Meet Jon Pak | Surfer, Environmentalist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jon Pak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jon, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Since my early days, I had an entrepreneurial spirit, perhaps influenced by my parents whom owned a small business. I had started a number of businesses since I was a teenager and after a relatively long career in wealth management, while volunteering with a number of nonprofit organizations, I came to the realization that my passion lied with helping others, whether they are people, animals or the environment in general.

During my time in Wealth Management, I had learned the concept of “Impact Investment” and I believed that it would be a great concept where you can build a successful and profitable enterprise while doing good to all stakeholders in the process, including customers/clients, staff, vendors, environment, etc. effectively creating a positive impact in the community.

When I came across Brain Balance and learned how this program could be a powerful tool to create positive impact to the kids and families that are going through a difficult time, I convinced myself (and my wife!) that I wanted to run with it and bring the concept to San Diego.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Brain Balance offers a personalized, drug-free program designed to improve focus, behavior, social skills, anxiety, and academic performance. The evidence-based, comprehensive program takes an integrative approach to strengthening brain connectivity through sensory engagement, physical development, academics, and nutrition.

The most important aspect of our business is that we are not driven by profit. We believe that if we do things right and work hard, eventually the rewards will come. I’m very proud of my team and the culture we’ve been building over the past years. We truly care for each other and as the leader of the team, I’m grateful for the opportunity to help each member of the team grow personally and professionally.

I’m also very proud to have opened two additional centers during the past 3 plus years, despite the pandemic.

Was it easy? not really, it’s been a rollercoaster ride from day one but we’ve been creative and efficient to keep the ship afloat and headed in the right direction.

As you can imagine, one of the main challenges has been the financial aspect as we’ve gone through many ups and downs due to the pandemic restriction and current economic environment. To counter this challenge, we moved quickly anytime we learned about any grant, loan or any program offered to help businesses stay afloat. I’m very thankful for the lifelines that were made available when things were awry.

I’d like people to know that at Brain Balance, we are on a mission to help as many kids, teens and adults as possible to reach their fullest potential, and we will never compromise our values and ethical standards for a quick profit.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
San Diego is such a cool place, I believe that we live in the best city in the world and I’m proud to show off when I have visiting friends.

The main attraction to me is the coastline and as a surfer, I like taking friends to some of the best surf breaks. There are so many unique and world-class breaks such as Blacks beach, Swamis and the like but also other more local breaks like Cardiff, Seaside, Del Mar, Sunset Cliffs, etc. that represents the surf culture of our city.

Food-wise, we also enjoy such a wide variety of options. I’m for most part vegan so I like going to places that offer vegan fares. Some of my favorites are Plumeria (Thai food), Loving Hut (all vegan), Hoang Pho (they make the best vegan pho), Menya Ultra and Tajima have some awesome vegan ramen. As a Korean, I must mention the Korean restaurant Chon Ju Jip where I go to whenever I have Korean food craving (although not vegan). For sushi, I’ve been going to my neighborhood restaurant called Akai Hana for years, it’s low key, not pricey and 100% legit Japanese sushi. For traditional Japanese food, I like the Izakaya Masa in Golden Hills. I know that I have not mentioned Mexican food but to be honest, I just cross the border for legit tacos. Don’t hate me but I’ve yet to find a real Mexican food restaurant in town (I do think Casa Guadalajara is good enough for visitors). Ah… if you like a legit chicken soup, the one and only Lourdes in Escondido takes the top spot.

Then, the hike and sunsets from Torrey Pines is second to none!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I want to give credit to my wife for supporting me in my craziest dreams. My son Sean, who has Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome) is a my inspiration and keeps me motivated to work and play hard while doing good in the world.

Website: www.brainbalancesandiego.com

Instagram: @brainbalancesandiego

Linkedin: @jonpak

Youtube: brainbalance of san diego