Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rob Mason. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rob, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
As a young student, I was not very good at school and not very interested in the journey. However, I wanted to enjoy a great life and I had a competitive spirit. I wrestled and played sports, but it was only through a good friend did I not give up and seek alternative information. When I did, and I received a letter of acceptance, it changed my entire life. This change allowed me to be the first person to graduate from my university without being the Valedictorian. Books don’t teach students; people teach students and people can also give up on students. Our mission is to move students from where they are to the top of their class. We also understand that everyone is not going to fit in our traditional workspaces and may have a desire to move according to their own drummer. We have created programs to help young students to move into entrepreneurship and build a business with the wrap around coaching that is needed for success.
Rob, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I started my Learning Center business because I was a single father of two young boys that went to a school w here students were not able to take their books home. After seeking community educational resources, I notice that the only option for tutorial services had a pricing start of $600 per month. This was not an option for most of my neighbors and even not a good choice for me. This was when I needed to take action and start my first learning center. This would not be a big task as I had already launched 4 other businesses prior to this one.
Dealing students begins with two ingredients: trust and understanding.
We were also the number one educational provider for Foster and Group home educational services. This was rewarding as students needed to have someone to help them to overcome the trauma that their current lives was enduring.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
As an entrepreneur and go getter, you understand that you to compete you have very few limits. As an Army ROTC Cadet, we had a moto that stated: “I can do anything with almost nothing”. In most cases, I still believe this moto. However, as I grew to about 13 years in business, I began to see that I could cheer for the other guys who were doing things that I was able to do, and even support them with ideas and occasional sponsorships or funding support instead of jumping in to compete at all costs. This happened after jumping into the insurance sales industry for a short stint and thinking that I could Parlet that into my learning center somehow. “What a waste of time and energy”.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I remember growing my business and starting to have contracts and a need for a little additional cashflow. Having Government contracts and only asking for $3k seemed like it would be easy especially as so many banks said that they were business banks. However, this was nearly impossible. After getting turned down numerous times, I still persisted with my plan and met with an accounting firm in Riverside that took the time to hear my entire plan. The personal network between accounting firms and banks was incredible. My accountant called a banker on my same street, and he not only gave me $3k, but insisted on giving me $5k so I had additional room to grow.
Contact Info:
- Website: leadingedgelearningcenter.com
- Instagram: leadingedgelc
Image Credits
I have the rights to the images that I have submitted.