Leading with Care: Rachel Herrick on Autism, Leadership, and Growing Jumpstart Interventions

What does it take to grow from working directly with children to leading a team of 27 people—without losing sight of the families you serve?

In this episode of the South Florida Leaders Podcast, Brian Fay sits down with Rachel Herrick, BCBA-D, founder of Jumpstart Interventions in Plantation, Florida.

Rachel shares her journey from Canada to South Florida, where she spent 10 years teaching in the Broward public school system. Her work with children on the autism spectrum inspired her to go back to school, become a board-certified behavior analyst, and eventually open her own clinical practice.

Rachel and Brian talk about the patience required when working with children with autism and why small wins can have a big impact. Rachel also shares how her role has changed as Jumpstart Interventions has grown and why business owners need to stay flexible as their companies evolve.

The conversation also explores Rachel’s leadership style. She explains why she has learned to combine caring with direct feedback, set high expectations for her team, and make accountability an important part of serving children and families.

For Rachel, success is about more than growing a business. It is seeing a child make progress that changes life for an entire family—whether that means eating together at a restaurant, joining a soccer team, making friends, or participating more fully in the community.

Rachel also shares what is next for Jumpstart Interventions, including plans for a larger space and exploring a homeschooling model that could provide additional support to South Florida families.