A teacher quits her job, starts a company and now earns millions

Lynn Ann Zazzali is a former public school teacher who bought her first franchise in 2006 on her father’s loan.

After three years in the business, she paid back the loan. It now has eight locations.

In an interview with Insider, Zazzali shared why she decided to partner with a franchisor and how it helped her to be successful.

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Lynn Ann Zazzali became an entrepreneur in the same way as many others: she started a business out of necessity. After twelve years as a teacher at a public school where she was on the way to becoming a headmaster, Zazzali decided to take a different direction. She became an entrepreneur.

From high schools in deprived areas to quieter elementary schools, she’d seen a lot as a teacher. She also had two Masters degrees. However, the search for childcare for her preschool-age son and her young daughter was the decisive factor behind the change.

“It was a difficult process,” she said. “I have to admit that with some childcare options I actually started to cry. The thought of leaving her with complete strangers was just terrible for me. ”Her father gave the impetus to start a business.

A family affair

“We have dealt with all sorts of franchises and also with establishing our own brand. I have a degree in education and I am familiar with the content. So it made sense, ”said Zazzali.

When Zazzali and her father met the founders of The Learning Experience (TLE), Michael Weissman and his son Richard, they were impressed by their passion. They were passionate about setting up a community facility for the education of children. “It should be noted that they care about their company and that it is not just a company, but a family,” says Zazzali.

In 2006 Zazzali became the owner of a new TLE location, supported by a loan from her father. The site in Waldwick, New Jersey, opened for a little over a year.

Develop self-confidence in the job

The fact that her family’s hard-earned money was at stake proved extremely stressful for Zazzali. She went through sleepless nights worried about abandoning loved ones. It got so exhausting that she asked the Weissmans to get out. The latter in turn called her and her father into the office for a meeting with the board of directors.

Zazzali recalls Michael Weissman sitting at the conference table and saying, “We believe in you and we know you can do it. People like you – who really have everything to lose – fight all the harder. ”“ And he was right, ”she adds. He gave her his personal phone number, which she should call at any time in the event of another crisis, including at 2 a.m.

The encouraging words worked. The following year, Zazzali was named TLE Franchisee of the Year. And within three years of running the business, she managed to repay her father’s loan.

The importance of the location

In addition to the training program, TLE has its own real estate development strategy according to which the company headquarters selects new locations. That was a big plus for Zazzali. Because, according to her, commercial real estate and building permits in New Jersey are particularly difficult to manage, but they have a significant impact on the success of a company.

When she noticed that new TLE locations were opening near her, she asked Richard Wessman if there were any new areas of activity for her too. There was. And soon after those doors opened in 2016, there were more. In fact, there were many more – TLE has opened 62 new locations in the past three years. So Zazzali got a list of the available locations in the New York area and went on an exploration tour.

Today, Zazzali is the owner of eight TLE locations, three of which are currently under construction. All were funded with the proceeds of their original Waldwick business, bringing in approximately $ 1.5 million.

Individual customer care through economies of scale

In addition to the selection of real estate, Zazzali also sees a decisive advantage in working with a larger company. This allows her to focus more on serving her customers and less with changing technologies and curricula.

“A lot of families tell us that they feel like part of the family when they walk through the door,” she says. This feeling is reinforced by the reliable educational program that Zazzali relies on, as well as modern classroom technology and customer relationship management tools. “Our curriculum is the same everywhere and we follow the same guidelines, procedures and standards. Nevertheless, each of our locations has its own culture, ”she says.

As the capacity of the classrooms is limited, it is crucial for TLE’s business that the family atmosphere is right. The families should not only want to register, but should also remain connected to the location throughout their child’s education.

“In conversations or staff meetings, we always emphasize that we work very differently in our area and that we really cannot afford to make any mistakes. We just can’t do that, ”said Zazzali. It is clear that such a company can never be a sure-fire success.

This article was translated from English and edited by Ilona Tomić. You read the original here.

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