"Action creates clarity" with Jen Myers
Jen Myers was not a homeschooling mom with a side hustle. She was a successful entrepreneur with a profitable business who also homeschooled. She ran her business and her family with the mindset of a CEO. Jen is now on a mission to help other CEOs successfully homeschool their kids too. When she finally had the courage to realize she was NOT the stereotypical homeschool mom, she discovered me. Jen was an entrepreneur who homeschooled, not the other way around. It was then that the Homeschool CEO vision was born. www.homeschoolceo.com
Can you tell our readers about your background?
I grow up in sales from the age of 11 to adulthood and have been a lifelong entrepreneur. My husband and I started a business, sold the business, and struggled through a dark period in our marriage. As we worked through it, I was inspired to launch a digital ad company to have something that was my own. The business was exceptionally successful, and I learned that there was an opportunity for me to build a new business that supports Homeschool moms who also run businesses – and this is how Homeschool CEO was started.
What inspired you to start your business?
I started Homeschool CEO because I realized that I did not fit into the traditional homeschool community, because I was an entrepreneur who operated my business as a CEO, and it was hard to live in both worlds. I knew there were other CEO moms out there who also homeschooled and were experiencing the same thing. So I founded this community, and now coaching business, to empower women to run their businesses and dream big for its success, and to run their family’s homeschool journey with the same processes, efficiencies, and skills they use in their businesses.
Where is your business based?
We are based in Davenport, Iowa, but we are an international business, and our members are from 13 different countries.
How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?
I was already running a digital advertising agency and I was driving down the road and I saw a sign that read, “dream big.” I did not know what it meant, but I heard the words “homeschool CEO,” and I knew it was an intuitive hit. I went home and looked up the term and it was available on all platforms, much to my surprise. I opened a free Facebook Group, then I focused on networking and building relationships. My entire business is built on the shoulders of relationships and that remains one of our core values.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?
Social media. It has allowed me to network in different groups and the reach is limitless. Because our group is international, social media has allowed other homeschool CEOs to share about what we do and has been a great referral source.
What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?
My biggest challenge was in 2020 when my husband realized that my income was going to surpass his and it rocked our worlds, as our dynamic was shifting in the marriage. It gave me time to spend time reflecting on myself, do some inner work, and engage in marriage counseling. We had to accept that our marriage did not look like other people’s and that was okay. It was accepting and embracing the differences in our family and the leadership of our family shifting. We took it on as a blessing.
How do you stay focused?
I stay focused by coworking with other Homeschool CEOs as it provides accountability. I also stay focused by prioritizing based on my values of what is important to me. And I remind myself that the business is not about me, it is about connecting other entrepreneurs to stay encouraged, inspired, and have support from each other.
How do you differentiate your business from the competition?
Homeschool CEO supports strong entrepreneurs who happen to homeschool, not homeschooling moms who have side hustles. Our members operate their businesses with a CEO mindset, we delegate, build teams, and create processes so we can stay in our zone of genius. We use these same processes for our home life and homeschooling responsibility. We leverage our skills and resources to be successful in all areas of our life.
What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?
My most effective marketing strategy has been growing a Facebook group and building relationships. My clients want a community where they belong and I make it about them, not me.
What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?
Action creates clarity. You do not have to have a plan all figured out, you just need to see where you want to go and believe that the rest will open up for you. Take the first step forward.
What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?
Kate Northup’s Do Less: A Revolutionary Approach to Time and Energy Management for Ambitions Women, it is about doing the things that really matter and not wasting time on things that do not. I believe it sets us up for extraordinary success for life and family and for our business.
What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?
ClickUp, because it gives me a way for all my clients to be on the same page and communicate efficiently.
Who is your business role model? Why?
I love Jamie Kern Lima, founder of IT cosmetics because she believed in herself when no one else did. She had to endure rejection repeatedly, but she never let that stop her from standing up for women who do not have perfect skin. She is an inspiration to me.
How do you balance work and life?
I pick my top three business and top three personal things to do every day. I make sure they are aligned with my values and my priorities. I walk away from the day filling fulfilled because I know that my time was spent supporting both parts of my life.
What’s your favorite way to decompress?
A good book and a bubble bath. I also use meditation.
What do you have planned for the next six months?
I plan to continue to grow our international community, impacting more women, helping more entrepreneurs homeschool their children, and helping them connect them with others who have the same focus.
How can our readers connect with you?
www.facebook.com/homeschoolceo