Our Story

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Our Story – Timeline

Dave Smith, our founder  and CEO, promised his mother on her deathbed that he would help his niece and nephew get a college education without incurring any debt. At the time, he didn’t have the slightest idea how to pull off college without debt, but being a man who’s devoutly committed to his word, Dave eventually figured out how to make good on the promise; his niece and nephew graduated from college without debt. 

Along that journey, Dave gained knowledge, insight, and became so proficient in the process that he decided to help other families achieve the same results. A business was born where Dave helped families one-on-one, navigate the course to college and beyond without going into debt. He even wrote a book about his process which he titled College Without Student Loans. 

Two things happened – one was the realization that human skills were an integral part of what made the difference in one’s life-long success and the other was the need for making the process available for more people than what was possible in a one-on-one model. 

The obvious answer to reaching large numbers of people was to use technology via a website that could deliver Dave’s process anywhere and at any time. Obvious but not simple because no one had ever done it. 

That’s when the real journey began – searching for the perfect platform and the right combination of software packages to bring Dave’s message to life. This was around 2016 and during this process the message/process was distilled into the STEPS Program.

Based on the acronym S – Self-Esteem, T – Time Management, E – Emotional Intelligence, P – Problem Solving, & S – Service to Others, a series of Human Skills lessons were developed that correspond to grades 9 – 12 in high school which involve the whole family.

The lessons, which are based on a micro-learning model, can be accessed 24/7 on a smartphone, tablet, or computer and consist of an overview, short video lesson (3-4 minutes), a review/quiz to reinforce the message, talking points to aid in family communication, and many contain downloadable additional resources. Each lesson requires approximately 30 minutes to complete.

The SAFE Steps is now positioned to help hundreds of thousands, if not millions of families, across America to obtain the skills that aren’t available in our current educational system. These Human Skills will help ensure their life-long success regardless of their chosen career path.