At ACMB, we love to draw inspiration from local moms and their success stories and today, we want to introduce you to Amanda Petter of Brain Balance Achievement Center. Amanda and her husband have followed their passion and this week will celebrate the Grand Opening of San Antonio’s Brain Balance Achievement Center.
Amanda’s enthusiasm and energy are contagious and I recently had the chance to sit down and talk with her about motherhood, work-life balance and the inspiration behind bringing Brain Balance to San Antonio.
Tell me a little about your background and your family.
I grew up in Stephenville, Texas. I grew up with a strong sense of hard work since I was raised on a dairy farm, had grandparents that owned a local golf course and a great uncle who owned the Dublin Dr. Pepper Plant (the oldest Dr. Pepper plant in the world). I started working at a young age and my family instilled in me a sense team effort and hard work. I knew early on that owning a business was something I wanted to do in my future.
After graduating from high school, I went to Tarleton State University and put myself through college on a volleyball scholarship. It was at Tarleton State that I met my husband, Zach. After college, I worked in medical sales but my heart was in management leadership, so I knew that was the direction my future was headed.
My family started moving to San Antonio so when we found out we were pregnant with our son, Zaden, we knew being near family was important. It takes a community to raise a child!
What prompted you and your husband to open Brain Balance?
My husband is a chiropractor and specializes in neurobehavioral issues. We lived near Zach’s family in Waco after we finished college. We would get together at Granny’s house for dinner every Wednesday night. Zach had three cousins that were diagnosed with neurological disorders – one with ADHD, one with Asperger’s Syndrome and one that had been mis-diagnosed altogether. We knew we wanted to make a difference in the lives of Zach’s cousins and children like his cousins.
We came across Brain Balance and knew it was the right fit for us given Zach’s nuero backgound and my sales background.
What makes San Antonio a good community for a resource like Brain Balance?
We did a lot of research and looked as far north as Ft. Worth and Dallas to Waco and south to San Antonio. San Antonio has great school districts with special needs programs but the piece that was missing from this was a program like Brain Balance. Brain Balance is brain-based, not drug-based. Brain Balance recognizes an imbalance in the connections and function between and within the sides of a child’s brain which often causes of behavioral, academic, and social difficulties. Brain Balance creates programs specifically tailored to each child’s needs to achieve optimum body and brain function.
Have you owned a business before?
No.
Did you ever doubt your decision to open your own business?
Absolutely not. Owning my own business has been my dream since high school and after meeting Zach’s family, helping children became my passion.
What have been your biggest challenges as a “momtrepreneur”?
Finding time for everything! I could easily be at work 12 hours per day but I could also be at home with my baby 12 hours per day. I’ve found that I need to make myself stop at the end of the day and put on my mommy hat. Just like many mom business owners, I want to spend more time with my son but I need to get the business where it should be as well.
What 4 words best describe you?
Motivated, encouraging, driven, goal-oriented
What have you enjoyed most about living in San Antonio?
I love how everyone is so nice. San Antonio is seems like the biggest small town in Texas. I love the trees, the scenery and the people we have worked with have been amazing!
How do you find balance in your life?
I try to keep myself on a schedule. Google calendar is my best friend and my biggest enemy since I schedule EVERYTHING on there and try to stick to it. I try to weigh the week out so that I am always spending time with my son. Weekends are reserved for family as much as they can be and when we have the chance, we always take Zaden along!
What does a typically day in your shoes look like?
I get up at 5:15am. I leave for the Brain Balance Center at 6am a few days a week. Other mornings, I work out, get dressed and am out the door by 7:30pm to take Zaden to the sitter and head to work. I always make a point to speak to parents directly while I am here. It’s important to know what their major concerns are, as well as hear their challenges and what progress they see. We work through all of this together with the parents. I manage our employees, scheduling, marketing and advertisers. I also give reports to parents. I take about two hours to prepare for these meetings to review all information for each child in order to break it down for mom and dad. I leave the office around 5pm or 6pm. My parents pick Zaden up from the sitter so the first thing I do when I walk in the door is give him a BIG hug and kiss. After that, I have my mom hat on and I cook dinner, feed the family, play with Zaden and give him a bath. Sometimes we go for a walk or jog and then put him to bed about 8pm or 9pm.
What is your inspiration?
Seeing the changes that the children make as they go through the program. We recently had one child that is seven years old and has never cried before in his life. After working with him through Brain Balance, his mom told us that he was watching a movie and looked up with tears streaming down his face. He kept saying to his mom, “Tears are coming out, Tears are coming out.” I was able to be a part of seeing his brain develop to where he can cry and have emotion like most children can! I know he will have a better life because of the program and that gives me inspiration.
What are a few things you’ve learned from Brain Balance that moms can do to work with their children at home?
Nutrition is huge and is one of the biggest challenges for moms today. People are so busy and it’s hard to plan ahead for nutritious meals but it is so important. Make sure kids get enough exercise through the day. TV, iPads and games consume children and they are having too much screen time. Turn off the TV and let your kids get outside to ride bikes, play tag, throw a ball, explore and just get fresh air.
How do you hope local moms and dads will use the resources of Brain Balance?
If parents have questions or just need help, I want them to know Brain Balance is here for them. We will do a full evaluation to find out if your child is appropriate for Brain Balance. We will find the cause, not the symptom. Not every child is right for Brain Balance but if they are, we will help and if we can’t help, then we will find someone that can.
The Brain Balance Program® is an individualized and comprehensive approach to helping children with neurobehavioral and learning difficulties surmount their unique challenges. This proprietary, non-medical program has been successful in helping thousands of kids reach their physical, social/behavioral health and academic potential.
Brain Balance Grand Opening – July 18 & 19
Thursday, July 18th:
10-11am {Brain Balance Achievement Center, 1742 North Loop 1604 East}: Founder Dr. Robert Melillo to host a lecture with local moms
3-5pm {Brain Balance Achievement Center, 1742 North Loop 1604 East}: Ribbon Cutting & Open House – tons of games and activities for children!
6-8pm {Brain Balance Achievement Center, 1742 North Loop 1604 East}: NFamily Magazine Mixer and Meet & Greet with Dr. Robert Melillo
Friday, July 19th:
10:30-11:30am {Whole Foods Market, 18403 Blanco Road}: Nutrition Talk
2-4pm {Barnes & Noble, 18030 US 281}: Book Signing by Dr. Robert Melillo
6-8pm {Comfort Suites, 1754 N Loop 1604 East}: Parent Lecture by Dr. Robert Melillo
RSVP: 210-610-2760 or [email protected]
Brain Balance Center
1742 North Loop 1604 East, Suite 121
San Antonio, TX 78232
[…] of San Antonio’s Brain Balance Achievement Center. This new resource, brought here by local momtrenpreneur Amanda Petter, is part of a network of centers designed to help children with Neurobehavioral and […]