Having founded the world’s first occupation therapy franchise business, Helen Whait has helped support the work-life balance of over 10,000 occupational therapists.
And while there’s no doubt her reach has been massive, Whait’s entrance into the world of occupational therapy is not at all what one might expect.
Growing up, Whait loved maths and science, but says she didn’t have a clear idea of what she wanted to pursue for her career.
“My dad thought I should do something that involved working with people, trying to make a difference in the world,” Whait tells Women’s Agenda, noting that this gave her the idea to put the names of a bunch of health sciences careers into a hat and choose.
“I drew five out of a hat, and I put them on my SATAC form, and put it out there to the universe,” she says. “And I got into occupational therapy.”
Having worked in the space for roughly 30 years now, Whait says, “it was the right decision”.
“It’s a very practical profession. It’s all about problem solving. It’s about making a positive difference in people’s lives,” she says.
When Whait was pregnant with her first child, she decided to set up a private practice as an occupational therapist, thinking it would offer career flexibility amidst her caring responsibilities.
“It was great having that flexibility, but I also realised how isolating it is to be solo employed,” she says, adding that not knowing who to turn to for clinical support as a solo practitioner can be quite stressful.
After a number of years and the birth of her second child, she hired some business partners and employed other occupational therapists. However, by the time of her third pregnancy, she had pivoted by setting up another separate private practice.
It was then that Whait had a conversation with a good friend, who owns a large beauty franchise, which sparked the idea for where her business journey has taken her today.
“She was talking about her own business journey,” Whait says, “where she would employ beauty therapists, train them up, and then they’d just go and set up in competition with her because all they wanted to know was how to do it themselves. So instead she franchised. And it went beyond her wildest dreams.”
“That’s when I kind of had a light bulb moment. It’s like, well, that worked for you, maybe that could work for me.”
In 2012, Whait did just that and created ActivOT to extend flexibility and autonomy to occupational therapists through franchising.
Fast forward 12 years and ActivOT now boasts over 60 franchisees serving more than 8,000 clients across five Australian states. The organisation is pioneering the charge to combat burnout and unnecessary bureaucracy in allied health, all while equipping occupational therapists with the tools to provide the best possible service to patients.
Whait says she’s proud of how many occupational therapists ActivOT has been able to empower and support, especially those that had been thinking of changing careers due to burnout.
“In fact, we’ve got a couple of OTs who had left the profession, and we have brought them back into the profession and reignited their passion for helping others and for using those skills,” Whait says.
“I think there’s been a massive exodus in the healthcare space, particularly in allied health, and we’re sort of turning that around because we’re empowering OTs so that they can have true work life balance.”
One of the key pieces of advice that Whait gives to others is “do what makes your heart sing”, and in the world of occupational therapy, this means that it’s important for practitioners to be able to provide therapy within the specialty they enjoy.
“Then collectively, we can support each other,” says Whait.
“Find your tribe. If you’re in a situation where it’s just all feeling too hard all the time, perhaps you’re in the wrong room. You need to find your tribe with people that are going to support you – that see your vision and that share your vision.”
Thanks to our partner CommBank. CommBank supports women in business and the community across all industries and sectors through its Women in Focus team. For more information head to WomeninFocus.com.au.