Our center, which opened in 2005, sits in the heart of Arlington town square. Arlington is a very active community, and integrating into it has been one of our goals since I first became manager here in 2007. My assistant manager, Erin Sabumnim, and I have always wanted to win the community’s trust, and let them feel that our center was a place where they could bring their family and friends for health and peace. 

 

And that’s what I feel we’re creating! We get a lot of referrals and have become very friendly with our neighbors. It helps that we are right next to Starbucks--we get a lot of foot traffic and several employees take our classes.  

 

We’ve taken action as well--I joined our local Business Networking International (BNI) chapter last March. BNI is a group of local business people who develop trust in each other, and then refer business to one another. It was a big choice for me to commit my time to meeting once a week, but I felt it was very important to build a personal presence that people could experience and trust.

 

Through BNI I’ve met several health practitioners with whom we’ve built a Health & Wellness sphere. One time we had a Health Fair at the Dahn Center and invited our customers and members.  In 10 months, several people enrolled and I was able to meet great people who have contributed to the center’s growth.

 

We’ve also been reaching out through our Brain Education for Enhanced Learning (BEL) program. One member, who is Executive Deputy Director at a nearby school for at risk girls, has been using BEL there for several years. She plans to spread it to more schools, and will become Boston’s first BEL trainer next month!

 

Several other projects are also member-led. In April we’ll have our Mago Earth Day Festival, for which members meet weekly. I support them by giving minor direction and guidance, but they are truly the creators! Their passion, purity, and love of our vision are what make me the happiest at the end of a long day, or in the face of difficulties. I hope to make a center that is for the members, of the members, and by the members!