We had the good fortune of connecting with Jessica Ballard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessica, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My thought process behind Micah Speaks Kid Camp is inspired by my son Micah. Micah is on the spectrum and he regressed during the summer when he was not receiving services. I diligently researched for opportunities in my local community for summer camps that serve children with special needs and found nothing. So I founded Micah Speaks Kid Camp in April 2020 to serve my local community and families that have children with special needs. I based the services on what Micah and children like him need which is speech therapy, occupational therapy, tutoring, summer camp, and a parent support group.

What should our readers know about your business?
Micah Speaks Kid Camp helps the community in many ways. The organization offers all services and activities through the summer, and holiday breaks while school is out of session. This helps to keep the children engaged and progressing while waiting for school to start again. Keeping their communication and life skills will help to increase their independence, and to become productive adults in society. The services are very affordable and accommodating to less fortunate families. Micah Speaks Kid Camp helps to bring awareness to the world about people with special needs being able to live and be productive in society.
I think taking risks is absolutely a great thing and necessary because you never know how things will turn out if you never try. I took a risk on myself by actually starting my organization. I did not know how the community would perceive what I had to offer, but I believed that I could help someone and change their life for the better. That is exactly what happened, and I could not be more proud of myself for taking that risk. I have helped multiple families since I started the organization and I plan to continue.
The most important impact I have made on my children is to be self-sufficient in this world, and learn how to keep praying no matter the circumstances. My daughter Christian wants to be a business owner when she grows up. She is always coming up with something new that she wants to do in life, and it all surrounds owning her business in the future. Micah is still pretty much optimistic about his future, but whatever he is interested in doing when he becomes an adult I will make sure that it happens for him. Both of my children know how to pray and we pray together every night.
The most important factor behind my success is continuing to push forward with my mission to help as many families as possible. Doing business with pure intentions and even better actions is the greatest thing someone can do for anything in life. My organization has been able to help multiple families with resources and support that are beneficial for their daily lives. I receive so much appreciation and love from my local community, and it is always a great motivation to keep me going.
I would not recommend ever giving up. However, I do recommend starting over or re-branding if necessary. Do not be afraid to start over. No one knows what the future holds and what their journey will be. I say help make things easier on yourself before you get to an overwhelming point that makes you want to give up. Taking time out to write down what you want to change, and how you would like to move forward in the future is the best way to see if things will work out. Keep trying until you get it right. That is what I did and everything is going well.
I have been able to balance work and life so much better by not having a typical 9 to 5 type of job. My days are much more open to spending as much time as want with family, doing hobbies, and working on new business ventures. When I was working a job, I was super stressed, fatigued, and didn’t have enough time with my family. Once that job was no longer in my life, things ended up changing for the better.
The first thing I think makes me happy is being able to live life without as much stress and negativity as I had before. Surround yourself with positive like-minded people to help support you through your journey of life. The second thing is having my organization. I have such a deep passion for what I do with an organization that it does not feel like work. I love seeing the children and teens happy, and hearing the parents tell me stories of how much of an impact I have on their loved ones. This is why my organization has expanded to DFW to impact more families in such a special way.
I chose to have Micah Speaks Kid Camp as my career because I knew there had to be someone else out there struggling in the way I was struggling to find affordable resources within the community to help my autistic child. When I found barely anything, I had to make changes to that, and bring awareness to the issues that families with a special needs family member need somewhere to go and be as productive as possible. Not only did I want to help Micah but I wanted to help others too.
I define success by how many lives I have impacted in a positive way. Even though I have helped multiple families in the past. If I was just able to help 1 person’s life change, that would still be the epitome of success to me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Anytime my friends and I hang out in DFW we always end up in Deep Ellum. There are a variety of things to see and do. We love doing the Dallas Party Bike and going to the different stops on the tour. Having great drinks, food, and a night out in the city.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to shout out my son Micah for being my main inspiration in the journey of starting Micah Speaks Kid Camp, and my daughter Christian for the inspiration for me creating Kiddeaux Connect Activity Books. My two children have taken me on an amazing life journey and I have learned so much about myself just by being a single dedicated mother. I love both of you and thank you so much for helping me become a better version of myself for you.

Website: www.micahspeakskidcamp.org

Instagram: www.instagram.com/micahspeakskidcamp

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaballard19

Facebook: www.facebook.com/micahspeakskidcamp

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