00;00;00;00 - 00;00;28;23
Unknown
There's a common misconception that running a franchise might be easier than starting your own business. What's something that people might misunderstand about them? Yes, I purchased the franchise, but I'm still the one that has to put those all into play. I have scrubbed the floors, I have tutored, I have assessed, I've worn every single hat. Hiring the best people to support you is step number one.

00;00;28;28 - 00;00;57;06
Unknown
Angela Jones spent over a decade growing brands and expanding market share. A strategist in sales, marketing, and business development. But when her daughter began to struggle, she shifted her focus to build something more personal, driven not by profit, but by a lifelong need to help people and a now or never leap into purpose. Just slow down and make sure they're not hiring someone just to fill the space.

00;00;57;09 - 00;01;21;22
Unknown
Make sure they're hiring someone to fill their mission because your business is only as strong as your team. I've always wanted to help people. When my daughter was in second grade, she was struggling with reading and math, and so we did a ton of research in the market, and we ended up taking her to Sylvan, and she loved it.

00;01;21;24 - 00;01;52;02
Unknown
She would come home so happy, and it really worked miracles for her. And my husband and I had talked about it for several years, and it was kind of just a and now or never, and the timing was just right. We found an amazing location. And so we jumped off the deep end and here we are. It had been a dream really, eight years in the making and I just knew I wish I had done this sooner.

00;01;52;04 - 00;02;07;15
Unknown
I wish I had had, you know, the guts maybe to do it sooner. Just do it.

00;02;07;17 - 00;02;34;18
Unknown
All right. Today's guest. We have Angela Jones. Angela is the owner of the Sylvan Learning Center in Altoona. But before she started her learning center, she was. She worked for Jordan Creek Town Center as well as the Glen Oaks Country Club as a marketing coordinator, marketing director, marketing director. And, but it wasn't until she walked in Sylvan stores as a mom that she wanted to start off on her entrepreneurial journey.

00;02;34;20 - 00;03;02;00
Unknown
So, Angela, welcome to the show. Thank you. I'm happy to be here. Awesome. So just got back from a conference. I did. What was that all about? It was awesome. It was the Sylvan Slash unleashed brands conference in Fort Worth, Texas. Learned a lot of great things. There were several great inspirational speakers. But it was really amazing to meet with other franchisees and owners of Sylvan.

00;03;02;02 - 00;03;26;25
Unknown
It was just great to get together and talk about our day to day lives and what we're doing, and really just share information with each other. Yeah. So this unleashed company, what are some other, companies that do? Yeah. Unleashed brands is amazing. They own eight different companies and they really span all ages of children. We really want to learn, grow and play with them.

00;03;26;26 - 00;03;47;20
Unknown
So they own everything from the little gym where tots can go learn how to, you know, do gymnastics and be physical to things in the middle where they learn like Sylvan. And class 101. That's at college prep. But then also they have fun things like urban air, which we have a few in the metro or one in the metro in Ankeny.

00;03;47;21 - 00;04;12;01
Unknown
So it's just a really great concept. I love that it's it's completely kid centric, and we're just working with kids from little ages to graduation. Yeah. How many Sylvan centers are there nationwide? Oh, there's over 400. And we are in Canada as well. Oh, wow. So we're everywhere. Yeah, we've been around for 46 years now. So it's a it's an amazing, trusted brand.

00;04;12;01 - 00;04;43;01
Unknown
And I love it. Yeah. Tell us a little bit more. What's the the sylvan, motto or the Sylvan? Brand? Yeah. So we inspire kids to learn. We're personalized learning. We have great teachers. We also believe that there's a great initiative to technology. Kiddos really love technology, so if that can help them learn. We're 100% behind that.

00;04;43;01 - 00;05;05;28
Unknown
But really, I'm most passionate about seeing the changes in the kids from when they come in to when they leave. Building confidence is at the core of what we do. So we're building skills, but we're also building confidence. Yeah. So take us back before Sylvan. Out of high school. Out of college. Where do you go to college?

00;05;06;00 - 00;05;27;01
Unknown
I went to you and I. You went and I got my undergrad and my masters degree there. My undergrad was in PR, and then my masters was in organizational communication. So I am marketing advertising sales. That's where I originated. Yeah. So I went to work for some agencies in Cedar Falls right after graduating from you and I, and I loved it.

00;05;27;01 - 00;05;49;02
Unknown
I was a media buyer, so it was really amazing. All of the clients that I worked with trusted me to help put their advertising in the right places. So I really got to know really, the whole Iowa market. I advertised for companies. Well, actually some education as well. I did Wartburg College, their Be Orange campaign. I placed all of that media.

00;05;49;04 - 00;06;17;14
Unknown
You and I, Athletics. Some hospitals, some non-profits. It was just really amazing to be in an agency environment because I got to learn not only media buying, but everything else that they did for the brand. So we did everything from original concepts to creative to commercial, print, digital television, you name it and stuff.

00;06;17;17 - 00;06;51;22
Unknown
Placing or. Yeah. Favorite creative? Well, yeah. To me. Both. Okay. So we for Allen Hospital, we had some really great, advertising. We had, go red for women, which is our awareness of heart disease awareness. And, I got to be in some of those ads, but I also really loved you and I. Athletics. We would have media days, and all of the athletes and the coaches would be there, and we'd get little snippets of them, like when you go to a game and you see their photos up on the the screens, we did all that media.

00;06;51;23 - 00;07;16;18
Unknown
It was a lot of fun. See, like the creative aspect the best. I did love watching the creative aspect because it helped me know where to place the media. You know, media buying is kind of an art. You have to really know where your audience is going to be and what the messages to make sure you're reaching the right people.

00;07;16;21 - 00;07;39;23
Unknown
Yeah. How did you track what placements were performing the best. So I worked with the stations. We also had access to all of the ratings. So I don't know if you remember if your parents ever did the Nielsen ratings, they would get a diary at home and they'd mark where they watched things. This was old school. But now it's all, you know, digitized and they can track everything, right?

00;07;39;26 - 00;08;01;08
Unknown
But we would get all of those ratings so we would know exactly what, what, programs and what television stations had the highest ratings. And so we would target there. But also things like cable. I mean, back before all the streaming services, cable was really awesome because you could find your niche market, you know, are they on MTV or are they on Bravo or are they on lifetime?

00;08;01;15 - 00;08;25;18
Unknown
So it was really fun to get to know your clients and your advertisers, and really live that journey with them because you wanted them to be as successful as possible. Yeah. Did you guys ever do any kind of social back then? So we started doing, Google AdWords and things like that. That started towards the end of my media buying era.

00;08;25;21 - 00;08;49;06
Unknown
I guess you could say that started becoming a thing. So I have done that. Facebook ads, things like that, but not to the magnitude that they are now, because it's just a different world now. Which I also love because everything is trackable and you can geofence exactly the person you want down to the. I want to reach them on a 70 degree day on a golf course.

00;08;49;08 - 00;09;11;02
Unknown
You know, it's it's pretty amazing what you can do now. Yeah. So, talk to me more about, after college, after those agencies in Cedar Falls moved down to Des Moines, I moved to Des Moines. And that is where first I went to another agency, just to get into the market. And then I had my daughter.

00;09;11;08 - 00;09;31;07
Unknown
And then I decided, being in the agency, I realized I wanted to be the marketing person who hired the agencies. So I went to Jordan Creek Town Center, was the marketing director there, had so much fun. I, helped plan all the events like they we had a huge Santa arrival with fireworks around the lake, out there, around all the restaurants.

00;09;31;09 - 00;09;47;15
Unknown
I helped to do that was back when Black Friday was huge. And we had we opened the doors at midnight and there was a mad dash to get in. That was so fun. Down to little events we had. We did so many things there. It was a lot of fun. We had a summer concert series, so I hired all the bands for that.

00;09;47;17 - 00;10;08;10
Unknown
Oh, wow. And then after that, I went down the street not too far to Glen Oaks Country Club. And there I was, the director of marketing and membership, and they had never had anybody in a marketing role, in that position before, because it had just been really sales membership driven. So my first year there, I got to play some media and it was so much fun.

00;10;08;12 - 00;10;28;24
Unknown
The owners just believed in me. And we had we had great success. While I was there, we went on a waitlist and it's an amazing. Glen Oaks is amazing. It's a beautiful clubhouse. It's a beautiful golf course. So, you know, I I've been very blessed. The jobs that I've had in the past, they were all places that were very easy to market because they were beautiful.

00;10;29;01 - 00;11;10;11
Unknown
Yeah. How did you come across those opportunities? So in my experience, A lot of companies are looking for experienced talent, for someone that's maybe new to the workforce in marketing or, any industry for that matter. How do you get into some of those other companies as an entry level? So. Funny enough, when I was at me and B, the very first agency I was at, which was then Mathis earnest and van eventer, and now it's Ambridge.

00;11;10;14 - 00;11;37;13
Unknown
Brian Earnest hired me and he said, I'm not hiring you for your experience. I'm hiring you for your attitude and your personality. And so I was there for seven years before I moved here. And I really think that all of the knowledge that I had from not only the media buying side, but the creative side and, you know, working with each of my advertisers on what they went through gave me the knowledge.

00;11;37;15 - 00;12;03;15
Unknown
And when I met with Jordan Creek Town Center, they trusted me to take that on. I had already been buying media in the market, so I knew what to do. And I love planning events, so that was really easy. So I, I really think it's finding the right person that will trust you. And, you know, you have to really sell yourself in that interview, too, because nobody is going to do it for you.

00;12;03;17 - 00;12;24;14
Unknown
And you have to come across it, I think, as trustworthy and someone that really cares about the brand. What value you bring to the company 100%. And, you know, every job that I've had, I've never been one to apply or interview for something that I knew I couldn't be passionate about. So I think it just genuinely came through.

00;12;24;18 - 00;12;56;15
Unknown
Yeah. And I truly loved both of those jobs. They were so fun. I really got to know a lot of people, and they are kind of apples and oranges, right? Because at the mall, you are advertising to a tri state area because Jordan Creek is really where everybody goes. Right? And Glen Oaks Country Club, that was more advertising to the immediate members, but also getting involved in their lives and, you know, them giving referrals and things like that.

00;12;56;18 - 00;13;21;25
Unknown
Yeah, yeah. So after Glen Oaks, straight into Sylvan from there, straight into Sylvan from there. What prompted you to want to start Sylvan in Altoona? Right. So when my daughter was in second grade, she was struggling with reading and math, and we knew we needed to do something. So we did a ton of research in the market, and we ended up taking her to Sylvan.

00;13;21;27 - 00;13;49;09
Unknown
And she loved it. She talked about it all the time. She would come home so happy and it really worked miracles for her. It was exactly what she needed when she needed it. And so now she is in ninth grade, so it's been a lot of years that we've been thinking about it. And in the middle of 2023, it became a spot where I had been at Glen Oaks for eight years.

00;13;49;12 - 00;14;10;17
Unknown
So it was like, okay, am I going to keep doing this or are we going to try something different? And the timing was just right. We found an amazing location and so we jumped off the deep end and here we are. Yeah. That's awesome. So do you feel like your experience in the marketing world really helped you kind of launch Sylvan in Altoona?

00;14;10;17 - 00;14;40;15
Unknown
100%? You know, Sylvan, a lot of people that end up buying a Sylvan are people who either tutored there and then were a center director and worked their way up through the ranks, you know, maybe bought from someone who is ready to sell or teachers, educators. Yeah. Yeah, I had neither of those backgrounds, but I had the marketing background, and I knew I was passionate about the service and I really believed in it.

00;14;40;20 - 00;15;05;11
Unknown
So I my own testimonial. So it was kind of easy for me to make that transition. And I knew that I had a lot of amazing teachers in the area. I had kind of talked to some of them before we got going, you know, just to see what they thought about bringing Sylvan to the area. And that's really what I wanted to do was do this for our community because it was something that we didn't have buying into a franchise.

00;15;05;11 - 00;15;36;11
Unknown
What does that process look like? That was a lot of research. We already knew we loved the brand. So then we started looking into, you know, what are the different seasons of the business? We did they were called discovery calls with other owners, to see, you know, everything that they had gone through because we wanted to make sure we were, you know, doing the right thing for our family, too.

00;15;36;13 - 00;16;00;12
Unknown
But they had a really great process. They, you know, not only did you interview and talk to, you know, the sylvan corporate people, but they also put you in touch with other owners and center directors. So you could really get, you know, a true understanding of what what it was like. What resources did they provide? You just kind of start off on the right foot.

00;16;00;14 - 00;16;24;27
Unknown
So Sylvan is great. They have, basically all of the software and technology that I needed. And you also have an SPCA franchise business consultant. So I had somebody that was there with me every step of the way, to really help me make sure I was putting everything in place just right and doing all the processes.

00;16;24;27 - 00;16;57;26
Unknown
They have a great training. So I started training in September. Well, yeah. September of 2023. And I trained for two solid months before we opened our doors in December of 2023. Nice. What were those early days like? Busy? Yeah. I was there by myself, I did everything. I was the owner, center, director, tutor, everything. So our whole website went live a few days before I really knew it did.

00;16;57;29 - 00;17;26;13
Unknown
And so when I got into the center, well, let me step back a second. The city approved our center, because they have to go through and make sure everything's compliant, you know, fire code, all of that. I believe it was December 9th, and I already had somebody scheduled to come in on December 13th. So it was a mad dash to make sure everything was just right and perfect.

00;17;26;16 - 00;17;47;17
Unknown
And so I had my first assessment on a Wednesday, and then they enrolled for the next following Monday. Wow. And he. Yeah, that was my first student still with me today. Nice. Amazing. But, you know, it was doing everything by yourself, you know, opening the center, doing all the assessments, doing the tutoring. It was a lot.

00;17;47;18 - 00;18;11;28
Unknown
But I will tell you that everything fell in place just at the right time, because I think it was I had four students that I was doing all of that with. And then I got my first tutor, and she was amazing. How did you find her? So I, use a service called Workstream, and it posts across 11 platforms.

00;18;12;03 - 00;18;37;12
Unknown
Oh, well, so I've had really great luck with it so far. And of course, there's, you know, teachers refer other teachers because they love it. They come in and they have a great time. So I would say workstream and then just referrals from other tutors, what are some of those other platforms that works for you? So indeed, oh my gosh, there's 11 of them.

00;18;37;14 - 00;19;02;14
Unknown
Trying to think off the top of me. Indeed. LinkedIn. Yeah, LinkedIn, Craigslist even. I don't think it goes to Craigslist. And I could actually go do more on indeed myself because they have a really great business platform. But honestly, I think if Facebook, all the socials, it's just a really great platform like it, it scatters it in places that you wouldn't even think of it.

00;19;02;16 - 00;19;29;21
Unknown
And I right now I have I think, 11 or 12 applications on my desk that I need to go through and beef up our summer schedule for. So awesome. Yeah. So what's your busy season? Is it summer or school year? It's actually it's really seasonal. So, summer is important because it's a great time to either catch up if you have a student that's behind.

00;19;29;24 - 00;19;47;22
Unknown
Right. But also during the summer, we have students come in that are doing really well, but they don't want to have that summer learning loss. It's unfortunately, a lot of parents don't know this, but your student can lose up to three months of what they learned throughout the school year, during the summer months, if they don't do anything.

00;19;47;25 - 00;20;07;08
Unknown
So, we we really love it when our students come. I do have some students that just come during the summer, just so that they can maintain what they learned throughout the school year. Yeah. So that's important. And then also we get a little bit busier, you know, the school year get started. And then those first report cards come out for reading.

00;20;07;08 - 00;20;28;15
Unknown
They do a lot of the fast assessing, within the first four weeks of school. And so then sometimes if kiddos are behind already we'll get some calls. But October is when report cards and conferences happen. So then, you know, if somebody is starting to get behind, we want to make sure that they have a rest, a good rest of the school year.

00;20;28;20 - 00;20;52;17
Unknown
But then also in the spring when there's the next, you know, report card and conferences, because we can really help those kiddos finish strong. We had a couple of math students come in and they improve their grade, a whole letter grade, and started getting higher test scores just because they were doing homework support. And we were helping them figure out, what they were missing.

00;20;52;21 - 00;21;11;16
Unknown
Yeah. So this isn't more of an after school program during the school year, but during the summer, do you have extended hours? We do. Yep. We do daytime hours morning, early morning. Because we want to make sure the kiddos still have time to get out there and have some fun to play. So we have, Monday through Thursday, 4 to 7, Saturday 9 to 12, and then we're adding Tuesday, Thursday, 9 to 1.

00;21;11;22 - 00;21;31;21
Unknown
Nice. Yeah, yeah. How did you go about earning the the trust of the parents? In the early days when you were just getting started. You know, Sylvan obviously has a very strong brand. Des, but getting exposed in Altoona, what has helped you grow the fastest? Yeah. So the first thing I did, our doors weren't even open yet.

00;21;31;21 - 00;21;56;08
Unknown
I went and I joined the Altoona Chamber. And in October of 2023, I went to their trick or treat event. And I specifically remember a mom coming through, and her student had just been diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia. And she said, can you help me? And I said, I will be able to. And so I gave her my card.

00;21;56;10 - 00;22;19;11
Unknown
And two months later, when we opened our doors, she came through and her student assessed with us. And we're still working with that student today. That's awesome. So getting involved in the community, I make sure I do everything I can. I try to go to all the chamber events, especially the community events. That trick or treat event has been amazing for us.

00;22;19;13 - 00;22;42;17
Unknown
I try to get involved in all of the school things. We did the homecoming parade. We did Black and Gold Night. Just really being out there and being a face in the community and just to give awareness that we're there and we're open. The other day I went and presented a dollars for scholars scholarship, and there were hundreds of people there.

00;22;42;19 - 00;23;09;24
Unknown
And so, you know, just letting them know that we're there and we care about the students in the community, I think is really important for someone ignorant like me that doesn't know exactly what dyslexia is. Can you help me understand what are some of the things that, someone with dyslexia struggles with? Right. So some of the kiddos will see letters and numbers either backwards.

00;23;09;27 - 00;23;37;25
Unknown
Sometimes they'll mirror their their numbers. So like six, you have a 9 or 6 or even the number four, or they and they might even just write it the other way, like backwards, like you would see it, you know, you would write a four, they would write it backwards. D's and B's are really hard. And so sometimes they either say the wrong letter, give the wrong sound.

00;23;37;28 - 00;24;03;23
Unknown
But I will say, you know, to parents don't freak out if your child is younger and they are mixing up bad, that doesn't necessarily mean that they have dyslexia. Yeah, they just might not be past that learning curve yet. But yeah, so for a lot of them, they just see numbers and letters differently and someone that doesn't have dyslexia.

00;24;03;24 - 00;24;33;21
Unknown
So to train that, to work that muscle, to start to improve that, what are some of the things tangibly that you do that help that? So really working on the consonants and vowels, verbally, verbally and and reading so and writing so they, they do all three when they're working on their program. And once so vowels and consonants and all phonics are the building blocks of reading.

00;24;33;24 - 00;24;57;21
Unknown
So once we can get them strong in that, it helps them put words together and sounds together, and that's when the magic starts happening. What have been some of the biggest operational hurdles that you've had? Running a Sylvan franchise? So I don't know if I would say it were hurdles, but, you know, just we started this business from the ground up.

00;24;57;24 - 00;25;31;00
Unknown
So it was literally everything from finding the space to signing the lease to buying all of the materials. I mean, you know, iPads, pencils, paper, printer, everything, everything to furnish the space and everything for the students to learn the manipulatives, the technology. It's just it's a lot. It's a lot of work. But, Sylvan gave us a really great list, and so we knew exactly what we needed.

00;25;31;02 - 00;26;04;18
Unknown
And, you know, it didn't all happen overnight. It was kind of baby steps. And so now I would say our space is exactly where we want it. And, yeah, it just take some time. Yeah, definitely. Are there anything that, is there anything that you'd like to you know, highlight in this episode? I would say if a parent is worried about something that their child is struggling with, bring them in.

00;26;04;20 - 00;26;33;14
Unknown
Even if they're not we we can help everybody. Like I said you know we focus on tutoring and test prep K through 12. You know reading writing math. But we also do homework support. And then we also work with kiddos around the middle school age is when this is really important. We do study skills. So, you know, we teach them how to organize, how to note take, how to test, prep things like that so they can be successful.

00;26;33;14 - 00;26;59;27
Unknown
Because junior high, middle school and junior high is a really big change from elementary. So it's really helpful to have that transition. Also, you know, get your juniors and seniors ready for their college exams, the act, the sad, whatever they're going to take. We do prep for that. We've had some students have really good success with our program and come back and call with really great scores.

00;27;00;02 - 00;27;18;05
Unknown
You know, I would say if you have any doubts, just bring your child in to get assessed and do it as soon as you think there might be a problem. I wish I had done that with my daughter a lot sooner than I did. You know, she was struggling with her sight words and things like that.

00;27;18;08 - 00;27;41;18
Unknown
Kindergarten, first grade. And I waited till second grade. I had a parent come in the other day. She has some older children who had started struggling around their fourth grade year, and we assessed her kindergartner last night. It's never too early. And you know the assessment. It will give you a lot of information and then you'll know exactly what to do.

00;27;41;21 - 00;28;07;01
Unknown
So I would tell parents, you know, just give it a chance. It's it's worked wonders for so many people, you know, talk to some of your friends that have maybe used Sylvan in the past. It is so cool. I have ran into so many people that either they went to Sylvan as a child, or their brother or sister went to Sylvan as a child, and now they're bringing their children to me, because they've seen what difference it can make.

00;28;07;03 - 00;28;32;09
Unknown
Right? Yeah. And and really, we we can work with everybody. We have a great beginning reading foundations. That's good for pre-K and kindergartners. So, yeah. And if your child has or if your student has behaviors, don't worry about that. We you know, we work with a lot of kids on IEPs and 504 plans. And we have a really small table ratio.

00;28;32;09 - 00;28;57;29
Unknown
It's typically 3 to 1 or 4 to 1. So it's a small group setting. And even our kids that might have those behaviors at school really thrive at Sylvan because they're getting the individual attention that they need. So, I would say don't be afraid to to take that leap and or even just, you know, call me and we can have a conversation about it or come in and we can sit down and talk about it.

00;28;58;02 - 00;29;32;23
Unknown
I love sharing Sylvan with families and parents. I believe it can really do a lot for them. Coming from a background of, working for other companies, and jumping into that more business owner role would have been some of the, would have been some of the leadership qualities that you've had to, learn, adopt and implement.

00;29;32;25 - 00;30;12;00
Unknown
I think hiring the best people to support you is step number one. I have worked for many amazing companies. I've been manager, director and many amazing companies. And I think the most important thing is to listen to your people. Right now, I have some really amazing teachers and a center assistant that supports me in everything that I do, and it makes all the difference because you have to trust your team, right?

00;30;12;00 - 00;30;37;27
Unknown
Like, I can't be at every single table all the time with every single teacher. So knowing that I have amazing people doing the right thing and caring about those kids as much as I do and the parents do means more than I can even say. Yeah. Sometimes I think there's a common misconception that running a franchise might be easier than starting your own business.

00;30;38;00 - 00;31;07;24
Unknown
What's something that people might, misunderstand about that? This is my own business, and I live in the community. Yes, I purchased the franchise, but I did that because I knew they had amazing technology and amazing processes. I'm still the one that has to put those all into play. Right? So, even though I own this franchise, I'm still the owner, operator, center director.

00;31;07;24 - 00;31;36;14
Unknown
I'm still the one doing everything from the ground up, myself and my team. So, I would say just that, I mean, even though you're purchasing a brand that already exists, you're still the one doing all of the work and the hard work and the day to day. Yeah, definitely. For others that might be considering entrepreneurship, what advice would you give them about.

00;31;36;17 - 00;32;08;09
Unknown
Where to start. Just do it. It is if there is something that you're passionate about. Most entrepreneurs have been thinking about whatever business they're going to start for several years. I wish I had done this sooner. I wish I had had, you know, the guts maybe to do it sooner. Yeah. Do your research though, make sure that you have support from the brand that you're purchasing.

00;32;08;12 - 00;32;25;15
Unknown
And if you're not doing a franchise, even if you're just opening your own dream business, you know, just do your research, make sure you have a good foundation. Make sure you have everything in place before you open your door, because depending on what it is, there might be people that are knocking on your door ready to go.

00;32;25;15 - 00;32;53;12
Unknown
Day one. Yeah. So be ready because anything can happen. Was there a mindset shift from, you said maybe you didn't have the guts to start at first, but was there anything that kind of, pushed you or called you to, to want to start that, you know, you got over your fears or. Yeah. So I think I was just in a place in my career where it was maybe time to make a change.

00;32;53;14 - 00;33;21;09
Unknown
And, my husband and I had talked about it for several years, and it was kind of just, and now or never. And we really took that leap of faith together. It had been a dream, really, eight years in the making, you could say. And I just knew I've always wanted to help people. I that is my love language.

00;33;21;09 - 00;33;30;09
Unknown
I guess you could say, like, I love being there for people. I love seeing growth. And Sylvan has.

00;33;30;11 - 00;33;53;09
Unknown
Over and above and beyond done that for me. I mean, seeing the smiles on the kids faces, seeing their grades go up, seeing their confidence boost and seeing the parents thrilled, that is a dream that I never knew I needed. I guess if you would have said three years ago I would be doing this right now, even though we had thought about it.

00;33;53;09 - 00;34;19;13
Unknown
You know, there's a difference between thinking about it and actually pulling the trigger and doing it. I would have said, oh no, I'm going to be here for a while. But now I am so happy we did what we did when we did it because it's amazing. What's your vision for the Sylvan in Altoona over the next you know 3 or 5 years looking forward.

00;34;19;16 - 00;34;46;15
Unknown
I just want to grow, I want to help more kids. If we can, you know, build more awareness in our community, and help all those kids, I would love to grow and maybe expand. I don't know what that looks like yet, but, you know, maybe open some more centers, some satellite centers. I would also really love to work more with the schools.

00;34;46;22 - 00;35;11;22
Unknown
We have, some programs that we can go and help them. With needs that they have, specifically for math and reading. So I would love to, to be able to expand that way too. Do you get a lot of referrals from the school, like, you know, maybe teachers that see a student struggling and know that they need some extra help but can't provide it within school hours?

00;35;11;24 - 00;35;36;05
Unknown
Do you get referrals that way? I've had a few, I also one of the things that I do is when a parent comes in and enrolls their student, I get permission to talk with the teachers that they have, and I've built some really great relationships that way. You know, when one teacher I was messaging with her and we were working specifically on reading with a student and they said, that's great.

00;35;36;05 - 00;36;02;17
Unknown
They're reading scores are starting to really go go up. But we've noticed a decline maybe in math. So, you know, could you assess them in math too and get some help there. So now we're working with that student that way. So I really love, having a relationship with the teachers. I had another teacher reach out to me and say that their student had begun doing so much better in school.

00;36;02;20 - 00;36;21;06
Unknown
Both, you know, from a behavior standpoint, but also from a reading standpoint because of the work that they were doing at Sylvan. And she had even suggested to the parent that they keep that relationship and keep working. So I think it's really important to have those relationships. And really let the teachers know that we're here to support them.

00;36;21;08 - 00;36;43;12
Unknown
You know, we as you said, there's only so many hours in the day. And so I really just want to be an extension of them and help make, you know, what they do in the classroom easier. Are you primarily just in Southeast Polk, or do you have other kids from other school districts coming? I do, I do, and so our so when you purchase a franchise, you have a territory.

00;36;43;12 - 00;37;10;16
Unknown
So my territory is and Pleasant Hill and Altoona. So because I live in the Southeast Polk School District, you know, I'm able to attend a lot of that stuff more often, but I do have students that that travel to the center, where there isn't a sylvan near them or the closest one. So. Right. Yeah. And we can do online, too.

00;37;10;16 - 00;37;35;12
Unknown
I had one student, go to Florida for an extended visit it visit so we can do, online learning as well. So, you know, kiddos that live further away, we can do all of that virtually for them. That's awesome. So is that what's that consist of? So basically, as long as they have a computer at home, we can deliver our instruction through the computer.

00;37;35;15 - 00;38;04;03
Unknown
So and literally it's like they're there. So we have a computer in the space where they would be at the table and so literally the teacher is just talking to them through, you know, video. And it's really cool. It's the same program. It's just they're in a different location right. Yeah. If you go back and give one piece of advice, you know, day one, opening your center, what would it be?

00;38;04;05 - 00;38;30;09
Unknown
I would say just go for it and don't be scared. Everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to when it's supposed to. I think a lot of times, you know, when you're doing something new, you have this idea of how things are supposed to go, what order, right? And when. And it usually doesn't work out that way.

00;38;30;11 - 00;38;51;20
Unknown
But I do know now from experience, it all works out how it's supposed to work out. So I would say, you know, in the moment it doesn't feel like in the moment it does not feel like that way. It's kind of like a freight train coming at you. But at the end of the day, everything really did work out the way it was supposed to.

00;38;51;22 - 00;39;13;16
Unknown
And so I would say, give yourself some grace and as much as you can, let go and let it all happen the way it's supposed to. What does that look like to to give yourself some grace. Because I've been running into this, or hearing a lot of this, you know, it's all going to work out. The last few guests I've had on the show, is it all work out?

00;39;13;16 - 00;39;47;09
Unknown
Do not fear. It'll all work out. What is that? Giving yourself grace or trusting the process? What does that look like to you? So for me, I'm human, right? We're all human. So giving myself grace means if something doesn't happen in the order I thought it was going to, or if I make a mistake or. Something out of my control happens.

00;39;47;11 - 00;40;12;09
Unknown
Just that it's out of your control. All you can do is be prepared as much as you can be, and then you just kind of have to roll with the punches. And, you know, giving myself grace means if I do make a mistake, apologize, explain and move on. Don't harbor on it because it's in the past now, there's nothing you can do about it.

00;40;12;12 - 00;40;33;02
Unknown
Just keep moving forward and doing the best you can. Because at the end of the day, we're all human. And as long as you're open and honest about that, I think is the best policy you can have. Yeah. Seriously, it's I mean, it's been it's been a recurring topic of it'll all work out. I'll be okay. Just reassurance.

00;40;33;03 - 00;41;05;18
Unknown
And I know it sounds cliche, but it really does. And the other thing I've learned is that worrying does you no good because there are so many pieces to the puzzle that are out of your control. That if you just sit there and fester and worry about it, you'll just make yourself miserable. And especially when you own your own business, you can't do that because, you know, if you're miserable, you're not going to attract other people to want to come do business with you.

00;41;05;18 - 00;41;26;28
Unknown
Right? So team to oh, for sure, your team and I, my team, I try to do little things for them all the time to let them know how much I appreciate them, because, you know, your team is your business and they are the face of your business. And I just want them to always know how much they're appreciated.

00;41;27;01 - 00;41;45;03
Unknown
Because at the end of the day, especially for me, you know, they are helping transform these students. And helping them grow. Yeah. That's the best piece of advice you've ever received.

00;41;45;06 - 00;42;26;03
Unknown
That's a great question. I would say probably just believe in yourself, because if you have a dream and a vision, as long as you do your best and work your hardest, you'll get there. In my business right now, I've got a couple different, businesses I'm working with that are to a point where the amount of business that we're bringing on, they're having trouble fulfilling, and they're in a spot where they have to start hiring or building out their team, and they're struggling to get over that hurdle.

00;42;26;06 - 00;42;59;08
Unknown
What advice would you give to a business owner? I know you've said you've used, job boards that help you spread the word, but hiring great talent, what advice would you give to those business owners? That's a tough one because they're like, in a hurry. I would say still slow down. Take your time, because you definitely want the right fit for your team.

00;42;59;10 - 00;43;23;05
Unknown
Take your time and go through that interview process and make sure that the people you hire have the same vision as you, because your business is only as strong as your team. And if you have people that aren't there for the right reasons. Business might not get done the way you want it to. So I would say be patient.

00;43;23;05 - 00;43;52;29
Unknown
I would also say, you know, treat your employees that you have. Well, because a lot of times that's where you get your best referrals from. And you know, just listen to them. Everybody wants to feel like they're being heard. Right. And so even though they're in a hurry, just slow down and make sure they're not hiring someone just to fill the space.

00;43;53;02 - 00;44;22;20
Unknown
Make sure they're hiring someone to fill, their mission. How important is it to have a. Vision and values for your company and expressing that in your hiring process? That's everything. Because if you bring someone on that is just there to check a box, you know, maybe they just need a job and they're not there for the right reasons.

00;44;22;23 - 00;45;04;22
Unknown
That will show. And so specifically for me, I have to make sure that that person is there for the students. I am very, very careful about who comes in because I think of all those students as my own student. Right? I want them all to succeed and go beyond exceeding. And so I need to make sure that every teacher I bring in there feels the same way, because the student can feel that, you know, kiddos know when someone is genuine and when they're not.

00;45;04;24 - 00;45;30;03
Unknown
And so it's most important for me for that student to feel like they're being heard. They're being seen, and that we're building their confidence and they're building their skills at the same time. But it all goes together. It's package deal. Yeah. And I never want a student to feel like they're not important, because we're there to make sure that they know that they are.

00;45;30;05 - 00;45;58;26
Unknown
Yeah. What are some of those characteristics or traits that you're looking for, that are most important to you when hiring? I have some really great people. They just have a warm personality. They're welcoming. They make you feel comfortable. When they speak to you, it's never. They're never speaking down to you. They're always positive. And that's hard, right?

00;45;58;26 - 00;46;42;00
Unknown
We aren't always 100% in a great mood every single day. But these teachers have a gift of leaving whatever baggage they have at the door and coming in and making that student feel like they're the most important person on the planet. Yeah. They just exude confidence and warmth and happiness. Really? Yeah. That's awesome. For a business owner that maybe doesn't have their vision and values, you know, written down or fully expressed, how would you advise that they, you know, start to build those or become aware of what's important to them.

00;46;42;02 - 00;47;08;01
Unknown
So I think everybody needs to figure out their why why am I doing this. What's important to me. And then I think they need to practice that and show that to people. Yeah. So people can really see what they're about. At the end of the day, whatever business you open or franchise or whatever you decide to do, it's a reflection of you.

00;47;08;04 - 00;47;35;12
Unknown
So if you aren't fully invested and bought into that, right, how is somebody supposed to trust you and want to do business with you? Yeah, lead by example 100% lead by example. And I mean, I've done everything at Sylvan. I of scrub the floors. I have tutored, I have assessed, I have done everything I've worn, every hat I've worn, every single hat.

00;47;35;12 - 00;47;59;20
Unknown
And I think that's really important. I think it's important if you're asking somebody to do something, you should be willing to do that yourself. And have experience that I there's not one thing in that building that I haven't done, and I love all of it. I think especially when it's your own business to. It just takes it to another level.

00;47;59;27 - 00;48;26;24
Unknown
But honestly, the people that I have with me right now, they all share the same vision and they all see silver in the same way I do. So I'm just I'm very blessed. Yeah. What would you say your why is. I would say my why is my family specifically my daughter who had a transformation through Sylvan, but also my community.

00;48;26;24 - 00;49;01;00
Unknown
I want all of the kids there to feel like they can succeed. And if there's something they're struggling with that we can help them. And the parents, you know, we want it's really tough to see your child struggle with something that's very tough. And so to have a service like that that can help your child do better is really important, because it's really hard for parents, sometimes to work with their children that way.

00;49;01;03 - 00;49;22;17
Unknown
You know, as a teacher, as a tutor. I had the same thing during Covid. You know, it was overnight. We were helping her with math and reading and all of the things. And just being a teacher is a very different hat to wear. So it's okay for parents to give that up and just play that important parent role that they need to be.

00;49;22;19 - 00;49;39;10
Unknown
Yeah. That's awesome. I think that's a great place to end it. That's awesome. Well, thank you so much for coming on the show, Angela. Thank you for any, any last words that you'd like to share.

00;49;39;13 - 00;50;05;23
Unknown
Leave us with something inspiring and encouraging. You know, just that learning is a journey. And we are here to help that journey, whether it is helping a student get caught up, helping a student get ahead, or helping them plan for the future, I just I want to be a place that can help them do all those things.

00;50;05;26 - 00;50;28;10
Unknown
Yeah. That's awesome. Where can people reach out? Where can people find you? So they can call one 800 educate. That will help them find a location near them. They can go to Sylvan learning.com, or they can find me in Altoona. We are right across from HyVee in the same strip as Jimmy John's, and I will help them get where they need to go.

00;50;28;12 - 00;50;52;17
Unknown
Awesome, awesome. Well, thank you so much. Thank you. Anybody that, has a child, that may be struggling or, maybe you just want them to progress even further than where they're at. Make sure to check out Sylvan Learning Center in Altoona. We'll have all the, links in the show notes below, so keep hustling.