Kris welcomes the very inspirational Kishani Woldberhan of Kids Early Learning Centers, now operating four locations in Texas with plans for expansion into Ethiopia. Kishani talks about bringing Montessori-inspired education to underserved communities, and her vision for building two new schools in Ethiopia with a combined capacity of over 3,000 students. She offers valuable advice on setting clear goals, implementing strong systems and accountability, and using technology like Slack and QR codes to effectively lead a growing business. She and Kris also talk about embracing the difficult things and realizing the sky's the limit when it comes to realizing your vision.
Key Takeaways:
[7:12] Kishani joins the show from Arlington, Texas, and talks more about Kids Early Learning Centers.
[7:39] Kishani talks about the four locations currently running and the plan to expand to Ethiopia.
[10:11] Fun Facts: Kishani came to the United States on a VISA as a Montessori teacher from Sri Lanka. She is now a mother of five and a grandma!
[13:30] Buying a center during the pandemic but opening it in 2021.
[14:50] What sets KIDS Early Learning Centers apart in the market.
[17:54] Working with Grow Your Center.
[20:16] How they made their vision become a reality and why they are bringing the brand to Ethiopia.
[22:35] The school will be from toddlers to high school.
[26:33] Advice for others wanting to open up a school internationally.
[29:02] The sky's the limit when you put in the hard work and act with purpose and strategy.
[31:07] Keep the end in mind and work backward when working towards your goals.
[32:03] Giving your staff the tools they need to succeed.
[35:14] How Kishani communicates with her leadership team.
[41:50] How being a member of the Academy has helped Kishani and the importance of finding mentors.
[43:06] Keep your eyes peeled for Kishani’s program for a childcare management system, which will come out in June.
[43:25] Fun Fact: Kishani is a party planner and decorator at heart.
Quotes:
“We have dedicated teachers who love children and love to teach them.” — Kishani [14:50]
“This is a partnership. It’s not just you dropping off your child, we babysit with your child.” — Kishani [15:30]
“The sky's the limit as long as you know what you want and you go for it.” — Kishani [22:18]
“Keep the end in mind and work backward.” — Kishani [31:07]
“Nothing is going to come easy. It’s going to be difficult. If it was easy, everyone would do it.” — Kishani [31:44]
“I worked so hard on getting systems and processes in place.” — Kishani [32:59]
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Mentioned in This Episode:
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