Full Transcript for Ep. 7 | Building a Mission-Driven Franchise & Scaling Impact with Nichole Daher

teenager if they are, you know, they behave just like a teenager. 00:04:25.920 --> 00:04:28.399 How a teenager is supposed to behave, right? 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:28.800 Yeah. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:35.040 So I can imagine adding extra things to that, how difficult that could be. 00:04:35.279 --> 00:04:42.160 Was there a very specific moment when you realize if I don't build this, nobody else is going to build it? 00:04:42.399 --> 00:04:44.399 I didn't get that until much later. 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:47.439 So all I was worried about in the beginning was my own kid. 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:49.759 It was just gonna be a little side hustle. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:05:05.600 I was gonna keep working what I was doing in the hospital, and I was just gonna have this little side thing where I hired somebody and their salary was gonna be divided between my kid and maybe in my head, two or three other kids would would pay it would pay for itself, right? 00:05:05.759 --> 00:05:07.439 And it just started out as that. 00:05:07.600 --> 00:05:18.639 But as I started getting phone calls and phone calls and phone calls and phone calls from other desperate mamas just like me, looking for the same exact thing, I don't think I've realized how high the demand was. 00:05:18.879 --> 00:05:21.199 I thought my kid was special, she was different. 00:05:21.279 --> 00:05:23.600 There can't be that many kids like her in the world. 00:05:23.759 --> 00:05:26.160 There are millions, millions. 00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:37.360 And so without knowing what I had stepped into, I was creating this service to meet the demand in my little pocket of the world. 00:05:37.519 --> 00:05:39.519 And it was, it was a beautiful thing. 00:05:39.920 --> 00:05:42.639 Helping my own kid was the original goal. 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:51.839 But when I discovered that helping other people's kids made me feel the same way, like, oh, look what we did, and look what we helped him do, and look what we've accomplished. 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.680 It's this feeling of elation that you don't get anywhere else. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:00.639 Teaching a kid that was told his whole life he wouldn't be able to talk, hearing him say his first words. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:02.399 You're like, oh, this is so good. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:03.759 This is so awesome. 00:06:04.000 --> 00:06:09.519 And then on, you know, these mamas are crying because they wanted it just as badly as we did. 00:06:09.680 --> 00:06:10.560 It's incredible. 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:13.519 Wow, that is such a beautiful story. 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.360 So thank you for sharing that. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:23.759 When I was doing research, it also said that most of these ABA providers operate behind closed doors. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:24.240 Yes. 00:06:24.480 --> 00:06:33.519 But you in your business, you open the doors for the parents to be able to view the rooms and you wanted it complete transparency. 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:38.399 What pushed

you to challenge the industry that boldly? 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:40.800 It was hard for me. 00:06:40.879 --> 00:06:46.000 I think as a, you know, a parent's own anxiety is what led to this. 00:06:46.160 --> 00:06:55.360 But you see all these horrible stories on the news about special needs kids being abused in the public school system, either by their teachers or being bullied by their peers. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:06:56.639 And it's scary. 00:06:56.800 --> 00:07:06.639 And for me, a nonverbal female child, if anything would happen to her in that ABA center, she wouldn't be able to tell me. 00:07:06.800 --> 00:07:07.519 How would I know? 00:07:07.680 --> 00:07:13.759 I would just be dropping her off every morning, thinking everything was fine, and I'd be leading her into a bad situation. 00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:19.759 And the ABA therapy company that she went to was a great company, don't get me wrong. 00:07:19.920 --> 00:07:27.839 But you would drive up under this little carport, they would open the door, get her out, she would go into the building and I would drive away. 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:29.519 We weren't even allowed inside. 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:31.839 And they said it was for safety. 00:07:32.079 --> 00:07:38.079 They wanted the kids to, you know, be in this restricted area with no other adults. 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:41.920 But at the same time, you gotta wonder like, what are they hiding? 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:43.600 Why won't they let me in? 00:07:43.759 --> 00:07:45.360 What is she doing in there? 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:47.279 Are they really one-on-one? 00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:50.879 Or do they are they short-staffed and they just don't want me to know? 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:55.920 And so that's what inspired me to put camera systems in my clinic. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:57.759 There's a camera in every single room. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:00.480 And we can't broadcast it on the internet. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:07.759 Nobody can look at it from home because it is technically private health information, but we have a parent viewing room within our center. 00:08:07.839 --> 00:08:11.680 So parents can drop their kids off and sit in the room and watch for a little while. 00:08:11.920 --> 00:08:15.120 And at the end of the day, they can come a little bit early and watch a little while. 00:08:15.279 --> 00:08:20.720 And if anything happens throughout the day that leaves a mark, a bruise, that they say their first words. 00:08:20.800 --> 00:08:21.839 It doesn't have to be a bad thing. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:22.720 It could be a good thing. 00:08:22.800 --> 00:08:29.839 They say their first words or they tie their shoes for the first time or dress themselves for the first time, do a zipper for the first time. 00:08:29.920 --> 00:08:32.639 We can rewind that back and play it for the parents. 00:08:32.720 --> 00:08:35.440 So they're not missing any of those beautiful moments. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.200 And they certainly don't have to wonder what happened in the not so beautiful moment. 00:08:39.279 --> 00:08:51.519 And the transparency, I think I'm so funny, uh, is really what parents want and need to be able to trust dropping their possibly nonverbal kid off with strangers. 00:08:51.759 --> 00:08:52.320 Totally. 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:54.480 I mean, I hear parents a lot. 00:08:54.720 --> 00:09:00.559 I am not a parent myself, but um, how they're like, oh, my kid walked for the first time. 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:11.120 It was so exciting to see that, or my kid um said the first word, or like you said, and everything, and how lovely that you can show that to them. 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:12.399 It's so special. 00:09:12.639 --> 00:09:13.919 You know, it's so lovely. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:16.720 And at the same time, you're protecting the kids. 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:24.080 And yes, like you said, like because of HIPAA, it cannot be broadcasted for them to just open their phone and see it all the time. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:30.639 But at least just even knowing that this is happening and is being recorded and is being saved somewhere. 00:09:30.799 --> 00:09:34.799 I'm assuming though, that that came with a bit of resistance, right? 00:09:35.039 --> 00:09:39.840 Like not really resistance that you face in the industry or not at all. 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:40.720 Not much. 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.039 The the parents absolutely love it. 00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:46.159 I've never had a single person go, oh, I don't want my kid to be recorded. 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:51.679 Most of the time, the parents before they leave, if one mom is staying and the other one has to go, she's like, hey, watch my kid for me. 00:09:51.759 --> 00:09:53.840 You know, it's it's a group effort. 00:09:54.000 --> 00:10:03.120 Um there are people or other providers that have made comments about our camera systems online about this is not HIPAA compliant. 00:10:03.279 --> 00:10:05.279 Other parents can see other kids on the cameras. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:06.480 Yes, that's true. 00:10:06.639 --> 00:10:09.840 Um, but they sign a waiver allowing for that to happen. 00:10:09.919 --> 00:10:10.960 And so it's not an issue. 00:10:11.039 --> 00:10:12.960 And most parents for the viewing room. 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:14.080 In the viewing room, right? 00:10:14.320 --> 00:10:15.600 Oh, okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:22.240 Because the, you know, all the cameras are displayed everywhere, or if the kids are working together in groups, there's multiple kids on the same screen. 00:10:22.399 --> 00:10:31.600 So yeah, it it all parents are very happy to sign that waiver for other, only other parents within the center to see their kid on the screen too. 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:34.320 And most of the time they're very happy for that to happen. 00:10:34.559 --> 00:10:39.279 I think you taught a little bit on this, but I want to expand it a little bit more. 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:47.519 Once you introduce

introduced that level of transparency, what changed for the families and the clinicians themselves? 00:10:47.679 --> 00:10:50.000 And more importantly, of course, the children? 00:10:50.159 --> 00:10:55.600 Like what big what was like the biggest things you saw change for everybody? 00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:56.799 Parents love it. 00:10:56.879 --> 00:10:58.480 They're, I mean, that never changed. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:02.559 It's it's always been the same high level of acceptance from that side. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:05.759 But one thing I did notice was the staff. 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:14.399 Um, when people don't think they're being watched, they can do anything and their inhibitions are down and they can get frustrated with the kid and and let them see it. 00:11:14.480 --> 00:11:18.080 If the doors are closed and they think they're alone, they're not on their best behavior. 00:11:18.240 --> 00:11:22.320 But with those cameras there, even you never know who's gonna be watching. 00:11:22.559 --> 00:11:29.039 And knowing that the camera's there all the time really helps the staff to be on their A game all the time. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:31.919 And I I really, I really love that. 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:35.200 We've of course caught bad things happening. 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:41.440 I mean, I can't stop people from doing what they're doing right, but I can catch it early and prevent it from happening again. 00:11:41.679 --> 00:11:47.600 And it honestly, I know a lot of providers might be scared to put cameras up because that opens you up to complaints. 00:11:47.679 --> 00:12:00.720 But I can honestly say that by people catching things that are going wrong or maybe don't look so great, it's making us a better clinic by catching the problem and not letting that problem persist. 00:12:00.960 --> 00:12:10.639 So it's really increased the quality of therapy for the kids and made the staff behave in a very professional manner all the time because they're being walked. 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:11.200 Yeah. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:15.120 And also I feel like you also learn, right? 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:20.159 Like most of the times you learn from mistakes in a business, you learn from all of that. 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:26.000 And your story started because you're of your stepdaughter, but now it's been like a national franchise. 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:28.080 You build it into a national franchise. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:38.559 How um did you turn something so deeply personal to you into a business model that was able to scale and be profitable? 00:12:39.120 --> 00:12:42.559 When I opened the first clinic, you know, it was just for her. 00:12:42.879 --> 00:12:47.519 And people called and called and called, and we became full very quickly. 00:12:47.759 --> 00:12:52.559 I even expanded the first center into the suite next door and busted a hallway through. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:12:55.759 Even then, we became full months later. 00:12:55.919 --> 00:12:58.799 It

the business grew way faster than I ever imagined. 00:12:58.960 --> 00:13:05.440 So I opened a second clinic on the opposite side of town so that other kids could have access to this therapy. 00:13:05.600 --> 00:13:08.159 And that second clinic was no longer about my daughter. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:09.600 It was about other people's kids. 00:13:09.679 --> 00:13:12.639 And it was really great having two clinics and it was wonderful. 00:13:12.799 --> 00:13:20.559 And I was able to see that the processes that we were using at the first clinic were very replicable and could be applied to the second. 00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:30.399 And when that clinic got full, I felt like a monster because now I was the person on the other end of the phone saying, I'm sorry, we can't take your kid. 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.000 There's nothing I can do because we are full. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:38.879 And I felt like the most horrible person in the world because I remembered what it felt like being a desperate parent looking for services. 00:13:39.039 --> 00:13:43.440 I knew that the demand was so big, I couldn't do all this by myself. 00:13:43.600 --> 00:13:50.960 I could have opened three clinics, four clinics, five clinics in the Houston area, but my time was so limited. 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:52.399 My money was so limited. 00:13:52.559 --> 00:13:54.080 I was still a mom to this kid. 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.240 Like, where was all this time gonna come from? 00:13:56.480 --> 00:13:59.120 So I don't remember who told me. 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:02.000 Someone made a comment to me, ha ha ha ha, business is good. 00:14:02.080 --> 00:14:03.120 You ought to franchise it. 00:14:03.200 --> 00:14:06.320 And I was like, you know, it's not a bad idea. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:25.600 And so now, um, what I do all day long is teach other entrepreneurs how to run and operate an ABA business, just like I did, except they get to skip all the expensive mistakes and the lessons hard learned and all the things that I had to go about the hard way. 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:29.440 They get all of my knowledge and experience plugged into their brain directly. 00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:32.159 And, you know, again, it started with my daughter. 00:14:32.320 --> 00:14:34.480 Then my new mission was to help other kids. 00:14:34.639 --> 00:14:49.039 And now I get just as much joy and satisfaction at taking this aspiring entrepreneur and helping them build this business and getting to see their success and their accomplishments. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:55.279 They get financial stability for their parents and they have their own little special moments helping the kids within their own clinic. 00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:01.759 So they're getting joy and passion from their job for the first time and making money all at the same time. 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:06.080 So my goals have, you know, slowly changed, but they're all good. 00:15:06.159 --> 00:15:07.759 And it's it's been a journey. 00:15:07.840 -->

00:15:12.000 And I, if you would have told me 10 years ago I was gonna do this, I would have never believed you. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.960 Like a franchise, like there's no way, right? 00:15:15.200 --> 00:15:19.440 And to boot, I was the very first autism treatment franchise in existence. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:21.600 There was nobody else doing this. 00:15:21.840 --> 00:15:24.159 I was scared out of my mind. 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:26.480 I'm like, am I genius or am I stupid? 00:15:26.639 --> 00:15:28.559 I can't decide which, like, what am I doing? 00:15:28.720 --> 00:15:31.840 I don't know what I'm I've never done this before, but it works. 00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:37.440 And to date, as of you know, today is January 6, 2026. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:42.159 We have 81 open locations across 20 different states. 00:15:42.480 --> 00:15:43.519 81. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:44.639 Wow. 00:15:45.440 --> 00:15:53.519 Obviously, sad that there has to be that many, of course, but um at least the help is there, so that's what matters, right? 00:15:53.759 --> 00:16:00.559 What was the hardest part of balancing the mission with the business part of it? 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:12.320 Well, if you think about a daycare, the parents pay, and I never had a kid in daycare because so I I I have to build, let's let's say daycare is a thousand dollars a month. 00:16:12.399 --> 00:16:15.759 Some are cheaper, some are more expensive, but the parents have to pay that out of pocket. 00:16:15.919 --> 00:16:19.120 And they drop their kids off in the morning and they pick them up in the afternoon. 00:16:19.360 --> 00:16:22.080 Our business works a lot similarly. 00:16:22.320 --> 00:16:28.720 You the parents drop them off in the morning, pick them up in the afternoon, they're with us for a full day, but the parents don't pay us tuition. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:34.320 The health insurance pays us, and health insurance pays us$10,000 a month per kid. 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:37.759 So it's way more profitable than a daycare. 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.240 Now you have to hire more people because we're one-on-one. 00:16:40.559 --> 00:16:44.879 A daycare may have, you know, 10 kids on one adult or even more. 00:16:45.039 --> 00:16:52.639 Um, so it is a little bit more payroll heavy, but it's a lot more profitable and you don't have to rely on the parents' disposable income. 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:57.519 It doesn't create a financial burden on the family because it's all paid for by health insurance. 00:16:57.679 --> 00:17:06.079 So the balancing the passion and quality of the business and trying to maintain profitability wasn't really a problem. 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:12.240 As long as you have more than 10 kids in a clinic, you're bringing in positive numbers. 00:17:12.400 --> 00:17:16.400 And that was a surprise because again, I only started this for my daughter. 00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:19.920 I almost meant for it to be a loss or maybe a break-even type of thing. 00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:23.200 I never expected that it wouldn't make money. 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:32.160 Um, and seeing as how we don't have to pay marketing expenses because this business is in such high demand that people just find us. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:37.119 These moms are scouring the internet looking for a place for their kids to go, and there's tons of them. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:44.400 And so it's it's really a very smooth, I don't want to say easy because nothing in in life worth doing is ever easy. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.000 It is, it can be difficult. 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:49.839 But the profitability part of it is not one of those problems. 00:17:50.160 --> 00:18:07.359 You did mention, you know, that somebody mentioned the franchising to you kind of like by in passing or something, but why did you choose franchising after you did more research on it instead of of like a traditional corporate expansion model? 00:18:07.759 --> 00:18:20.000 I think when I found out the numbers, the true numbers in the US, so present day the CDC states that one in 31 kids will be diagnosed with autism before they turn eight. 00:18:20.160 --> 00:18:23.839 So that's like two and a half percent of the population. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:29.839 And when you look at year over year, more and more and more kids are being diagnosed. 00:18:29.920 --> 00:18:32.720 So that number is increasing every year. 00:18:32.880 --> 00:18:39.200 And the number of providers that offer ABA therapy is not keeping up with that increase. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:47.039 And currently, the number of providers that exist can only meet 33% of the demand nationwide. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:59.200 So 60-something percent of kids that need ABA therapy don't have access to it because there's not a clinic near them, or they're on a waiting list, a year-long waiting list at an ABA company that's near them. 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:00.400 We need more. 00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:03.680 And it's not just Houston that needs more, where I was at. 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:05.920 Everywhere needs more. 00:19:06.079 --> 00:19:13.440 And autism doesn't care if you're rich, if you're poor, if you're black, if you're white, if you're Hispanic, if you're like it doesn't matter. 00:19:13.680 --> 00:19:15.680 Autism affects us all equally. 00:19:15.839 --> 00:19:24.880 And so every single neighborhood, every single culture, every single state, every city, whether it's in the cities or in a cornfield, there are kids that need this. 00:19:25.039 --> 00:19:35.680 And I knew that I could maybe open one new clinic a year with the amount of money that I could put forward and the amount of time that I could dedicate to hiring and starting a new business. 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:39.119 But with a franchise, right now we're opening 30 a year. 00:19:39.279 --> 00:19:47.279 And so we can accomplish our mission of uh providing more services and providing more access to care a lot faster. 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:49.119 You know, two

heads are better than one. 00:19:49.200 --> 00:19:55.920 There's a power in the group numbers, and we're doing a lot more good in as a group than I could on my own. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:58.559 The point of hoarding the business or something. 00:19:58.720 --> 00:19:59.519 It's like, why? 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:00.880 Why would you do that? 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:07.839 Um, so you're helping the kids and as many kids as you can, and also helping the entrepreneurs themselves as well. 00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:08.240 Yeah. 00:20:08.400 --> 00:20:10.960 Um, so it's like win-win for everybody. 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:11.519 It is. 00:20:11.759 --> 00:20:22.240 Um What oversight do you think, though, is non-negotiable to protect the quality and the values of the business that you're building? 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:23.519 That was a big fear. 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:38.240 That's a great question because one of my biggest fears was that I would put my business name on somebody else's building and I would lose the good reputation that I had earned as a high quality clinic because somebody else wasn't doing it the same way that I was. 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:43.279 And so the first thing I do is I'm very picky on who we let into the franchise. 00:20:43.440 --> 00:20:45.119 You can't just be in it for the money. 00:20:45.359 --> 00:20:47.519 This is not passive income type of thing. 00:20:47.680 --> 00:20:59.119 We want owner operators that care about the mission, that have a passion for helping children or a, or a passion for the medical field, not just the paycheck that comes with it, right? 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:05.759 And so by finding those people, you whittle away hopefully a lot of the bad stuff that could potentially happen. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:17.039 But we came up, uh, some of my behavior analysts and I came up with a set of rules, a set of standards that we defined high quality. 00:21:17.279 --> 00:21:20.160 And so we made a list of those things. 00:21:20.319 --> 00:21:26.799 And every six months, we fly out to every single one of our locations and we audit them. 00:21:26.880 --> 00:21:44.000 And we look at the clinical programming, we look at parent and staff surveys, we look at the actual paperwork that they're producing for insurance claims to make sure nothing is fraudulent and everything is, you know, all the T's across and all the I's are dotted. 00:21:44.160 --> 00:21:46.720 And we look across all kinds of different subjects. 00:21:46.960 --> 00:21:49.680 Even what kind of information are you storing in your software? 00:21:49.839 --> 00:21:51.519 Are you keeping up with expiration dates? 00:21:51.680 --> 00:21:54.640 Are you doing background checks on all of your staff frequently? 00:21:54.880 --> 00:21:56.960 Are you doing drug screenings on all your staff? 00:21:57.039 --> 00:21:58.319 Are you hiring the right people? 00:21:58.480 --> 00:22:01.200 Are they doing what they're Supposed to be doing. 00:22:01.759 --> 00:22:10.079 And this

audit process has really ensured the uniformity of the way that we work across all of our locations. 00:22:10.319 --> 00:22:23.039 We have a club, even called Commodore's Club, because we're an nautical, that can distinguish our high performers, the people that score the best on the audits. 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:31.119 And we have about five Commodores that have zero red scores, that are just like doing everything properly. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:38.319 And those people get, you know, the franchisees get perks and discounts and free flights to the annual conference and all the good stuff. 00:22:38.480 --> 00:22:40.400 And they they get very competitive. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.480 And everybody wants into this club. 00:22:42.559 --> 00:22:47.119 So it's inspiring to see them compete for the highest scores and the highest quality. 00:22:47.359 --> 00:22:51.200 It helps them, but in turn, it really just helps the kids. 00:22:51.359 --> 00:23:06.079 It could also give you a little bit of peace of mind, the fact that you know that if all of the businesses are run like yours and with the cameras, there's nowhere to hide from the entrepreneur or the staff or anyone, really. 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:14.480 Because, you know, you can easily something seems fishy or something, you can easily just go look it up, I guess. 00:23:14.640 --> 00:23:16.640 Um, you know, in that regard. 00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:29.200 Um my long-term goal is not just to make my clinics better because there's plenty enough kids for other franchises to exist if we be in the same space and not be bothered by each other. 00:23:29.359 --> 00:23:38.720 But I hope that parents see my clinic, they see the quality, they see the cameras, and they start expecting that from other ABA companies. 00:23:38.880 --> 00:23:45.039 I hope we set the standard for what parents expect and demand for their own kids. 00:23:45.200 --> 00:23:48.960 So in turn, I want to make other ABA companies better too. 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:49.680 100%. 00:23:50.240 --> 00:23:50.799 I love that. 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:52.720 I love that that's a goal of yours. 00:23:52.960 --> 00:23:57.279 Um, it sounds like a very good goal to have, especially with a business like this. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:24:08.720 What advice would you give an entrepreneur who wants to build a business that's also fueled by something so mission-driven and so important? 00:24:09.440 --> 00:24:09.680 Yeah. 00:24:09.839 --> 00:24:11.519 Um, because I'm assuming it's not easy. 00:24:11.680 --> 00:24:13.359 Well, no business is easy. 00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:15.839 Being a business owner is not easy, period. 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:24.079 But um, but you know, with the added on top of it, that like you have a core, really important mission. 00:24:24.400 --> 00:24:33.200 I think a lot of people have this misconception that good things have to be charity or nonprofits. 00:24:33.440 --> 00:24:40.799 It really feels wrong when you say that your purpose, you have a mission to help people and you're profitable. 00:24:40.880 --> 00:24:47.519 It kind of it almost feels like an opposing idea, but you can do a good job and make money at the same time. 00:24:47.759 --> 00:25:06.480 And so the the way that we reconcile all of this, I guess, is when you are running a business that you're you're doing good, like you're saying, you're you're helping others, you want to do a good job, you can't, the people that you surround yourself with cannot be in it just for the money. 00:25:06.640 --> 00:25:10.240 They also have to have the same mission and the same goals in mind for you. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:28.960 So if you are an entrepreneur that is running a feel-good, do good, philanthropic business, you have to be very careful who you let in as your people, your team, the people that you hire, the people that, you know, your right and your left-hand man, they have to want the same things as you because a paycheck is not enough. 00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:40.799 People who get that high from hearing a kid say their first words, that feel elation when you teach them to potty by themselves for the first time, those are the people that are gonna do their best work for you. 00:25:40.960 --> 00:25:43.759 Because unless that paycheck is in your hand, you're not thinking about it. 00:25:43.839 --> 00:25:48.160 You're thinking about how hard this is and how frustrated you are and how you want to go home and you wish it was the weekend. 00:25:48.559 --> 00:25:51.519 But the people who work with us are excited to come to work. 00:25:51.680 --> 00:25:53.359 They're excited when things happen at work. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:25:54.960 There's always something to celebrate. 00:25:55.119 --> 00:25:58.640 So surround yourself with like-minded people. 00:25:58.960 --> 00:25:59.519 Definitely. 00:25:59.680 --> 00:26:08.240 I feel like you know how they say there's this saying about like you are the sum of like the five people that you surround yourself by. 00:26:08.480 --> 00:26:09.279 Very true. 00:26:09.599 --> 00:26:16.720 Did you find some sort of like truths about this mission-driven entrepreneurship that nobody warned you about? 00:26:16.880 --> 00:26:20.559 That you're you're like, wow, I did not expect this. 00:26:20.799 --> 00:26:22.559 Anything surprised you? 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:29.200 I I didn't expect that helping another kid would make me feel just as good as helping my own. 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:37.279 I didn't expect that helping other entrepreneurs accomplish success would make me feel so proud of that. 00:26:37.519 --> 00:26:42.319 I feel like I'm the mama of all these franchisees, and I'm like, yo, they're doing such a good job, you know? 00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:46.720 And you don't, it's it's such there's so many good things happening at the same time, right? 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.880 It's like you're seeing your little baby grow up, but you have like 81 of them. 00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:55.279 I have all these

little chicks around me, peep, beep, beep, and I'm just putting them all together. 00:26:55.440 --> 00:27:01.279 It's been such a good experience, and we're doing so much good, and everybody is happy, everybody is proud. 00:27:01.359 --> 00:27:04.960 We don't have one grumpy group, uh, one grumpy person in the whole group. 00:27:05.039 --> 00:27:07.519 I mean, we're all just cheering for each other. 00:27:07.599 --> 00:27:12.480 We have a uh instant chat where we all talk to each other, all 81 of us on one big chat, if you can imagine. 00:27:12.640 --> 00:27:13.440 Oh my goodness. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:18.720 And anytime something really cool happens, or if something really bad happens, we're like, oh my god, guess what? 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:21.279 And we tell each other about it and we talk about it. 00:27:21.359 --> 00:27:28.319 And it's uh it's very uplifting to see that everybody's having a good time and everybody's, you know, in it together. 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:34.720 It's nice that you build a community because I feel like business can feel really lonely sometimes. 00:27:34.880 --> 00:27:35.200 Oh yeah. 00:27:35.359 --> 00:27:38.400 Did you ever felt feel alone in your journey? 00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:41.759 Was there a moment where you were like, you know? 00:27:42.160 --> 00:27:47.200 And you have to understand when I opened this business, I was 28 years old. 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:48.480 I was just a baby. 00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:53.200 And these, you know, I used to be married to a doctor, which all of them have a big ego. 00:27:53.440 --> 00:28:02.400 And his important doctor friends and his big lawyer friends would come over and would look at me as this like, oh, look, the little housewife has a little Etsy shop. 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:04.240 You know, I felt like I was dismissed. 00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:06.640 And I'm like, no, I have a medical practice too. 00:28:06.799 --> 00:28:08.000 I'm just not a doctor. 00:28:08.160 --> 00:28:09.200 Like, I'm running this. 00:28:09.519 --> 00:28:12.640 And I think I was very underestimated. 00:28:12.799 --> 00:28:17.920 And of course, I, you know, I think all CEOs have imposter syndrome where they're like, Am I really doing this? 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:19.759 Um, so it is lonely at the top. 00:28:19.839 --> 00:28:28.240 And and especially being a woman and a young woman, they're like, oh, look at this little blonde girl, and she's like yelling out that she's doing all these charitable things. 00:28:28.480 --> 00:28:29.839 And it wasn't like that at all. 00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:31.039 It was hard. 00:28:31.200 --> 00:28:34.480 And I had to fight to get people to take me seriously. 00:28:34.720 --> 00:28:40.880 And a lot of people didn't believe in me and they underestimated me or they belittled me in a lot of ways. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:51.440 So it was scary trying to come into this franchising world that did not exist for this industry at, you know, 30 years old. 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:54.960 I was, I think, um, yeah, I was 30 when I started the franchise. 00:28:55.119 --> 00:29:03.039 So it was, it was wild being in that position and not having anybody to talk to that could share that experience with me. 00:29:03.200 --> 00:29:04.640 Yeah, it was, it was lonely. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:05.759 It was it was hard. 00:29:05.920 --> 00:29:13.599 But I have a good team and they they listened to me gripe and complain, and we helped each other through everything. 00:29:13.680 --> 00:29:14.880 And we're a good team. 00:29:15.039 --> 00:29:18.960 All of the people that I started the franchising company with, all my employees are still with me today. 00:29:19.039 --> 00:29:20.400 We've had zero turnover. 00:29:20.559 --> 00:29:24.720 And so we've all been together for 10 years, and I feel like we grew up together. 00:29:24.799 --> 00:29:30.880 We all got married together, we all had babies together, we all started the business together, and we'd make a really good family. 00:29:31.200 --> 00:29:35.039 It's funny when you said they underestimated you. 00:29:35.200 --> 00:29:40.559 I feel like most successful people, that's their experience. 00:29:40.799 --> 00:29:44.480 People don't see them coming because they think, oh, this person. 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:45.279 I don't know. 00:29:45.359 --> 00:29:47.359 People are just so weird about that. 00:29:47.519 --> 00:30:07.759 But I always see the biggest, most successful people that I meet most of the time were people that at some point, whether it was when they were little kids or like you said, when they were married or something, that they were put down or completely underestimated and they're the ones with the most success. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:08.480 Yeah. 00:30:08.720 --> 00:30:14.160 I think learning to fight your way up makes you stronger, you know, and you learn to ignore it. 00:30:14.319 --> 00:30:23.119 I mean, it hurts when people underestimate you or treat you like you can't do something, but it it there's there's some strength to be had in it too. 00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:28.160 And I've always, you know, gotten a rise out of uh proving people wrong. 00:30:28.400 --> 00:30:30.400 So that helped a lot too. 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:36.559 And I wanted to do it for my daughter, of course, but it would it really helped that I could throw it in other pieces every now and then. 00:30:36.799 --> 00:30:38.160 There's a lot of research now. 00:30:38.240 --> 00:30:55.680 I'm on a little bit of a tangent that about crying, for example, and how it's actually good for you and how you're actually regulating yourself and when you cry because you actually have feelings versus when you cry because there's like a speck of dust or something. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:59.680 The tears have different chemical compositions when they come out of your eyes. 00:31:00.319 --> 00:31:06.720 Talking about mistakes, um, was there a business mistake that you made early on? 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:08.160 I

made a lot of mistakes. 00:31:08.400 --> 00:31:09.839 Bill shaped you. 00:31:11.440 --> 00:31:14.480 I think we all do, especially being the first. 00:31:14.720 --> 00:31:16.559 Like I had nobody to model after. 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:18.000 I had nobody to ask questions. 00:31:18.160 --> 00:31:20.000 How do you do this or what should I avoid? 00:31:20.160 --> 00:31:25.920 Um, some of the biggest mistakes I made were trusting the wrong people, hiring the wrong people. 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:28.319 Um, we had this crazy scenario. 00:31:28.480 --> 00:31:32.160 The very first franchisee that I let into the system. 00:31:32.400 --> 00:31:33.519 Well, okay, I'm sorry. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:34.480 It was the second. 00:31:34.640 --> 00:31:38.799 The second franchisee that let into the system lied to me about a lot of things. 00:31:38.960 --> 00:31:43.119 And it was because I wasn't asking the right questions or digging deep enough. 00:31:43.279 --> 00:31:45.680 And they were not in it for the kids. 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:49.200 And there was a little bit of illegal activity happening. 00:31:49.359 --> 00:31:51.200 I suspect it was money laundering. 00:31:51.279 --> 00:31:52.240 Like it was wild. 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:56.000 Like I've, you know, I've watched all the episodes of Ozark. 00:31:56.079 --> 00:31:58.319 So I'm pretty sure that's what was happening there. 00:31:58.720 --> 00:32:02.480 I was gonna go to break him back, but breaking bad exactly. 00:32:04.240 --> 00:32:06.960 I've watched them all, and I'm pretty sure that's what was happening. 00:32:07.119 --> 00:32:09.599 And we had to clean up that mess and get rid of them. 00:32:09.680 --> 00:32:14.799 And, you know, thank goodness it was a very quick process and it it was fleeting. 00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:16.960 It didn't, it wasn't a problem that lingered. 00:32:17.200 --> 00:32:23.599 Uh, but you do, you know, you have to make mistakes because you're not gonna know all of the right answers. 00:32:23.759 --> 00:32:31.440 I am lucky I got most of it right, and I was able to make small mistakes that didn't ruin us. 00:32:31.599 --> 00:32:44.799 Um, but again, having the right team around you that are supportive, that helps you clean up those little messes, helps you fix the problems, finding the problems and not allowing them to persist, these are all things that help you get over that hump. 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:46.880 But yeah, everybody makes mistakes. 00:32:47.119 --> 00:32:48.000 A hundred percent. 00:32:48.240 --> 00:32:57.599 Um, was there anything that taught you, what did it teach you about leadership and your leadership style now? 00:32:57.839 --> 00:32:59.440 You can only do so much. 00:32:59.519 --> 00:33:04.880 You know, you you're a CEO and any new CEO will feel like they're wearing multiple hats. 00:33:05.039 --> 00:33:06.000 And I know I did. 00:33:06.160 --> 00:33:12.319 I was pre-opening support, I was post-opening support, I was part of the sales team, I was part of the marketing team. 00:33:12.400 --> 00:33:19.519 I was doing, I had my little hands in everything because we couldn't afford to hire eight people just at in that moment in the beginning. 00:33:19.759 --> 00:33:22.960 So you you have to learn to surround yourself with the right people. 00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:26.160 Don't trust anybody who isn't worthy of that trust. 00:33:26.319 --> 00:33:39.519 And of course, don't you have to learn to that was the hardest thing for me, I think, was after you do have that team, after you do have the money to hire somebody to help you, you have to learn to let go and not micromanage. 00:33:39.680 --> 00:33:40.720 Let them do their job. 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:50.880 Give yourself the break that you need to use your brain to do the big business decisions and not run the all the little everyday, day-to-day stuff. 00:33:50.960 --> 00:33:55.119 Uh, and it was hard for me to like, I wanted to like control everything because this was my baby. 00:33:55.200 --> 00:33:59.599 I didn't want anybody to nobody can do it as good as I can because it's mine. 00:33:59.839 --> 00:34:00.079 Yeah. 00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:08.159 So I had to learn to to let go and to trust the right people to do that part of the job for me. 00:34:08.400 --> 00:34:09.679 Where is that line? 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:11.519 I'm learning that right now. 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:16.239 You also need to make sure that, you know, you're stirring the ship. 00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:18.079 That's that's what a CEO does. 00:34:18.239 --> 00:34:25.440 So you're not you need to make sure your values are being, you know, applied, that the quality is there, all of that. 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:37.360 So what how do you manage that line between I'm just making sure that things are good, but not micromanage it? 00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:43.280 I think that question is now so selfish, selfish question, but seriously. 00:34:43.599 --> 00:34:52.960 No, but I I think that question applies to remote romantic relationships, friendships, business, like that question applies so much. 00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:59.920 How do you know who to trust and how do you give somebody else control over your happiness, over your life, over your success? 00:35:00.079 --> 00:35:02.559 That's hard to know, and you gotta feel it out. 00:35:02.719 --> 00:35:10.960 And my best advice is have guardrails, give somebody the freedom, and if they mess up, be ready to take it back. 00:35:11.280 --> 00:35:24.559 Because people who have the same goal and the same mission as you, whether it be friendship, relationships, business, if they they will make mistakes, everybody does, but they're gonna be also willing to fix it. 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:33.920 Whereas other people won't care, or the wrong person won't care to fix it, or say that there isn't really a problem to begin with, or whatever it is. 00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:40.159 And you have to be to be successful yourself, you have to be ready to cut those bad people out.

00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:43.519 Recognize who they are and don't let them linger. 00:35:43.920 --> 00:35:44.800 Snip snip. 00:35:45.039 --> 00:35:50.719 I've heard different entrepreneurs, some of them are like, firing fast is my favorite thing to do. 00:35:51.119 --> 00:35:52.079 Like is good for them. 00:35:52.159 --> 00:35:53.440 Like they feel good about it. 00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:54.480 You get burnt. 00:35:54.800 --> 00:36:02.400 You get burnt so many times that you get tired of keeping people around and then you feel powerful when you're finally able. 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:05.920 The first person I fired, I was devastated about it. 00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:08.239 I was I was crying harder than they were. 00:36:08.320 --> 00:36:13.039 I'm like, I'm so sorry, this is your livelihood, but I gave you chances and you didn't take it. 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:15.039 And now I'm like, get out. 00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:18.480 So there is power in being sure that you're right. 00:36:18.639 --> 00:36:23.679 And it's not that I don't care about people and I just fire people left and right, but I have that experience behind me. 00:36:23.760 --> 00:36:25.519 I know this is not going anywhere good. 00:36:25.679 --> 00:36:27.039 Leave me alone and go somewhere else. 00:36:27.199 --> 00:36:27.360 Yeah. 00:36:27.519 --> 00:36:29.280 Thank you for giving me that perspective. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:31.760 Because yeah, I never looked at it like that. 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:42.639 Now that you're leading these network of franchise C owners, um, what qualities do you look for in the entrepreneurs that you choose for the SOS movement? 00:36:42.960 --> 00:36:49.760 Yeah, and and that's hard to define too, because I was that little 28 blonde girl. 00:36:49.920 --> 00:36:52.800 You can't judge people too quickly. 00:36:52.960 --> 00:36:55.519 So you have to ask Oh, yeah, by the cover. 00:36:55.679 --> 00:36:55.840 Yeah. 00:36:56.000 --> 00:36:56.559 It's like, oh. 00:36:56.800 --> 00:37:01.840 You're like, oh, they're just pretty not that smart or too pretty to be smart. 00:37:02.559 --> 00:37:05.280 Yeah, you gotta you can't judge people too quickly. 00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:06.079 You gotta ask. 00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:15.119 And so now we've come up with this very long process where people apply to be a franchisee, they interview with a girl named Carla first. 00:37:15.280 --> 00:37:18.719 If she likes them, they get pushed to Joe, he interviews them. 00:37:18.880 --> 00:37:20.960 If he likes them, they get pushed to me. 00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:22.320 I interview them. 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:26.320 If I like them, we invite them on Discovery Day, where I meet them in person. 00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:30.559 If I still like them at the end of that day, then you can be a franchisee. 00:37:30.800 --> 00:37:43.599 So we actually hang out with these people for several hours to see, you know, because some people are very nice or very intelligent, but being a business owner is very

stressful, like emotionally stressful. 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.320 You have people who need you to make decisions. 00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:49.039 And I don't know if you've ever heard of decision fatigue. 00:37:49.199 --> 00:37:50.239 It's a real thing. 00:37:50.480 --> 00:37:54.880 Your brain already has so many decisions it can make a day before you're like, shut it down. 00:37:55.039 --> 00:37:56.960 I need to take a nap and reset. 00:37:57.119 --> 00:38:01.199 And so we have to decide this personality. 00:38:01.440 --> 00:38:12.000 How are they gonna handle stress and are they gonna make how are they gonna handle a kid who gets hurt because their employees were being stupid or even abusive, neglect? 00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:14.000 Like anything could happen in a clinic, right? 00:38:14.079 --> 00:38:15.039 Anything could happen. 00:38:15.199 --> 00:38:18.639 And so, how are you is are they gonna be the person that responds properly? 00:38:18.800 --> 00:38:21.599 Are they gonna break down and freak out and cry on the floor? 00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:23.519 Are they gonna call me for help? 00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:28.800 Which is always a great answer because if you can't make a decision, I certainly can come in and do that for you. 00:38:28.880 --> 00:38:32.239 I've probably already made this decision before, so it's easier for me than it is for you. 00:38:32.480 --> 00:38:37.119 So we really have to estimate people's ability to handle stress. 00:38:37.280 --> 00:38:40.000 And of course, they have to be with the mission. 00:38:40.079 --> 00:38:48.320 They can't just be profit-hungry, they have to want to do the work for the kids and do it the right way in order to join the family. 00:38:48.480 --> 00:38:50.320 And take direction too, right? 00:38:50.480 --> 00:38:51.119 Yes. 00:38:51.440 --> 00:38:55.039 What is the biggest red flag for you? 00:38:55.199 --> 00:39:07.679 If you see this, you're like, I don't care how good they are, I don't care what degrees they have, I don't care, I don't care about all of the other interviews we've done and that we love them up to this point. 00:39:07.760 --> 00:39:13.280 Like, biggest red flag that you're like, nope, definitely not for the business. 00:39:13.840 --> 00:39:20.000 I have one guy, um, he was some like rich oil chic. 00:39:20.159 --> 00:39:25.440 I mean like billionaire level, and he said, uh, I want to buy three of these. 00:39:25.599 --> 00:39:26.559 And I'm like, what? 00:39:26.719 --> 00:39:28.559 He's like, yeah, uh give me three. 00:39:28.719 --> 00:39:32.159 And I'm like, it's not a thing where you just like write a check and I give them to you. 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:33.280 Like, you have to build it. 00:39:33.360 --> 00:39:38.239 You have to be an owner operator, you have to start it from the ground up and we help you do that. 00:39:38.400 --> 00:39:40.639 And he said, No, I'll just hire people to do it. 00:39:40.719 --> 00:39:43.840 I want three because I have three children and I want to set them up for life. 00:39:43.920 --> 00:39:47.440 I want them to have the money, so I want these clinics to be running before they come of age. 00:39:47.519 --> 00:39:50.000 I'm like, sir, this is not what we do here. 00:39:50.159 --> 00:39:53.119 This is not a passive income situation. 00:39:53.519 --> 00:39:58.559 And so that was like, I think that was the fastest no I've ever given. 00:39:58.719 --> 00:40:03.199 I'm like, sir, it sounds like you need to open a pizza hut or a gas station or something. 00:40:03.360 --> 00:40:05.119 Like, I can't, I can't help you. 00:40:05.199 --> 00:40:06.400 This is not what you need to be doing. 00:40:06.559 --> 00:40:07.519 You don't care about the kids at all. 00:40:07.599 --> 00:40:08.639 He never asked about the kids. 00:40:08.719 --> 00:40:10.320 It was all just give it to me. 00:40:10.480 --> 00:40:13.039 Very like snap his fingers type of thing. 00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:15.440 So that was the quickest no, huge red flag. 00:40:15.599 --> 00:40:17.119 Again, it's all about the mission. 00:40:17.280 --> 00:40:20.559 The green flags we're looking for are how can we help the kids? 00:40:20.800 --> 00:40:36.000 In fact, 25% of our franchisees are autism parents, not entrepreneurs, not business people, no experience in the medical field, just other mamas like me that saw the problem and went looking for the answer and found me online. 00:40:36.239 --> 00:40:37.360 And that's encouraging. 00:40:37.599 --> 00:40:44.000 That totally makes sense because who's gonna have more passion for it than somebody who goes through it? 00:40:44.320 --> 00:40:49.440 So for the ambitious listener out there, it's okay to be ambitious. 00:40:50.559 --> 00:40:55.840 Um, but you know, they're sitting out there, they're ambitious, just like you. 00:40:56.239 --> 00:41:01.840 Um, but they also have a mission in their heart that they want to take care of. 00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:06.480 How did they know if the idea is actually scalable? 00:41:06.639 --> 00:41:07.760 How would they know? 00:41:08.719 --> 00:41:10.719 Honestly, you have to try it. 00:41:10.960 --> 00:41:21.039 I mean, you can crunch numbers on an Excel spreadsheet and it makes sense on paper, but in practice, it could be totally different because the unexpected always finds its way into your world. 00:41:21.199 --> 00:41:31.840 And so just like I did, you open the one clinic, you open the second clinic, and if you can run both of them the same, if the same problems persist, you can fix it. 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:35.840 If the same successes exist, you can reproduce those. 00:41:36.079 --> 00:41:43.920 And you have to create that operations manual, that playbook of how to rinse and repeat. 00:41:44.159 --> 00:41:49.920 And if you can help one other person do it the same way that you did, you can help a hundred. 00:41:50.079 --> 00:41:57.679 And again, you have to find like-minded people because if they're not in it for the mission two, things deviate and go off the

rails. 00:41:57.920 --> 00:42:04.480 But if there is a group of people that want the same things as you, then together you can write the playbook on how to do that. 00:42:04.559 --> 00:42:07.440 And rinse and repeat is is the key to success. 00:42:07.599 --> 00:42:09.840 If it works in one place, why wouldn't it work in another? 00:42:10.159 --> 00:42:14.639 Do you think there's a way they could test before they go all in? 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:17.599 Like, would that would the first clinic kind of be that? 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:19.519 Like first clinic and run it. 00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:24.559 It has to make sense on paper first, and then you have to actually try it. 00:42:24.800 --> 00:42:40.639 And especially if you're selling a product, like if you're coming out with perfume or you're coming out with some sort of food, you really can't rely on the opinions of your friends and your family because they're gonna love you and think that whatever you come up with is a good idea. 00:42:40.880 --> 00:42:43.679 It has to be tested by strangers. 00:42:44.320 --> 00:42:46.320 What does the public think about this? 00:42:46.480 --> 00:42:53.519 And so really trust the strangers to give their honest opinion about things, but you can't just do it on paper. 00:42:53.679 --> 00:43:01.119 You have to actually put it into practice to try it out because you cannot anticipate everything in a what-if scenario. 00:43:01.360 --> 00:43:07.920 Once you actually start doing things, you figure out new things, you make the mistakes, you find the successes in unexpected places. 00:43:08.079 --> 00:43:16.960 So it you've gotta put it into practice and then depend mostly on strangers' opinions to let you know if you're doing it right or not. 00:43:17.199 --> 00:43:28.000 If someone wants to blend a purpose and a profit business like you have, what's one meaningful step they could take this week to make that happen? 00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:34.320 Oh, I think the easiest way is to take a poll on social media. 00:43:34.559 --> 00:43:41.840 How many people are in the same or in agreement with me on the same mission as me online? 00:43:42.159 --> 00:43:45.840 And you know, social media, if it's the wrong thing, people will tear you apart. 00:43:46.000 --> 00:43:47.039 They've always got something to say. 00:43:47.199 --> 00:43:51.679 I feel like online behind that screen, uh, people are not inhibited. 00:43:51.760 --> 00:43:57.360 They don't care about what they're saying, they will just speak the cold, hard truth, whether it hurts your feelings or not. 00:43:57.599 --> 00:44:00.559 When I first started the very first clinic, I did that. 00:44:00.719 --> 00:44:03.920 I was like, oh, I'm thinking of starting this little clinic for my daughter. 00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:06.320 Is there anybody else who would be interested in joining? 00:44:06.480 --> 00:44:08.480 And like 30 people responded. 00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:10.320 And I only needed three. 00:44:10.800 --> 00:44:12.719 So I

knew I was on the right track. 00:44:12.800 --> 00:44:18.480 And it was a very, very overwhelmingly positive response from the online community. 00:44:18.559 --> 00:44:20.880 So I think that's a good way of testing the waters. 00:44:21.119 --> 00:44:24.719 I think that a lot of people are now realizing that more and more. 00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:30.880 So for the listeners who know that they're meant for more, but they feel scared. 00:44:31.119 --> 00:44:34.480 What's the next brave step that they can take? 00:44:34.880 --> 00:44:39.920 Let me tell you, that fear never goes away. 00:44:40.480 --> 00:44:41.119 Ever. 00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:42.800 Oh no. 00:44:43.599 --> 00:44:46.239 I was like, when you said gonna leave. 00:44:46.719 --> 00:44:53.920 But at the same time, I think a healthy amount of fear keeps you from making stupid mistakes. 00:44:54.079 --> 00:44:57.280 Like anytime you start a business, there's a risk. 00:44:57.519 --> 00:45:02.480 Even with a franchise that a hundred other people have opened and have done well with, you don't know what's gonna happen. 00:45:02.559 --> 00:45:03.840 The unexpected could always happen. 00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:05.679 Lightning could strike, whatever it is. 00:45:05.840 --> 00:45:09.920 Um, so a healthy amount of fear helps you to be cautious. 00:45:10.079 --> 00:45:15.599 Don't let it stop you from doing the right things, but hopefully it'll be enough to stop you from doing the wrong things. 00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:20.159 And so that again, that imposter syndrome that I'm not supposed to be here. 00:45:20.239 --> 00:45:21.199 I'm not a grown-up. 00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:22.559 Who's running this thing? 00:45:22.800 --> 00:45:37.760 That I think a lot of CEOs, even you know, CEOs of Walmart or the CEO of GMC or whatever it is, they all feel some sort of imposter syndrome where this company got so much bigger than me. 00:45:38.159 --> 00:45:40.239 Who am I to be at the top of it now? 00:45:40.400 --> 00:45:43.199 Um, that will always, always be there. 00:45:43.280 --> 00:45:49.360 And there's always, of course, people who are gonna bring you down and question you and and undermine you or underestimate you. 00:45:49.519 --> 00:45:52.239 You can't let those people bother you. 00:45:52.400 --> 00:45:54.400 But a healthy amount of fear is okay. 00:45:54.480 --> 00:45:55.599 So lean into it. 00:45:55.679 --> 00:45:58.960 Don't be scared to be scared, but do it anyway. 00:45:59.199 --> 00:46:04.239 I also heard that you can reframe the fear into excitement. 00:46:04.400 --> 00:46:07.119 Maybe you're not fearful, you're just excited. 00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:09.280 They feel the exact same way in your body. 00:46:09.440 --> 00:46:09.840 They really do. 00:46:10.159 --> 00:46:13.119 At the end of the day, it's just how you think about it. 00:46:13.360 --> 00:46:20.480 So maybe um I I saw somewhere that if you tell yourself, no, I I'm not scared, I'm excited. 00:46:20.800 --> 00:46:21.599 Put a positive spot. 00:46:22.000 --> 00:46:22.239 That's it. 00:46:22.480 --> 00:46:24.079 Like you you feel excited. 00:46:24.320 --> 00:46:30.559 I love closing by asking some rapid-fire questions to my guests as a tradition we have here. 00:46:30.639 --> 00:46:36.000 So I'll just ask you some questions real quick and just say the first things that come to your mind. 00:46:36.079 --> 00:46:42.559 They're not difficult, they're just meant to be get to know you a little bit better and just fun in general. 00:46:42.880 --> 00:46:44.320 What's more thrilling? 00:46:44.559 --> 00:46:47.360 Building SOS or racing cars? 00:46:48.159 --> 00:46:49.679 Oh, racing cars. 00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:51.280 Oh, I love that. 00:46:51.440 --> 00:46:52.800 Tell me more about this, actually. 00:46:52.880 --> 00:46:56.400 I know it was supposed to be rapid fire, but like I'm like, wait, what? 00:46:56.639 --> 00:46:58.480 Like it's racing cars? 00:46:58.800 --> 00:47:04.639 I know it's not a usual hobby, but at work, I'm just constantly multitasking. 00:47:04.800 --> 00:47:15.119 Um talking to someone on the phone while I'm answering the instant chat messages, while I'm writing an email, and I'm very good at multitasking, as most women are, but I'm good at it. 00:47:15.280 --> 00:47:21.280 But once you are like in this constant flow, it's very hard to turn the work brain off. 00:47:21.440 --> 00:47:26.159 And I feel I got to the point where I couldn't even just sit and watch a movie anymore. 00:47:26.400 --> 00:47:32.639 I had to sit on my phone and do something productive while I was watching TV or be folding clothed while I was watching TV. 00:47:32.719 --> 00:47:35.519 I I didn't know how to sit still anymore. 00:47:35.679 --> 00:47:40.079 Burning the candle at both ends became my normal uh from starting the business. 00:47:40.159 --> 00:47:42.079 I was always like, go, go, go, go, go, go, go. 00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:43.519 And I didn't know how to sit anymore. 00:47:43.679 --> 00:48:05.280 And then I found that if you are in a car going 120 miles per hour in a straight line, but there's a turn coming up ahead of you, and you're daring yourself to wait longer to hit the brakes, see how short of a braking span you can make without flying off the edge of the track and into the dirt, that turns the work brain off. 00:48:05.440 --> 00:48:16.239 And the whole the emails, the work calls, the to-do list, the repair list, the maintenance that is on your checklist of things to do, that all melts away. 00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:18.400 And it's just you driving a car. 00:48:18.559 --> 00:48:23.119 And I find racing a car relaxing for that reason. 00:48:23.679 --> 00:48:24.960 Oh my goodness. 00:48:25.039 --> 00:48:28.079 Uh yours is way more exciting than mine. 00:48:28.400 --> 00:48:32.960 I found that with cold plunging, I just discovered it recently. 00:48:33.199 --> 00:48:33.840 Wow. 00:48:34.159 --> 00:48:37.599 And everybody was like, oh my god, this is so cold. 00:48:37.760 --> 00:48:38.320

Oh my god. 00:48:38.400 --> 00:48:40.239 And I'm like, yeah, it was, of course. 00:48:40.400 --> 00:48:41.440 I love the cold though. 00:48:41.519 --> 00:48:44.159 So maybe I just I miss now sometimes. 00:48:44.320 --> 00:48:46.400 They were like, Why did you like it so much? 00:48:46.559 --> 00:48:49.519 Why did you like it so much that you wanted it to do it again? 00:48:49.760 --> 00:48:57.519 And my answer was, I've never in my life, I'm an overthinker, and my brain is always thinking something is always happening up there. 00:48:57.840 --> 00:48:59.119 It's never been shut down. 00:48:59.440 --> 00:49:04.159 This is the only time in my life that nothing is happening up here. 00:49:04.320 --> 00:49:04.480 Yeah. 00:49:04.880 --> 00:49:08.960 Because the only thing that I'm thinking is I'm cold water. 00:49:09.199 --> 00:49:11.760 I think it resets your nervous system. 00:49:11.920 --> 00:49:15.760 And I think adrenaline rush from Race a Car may do the same thing. 00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:16.079 Yes. 00:49:16.239 --> 00:49:18.639 It says it clears the stress receptors. 00:49:18.880 --> 00:49:22.480 You're deactivating that sympathetic nervous system. 00:49:22.639 --> 00:49:33.440 So if you're always on edge and you have all these hormones in your body, finding a way to reset that and cold plunging is so much cheaper than racing a car. 00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:35.440 For sure, for sure. 00:49:35.599 --> 00:49:38.320 Yours is more fun though, obviously. 00:49:38.559 --> 00:49:40.719 Um, and I love driving. 00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:43.119 Um, and I love driving fast. 00:49:43.280 --> 00:49:46.239 So I feel like maybe I need a new hobby. 00:49:46.559 --> 00:49:47.039 I'll take it. 00:49:47.199 --> 00:49:48.480 Um it'll be fun. 00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:49.599 Oh my gosh. 00:49:49.760 --> 00:49:50.079 Yes. 00:49:50.239 --> 00:49:52.320 Well, that let's definitely do it. 00:49:52.559 --> 00:49:56.320 Um, what's a leadership trait you wish more founders had? 00:49:56.480 --> 00:50:03.039 Oh, I w I'm very type A and I love a good Excel spreadsheet and I love a checklist. 00:50:03.199 --> 00:50:05.760 And I've people who are not type A drive me crazy. 00:50:05.840 --> 00:50:07.440 I'm like, how do you know what to do next? 00:50:07.599 --> 00:50:11.760 How do you like I get a high when I'm like crossing things off of my to-do list? 00:50:11.840 --> 00:50:13.440 I'm like, you've got to be organized. 00:50:13.599 --> 00:50:20.639 I think being a type A personality is very helpful for a person who's in leadership, especially when you're multitasking. 00:50:20.719 --> 00:50:26.000 If you have a way to organize all these things and get things done, that's very, very helpful. 00:50:26.239 --> 00:50:30.320 And so I wish more people were as organized as I am. 00:50:30.480 --> 00:50:34.559 Um and other people survive just fine in the world. 00:50:34.800 --> 00:50:40.320 But I think if you're gonna lead other people, you have to lead that by example. 00:50:40.400 --> 00:50:45.920 And if you expect your employees to be that productive, then you need to show them that in yourself. 00:50:46.159 --> 00:50:52.400 If your 2026 was a tagline in a bumper sticker, what would it say? 00:50:52.639 --> 00:50:54.159 Oh, 2026. 00:50:54.320 --> 00:50:57.119 Or I guess 2025, since we're on 2026 now. 00:50:57.519 --> 00:50:58.320 Oh, that's true. 00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:05.519 The most recent year of my life, I would say let the haters hate, shut them out, and keep walking. 00:51:05.679 --> 00:51:06.079 Wow. 00:51:06.320 --> 00:51:08.239 Or nautical, keep swimming. 00:51:10.400 --> 00:51:11.360 Keep swimming. 00:51:12.239 --> 00:51:12.880 I love that. 00:51:13.039 --> 00:51:14.239 Yes, I like that. 00:51:14.480 --> 00:51:18.000 Is there one industry you secretly want to disrupt next? 00:51:18.239 --> 00:51:19.199 Oh goodness. 00:51:19.440 --> 00:51:30.400 Um, the next industry I'd like to tackle is, you know, right now I'm dealing with special needs kids, but there is largely nothing for special needs adults. 00:51:30.559 --> 00:51:40.000 And so I would love to step out of the child space, or not step out of, but step into a career transition. 00:51:40.159 --> 00:51:57.920 I would love to take these kids, teach them life skills, and then the next natural step in that is let me help you get a job so you can be a productive member in society, so you can make your own money, so you can live independently, so you can be proud of yourself and happy in your own life. 00:51:58.159 --> 00:52:01.840 As a mama, your biggest fear is who's gonna take care of my kid when I'm gone. 00:52:02.000 --> 00:52:03.920 I need to be sure she can take care of herself. 00:52:04.079 --> 00:52:06.559 And the same thing goes for the kids in my clinic. 00:52:06.639 --> 00:52:08.000 I want them to grow into independent. 00:52:08.239 --> 00:52:12.079 I don't want them to be in nursing homes and drooling in a chair their whole lives. 00:52:12.320 --> 00:52:18.639 I want them to be able to work and pay their bills and get a little apartment and live life. 00:52:18.800 --> 00:52:21.840 And so that's the next adventure I'd like to get into. 00:52:22.000 --> 00:52:22.960 I love that. 00:52:23.280 --> 00:52:28.880 Thank you so much for coming and thank you for being so open and vulnerable. 00:52:29.039 --> 00:52:40.880 I know talking about, you know, especially as a mom and going through something so difficult and creating a business out of it, which is most of the time seen as taboo, is like, oh, that's a need. 00:52:41.039 --> 00:52:42.559 Why are you making money out of it? 00:52:42.719 --> 00:52:48.079 Like, thank you for just being so open and honest with us and and sharing your knowledge. 00:52:48.159 --> 00:53:07.360 I'm sure it's gonna help a lot of people out there who are either thinking about joining another franchise, maybe yours, or you know, maybe there are other moms out there that didn't know this was a thing and that they could, you know, open their own center to better serve their children and other children. 00:53:07.599 --> 00:53:09.440 So I really appreciate that. 00:53:09.679 --> 00:53:10.880 And I love your energy. 00:53:11.039 --> 00:53:13.119 So thank you for bringing that as well. 00:53:13.599 --> 00:53:14.639 Thank you so much. 00:53:14.800 --> 00:53:22.000 And just to say to all of our listeners out there, Victoria worked so hard on coming up with these fantastic questions. 00:53:22.159 --> 00:53:23.519 This was a great conversation. 00:53:23.679 --> 00:53:25.599 You are so good at what you do. 00:53:25.760 --> 00:53:30.719 So, whatever listening platform you're on right now, please go and leave her a five star review. 00:53:30.880 --> 00:53:31.920 This girl deserves it. 00:53:32.000 --> 00:53:35.920 You really are awesome, and people need to share that with the world. 00:53:36.239 --> 00:53:37.280 Aw thank you so much. 00:53:37.440 --> 00:53:39.199 I appreciate you saying that.