Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Whitney Shashou, Founder and CEO of Admit NY, located in New York, NY, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Without an advocate, New York school admissions can feel daunting and disorienting. There are so many variables involved and schools to consider that it can feel almost impossible to navigate expertly without years of experience. That’s exactly what Admit NY brings to families looking for the best fit school for their child, nursery through high school.
Our extensive knowledge of the admissions process allows us to provide our families with the perspective, insight, and know-how to get the most out of it, from the big picture of finding the right schools for your child to the minute details of timelines and deadlines.
Tell us about yourself
I have always been passionate about education. I studied education at the University of Pennsylvania and started my career in education by working as a part-time public school teacher in West Philadelphia while also overseeing an academic program that provided small group and individualized reading and literacy instruction for low-performing elementary school students.
Admit NY was ultimately inspired by my experience as a Teach for America corps member, where I was a 4th-grade classroom teacher and a writing curriculum developer, and high school placement director at Breakthrough New York, where I was responsible for planning, leading, and overseeing high school placement for 65 + students. My goal at Admit NY is to create partnerships with families as we help guide them toward their best-fit schools. The goal in all of this is to help families find the schools that are best suited to their children.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Building an incredible team of talented, passionate, reliable, proactive, and hardworking consultants.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
As a founder and business owner, there is no such thing as “time off.”
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Scale thoughtfully. Slow and steady.
- Quality over quantity - As a boutique educational advising group, we place quality over quantity in everything we do. This starts with the number of families we work with each admissions season. In order to provide our families with full and individualized attention, we keep our roster small. This means we are able to tailor our approach to each family’s needs and provide high-quality support.
- Remain in touch with the people who were there at the beginning because everything comes full circle.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.admitny.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/admitny/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/admitny/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-shashou-058b1a53/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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