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

Kimberly , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

Hopscotch San Diego was started in 2007 to expose young children to art, music, and movement activities while also learning fundamental “preschool” concepts (ABCs, 123s, and such). Initially working with the City of San Diego Parks and Recreation Council in North Clairemont to re-establish the Tiny Tots program there in 2007, we also started offering classes at the Carmel Valley Community Center in September 2011 and have been focused on the latter site for several years since I live just across the bridge in Del Mar Heights.

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.

I have worked with young children in an array of educational settings – ranging from my Hopscotch San Diego Tiny Tots classes at City of San Diego Recreation Centers and Public Libraries to science/history outreach sessions at local Native American Learning Centers and National Park Service sites. In addition to running Hopscotch San Diego, I worked with a National Science Foundation research project at UC San Diego from 1999-2013 as well as the NASA-funded California Space Grant Consortium and I especially love sharing space studies with the Tiny Tots students!

2016 was also a special year as I worked with a British organization called Frontier and taught English to young children in Fiji, where the native language is Fijian. After that, I traveled to a rural Costa Rican village and worked with some British teachers to assist with American English learning there.

Born in Tennessee and raised in Kentucky, I have lived in San Diego since 1998. For fun, I spend a lot of time with my own three kids – supporting their endeavors (currently two in college studying mathematics and business with my youngest a junior in high school); they also help me with Hopscotch as they’ve grown up with my little business.

Have you ever had to pivot?

There have definitely been some gentle and several not-so-gentle bumps along the way as a small business owner that required some “change”; however, with a bit of grit (hey that rhymes – haha), and great family/friends to help along this decade-plus journey, I would offer three pieces of advice to young entrepreneurs. Eat healthy, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep so that you can maintain a positive attitude when things get rough. Because they will. Since starting my business in 2007, I have worn so many simultaneous hats: director, lead teacher, business strategist, webmaster, publicist, accountant, and the list continues. Several years ago, I hired an accountant to help with my book-keeping and that has taken a significant amount of work off my plate so that I can better focus on being a good teacher for my students, develop excellent curriculum, and market the program. So, in addition to proper diet, exercise, and sleep, I’d recommend hiring a solid book-keeper. 🙂

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

Word of mouth is definitely the biggest factor for my student base. Social media is a good way to share information, but when it comes to a child, people want to know someone that has already tried out the class. It’s super important to stay involved with the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hopscotchsandiego.com
• Instagram: hopscotchsandiego
• Yelp: https://yelp.to/yIqyV0KCrL
• Other: https://sdvoyager.com/interview/meet-trailblazer-kimberly-bruch/