We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelsey Hoke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kelsey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

In my field of work I have been beyond blessed to work with some of the most amazing families. Hoke Specialty Service Center would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for the relationship and trust that has been established. While working with a lot of my families for an extended period of time there is an unlimited of advice that is given to help each client reach their full potential. As I reflect on this question, I believe the best advice I have given to a client is cliche yet true is- “Trust the process.” As mentioned it is very cliche but it is something that is not always easy for the families I work with. Every family that I have worked with in the past, presently, and to come in the future has and will have a unique story tailored just for them!
In this field, trusting the process can look a lot of different ways not to mention overwhelming as well. As I watched my families take my advice and trust the process the benefits were even greater. While working with my clients they go through various doctor appointments, therapies, school meetings. evaluations and so much more! A lot of times these are uncharted waters for everyone. Parents of the clients I work with are doing their best to teach, work, and run a household. When doing this with a child who has exceptional needs this is even more to contend with and navigate.
The benefit for the family I gave this advice to opened them up to understanding and allowing me to support their families hope and dreams for their child. The overall result from the advice given allowed me to provide a conducive learning environment that met the clients social, emotional, and behavioral needs. I can not forget to mention it created a FUN safe space for me to execute and implement goals. The most rewarding outcome was the amazing progress the client made!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started out in this field I always knew I wanted to work with children in some capacity. My mother is a retired educator hence they always say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. It took a few jobs, internships, and volunteer experiences before I had the “Ah-Ha” moment where I worked in a setting that I absolutely loved and it didn’t feel like work. As a mother to two amazing girls Ari and Kamdyn I have always known I wanted to be a hands on mother in every aspect of their life. I quickly learned that unfortunately working in this field I didn’t have a lot of flexibility to be the hands on mother I desired. It was in that moment that I transitioned into working for an inclusion company which opened the door for Hoke Specialty Service Center to be birthed. Hoke Specialty Service Center was opened in the middle of the pandemic and for that I am truly beyond grateful! This is one of the main things I am most proud of in regards to HSSC. HSSC was able to sustain and provide services for families in such an unprecedented time. During the time of HSSC opening I received several calls in regards to families being concerned about the impact of COVID on their child’s social, emotional, and behavioral learning. The calls from families were how I could help implement some form of normalcy in their children’s lives with minimal regression.
Hoke Specialty Services takes joy in being able to provide array of services for families and schools within the community. HSSC promotes inclusion services within the classroom for client’s who have exceptional needs in regards to behavioral, social, and emotional. We work with administration, teachers, and parent’s to formulate a plan to help the child succeed in the classroom with their peers. This may include working along side the child during school hours. We love being able to form partnerships with schools within the community to help provide a quality education for all children regardless of how they learn which leads us to our mission statement-Hoke Specialty Service Center is to enrich the lives of exceptional people. H.S.S.C. is passionate about building trust through services that meet the unique needs of each individual. H.S.S.C. will assist in identifying each individual’s potential by collaborating with families by assessing intellectual, behavioral, emotional and social needs.

Have you ever had to pivot?

This is a great question! I believe I am currently in a season of pivoting with HSSC. As I continue to attend trainings, read books relevant to my field, talk to other professionals, current and prospective families I believe there are so many great opportunities that are waiting for HSSC! I am currently working on projects that will allow HSSC to expand on a broader scale and service more families in different capacities. Pivoting is very important because for one, as I have been experiencing can and will stretch you, it allows you to step outside of your comfort zone. One thing I have learned as an entrepreneur tough times will come. As failures come it should be looked at objectively and understand the lesson from it. Failures within HSSC has taught me how to continue to perfect my craft. As I pivot growth is about learning and applying new skills. Tough times are expected to come and I am willing to work hard to overcome them! In order to grow my business successfully during this season of pivoting I am willing to take calculated risk. I am excited for HSSC and what things are to come. Remember never be afraid to pivot within your business YES it may be uncomfortable but it is so worth it!

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Yes, formal training, education, and knowledge are valuable skills that an individual needs to succeed in this field. However, after working in different environments in my field I learned that burn out happens very quickly. I also have witnessed that it is easy to become very robotic and routine which leaves out the number one thing I have found to be the most helpful in my field which is compassion. As I have met and consulted with many families the number one thing they want to know is how compassionate you are! Yes, they want to know your experience and education however that means nothing if you can not show compassion. A lot of my families have worked with several doctors, therapist, and professionals in the field and at times it is a never ending cycle because no matter how highly recommended the professional comes if he or she lacks compassionate for most of my families they will terminate services. Compassion is so important in this field because as easy it sounds it is often lacked. I truly believe that showing compassion through my words and most of all action is what helps cultivate the relationship with my families. As I work with my clients I show compassion by treating and seeing them as a person and not a diagnosis.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hokespecialtyservices.com
• Facebook: Hoke Specialty Service Center LLC

Image Credits
Kamdyn Thompson Ari Thompson