Announcer: 0:00

The following programming is sponsored by Marc J. Bernstein. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of this station, its management, or Beastly Media Group. Entrepreneur, founder, author, and financial advisor Marc Bernstein helps high-performing business owners turn their visions into reality. Through his innovative work and the forward-focused form, Marc connects entrepreneurs to resources that fuel their success. Founders Forum is a radio show and podcast where entrepreneurs share their journeys, revealing the lessons they've learned and the stories behind their success. Join Marc and his guests for a mix of inspiration, valuable insights, and a little fun. Now let's dive in.

Marc Bernstein: 0:40

Good morning, America. How are you? I say that pretty much every show, and I mean it. I really mean how are you? I don't know when you'll be listening to this, but we just had a federal government shutdown go into effect at 12.01 this morning. I think that's the time it went into effect. And nobody knows how long this is going to be and how many firings there are going to be and how many jobs lost, etc. Um, but we don't get political on this show. I'm just sort of telling you the environment we're coming into today as we speak. However, we're looking out the window of WWDBAM station in Balakinwood, Pennsylvania, and it's a gorgeous day. It's always sunny in Philadelphia, sometimes. And uh we're happy to be here, and I'm happy to be here with our guests today, Jim and Nancy, who I'll introduce to you um in a minute. Uh we always have a topic of the day, and the topic of the day that I wanted to talk about is commitment. It happens to be uh one of the core principles of our company March Forward, a financial planning company. Don't talk a lot about that on the radio. Probably should more. More of you should know what it is I do as a fiscal therapist, financial planner. But commitment is really important. We only want to work with clients that are committed to our process because we're committed to it. And we want their commitment to match ours, and vice versa. So it's very important in my life, it's very important in my personal life. Um, but everybody has to question their commitment sometimes and find and ask themselves, are you really committed? And in my case, I was in a little group that I work with from some personal development. Somebody read this story that I'm gonna give you the highlights of. Might even read it to you because it's pretty powerful. And it exactly applied to me. And I thought, hmm, something I thought I was committed to. Maybe I really wasn't, and I have to decide if I'm gonna be committed or not. So this is it. This is from Denise Donahue, who, if you're in the mortgage business, may know her. She does podcasts and videos and things like that. And she said, I was fed up. So I called a fitness coach and said, I'm ready, I'm ready to get in shape. And the coach said, Yeah, great. Uh, here's the plan. And the plan was so simple, and you know what I said? I can do all that. I can eat that, I can walk, I can follow this plan. But I said, I can't track my food. It's just not my thing. I've done programs before, but never been good at tracking. And you know you have a good coach when her response was, no problem, but then I am not the coach for you. And she said, Denise said, like what? I'm trying to hire you. And she said, Here's what it taught me. If you want something bad enough, you'll do anything. It's not, I'll go 95%. No, you commit to it because it's that important. You need people in your life bold enough to tell you no and slap that awareness back in sight. Do you really want it or only when it's convenient? So it goes on, but I'm gonna just say it was funny because my wife and I just hired a nutrition coach because I've got to lose lose the middle. You know, I've been working out, I'm strong, I've got a lot of good things going, but if I don't lose that middle, it's gonna cause health issues down the road. So we hired a this coach, and I said to my wife, yeah, but I don't know if I'm gonna track the food. I've done that many times. Of course it worked when I did it, but it's painful. You don't you don't necessarily want to do that. But I realized even before I read this, it was in my mind, I think I'm going to have to do that. Now I say, I'm going to do it. If I'm committed, I'm going to do it, even though I don't like it. I know you guys have had some experience with uh commitment. Um tell me what this all means to you and how it applies in your lives.

Jim Richardson: 4:24

First of all, Marc, thanks for having us. We uh It's my pleasure. We're it's a privilege to be here today and to be with you and to have us tell our story and to get our message out into the world and out into the greater Philadelphia area. Uh commitment is hard. Commitment is very hard. To me personally, it means doing things that you may not want to do uh because there are other things that are either more fun or easier. Um they're not as difficult. But you can't do anything if you're not doing 100% and get it done right. And we've had that.

Marc Bernstein: 5:00

We're gonna I'm gonna introduce you formally in a minute. Okay. And let's talk about let's complete that thought once people know what it is you're doing. So it'll make more sense. Nancy, you have anything to add to that?

Nancy Richardson: 5:12

No, commitment to me, again, is um as Jim said, uh you know, following through, honoring your word, and being true to yourself and to the people that uh you surround yourself with.

Marc Bernstein: 5:22

That's great. And by the way, I'm gonna take a quick break while you guys are talking because we forgot to turn on the camera. I do this all the time with video. So so we're we're gonna come right back in a second after I introduce you guys. So this is Jim and Nancy Richardson. They're co-founders of Front Porch Co-housing and MP Equity Holdings. They are as parents of a 31-year-old son with developmental differences, they know the struggles families face around lifelong housing. Their mission is to build neuroinclusive communities where belonging, dignity, and independence are the standard. Right. So they are business people their whole lives, and we'll talk a little bit about that, who started a nonprofit with a very powerful vision. And I know there's a great need. In fact, I know personally people that are interested in their project because um they have the great need in their families. So officially welcome to you guys. Thanks again.

Nancy Richardson: 6:18

Thank you.

Marc Bernstein: 6:19

I'm gonna ask you, Jim, to start out a little bit with your background because we share something background in terms of our educational background, and give us the kind of long enough story for me to turn on the camera to to about you know your education, what it led into your career, and ultimately what you're doing today. And Nancy is going to chime in as well, tell us a little bit about your background and your you're you were the original impetus for this, um, your son. So I I it's important that we get that in too. So we'll we'll start going. I'll come back in a second once I get the camera on.

Jim Richardson: 6:55

Go ahead, Jim. Sure. So long, long time ago, um, I would have thought that my career would have been um as a music teacher. I was always um good at music and played in the school band and the high school band, and then ultimately um was going to Temple School of Music to major in music education as a keyboard major. And I remember my entrance exam, um, I played in a very, very large church in Center City, uh church organ that took Cotton Fugue and D minor, better known as theme from Phantom of the Opera. And I did go to temple and quickly realized that um my my business goals, my desire to do good in the world would be better served if I wasn't in music. So I left the music curriculum and then turned to business. Very long story short, I've been in the tech space my entire career. Um most recently uh was at IBM for 15 years. Um met my lovely wife Nancy at a company before that where we were both in tech together. Um and um I I think that my background in business has really served me well um becoming an entrepreneur and trying to tackle this monstrous project to the ground.

Marc Bernstein: 8:16

I I'm um I have no doubt about that, knowing your story. And I know that you're I know that your business experience is relative, and we'll we'll get to talk about that. Nancy, tell us a little bit about you and and how how you came up with this idea.

Nancy Richardson: 8:28

Aaron Ross Powell Sure. I grew up in Philadelphia, just like Jim. Um I have a close set of family around me who's uh uh we've they've been very supportive of everything that we've done so far, um, and friends as well, um, and all kinds of acquaintances through um uh through our professional life have been just so overwhelmingly supportive. There isn't a person that I haven't met that isn't touched by um autism or intellectual disabilities in some way, shape, or form. They either know somebody or has a family member. Um I too went to business school, uh Florida International. Um I had my own uh catering business down there. Uh started it by myself and grew it, um, graduated college with no debt.

Marc Bernstein: 9:15

So I was very proud of that.

Nancy Richardson: 9:19

And um as uh you know as life unfolds, I I married, had a son. Um he was born in 1994, and for those of you who uh could uh uh you know um attest to this, you know, the internet wasn't as pervasive as it is.

Marc Bernstein: 9:36

By the way, I have two kids, 93 and 95. So your son was right in the middle. Yeah. Yep. So I know exactly where we were at that time.

Nancy Richardson: 9:43

So when my son was diagnosed, um the doctor just basically said, you're gonna have a very long road to hoe. And I did not understand what he meant. And there wasn't any, you know, computers you could like sources you could look it up. You had to just start talking and reaching out to other families.

Marc Bernstein: 10:03

Did he call it anything at the time, or he just said you have a long road to hoe? Um just knew he had developmental issues.

Nancy Richardson: 10:08

He used the word autistic.

Marc Bernstein: 10:10

Okay.

Nancy Richardson: 10:11

But he also used the word, you know, um uh retarded.

Marc Bernstein: 10:15

Really? And um amazing that they were using that word still then.

Nancy Richardson: 10:19

True. But you know, again, you get that diagnosis and you're you're struggling to figure out what does that mean? And they walk out the door and and you're just left there dumbfounded. So what I have always done in my life is I face adversity head on and figure it out. And that's what I did. Um, you know, Jim came into my life when Michael was around three and four years old, and he accepted you know my world because we fell in love and and we've been true partners ever since. And as Michael was getting older, we started talking about where will he live. And when we're no longer able to care for him, we're no longer here. It's not just a matter of money, it's a matter of keeping him safe, protected, happy, and not lonely. So over the you know, the last couple of years, we've figured it out. We've actually figured it out, and now we're on a path to make that a reality.

Marc Bernstein: 11:18

That's so great. I'm glad I had you tell that part of the story because I missed the love story part of it when Jim tells it. You know, that's just a I think a male-female thing, maybe, without uh stereotyping. But um it is uh it is a great story in terms of how you came together and the acceptance of your son. What's your son's name, by the way?

Nancy Richardson: 11:35

Michael.

Marc Bernstein: 11:36

Michael. So um yeah, I actually I have that in my notes and I had forgotten. Um so you and then you worked together um at IBM, if I understand correctly, right?

Nancy Richardson: 11:47

No, actually we worked together at SAP.

Marc Bernstein: 11:50

Oh, I misunderstood that. Okay. That's that. You worked there previously. Yeah. Um and Jim, you're still but you're still with IBM or you've retired?

Jim Richardson: 11:58

I am not with IBM. I am with an IBM partner company um that uh has given me great flexibility and supports what we're doing here. Because it's really hard to um we've bootstrapped for the early years of our uh existence. You can't do that if you're not having a good income and a good employment structure. Right. So I I'm staring down the uh eyes of retirement, but it is my plan, Marc, that when we get our first project up off the ground and it's being built, that you'll be full of time for me to move to that full time. And and you're in full full on now?

Nancy Richardson: 12:36

Yes, I I I work for IBM. Uh have for the last 15 years.

Marc Bernstein: 12:40

Okay, that's that's that's where I got the IBM part. Got it. So tell us about the beginning. So you are entrepreneurs, you're uh nonprof not non-for-profit entrepreneurs, and and by the way, we only have about a minute. Time flies, I should have told you that up front. We only have a minute before a commercial break. But tell us about the founding. Uh Jim, I think you want to t tell that part. Um, the founding of Front Porch Co-housing and um and the challenges that you had up front, and then we'll take a commercial break and we'll come back and talk about how you met those challenges.

Jim Richardson: 13:14

Sure. And I think it's what um Nancy had said that we uh at one point, probably when Michael's getting out of high school, decided to start looking for future uh housing options for him and found none. So we did what uh we've always done is we've decided to tackle it head on and do it ourselves. So um back in 2019, we um got involved with some folks that were helping guide us. We formed our nonprofit. We also at the same time formed a sister for-profit um that um is going to help us raise the the capital we need. So we we know that this is not easy because if it was, it would have been done. Uh this would not be a pervasive problem that we're trying to tackle, but we are committed to it, and we have over 258 families in the area who have said yes. Uh we love what you're doing, and we have a need for housing like you have for your son. You know what?

Marc Bernstein: 14:15

We didn't we didn't really formally talk about what that is. It was just before the break. Let's talk about so it's a community you're building. Let's talk about what that looks like, and then I have uh some questions to ask you about the challenges after the break.

Jim Richardson: 14:28

Well, uh I'll describe it this way, Marc. Um you drive through any area of the city and any county here, and you see subdivisions all over the place. You see special needs, you see um uh 55 plus communities, you see communities where they're building uh townhomes, single family homes, but you never see a community that is neuroinclusive, meaning that the intent for that community has been intentional from day one, where half of the citizens, half the residents have uh disability, and the other half are neurotypical. And that's what we're doing. Nobody has that anywhere. No.

Marc Bernstein: 15:07

Amazing. No.

Nancy Richardson: 15:09

Well, I I'll chime in here, Marc. Um Jim and I have spent time uh touring the country, visiting where other families are doing what we're doing. Um we're taking a unique twist to this where this will be ownership. So um, like our son Michael will own his uh home and he'll be able to leverage that asset into his elder years.

Marc Bernstein: 15:32

Wow.

Nancy Richardson: 15:33

And that's the missing component to uh what we've been seeing going around the country. But what's happening is other families are seeing the problem um that we're seeing, and they're taking the the bold steps, grassroots steps to create communities for their families.

Marc Bernstein: 15:49

So I just got a vision, because we do some special needs planning in our in our practice. So in theory, you could have this house owned by a special needs trust and can convert the equity into whatever needs the person has down the road. That's pretty amazing. Uh with that, we're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back. Thanks.

Announcer: 16:09

Too many adults with autism and intellectual disabilities face life alone… without safe housing, without independence, without belonging. And the chance to own a home? For most, it doesn’t exist. Parents lie awake at night asking, “Where will my son or daughter live when I’m gone?” Front Porch Cohousing is changing that. We’re a nonprofit building neuro-inclusive communities — neighborhoods where adults of all abilities live side by side. Homes with smart-home technology. Shared spaces like gardens, kitchens, and, of course, front porches that bring people together. Here, neighbors look out for each other. Families can finally breathe easier, knowing their loved ones are safe, independent, and included. But we can’t do it alone. And inclusion can’t wait. Join us in building the next community. Visit FrontPorchCohousing.org. That’s FrontPorchCohousing.org.

Marc Bernstein: 17:09

We're back on Founders Forum with Jim and Nancy Richardson. And we're just commenting in the break that there's their commercial was on for um front porch uh co housing, and um there's piano music in the background. And I said, Jim, we could have had you play your own piano. I should I didn't mention earlier, you might know this because if you've listened to our show before, that I was also a music major in college, and um I became piano was my major instrument, but I didn't learn to play piano until I was a senior in high school. I was a trombone major and or trombone player, and I didn't want to go in as a trombone player, and I wanted my my my focus was theory and composition. So I really needed to have the piano, so I worked, talk about committed. I must have practiced four hours a day for the year before, so I could get in as a piano major in my sophomore year of college at Delaware, and I did it. I but was never really a performance person, but enough to be able to compose and to work the piano that way, you know, anyway. But Marc, I was a trumpet secondary. Oh, how about that? Yeah. So were you in the marching band? I sure was. So at Delaware they told me, first of all, I got I was gonna be a trumpet player, but I had braces. And the and the high school band director said, Oh, you can't play trumpet with braces. I found out later they needed, they were short trombone players. So that's how I got into that. And then they told me at Delaware I had to be in the marching band, so I complied, and I really, no offense to the University of Delaware marching band, but it was so much different than the military-style band that I was in in high school that was competitive, and this was kind of rinky dink, and you know, we had to learn dance steps too. Neil Diamond songs for the first show, and I'm like, I can't do this for four years, three years, there's no way I'm doing this. So I got I found out a loophole and I was able to get out because I was a piano major, I didn't really need to be in the marching bands. Good for you. So I got it, and I could get back to focusing on playing bass, which is what I really like to do, uh, you know, in bands and things like that. Anyway, that aside. So challenges, I'm gonna I'm gonna mention them because we had talked about them earlier. I'll just introduce them. But your challenges in doing this is you of course you had zoning issues, you had uh funding issues, you had deed restrictions. And I want to add one more because you've got to convince people that are that are not um that are fully able that they want to be in this community, um, I would think. I don't know if you have to convince them, but I'm curious as to how you overcome whatever resistance people could possibly have to that.

Jim Richardson: 19:44

There's a term for that. It's uh a NIMBY. Not in my backyard. Uh, gotcha. Uh everybody, everybody that we talk to about this community and what we're doing loves the idea.

Marc Bernstein: 19:57

Nice.

Jim Richardson: 19:57

Until they figure out it's going to be adjacent to their community or their home. Uh love the idea, but it's not here. So uh NIMBYism is a real thing. Um and we've encountered and we're still encountering it, but we will prevail. Because at the end of the day, people just need to voice their opinion. Because mostly, Marc, they don't know. They don't understand what it is that we're trying to do. And it's not going to be a disruption to their life, or it's not going to drag down their property values. It will, in fact, increase the property values, but people don't understand. So that's always been a hurdle. Building real estate is tremendously expensive. Um coming out of COVID with the shortages in supply chain, lumber went up, you know, 200%. And if you can get it. So materials and funding. And then, you know, you got the issues with the the public side with the zoning. There is no zoning for what we're trying to do. None. So we've created a brand new zoning petition, literally an ordinance that will allow us to leverage existing zoning in our township for a permitted use for newer. Which is Doylestown, Pennsylvania. It's in Bucks County. And our community will be in Hilltown Township. Hilltown. Got it. Yeah, and Percosy. Got it.

Nancy Richardson: 21:16

And I'd like to also just thank um, you know, our architect firm, our legal, our developer, I mean our builders, everybody who has contributed. Um, I I'd love to give the names, I don't know if we can, but I I it just they've come together to really, really dig in and and um or lean in, excuse me, and and just really help us.

Marc Bernstein: 21:38

And bring this vision to life. Well, I'd recommend people go to your website because I did, and you can see your on there. So listed on there, too. And you have some powerful, you know, powerful people that are that are on your board and advisors as well, which I which is really, really great. Um when you say 250 people have signed up, does that have people including people that don't have the neuroinclusive issues, like in other words, people that want to live in the development yet, or no?

Jim Richardson: 22:04

Aaron Powell No, our focus um since we started in 2019, got on our um nonprofit designation in January of 2020, our focus has been reaching out to parents like ourselves.

Marc Bernstein: 22:16

Right, gotcha.

Jim Richardson: 22:16

Right? Because we know that um to be specific, our community will have 50 uh units, homes. Half of those will be deed restricted, uh designated for adults with autism or an IDD. The other half are going to be market rate neurotypical, and then there's two units above our community center for community managers, folks that will keep the community running, being the first point of contact. So our focus has been on um the neurodivergent residents, and today we have 11 families that have signed up um with a financial commitment to take eleven of those 25 units. We are working with a services organization, they may want to buy five to ten of the units. So we know that when we put the sale sign in the ground, the neurotypical units, if you would, market units will just fly off the shelf. Because there's just not enough housing for everybody.

Marc Bernstein: 23:11

Right. Right. I was gonna say, and and I'm sure you're making the houses attractive, and the neighborhood's gonna be a very attractive neighborhood. Yep. And by the way, I think people that will end up there will find out that their lives will be enriched by being around people with with with the neuroinclusive issues because am I saying that correctly? Is that the right way to say it? Yeah. That because I think that that's um because because I know people like that, and it's you know, it's their lives will be enriched.

Jim Richardson: 23:37

And I just want to give you um a perspective. Every subdivision that I've seen, and I've seen a lot, um, everyone lives in their back. You park out front, your patio is out back. Our community will be reverse engineered, traffic will be around the perimeter with people coming into the middle of the community, right? So we're going to live together on our front porch. Very interesting. Um yeah, so it's going to be an intentional community where there'll be community activities and people care about and for each other as neighbors.

Marc Bernstein: 24:10

So I assume you'll have an association and and that will help drive a lot of that. That's that's that's I love this. The idea is amazing to me.

Nancy Richardson: 24:17

And it all starts with design, Marc. So, you know, when you design an intentional community, you're thinking about all of these things. You know, what will bring um you know these individuals together?

Marc Bernstein: 24:29

Gotcha.

Nancy Richardson: 24:30

And creating that space so that can happen.

Marc Bernstein: 24:32

I just realized this. We only have three minutes left. I was just giving the signal. It's unbelievable. Um what you guys are doing is amazing, and I believe that you're changing the world because as people find out about this, they're gonna be copied in many communities around the country and around the world, I would imagine. So um hats hats off to you.

Nancy Richardson: 24:50

Yeah. Um Jim discovered a community that similar to what we're doing in Switzerland, believe it or not.

Marc Bernstein: 24:56

Sweden.

Nancy Richardson: 24:56

Uh Sweden, excuse me.

Marc Bernstein: 24:57

Really interesting. Yeah. Um real quick questions because we only have a couple of minutes left, but I think this does these questions that we've picked allow, you know, allow for a little more about what you're doing. So number one, Jim, you had picked thoughts about what are your thought thoughts on your legacy? And I this you could both answer this, but I'm sure it's connected to what you're doing.

Jim Richardson: 25:19

Aaron Powell Well, I think we've all heard that people want to leave the world in a better place than they found it. And clearly that's something that uh I want to do for my family and for Michael and all the other families we're working with. Um and to have this live beyond me, right? So it's not just something we will create and stand up, but there will be uh a sustainability plan behind it, a succession plan. And uh in ten years um we we expect to have a second and then a third. So this is something that um has longevity. Uh I think we have just begun to scratch the surface of a need that's absolutely pervasive and it will catch fire.

Marc Bernstein: 26:01

Ver it's it's amazing. Nancy, you want to add anything to that?

Nancy Richardson: 26:04

Sure. As a mom, um you know, ever every parent wants their child to be happy. Uh when you have a child who has autism or an intellectual disability, it's not just about happiness. It's making sure that they're safe, making sure that they live in that protected environment of sorts, have the opportunity to grow and develop and be part of something. And um I just don't want him to be lonely. And that's the front porch concept that we've come up with is that when you invite people to come and talk with each other, that loneliness goes away. And that actually has been proven to help individuals with intellectual disabilities grow in a positive way. That that that sense of community belonging and support uh gives them the confidence to um you know do live their life in a in a well in a good manner.

Marc Bernstein: 26:59

Real quick in a few seconds, because that's uh literally all we have left, is what if you had if you either of you were speaking to your younger selves, what advice would you give you in hindsight?

Nancy Richardson: 27:10

My younger self? Um actually nothing. I'm where I need to be.

Jim Richardson: 27:15

I love that. Jim, anything to add for you? No. Um I just never saw this um ten years ago. I didn't see this in my future, but now I can't imagine it not being here.

Marc Bernstein: 27:25

It's wonderful. Thank you both for being here. This has been a great, great interview, enlightening, inspiring to me. And thank you all for listening. And we look forward to speaking with you again next week on Founders Forum.

Announcer: 27:45

We hope you enjoyed your time with Founders Forum and that you found value to take with you throughout your day. Join us again next week for another episode of Founders Forum on WXKB 1039 HD2.