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

Hi Lisa, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
Work life balance, is there a thing? Honestly, it is something that truly comes and goes. I am not sure about people who say they have it all figured out, especially when they are still trying to grow in their work/specialty. In the beginning of starting the Center for ASD I had more time on my hands. Then as the organization started to grow so did I. About once a year I would go through a shift that would bring me to diving in with everything I had to help push the Center over the next hurdle. Now, it is about every 2 months that myself and all of our staff are going through a shift. I level up, they level up, the Center for ASD levels up and we start all over. I’m grateful to my husband for being tolerant of these shifts because they can consume lots of time.

I also run into those times that I am stuck. I feel like nothing is working, I have no time and I’m not being productive. Just awful overwhelming moments, days sometimes. Then I have to reset. What have I not been doing that I know helps me through. Have I been slacking on my prayer time? Have I been eating right and sleeping well? Shutting my phone off at 8p? Resetting happens more than I would like because it would just be better to not let busy win and stay focused on taking care of myself.
However, I have gotten better at creating boundaries – most days I am off by 5 and no work on the weekends, but I have my times of exceptions.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Nothing will start a fire under you as much as having a child whose future will be directly impacted by your work.His life, after I am gone from the earth, will be dependent on what we leave behind. Only now it is not just his life but the lives of so many others. Leading a non profit that cares for individuals impacted by Autism and other special needs, and their families, is rewarding and exhausting. We are driven by the needs of those we serve and what their futures need to look like. What does our community need to better serve in years to come. We are forward thinkers and driven by the needs of those we serve.

We now serve hundreds of people a month, caregivers, first responders, siblings, employers who invite us out to educate them and more. How did we get here? Determination. I was never educated on how to run a non profit, all of my previous education and training was geared to the medical field. My son, his needs, and the lack of resources for families like mine we so minimal and we were hurting. If my family was hurting I knew others were also. I guess you could say my mamma bear came out. I just kept asking for help, input, advice and I still ask.

We now have a beautiful community of people to live life with that really “get it.” I see the importance of this in my life and the impact it has on other families and it is a beautiful thing to witness.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love quiet spots – the Roasted Beeanery is my new favorite coffee shop in Burleson, along with Mug on the Square in Cleburne.

Doc B’s restaurant is a fave lunch spot of mine! Their house made guac and sweet potato chips are amazing!

I am such a nerd and would love to park myself at a hole in the wall book store. Maybe visit a few museums and catch a movie.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to shout out to my family. Every crazy thing I have asked of them, every time I needed them to get up at 6am to help set up for an event, every time I have asked them to sacrifice so I could fulfill what I believe is my purpose. Look what we have done guys!

Also, to our staff…. for every crazy thing I have asked of them. Y’all believe and because y’all believe the whole Center gathers momentum to keep us pushing forward. I love you all!

Our donors, volunteers – we are budling it together piece by piece. Thank you for serving alongside of us.

Website: www.centerforasd.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centerforasd

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@centerforasd

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutDFW is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.