“DON’T HOLD BACK WHEN YOU CAN HELP.” — PROVERBS 3:27
HOW DID SHIFT YOUR THINKING START?
Well let’s start at the beginning …shall we?
My name is Susan Schenk.
I have a learning difference, as I like to call it and honestly, I denied it for most of my life. I didn’t intentionally deny my way of learning it was just what happened when dealing with shame for a very long time.
If you want to hear more about this journey you can watch my video when I shared my story for the very. first. time. —- and yes it was on a big stage in front of others. What was I thinking?? I guess I was thinking…it was time. Time to have a voice since I had worked through the denial as I wrote out my story. A story I wasn’t going to share but ended up create a book so others would know the inside story when it came to learning differences.
“It’s time to make GREAT THINGS HAPPEN in the world of learning differences. Remove the shame and limitations and replace them with hope and abilities!! ”
My book, Beyond Ok from Invisible to Invincible reviews each part of my learning difference journey — from a child to a parent and an Occupational Therapist working in the school setting.
My speaking engagements continued as I shared my passion to change how we viewed and approached learning differences. It was then I connected with Sperry Bilyea. I was creating my next workbook and program called Invincible Mama and asked if she wanted to go through the exercises…the rest is history. Sperry stated that I needed to get my ideas out to more people and one way to do that was to have a conference.
In 2016, we decided to create a Summit (not a conference) because it would be a meeting place to connect and learn — parents and professionals — in a setting together where there was no shame or fear.
We would change how we view and approach learning differences.
We are now a charity organization with an annual Summit, a Professional Resource Hub and a Parent Membership Community!
“Could it be that maybe we are “supposed” to learn this way? ”
HERE WE ARE: THE CO-FOUNDERS OF SHIFT YOUR THINKING!
WISDOM IS BEST. SO GET WISDOM. NO MATTER WHAT IT COSTS, GET UNDERSTANDING — PROVERB 4:7
Sperry and I have worked for 6 plus years together to serve people through our charity. We do this because we want to help others. We want to make a difference in the lives of people with learning differences.
We are led to serve others — as Jesus has offered us so much — our charity is a gift to give hope and acceptance to others and honour him.
SUSAN SCHENK
Founder of Shift Your Thinking LD, CEO of Technology & Tools for kids, author of Beyond Ok from Invisible to Invincible
THE MOM STORY -
When you become a Mom, nothing can prepare you for the new world you are about to take on. The Mom world taps into parts of you, you never thought you had and somehow pushes you into the future, then into the past and quickly makes you focus on the present moment. I have grown more as a Mom, than any other role in my life. It was this role that made me walk out of my denial and shame about my learning and write my book Beyond Ok from Invisible to Invincible. And through my story I want to support parents so they can help maintain their child's self esteem and allow them to see their learning abilities. Mom's (and Dad's) have a powerful role to play when it comes to empowering their child. I know we don't always feel powerful but we can do it with the support of others.
THE BIZ STORY
I worked as an Occupational Therapist in the school setting for 20 years. I watched and I learned -- I looked at skills and how learning was viewed and what seemed to be missing when it came to supporting kids that were learning differently. I had the passion to created change in this part of the learning world and so from my own learning and professional experiences my business was born! I stepped out to help parents support their children in a new way so they could see their learning abilities. I then started to support other Occupational Therapist with my various online courses to allow them to tap into the power of technology when it came to developing skills, From my story came a new program Invincible Mama and finally the Summit and Shift Your Thinking LD Movement.
sperry Bilyea
Founder of Shift Your Thinking LD, Thrive by Design
The Mom Story -
I needed help. I found Susan Schenk and she walked me through a life changing exercise to help my children in her Invincible Mama Program. I have 3 awesome kids who all have some diagnosis or another either LD, ADHD and GAD (including their mom). They are creative, quirky, funny, out of the box thinkers and we love them this way! They did not fit the school mold. I saw their self-esteem go down the toilet. I searched for traditional and non traditional medical experts, social workers, nutritionists, meditation. I found it confusing and overwhelming. Our family ebbs and flows as all families do - I want to do the best for each child and help them truly thrive in the world.
The Biz Story
My whole career has been in the health and wellness industry in the US and Canada. My company is called Thrive by Design. Thriving By Design’s mission is to CURATE RESEARCH and experiences to help nurture curiosity in living a life that is intentionally focused on health regardless of age or circumstances. Shift Your Thinking fits into this personal mission perfectly. Our hope is to start this community and give families who are just beginning this journey or are in the middle of it - the support, resources and encouragement that we were searching for in one place. Shifting people’s thinking about learning differently one mind at a time
Our Shift Your Thinking Team:
Jill Watson
Jillian Watson always knew that she wanted to work in the education world. However, she discovered that it wasn’t teaching the curriculum that she was passionate about, but the intersection of Psychology and Education – understanding the how and the why of learning.
Jill also always knew that she wanted to be a Mom, and was a full-time stay-at-home parent for several years for her two kids. She thrives on being creative with her kids, travelling and going on adventures with them, getting into nature, and filling their toolboxes with strategies to help them flourish. When one of her kids, despite being incredibly curious and intelligent, started struggling in school, she focussed her energy on understanding what was happening. Through a Psychoeducational Assessment and input from some incredible teachers, she gained a lot of insight, and something was sparked in her.
After attending a Shift event, Jill knew that Shift Your Thinking was an organization that she wanted to be involved in, and that aligned with her interests and values. Jill is now our Director of Communications and Educational Content. She designs and writes our social media content, our educational articles for our blogs, much of our mailing list content, and works on special projects. She is a strategic thinker, an opportunity-seeker, a creative mind, and a details girl.
Jill holds undergraduate degrees in both Psychology and Education, a Master of Education in Educational Psychology/Special Education, and loves to take extra trainings and courses. She is passionate about community development, strength-based parenting, learning strategies, positive education practices, mindfulness, and character strengths development. She is an advocate for truly understanding our kids, seeing strengths, and celebrating differences.