Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with David Russell, Founder and Director of Russell Education, located in Westwood, MA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Russell Education offers individual learning support for students from Pre-K through 12th grade and beyond. We have over 50 tutors in our network, and we can address almost any need, whether it's academic subject help, executive function work, or test prep. Most of our clients are well-resourced parents in the Boston area who have children in independent schools or strong suburban public, but since we do most of our work online, we can serve people from anywhere in the world, and we do! We work best with parents who want their children not only to succeed in school but also to thrive and grow as human beings.
Tell us about yourself
About 15 years ago, I was an English teacher and head of the department at the Beaver Country Day School. During a sabbatical year, I started tutoring and realized that I could adjust everything I did to the needs of that one student. In classroom teaching, you can't reach everyone optimally all the time. It's a constant concern. With just one student at a time, that was no longer an issue. I saw students who thought of themselves as stupid realize that they just needed an extra hour of instruction a week to do hugely better in school. I also saw a business opportunity: many schools had lots of needs but not enough in-house capacity.
How do I stay motivated? I stay in touch with my own troubles with learning and how they made me feel. I remember what it was like to be a little boy, a teenager, or a college student, and I know that my experiences allow me to understand and help children who are worrying, stressing, and feeling bad about themselves because of their academic struggles. I don’t do a lot of tutoring myself anymore, but when I do, connecting with my students makes me smile.
When I talk to parents, I can often hear them relax as they realize that I can match their child with just the right kind of assistance. When I read tutors' session notes or hear their stories, I get to experience vicariously the joy of seeing a student finally understand something she's been struggling with, that "aha" moment. My business calms anxious students, helps them reach their potential, and provides skilled instructors with interesting work that pays them well. All of that keeps me going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Combining a business mindset with spiritual growth. When I was an actor/dancer and then an academic, I thought of business as "soulless money-grubbing." When I left teaching to start my own business, I had to learn how the world of business actually works and figure out how to run one successfully while maintaining my values, especially the values of fairness and generosity.
Resolving that I could and would be both successful and ethical opened things up for me. When I realized that I could face any business situation and still be true to myself rather than using someone else’s formula, Russell Education became an arena of creativity, generosity, and growth. Now I see even difficult issues as opportunities to learn.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Persisting! I love that I’m in charge of my own life, but that also means that when I don’t feel like doing something, the only person who can make sure I keep at it is me. I’ve had to develop multiple strategies for getting myself to work when I’m down. Sometimes the weight of responsibility is terrifying, and I don’t use that word lightly. It wasn’t until I had ridden the ups and downs of being a business owner for about 5 years that I began to believe that going through a rough patch probably wouldn’t mean I'd end up living on the street!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- There’s no point in being an entrepreneur unless you love the business you’re in.
- Become genuinely interested in the people you hope will become your clients. Be interested in them as people, not just as sources of income.
- Putting yourself in the service of your customers is a powerful way to discipline your actions, and your clients will sense and appreciate where you’re coming from. Allow their happiness to be your happiness!
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.russelleducation.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/russelleducates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/russelleducation/
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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