You never turned away, you were right there and I thank you.
As we embark on the opening of Dynamic Lynks first holistic therapy center, I can't help but look back at how this company has developed.
I've always had the dream of opening a center for children with autism. On my first campus tour of the University of Miami, I remember telling my soon-to-be professor that I wanted to open a school for children with autism. Everyone told me that dream would change. I would find new passions, new ideas. And while the ideas did change, the core mission and purpose stayed true. At first it was a school. Then, after seeing all the red tape and bureaucracy involved with that dream, I quickly shifted the concept to a center benefiting children and families affected by autism. Dynamic Lynks was, as cheesy as it sounds, born on a Starbucks napkin with a then colleague.
The name was different and the idea was to create autism-friendly communities where businesses would be trained on how to interact with individuals with autism. These businesses, stores, restaurants would then be listed in a database where parents could search and feel comfortable bringing their children to an autism-friendly environment. While I would still love to make this happen all over the country, such endeavors already existed and I wanted to provide more direct services to the children in need. I also learned how difficult it is to start a non-profit. As much as I would like to provide no and low-cost services to the families affected by autism, it would be difficult to make it happen quickly and to my exact specifications.
Fast forward one year, and the “one-stop shop” of holistic serves to develop the brain and body of children with autism was officially born.
I have so many places I still want to grow this business, but I am amazed with where it has come from in the last 7 years!
The concept may have changed, but the constant was my passion for children with autism and the unconditional support of my family and friends. As much as this post is about the journey of Dynamic Lynks itself, it is also a shout out to the people who have been by my side for the entire journey. These past few days have shown me just how lucky I am to constantly have my support system by my side. My family has been working endlessly to decorate my center, to make sure I have everything I need to provide the best services possible.
My incredibly talented mother has helped design contracts, forms, basically everything too boring for me to ever desire doing, but she has worked tirelessly to create. My handy father has spent hours lost in Ikea instructions, covered in paint to make the room safe and flawless for all my sessions and classes. My tech-savvy boyfriend has put in endless hours to create a stunning web presence where parents can not only find Dynamic Lynks, but learn about all of our fantastic services through several interactive mediums. And I cannot forget all of my dedicated friends who have contributed volunteer hours, support, encouragement, graphic design skills, and so much more. All of these amazing people have helped to make Dynamic Lynks concept a reality and I am eternally grateful!
Our opening day is quickly approaching, and I am thrilled to show you how all of this hard work and community effort has paid off. Just take a look through the pictures and enjoy how far our center has come in the past few days. We can’t wait to show you the final product on Saturday, June 11th! Come check it out and enjoy free music and yoga groups from 12 – 4pm. We are located at 1100 Lake St, Suite 100C Oak Park, IL 60301 in our beautiful new space!
