Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in training and education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Courtney Knoblauch, Founder of Horizon Tutoring, located in Auburn Hills, MI, USA.

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

Horizon Tutoring offers college prep and success coaching for both high school and college students. We are focused on setting students up for success with the mindset, strategy, and support that they need to accomplish big goals and achieve lasting success. Horizon Tutoring offers 1:1 coaching, online programs, and a successful membership for students looking to boost confidence, reduce stress, ditch test anxiety, improve grades and test scores, get accepted to their dream school, land their first internship, and more! Our work leverages Psychology, Neurolinguistic Programming, and Life Coaching principles to guide students to success in their academics, goal setting, future planning, and decision-making.

Tell us about yourself

Hi, I'm Courtney, Your Student Success Coach! I'm an expert on student mindset and personal development, founder of Horizon Tutoring, and creator of the transformative college admissions program Anxious to Accepted™.

I started Horizon Tutoring after graduating from the University of Michigan. At that point, I'd basically been tutoring other students my whole life. In elementary school, my teacher told my parents it would be great if I could refrain from teaching students across the room how to do the problems after I finished my assignments (oops!). In middle school, I volunteered to tutor younger students in Spanish, math, and writing. In high school and college, I helped students prepare for the ACT and SAT exams and keep up with their coursework. Even when I landed my first 9-5 job out of college, I was tutoring students from 6-9. Soon enough, the voice in the back of my head telling me to be a full-time entrepreneur just got louder and louder, and I just knew I'd regret it if I didn't try.

Horizon Tutoring is the story of how I started a business around my passion for helping young adults develop the mindset and habits they need to succeed in today's world. After years of teaching students everything I knew about academics (study skills, time management tips, testing techniques, important formulas), I noticed a giant gap in teaching and the field of education: the mindset and habits needed to be a successful student.

So I decided to do something about it. I created my first-ever digital program, Think Your Way to Success™, to help students develop the mindset, habits, strategy, and techniques to achieve success in their academics - and in their lives. My mission is simple: I help students eliminate stress, anxiety, frustration, and overwhelm, so they can find motivation, achieve academic success, and create a compelling vision for their future.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

I have personally inspired and transformed the lives of over 600 students, helping them to achieve their goals, like getting into an Ivy League university, increasing an SAT score by over 300 points, managing stress and anxiety, and even improving confidence. I am particularly proud of the level of coaching and support that I provide my students. I always put my clients first and have managed to scale my business without sacrificing integrity. My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is putting humanity first and doing a bit of good in this world.

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

Not taking things personally. As an entrepreneur, failure is part of the journey. It's how you (and your business) learn, change, improve, and grow. When your business is close to your heart, it can be easy to fall into the trap of taking it personally when something fails in your business, but nothing will sabotage your results faster than making everything about yourself. The events, circumstances, and results don't mean anything until we assign meaning to them. If you do not see the results you want, it's important to look at the story you're telling yourself.

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

  1. Start before you are ready. Learn on the fly. Let it be messy. Don't waste time waiting for everything to be "perfect" - it never happens.
  2. Be DELUSIONAL about the inevitability of your success. Trust, believe, and have unwavering faith in yourself.
  3. Don't take advice from anyone whose life or business you wouldn't want.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.horizontutoring.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/horizontutoring
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horizon.tutoring/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@horizontutoring
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyknoblauch/

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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