Where Behavioral Support Meets Real-World Parenting: A New Model for Family-Centered Care by Vanessa Benigno

Please share a brief introduction and your business:

I am Vanessa Benigno, the founder of Empower Behavior Coaching, a behavior coaching and therapy organization dedicated to empowering families navigating behavioral diagnoses through accessible, evidence-based parent training and compassionate support. Empower Behavior Coaching combines high-quality clinical care with a family-centered approach, helping caregivers become confident leaders in their child’s growth and long-term resilience.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

No. If you had asked me 10 years ago, I would have said absolutely not. But now, I can't imagine it any other way.

Are you a mamaprenista?

Yes! I have two amazing humans who are not so little anymore. Managing my own business has actually made being a mom easier and more flexible as I am not stuck in one place all day away from my family.

Take us back to when you launched? What was your marketing strategy?

My marketing strategy has been through my website, social media paid marketing, and local outreach to other providers in the area. We are still early on in the process so we will see how things progress.

What accomplishments are you the most proud of to date in your business?

Our biggest accomplishment is currently is taking that first leap and starting this company.

What is one thing you wish you had known when you started your Entreprenista journey?

How difficult marketing can be.

When hiring, what is your go-to interview question?

What is your ideal work environment? It gives me an idea of what culture they are looking for and if we will be a good fit for each other.

What did you go before starting your own business?

I began my career as a special education teacher working with students in alternative placements, and later earned my BCBA certification to serve families as a behavior analyst implementing Applied Behavior Analysis programs.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

After years in ABA, I recognized a significant gap in the quality of parent training services and saw the need for a model that truly empowers caregivers as the primary change agents—without the limitations imposed by insurance funders.

Do you have any recent wins?

The biggest win for us now is taking the leap to get out there and creating our website and marketing strategy.

What's one app on your phone that you cannot live without?

My Notes app. I use it to organize all of my tasks everyday.

Who are your customers?

Our primary clients are families seeking support for a child with a new or ongoing behavioral diagnosis.

What's your top productivity tip?

Making lists of all the tasks that need to be done in a day and organizing them into time blocks.

What's your favorite business tool?

Microsoft Forms is a great tool to set up ways for families to get on waitlists or to reach out for services.

What's your approach to work-life balance?

Have a set time to end work each day, even if everything did not get done, using weekends to spend with family or relaxing, and finding an activity to do just for you at least once per week. I joined a Thursday morning pottery class that is my time to decompress.

How do you avoid burn-out?

By organizing tasks into specific time blocks, I ensure that I do not work late into the evenings and spend time with my family. I have also learned to remove email notifications from my phone which has been the biggest help in avoiding burnout.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

It will be the most difficult but most rewarding thing you do

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