Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Cornett.
Lara, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When the 2008 market crash it ripped me from my dream event planning job in NYC and brought me back to Atlanta. I worked as a part-time after school teacher with my best friend for a couple of years while trying to get back into an event career. Kim Bishop, the owner of the afterschool, caught wind I was moving on from her program and considering moving to Qatar, to pursue an event planning position on an Air Force base. She opened the door to allow me to own my own program and then shoved me through it. I worked tirelessly creating a business plan that didn’t just prioritize typical after school, but prioritized customer service, overall experience, leadership style and the tiny details that separate us from the rest.
Looking back my whole life was preparing me to open this business, but technically it started in 2011. Today I am a successful business owner who enjoys a flexible schedule, a nice income, a strong team who runs day-to-day and is proud of what she built. The ONLY reason I got here is because 1.) I work tirelessly to be the best servant leader I can and accept when I’m wrong 2.) The Directors & Teachers I surround myself with at Kiddos are crazy enough to be as passionate as I am 3.) I terminate people when their performance and attitude jeopardize our culture & quality, regardless of how much I love them as humans 4.) Customer Service to our kids, parents, teachers, directors, & schools is honest, intentionally Kind, accommodating, and fair. 5.) When times were hard financially, I swallowed my pride, moved back in with my mom and cried my way through it until I came out on other side.
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?
There are no smooth roads, and there are no choices in life or entrepreneurship that don’t require struggle. I read an article years ago that said don’t make a choice based on what you want, make a choice based on what you would sacrifice. At the time, I was knee-deep in with the responsibility of 35 peoples lively hood, 300 kids per day and had been diagnosed with full-blown Depression (which I refused to believe for years, but that’s another story). Looking back the biggest sacrifice I made, aside from letting my mental health go unchecked, was romantic relationships or lack thereof and being too tired to travel with friends & family.
Advice for those starting out… The reality is if you’re not working harder, then your competition you will not be successful. Period. And you might work harder and still not make it, that’s the reality of entrepreneurship. Your time should be spent working, studying leadership, eating well & body movement that works for you, constant improvement, sleeping or time Family & Friends! Insider tip… toss out your TV the first year and don’t browse on social media for an hour+ each day… Go out of your way to spend that extra time face to face with people who do not work for you.
Kiddos After School & Summer Camps – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I create Summer & After School Experiences with some of the most talented people I know. We go above and beyond in everything we do, we are an activity choice-based program, our teachers are energized, and you will always be greeted with a smile. We offer over $40,000 in scholarships each year & we have an inclusion program for those needing a smaller group.
What sets us apart from other after school is, we operate as a business so we can maintain our quality. It is the quality and commitment of our Directors, high expectations for our teachers, very planned out activities and logistics, fun Fridays during the school year and our Summer Camp experience is like none other in Atlanta!
What’s the most important piece of advice you could give to a young woman just starting her career?
1.) Continue to be better at leading people. Look at what you could have done better, before wondering what your team could have done better. It is an honor to be someone’s boss and you hold the key to how their job affects their whole life.
2.) Terminate quickly if someone is not a fit for your company (within a couple of weeks if possible). Give them every opportunity to learn, but you get to follow your gut as to who compliments your team and vision. Women get to have high standards too, and that doesn’t make us mean or ruthless, it makes us businesswomen.
3.) Lastly make sure your business reflects who you are as a person in every detail from the colors used, to the type of energy given to clients, employee outings, offerings etc. Your business is an extension of yourself. Anything but being true to yourself will be hard to remain passionate about for long. And you are going to NEED passion to keep up your strength!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KiddosAtlanta.com
- Email: Lara@KiddosAtlanta.com
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