Lindsey Wander, Valedictorian of her high school, originally enrolled in college to study Biomedical Engineering. In just four years, she graduated with a Bachelor’s in Biology, a Bachelor’s in Chemistry, and a Minor in Mathematics. Several domestic and international internships later, she discovered her passion for teaching and earned her teaching credentials. For several years, Lindsey taught STEM to low-income students, making it her mission to create a learning environment that was so engaging that it motivated her students to come to school. They explored, questioned, investigated, learned, laughed, and loved – all within her classroom walls.
However, time and financial restraints, added to endless bureaucratic red tape, prevented Lindsey from being able to dedicate the 1-on-1 time to her students who needed it. So, Lindsey started her own tutoring business. Her mission was to help students of all abilities to not only improve their grades and scores, but to also learn the skills to become confident and independent lifelong learners, and grow into competent and conscious leaders. She sought to empower our youth with the tools to succeed in school, work, and life – so that they were in the powerful position to direct their own lives. Now, years later, she has seen her kids return home from college as accomplished, self-sufficient adults who are still eager to learn more. Lindsey found a career that she loves and that makes the world a better place. Her goal is to inspire her students to do the same.
What is WorldWise Tutoring all about?
There are many other tutoring companies out there. WorldWise Tutoring is unique in that we do not solely focus on test scores and grades. Yes, our students improve their marks – but they also become better students, employees, leaders, and members of society. We interweave into our content instruction lessons on metacognition, executive functions, and interpersonal skills. Our goal is to help our students become confident and independent lifelong learners who grow into competent and conscious leaders. It is one thing to have the knowledge; it is quite another to also have the correct skills and mindset to apply that knowledge in a way that actually improves the world.
The WorldWise Tutoring instructors observe evidence of success every day. When their students feel confident enough to express a unique solution to a problem or when they take initiative to make a meaningful connection to the content, that is often more valuable than a higher score on a standardized test because of the life lessons that the students are gaining. Even so, I create a spreadsheet titled “Student Success Tracker” where the improvements of hundreds of students’ grades and scores, along with major milestones like college acceptances and scholarship offerings, are being documented.
Since every child is unique, here are just a few examples. Ava’s confidence, grades, and enjoyment of learning dramatically improved with tutoring for the high school entrance exam, on which she scored an 895 out of 900, allowing her to be admitted to and excel in her top choice CPS Selective Enrollment High School.
After one tutoring session with junior Marissa, her tutor recognized she was Dyslexic and helped her family get her the diagnosis and implement the personalized services she needed to help her succeed.
Sebastian improved his SAT Math score from 17 to 94 percentile after just four tutoring sessions, and now formerly dreaded math is his “favorite subject.”
As a result of our College Planning services, Chloe was offered a full scholarship to Stanford for earning excellent grades and ACT scores while also being active in her school and community.
Stephen’s struggles with executive functioning and anxiety led him to miss the college application deadlines, but our tutor helped him advocate for an extension and complete his applications – and he was accepted to Wesleyan with a scholarship.
Rachel recently contacted us six years after her tutoring ended to tell about her successes in college and the Virtual Assistance company she founded. All WorldWise Tutoring students were accepted to their first choice high school and/or at least one of their top three colleges. The scholarships our students have been offered totals in the millions of dollars. Their students have formed countless organizations both on campus and in the community. The list goes on…
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
I actually enrolled in college to pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering. I loved learning about genetics, but the labwork was so uninspiring. So I switched my emphasis to Ecology, and my “lab” moved to the streams and fields of Yosemite. I still finished my studies in Chemistry and Math, and graduated in 4 years with 2 bachelors and a minor. Unsure of which career path I should follow, I spent the next couple years in various internships across the country and all over the globe. It was an Environmental Education internship in Pennsylvania that brought my passion for teaching to light. I went back to college to attain my teaching credential, and taught middle school biology and math in low-income neighborhoods for several years. I truly loved my “kids” and inspiring in them a love of learning; but when I moved to Chicago in 2011, the political red-tape and the extreme emphasis on test scores left me little room to actually teach. So I decided to tutor full time. My methodologies were so effective that I outgrew myself within a couple years and began to hire tutors. I found myself in the interesting position of “teaching the teachers,” and the success stories grew exponentially. Now I mostly manage the business and provide support for my tutors and parents, but I make sure to also work with students a few days a week – since that is where my true passion lies.
What are your plans, how do you plan to grow this company?
I have built my tutoring company on my authentic desire to help students and their families. I am passionate about educating our youth with the knowledge and tools to grow into competent and conscious leaders. I believe that with the current events, people are seeking more authenticity and are drawn to those who truly care. I also think that society now better understands that “soft skills” such as self-awareness, empathy, and interpersonal skills are not just nice-to-have, but are actually vital for progress and peace. Thus, I have made our messaging clearer and my tutor training more deliberate.
I have also started offering free webinars for parents, educators, and business leaders on our best practices for raising confident and independent lifelong learners. For these reasons, I am optimistic that in the coming year my business will be sought out by more and more people who are looking for a change for the better. And, since we provide high-quality services with long-lasting results, I look forward to the ripple effects that will result for years to come – improving the lives of students, their families, and the communities around them.
What was the biggest problem you encountered building this product? and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge has been managing my business on my own. I alone have been handling the hiring, new clients, payroll, marketing, etc. I recently brought on three new contractors to help me: one for SEO and general website concerns, one for marketing, and one as an assistant. Though the onboarding and training initially added more work for me, the long-term payoffs have been immense. Now I have more time to focus on what I am an expert at, without getting bogged down with the daily issues in areas I am not as proficient in.
What were the top mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from them?
When I first legally formed my company, it was out a necessity so that one of my student’s scholarships could pay for the tutoring I was providing her. This student’s attorney aunt offered to help me with the legal paperwork for free. As soon as we sat down, she asked me what I wanted to name my company. Naïve to the whole entrepreneurial life, I had not even thought of a company name. So we brainstormed words that started with a “T” for an alliteration with Tutoring and came up with Tertiary Tutoring. Then she asked what kind of company I wanted to form. She proposed the options of Corp, LLC, and Ltd and said it didn’t matter which I chose since they were all basically the same. So, to keep with the T-theme, I chose Ltd. Looking back now, I choose a company name that no one would pronounce and a structural designation that did not align with its actual structure. Not only that, she did not inform me that I needed to submit paperwork annually, so that company was dissolved a year later unbeknownst to me. Lesson learned: You get what you pay for!
What is one thing that you do daily to grow as an entrepreneur?
Networking with people in various industries has helped me to create solutions to challenges I have faced while trying to stay viable during these challenging times. Despite what many may think, you do not need to interact with people in your exact industry to benefit. I have received excellent advice from professionals in completely different fields that I was able to aptly apply to my own business with great success. These suggestions are what kept my company thriving during these challenging times.
What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your business?
Becoming an entrepreneur is a bumpy and windy road with many growing pains. Looking back, there are many things I wish I had known that may have made the pathway a bit smoother. For instance, I should have spent more time evaluating and summarizing my brand. I needed to determine what set my company apart from the competitors, narrowing in on what made our services unique. Once I was able to articulate how we were not only doing what the other businesses were doing, but we were doing it much better and with more far-reaching benefits, I was better able to target my ideal clientele. Having a clear message about your brand is key.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
I love Content Studio for social media. I have the most basic package and use it to post on all my social media accounts at once. I know there are many tools like this – and I probably tried them all! But this is the easiest to use right from the beginning and its customer service is amazing. I will eventually add more features once my budget allows, but for now I am quite pleased at how much time (and money) Content Studio saves me.
If you only had $1000 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
Especially due to recent COVID closures, I am so thankful I do not have a product-based or brick-and-mortar business. Thus, I would start a new business that is also service based at flexible locations. I would also focus on industries that have proven to be most crucial in times of crisis – such as education, mental health, physical health, and convenience. That initial $1000 would mainly go to set up fees with the government, logo and website design, and software.
What’s your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
My best advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs is to be prepared for the highs and the lows – because EVERY business experiences them. No’s do not mean your service or product is undesirable, business failures do not mean you are a failure as a person. Take every up and every down as a learning experience to grow from. You certainly need to be resilient and determined in order to succeed as an entrepreneur, but you also need to be reflective and realistic.
What is your favorite quote?
Benjamin Franklin’s quote.
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”
– Benjamin Franklin
has been my driving force as an educator for the past 15+ years. It reminds me that students need to be involved in their learning every step of the way in order for it to be effective. As adults, we tend to underestimate kids, thinking we know better. But not a day goes by without one of my students impressing me with his/her deep understanding, perceptiveness, creativity, or empathy. Kids are wiser than we may think. They usually just need the proper support to lead them down their own path of discovery and growth.
How can we get in touch with you?
You can visit my company website WorldWise Tutoring, find me on social media via Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
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