local storiesJune 10, 2024

Meet Michael Delman of Beyond BookSmart

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Delman

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I taught for nearly 10 years and LOVED it, enough to start my own school and loved that, too. My experience in both showed that the key challenges kids – and adults – are facing weren’t just academic. They were really struggling with frustration, discouragement, and, above all, dealing with their overwhelmed brains! Starting Beyond BookSmart was the obvious response to helping them with these Executive Function skills that allow us to stay calm, choose priorities, get focused, and complete difficult tasks. We have 275+ coaches nationwide and began with students but consistently found parents asking for similar help for their personal and professional lives, which is why we started WorkSmart Coaching. Today, we also have a school division, BrainTracks, that trains school staff so that we can get these tools to families who wouldn’t be able to afford our 1:1 coaching.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’ve been around for nearly 20 years, and while we have grown reliably, it’s definitely not been a smooth ride. COVID was the biggest challenge, where we had to pivot to 100% online overnight. We’ve also seen more people enter the path, few of whom have the kind of qualifications they should have to provide the kind of targeted support that people with ADHD and Executive Function challenges need. (All of our coaches have Master’s degrees or PhD’s.)

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Beyond BookSmart is the nationally recognized leader in Executive Function skills support, not just because we have the most and best-trained coaches but because we have a system of supporting clients that empowers them to learn how to coach themselves. Likewise, our work at BrainTracks empowers teachers, and our work with corporations empowers employees. They

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Let’s get the negative out of the way: traffic and a degree of pretentiousness at times. On to the good – so many good eateries, beautiful hikes, access to city and beach, mostly friendly folks (except when driving), a commitment to the environment, an openness to people.

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