“Brain Balance Center of Lubbock opened at the end of August 2017, so we’ve been opened for one year and 3 months. We’ve had an awesome first year! We are the only center in our area – the next closest centers are all around a 5 or 6-hour drive from us. Lubbock is around 250K in population and completely surrounded by rural areas.”
Sarah McDowell is Lubbock’s Owner and Executive Director. Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Family Psychology and is a Licensed Professional Counselor – Supervisor. During her many years of counseling with children and adolescents, Sarah became aware of the increasing need to treat the root cause of the behavioral, academic, social, and sensory problems that plague so many of Lubbock’s children. Sarah opened Brain Balance of Lubbock in 2017 to meet that need. Adam Goodnight is Lubbock’s Center Director. Adam comes to Brain Balance from the professional fields of counseling and management. As a Center Director Adam enjoys helping families find solutions for their challenges and loves seeing students and families thrive by using the Brain Balance Program to its full potential. Elizabeth Mason is Lubbock’s Program Director and is originally from Kentucky. She has a passion for helping and teaching children as well as adolescents to be healthy and happy. She started as a coach at our center and now enjoys being the Assistant Director where she can aide not only students but families who are struggling with a variety of concerns. Bethany Tibbetts is also our Program Director. Seeing the difference Brain Balance makes in the quality of life for the parents and siblings of the child attending Brain Balance as well as for the enrolled child has been incredibly rewarding!
Q. What brought you to Brain Balance?
I became aware of the need for a BB center because of the kids that I worked with in counseling, mostly behavioral and social problems which counseling could not help.
Q. What interested you in becoming a franchisee?
I wanted to become a franchisee first to meet the needs of the kids and parents who were desperate for help, and secondly to make money!
Q. What is one quality you believe each staff member at Brain Balance should have?
A deep desire to help kids and families.
Q. What are some of your best practices to overcome challenges in the center?
Seek advice and wisdom from others, including our BB corporate people, other owners and directors, and those outside of the BB world. In the center, when a challenge is discussed in a meeting, make sure that an action plan is created and each individual knows what their job is regarding the action plan moving forward.
Q. What do you attribute to your success?
My directors!
Q. Is there a particular story of a family that went through your center that you will always remember?
A little girl who was in 1st grade, who had a toddler sister. After the first three or four months of the program, her reading level jumped dramatically, and her temper tantrums were nearly eliminated. But the part that I will always remember was her mom describing how she now cares and tries to comfort her toddler sister when her sister gets upset or hurt when previously she would not even act like she noticed. Mom described her hugging and kissing her little sister, and mom got emotional and teary-eyed. That will always stick with me!
Q. What does it mean to you to be a part of the Brain Balance family?
I feel like we are a family who supports each other, while we are on a mission to help others! I love our BB family!
Q. What advice do you have for our newer franchisees?
Reach out for help and advice!! Most everyone in our BB family is willing to share wisdom.
