We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Allen Long. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Allen below.
Allen, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
High Hopes Development Center is both an early childhood program and pediatric therapy clinic combined. We serve the needs of children who require speech and language, physical, occupational, or feeding therapy through our clinic. We are also a school serving children typically developing (60%) and those with special needs (40%). At High Hopes, we are not afraid of a diagnosis or, better yet, a child who doesn’t even have a diagnosis yet. We support children and their families where they are for success through education, therapy services, and loving support. This idea and mission behind High Hopes started 39 years ago when five families found themselves exhausted trying to navigate early childhood education programs and therapeutic services in various locations. By the end of each day, the families were spent, having to shuffle their children between various locations each day for different therapies and their schooling. This impacted the quality of education for the children. These five families, who loosely knew one another, decided to try a new approach, and High Hopes began. This idea brought a school and clinic together in one location. The clinic would serve the specific therapy needs of children as an outpatient clinic and a clinic for children in the High Hopes school that needed therapy during the day. These children could be seen in their natural school environment by their therapist or taken “just down the hall” to the clinic for a therapy session. This model would save time for the parents, not having to pick them up from school, run them across town for pediatric therapy, and then bring them back, having missed a portion of the school day. High Hopes prides itself on being an early childhood program where children with special needs grow and learn right next to their typically developing peers. Combined, these children don’t see differences, they simply see each other for who they are and the gifts and talents each of them brings to the classroom every day.
Unfortunately, there are very few programs like ours around the country, and most are non-profits trying to make ends meet. Insurance reimbursement rates and procedures for pediatric therapy are a challenge. Often, families with typically developing children don’t understand or see the value of enrolling their child in an early childhood program alongside children with special needs. Those families who do enroll their child who is typically developing in the High Hopes early childhood program are exposing their child to peers who are similar to and different from them. When children are this young, they don’t see the differences and this gives them an advantage for life.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I was about 15, I realized I wanted to be a teacher. However, for various reasons, I was steered in the direction of business by others. I would be a first-generation college student in the mid-80s and took advice from wherever I could get it – some being good and some bad. As much as my parents wanted me to be successful and help me, they weren’t much help from a professional perspective as this was all new to them. I successfully completed my undergraduate studies at Central Michigan University and quickly went on to earn my MBA from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Both degrees, along with my own desire to succeed, served me well for the next 22 years serving various organizations in the areas of operations and human resources. I found that I loved the type of work I did, and I equally enjoyed all of the private and public companies that I worked for, but there was still this nagging desire to work with and teach children.
About 15 years ago, my wife and I sped off for a quick weekend getaway leaving our four young children behind. During that weekend, and with the unwavering support of my wife of ten years at the time, I decided to walk away from corporate America, take off the blue suit, and put on the super suit. That following Monday, I resigned from my position and enrolled in an MEd program at Middle Tennessee State University. I was once again a full-time student changing my career path. When I didn’t go to work for the first time a few weeks later, I found myself thinking, “Am I out of my mind?” I saw everyone else going to work as “normal,” and I was a college student again.
I completed the MEd in less than two years and became a 4th and 5th-grade teacher at a local public school for the next seven years. I loved every minute of it, but quickly realized how underappreciated and poorly paid educators were. This didn’t slow me down though, as I was doing what I really loved and had wanted to do since I was 15 years old. When you are doing what you are passionate about, the pay doesn’t matter and God will always bless you richly. After that, I stepped into administration as the head of upper and then lower school for the next three years at a private Christian school in Nashville while earning my EdD at the same time from Trevecca Nazarene University. I thought this work as an administrator would be my swansong, but God had different plans for me, and he had one more place in mind for me to be a part of – High Hopes.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
As the executive director, I don’t manage the team. I have to lead the team daily, and I have to do everything in my power to have them choose to follow. They have chosen me as their leader, and I must always lead. If I keep in mind that I am there to serve others, listen to their needs, and recognize them for their contributions, this is the most effective and consistent way to keep morale high. Of course, having fun along the way is good too. I enjoy laughing, keeping situations light, and hearing good stories about people’s personal lives and families. Today’s workforce is quickly changing. The idea of commitment and loyalty is being redefined. For now, it is all about making people feel appreciated and valued in the moment every day, keeping operations incredibly simple, and allowing for flexibility in all we do.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
First, I realize that everyone’s story is different, as it should be. Each of us has a beautiful story that continues to be written every day we wake up and start new. However, few people change professions as drastically as I did, leaving operations and human resources and pursuing a new profession in education. Overnight, I walked away from a six-figure salary with four children, a loving wife, and a big mortgage. I don’t share this to show how resilient I was because in many ways, I anticipated this change and chose to do it. It didn’t come at me out of the blue. But I share this story to show others they can do it too. I come across way too many people that are miserable in their work and profession. They play the mind game of, woulda, coulda, shoulda every day. Changing my profession and doing what I was called to do after 22 years of a successful career was the best decision I ever made and my resilience and desire to succeed only strengthened. I encourage anyone who knows there is something better out there and more fitting with their passions to do something about it. Of course, having a solid support system, like my wife, God, and a church family, is essential for success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.highopesforkids.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highhopeskids/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/highhopeskids/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/high-hopes-development-center/