At Club Z! Tutoring, our directors are more than business owners; they’re leaders, mentors, and champions for students in their communities. In this director spotlight, we sat down with Kevin Baker, who, along with his partner Leisha Baker, has built a thriving Club Z! location rooted in purpose, compassion, and a deep commitment to educational impact.
From corporate boardrooms and classrooms to kitchen tables and character education programs, this director’s story is a testament to what happens when business and heart come together.
What inspired you to become a director at Club Z! Tutoring?
Leisha and I had decided to start a small business. We knew we wanted to do something with kids; however, I had to make an impact in our community. When we found Club Z! in our research, it fit what we were looking for.
Can you tell us about your professional background before joining Club Z!?
I had spent 25+ years in various roles and lastly was a corporate executive in marketing. Leisha spent most of her career in administrative assistant type roles and went back to school late in life to get her degree in education. She was teaching 5th grade when we bought our franchise.
How did you first hear about Club Z!, and what drew you to the organization?
Leisha was up late one night doing research. She stumbled on an article about Club Z!. We investigated and found it to fit what we inspired for a small business.
What does a typical day look like for you as a Club Z! Director?
Is there a typical day? As a small business owner, you wear all the hats (Sales, Marketing, Customer Service, IT). We are very involved in our community, so we spend quite a bit of time marketing Club Z! to chambers of commerce, network groups and schools. When we’re not out in the community, we are managing the day-to-day activities like billing, payroll and customer service with tutors and customers.
How do you match students with the right tutors?
In our opinion, this is one of the most critical steps. When we hire tutors, we get to know them on a personal level. We want to know their interests and what they like to do for fun. We may even want to know what they were involved with in high school or college. We also find out the same type of information from the students. We believe when we can match interests and likes, the relationship is stronger, and the tutoring goes superbly.
What are some of the key challenges you face in managing your location?
There is always a fine balance of having enough tutors to service your clients. Similarly, you must have enough clients for the tutors you hire.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned as a Club Z! Director?
This is a business. Customers must treat us like a business. Do business with those people who WANT to do business with you! Watch your financials! Decisions are not made from the heart in business! They are made from the financials.
Can you share a memorable success story?
We were called to meet with the family of a 9th grade boy. At the consultation, we met with mom and the student at the kitchen table. The student had ADHD, horrible anxiety, and was failing every class. On top of all this, he experienced epileptic seizures regularly at school. The consultation was very difficult because the student had developed very poor social skills and would regularly interrupt the conversation. Finally, the mother excused him from the table, so she could speak freely. With tears streaming down her face, she asked if there was any hope? “I just want to see him graduate HS and right now I don’t see that happening, she said”. We assured her we could help. During our conversation we learned that he aspired to go to space camp and to become an eagle scout. At this point in time, we all thought those two things might be a stretch! We began working with him. However, we didn’t start with academics, that would come eventually. We had a tutor finishing her doctorate in psychology, so we decided to take a more personal approach. Empathy. After a few weeks, we began to see small changes. After a few months, our tutor was leaving the area, and we needed to put in a replacement so we brought in a seasoned educator. Leisha and I decided to go to the home to introduce the new tutor, because we knew this change might trigger his anxiety. When we pulled in the driveway, the student was outside. We didn’t recognize him! He not only grew a few inches, but his presence was noticeably different! He greeted us with a firm handshake and a pleasant, mature conversation! We were shocked! This kid was noticeably different! Over the next 3 years, he had 4 different Club Z! tutors that took him to the next level over and over. His mom kept saying, “I don’t know how you guys do it. You just seem to know what he needs right now.” Well, the success story is this…he indeed graduated from HS AND he went to Space Camp AND he was awarded the designation of Eagle Scout!!!!! A year or so later, we were at an event at the high school he attended, and his mother was there. She spotted us and RAN across the room with tears on her face and embraced both of us in hugs. She thanked us over and over and gave us an update that he was going to a community college and living on his own with no issues!
How do you measure student progress and success?
You would expect me to say grades or test scores. However, we gauge success by the feedback we receive from our parents. You see, every student and situation is different. Yes, some parents want an improvement in grades or test scores, that’s easy to measure. However, most of our clients just want their child to be happier and to do their best. We have said for many years that this business is not always about academics, we have to start with self-esteem. When self-esteem changes, we see a greater improvement in all areas of academics.
What kind of feedback do you receive?
We regularly do immediate, 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day follow-up calls. We regularly receive positive feedback from our families. We also do a follow-up survey since we started our Club Z! franchise in 2011. Our parents tell us they would recommend our services to friends and family 98% of the time!
What’s your approach to building and supporting a team of tutors?
Our tutors have access to us via cell phone at any time! We want them to reach out if they need us. We give them access to additional material on our shared Google Drive. We regularly celebrate successes with them and the students. We want them to feel like they are a part of something bigger. We want them to share our passion for making an impact on our community.
How does Club Z! partner with schools in your area?
We have several ways we partner with schools. Our favorite is through one school’s character education program. We volunteer to teach lessons monthly to students in 6th grade. We also sponsor various events. Our biggest partnership is with two different school districts where we collaborate with local chambers of commerce to sponsor a big luncheon for every new educator in the district! Each of these luncheons will have nearly 100 new employees at the lunch, and we are the keynote sponsor.
How do you foster communication with families?
Our relationship with our families is paramount! Much like our tutors, our parents have access to us 24/7. We want our parents to have access to us. We want to build relationships and even friendships with our parents. We want to help every kid in the household, and we want future tutoring as the student ages.
What are your goals for the next year?
Efficiency is the name of the game in our office right now. We know we can grow to the top line. However, maintaining a healthy bottom line is key. We can only do that by being more efficient in our processes. We want to continue to be the voice and leadership of tutoring in our area.
Are there any new programs you’re excited about?
With the new changes to the ACT, we believe we have an opportunity to boost our ACT Program by doing things no other tutoring company can do!
What advice would you give someone considering becoming a Club Z! Director?
Don’t enter into this lightly. Running a small business takes a lot of effort. It takes grit and determination. However, the rewards are endless. Have fun!
If there’s one thing you’d like the world to know about Club Z!, what would it be?
We can do what other companies are not willing to do! We can meet the needs of our clients, no matter what they want: In-home, online, at a library, at a coffee shop, on campus, at a restaurant, etc. We have even met students at the local park because it was a motivator for them!
Interested in becoming a Club Z! franchise owner? Call one of our franchise developers today at 866-658-8978 or visit our tutoring franchise opportunities page to inquire about our current offers and available franchise opportunities!
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