Franki Bagdade, Founder of FAAB Consulting & Franki Bagdade Therapy
Name: Franki Bagdade
Founder: FAAB Consulting & Franki Bagdade Therapy
Who is Franki Bagdade?
Like so many #femalefounders #mompreneurs and #adhdpreneurs I wear many hats: business owner x 2, public speaker, educator, educational and behavioral consultant, mental health therapist, and author. I have over two decades of diverse professional experience and now have expertise in ADHD, anxiety, autism, OCD, emotional regulation, and parenting. All of the above makes me a passionate Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Advocate and Professional.
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
My mission through FAAB Consulting and Franki Bagdade Therapy is to ensure that education, parent support, mental health services, coaching, camp, and recreation programs are accessible for those who are neurodivergent. Through Franki Bagdade Therapy, I provide therapy services to children, teens, and adults using a neurodiversity-affirming approach and as a FAAB consultant, I conduct professional development workshops, facilitate speaking events on neurodiversity, mental health, and parenting and also provide ADHD & executive coaching.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
Being a FoundHer means showing others that each and every one of us are unique, bright, and capable. After 14 years as an educator, I realized that to assure that children, teens, and adults with all different abilities and backgrounds truly had access to the experiences they craved wasn't only about special education. It was about true inclusion. It was seeing people as whole beings with interconnected mental, emotional, social health, and instructional needs. Being a FoundHer means sharing my passion and advocacy for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
Supporting Female-led small businesses is important to me. I take every opportunity to share content, services and products from female founders over social media, on my blog and newsletter. When I search for vendors and support for my business, I always prioritize female owned!
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
I was laid off in 2019 and I couldn't find the opportunity I was looking for, so I created one.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
Working for many non-profits allowed me to learn to market with little to no budget.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I create all of my own social media. I like to plan ahead by a month or two. The biggest challenge is the ever-changing algorithms on each platform.
How did you land your first client?
Most of my early clients were customers I had worked with in previous jobs.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I apply a holistic, neurodivergent-affirming approach to my work which means seeing people as whole beings with interconnected mental, emotional, social health, and instructional needs. I am raw, authentic, and honest, and apply these qualities in everything I do from writing my book to public speaking, to providing coaching and professional workshops. I have a wide range of experiences as both an educator and a clinical social worker and apply my integrated background to connect with others in both of my businesses.
What would you do differently if you were starting your business today?
I would build my email list before focusing on social media followers.
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
I share my own story, struggles, and wins with neurodiversity, mental health, and parenting. I interact with anyone who comments on my posts, sends me emails, dms etc.
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