Rebecca Grovenstein, Multi-Unit Franchise Owner at Lightbridge Academy
- When did you buy your franchise?
- My husband and I signed the franchise agreement for our first location in 2017 and it quickly turned into two locations due to the continued demand for quality early educational child care in North Carolina. After signing, we were able to open both centers within nine months of each other, during a global pandemic with the highest enrollment numbers in Lightbridge Academy’s history.
- How did you find out about the franchise and why did you choose that franchise?
- Before finding Lightbridge Academy, my husband and I were determining if we wanted to continue with our careers. I was an elementary music teacher at the time and my husband was in a management role at a Swiss bank and we were asking the question, “What could we do to bridge both of our backgrounds to work together?” The Center Director of the child care center that our daughter was attending at the time offered the idea of what if you owned your own child care center? With my educational background and with my husband’s business background, it was the perfect fit.
- As a parent and educator, I could stand behind the core values of Lightbridge Academy as well as its mission and vision. One of the statements our founder said was, “We are not in the daycare business, we are in the trust business.” I could not agree more, every relationship we build- from community vendors to our teachers and our families is built on that foundation of trust. These are not just words simply posted on a plaque in our home office, it’s the actions of our CEO and leadership team.
- What was the process like once you signed the franchise agreement? As far as training, site selection, fit out, etc.
- Nothing worth truly doing is ever easy, but it makes the journey worth it when you have a great team and a lot of tools in your toolbox ready to use. Yes, I am an educator, but I needed an expert in childcare, so I got one and was trained. The Lightbridge Academy home office supported our business starting with data that would determine locations where a school would be successful in a particular community. They also walked us through setting up our business in accounting platforms, HR documentation, and then state regulations. Lastly, how to support your childcare experts, the administrative team and teachers, daily.
- What type of training/support was (still is) provided to you?
- The level of support from the home office spoke volumes and the Lightbridge Academy team has been actively involved in the success of our franchise and our staff. No matter your background walking into being a Lightbridge Academy franchisee, the home office will guide you on your path to opening your center through creating a proforma, marketing, development, launch, and finally operation. The only tool you need in your toolbox is a Growth Mindset.
- That thought process of always learning did not end with me as the owner. Having worked in elementary education previously, I saw teachers firsthand feel stuck in their careers and knew that within my centers, I wanted to offer career development opportunities so our teachers would never experience that feeling. Lightbridge Academy supports us in this effort and offers a platform where teachers can take professional development training that is customized to each teacher’s individual needs.
- What it’s like managing a business alongside your spouse?
- We’re a great team and have created a dynamic where we both get to do what we enjoy most in our business. I call my husband the Wizard from the Wizard of Oz. Many of the families in our care may not be able to recognize him, but his experience is “Wizardry”. He coaches our administrative team on career development, works closely with our accounting, payroll, insurance, and HR vendors, and is a true advocate for Early Childcare. I am Dorothy- I make everyone feel welcome, showcase their talents, problem-solve, and even sing with our children during the music class that I teach. However, I as Dorothy, never need to click my heels 3 times, and our business would not be as successful as it is without the Wizard (my husband) and I communicating constantly.
- What has been the most rewarding part of being a franchise owner?
- Advocacy for early educational child care has been the most rewarding part of my experience as a franchise owner at Lightbridge Academy. When a parent says, “My child goes to daycare,” or when a teacher says, “I’m a daycare teacher,” I want people to understand that educational child care is so much more than that. The activities and projects that children are working on today could very well be their careers 20 years down the road. Our teachers are creating portfolios that show the growth of the children within their care and help to facilitate that growth.
- If someone was interested in joining your franchise system, what would you say to them?
- I would say, find your why, feel your why, and be able to talk about your why to anyone you meet. And then live your why every day with every person you meet. My why is that what we do in early education matters, we are building the next generation. And we (franchise owners, community members, teachers, business partners, and families) get to be the people who have the privilege and great responsibility to do that.
