462: Ryan F. Platt, Founder, A Special Needs Plan

Speaker A: Foreign. You're listening to the Brand Builders podcast with your host Scott Dunston and Brian Young.

Speaker B: Welcome to another episode of the award winning Brand Builders podcast, powered by the Dunston Group. My name is Brian Young. We are not here with the president of the guns, the Dunston Group, but we are here with somebody that all of you know. The, the uh, the number three guy of the podcast, he always fills in the, the infamous DC Lucchese has joined us and this is going to be an awesome podcast. Uh, we have Ryan Platt here who is the founder of a special needs plan and a special needs support. Now let's talk a little bit about this. There's a question that lives in the book of the mind of nearly every parent raising a child with special needs. It doesn't announce itself, it just sits there quiet and heavy. What happens to my child when I'm no longer here? Now, for a long time that question had no good answers. Uh, families navigated a maze of governmental benefits, legal documents and financial systems, often loan guided by well meaning professionals who didn't have the depth of specialization this work demands. Now, in 2005 a financial planner from Charlotte decided that wasn't good enough. Ryan uh, founded a special needs plan with one mission. To serve families living with that fear and replace it with clarity, structure and a roadmap forward. Today the firm is an elite, nationally recognized practice servicing families all over the country. Ryan holds credentials most financial advisors have never heard of, including the chartered Special Needs Consultant designation because he believes this community deserves a true specialist. He's a former president of the ARC of North Carolina, a speaker at national conferences, a published author, and a champion for families who have spent too long facing the impossible alone. We are so excited to have Ryan, uh, on this podcast to talk about this. Before I turn over the mic to you, I'll let you know that we have a really good friend in our neighborhood and it was, it was interesting. Me and my wife had moved um, to a new neighborhood three years ago and my father in law was diagnosed was something that we didn't see coming and she connected with this, with this girl in our neighborhood and her father had gone through the same thing and unfortunately had passed away. Now when we were going through this process, I'm kind of like man, you probably shouldn't be hanging out with her. Like she's giving us these negative vibes. We need to be positive. Only unfortunately my father in law did not make it as well. And everything that she did really supported my wife and enabled her to get through this but it was a great friend of her, of hers, and. And now they are really tight. Well, two years ago, uh, they welcomed their fourth child, um, who unfortunately had severe heart issues, was born with down syndrome. And we have been blessed to be on that journey with Matilda over the last two years. And it's a neighborhood where we have a lot of different kids. And it is one of the most fascinating things to have your own children, look at her as a sister, look at her as somebody that isn't any different. And to be able to have your children not only exposed to this, but truly care about someone like that has been something that I think is so important. And Matilda is special to all of us. And it's almost one of those things. Every time you look at her, you're just like, uh, Matilda survived five heart surgeries or something already, and she's killing it. Right. Mighty Matilda, as we call her. So I can't wait to learn about your organization. If they don't know about it, I can't wait to put them in touch with you. But, Ryan, thank you so much for what you do and for founding this, uh, special organization.

Speaker C: Brian, thank you for sharing that story. I think it's so important for people to understand that Matilda's no different from any of the other kids in the neighborhood.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker C: She wants to enjoy life. She wants to thrive. She wants to have friends. She wants to end up going to school. She wants to go play outside. She's not any different in those things. Right. Where she may become different later is she may need more support than them for the rest of their life.

Speaker B: Yep.

Speaker C: Uh, and that's where we're able to help come in and stand side by side with families to ensure that they understand what that road looks like and how to navigate it, because that's the most important thing just to understand. Just like that. Just like your wife's friend did for her, she was ahead of her in that journey.

Speaker B: Absolutely.

Speaker C: So she was able to coach and guide your wife in terms of, hey, what's up ahead? Um, and that's what we just savor to be able to do for families, because we've worked with hundreds of families at all different ages. So we've worked with families where their child, like Matilda, is 2 years old. M. But we've also worked with families where their child is now 45. And so we've seen what's coming to help again, walk side by side with families to let them know, hey, this is what's coming next. So let's be prepared for it, you

Speaker B: know, and it's interesting because when they were going through this and when Matilda was in the womb, she, um, has come out. There's actually an Instagram for Mighty Matilda, and you can go follow that entire journey. And one of the first posts that she made was how not only she felt guilty, but she also came to a point where she was like, I don't know if I really want to have this child. Like, how am I going to love this child? How am I going to support this child? There were all of these just things that scared her. And now she looks back two years ago going, how dumb was I? She's the greatest gift we've ever had. I couldn't imagine our life without her. And she's really raw on that Instagram. So go follow Mighty Matilda. It's an amazing story. And you can see her. She's beautiful. Um, but I'm ready to dive into this. So you founded this in 2005?

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker B: Tell us a little bit about your journey and what brought you to the point of founding this organization.

Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, it was, uh, I had two other partners. We were in a generalized financial planning firm, and one afternoon, it was a Friday afternoon, uh, one of the partners came to me and said, hey, Ryan, I signed up for this course, this designation, uh, as a special care planner, and I can't do it. And so I wanted to know, do you want to step in my place? We paid for it already. You know, I was like, great. Thanks for letting me know.

Speaker A: Do they have lunch?

Speaker C: Exactly. Right, right. Do we get any perks with this now that the money's already out the door or not? Uh, and so what I did is I said, well, let me look over the material over the weekend, and I'll let you know. And when I looked over the material, I loved the breadth of it. You know, it was more than, hey, what did my money do right? What rate of return did I receive? It was really about, how is this person going to live for the rest of their life in the most supported way to reach their definition and level of independence? And how can we make sure that we wrap that family around them in a way that everybody's heard? And. And everybody has a voice? And so there were courses taught by attorneys, courses taught by accountants. On the tax side, uh, there was a, uh, psychology professor from the University of Chicago that talked about, how do you handle family dynamics? How do you handle, uh, generational meetings to make sure that adult siblings are heard, uh, or grandparents are heard, the parents are heard about what Their concerns are and what their roles and responsibilities are going to be, and how do you make sure that everybody has that voice? Um, there's even a course taught by the CEO of Easter Seals about how do nonprofits work in the lives of these families? What kind of therapies are families going to have? So it was just. It was awesome. I just love the breadth of it. It was so much about their life and how can we make their life better going forward? And then it was through an organization called the American College. And they had a. Uh, at the end of the coursework, they had like a one week on campus session. Uh, and I still remember it was the last day of that session. They had a parent panel. Uh, and I'll never forget this mom because she changed the trajectory of my life. But this mom spoke last, and she, um, started out by pointing at the group with her index finger, and she said, I am so frustrated with you people. And, boy, I sat up straight like I was going to the principal's office. I was like, oh, my gosh, what is she gonna say? And she continued, and she went on, and she just said, you know, when I sit across a desk or a table from a financial planner, a wealth manager, an insurance agent, an investment advisor, a cpa, an attorney, and I start saying things like IEP and SSI and Medicaid and PT and OT and speech and ABA and all these different terms, she said, I gaze up at that advisor and their eyes are as wide as saucers. And I already know. I know more about what I need to do than they do. So who is going to help me? And it was literally that moment, I literally. Guys. Brian. D.C. i felt like, you know, the clouds parted and I got tapped on the shoulder, and I literally heard an audible voice that said, ryan, you need to build something where families never have to say that again. And that has been the mission, or what I like to call my ministry ever since.

Speaker A: And how did you get other people on board? I'm going to. I'm sure you service other families as well, but it's like, how did you get other folks on board to say, you know what? Yeah, I want to really niche this out and eliminate, if you will, a greater part of the potential population that could be a customer and say, this is going to be us?

Speaker C: One of the first things I did, I came back, I was so excited, right? I was, like, jazzed up. We're going to do this. And literally, um, the change in that was financially painful. Um, first thing I did is I was Put in contact with a gentleman named Bob Bowler, who passed away last year. He was in Mecklenburg county in Charlotte. He was the Special Olympics King volunteer. And I sat down with him in our office, and I said, bob, help me. What do I do? Just to learn about the community. What do I do? Just to get engaged and understand what families are thinking and feeling and what their, uh, fears and concerns are. How do I do that? He's like, get involved. I was like, what do I do first? He's like, I think you should call the ARC of Mecklenburg county and get involved in that organization and see how they serve families, um, and just start to find out more. And he said, and then I would suggest that you meet with other organizations that serve these families. And so that's what I did. I joined the ARC of Mecklenburg County's board of directors. And that, uh, led me into just the community. Because one of the things that I believe as, um. And, Brian, I don't know if you felt this as you've, uh, been introduced to the community through Matilda, but, you know, I never even thought about the disability community very much. To me, it's like a hidden community. Unless you know somebody or have been impacted within your own family, it's hidden to everybody else. Nobody really thinks much about the disability community. Right.

Speaker A: Right.

Speaker C: Um, and so to be able to get engaged in the community and to be involved, uh, and then to just learn about the other organization. So I would invite executive directors of the different organizations that serve families to, uh, just learn about their organization. What are they doing? Where do they need help? Where are they? What are families telling them in terms of, where do they need support? How could I get engaged? How can I help them? And it was a long time. I'm blessed with an amazing wife, um, that kept me on this vision by earning enough money to pay the bills, um, because it was about two to three years before a special needs plan, that portion of our business really earned any revenue. It really didn't. And so it took time to just understand what direction we were going to head, understand what families really need, um, and then to be able to provide it.

Speaker B: So did you have anybody in your family that has special needs, or were you exposed to it at all before that woman pointed at you?

Speaker A: No.

Speaker B: That's unbelievable. For you to have your calling and to be tapped on the shoulder, and then for three years to not make any money. But you knew that was your mission. And now you look back on it and what you've been able to do. That's incredible. I Think a lot of people, their life kind of creates their next step. Right when you came in, I'm, um, like, yeah, he might have had a sister, a brother, there was nothing. But now you look at the impact that you've had on so many different families, you should be so proud of that. That's incredible.

Speaker C: Yeah, it's a, um, and it's a team effort for sure. You know, I mean, just like you. Just like you guys here, right? You have a great team. I noticed it when I walked in, uh, the way you guys chat with each other and collaborate with each other, I mean, it's. You can't do this by yourself, right, Brian? You can't. You need a team. And I have an amazing team of folks that share that same vision of helping families and support. I mean, you know, I was on the, uh, I was a little bit later getting here, so I apologize for that. Uh, but I was on the phone with a mom up in Asheville and she's got a 43 year old son. She's 71. It was literally the first time I talked to her. We talked for 30 minutes and I said, you know, let's make a second meeting to really figure out if this is what you need or not. And she said, Ryan, I feel so relieved already. Uh, we didn't even do anything yet. Yeah, but now she knows there's somebody there and there's a group there, there's a team there that can help her. And before that 30 minute phone call, she wasn't sure if there was.

Speaker A: Because it's a consideration that a lot of parents don't have. It's like, what am I going to do?

Speaker C: M. Right.

Speaker A: Because this child is going to outlive me and is going to need things beyond what regular financial planning, regular society, regular school, regular work can provide. It's got to be a load.

Speaker C: That's what. You know, unfortunately, a lot of our families use the word, um, burden. Right. I try to change that form to responsibility.

Speaker A: Sure, sure, sure.

Speaker C: I feel like that. I feel like that sounds a little bit better. Because they don't mean their child is a burden. That is absolutely not what they mean. What they mean is just that, hey, it's a heavy subject, dc. It's a heavy subject to talk about. Um, it's not one that's fun to chat about at parties. Right. It's not one that people just are running up to us and be like, oh my gosh, this is fantastic. Let's talk about what happens when we're not the primary caregivers and the reason is, who's going to care for your children more than you do? Mhm. And the answer is really hard to embrace because the answer is nobody.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: And that is, that can be difficult for a lot of families to embrace that and then say, you know what, we can still build a support team that is going to care for them, for them to live their best life, because they can. And that was one of the reasons that, um, over the years I realized that there was a hole for families on bringing that support team together in a way that's easy for them to understand their role and also easy for them to communicate and coordinate that care. And that's what that specialneedsupport.com and that a special needs support app is all about. It's about organizing the parents information. Right. So that if they're not here anymore, people know where their accounts are located. They know that the legal documents are right there. They know that their business owns the building that their business is in. And it's under a different LLC name. Right. Because so many of that information is just not shared. Then all of a sudden that primary person in the family that handles all that is gone. And nobody knows where the assets are or if they own a business where those pieces are. They don't know where the legal documents are. And many times in a family, it's, as many of us know, being married with children, a lot of times it's divide and conquer. Right, well, husband, you take care of this. Okay, well, wife, you take care of this. And typically, the caregiving daily life piece is usually one person. And so that one person actually needs to know, well, what does daily life look like? What is the morning routine? How often do we go to IEP meetings for school? What government benefits is my child actually on? This app is designed to ensure that all those pieces are defined. They're in there for everybody. And then they can invite different folks from the support team.

Speaker A: The business is like you said, 2005. Yes. And this app is new.

Speaker C: It is new.

Speaker A: And yes. Was this your team's idea? And you said, wait a minute, we need something to connect the dots here? Did you see this somewhere else? Did you have a, did you have another aha, uh, uh, moment on a free lunch or how did all that come back?

Speaker B: Who pointed me? We need an app.

Speaker C: That's right.

Speaker B: That's right.

Speaker C: Yeah, well, we used to do it, uh, you know, the old fashioned way. We printed everything out and put it in a binder. Oh, that sounds great. Doesn't that sound exciting? Doesn't that sound great? I mean, it sounds like right here.

Speaker A: Yeah, it sounds really big, too.

Speaker C: It does, it does, right? Sounds like it's going to attract a lot of dust somewhere, uh, in somebody's house, and no one's ever going to know where it's located anyway.

Speaker A: Precisely.

Speaker C: And so, um, I realized over time and as technology took off, I'm probably a little bit behind the curve instead of ahead of it. Um, realized we need to change, uh, that electronically. We need to make it digital. And I talked to families about it. We have a lot of them to talk to. I said, hey, would this be more helpful if this was digital? Um. Uh, and they all were like, yes, of course it would be. Uh, I was like, sorry, M. I'm not that bright. You really gotta. You gotta tell me multiple times for me to get it. Um, and then it was interesting. Um, I did this, uh, um, podcast, like, item. Not. Not this. Um, that's so great that you guys are doing, uh, with a dad in California. We would take different topics, we would talk through them. We would have, uh, people ask questions, things like that. And we interviewed his son, who is 19 years old, his brother's 16, with autism. And we literally sat there and interviewed him. And I asked him a question. I said, you know, uh, what do you need from your dad? He goes, I need a notebook. I have no idea what to do. Everything is in my dad's head. If my dad is gone, I don't know what I'm supposed to do for my brother. And I know I'm the one that's gonna be here to handle it. Okay. First checkbox in my head was like, okay, gotta figure that one out, because there's obviously a. A, uh, deficit that needs a solution. And then I asked, I said, well, how long have you been thinking about that? He said, since I was 12.

Speaker B: Wow.

Speaker C: His dad almost fell off the chair. And that's what I like to tell parents. I'm like, you know, your other kids think about this. And, uh, I was blessed to be able to join a sibling group. Um, the, uh, ARC of the United States. So the ARC is a. I can't remember how many decades old it is, but it was started by parents, like a lot of other things in the disability community started by parents. And then. And then Takes off is an advocacy group. And they have national chapter, state chapters, local chapters. And so they had their national conference here in Charlotte in November. And this, uh, sibling group asked me to be a part of their breakout session about planning and future and what are, what are adult siblings thinking about? And they're thinking about all this. They say, okay, how do I take over from my parents? What do I need to do? Where's all this stuff located? And how do I take over daily life and make sure my brother or sister doesn't have too much of a pause in what they expect to happen on a Monday or a Tuesday or a Wednesday? And, uh, as we were talking and we were preparing for this, we had several meetings, um, preparing for it. I asked the group, I said, how long have you guys been thinking about this? And they all said the same thing, around 12, 13, 14 years old. And one of the reasons that had them thinking about it is they said usually we had like some death in the family at that point, like a grandparent died or a great aunt or uncle. And all of a sudden we realized people die. And they looked at their parents and said, oh my gosh. And then they looked at their sibling and said, oh my gosh, that's going to happen to them someday. And they carry that with them and they don't share it with anybody.

Speaker B: That's fascinating. But, but it's amazing that you can create a solution to a problem, um, specifically one like this. I mean, I think honestly, any families need these types of things. I'll use a great example. When my father in law passed away, there were a lot of things that he handled that my mother in law had no idea about. She's almost created a whole new life of learning, like, how do we pay taxes? Uh, we need to sell this property. It's been like this whole, like, journey now. She's like loving it. She's out there mowing the yard. She thinks this is awesome. You know, my mother in law's a saint. She lives about five minutes from us. I love her. Marianne, you're the best ever. Um, but she's actually kind of taken on the challenge. She thinks it's amazing, but there's a lot of people that could go the other direction and, and almost crumble under that moment. Like your significant other is gone. What are we going to do? And in this world that you're in with special needs, multiply that by 50 is the amount of information. So to be able to have that app. And then really the brother, I mean, I'm thinking right now of Henry, who's the, um, oldest son of Matilda. And I'm over here and I'm like, he's four years away from thinking about that, you know, and it just blows my mind. So this is my question. Love what you've been able to create.

Speaker A: How.

Speaker B: How do you guys market your organization? And how do people find out about you? Have you teamed up with, you know, big you hospitals, uh, systems across the country? Is this something where it's part of that plan where, when they're, when you, when you announce that you're pregnant and you maybe find out and then it's like, okay, well, this is part of, like, how do they get connected with you? Because I have no idea. If Kate and David know about you, I'm going to tell them about it. Right? Like, hey, have this conversation. But how does this happen? And how do these families get in contact with you? Is there a process? And if there are people out there listening to this podcast that knows of friends, family, um, anyone that has special needs that you feel like, hey, this app or this organization is something that they don't know about it, I'm going to get them in touch with it. And they do. You say, hell, yeah, I'm glad you already know about them. Like, how do people find you?

Speaker C: So typically it is through, um, organizations. So that's where we first came to. So service providers. Uh, uh, we partner with organizations around the country to do webinars. So my big thing has always been Brian. I want to educate, I want to give information away. I want to tell people how to do this. Um, so we've created a guide booklet on special needs planning, simple guide booklet. They can download it from a specialneedsplan.com and at least learn some of the lingo so they feel empowered when they talk to a professional, whether it's us or not. I want them to feel ready for that meeting. I want them to feel that they understand the lingo so they don't feel like they're getting taken advantage of. So we have five different types of webinars that we offer. We do series with organizations. Uh, we have that guide booklet, uh, folks can get on our email newsletter, go to the website, um, and just sign up for that. If they're not ready to do planning, that's okay. Come get educated. And they can join any of the webinars. Right. They're open for anybody. We just partner with organizations. So we might partner with, um, a speech therapy group. There's one in Charlotte we've partnered with since 2009. Child and Family Development. Right. We do a ton of work with them. We probably do a series every year. There's other organizations like the arc. We do national conferences. So I'm speaking at a National conference in Orlando. Um, and then we'll be at the National Down Syndrome Society conference in Orlando the next week. Uh, so what we try to do is get involved in the organizations, um, whether they're local, regional or national, and provide resources for families. Because what I believe is not everybody's quite ready to have these conversations, but they have to be one day. And that's one of the things that I always let parents know. And, and sometimes I feel like I'm cold or a little bit callous, um, when I say this. But one of our core values is what I call loving truth. Um, and one of the loving truths is this kind of planning is going to happen whether parents do it or not, because that individual needs the support and needs the plan. So if the parents decide to never do it, somebody else is going to, whether that's adult siblings or, unfortunately, the state in which they live, which is typically not the plan the parents want. So I was just, uh, engaging with three sisters who are all in their 50s. Mom and dad are 88 and 85, and their older brother is 57 with down syndrome. So certainly way ahead, um, of Matilda. Um, and we're trying to get them situated because parents didn't do anything right. And they're starting to fade. And all of a sudden I get an email this morning. One of the sisters says, hey, Ryan, dad had to go to the hospital with a blood infection. She said, hey, I'm not trying to be blunt, but if he doesn't make it, can we do any of the stuff that we talked about or are we too late to the party? Mhm. That kills me.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: Because one of the reasons it kills me, it kills me in general, but it kills me because I sat in those parents living room 15 years ago talking about this planning and they didn't take me up on it.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker C: And 15 years later, I'm talking to their three adult daughters and it may be too late.

Speaker A: Let me ask you this. Especially when you're dealing with people's finances, there's a level of trust that you have to have. And now you're talking about not just me and my money, I'm talking about my kids, which is a whole. Another much higher hurdle. And generally speaking, folks who work with, whether it be a certain cause or a certain population, they have some sort of connection to it. Here you are a guy who doesn't have a connection to it. You got a hell of a story about it. I love it, for crying out loud. But how do you, how did you

Speaker C: move all that out of the way

Speaker A: and say, no, I really do, I really do care and I really do care about you and your situation, your family. And I want to help you do, like you said, what is going to have to be done. How did you overcome that?

Speaker C: D.C. i'm not really sure. I think just I ask a lot of questions. I'm interested in, uh, be curious. I'm really interested in their family, I'm interested in their child. What do they need? What are they good at? Right. I always like to lead with that. What are they good at? What things can they do for themselves versus what things can they not? Um, uh, I think it's that I just ask a lot of questions and I'm curious about it. Uh, and one of the things that I tell families, I say, yes, you're right, I do not have the experience day to day living with your loved one. And I know it sounds a little strange too. I say, you know, does a really good brain surgeon, did they have to have a brain tumor in order to become a really great brain surgeon? Or did they just decide, I want to be really good at this because I want to save those people's lives?

Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker C: And that was my decision point. I want to be really good at this because families aren't getting the information they need. It's not accurate, it's not correct. And it has to be because this is somebody's life that can't support themselves if it's messed up. It's not like a bad financial plan where you lose some money. It could be that their loved one is homeless, living on the street.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker C: And that can't happen.

Speaker B: Mhm.

Speaker A: Right on.

Speaker C: So that was, that's the reason, like

Speaker A: I said, now, you know, 13, 15 years into it, you're like, I got a track record, bro. But it's like, you know, like you said, three years of not making any bread, you're like, oh boy, this is a tough, this is a tough sales cycle here.

Speaker C: Right? There's a lot of questions about really, Especially at home at night, wife's going, hey, do you enjoy working for free? I guess I do. I guess I do.

Speaker A: Apparently I'm good at it.

Speaker C: Exactly. That's right.

Speaker A: But again, like I said, I know that was rather pointed, but like I said, how do you do that? That's got to be a, you know, just like you said that you're, are you one more person trying to get into somebody's wallet? Or you're like, no, I see the need, I understand how it can Be navigated, and I want to help you do it.

Speaker C: Right. That's it.

Speaker A: Or somebody else will.

Speaker C: Right, right.

Speaker B: Have you ever been connected to Camp Blue Skies?

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker B: All right. Of course.

Speaker C: You know, uh, yes. Dick Sess. Yes.

Speaker B: Great guys. He was on our podcast. We've worked with them a long time. I was sitting here, I was like, man, there's. I'm gonna say this. Of course they're connected.

Speaker C: Yeah.

Speaker B: But if they weren't, I was making that connection.

Speaker A: Hey, I love it.

Speaker C: Brian, you're thinking, I love it.

Speaker B: I was making that.

Speaker C: I love it. Yes.

Speaker B: You've been able to grow your team, and I think. Is your son on your team now?

Speaker C: He is. Now.

Speaker B: He is.

Speaker A: Yes.

Speaker C: So, uh, he's helping us, um, really get the app out into the universe.

Speaker B: Sad. Bringing in the young guy.

Speaker C: Right, right. Bringing in the guy.

Speaker B: The young Platt. That's right. Is doing it.

Speaker C: That's right. So we're trying to get him rolling, and then, uh, uh, he joins me at some of those conferences, um, to help make sure that we're talking to people that need to be. That have questions, uh, and he'll be there with the app as well. And by July, we're coming out with, um, uh, a new book. Um, also, um, uh, that should be ready for, uh, July. For families or professionals. Again, my whole thing is, hey, give it away. Give it away. The families that need us will come to us. The families that. That just want to learn. Then let's give them the stuff to learn with. That's awesome, brother.

Speaker B: You know, it's, um. Have you ever read the book the. The Go Giver?

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker B: What a book.

Speaker C: Love it. I love that book.

Speaker B: It's a fantastic book. When people, uh, mentioned that book and they haven't read it, I'm like, you have to read it this weekend. You probably finish it this weekend. It's pretty easy. Oh, you definitely could, but it's incredible. And that's kind of why we started this podcast. In the same point. It's like, we've never sold an ad on this podcast. We've never paid people to come on the podcast. We've never been paid to come on the podcast. We wouldn't accept that anyways.

Speaker C: And I appreciate that.

Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah. But, you know, there's a lot of people. We've had people that want to buy the podcast. There. There were a lot of ways we could have turned this into kind of like a money grab. Right. But it was never the reason we wanted to do that. I never want to sell ads on this Podcast, because I want this to be a 30 minute, authentic conversation, you know, and the reality of it is, is like you having the ability to say, just come onto our website. Which I did. And it's a fantastic website and you' literally giving out the road map for free. They don't even have to call you. And if there's anybody that's even interested, you need to go on their website and check that out. That's important because you're changing people's lives and if you can support them, you know, from the, from the aspect of them coming on as a client, which I don't even. You probably don't even call them clients, honestly.

Speaker A: Yeah.

Speaker B: What do you call them?

Speaker C: We call them our families.

Speaker B: They See, there we go. I knew, I knew that. So what's. What's next? Actually, another quick question. What is the reach? Is it anywhere in the United States? Are these things like, like if there's a family that's listening to this, or like, hey, I have a family in Seattle, Washington, can they get support as well? Like, how far do you guys go from that arena? Um, and what does that footprint look like?

Speaker C: So, yes, we work with families all over the country. So if they're in Seattle, Washington, California, New Jersey, Chicago, we can work with them, which is great, as long as they're comfortable with kind of the virtual planning experience. Um, and most people nowadays, since COVID seem, uh, to be. So we do it everywhere. And it's funny, nowadays we have that virtual planning and some of our families in Charlotte don't even come to see us anymore. Or they live in Matthews or Weddington.

Speaker B: Five dollar Gas.

Speaker C: I mean, exactly.

Speaker A: I'll call.

Speaker B: Exactly.

Speaker C: That's very true. They live in Weddington. Like, ah, we'll just use Zoom. Um, Ryan, that's good. Uh, we already know what you look like. Yes, the reach for planning is anywhere in the United States. Uh, and the reach for the app is really anywhere in the world. Because it doesn't matter what government you get. The benefits from this app can make sure that they're there and they're acknowledged and they know what they are. Daily life doesn't change for somebody if they have, uh, if they're diagnosed with autism and they live in the United States versus if they live in Spain. Right. Somebody still has to know, well, what does deadly life look like? What does Ralph do on a Monday versus a Tuesday versus a Saturday? Who's involved in his life? So that app has global reach, um, if that's possible. And then, Brian, you mentioned a great Thing. And I've talked to other people about it too. Um, when I was telling my wife about the app, she goes, man, we need that from my mom. I was like, you're right. And so one of the things that we did change on that app, people can have one login and have multiple, we call journals, so they can have their loved one with a disabilities, uh, journal. And then a lot of parents are in that sandwich generation. They're taking care of their child with a diagnosis. They're also taking care of their parent. So they can actually make a journal for their parent.

Speaker B: Brilliant.

Speaker C: On the same login, same platform, no extra cost, nothing. Right. So they can make the same one and manage the care and manage medical appointments and prescriptions and, you know, so

Speaker B: Scott would have loved this as well because he unfortunately lost his father in law, uh, a year ago. Uh, Tommy Hager, God bless him, an amazing person. And his, his wife Kiki is going through the same thing. I mean, Scott had to be really on board with trying to support this, but there was a lot to go through and when somebody suddenly passes away. Because one thing I know is we're not guaranteed anything, right Tomorrow. Today could be our day. Tomorrow could be your day. It's why you need to tell everybody that you love them. And it's why you need to squash any issues that you have and, and know that if it is your time, you're not going to have anything to regret. Um, but I know in that situation, um, it's been very tough, right? And it's tough for families to navigate that without having someone with special needs or a disability. You know, that just adds the layers to it. So I think that's brilliant to be able to have it because there are people there, right? And that they got both sides of the aisle that they're doing. Um, uh, one question I have is with your organization, like, how do companies, um, how does our community. What do you need from us, uh, to continue to support you and continue to share this story?

Speaker C: I think the biggest thing is awareness. As much marketing as I think we do, it's amazing how many families just say, man, I never knew you were there. I bet. And when you do research, uh, and look at the studies on why this planning doesn't happen, the number one reason cited is I just don't know who can help me.

Speaker A: Yeah, I believe that.

Speaker C: Yeah, that's the number one reason. And so, um, that's the biggest thing that I just want people to know is that, is that there is an organization here actually in Charlotte. For people who are in Charlotte. If you're other places, that's okay too because there's only about seven companies like ours across the whole country that is focused on families with a loved one with a disability 100% of the time. Uh, so it's unique. And so we just want people to know, hey, there's an organization out there, Brian, like you said, hey, go to the website. You're not ready to talk to them yet.

Speaker A: Cool.

Speaker C: Just get some info, learn some stuff, maybe get on their mailing list. We do not. And I'm very specific on this because I hate when I give somebody an email and all you get is a bunch of junk thrown in your email inbox twice a day from the same organization. Just like, oh my gosh, I just want to be like, can you pull my email off the shelf and not use it anymore? So we don't bombard people, right? A couple emails a month, maybe it's a calendar email of, hey, these are the webinars we got going on. You're invited to join us if you'd like to. Um, so I think it's more just awareness. Let people know that, uh, the people that you love, the friends that you have that have a child, uh, or a sibling with a diagnosis that, you know, just drop the name, say, hey, have you ever heard of this group Money? Just check out their website, see if they can help you.

Speaker B: I will be doing that at 4:30 today.

Speaker C: There you go, brother.

Speaker B: I do have a question, uh, and this is have you ever, and just throwing it out there, the woman that pointed at you, do you know who that is? And have you ever connected with her

Speaker C: Since I've had that question before, Brian, and um, unfortunately the answer is no.

Speaker B: We have to find her.

Speaker C: I don't even remember her name.

Speaker B: We have to figure this out.

Speaker C: Oh, she has. She's absolutely changed the trajectory.

Speaker B: We have to, we need some investigative work. We need to figure out who this woman is and we need to connect you guys because I think she would be absolutely so proud of what you've done. And it's just, you know, there's everybody has moments in life and a lot of people let them just go right over their head or they maybe are so distracted they're not looking or listening. And look, I'm a believer and God has signs all the time and you were one that just acted on that, you know, and that's just incredible. And what you've been able to create and how you've helped people, it's incredible. And it's something that will continue to go. I mean, your son's on board now, he's going to take care of you and he's going to keep this thing going in the future.

Speaker C: Yeah, well, we've, uh, amazing, as I say, we've promised and I've promised families a lot and so if people do go to the website, you'll see that there are different ages and I'm one of the older people in the group. And that's on purpose. Mhm. Because this is a generational plan and those next people that take over after the parents need the same level of support, guidance, education and knowledge that the parents do. So I need 35 year old planners that know what they're doing. The knowledge can't exist in one person's head. It's got to exist in an organization. And so that's how we continue to build.

Speaker B: I love it. It's also about purpose. I mean, I tell my story a lot. Um, but I left an organization that I was a partner in, just left it on the table. I was miserable, you know, and I've been with Scott for 10 years and working with this company. We get to work with so many non profits in this podcast and it's truly given me purpose. And there's so many financial plans planners out there and like, it can get exhausting. Right. You're getting real, you're like, oh my gosh. But a lot of them, like, what is your purpose? To help out your clients and make them more money. Cool. Like, is that really your purpose as a financial planner? Maybe. But like you've created something that you wake up every day and you're like, I am impacting lives and with the knowledge that I have, I can, I can truly help these people. And that's why this is successful because you love what you do and you can see the impact that you make. And everybody that has a job that doesn't give you that quit right now and go figure it out right now. This has been amazing. Um, please go check out a special needs plan, uh.com, go to their website. Um, especially if you want to go in, they have a free download, which is the, the free guidebook for you. Um, the family advocate. A guide or a guidebook to special needs planning if that's the only thing you do. If you know someone that, that has a child or an even an adult that has special needs, download it for them, send it to them, give them a little bit of education. And that might be the difference in setting them up for the future and having that planning that's so important. I love this episode, man. You should be so proud of what you've done. I know your family's proud of you and all the families that you've supported. Any way that I can do, uh, or any way we as a company can support you, we will. And like I said, I'm going to, uh, be sending this to my friends and hopefully they've already talked to you, but maybe they have it. And if they have it, I'm bringing you a new client and a new. Not a new client. I'm bringing you a new family. That's right.

Speaker C: That's right.

Speaker B: I love it. Well, thank you so much. Like, we always say, please, like share, comment, go follow them on Instagram, follow the story, anything you can do to support it. But really just look at your connections, look in your circles. If there's anybody that you think they could, uh, support, let's pass along that information and let's m make an impact. Until next time. You've been listening to this episode of the award winning Brand Builders podcast.

Speaker A: You've been listening to the Brand Builders podcast brought to you by the Dunston Group with your host, Scott Dunston and Brian Young. For branded merchandise and apparel that makes first impressions and ones that last, check out the Dunston group@dunstongroup.com.