We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chantal Brown a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chantal thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I.G.N.I.T.E the Flame Tutoring was created because after teaching in the classroom for several years and seeing several of my students struggle with keeping up with the rigor and pace of the classroom; I wanted to provide a way to help young children through Adults do well in their studies at every level and not create or further the narrative that they can’t when they are capable but need a more one on one slowed down approach. IGNITE stands for Inspiring Gains Newly Infused by Tutoring Education and all that means is that I have taken my classroom experience and broke it down to fit the needs of my clients on a step by step approach. The company has grown where I now have 2 additional tutors that support our clients in the same manner. I ensure that my tutors feel prepared by having training sessions where I show them how to break down standards that our clients are seeing and hearing in the classroom. They also use each other (the tutors) to practice, meaning they will tutor the tutor in an area that they are not strong in to see how their clients will feel and to also learn the different type of learning styles. IGNITE provides help in the community not only by helping to fill gaps in specific client education but also provides another source of income for its tutors on a flexible schedule that can work around their regular job. I am throughly excited to see how IGNITE will grow as we are still within our first 5 years ( we will be 3 in July!) and the impact we will have on our community.

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

My name is Chantal Brown I am the Owner of IGNITE the Flame Tutoring which provides one on one private tutoring sessions. I have a BA in English from Grambling State University and a Masters of Education from the University of Georgia. I taught in the classroom for 8 years in both Elementary and Middle School. I also wanted to build a company that not only support students in kindergarten through graduating Senior but in college and adults who want to “keep up with the times” or just be able to help their children at home with homework. All in all I wanted to make sure that a need is being filled at every level. As of right now IGNITE has partnered with several other local businesses to add an educational component to what they have already built.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started IGNITE I wanted it to be a non profit and after doing some “on the job learning” I realized that, that was not the correct structure or entity for my company at the time. So I made a change to what my company is listed as now and began to build my clientele and staff. In the fall of 2022 I took a leap of faith and left the classroom completely to pursue business full time and put my complete effort into building my company. After about 6 months I shifted back into my career field of education to help with being able to financially support the business until I can truly stand on my own. Although we have been through many ups and downs in just 3 years I am happy to report the growth of IGNITE has still remained consistent and strong!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

This best source for new clients have been our current and past clients. Word of mouth has been one of the best ways we have increased our clientele. I believe this is because we aspire to make our clients the top priority. We spend time to check in with each one of them, we stay honest with them and we prioritize their need first and explain to them step by step of why what we’re doing in our sessions are important to them in the classroom and in life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: i.g.n.i.t.e20
• Facebook: Ignite the Flame Tutoring

Image Credits
Shon Browner