Ann Dolin's Journey: How a 2.7 GPA Student Built a 27-Year Education Empire

Join Tevia Hoalst as she interviews Ann Dolin, founder and president of Educational Connections. With 27 years of experience and a team of over 125 educators, Ann shares her journey from classroom teacher to building a $4 million comprehensive tutoring company. Learn how she transformed her personal struggles as a student with a 2.7 GPA into a mission to help misunderstood kids succeed through executive function coaching, test prep, and holistic educational support.

Key Topics Discussed:
- Transitioning from traditional teaching to entrepreneurship
- Building a comprehensive education services company
- Executive function coaching vs. traditional tutoring
- The impact of AI on education and student learning
- Scaling beyond the $1M mark in the education industry
- The importance of understanding struggling students
- Adding service lines: when to expand and when to pivot
- COVID's impact on educational services going virtual
- Data-driven decision making in education business

About Anne: Ann Dolin is the founder and president of Educational Connections, a tutoring company serving students across the United States and eight international countries. Starting from her dining room table with one student, Ann has grown her company to employ 125 educators and generate $4 million in annual revenue. Her personal experience struggling with a 2.7 GPA in high school drives her mission to help misunderstood students succeed through comprehensive support including one-on-one tutoring, executive function coaching, test prep, and college counseling.

Key Takeaways:
- Understanding your own weaknesses and hiring to complement them is crucial for business growth
- Tracking metrics from the start can prevent overwhelm later
- Listen to your customers to determine which services to add
- AI in education requires balance - teach responsible usage rather than prohibition
- Executive function skills often matter more than subject-specific knowledge
- COVID created opportunities to expand geographically through virtual services
- Multiple service lines help retain customers throughout their educational journey

Connect with Ann Dolin:
Educational Connections: https://ectutoring.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-dolin/
Personal Website : https://anndolin.ectutoring.com/

Connect with Tevia:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tevia-hoalst/
Website: https://www.tekodaaccounting.com/tevia-hoalst/
LinkedIn (TeKoda Accounting): https://www.linkedin.com/company/tekoda-accounting/

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https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-disruptive-minds-podcast-leaders-numbers-success/

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