#15 - SPECIAL OLYMPICS with Mackenzie Irvin

It’s hard to believe that as we kickoff 2024, we’re in our 30th year of Celebree School. In this episode, I sat down with Allison Tsomos, Celebree’s Chief Operating Officer, and someone who's been in this business with me for 24 years and a guiding force throughout this entire journey.

Allison and I dive deep into all of the valuable lessons we’ve learned throughout the past 30 years, like how we discovered the true power of our promise to Grow People Big or Small, and the strength that a close-knit school family can offer to communities.  

But more importantly, we'll uncover how we've taken these lessons and transformed them into a proven roadmap. This isn't just about our success; it's about empowering our franchise partners to forge their own legacies and build the same success that we’ve seen over the last three decades.

So, stay tuned as we unravel the secrets behind Celebree School's 30 years of excellence and discover how these experiences are guiding the future of Celebree School.

In this episode of The Richie Huffman Podcast, we’re diving into the unique dynamics that come with being in a family business. I had the privilege of sitting down with Lou and Mike Sapperstein, a Celebree franchise father-son duo whose journey from accountants to entrepreneurs has been nothing short of inspiring.

As they transitioned from days spent crunching numbers as boss and employee to nurturing young minds as business partners, Mike and Lou explore exactly how their relationship has evolved over the years, and all they’ve learned about each other and themselves along the way. Come with me as we as we dive deep into their entrepreneurship journey: what inspired them to take the leap, and the keys to how they’ve gotten to where they are today. Grab your headphones and listen now! 

Welcome back to the Richie Huffman podcast! This episode is all about wealth creation. If you’re looking to build wealth for yourself and your family, keep listening because this is the podcast for you. I’ve invited my private wealth advisor, Managing Director at Merrill Lynch, and good friend Michelle Mayer to join me as we explore the ins and outs of financial planning. From diversification to risk management and so much more, Michelle offers her expert insights on where to start and how to grow your personal wealth. Grab your headphones and let's dive in! 

Welcome back to the Richie Huffman Podcast! Today we're diving headfirst into the fascinating world of architectural design, guided by our preferred architecture firm JAM-ARCH. Joining me today is Owner, Founder, and Principal of JAM-ARCH, [pause] and a visionary in the realm of preschool and franchise building design, Justin Mahalik.

We'll uncover the key considerations in achieving consistent and appealing designs across multiple locations, and explore the benefits that prototypes bring to the franchising space. We’ll delve into the many nuances that go into designing a preschool setting that is functional, engaging, and caters to the needs of the children, the families, the teachers, and the alike. We’ll explore new developments in the education industry and how to make our designs more inclusive for neuro-diverse children.

So, grab your headphones and join us for an illuminating exploration into the world of architectural design in the preschool and franchise spaces.

On this episode of The Richie Huffman Podcast, I sat down with our Principle Broker, Adam Schindler, to discuss the ever-changing world of commercial real estate. Schindler, a seasoned Principle, or 'Master', Broker and commercial real estate expert, shares his insights on what to look for when scouting prime locations, our Celebree success stories and how we got there, and tips to help you navigate the intricacies of the real estate process. Whether you're an aspiring franchisee, entrepreneur, or business enthusiast, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge that can be applied to any B2C industry. Join us on this riveting conversation that promises to inspire and motivate, providing actionable takeaways about choosing the perfect location for your business in an increasingly comptitive commercial real estate world. 

Welcome back to the Richie Huffman Podcast! In this episode, I sat down with Celebree School's Director of Enrollments Phil Beam as we explored the transformative shift from a call center to an enrollment team mindset. Join us as we uncover how team engagement, personalized journeys, and effective feedback dissemination has revolutionized our brand, leading to enhanced experiences for our families and remarkable growth. We delved deep into Phil's insights and discovered the secrets behind his success. If you're looking to unlock the potential of your own team and create memorable experiences for your customers, this is the podcast for you. So, without further ado, let's dive right in and uncover the transformative power of an enrollment team mindset with Phil as our guide.

Welcome back to the Richie Huffman Podcast, this episode, I spoke with business partners Freddy Naidu and Andrew Vu. Freddy and Andrew will be opening their Celebree School location in Dallas Texas, adding to their business portfolio and continuing to expand on their legacy. Freddy and Andrew come from the world of fitness and body building, where they have learned all about hard work, perseverance, and built the foundation for what has since become an immensely successful business partnership. I love the energy and drive that they bring to everything that they do, and I am proud to have them in our Celebree School family.

Welcome back to the Richie Huffman Podcast. This episode, I spoke with another one of our incredible franchise partners, Salma Tejani, about her experience as a female business owner and Entrepreneur. Salma and her husband have already found tremendous success as partners at the Tejani Group in Houston, Texas, and decided to expand their portfolio by investing in a Celebree School. We spoke about Salmas inspirations, her mentors through life and all the things that she has learned during her experience as a successful female business owner and entrepreneur. It is a true pleasure to work with partners like Salma, and I hope that she inspires you the way that she inspired me during our conversation.

This month I spoke with a longtime friend of mine turned Celebree School Franchisee, Jason Skidmore, about his journey as an entrepreneur and business owner. Jason and I have walked a similar path in life, and we were able to share our experiences with getting our first business’ off the ground, the importance of having strong mentors, and how to plan for and maintain consistent growth. Jason invested in his first Celebree School in 2019, and now has 2 locations open with one more coming this summer, and he doesn’t plan on stopping there. Jason is living proof that hard work works, and this conversation is full of examples of how to make that happen.