Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Alexander Gibson, Founder of Gibson EdTech Advising, located in York, PA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

After working in both the high school and higher education realms, I gained experience in curriculum development as well as training others in education technology. Currently, I have a small group of clientele using my Gibson EdTech Advising services as a sub-contractor. The Chester County IU in Pennsylvania is one group that I have been able to assist in organizing high school esports competitions and tournaments. I also have led training for a local preschool learning to use Google Apps in the classroom. I use my evening and weekend time to consult and train educators, while in the daytime, I continue to work to build pathways for education in the collegiate space at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. I am also on several boards of local non-profits for education, including the Video Game Clubs of the USA and the B.E.A.S.T. Push Initiative, using my education expertise and esports knowledge to help create more opportunities for youth in the PA region.

Tell us about yourself

I taught mathematics and computer science at William Penn Senior High School for close to fifteen years. My role there allowed me to build my own course with the North America Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF), focusing on game design and defining esports. Throughout my tenure, I had a second job and was an adjunct faculty member at York College of Pennsylvania. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to assist with their summer high school initiatives to build local high school student efficacy for college. I have constantly wanted to show through my actions that education is a powerful tool for my former students and for my own daughters. My IT Specialist Certification from the Commonwealth of PA and other leadership experiences at William Penn afforded me the opportunity to be hired as the Director of Secondary Services and Partnerships at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. There, I help to formulate pathways for high school students into collegiate spaces knowing these two areas, secondary and post-secondary.

I also had increasing interactions with other experts in the field, bringing game design and esports into the classroom. My after-school club was an esports club that started participating in competitions and built international connections. I was able to find people on Twitter and LinkedIn who were doing the work I was doing and connect with them through the NASEF Fellows program. I have had a passion for teaching and using technology in the classroom that, coupled with my love of video games, has helped me find a niche learning field where I can continue to build student experiences without being a classroom teacher.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

In 2021 I filed for my Sole Proprietor Paperwork and Doing Business As Gibson EdTech Advising, not knowing the path I really had in mind but knowing I wanted to consult in education work. I had watched other educators do the same thing, usually with big companies, and go full-time outside of the classroom. My amazing wife supported my decision to start Gibson EdTech Advising. This endeavor allows me to continue to be creative and build curriculum, but on my time. My side hustle is not my full-time position but offers me a creative way to continue the work I started in the classroom. I have signed two contracts in the past year and helped create a competitive space for esports in the high school region. I think creating those spaces with the Chester County IU and Pennsylvania Scholastic Esports League (PSEL) has been valuable. I learned a lot about the software used to create the brackets, and I continue to communicate with educators working to build experiences with their students in the out-of-school-time realm.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

One of the hardest things I have learned in the past year is that operating my own business is rewarding but an ongoing project. When a potential build falls through, there is disappointment, and the excitement of the potential disappears. Sometimes it is also hard to stay motivated after coming home and working a full day. Sometimes I wonder, “how do I continue to push myself and build my brand?” Since this is, for me, a small side project, I am the one who has to deal with my own motivation and create opportunities for myself to build a curriculum.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

I am lucky I have specific skills and have grown those skills throughout my original career as an educator. I think some things that I have struggled with are normal for people, but to start and grow, you need to be able to promote yourself accordingly. Don’t be afraid to shout out your own accomplishments and make yourself known. I was also lucky to have a former principal who pushed me and allowed me to expand my expertise in the classroom. Esports is relatively new in the high school world, only having come into the limelight in the past five years, but it is a booming industry! I have expanded my knowledge by networking and learning from other professionals on LinkedIn and Twitter. Building a professional learning network (PLN) has helped me grow and learn. Finally, being okay with failure is a tough pill to swallow. We want to be successful in everything we do, but when my other contract work fell through, I took a step back and thought this was probably for good. I can use this experience to expand my work where I am already creating curricula in other areas.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://linktr.ee/gibsoale
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GibsonEdTechAdvising/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gibsoale
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-gibson-mathtechspecialist/

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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