Host Amanda Divito Parle sits down with entrepreneur and speech-language pathologist Amanda King, founder of Therapies of the Rockies, for an insightful conversation about building a purpose-driven business, taking risks, and helping families navigate developmental challenges with compassion and expertise.
Amanda shares the unconventional path that led her from New Jersey to Colorado—packing everything she owned into a Mitsubishi Eclipse and moving west in search of something new. After working in schools, skilled nursing facilities, and home health, she realized that traditional systems often prioritized paperwork, insurance rules, and logistics over meaningful therapy. Determined to do things differently, Amanda opened her own practice in 2008, building Therapies of the Rockies into a thriving speech and occupational therapy clinic serving both children and adults across the Denver metro area.
Grounded in both business experience and clinical insight, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it means to build a business that improves lives—while balancing family, leadership, and the ongoing pursuit of growth. 🧠🗣️
Topics Discussed 🔑
• Building Therapies of the Rockies How Amanda founded her speech therapy practice and grew it into a multi-location clinic serving children and adults.
• Finding a Better Way to Practice Therapy Why Amanda left traditional systems in schools and healthcare facilities to build a patient-centered model.
• Speech Therapy for Children and Adults Understanding articulation disorders, receptive language challenges, and therapy for stroke or brain injury recovery.
• Occupational Therapy & Sensory Integration How therapy helps children develop motor skills, manage sensory challenges, and succeed in school environments.
• Entrepreneurship in Healthcare Navigating insurance requirements, staffing needs, and the realities of running a medical practice.
• Early Intervention for Children How parents can recognize developmental delays and when it’s time to seek professional help.
• COVID, Social Development & Learning Gaps The long-term behavioral and social effects seen in children following pandemic disruptions.
• Technology, Attention Span & Learning How increased screen time is impacting focus, handwriting, and critical thinking skills in children.
• Delegation & Leadership Lessons Why learning to trust others and build the right team was one of Amanda’s biggest entrepreneurial challenges.
• Balancing Business & Motherhood How owning a business allowed Amanda to design a schedule that supports both family life and professional fulfillment.
Practical Takeaways for Entrepreneurs & Leaders 🛠️
• Entrepreneurship often begins by solving a problem you experienced personally. • Early risks and sacrifices are often invisible to others but foundational to long-term success. • Delegation is one of the hardest—but most important—skills leaders must learn. • Building a mission-driven team creates meaning beyond financial success. • Early intervention can dramatically change outcomes for children and families. • Technology should support learning—not replace critical thinking. • Balance often comes not from working less, but from having autonomy over your time. • Success can mean building a life that allows both professional growth and presence at home.
