Meet Nancy Ciullo

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

Hi Nancy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have worked with children since 2000, in various capacities, and found that this work feeds my soul. I know I am doing the work I am meant to do in both my early intervention work, and in my advocacy business. As my sister was navigating the special education process and IEPs for my niece who is autistic, I realized how daunting and overwhelming it all is. I wanted to help not only my sister sort through all the acronyms, jargon, laws, terminology, etc. but also help other famiilies going through the process.

My goal has been to empower parents, my sister first and foremost, to understand how to advocate for their own children. I saw a lot of gaps between what should have been happening regarding services and supports for children, and what was actually happening (or more like not happening). Parents don’t know what is supposed to happen or what questions to ask, or that they even have the right to ask questions.

My goal is to give parents their voice and confidence to walk into an IEP meeting with their head held high, knowing they have someone on their side. I want them to walk out of the meeting with a straight spine, head held higher, and a smile on their face, knowing they are advocating for their child.

And honestly, I love making my own schedule and having flexibility to do all the amazing things there are to do in San Diego!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In addition to my business, I am an early intervention provider, working in homes of families of children birth to 3 years old who have a developmental delay. This is my calling and I put my heart and soul into my work (I mean I am not going to lie, it is mostly playing with infants and toddlers which some people call work).

What I am most proud of is how much progress these children make during the time I get to spend with them. There is no better feeling than walking into a house and having a child say “hi Nancy” or seeing their little excited faces pressed up against the window when they see my car pull up. Parents text me and say their child has been asking when I am coming back. I get hugs almost everyday – what other job gives you that???

I pride myself in my ability to coach the parents during the sessions, so that they feel confident implementing the strategies. We work as a team, and I get amazing feedback from parents about how thankful they are for my help and for the doing the work that I do. I am finding that I am able to bridge the gap between the ending of early intervention services (age 3) and preschool for those kids who are eligible for an IEP – there is a huge need for this service. By providing this service, I am able to empower parents to understand the process, their role in it, and how to advocate for their child.

I want the world to know that I have found my calling, my purpose – not everyone can say that – so I feel very fortunate. I am doing the work I love to do, and I am making a difference in the lives of the children and their families.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well we would have to hit the beach because that is my favorite place to be, and of course my best friend would also want to be there. We would go to La Jolla Shores and swim in the ocean, perhaps during summer so we could snorkel and see the leopard sharks. We would have lunch or dinner at the La Jolla Shores Hotel since that view is spectacular. We would then invite friends for a beach bonfire.

On another day, we would go on a boat and see dolphins and whales and stop at the Bali Hai for one of their killer Mai Tais. Have a drink while we watch the sunset. Depending on our timing – we would rent stand up paddleboards and cruise around the bay.

Torrey Pines would be a must and we would get there early to hike down to the beach, maybe watch the hanggliders and paragliders – I would convince us to try it because I really want to try it.

We would have to spend some time walking around Balboa Park because there is a lot to see, and we would have lunch at Panama 66. From there we would go to some of the neighborhoods I never get to – Northpark, Southpark, Hillcrest, Golden Hill, etc. We could window shop, have a glass of wine somewhere and take in all the sights.

Since I live in La Mesa, we would walk around downtown La Mesa and stop into a cafe, a thrift store (that is about the extent of my shopping), and have a meal or drink at Farmers Table or Curbside so we could people watch. We would then head to my favorite wine bar, NextDoor, on El Cajon Blvd to sing karaoke or play trivia, depending on the night.

I am not much of a hiker but we could walk Cowles Mountain, and then walk around Lake Murray.

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?
I definitely want to give a shoutout to my family for never doubting that I could start this business and for encouraging me all along the way – a bounty of love and encouragement from my sister, brother, niece, and my mom, who passed away last November. She used to tell me how proud of me she was. I also have to thank my amazing friends Leah and Megan here in San Diego, who have been by my side since day one and offered to help me with anything I needed.

Website: https://www.compasseducationconsultant.com

Instagram: nancyciullo_advocate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nancy.ciullo/