I try to keep in mind what I have heard in various ways from business mentors and gurus which is summed up as: in the early days, speed of execution will beat ‘excellence’ of execution. It’s hard out here for a perfectionist.
There’s a bit of everything all at once: hiring, marketing, logistics, compliance. When my husband asks “what are you doing?”, my mind goes to movie titles like Everything Everywhere All At Once or Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close or Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. Thinking up titles has now become a game. Some days are straightforward, others it’s a cognitive puzzle I attempt to navigate. Right now, the two biggest pieces I’m focused on are teacher recruitment and getting the word out to families in as many ways as possible.
Teacher recruitment
Teacher recruitment has been more taxing than I anticipated — not because of a lack of candidates, but because the decision feels so important. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with qualified, suitable, caring, invested and creative people. Interviews have been a mix of energising and mentally draining, mostly because I can see strengths in so many of the applicants and I am trying to ‘make the right choice’. The hard part isn’t identifying who’s ‘good’ — it’s imagining who would work well together. I’ve caught myself visualising the whole team in situ: how the personalities would blend, what the energy would feel like on a Saturday, how a student might experience each person. It’s been enjoyable, but it does take a toll — especially when you really don’t want to choose wrong. At the end of the day your teachers are a representation of your product, and the student experience hinges on them.
I’m also aware that these interviews go both ways — they are also sussing me out. I want to come across well and present Stagecoach fully — especially since I’m new to the area and building my school from the ground up. Finding the balance between being authentic and establishing myself as a capable leader is paramount, in conversations and other communication.
Marketing and community presence
Alongside recruitment, I’ve been deep in the weeds of marketing — trying to find the most genuine and effective ways to share that Stagecoach has arrived in Ottawa and everyone should come check us out. I’ve actually really enjoyed using the Canva assets — I have to stop myself from spending too much time finding the ‘best’ version of a logo for a particular audience (speed over ‘excellence’, Carling). Making a little bank of social posts has become a kind of creative break from the more administrative tasks.
That said, social media has its own learning curve. Community Facebook groups in particular are a world of their own. I’ve created a spreadsheet just to keep track of where/when I’ve posted and what the rules are for each group. It’s not glamorous, but it’s important to operate well in these communities.
Alongside the digital work, I’ve been arranging opportunities to be out and about — partaking in live community events, farmers’ markets and local family festivals. These feel especially important as someone new to the area. There’s a different kind of connection that happens face to face — chatting with parents, answering questions and simply letting people see what kind of energy I bring. The school doesn’t operate online so neither can I!
I’ve started putting together a simple but fun Stagecoach booth setup: bright visuals, signage, maybe a few giveaways or hands-on activities for kids and space for families to learn more. It’s one thing to explain Stagecoach online — it’s another to bring it to life in person, where the excitement and friendliness can come through more naturally. These events take time and effort to prep for, but they’re also a great reminder of why I’m doing all of this.
Staying connected
Behind all that, I’ve been communicating with parents who get in touch and navigating email responses and phone responses. For how far away our opening day is, the reception has been great and a delightfully surprising number of families have already registered. Having students again already feels so rewarding. I still miss my students from the UK and those buzzing, joy-filled classrooms — they’re the reason I wanted to open up my own school. It’s all starting to feel real now and that’s incredibly exciting!
