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

Shannon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

Back in 2016, our eldest child was headed off to college with the younger child just two years behind them. I was a school counselor at a public school and my husband taught at a local community college. Even with generous financial aid, we couldn’t afford to pay for college. As first gen college students, my husband and I paid our own way through school, working multiple jobs every year, and then spent 10 years paying off burdensome student loans. We were also raising our young kids during that time, and spent many months wondering how to stretch our $25/week grocery budget. We were certain that we didn’t want our kids strapped with debt.

We had long thought about how to increase our modestly middle class incomes. I never thought I would leave the security of education – the benefits kept me tethered for a long time. It finally occurred to me that I already had the skills and experience to work as a private college counselor. That’s how the side hustle was born.

Part of my role as the Lead Counselor included college counseling, but with a caseload of about 350 students (and managing a team of 7 counselors), I never had the time to give that I knew students really needed. With my 15 years of experience, a great network of other local counselors, a great mentor, and strong relationships with lots of parents of former students, I hung out my shingle!

I knew that there were other independent counselors in the area, and I knew that many of my high school students worked with those counselors. Even though I wouldn’t work privately with any students from my high school, there was enough work to go around in the area, so I jumped right in. I loved college counseling and spent my career learning, visiting colleges, and attending any and all conferences and professional development whenever I could, so I was confident in my abilities. I knew I didn’t need much infrastructure–I thought of a company name, designed a logo, and created a basic website. I figured I’d figure the rest out as I went.

I got my first three clients from a parent of a graduating senior. The student had struggled with some pretty significant health issues in the second semester of her senior year, and as her counselor, I helped her navigate accommodations, and advocated for her with her teachers when necessary. Her mom was so grateful and asked what she could do for me. I asked her to tell people about my new business, and she wrote and published a beautiful editorial in Nextdoor. I had three calls that week, and all signed with me!

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 always knew I was expected to go to college, but didn’t have much help along the way. My parents did not attend college and I vaguely remember talking once or twice to my high school counselor (but never about college). I applied to two schools and ended up going to the University of Utah as a physics major on a music scholarship. I was ill-prepared for this experience – from not understanding debt and student loans to realizing how much physics and math I didn’t know. I wanted to be as far away from home as possible, and I succeeded at that. After a semester of record snowfall and a professor discouraging me from studying science, I knew this was not the right place for me. I transferred to a school less than an hour from where I grew up, which is exactly where I was supposed to be.

I attended the University of North Texas, where I earned my degree in Business Administration with a major in Marketing. I headed to Boston to begin my career. After five years in the corporate world, I decided that my work needed more meaning. At the end of the day, I wanted to know that I was making a difference in the world.

I moved north to Maine, family in tow. I found myself at Maine Central Institute, working alongside the Academic Dean and as a dorm parent . It was during this time that I began helping our international students with their application process. I loved helping these kids navigate the process and making sure they dotted their I’s and crossed their T’s. I knew this is what I was meant to do. I went back to school, earning my M.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Maine and began my school counseling career at Maranacook Community School in Readfield, Maine. The heart of my work focused on creating a college going culture for all students, and breaking down barriers to access higher education.

During my time in New England, I worked on advisory boards for the College Board, Maine Counseling Association, and Finance Authority of Maine. I presented regularly for the MELMAC Education Foundation, National College Access Network, and The College Board.

In 2010, my patience with winter dwindled, so we sold the farm (literally), and headed to warmer climes in Austin. I was most recently the Lead Counselor at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas (ranked #1 high school in Texas by Niche). As a first generation student myself, I learned so much about the college going process that I want to share with others. I regularly present workshops to students and parents about academic and college planning. I have helped students (and their families) successfully find the best “fit” for their post-secondary goals for more than 20 years.

I’ve developed the Whole Child College Counseling™ approach, where I focus on synthesizing a holistic view of the self for the college application journey, helping students and families reduce stress throughout the process while also helping them come to terms with personal identity and various educational needs. This sets me apart from other independent counselors. In other words, instead of being transactional, or having a “high-volume, low-touch” model, I bring a high level of service to my clients and families. I invite students to engage and participate in this relationship in an authentic and genuine way (and recognize and respect that vulnerability), have fun throughout the journey, and to reduce stress and anxiety as much as possible. It’s not a “one size fits all” approach.

While there are “big picture” milestones that students will work toward, the pace at which we move is individualized. I have regular conversations with students about what is going on for them, and we make a plan together about due dates for specific tasks. Depending on their particular activities and commitments, some weeks are busier than others, so we plan around that. The more the client has some control over each piece, the more empowered and engaged they are.

As adolescents, our clients are navigating social and emotional ups and downs on a daily basis. If a student is stressed about a class or something happening with a friend, and I’m asking them to engage in conversation about researching a college major, they aren’t engaged with me. And when I see that a client is shutting down because they are overwhelmed and avoiding tasks, I acknowledge how they are feeling. I gently remind them that I care about them and I’m there to help, and tap into the trust we’ve built to provide reassurance and encouragement.

It’s also important to me to help create opportunities and access for all students. I am a volunteer with the Matchlighters Scholars program, where I provide college application assistance to high-achieving, low-income students. I am a regular presenter at local and national conferences and am a fierce advocate for my students, particularly those who come from marginalized communities.

When I started my business in 2016, I was a solopreneur and never considered changing that model. Once I was full with clients, I turned business away and referred families to different consultants. After a few years, I realized that I was turning away as much business as I was taking. While I never wanted to grow for the sake of growing, I recognized that there might be an opportunity here, and it took me a little while to work through how I could grow my company while maintaining the brand and quality that families expect.

I connected with the college counselor from one of the high schools where I worked, and through a thoughtful process, I was able to hire her as a full time consultant last year. One of the things I miss most from working at a school is the team! I loved how we would pop into each other’s office, venting, processing, laughing, crying, whatever we needed that day. Now I have a teammate and I love it! I also feel hugely responsible for someone else’s well-being, and it’s a responsibility I take very seriously.

I’ve also added my husband, Norm, to the team as a music specialist and we have a part time essay specialist as well.

I’m proud that after eight years, all of our clients come from word of mouth referrals from other families, and I’m confident that if you do great work, people will tell their friends.

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

I grew up with uneducated parents, and we were always tight with money. I think it was deeply ingrained in the culture that women were there to help and were not financially significant contributors. As an educator, and especially as a woman, I felt like I was supposed to “give it away” for free and always provide help to everyone who needed it. As the saying goes, “No one goes into education for the money.” So it was a huge shift in my mindset that I could think about making my business more profitable.

This is something I had to unlearn the hard way. When I first started the side hustle, I WAY undercharged. Even with 15 years of experience, I didn’t feel like I could charge what others charged. It took two clients (moms) who both told me that I wasn’t charging enough to take a hard look at my business and financial plan. I started reading books, attending workshops, and listening to other strong and powerful women who helped me realize that I can (and do) provide a very important and valuable service, and it is okay for me to be paid what I’m worth. One of my favorite lines from a presentation was “what would a man do?” It helped me find the courage to research what other professionals in my area charge for similar services and start to raise my rates accordingly. I’ll admit, I was terrified! What if I raised my prices and no one called me? You know what happened? I actually converted more leads and had even more interest! And since I filled my client load earlier and earlier each year, parents started telling other parents to contact me if they wanted a spot. A higher price point actually increased my business.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I devour books, podcasts, and honestly anything that gets me thinking. I’m always on a quest to learn more about college admissions (which changes daily), and how to grow/improve/maximize my business.

The most recent book that has me thinking deeply about my “next big thing” is Build for Tomorrow by Jason Feifer. The other book that gave me the confidence boost to take my pricing up a level is We Should All Be Millionaires by Rachel Rodgers.

My two “go to” influencers for entrepreneurs are Brene Brown and Adam Grant. I am a devoted podcast listener and reader of their books.

I’m always looking for more inspiration, so I’ll take other recommendations!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.corecollegeconsulting.com/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ shannon-bergeron-m-ed-cep-502237225

Image Credits

Shannon Bergeron