We recently connected with Ebony Donley and have shared our conversation below.
Ebony , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.
I started Literacy Innovations, LLC in 2015. Growing my customer base was very important to me and the success of my business. I created my website and social media accounts to bring exposure to my company. Another marketing strategy I employed were family game nights. Gaining my first client that was not a relative, friend, or friend of a friend was very exciting. After one of my family game nights, my first client was referred to me. A first- time attendee was impressed with the game night and shared the experience with a friend that had a child that was a struggling reader. The parent contacted me for more information and hired me on the spot after hearing more about my company and my qualifications.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an educator and believe in the benefits of education. I started my tutoring company, Literacy Innovations, LLC eleven years ago to assist the youth in improving their reading skills. I have a Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Baldwin Wallace College and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Cleveland State University. I currently hold Ohio teaching licenses in Elementary Education 1-8, Special Education K-12, and a Reading Endorsement K-12. I have twenty-five years teaching experience. I have taught all grades kindergarten through eighth. I taught students with special needs for twenty years of my career. I started Literacy Innovations, LLC after teaching for fourteen years and noticing a need for more intense, more specialized reading instruction for many students. While teaching sixth through eighth grades English Language Arts, I realized that many students struggled with word attack skills, vocabulary development, and reading comprehension skills, specifically responding to questions requiring higher level thinking skills. I decided to use my knowledge of teaching reading to assist struggling readers in achieving academic success. After noticing trends in areas where learners were struggling, I decided to publish workbooks to aid parents in helping their children academically. My first workbook, A Guide to Becoming a Better Reader Using Sight Words and Word Work is for students struggling with learning sight words and decoding unfamiliar words. My second workbook, Comprehension Matters focuses on parts of speech, figurative language, and text dependent comprehension questions.
I specialize in assessing and enhancing reading skills. I create a learning plan for each client using their strengths and interests to maximize growth in minimal time. Some materials that I use in my sessions are board games, reader’s theater, and journals. All of my sessions are one-on-one to build rapport, build confidence, and motivate the learner.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe that my commitment to educating the youth and my love and knowledge of literacy helped to build my reputation within the tutoring market. I am passionate about literacy and lead by example. Since starting Literacy Innovations, LLC, I have been part of several citywide and community-wide reading initiatives, such as XPrize, Collinwood Reads, and Cleveland Reads. Another thing that helped build my reputation is continued professional development. I seek professional development opportunities that keep me abreast of research- based strategies and learning trends related to literacy within the state of Ohio. The final thing I think helped build my reputation within the tutoring market is the work I do in my community. I host monthly family game nights where the community can come together to enhance literacy and math skills in a fun way. These free community events allow me to build rapport with the families and provide educational resources. During these events I am able to explain things such as test scores, 504 Plans, and Individualized Education Plans (IEP), in a way that parents understand without all the educational jargon. I am also able to explain the state standards in a way that parents can resonate with and understand. Being on podcasts, such as Real Reading Talk, hosted by Sasha Beckett-Abdullah and the King Speaks Podcast, hosted by Demont Pope has also helped me build my reputation as a literacy expert. While on these platforms I have been able to take a deep dive into literacy- related topics which adds to my credibility.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source for new clients for me has been my family game nights. These monthly events attract between thirty and sixty people. The photos I post on social media garner a lot of attention and attract customers. I have gained local clients and clients from other states.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Literacyinnovations.net
- Instagram: @literacyinnovations
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1GHyfvxobQ/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebonydonley2015
