding difficulties. What sets us apart is that we do not provide just therapy. We focus on education so that therapy will not be necessary down the road.
Is there a specific memory from when you were younger that you really miss?
New Years Eve! Every year! To me, NYE back home in Aruba is the most magical experience full of traditions. The whole island celebrates in anticipation of the stroke of midnight. It all culminates in a magnificent display of fireworks in every single corner of the island. My grandparents’ house, seated on a hill, gave us (and still does) the best seat in the house to this annual tradition. Our family would buy boxes upon boxes of fireworks that we would light up till sunrise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://talkeatplay.com
- Phone: 312-725-0313
- Email: ask@talkeatplay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talk.eat.play/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkEatPlay/
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