We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bryn Baldassari. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bryn below.

Bryn , appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

This question deeply resonated with me, especially since I recently lost my mother to ovarian cancer. During her illness, we often discussed the kind of legacy we wanted to leave behind. I aspire to be remembered for loving God deeply and loving others genuinely. For me, loving God gives my life purpose and direction, showing me how to truly care for others.

Throughout my life, I’ve focused on making others feel seen and valued. I used to believe that loving someone meant telling them whatever would make them happy, driven by my tendencies as a people pleaser. However, I’ve come to understand that real love involves honesty, even when it’s difficult.

I’m currently learning to be both clear and kind in my communication. My hope is that as I grow personally and professionally, I can love others more authentically. I strive to see the best in everyone and believe that by understanding each person at their core, we can create positive change in our communities and unite people from all walks of life.

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 am the owner of Stepping Stone Support Center, a service agency that provides Medicaid-billed services to support adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in developing job skills, life skills, and independent living skills. We have proudly served our community for 11 years.

My journey into this field began with mission trips through my church, where I worked with children with special needs at a summer camp. This experience ignited my passion for this population, leading me to join the unified basketball team in high school, where we played alongside our peers with disabilities. This engagement continued into college, and I dreamed of starting a business to support my high school peers, offering them the same opportunities I was fortunate to have.

Many of these peers faced limited opportunities and community involvement after high school, which motivated me to take action. Feeling a strong calling to support them in my hometown, I began the process of becoming a Medicaid provider during my senior year of college. I graduated in May 2013, and by November 2013, Stepping Stone was up and running.

Our journey has been incredible, growing to serve over 230 individuals with disabilities and employing over 150 providers. Our amazing providers support participants through a variety of services. At our onsite center, participants gain job skills through our Cooperative, where they run a community coffee shop, manage a food bank, and produce items like dog biscuits, lip balms, lotions, candles, and culinary treats. We also offer in-home support for tasks such as laundry, cooking, cleaning, and household care. Our job coaching services assist participants in finding employment and provide ongoing support. Additionally, we offer benefits counseling to ensure participants maintain their benefits, residential support for safe and healthy living, and counseling services.

I am incredibly proud of the progress made by both our participants and providers. Our supportive community has enabled us all to flourish, creating a truly enriching environment for everyone involved.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My co-founder for Stepping Stone is Barb Ziegler, an incredible woman without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today. In the field of working with individuals with disabilities, many people have that one person who inspires them to get involved. For me, that person is Lexi, Barb’s daughter.

I spent my high school years hanging out with Lexi and stayed in touch with her through college. Although I didn’t know Barb well at the time, Lexi often mentioned me to her mom. Eventually, Barb wanted to meet me to ensure I was a safe person for Lexi to be around. Lexi invited us to a dinner theater in Fort Collins for her birthday, and during that dinner, Barb and I began planning what would eventually become Stepping Stone.

I had big dreams but lacked direction, while Barb was a determined go-getter. Our favorite quote was, “Put a baby boomer with a millennial, and nothing is impossible!” We complemented each other perfectly, using our strengths to support each other’s weaknesses. We eagerly took every meeting we could, not knowing what we didn’t know, which helped us build connections that have been crucial to our success.

Several years ago, Barb branched off to pursue her dream of creating a residential opportunity for people with disabilities to live in an integrated, safe community that promotes inclusivity. Her dream is coming true this year, with Trailhead Community opening in November 2024. It will feature 84 units for people with and without disabilities to live together in a cooperative housing community. Stepping Stone is thrilled to be the service agency supporting the individuals living in this community.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Yes! The entire process of starting Stepping Stone required us to be incredibly flexible. Sometimes when one door closes, another one opens. When Barb and I first connected, our initial goal was to provide residential housing for people with disabilities. The need for such housing is immense, so that was our primary focus. However, we soon realized that purchasing housing or condos was extremely costly, and we lacked the necessary business infrastructure to support such purchases.

We had to pivot and start with day services instead. This shift taught us a great deal about serving this community and navigating Medicaid billing. It also led us to provide in-home supports without committing to residential housing just yet. About two years later, we began taking small steps into the residential sector and realized the critical need for affordable housing for people with disabilities who want to live independently.

This realization prompted Barb to branch off and start Trailhead Community. Now, 11 years later, her team has successfully built a facility that accommodates about 40 individuals with disabilities, providing them with affordable housing. Meanwhile, Stepping Stone has gained the knowledge and experience to establish services that support these individuals in this setting. What we aimed to achieve 11 years ago has finally come to fruition, and the journey, with all its challenges and closed doors, was absolutely worth the wait!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.steppingstonesupportcenter.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteppingStoneSC