We recently connected with Brittany Mayo and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

My defining moment actually comes from my early childhood. When I was about 4 years old my family lived next door to some lovely women whom I affectionally called “the old ladies”. I loved these women so much that I would sit out on my front porch adjacent to theirs and talk all day until I was forced to go inside and eat dinner. It wasn’t until I was about 20 years old that my mom informed me that the home next door to that childhood home was actually a group home, and those ladies had special needs. I was shocked because at the time I had already graduated from college with a degree in psychology, and recently received my first “grown up job” as a director at a group home for those with special needs. Discovering that my passion to be a helping professional was already engrained so young was confirmation that I was on the right path. It gave me the motivation to keep going, and when things get hard knowing that I’m where I belong comforts me. Many of us have had these moments in our childhood, but sometimes they may be hard to remember or even difficult to reflect upon. I would encourage everyone to reflect on childhood memories, as they may have the key to your alignment.

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 a licensed professional counselor and entrepreneur. While studying psychology in undergrad, I had not yet decided on a clear direction for my career. When asked about my career trajectory, I would always say “I’m not sure, but whatever I do I will own it”. After graduation, I quickly decided that a specialty was needed in order to be as successful as I’d always imagined, but I was not sure about what to specialize in. I was torn between business marketing and law school. However, I have always been a part of volunteer work and community involvement. While volunteering at a homeless shelter, I noticed that many of the residents would find solace in speaking with me. The director of Social Work there noticed this and wrote me a recommendation letter for graduate school. After becoming a licensed counselor, I decided to realign myself with my business ownership desires. I went into a season of preparation by studying what my options were, and working with various populations to gain experience. I even returned to the homeless shelter and conducted some individual and group therapy with the residents.

In 2017, I co-founded Helping Hands, a full service mental health clinic offering counseling, case management, and psychiatric support. At my organization, I always strive to incorporate my personal mission of promoting growth, autonomy, recovery, resiliency, and empowerment for all. To date, we have served over 600 clients and families. What sets us apart, is our determination to partner with other agencies to move the mission forward. We have community partnerships with over 25 schools, foster care agencies, and government agencies. Future clients should know that we are passionate about serving the community and we are team players. We do not limit our clients to only what we can provide, but to connect them to resources that are most fitting. Prospective employees should know that we strive to offer a peaceful, collaborative workplace and in 2022, we joined the National Healthcare Service Corp (NHSC). NHSC is a government program that provides student loan repayment for licensed Clinicians. We also welcome community members interested in volunteer work.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growth is an infinite journey; it’s not a destination in which you arrive.

When starting my business early on, I would become frustrated when I thought I had everything figured out only to come across more novel and unique situations that needed problem solving. Finally, one day I released the frustration by owning the fact that you never know everything. You have to be open to continuously changing and growing in order to be successful.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Always have patience and show grace for others. Also, consider insight from your team on decisions that directly impact them. As a business owner it is easy to get caught up in the numbers and productivity of the company, but always keep in mind your business is only as good as your team. Frequently reward your team for just being them. Not all bonuses and rewards have to be performance based. For example, sometimes we send out a riddle via email and the first to reply correctly gets a gift card.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hhcss.org
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