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Meet a Jane: Nicole Beurkens
Posted on July 8, 2009 - Filed Under Meet a Jane, Which Jane Are You?
Nicole Beurkens, MEd, is an autism specialist with degrees in special education and psychology, and has more than 12 years of experience working in schools and clinic settings. She is the founder and director of the Horizons Developmental Remediation Center – www.horizonsdrc.com – in Caledonia, Michigan, where her team of professionals specializes in family-focused treatment for autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Nicole holds a professional teaching certificate with endorsements in autism and learning disabilities, and maintains the prestigious title of Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) ® Program Certified Consultant. With a background in classroom teaching, curriculum/program development, and family-based therapy, Nicole is a highly sought-after consultant and speaker for families and school professionals throughout the United States and abroad.
Nicole wanted to start her own business to provide a much-needed service to children with autism and their families and also to allow myself more flexibility with her own family. “When my first child was born I wanted the freedom to stay home with him more, while still staying connected to my career,” says Nicole. “Starting my own business was the natural choice for that. I started in my basement with 1 staff member besides myself, and now 10 years later we have a 6,000 square foot facility with 13 staff members. “
The greatest reward Nicole has in owning her own business is seeing the impact her center is making on families around the world. Nicole feels “so blessed to be a part of the transformations that children and families are making as they conquer the obstacles that autism creates in their lives. There are days when I sit in my office and look around and think about how far we¹ve come and how much more we want to accomplish. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction and excitement about what the future holds both for us and for families affected by autism.”
After taking the What Jane Are You? assessment, Nicole has discovered that her Jane Type is Jane Dough. Nicole believes that the Jane Dough typing “fits me well as I do enjoy running my business, and have big goals for growing and expanding what we offer. If one of my children feels the same passion for working with families of children with special needs I hope they will carry on the business to the future.” Finding balance in her life is always a challenge, especially since she is never happy with stopping the business where it is. With introspection, Nicole’s advice for other Jane Doughs is to “encourage other women…to dream the big dreams about their companies and start taking even small steps now to accomplish them. Don’t get over-focused on the immediate issues, but always keep your grander plan in mind. I can definitely relate to the Tenacity Jane as I went through a few years in building my business where it was sheer determination that got me through.”
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