Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emma Flanders. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emma, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you take vacations? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Taking breaks from the day to day is essential for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. I always find myself most inspired when I travel. However, I should probably differentiate between travel and vacation, they are very different, but both equally important. A vacation for me can be a quick jaunt to the desert, mountains or the coast, even a night away can give you that pause, or disconnect that you need – I find time in nature to provide me with the quickest recharge. I actually find vacations easier as an entrepreneur, one of the benefits of entrepreneurship is you can make the rules. I like that I can work intermittently when needed, and from wherever I am, instead of either 100% on or 100% off when using PTO. This enables me to take more frequent, shorter breaks.

I do think it’s important to manage expectations, regardless of whether you are an entrepreneur or a leader in any organization, when you are ultimately responsible for the insert: employment, livelihood, career growth, job security, customer satisfaction, safety etc. of your employees and/or customers – you can’t fully turn off, you need to be available.

I also have a terrific co-founder and we can lean on each other when we need a break – we barely knew each other before taking the leap into business together, but we lucked into an incredible working relationship and friendship – sometimes in work and in life, you have to go with your gut.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Hi! I’m Emma, I spent almost 20 years slogging through corporate America before finally making the decision to pursue something I am passionate about. In 2022 I co-founded HAWKs (an acronym for Hiking Adventures With Kids) – a year-round nature based enrichment program for kids. We offer after school programs and day camps that operate primarily outdoors in the greenspaces in our communities. Picture kids listening for toad calls at dusk, chasing waterfalls, climbing trees, making natural dyes, learning what can safely be foraged and having a taste, making butterfly feeders to support pollinators – and of course, empowering them to adventure…into the forests, on the coasts, the fields and mountains, and the park down the street.

So, we don’t just offer good times and childcare, we provide an outlet for exploration and creativity, an opportunity to engage in imaginative play and discover new things in natural settings that stimulate curiosity. Nature serves as such a rich educational resource, and outdoor learning experiences provide hands-on lessons in natural sciences.

HAWKs is just as much an investment in our children’s wellbeing as it is in the natural world. Being in nature fosters a sense of respect and appreciation for the environment, which is something we focus on at HAWKs. It helps children understand the importance of conservation and sustainable practices from a young age.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

For HAWKs, word of mouth and referrals are our best sources of new customers. You don’t get a lot of second chances when you are working with kids, so it’s important you get it right the first time and ensure both the parents/guardians feel good about the program, and that explorers have a great experience and want to come back – which is a tough balance to strike. So at HAWKs we don’t just have one customer to serve, we have 2, and they often have conflicting priorities!

Safety is our first priority, so we ensure our educators have the training, supplies, and understanding of HAWKs policies – which parents appreciate. And under their expert guidance, kids are able to explore and to take some small risks, which is incredibly important developmentally, and something that is often guarded against in school and other environments – and kids appreciate the autonomy.

I am constantly investing in ways to improve the experiences for both families and explorers. I have a new website in development to ease the registration process, and we’re always adding to our programing, bringing in special guests, new activities etc. to keep it fun and inspiring for kids.

As a business owner, I am NEVER trying to cut corners, it’s not how I operate… in life or at work. I’ll try to be as efficient as possible, but never cutting back on the experience for families or children. Am I sacrificing margin? Sure. Do I care? Nope.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had a relatively linear career path. Undergrad, corporate ladder, business school, corporate ladder (with one brief start-up stint). To say it has been unfulfilling would be an understatement. However, it was the path of least resistance for me. The concept of a stable job has always been rewarded by friends, family, school, advisors, society, etc.

I think we all need to unlearn this concept. I’d encourage everyone become more financially literate – to think outside of the box and the standard career paths and retirement tools available.

I am constantly sharing my financial models, investment ideas, and tax strategies with my friends. I would love it if I could save one more person from the corporate grind. I’m also a huge proponent of financial transparency – I will walk anyone through each of my investments, rate of return, what has worked, what hasn’t. There are also a number of excellent creators of all income levels who speak about finance, investing, and I love to see their platforms grow. It is not a zero sum game, and knowledge is power.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hawkskids.com
• Instagram: @hawks.kids
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-flanders/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hawks-la-los-angeles