Forty Under 40: Meredith Frieberg Henson

There was a wide range of career options Meredith Frieberg Henson considered while she was growing up. Her parents engaged in several entrepreneurial endeavors, and the possibilities for her and her sister, Diana Frieberg Plattner, seemed endless.

She contemplated a career in law, graphic design, acting and even majored in journalism and public relations when she got her undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas. One thing that always stayed with her was her experiences when her mother opened a learning center in Little Rock.

Henson said she never wanted to teach, but the therapeutic setting appealed to her. She returned to school and got a degree in communicative disorders in 2014. She started her speech pathology career working for others.

After a series of conversations with her sister, the two decided to open Fayetteville-based Lexicon Speech, Language & Reading in 2017.

“I’ve always wanted to be my own boss. I’ve always wanted to open my own business,” she said.

Each morning, she handles administrative tasks in the office, including billing, invoices and a myriad of insurance issues. In the afternoon, she treats individual students.

The one-on-one sessions with students last 30-60 minutes. She works with students to improve their language, reading, communication and other skills. She tries to incorporate games into these therapy sessions to keep the students active and attentive, she added. In a typical week, she will work with 50-60 students.

When she’s not at work, she likes to travel with her husband, Andrew. The couple has two children, Miles and Cole. They like to play board games, and the boys like to cook.

“I don’t like to cook,” she said with a laugh.