Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shauna Stephanchick. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Shauna, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?
Our company strives to transform public education in Missouri. In order to do that we try to focus on providing instructional leaders (superintendents, principals, teacher leaders) with the latest research-based approaches. However, leaders have more demands than ever on their plate and they can not always learn in the traditional way of attending in person meetings and conferences. STEP Up has tried to innovative a new way of professional growth for leaders by creating our Missouri Instructional Leaders Network group. This Mighty Network platform allows educators from Missouri to join a virtual collaborative network anytime that it is convenient for them. In addition, our company tried to think through all of the updates and learning educators might need and personally organize getting the content onto the network for members. We have offered live collaborative sessions and then recorded them so members have a large library of content they can listen to when it is most convenient.
In two years we have grown to 586 members. We have also generated revenue by charging a membership fee to the network and we have plans to offer pertinent courses and longer sessions of professional development that can be purchased in addition.
Our hope is that this innovative approach will connect more educators to effective practices, improve instructional leaders knowledge base and ultimately improve teaching and learning in Missouri
Shauna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Shauna Stephanchick ,President and Founder of STEP Up. I started my career as a first grade teacher in the urban district of Grandview, Missouri and after six years in the classroom, transitioned to the role of instructional coach. I continued grow in my profession through becoming a K-5 elementary administrator and consultant for the state department of education for five years. During my roles in public education, I noticed many systemic barriers. I founded my own company in order to address those barriers and in an effort to provide educational equity among students in Missouri. My company STEP Up provides innovative products and approaches to ensure all teachers and students have access to high quality curriculum.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
I write or find authors to write educational books for my company. I realized a gap in the public education market of teachers having access to Missouri specific curriculum books and new it needed to be written. I considered taking my idea to a publishing company but new that would not be the wisest business decision as I would not financially gain from that approach. I decided to write and self-publish our digital and written products. I found a colleague who was proficient in digital design who could format and recreate digital images into a book. I found local content writers and editors to help with the project. I then shopped around to multiple publishing companies to see who would provide the best price point. I have found that ordering in bulk was going to be the money making decision, but am still trying to decide the best amount of inventory to keep on hand and order up front.
The biggest lessons I have learned it to give yourself larger gaps of time on projects to review prototypes and first editions before committing to having them available to clients. We have found errors in our product and while minor, it is really bothersome to know their are imperfections. In reflection, I would have also collaborated with more colleagues on the method and approach I was taking in development and have more review time on the actual product before mass producing it.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
I think I helped build my reputation in the market by truly understanding the barriers and need for my customers. As a former educator and principal, I knew first hand what was needed in order to make the work easier and more effectives. I explicitly expose the barriers and specific solutions I propose to clients. I think this builds credibility and confidence in our approach and products.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.stepupconsultingservices.com
- Instagram: @stepupmo
- Linkedin: @stepupmo
- Twitter: @stepupmo
Image Credits
Jami Stevens, Diane DeLaTorre