Today we’d like to introduce you to Ranette Williams Haynes.
I started pursuing my teaching career in the late nineteen nineties. In December of 1999, I graduated with my BA in Elementary Education and became ESOL endorsed. My teaching career officially began in January 2000. I fell so in love with being a teacher!! It was and still is my passion. I was active in several roles as an elementary educator. My roles included PTA President, Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) member, Orange County Classroom Teachers Association (CTA) Union Representative at my school, etc.
Throughout the years there were a lot of changes occurring in the classroom and eventually I started looking for a different career to capture in the world of education. It was important that I have a position as a key player in ensuring that children could get exactly what they need educationally. The reason for this is that I was able to see firsthand that every child had their own individual needs, they were not all the same, kids didn’t learn in the same manner, nor at the same rate. In my experience I found that each child was unique in their own way and needed something different to meet their needs.
Therefore, after much research into different tutoring companies and child care businesses, someone told me to check out Mathnasium. I did! That was in late 2015. I signed my contract in 2016, opened December of 2017 and here we are today. I absolutely love Mathnasium, the Mathnasium Method™ and how we are able to make math make sense for kids!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Opening this franchise took a lot of hard work, dedication, and has been a great learning experience. The most important thing that I did constantly was pray, asking the Lord to guide me and that if it was not for me, to close the door. Was it always easy? No, but I did it anyway, stepped out in faith and watched the Lord work it out in my favor. I was blessed to have an awesome support team of family and friends.
One obstacle prior to opening was figuring out what I was going to do to come up with all of the funds I needed quickly and still get the territory I wanted before someone else got it. I finally decided to release some of my retirement cash through ROBS. This was a penalty-free method of using these funds. This process took a while because I had to stop teaching first, and there was a waiting period before I could move my funds, but God worked it out for me and here I am today.
Along the way, I talked to a lot of knowledgeable people… family, friends, associates, business owners and received a lot of inspiration from the teachings of my pastor as well. Their insight, advice, and suggestions gave me a lot to think about. I knew that with God on my side, I could do this. Early on after making a post in one of the groups I follow on social media about what I was doing, people started calling the franchise to see if the territory, which was the one I wanted, was available. I guess I made it sound too good. This deeply concerned me because I didn’t have my funds yet. However, I just continued to pray and it all worked out. I knew God had placed me in the right position at the right time for this blessing.
Another challenge was that my background was in education, not business (at this level). I had to take a lot of classes and study to learn as much as possible about running my business successfully. I went to many SBA offices throughout Central Florida. Classes were very affordable and often free. It was also a blessing that Mathnasium gave me lots of support and a roadmap to follow. I knew the challenges I encountered on this journey would definitely be worth it and in the end, made me better.
Please tell us about Mathnasium of Clermont.
I am the Owner/Center Director of Mathnasium of Clermont. We are your neighborhood Math only learning center working with students of all ability levels from grades 1st through 12th helping to make math make sense to them. For more than a decade, the Mathnasium Method™ has transformed the way young people understand and appreciate math. One of the unique things about our learning center is that we create customized learning plans for each of our students so that we can help them close any learning gaps, keep up, or get ahead. We also provide them with homework help and test preparation. Each student receives individualized instruction for all sessions. At this time, Mathnasium is exclusively open for live, web-based tutoring online with our same instructors who teach in our center. Students can transform to in-center instruction once it reopens. At that time, our parents will enjoy the convenience of flexible drop-in availability for sessions, up to 3 days a week.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well positioned for?
There are many challenges facing women today, but there are also many opportunities available for them. My thought is that a woman should pursue her passion. Women are beautiful individuals, smart, strong, wise, and determined. When a woman is passionate about something and gives her all, doors will open. Quite often, the best opportunity is the one that you create for yourself. Therefore, follow your dreams, never give up on your passion, put the work in, keep the faith, and always pray.
Contact Info:
- Address: Mathnasium of Clermont
1675 Hancock Road, Suite 500
Clermont, FL 34711 - Website: www.mathnasium.com/clermont
- Phone: (352)988-2939
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clermontmathnasium/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mathnasiumofclermont/
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