Young Change Makers: Why and How Ben Schatzel of Stannum Core Solutions Is Helping To Change Our World
To my knowledge, process is the only silver bullet. Having the resources to hire the best people, most up-to-date technology, most effective lead generation and state-of-the-art deliverables is fantastic, but it all falls apart without process. You need to know how you’re serving your customers, how you’re going to solve their problems, and how to efficiently manage all of the ins-and-outs of a business. Building and refining process is a daily practice, but it easily holds the highest ROI and creates a strength of resolve within the business itself.
As part of my series about young people who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ben Schatzel.
Ben Schatzel is a human behaviorist, disability labor reformist, and the C.E.O. & Founder of Stannum Core Solutions.
Since 2020, he has served employers in successfully hiring, integrating, and retaining neurodivergent talent. Through his signature Spectrum Certified® process, he has created sustainable workforce solutions to empower cross-industry employers to develop a neurodiverse work environment.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
Sure thing! I am an army brat at heart and spent time growing up all over the U.S. The military is a very structured ecosystem in many ways. There’s a strong sense of equality among most people living on military installations and I didn’t grow up understanding just how under-resourced many communities truly are. I met and became friends with people across a wide span of cultural backgrounds, but we all had a very collective experience. Coming out of that environment and into the “real world” felt very alien to me because it seemed as though the deep sense of community and innate altruism which is baked into the culture of the military was fully absent in the larger context of our society. I believe these early experiences were what kick-started my interest in social activism and equality advocacy.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” was the first play I auditioned for and received a role in. I played Orderly #2 and I think I had about 4 lines in the whole show; but, that story will stick with me forever. It’s a very comprehensive examination of how our society views neurodivergent people, disabled people, and those that have been labeled as “different.” It’s an unsanitized story. I wouldn’t exactly describe the ending as “happy,” but I think that it’s critically important; particularly in the portrayal of Nurse Ratched as the personification of structurally oppressive and autonomy-restricting forces that disenfranchise many of those with disabilities. I feel that element of the story has not aged one bit. I could also talk for ages about The Wizard of Oz, but I’ll save that for another day.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
I do truly believe that creating a positive difference in one person’s life has the capacity for infinite change, but I think that the most effective path towards an equitable society is through a re-envisioning of the current framework of wealth, finances, and employment. The minimum wage was created nearly 100 years ago, yet many disabled adults are still working sub-minimum wage jobs. That’s a problem. I think we need to shift the scales of difference-making from being a reactive approach to one that radically recontextualizes the systems we’ve created to become effective and equitable for all people.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently leading an organization that aims to make a social impact. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
Certainly! My agency is called Stannum Core Solutions and we are committed to creating competitive, integrated employment outcomes for neurodivergent workers. The idea was born out of “The Great Resignation” of 2022. It seemed as though everyone was repeating the same tired line of, “nobody wants to work anymore” and throughout all of it I just kept thinking, “well, if over 80% of autistic adults are still struggling with gainful employment, then that simply can’t be true.” I wanted to take a different look at how we could tackle some of the post-pandemic workforce challenges that our society was facing.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
It goes back to my time as a youth therapist. I spent a few years in that space early in my career and worked with a little over 100 clients during that time. I had clients as young as 2 and as old as 19, all with one thing in common — the “service cliff.” It’s a well-understood phenomenon in the disability space as many young adults age out of youth services but aren’t yet receiving adult employment services. A lot of people are not able to bridge that gap on their own and I wanted to begin creating systems that would connect employers with these highly-capable and dedicated young professionals.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
One moment that really sticks out in my mind was in early 2022. I had been toying with the thought of launching a specialized recruitment agency within the neurodiverse space, but I was not quite “all in” yet. I distinctly remember sitting a friend’s birthday party and, in the middle of all of the festivities and conversations, my my mind kept coming back to the nuts and bolts of how to get this agency started. There was a moment of awareness where I realized that if my mind was feeling pulled towards these ideas even when I wasn’t necessarily in a career-focused mindset, then this must be driven by passion.
Many young people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. But you did. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
Initially, I saw the technical aspect of the business to be my greatest vulnerability. I knew that I had a lot of knowledge to share around effective hiring strategies and skill-matching talent, but I really didn’t know anything about starting a business. Getting an LLC into good standing with the state, hiring an accountant, getting my finances in order, starting a business plan, creating contracts and pricing, and a laundry list of related items were the number one focus for me early on. I dove in head first and tried to learn everything as quickly as possible. There’s a lot that I’m still learning and I’m sure that will be the case for the rest of my life, but if there’s one singular step that I think is the most important it is to seek out high-level mentorship.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
There truly are too many to count. I think the most interesting things that happen are ones that seem to develop organically over time. So far, there hasn’t been a point where it felt like a cosmic force has come in and radically changed my life. Everything has been gradual. Perhaps the most unexpected thing, though, has been the sheer number of truly fascinating and impressive people that I’ve been able to engage with. It inspires me to be better at what I do. It gives me inspiration into my own business and also makes me hopeful that it really is possible to shift some of these major barriers to employment that have been in existence for decades.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
There was a situation that took place very early on. I believe I had just submitted all of my documentation to get incorporated as an LLC and I really didn’t know what that meant. Well, very quickly, I learned that it meant a ton of physical mail getting sent to my address. One note that I got really threw me for a loop because it had a very official-looking letterhead and was telling me that I had to pay something like $500 to acquire a certification from the state or something along those lines. Anyways, it was a scam. At the time I was just doing everything I possibly could to get this thing going. It was a real fish-out-of-water moment, for sure. I think I made about 20 different calls trying to get that money back and, thankfully, I finally did.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Oh, 100% yes. I don’t believe in self-made success. It’s all about surrounding yourself with people that will empower you, provide unbiased feedback, and offer support along the way. I have friends that I’ve known for over half of my life that I still look up to as mentors and guides. The key is to check your ego at the door and recognize that the idea you’re looking for can come from anywhere at any time. Whether it’s something as simple as proofreading an outreach email or doing a brainstorming session to develop the next big venture in the business. I’ve found that the more I engage with knowledgeable mentors, the more it helps me in my day-to-day life. I can ascertain what their input might be in various situations without even needing to give them a call. It’s a total game changer.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I have one key mentor that I’ve been working with for close to 5 years now. She has really helped me understand how to build this idea and create the connection between the workforce challenges facing employers and the current challenges associated with neurodiverse employment. There’s not a doubt in my mind that this idea would be dead in the water without her guidance. Perhaps the most important aspect of our relationship is her ability to reel me in and keep me focused. I’m somebody who gets very excited about new and creative ideas, but sometimes the answer is to just stay the course and trust the process. Sometimes the answer is to go back to the drawing board and create something new. She’s an expert at knowing the right approach at the right time.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I think that if our system was effectively positioned to support employers and neurodivergent workers then there really wouldn’t be a reason for an agency like Stannum Core to exist. My business has grown in the cracks of the sidewalk, so to say. I imagine that the average person has an understanding of the fact that the current state of disability employment in America really is not working, but nobody exactly knows what to do about it. That’s true for companies, state officials, educators, and everybody in-between. I certainly don’t have all the answers either, but I think the first thing we need to critically think about is the whole concept of sub-minimum wage employment. It’s dehumanizing. I’d also like to see some concerted effort around the state of disability benefits. I don’t think many are aware of this, but if someone is currently receiving social security benefits for a disability then they have an income cap that they must stay below or else risk losing their hard-earned disability benefits. It’s a lose-lose situation because even if an individual is capable of working more hours or is eligible for a pay raise, they may have to decline it in favor of maintaining benefits. Likewise, that individual’s employer isn’t able to maximize their employee’s skillset. Everything is far too reactionary, and the rate of progress is being outpaced by the state of crisis many are in.
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each).
Mistakes are going to happen. Almost nobody expects perfectionism unless you are presenting yourself as a perfect product. When you’re in the business of humans and happiness, things can get a little unpredictable, but often that’s where the real magic takes place. That’s where the learning happens. Don’t avoid problems, embrace them as opportunities.
You need to understand your message inside and out. This is something that I ran into very early on during my sales process. I was so entrenched into this world of autism acceptance that I thought everybody had an awareness of neurodiversity. That was not the case. Many of my early conversations were ones where I was completely talking past my client and I wasn’t reading the room properly. I was so concerned about presenting things the correct way that I wasn’t able to truly listen and meet the client where they are at.
Not everybody is going to understand your mission and that’s okay. During one of the first networking events I went to, I presented a 60 second commercial for my business. There was a lot of positive response but I could tell that something wasn’t quite landing. One gentleman approached me afterwards and was so complimentary of everything that I said. I truly felt like he understood my vision and was buying into what I was doing, but at the end of our conversation he said, “I just don’t think you’re going to make any money with this. Maybe you should just go get a job.” It wasn’t taken as inflammatory and I think he truly did believe he was helping me out, but that taught me that there will always be a lack of understanding whenever you attempt to innovate against the status quo.
Money isn’t real. It’s necessary as an energy source into a business and you need to be very intentional about where money is coming from and going, but it shouldn’t have so much baggage associated with it. I think there’s an impulse when starting a business to think about how you’re going to overcome debt, generate funds, and scale. That’s great. I think it’s important to achieve all of those things to create a successful business, but sometimes it’s easy to lose the forest through the trees. It’s about creating a solution that people want to buy into and then the money will come from there.
To my knowledge, process is the only silver bullet. Having the resources to hire the best people, most up-to-date technology, most effective lead generation and state-of-the-art deliverables is fantastic, but it all falls apart without process. You need to know how you’re serving your customers, how you’re going to solve their problems, and how to efficiently manage all of the ins-and-outs of a business. Building and refining process is a daily practice, but it easily holds the highest ROI and creates a strength of resolve within the business itself.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
I really think it’s all about building a collective. I don’t think it’s possible to be an active participant in today’s society without seeing the overwhelming amount of people that have been disenfranchised. I found that this area of autism acceptance and employment was where I was able to make the most amount of impact, but there’s no shortage of challenges. What I’ll say is this: if you’re like me then you probably have an incessant voice in the back of your head telling you that you have the power to make a change. That voice is correct. You do have the power to make change. No question about it. The real question is will you?
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. 🙂
This is the easiest question so far! Britney Spears. She was the biggest superstar in the world for so much of my life and she’s wickedly talented, but I also think that there are elements of her life that parallel the experience of many neurodivergent adults. Oftentimes, neurodivergent adults are prevented from making career, financial and personal decisions of their own accord. Plus, Blackout is easily one of the greatest pop albums of all time!
How can our readers follow you online?
LinkedIn: Ben Schatzel
Instagram: ben_schatzel
Or you can visit stannumcore.com to subscribe to my newsletter!
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Young Change Makers: Why and How Ben Schatzel of Stannum Core Solutions Is Helping To Change Our… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.