We were lucky to catch up with Becky Fliss recently and have shared our conversation below.

Becky, appreciate you joining us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My dad is my hero. He came from very humble beginnings, worked immensely hard, and made a life for himself and his family.

Throughout his career in business, I was witness to his unwavering integrity. He always did things the right way and for the right reasons. That example has served as my compass in navigating my own career. Whether it be a hard conversation or a seemingly impossible decision, grounding myself in “what is right” has never led me astray. It has brought clarity to those murky moments and has allowed me to feel at peace with my work, even after the most difficult day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Becky has devoted her professional career to education, and most pronouncedly to the professional practice of tutoring. She has decades of experiencing the transformative impacts of tutoring, has engaged in academic work to more deeply understand how learning is fostered in one-on-one spaces, and has a keen appreciation for the role that tutoring can play in a student’s academic formation. Becky has a gift helping students get the most from tutoring interactions and thinks outside of the box to devise educational solutions to meet the needs of diverse learners. She loves her work because she both believes and sees that a one-on-one tutor can serve an invaluable role in the life of a student. She has built Austin Learning Center by developing a team of compassionate leaders and educators who share in her vision.

Becky is deeply committed to the educational spaces within our community. She serves on the Diocesan School Advisory Board for the Austin Diocese and is past-president of the Cathedral School of Saint Mary School Advisory Board. She has also chaired fundraising efforts for several local schools and serves as a CASA volunteer. Austin Learning Center and Becky individually have received numerous awards, and she is most proud of those that point to her dedication to teaching diverse student populations.

Becky holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, a Masters degree, and a PhD in Education, all obtained from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research focus throughout her doctoral studies included a close examination of tutoring interactions and the reflections of expert tutors. She crafted a new model for tutoring that involves building meaningful knowledge of individual students and consideration of the social contexts in which they operate.

Becky loves her work and is deeply committed to education.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I started Austin Learning Center with $800, a few cans of paint and a lot of sweat equity. Although taking risks is a huge component of success in business, I am not a risk-taker and always guard my edges so taking on debt would not have been comfortable for me. I had a lot of drive and a little bit of money, so I negotiated my way into an office space with the equipment and furnishings needed to make a start and leveraged any resource I could to learn the skills to run my business, including finding mentors to guide me.

While I do understand that putting together capital to start a business is the necessary path for many people, I always caution young entrepreneurs to position themselves well and be very mindful of the debt they take on. Entrepreneurs get knocked and have to pick things back up all the time, but smart risk-taking can soften the edges and make the path a little less bumpy.

Any advice for managing a team?

I think a good boss genuinely cares about their people. First and foremost, we are navigating life which is inevitably a bumpy ride. When you care about your team and take the time to think about their needs, I think they show up as their best selves.

Contact Info:

• Website: austinlearningcenter.com
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/austin-learning-center
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/austin-learning-center-west-lake-hills