Behind the Scenes | OT Potential

Happy March, everyone! You know what March means to me? One more month until OT Month! Today, I'd like to welcome Sarah Lyons, of OT Potential. Not only is Sarah sharing a peek behind the scenes of her website, she's also sharing a cool, new product that she recently launched, just in time for OT Month! Read on to learn more!

Please tell me a little bit about yourself. How long have you been an occupational therapist? What areas have you practiced in?

Married.

Mother of one.

Nebraskan.

New Yorker.

Minnesotan.

Chicagoan.

St. Olaf Alum.

NYU Alum.

OTR/L for 4+ years.

Practice areas: Acute Care, Rural Health, Mental Health

NPR fan.

Attempting to learn piano.

Can you tell me more about your website, OT Potential? Where did get the idea to start OT Potential?

I have always loved connecting people and ideas. I started blogging in 2012, but it has always taken a backseat to my work. I then had a happy convergence of events. We moved to Chicago for my husband’s work and while I was waiting for my Illinois license, I realized how much I love being home with my son and writing on the side. Since then, Potential has become my primary work passion.

You recently launched a new product - occupational therapy shirts! Can you tell me more about that process? How did you go from idea to having an actual product?

Two of my interests collided in these shirts.

The first is OT identity.

In a very practical sense, I always wonder how we can stand out more in our places of work. I know that I got tired of being confused with Social Work, PT. RT, etc. OTs do such great work, and I think individuals doing great work is the best way to market our profession.

I also see OT as a whole grappling with what our distinct value is. I hope, in a small way, this shirt can inject some confidence and gusto in the potential of our profession.

The second is sharing great resources.

I want OTs to be able to focus on helping their patients. In my own practice settings, I felt like I was always creating resources from scratch, from marketing materials to policies. I hope that some offices and individuals will utilize the option of these shirts to save some time and money.  

For readers who are interested, how can they get their hands on one of these shirts?

You can purchase them on my products page. I would also recommend signing up for my newsletter, as I like to give special offers on my own products and on featured products to my readers.

What are your dreams for OT Potential? Where do you see OT Potential in five years?

How about 1 year from now? I would love to generate enough income from my shirts to launch the next product that I have in mind. But if that doesn’t happen, I’m Ok with it. The most important thing to me is providing a platform for occupational therapists to connect.

What advice would you give to an OT who has a product/blog/book idea, but doesn’t know where to start?

Learning about building a website and launching products has felt like getting another degree. I’m on such a steep learning curve that it feels like a precarious place to give advice from, but my best shot would be to take advantage of the resources out there. The options for learning about blogging, marketing, platform development, etc. seem endless. It really just comes down to setting aside some time for learning and then deciding whom you trust. Most of the time I keep up with advice from Michael Hyatt. When I’m feeling a little more saucy, I will check in with Gary Vaynerchuk.

Connect with OT Potential:

Website: www.otpotential.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/otpotential

YouTube: www.youtube.com/channel/Potential

Instagram: www.instagram.com/otpotential

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/otpotential

P.S. Go behind the scenes with CanDo Kiddo.