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

Alright, Marisa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I’ve always been passionate about individualized education and coaching services. When I first started my career, I was primarily focused on tutoring and 1:1 Writing Coaching for this exact reason. I wanted my students and clients to develop their unique voices, pursue their areas of interest, and ultimately create balance and joy in the process.

Thus, I created my main business, Be A Light Collective, which is writing/editing and content creation services to help busy people do what they love without burning out.

When the pandemic happened, I took a risk. My ‘vehicle’ (if you will) for providing these services and passions shifted because I recognized there was a need, particularly in the education world. After launching a full-time homeschool to support my son, I pivoted into the world of homeschooling to help students who needed educational alternatives. Donnelly’s Daily Apple (my educational services business) took off as I focused on providing flexible learning options and opportunities to families seeking change.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Marisa Donnelly, MEd., and I’m a self-titled ‘multi-passionate’ creative (which really means I’m someone who wears many hats and loves to do many things). My ‘official’ bio is that I’m a small business owner, writer/editor, teacher/coach, and content strategist. In essence, I run two businesses dedicated to helping people be successful in their industries or passion areas without burning out.

I think the ‘do-everything’ type of mindset that I have (and actively live) sets me apart, but I’m also a ‘bonus’ mom. I have a teenage stepson, and my motherhood journey has taught me so much about who I am and the person I want to be (both personally and professionally). Since becoming a mom, I’ve pivoted my business to be more approachable for other ‘busy’ people to find purpose, meaning, and balance in their lives.

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

My stepson has dyslexia, and when we were left with no options in the wake of pandemic shutdowns, I realized that finding what worked for us would be, largely (if not fully) in my hands. Learning more about SPED, learning options, and homeschooling, I realized that my heart was really on fire for non-traditional learning opportunities. And, being a teacher and coach, I decided to create them — not only for my son but for other students/clients, too.

I pivoted my business to be focused on individualized, intuitive education. This means learning opportunities that are small, targeted, and meaningful. This means teaching that is purposeful and also fluid. And this also means getting students out of ‘boxes’ and seeing them as whole and complete people that don’t have to fit a mold.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I left my undergrad with two degrees (Creative Writing & English Education) and went on to get my Master’s in Reading Education.

Education has always been a part of my life, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that my view on traditional education shifted.

As I watched schools shut down and traditional learning options become challenged by the pandemic, I had to unlearn my beliefs about what education really was (and is today). Despite the fact that every child learns differently, so many educational systems are not built to teach individually. And this becomes even more complicated if the student has a learning disability or need.

As a practitioner, I had to unlearn my beliefs about the way people learn and what ‘successful’ learning looks like. I embraced different philosophies and incorporated those into my practice. I recognized that learning can happen in different places and in different ways. I focused on gamified learning and making curriculum fun, and I prioritized making education accessible and meaningful for EVERY student, regardless of their abilities.

Contact Info:

• Website: donnellydailyapple.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/donnellydailyapple
• Facebook: facebook.com/donnellydailyapple
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/donnellydailyapple/

Image Credits
https://www.instagram.com/israelpalacio/ Israel Palacio