Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Meghan Crowley, Director of Operations and Owner of Tropical Behavioral Services, located in Christiansted, Saint Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

Tropical Behavioral Services provides ABA and Occupational Therapies to the St. Croix, US Virgin Islands community. We are a neurodiverse affirming therapy practice with values-based support for autistic people & their families.

Tell us about yourself

Originally from Boston, my undergraduate degree was in Psychology, and a minor in Developmental Disabilities Studies and American Sign Language at UMass Lowell. Passionate about communication, disabilities, and the science of Behavior Analysis, I pursued a position and worked for many years in the Residential School for Autistic children and teenagers at The New England Center for Children (NECC).

During my time at NECC, I was able to learn from some wonderful BCBAs and fell in love with my career. I wanted to be a teacher and a Behavior Analyst. Being so torn between making decisions (as I always am!), I decided to do both. I was afforded the opportunity to complete my Master’s Degree in Severe Special Education- All levels and received my teaching license through Simmons University and then my ABA Master’s courses through Endicott College.

At NECC, I gained experience working as a teacher, case manager, shift manager, residential coordinator, day coordinator, and even an HR coordinator for a year when an injury prevented me from working directly with students. As a human resources coordinator, I spent my time interviewing and hiring potential candidates for direct therapy jobs, including the incredible Dr. Dithu Rajaraman, who is leading the ABA field in Compassionate Care and Research on the Enhanced Choice Model with the core values of honoring client assent to treatment and agency.

Before moving to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, in 2016 to work for a private ABA agency, I worked as a clinical director at Amego, Inc. in Massachusetts, working in the day and residential settings. After arriving in St. Croix, I helped to establish the island’s first Adult ABA program, offering services to autistic people ages 18+. Following two back-to-back category 5 hurricanes, I worked for the Department of Special Education as a teacher in a self-contained autism classroom. It was during this time that I learned so much about Crucian culture and felt compelled to start my own practice to meet the needs of the community that I fell in love with. When Covid hit, I took a leap of faith with encouragement from family, friends, and my fiancee Kevin (who is also a BCBA and now the Clinical Director of School Operations) and opened Tropical Behavioral Services.

I have learned a lot about what my values are as a person, clinician, and owner of a practice in just under three years. With so much to navigate, it always comes back to “values over procedures” for me and keeping compassionate and values-based care for all members of our TBS family. Working to ensure that both the employee’s and client’s values are honored, respected, and incorporated into therapy has been the most important and rewarding part of this journey.

At present, I am a board member of the Caribbean Association for Behaviour Analysis, and a moderator for the amazing online group of practitioners called the PFA/SBT Community on Facebook. What motivates me each day to do what I do? Seeing clients, families, related service providers, and my staff being happy, relaxed, and engaged. Therapy is a choice, and seeing clients assent to therapy and make personally meaningful changes in their lives with our guidance and encouragement is what makes me smile. TBS is excited to announce that we will be growing soon, with new building plans in the works to expand services for the island of St. Croix!

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is seeing my clients, their families, and my staff smile. Beyond that, I am extremely proud of shifting my values and direction of the services we provide to be neurodiversity-affirming, with an emphasis on client assent. Rather than just determining goals for the client on standardized assessments, we aim to understand the values of the client and their family first, their goals and aspirations, before developing targets. Utilizing more compassionate approaches such as the Practical Function Assessment (PFA) and Skills-Based Treatment (SBT), we are able to better serve our clients. At TBS, we are proud to use alternative methods of motivation rather than extrinsic methods that can potentially cause trauma to those we seek to support. This approach has led to so many meaningful outcomes for our clients.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner is making sure that I am doing right by everyone. I make mistakes all the time, and I have to be transparent about those things. As a small business owner, I have found that taking ownership of your mistakes is essential. With absolutely no background in business (and I mean none at all), it has been essential to find the right team members to support me in the areas that I struggle with. Learning that I can't possibly do it all myself has been challenging but has taught me to trust the process and the amazing employees to get the job done. Everyone is good at something, and everyone needs help with something. Noticing that, getting comfortable with that, and asking for support is the only way I have been able to manage TBS. Without my incredible team, TBS wouldn't be possible.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Know your relative strengths and weaknesses - find a team committed to the vision and support them the way they support you.
  2. Give yourself some grace. You are doing the best that you can. Never stop learning, never stop caring, and never forget why this is your dream. Keep going, and when you need help, ask for it. Try your best to carve out some time for yourself so that you don't burn out. If you're like me, take a break every now and then, or your body will make you take it!
  3. Define your personal values and your company values. Embed this into everything you do, from how you hire, train, and treat your staff to how you work with clients and their families and how you work with related service providers and interact with the community. Place those values over procedures and let that define the culture of your company.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.tropicalbehavioralservices.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBSusvi

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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