Today we’d like to introduce you to Nessa Eugene.
Hi Nessa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started my career as a Speech Language Pathologist when I moved to California six years ago. I have grown so much personally and professionally, and as a new year rolls out, new challenges, new spaces, and new chapters follow.
The most recent project I’ve been excited about has been the creation of my new office in San Marino. Curating the space has been a labor of love, because so much of my life, heritage, and journey are represented in the design of each room. I was born into a family of Haitian immigrants from a beautiful region of Port-au Prince called Croix du Bouquet. As its name suggests in French, it is truly a land of flowers, and I have incorporated that spirit of growth, encouragement and resilience throughout the office. The space is filled with a warm sensation of a tropical feel with flowers, animals, and warm colors throughout the play area, the waiting room and workspace. Not only to remind myself where I come from but as a visual reminder of what Let’s Blossom stands for–fostering our individual potential.
As you enter the waiting room you’ll see a collage of previous and current clients, as well as images of me and my employees as a child. The collage illustrates and emphasizes how Let’s Blossom encourages the inner child to speak. Let’s Blossom primarily serves children from ages 2 to 13. As a child, I struggled finding my voice, so providing children with strategies and tools to speak their truth helps me remedy the times I couldn’t give them to myself. Whether it was working through doubt and adversity in my grad school years, or building a new career in a new state with my family on the opposite side of the country, or even now, being a freshly minted business owner. The strength, courage and resilience of my kids are what motivate me to keep going because I do it for them.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It certainly hasn’t!
When I look back at the last six years of my SLP journey, I put my challenges into two categories, internal and external.
Intrinsically, balance has been one of the biggest challenges. Living a well-rounded life is really important: not only for me but for my kids. In order to be effective, you have to bring your whole self – spiritually, mentally, and physically – to the practice. It takes discipline and time, and oftentimes that time will be spent alone. When you’re a business owner, no one can see your vision but you, so leaning on yourself, and remaining focused is key to working towards that light at the end of the tunnel.
There are also a lot of moving parts to a business, especially one built from the ground up. You encounter a lot of new people and a lot of new languages–tax, legal, bureaucratic, etc. It can be overwhelming at times, entering into a new world than you were trained in. Being adaptable and flexible is key, especially knowing that reality may alter your vision, looking different from what you originally imagined.
I think one of the hardest aspects of my practice to overcome though is just changing the perception of my kids. Oftentimes, neurodiverse children are seen as disabled as opposed to simply being different. Managing and sometimes addressing a family’s misperception of their own child’s potential can be a challenging task, but an important barrier to break: not only for their child’s progress but for the parents’ progress as well.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I truly love the Speech Language Pathology field, because the work is so important. There are a lot of clinics and practitioners that bring a lot of research and experience to their work, but what makes Let’s Blossom’s imprint unique is our holistic and nurturing approach. When our children walk into the office, they are surrounded by natural elements of plants, wood, and light. The airy space invites creation and imagination, where children don’t feel as if they are getting diagnosed, treated or even defined by their disabilities. It allows children to feel like they can be who they are…what we all are in a sense -– children hoping to grow into their potential. Let’s Blossom heals by encouraging a child’s gifts, not over-emphasizing their lagging skills. We do this through evidenced-based play therapy, imaginative role-playing, collaborative instruction and most importantly a warm environment where exploration and mistakes are encouraged.
Most of my employees have remarked that the work feels so natural that sometimes it doesn’t feel like they are working. I pride myself on creating a space where my employees can create their own schedule and move through the office freely, finding a work/life balance that will keep them happy, engaged and fulfilled. Let’s Blossom doesn’t just seek to nurture its clients’ growth, but with any collaborator, because I believe true success is built in a community.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I love Southern California. My office is located in San Marino and I feel spoiled by my pick of ecosystems! San Marino is located centrally to the places that I enjoy being in California. A short drive away, I can find myself dipping my toes in warm sand and bathing my hair in warmer sun rays. Or, if I travel a bit north, I could lose myself in a dense redwood forest surrounded by skyscraping trees. Or, I could just peek out of my window and plan a hike through the hills and mountains towering over the city. I love being outdoors. It rejuvenates me. I wouldn’t trade the warmth and scenic routes for anything.
With any environment, there are its downsides, of course. Traffic is not just a running joke, but more a bitter pill most metropolitan Californians have to swallow. There have been times where walking could have gotten me to my destination faster than driving! Also, it’s hard not to live here and feel the effects of income inequality. Whether that is surging homelessness, increased loss of jobs, or even just the growing cost of living. The beauty of California can come at a toll.
Overall though, the scenic views, the open-minded energy, and the diverse ways of living make California feel like a home.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.letsblossomspeech.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/letsblossomspeechtherapy/
