A "Safe Haven" for Jason Braunstein & Family

Every now and again, you meet the real deal. You know the type I mean; warm, friendly, helpful. The person with integrity and honesty-even a sense of humor so you can laugh together. The kind of person that goes out of their way to help others, even with no immediate reward for doing so. 

That is my friend, and fellow Notary Public, Jason Braunstein. Jason is one of the good ones, and he and his family needs some support right now. 

In addition to helping so many within the notary community, Jason played a big role in many other groups and organizations throughout the years. All are welcome here. 

With the loss of Jason, this has now become a memorial fund for his family as they cope with their loss. 

We need your help to support Jason's family. Not only have they lost Jason's income, but being bedside through the coma and medical tests have taken their toll on the entire family. The emotional loss of losing such a beloved person is big enough. Let's help alleviate some of the financial stress that also comes. I've set up a Go Fund Me account that directly benefits Jason's widow and family. Every dollar counts.

A Tribute to Jason:

Last night, Jason Braunstein, Co-founder of the Safe Haven for New Notaries Group, passed away. He had been in a coma since last Tuesday evening after suffering a heart attack.

So often, we talk about the people we meet in this business. The usual focus are the signers, and their advisors, like real estate agents, escrow officers, and loan officers. 

Now that collaboration, technology, and community have reached a tipping point in  our industry, we can add each other into that mix as well. Where we used to be "silo-preneurs," often working independent and alone, we are now "solo-preneurs" with a powerful network of kind, loving, and likeminded professionals that often become our friends. 

Jason epitomized this. 

While focused on his own goals, designed to support his loving wife and daughters, he had this constant need to help others on a similar path. I can't think of a single conversation of any depth, where his wife and children were not brought up in one way or the other. He wanted to help Dina reach her goals so bad, while also providing a great life for their girls too. It's always been clear that this business wasn't about just himself-this was about his family and his legacy. 

It wasn't good enough for him to succeed, and have record-breaking months, if he couldn't be helping others along the way. 

Maybe that was the teacher in him. Maybe that's just who he has been all the while. 

It sure made working with him a lot of fun. He dreamed big, took massive action, and always had other people's success in mind. Anytime you can combine enthusiasm, focused activity (and the courage that it takes to act), and genuine care for others, you have a winner. 

It's one of my great honors to have met Jason in person, and to have worked with him so closely over nearly two years as he built his mobile notary and loan signing business. More recently, he had set his eyes on building a training program, organizing the Florida Notary Symposium, and of course, facilitating the Safe Haven for New Notaries group. 

I remember the very candid conversation I had with him as he was exploring whether or not to start that group. It was a great idea, and the industry desperately needed it. And, it would require attention, energy, and resources. To be frank, anytime you put yourself out there, in the arena, your liable to be kicked around a bit. It's not all rainbows and unicorns. He understood. 

And he did it anyway. 

I am so glad he did, too. There's a good chance that he's touched your life through his work in Safe Haven as well. Trust, it wasn't always easy. He took his punches, and got right back up with a smile on his face again. 

He did it for you. He did it for me. He did it for us. 

Jason wanted us all to succeed and he did everything he could to help us do that. And, while it feels like his life has been cut short, and he's taken way too soon, Jason fulfilled his role as teacher, leader, beacon, and friend, to a degree that cannot be measured. 

As notaries, we often meet people on their best days, and their worst days. And while in sadness this may rank as one of our own worst days, this is also an opportunity to express love and gratitude to one of those incredible people you have met along the way in this business.

I am blessed to have been able to speak to Jason several times in his last day of consciousness on this earth. We never know when that day will come for any of us. Take this opportunity to say what needs to be said. 

Bill Soroka