We were lucky to catch up with Nandi Nelson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nandi, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Back in 2017, I decided to take a risk and leave my full-time stable job to pursue my dream of opening a therapy practice. When taking the leap of faith I was very scared but thought the worst thing that could happen is I go back to my full-time job. With that being said, I took the first step and registered my business with the state. I then started the pre-work of what needed to be completed in order for me to structure my business and gain clients. This included gaining the appropriate professional insurance, becoming paneled with insurance companies, creating new client intake paperwork, etc. I informed my employer that I would not be renewing my contract and right after thought what was I thinking. I had zero clients and it had been 6 months since I created my business. I did not know what my future would hold. Not to mention, I knew nothing about business. One month before my contract was set to end at my full-time job I received my very first client! I was thrilled and knew that taking the leap of faith was worth it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

My name is Nandi Nelson and I am the CEO of Social Behavior Learning Solutions. I am on a mission to empower, encourage and educate women to live the life of their dreams as well as advocate for special needs children. I am a thoughtful trailblazer, empathetic entrepreneur, and possess a strong desire to help others, offering hope and possibilities despite their challenging circumstances.

Before becoming a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Certified Behavior Analyst—a rare combination in my industry—and starting a company specializing in ABA therapy, I developed an interest early on in exploring incarceration and its impact on parent-child relationships, an area close to my heart and my own life experience. While doing graduate fieldwork I reached a pivotal moment, discovering a new found passion and career direction focused on children with autism and developmental issues and helping them cope and understand the world around them.

I got into the industry of behavior analysis by chance! I stumbled into the field when searching for an internship in my masters program. I was lucky enough to land an internship serving children diagnosed with autism and their parents. That is when I fell in love with the field. Now as a business owner what sets my company apart is ensuring that I provide an inclusive and enriching environment for our clients. In addition, I have a diverse group of staff and families that we service from a variety of nationalities and cultures.

I am most proud of my ability to service children and families of underserved communities and also being able to provide jobs within my community

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What I believe has helped me build my company’s reputation within my market is being authentic, genuine and having integrity. When working with families it is important that you build a connection with them and show that you have genuine interest in the overall development of their child and family unit. In addition, so many families are provided with empty promises and it is important to be honest and follow through on what you say you will do.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I believe I am still on my journey of being resilient in business. Covid has caused me to continuously build my resilience muscle. I have had to transition my practice to Telehealth which left us unable to service 60% of our client base. I was also challenged with needing to lay off staff temporarily. Once we were able to transition back to in-person services I had to determine how we ensure the safety of staff and clients while also trying our best to create normalcy. Thankfully, during this time we were able to bring back the staff that were laid off. Who would have known that in my second year of business I would have to navigate and constantly adapt to the unknown. Until today, I am still navigating running a business in the midst of a pandemic.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nandinelson.com
• Instagram: https://nandinelson.com/about-2/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYUvOg4L0PdUS3G-cWodUeA