Last spring, senior public health major Lucas Boyd received certification to be a Licensed Training Provider by the American Red Cross, and his brother, senior public health major Samuel Boyd, soon followed in his footsteps.
Since then, the brothers have teamed up with their third brother, senior safety management major Gabe Boyd, to start their own CPR, AED and First Aid training business through the Red Cross called Before It’s Too Late. Through the Red Cross, Before It’s Too Late is able to offer more close-to-home and personalized classes at a discounted rate, and a portion of all the proceeds go back to the Red Cross.
“We try to reach out to the students of Slippery Rock who need the training, and we want to provide that service to them,” Samuel said.
Lucas said within the first month of having the license to instruct others, he trained over 50 students, and now, people are reaching out to them and asking about classes.
“We also offer classes at a very discounted rate,” Lucas said. “Because everyone’s a college student and has to pay for so many things, this is our way of saying, ‘hey, this is something you need and this is something we do,’ so we’re kind of the bridge between that.”
Although college students are their target market, Lucas and Samuel said Before It’s Too Late has worked with some bigger facilities and larger companies, especially in the oil and gas industry, which is where the brothers were employed when Lucas decided to get his certification; Before It’s Too Late is also the sole provider for the largest physical therapy entity in western Pennsylvania.
“We recently signed a larger deal to train 120 people in one weekend,” Lucas said of their business’s success. “We’re pretty stoked about that.”
Samuel said they have reached out to certain groups on campus, including the public health and physical therapy departments, because as Slippery Rock students themselves, they believe it’s a great way to give back and help their peers.
Before It’s Too Late holds a number of classes in the clubhouse at The Grove Apartments here in Slippery Rock, which is where the identical triplet brothers reside.
Both Samuel and Lucas, as seniors, hope to attend graduate school here at SRU, so they plan on sticking around for a little longer and getting the chance to instruct many more current and future students.
“Our goal is to have a great, long-lasting relationship with Slippery Rock,” Lucas said. “We love it here.”
Before It’s Too Late always encourages students to give feedback after their classes, and Lucas said the most common feedback is that the brothers have a very noticeable and strong passion for what they’re doing. Those who have had previous training have also said that the classes taken with Before It’s Too Late have greatly surpassed the other training they’ve had.
“This is something we really care about,” Samuel said. “We’re really passionate about safety and being prepared in emergency situations.”
The brothers said that along with offering classes they are also trying to offer an unofficial internship for the data management and marketing aspects of the business, and they will be at Health Fest later in the fall looking for interest in that position.
“It’s a whole lot more than just teaching a class,” Lucas said. “You learn much more than just what you’re teaching.”
Samuel said a scholarship may also be in the works in the future; the brothers hope to team up with the professors in the public health, athletic training and physical therapy departments, among others, to offer a scholarship to outstanding students who have taken a class with Before It’s Too Late.
“We’re not just teaching, we’re growing and building a business and connections,” Lucas said. “We’re learning to become better salesmen, better educators, and better communicators, as well.”
Before It’s Too Late is on Twitter at @B42Ltraining and Facebook at Before It’s Too Late Safety, First Aid and Health Care Training Services. For more information about Before It’s Too Late, contact Lucas Boyd at lab1020@sru.edu or Samuel Boyd at sfb1002@sru.edu.
