As we celebrate 12 years of business this month, let's take a look at how and why Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC got started.
With the help of her supportive family and a strong passion for teaching, Lori Schaibly has turned her vision for an innovative, personalized tutoring program into a successful reality. Her Haslett–based business currently serves students in Clinton, Eaton, Ingham, Livingston, and Shiawassee counties, with plans for continued expansion.
How did Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC start? 2006 was a year full of life changing events for Lori. She retired early from her teaching career, went back to school to embark on a new career as a medical massage therapist and turned 50! Lori started building a career as a massage therapist, but her passion for teaching kept her working as a private tutor. As she began to receive more and more requests for tutoring, she realized the huge demand for one-on-one tutors. This demand sparked her vision and decision to start a business where she could meet the tutoring needs of many more students. Her company, Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC, appropriately named, began in January of 2008.
After retiring from Fowlerville Community Schools in 2006, Lori continued to teach part–time and realized a huge need for tutors. As a special education teacher, she empathized with students who were struggling in school, and she wanted to extend the one–on–one attention to other students. This all began as a vision, and the transition from educator to business owner was a whole new experience. She started marketing at schools in the Lansing area, meeting with administrators and counselors and established Rise and Shine Tutoring in January 2008. She has now expanded into five counties.
Lori’s transition from educator to business owner has become another learning experience. With little background in business, Lori started marketing her new business where she felt the most comfortable, in the schools. She met with administrators and counselors in many area schools. As a native of the Lansing area, she discovered that she often knew at least one employee in just about every local school system. She started making connections with people she knew. As a result of seeing student’s academic improvement, school counselors invited Lori to talk with them about how her business operates so that they were comfortable referring more students and parents to Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC. She was also asked to be available at parent-teacher conferences to talk with parents who were inquiring about tutoring services. Running the business allows Lori to help countless students ages K-adult who are struggling with today’s rigorous curriculum or new graduation requirements.
What is unique about Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC? We specialize in individualized attention. Unlike a learning center, where tutors typically are assigned several students and work from a predetermined lesson plan, we pay careful attention to each student’s specific academic needs. As the heart and soul of Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC, Lori personally visits each family to gain an understanding of their academic needs and to match the student with the best possible tutor, all of whom are certified teachers, college graduates or degree-seeking college students who teach in their areas of expertise. The parent/student determines the duration, frequency and flexibility of the tutoring schedule. We are also unique in that all tutoring is done in the student’s home or in agreed upon public space such as a library or a coffee shop, which makes for a more convenient and personal experience for the student. Having a tutor who will come to the student, focus on the school curriculum and provide one-on-one tutoring, is a huge convenience an alternative from a traditional learning center atmosphere.
Lori has learned firsthand how being a business owner requires long hours and late nights of hard work. With the help of her family, Lori has been able to make her vision of providing private tutoring for many students possible. She also knows all too well that life is full of challenging changes. Her advice to women who find themselves in a life-altering situation is to not lose sight of what can be. Any woman can pursue a dream, even when it involves changing a career or starting a business at age 52! Just seek out the necessary resources, set goals, work hard, be patient, stay healthy and strong, but most of all stay focused on what you want. A vision can become a reality!
Rise and Shine Tutoring, LLC celebrated 12 years of business in January 2020 and looks forward to the new opportunities and adventures. Never stop learning and growing!
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