An Interview With Stanley Bronstein
I believe the end goal of therapy is providing our clients with a meaningful life; a life where they are able to integrate into the community with joy and free will. Providing our clients with dignity and opportunities to be themselves while fostering learning is vital to our work at Excel Together.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jessica Chan.
Jessica Chan is the founder and CEO of Excel Together, an ABA company rooted in providing families with meaningful therapy. With over 10 years of experience, Jessica has worked with children with Autism and other disabilities across a variety of settings across the nation. Watching clients make meaningful change is what continues to drive Jessica to continue in this line of work.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I always knew I wanted to work with children. I just wasn’t sure in what capacity. During my college days I had a few different volunteer opportunities to work alongside children. It ranged from tutoring, to teaching English, summer camp and eventually, ABA therapy. When I began working as an ABA therapist, it was a little bit of a shock to me. I had never really worked with children with autism. What made me fall in love with my job was the chance to see my clients make progress each day. Some days were trickier than others, but with each passing week, clients were making progress and the excitement in their parents’ eyes was something that kept me motivated to continue in this field. And so, I enrolled in Teachers College Columbia and completed the program in Applied Behavior Analysis. Fast forward to the present, I am humbled to be able to continue working in this field.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
Prior to starting Excel Together, I was working with 5 different organizations. When I departed, none but 1 organization reached out with well wishes and support. I think it is important to recognize that we all want to grow and progress in life — we should support one another because each business brings something different and unique to the table. At the end of the day, it is my belief we all have the same goals — to help as many children and families as we can.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
You will never stop making mistakes when working with children. They will even call you out on your mistakes! It’s important to learn from them and teach our clients to do the same. Each mistake is a learning opportunity.
Can you describe how you or your organization is making a significant social impact?
With a shortage of clinicians across the nation, it can be difficult for families to find a good fit for their family. At Excel Together, I make it my mission to hand select the best and most qualified individuals to work with our clients.
I am personally involved in each case and collaborate with my team weekly to ensure everything is running smoothly. Families contact me directly. We make therapy personable and that is important. If families cannot trust you, the client will not make progress.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
When I first began working in this field, I worked with a client who required a lot of support. He was being raised by a single working mother and life for them was challenging. When the client first came to us, he did not use verbal language and was unable to complete many daily living skills. After 3 years of intensive ABA therapy, he is now able to use verbal language to communicate, he is able to read and has grown much more independent.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Make therapy more accessible to lower income families.
- Create safe spaces in the community where our children with ASD can be themselves
- Provide educational resources that explain how you can support families of children with ASD
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Leadership is paving the road for your team, it is leading by example. Leadership is uplifting not only your clients, but also your team each day and thanking them for the hard work they do each and every day.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.
1 . It is a lot of work.
When you first start off, you wear all the hats — you are the owner, clinician, accountant, billing specialist, therapist, parent’s point of contact, and everything in between.
2 . You will make many many mistakes.
Embrace them and take them as lessons.
3 . Some people will not align with your vision — and that is okay.
Build a team that clearly understands your goals and will work with you to make them happen.
4 . You will make difficult decisions.
Make them with grace and for the betterment of the community you are serving.
5 . Believe that you can do it!
Even if it seems like you aren’t making any progress some days, keep pushing forward.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
I believe the end goal of therapy is providing our clients with a meaningful life; a life where they are able to integrate into the community with joy and free will. Providing our clients with dignity and opportunities to be themselves while fostering learning is vital to our work at Excel Together.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.” — Dolly Parton
Down to the core, I believe it is important for each of us to determine what ignites our flame. Take your passion and make it your purpose.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
My dad, he passed away a few years before I started the business. If I could have one more lunch with him, I’d tell him about all that we have worked so hard to accomplish.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can read more about our mission and work at Excel-Together.com
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About the Interviewer: Stanley Bronstein is an attorney, CPA, and author of more than 20 books. However, he doesn’t consider any of those his greatest achievement. His most significant accomplishment was permanently losing 225 pounds and developing the personal growth system that made it possible — The Way of Excellence. As a catalyst for change, he has dedicated his life to helping others maximize their potential, transform their lives, and achieve optimal health. To learn more, you can download a free PDF copy of his latest book, The Way of Excellence Journal, at https://TheWayOfExcellence.com.
Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Jessica Chan Of Excel Together Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.