Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Villaflor.
Hi Laura, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
It’s a long story, but you’ll definitely want to read it since you are a writer. It’s incredible, I’m pretty sure it’s a movie waiting to happen. The Blind Side, Part II.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ivABhZyipLC6ZyGe-FdWrN8EZMIaLYIuKgv3k9i-DwQ/edit?usp=sharing
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had no idea the emotional roller coaster it is to own your business. It was meant for me not to know because I probably would not have pursued this route had I been the wiser. The endless hours only to be met by rejection the next day. But then the next comes a fantastic win, and you are on top of the world.
One day I was reading posts in a Facebook group, and a parent commented that educational consulting had become the modern-day diet industry. I felt ill when I read this because it was true. I am in a saturated market, and people can’t identify what works and what doesn’t. I never thought I would need to prove my work to others because everything I’ve developed had been based on decades of experience and techniques I had already successfully used.
Part of it is my nativity, but the other part was the pandemic led to the entrepreneurial boom of 2021, and I could have never expected the outcomes. Despite having my concept before the pandemic began, its evolution from ideation to actuality was only weeks before it. Millions decided they, too, were subject matter experts and began consulting, so I’ve had to learn the world of marketing, which is by far my greatest weakness. I am an educator at heart, not a business person. I do what I do because I know it can change lives. Marketing is a different way of thinking that doesn’t fit the same mold, so it’s been a struggle to stand out amongst the other experts.
The only thing I can say is that I left my job as a high school principal, which pays a comfortable salary, to develop two start-up companies. Start-ups not only exclude making a salary but put you in debt far longer than making a profit, at least for us small businesses. This is how much I believe in what I am doing and how important it is to make a real difference. I’m not sure if that’s true for everyone that decides to become business owners, but I hope it adds some credibility to what I do.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Break Through Potential and Education Alliances?
When I left education, I was unsure what I wanted to do. After much reflection, I realized that I never dreamed of being a principal (I believe I wrote this in the story in the link I sent). Despite months of not knowing the pathway I should take, it hit me like a ton of bricks one day. Pandora’s box had opened, and I remembered all the amazing things I wanted to do, like teach at the collegiate level, be a consultant, become a writer, and open a nonprofit organization. I have pursued all of these avenues and accomplished most in one way or another. But the nonprofit was where my heart was, so I filed the necessary paperwork in the summer of 2021. Funny enough, the next day, it dawned on me that I needed money to give money. Then, I reconceptualized my idea and filed the paperwork for my for-profit LLC. These organizations share overlapping services but serve different purposes and audiences.
The nonprofit Education Alliance is committed to helping every student complete a form of higher education, including college, technical school, job training, professional certification, or the military, for financial independence and a self-sustainable future. Using what I learned developing the nonprofit, the LLC focuses on college-bound students. Break Through Potential makes applying to college simple and grows students into innovators of their applications using a career-focused approach that capitalizes on opportunities in today’s modern world. I have done the research, and no one uses our approach.
This is crucial because when colleges decided to no longer require SAT/ACT, it caused merit-based scores to lose their value. What used to be the true and tried way of knowing whether you would be accepted to college all but disappeared. So parents, especially those that have invested in the best schools or best test preps, tutorials, etc., are wondering, how does my student stand out in college admissions at top-tier schools? The rules changed in the middle of the game, and now most are unsure precisely what the secret ingredient is. And the fact is, there is no one secret ingredient because the holistic review is subjective.
But as I previously stated, as a principal, I saw what was happening in schools, where the gaps were, and I foresaw the changing job market because of the growing number of students that were ill-prepared for college. The shift is occurring faster due to the pandemic, but it has only made our career-focused approach more viable. And both organizations use a career-focused approach, whether the student is college-bound or looking for options other than college.
Recent research shows 46% of parents are looking at options other than technical school but is unsure what they are or where to begin. That’s where my nonprofit steps in. Both organizations use a career assessment to measure students’ strengths and interests. We evaluate these and meet with the student to discuss potential careers. Once we have identified this, the magic begins, and depending on their grade, we lay out all the different pathways that will achieve their goals. Technical schools have updated their programs in the most brilliant ways. Some of them are so extraordinary that they make a student MORE marketable than one that goes the traditional route and goes directly to a four-year university.
The opportunities available to students now are genuinely unique, and Education Alliances show students all of their options, and then we help them get from where they are to where they want to go. Additionally, what began as an agency of service evolved into an instrument of change. Two principles guide Education Alliances: (1) overcoming barriers to social justice begins with equal opportunity for academic achievement, and (2) the power of a collaborative community is limitless.
I partner with various organizations to offer students robust experiences, including internships, professional certificates, college credit, and free GED prep classes and exams. More importantly, if you understand the origins of what I do, the nonprofit is dedicated to providing our services at low or no cost for economically disadvantaged families. I am working on raising funds through grants and partnerships and funnel money from the for-profit company to help pay for these.
EA and BTP’s approach to planning a student’s high school experience includes connecting them with opportunities to prepare them for higher education and improve their career readiness. The outcomes include a more meaningful high school education, enhanced student motivation, and achievement, and redressed learning gaps, all impacting career opportunities. Additionally, social justice is served with each successful student bringing us closer to ending the cycle of poverty.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’m addicted to research. I read non-stop whether ways to improve students’ skill sets and end up finding new opportunities that are at students’ fingertips. One of the ways we differ is we, not only design the plan, but we bring the resources to them. Also, we teach parents just as much as we coach students, so we are also building their capacity.
My mentors have become audiobooks. My husband, a real estate agent, has been an audiobook lover for the last few years, which is why I resisted them. But I’ve found that I have far more listening time than I do sit down and read time, and I’ve already “read” seven books this year. They inspire me and teach me about myself. They have helped me overcome my biggest obstacle: myself.
Building alliances has become my favorite part of developing my business because it has opened doors to new opportunities, allowing the organization to grow into something more than I ever dreamed. For example, our services originated with K-12 students only, but when I partnered with Pearson and learned about their GEDWorks program, I decided that if our mission is to ensure every student completes higher education, that included students that have yet to graduate. So now we help individuals of any age complete their GED, and I collaborate with work outreach programs to assist with job placement. So developing a network is key to what we do, and it is growing our services in ways I had never even planned.
Contact Info:
- Website: Breakthroughpotential.com and Educationalliances.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebtptransformation/ and https://www.instagram.com/educationalliances/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTPEducationServices and https://www.facebook.com/EducationAlliances
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breakthroughpotential and /educationalliances.com
Image Credits:
Rodney Anderson
