Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Torri Wright, CEO and founder of BEHCA LLC, located in Portland, OR, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
BEHCA (Behavior environment health comparative analysis) - is a software application tool that helps decode the language of challenging and complex behavior. This tool is designed to support families, schools, and residential facilities providing care for individuals who experience more challenging behavior. We also provide consultation, workshops (online/in-person - professional development units), and educational books that help care providers gain more insight and strategies to increase the quality of life for those they care for. Our company is passionate about advocacy for those who often do not have a voice of their own and providing top-notch tools, resources, and care in an industry that is often underserved and undersupported.
Tell us about yourself
As a previous special education teacher, I struggled with collecting meaningful data that could help communicate some of the factors that influenced the behavior of my students. The majority of my students were misunderstood and often mistreated by general education structures (not allowed to attend or be a part of). This provided a challenge for me that I felt I could take on. I set out to collect what I could (in terms of data) and became fairly proficient in Excel. I then created graphs and diagrams explaining how extended breaks from school, transitions from one parent to another, illnesses, transitions from various classes/activities, weather, and so forth had significant impacts on the students - each with their own story - this got the attention of the parents, other teachers, and administration. With the data we were collecting, we were able to provide a different approach, teach any staff working with them to look out for certain things, and follow their plan more effectively. This also helped me inform their IEP (individual educational plans) more effectively and meet goals at a higher rate. I also started after-school workshops for my fellow colleagues - Invisible Disabilities - that proved to be a success in helping the students gain access to more general education classes and activities.
Later, I became a behavior consultant for the state of Oregon, working directly with parents, foster providers, and group homes. During this time, I found the lack of data collection significant, making any support virtually impossible to test or evaluate. I also struggled with getting providers/parents to collect any kind of data. This brought me to the beginning phase of BEHCA. I put together a focus group (folks from the state/counties, parents, teachers, & foster providers) and started asking questions about how a software app might help solve this problem. I learned a long time ago "if something is not documented, it did not happen," therefore, documentation is critical, plus it is the only effective tool in instigating change, often left alone otherwise. Anecdotal information is not valuable or considered reliable in the eyes of health practitioners, medication managers, case managers, and other influential folks who make critical decisions. Having a tool that shows - over time - where there might be trends, patterns, or big changes in behavior (medication side effects, potential trauma triggers, weather, etc.), gives us deeper insight into a person's world that helps us accommodate them more accurately. Plus, the data provides us with evidence that our strategies/tools are working, allowing those supports to continue to be funded. Bringing a higher quality of care and support to this industry is what motivates me to keep going every day. If I can provide a tool and resources that increase the quality of life for folks who experience more complexities (disabilities/neurodiversity) in life, my work would be worth all the effort.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
As a business owner, I have established a growing reputation for promoting positive change in this industry. I also have written two books, created more than 100 hours of curriculum, & consistently look to collaborate with other like-minded folks to grow our efforts. This feels like a huge accomplishment, given this industry has not been easy to navigate (tons of bureaucracy) and my entire business has been grassroots/funded by myself and my co-founder. This has not been easy and much slower; however, we are incredibly proud of the software and company we have grown.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
One of the most challenging areas has been on the flip side of the most significant accomplishment, not knowing if this will be a success and having to keep going when things feel overwhelmingly difficult. Working long hours into the weekends, interrupting time off to support customers, and never knowing if what we're doing is really making the difference we hope.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Top three Tips:
- Be prepared to have your business, ideas, and desires fully exposed and torn apart by those who are helping you, even those who are advocating for you, and do everything you can not to take this personally because this will make you better and create beyond what you could have imagined.
- Have financial support or be fully prepared to dedicate a large portion of your time and savings towards starting up the company. And even when you think it is good, prepare beyond.
- Have a mentor or coach who can help you navigate when things get difficult, changes happen, and scaling begins to take place. Every step in growing a business requires a different set of skills. Having someone who has been through building a business (successfully) is essential and can make the process a bit smoother. Be sure to check their background and trust they have the skills you will need or have more than one person.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://behca.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/behca_app/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/behca_app
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/behca/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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