Savanna and Perry Stephens launched their career as the owners of the Phoenix, Arizona, SpeedPro Desert Valley franchise in 2020 after relocating from their home in New Mexico. While starting a business venture in a new city presented its own unique set of challenges, the Stephens were focused on something much more significant — tearing down barriers for autistic individuals. The family has a personal connection to this cause because Perry Stephens and the couple’s two children, Aiden and Ally, are autistic. As business owners, the Stephenses focused on creating a work environment that demonstrated first-hand how those facing this disability can overcome the challenges and have successful careers in the printing industry and as entrepreneurs.
“Just because you have this diagnosis doesn’t mean you have to believe you are limited; there is a place for everyone in the workplace,” says Perry Stephens.
Stephens values his diverse, talented team who are dedicated to changing lives and pleasing clients. He focuses on the positive and pairs individuals’ strengths with their roles. For example, he will reposition a smart, hard-working salesperson with low emotional intelligence who’s not meeting quota into a role where he or she can be more effective. In the context of SpeedPro’s business — specializing in providing high-quality, custom, large-format printing across various applications among which are windows, walls, floors, ceilings, trade shows and vehicles — ideal jobs for autistic employees may include repetitive tasks like logo application or printing art and visual branding. Stephens is passionate about cars, and he personally enjoys wrapping vehicles.
“We run our team like a family,” says Savanna Stephens. They have a team meeting every day where every member shares their perspective and ideas, to ensure everyone is heard and their concerns and hesitations are addressed. The Stephenses encourage employees to share when something isn’t working, as those recommended changes often improve productivity and profitability. Their workplace structure is not a triangle with leadership at the top; it is a cooperative and attentive environment where everyone is comfortable with each other and is on the same page. Perry Stephens is no absentee owner but is in the shop installing and getting his hands dirty alongside his team.
The Stephenses are committed to hiring more autistic workers as interns and full-time staff and championing their ability to excel. They are demonstrating to the world that just because someone has certain limitations, it doesn’t mean they can’t be effective and reach the same level of fulfillment, happiness and success as any other person. They are facilitating a culture and work environment where an autistic worker can harmonize with like-minded co-workers, enjoying solidarity and creating empathy.
Laying down roots and giving back to their community is also very important to them. Shortly after relocating here, Perry Stephens established job training programs through the world-renowned Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) in Phoenix.
The Stephenses are committed to challenging bias on a personal and professional level. In addition to demonstrating technical expertise, Perry Stephens breaks down barriers through personal transparency and boundless courage. By sharing his own story with so many people, he has proven an autistic person can be qualified and high functioning in all facets of life, including as an entrepreneur.
Neurodiversity in the Workplace
Neurodiversity adds disparate perspectives to a business; however, the behaviors of neurodiverse people often contradict the typical idea of what constitutes a high-achieving employee. These traits may include communication skills, a collaborative nature, emotional intelligence, persuasiveness and no need for special accommodations. With his own business as example, Perry Stephens believes that struggling with sensory overload does not make a person any less effective as a worker.
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