Success Story: Olivia Louwagie

Olivia went from Kindergarten teacher to Sales at Scholastic. Hear her story and how Classroom to Boardroom helped her land her first position at an education company.

 

Learn more about Classroom to Boardroom at www.carrieconover.com.

Transcript:

Introduction (00:00):

Welcome to the Classroom to Boardroom podcast. If you are a teacher or administrator looking to change careers, you are in the right place. There can be many reasons an educator is ready to leave the classroom, boredom, burnout, pressure from parents and administrators. The list goes on and on. If you are ready to move on from teaching, there are many roles in which you can use your teacher skillset to have a positive social impact and set yourself up for a fulfilling and rewarding career. Now, let's meet your host, Carrie Conover. Carrie is a veteran educator and ed tech, corporate leader, turn founder, and c. So grab your notepad because your new journey outside the classroom starts right now.

Carrie Conover (00:47):

Hey there, friends. Welcome back to the Classroom to Boardroom podcast. Today I have a success story that you are going to love. The best way I can summarize it is the person I'm about to interview now works in sales for an education company. You definitely know, and when this person came to Classroom to Boardroom, I never would've guessed sales for them, and they would've never kept, guessed sales for themselves. But guess what? Sales was a match made in heaven with my guest, Olivia, today. We'll get to that in one second, but I just wanna let you know that if you have not listened to the first episode of this new season of the Classroom to Boardroom podcast, our third season, I'm gonna ask you to pause this podcast and go back and start there. This year I am focusing classroom to boardroom everything we do around these seven stages that I believe a teacher or educator goes through when they are transitioning out of the classroom quickly.

Carrie Conover (01:52):

I'll just share those with you. They are contemplation, decision making, exploration, fear, action, belief and results. And I am basing everything we do on classroom to wardroom this year around those kind of seven pillars. So if you haven't listened to the episode that came out on January 10th, please go listen to that episode now and then come back to this success story within these pillars. The, the first stage that I think most teachers go through is a stage I call contemplation. And when it's when an educator realizes, Hey, I'm not totally satisfied or totally happy or totally fulfilled in the role that I'm currently in, and they first recognize that unsettling feeling, that unhappiness, and then they start wondering about other options that are out there for them and are dreaming of what that change could look like. And so I want you to really pay attention in this Success story interview with Olivia about at the beginning of her journey, this contemplation stage where she recognizes she wasn't totally unhappy, but she knew it was time to think about more in her career.

Carrie Conover (03:05):

So today in this interview, I not only want you to hear the success story, I want you to really hone in on that first stage that I think teachers go through, which is what I call the conation stage. Today I have a very, very special guest, one of my first classroom boardroom students, Olivia Luwak. She is a former teacher that now works as an education specialist at a company. You all know Scholastic Learning? She is a passionate educator. She's passionate about reading, she loves talking about education, and now she has gone from teacher to working at an education company. Thank you so much, Olivia, for being here today.

Olivia L. (03:54):

Carrie, thank you so much for having me. It's so great to connect with you. I feel like it's been a little while since we've had a chance to speak. So it is so, so great to be able to to catch up with you tonight and to be able to talk about Classroom to Boardroom.

Carrie Conover (04:08):

Well, you know, you hold a special place in my heart because you were one of my first classroom to boardroom students , and I knew Classroom to Boardroom was gonna work, and I knew it was good, but there's kind of a trio of you. You, Marjorie and Jessica were like the first three that got jobs outta costume border, and I'm like, this works, this works. But before we start talking about all of that, could you just give our listeners a general story of your career and your background?

Olivia L. (04:35):

Sure. So I graduated from Marquette University and while at Marquette I studied both education and communication studies. And during my time in college, I always thought that it would be so neat to one day tie both of my degrees together. I had no idea what that would look like, but as I was going through my classes, I really had a passion for both, a passion for education and a passion for communication studies where I had the opportunity, you know, to work with clients and to share knowledge about a particular, you know, topic with a larger audience. And so I kept that idea in the back of my pocket. A student taught in first grade my last year of my senior year at college. I loved first grade, and so I knew when I started to apply for teaching roles that I wanted to stay somewhere in the primary grade level.

Olivia L. (05:44):

I never thought that I would teach kindergarten, but an opportunity came up and as soon as I went through the interview process and got to meet with some of my some of the teachers that were going to to be on my team, I became super excited about kindergarten. And I have to say teaching kindergarten was a very, very special time for me. I was in the classroom for five years. I truly loved getting to know the families that I worked with and my colleagues, but I have to say that two things stuck out to me during my time as a teacher. I found myself loving teaching, phonics and reading. And I also had a deep love for going to professional development sessions, which I know not every teacher enjoys getting to do that or, you know, it can, they can be long days.

Olivia L. (06:40):

But I always loved going and learning about new curriculum, new technology. So about after my third year of teaching, I, you know, I kind of kept thinking about these thoughts that were coming through my mind of man, I, you know, I really love you know, the time that I have in the classroom where I'm watching students learned how to identify single sounds and eventually blend them together and make words. And I also really love sitting down with my team every Thursday and going over lesson plans and explaining and sharing ideas about how we can best implement the curriculum that we've been given, you know, to teach our students. So I started thinking about a little bit and year four, same thing, that those same thoughts kind of kept coming up on my heart. And by year five I remember telling my husband, I was like, I think I'm gonna start to look at what other opportunities are out there within the education field.

Olivia L. (07:42):

I have no idea, you know, if there is anything or how I would even get there, but I just wanna start looking. And so it was the spring of my fifth year of teaching. I started Googling, you know, jobs outside of the classroom. And the more and more that I searched, I just found my heart filled with excitement for some of these, some of these roles. And so I, I was so excited to explore, but I felt kind of stuck at the same time. You know, every time I would read a read a job description, I would be like, yes, this is what I wanna do. Like this is exactly what's in my heart. But I didn't exactly know how to express that to others and exactly know like what to do with those thoughts. So it was an evening in May and I was on the phone with one of my very dear friends, also now a classroom to boardroom graduate, and she calls me up and she said, Olivia, she's like, I know someone who who has a program called Classroom to Boardroom, and the program is designed to help teachers find a job outside of the classroom.

Olivia L. (08:57):

And I remember turning to my friend and being like, are you reading my mind? Because like, this is exactly like what I have been thinking about and I just don't know how to get from here to there. So she quickly shared your information with me, Carrie and I immediately like Googled her name and like found classroom to boardroom, and within 24 hours I was signed up . That

Carrie Conover (09:21):

Is awesome. I I actually have forgotten about because that was Lexi, right?

Olivia L. (09:28):

Yes, yes. That

Carrie Conover (09:29):

Is crazy because okay, we just kind of have to tell this story. So

Olivia L. (09:33):

Yes,

Carrie Conover (09:34):

Of, you know, that I am an avid tennis player, and when I started my own business, I started playing competitive tennis again. Like I, I am on a traveled tennis team, like every week we travel to different clubs and play, and that's a whole other thing. But on my, in my tennis program is a woman who, her daughter's name is Lexi, and she was a teacher. And so Lexi's the one that told you about me because she knew through her mom, right? Like, that's so funny. And then Lexi just recently came back around and also took classroom to boardroom and also just got a job working with you, which is just, yes, so crazy. I mean, I, I had forgotten that's how the intro was and how all the dots were connected. So what a crazy, crazy timeline there. So I wanna pause you for a second because this is a question I always ask every guest. Did you feel guilty about leaving?

Olivia L. (10:36):

I did. Carrie, at first I felt a sense of guilt because I felt, you know, for the longest time I felt teaching was my calling. And, you know, everyone knew me as a teacher. I, it was something that I wanted to do. Ever since I was a little girl. I, you know, I remember playing school in the basement. My mom was a teacher. And so for the longest time, you know, teaching had been my dream. So I did feel guilty in the sense that I was leaving my calling. However as soon as I started researching jobs outside of the classroom and, you know, reading the, the job descriptions, I found that so much of what these jobs entailed were areas of focus that I did every day in the classroom. Meaning that the skills that were needed and the, you know, the job duties, so much of that was what I was already doing in the classroom. So that made me feel 10 times better. And I was like, you know, the, the, the outlines here that I'm seeing are exactly what I wanna do. And so being able to do that in a new way, in a new light, in a new environment made me really excited. So I think seeing that information helped me feel less guilty and made me really excited to take the next step forward.

Carrie Conover (11:57):

Well, and I also, I, I felt guilty at the beginning, but like looking back, I don't feel guilty at all. Like, I gave 10 years of my life. You gave five years of your life to teaching. And I do remember, I, I was chuckling, like I played school in my basement, I think all the way through middle school . And the funny thing is that I didn't even get my undergrad in teaching. I went back and got my master's so I could teach. But my point is, is that I think that, you know, especially with the teacher shortage right now, everyone's so scared about the teacher shortage, but it's okay. Like you can do something for five or 10 years or 15 years and then be like, okay, I'm done doing that thing. It doesn't mean it bothers me a little bit that society thinks, like I call them the Apple handcuffs, that like, once you're a teacher, you're never allowed to leave .

Carrie Conover (12:43):

And that's just, you know, you know, that's a whole other complex , this is a subject. But I do think that a lot of times when you're a really successful and talented teacher, a lot of the things that make you a successful and talented teacher are what would make you a really good salesperson or customer success person and all the various roles. So tell us a little bit about so you talked about joining Classroom to Boardroom and you know, that process. Can you talk a little bit about maybe how you grew in Classroom to Boardroom and then what you think, like, looking back on your new career so far, how do you think you've grown and changed the most?

Olivia L. (13:24):

Sure. so as I began, I remember like with, you know, within 24 hours I had signed up for Classroom to Boardroom. And that following weekend, like I was so excited to dive right into like module one . And so I, I have to say Carrie, that the modules within classroom to, to Boardroom provided me with so much knowledge about different opportunities and the different areas that you could go into. Again, you know, I was researching these jobs on my own, but I didn't exactly know what area they all fell into. And so the modules really helped me to see all the different fields that I could go into. And I have to say that the vocabulary that you provided for us in the modules was so, so helpful. It was so helpful When it came time for interviews I would use my little notebook and reference the vocabulary that I learned, you know, when the person interviewing me with rollout an acronym and I would be able to understand, you know, what they were talking about.

Olivia L. (14:28):

So the vocabulary that I learned was just amazing. And actually, I still use my little notebook from classroom to boardroom today because I still use the vocabulary that's in there. Even in my, my new job now I referenced that vocabulary and so I grew in my knowledge of the ed tech field, the ed tech world and I was able to take that knowledge that I gained and apply it to, you know, to where I am now. Like I said you know, before joining Classroom to Boardroom, I had no idea what C R M meant. And now, you know, I use Salesforce, our, that's our customer relationship management tool that we use. And, you know, I'm able to reference the concepts and the terminology that I used in classroom to boardroom. So classroom to boardroom, I refer to it as like my stepping stone to where I, to where I am today.

Olivia L. (15:25):

The knowledge that I learned the interview help and just growing with the classroom to boardroom community, you know, when we met and did our group sessions, we shared, you know, tips and tricks on resumes and interview help and all of that helped form who I am today. And I still use the same skills, you know, that I, that I learned from classroom to boardroom in my day-to-day job. Now I remember Carrie calling you for the first time I had an interview and I was like, Carrie, I have an interview. Like what do I do? Can you like walk me through? And I still remember the advice that you gave me and I still have my pearls and red lipstick by the way. .

Carrie Conover (16:08):

Okay, we're gonna get to that, but I have to pause you for a second because I remember when you said you were prepping for the interview and I think you showed me or told me that you had like a binder, a notebook with all the vocab and I was like, oh my gosh, I need to make a workbook. So you inspired me. I made a hundred page digital workbook that goes with the course now. Cause I'm like, everybody needs this in their back pocket. But you were also one of the people that listened to the modules over and over again so that you knew it. And it, it's interesting, I have a new leader board in classroom to boardroom. We didn't do this when you were part of the cohort, but every month for our monthly get together and coaching call, I say who the leader boards are, like who's completed the most of the course.

Carrie Conover (16:49):

And when I pull the data and I can pull it and sort it from, you know, who's completed all of it down to who's completed, like none of the coursework. What's interesting is that the people at the top are the people with jobs. So like you pull all the historical data of everyone that's ever taken it and the people that have gotten jobs are the people at the top. And so I always tell the members like the magic is in, you know, building a strong relationship with me, but it's in the coursework, like I spent Yes. Blood, sweat, and tears giving that knowledge. So I'm glad that helped you so much. Let's shift and talk a little bit about those pearls and red lipsticks, . So you purchased a one-on-one coaching call with me when you were going into your interview with Scholastic. And I'll never forget it was it was like kind of a gray day. We were talking later in the day and one of the first things we talked about is how are you gonna present yourself to the camera? How are we, so I remember we broke down your job descript the job description. Yes. And really started thinking through like, you know, your answers for interview questions based on your history, but we did talk about pearls and red lipsticks. So can you talk about that a little bit?

Olivia L. (18:00):

? Yes, I do remember we'd gone through all like the logistics of the job and then you're, and then you're like, I also have some advice on, you know, you know, we wanna make you, cuz again, I only taught for five years in the classroom and so I am still, you know, rather new in my, in my career. Yeah. And so you're like, I think I know the perfect like finishing touches to add to your outfit pearls and red lipstick . Yes. Those are like my confidence boosters. So ever since that conversation I would always wear my pearls and red lipstick for any interview that I did .

Carrie Conover (18:33):

Well, and I remember saying because the one job that we were looking at in that session repeated over and over again that they needed someone to be like super poised and seem experienced. I can't remember what the vocabulary was, but yes, really professional. So I wanted you to really look kind of buttoned up and pulled together cuz you're so articulate. I knew you would nail that part, but I didn't want them to look and be like, oh, you only taught kindergarten for five years, you're so young. I wanted you to seem experienced so that they would like, you know, not, they would look past that and and say like, wow, this woman has a lot of knowledge. So whether it's pros or red lipstick, I just think it's like putting your best foot forward in these interviews in the way you look, in the way you talk in your energy. So I'm glad that worked out. . Let's talk a little bit about, okay, so you've had two different roles at Scholastic. So can you tell us those two different roles and then talk to us a little bit about like your day-to-day responsibilities?

Olivia L. (19:36):

Sure. So when I, I had applied to Scholastic you know, last year and it was, I applied for a full-time position actually. And when I received the email back from them, it was actually regarding a temporary role. And I remember reaching out to you Kiri, I think you may have been in Florida at the time, and it was like, I don't wanna bother her, but I have to share this news. They emailed me back about an interview for a temporary role on the classroom magazine team and Kiri, I remember you took time outta your day to write me back and you said, Olivia, like, you know, I would go for it. Give it your all work hard, you know, and just put your best foot forward because you never know what could come out of an opportunity like this. Yeah. And so I took your advice, Carrie and I was on the magazine team for the fir for, it was a three month position and at the end of the my third month there were some additional job postings in the company for full-time positions.

Olivia L. (20:41):

And I remember reaching out to the HR manager asking if I would be able to, to, or if I would be eligible to apply to one of the full-time positions. And she had gotten back to me and said yes. And so I applied for a position on the education team and that is where I'm currently at. So I went from working on the magazine team where we focused on renewing classroom magazines for schools in addition to, you know, trying to get new business as well. And then I transitioned over to the education team where our focus is more so on classroom instructional materials. So I have the opportunity each day to work with principals and superintendents to have conversations with them about their pain points what's working for them, what's not working from them, for them. And ultimately my job is to help find a solution to help support their teachers and students in whatever initiative or goal they may have.

Olivia L. (21:51):

So I work really closely with principals and superintendents having conversations with them about, you know, what are their goals, what are their, what are their initiatives, what are they currently using and where do they see gaps where I can come in and provide a resource, whether it would be you know, a classroom library collection, professional learning for their teachers small group instructional material or even books to send home with students to help students build their at-home library. So I have the, the privilege and the opportunity to work with school districts on reaching their, you know, their literacy, literacy initiatives and their literacy goals.

Carrie Conover (22:36):

That's amazing. Wow. And I, can we just talk about the fact that, how many times have you heard me say this, and I say it all the time, teachers in trans transition, your first job may or may not be your ideal job, but you've got to get that first job and get that on your resume, right? Yes. And whether Olivia had taken that magazine job and then that ended and she didn't have the opportunity to continue full-time, she would've had a leg up in so many ways looking for a full-time position outside of Scholastic. So I say it all the time, I mean, don't get desperate, but if you can get that first job and stay there a year, 18 months, even a few months, if it's temporary, I love contract positions, go for it. Be brave and take the job.

Olivia L. (23:28):

Yes, I remember, that's exactly what you told me, Carrie, and like as soon as I got the email back from you, I was like, okay, I'm doing this. I'm in .

Carrie Conover (23:36):

Well, and you mentioned a little bit too about the group meetings. This is where you hear me say a lot of the same things over and over again, , but those group coaching calls, we really are, we become friends, we become a community. And I am still close with a lot of the people who started Classroom boardroom and are all and are outworking and many of you are gonna hear those talented individuals on the podcast this season. When we talk, think about your role, can you talk to us a little bit of some of the soft skills required in your role, and then maybe tell us about some of the different hard skills required in your role.

Olivia L. (24:15):

Okay. So regarding soft skills, I would say that it's definitely important to be a good listener to have good communication good communication skills, and also to be time oriented. So when I call a customer, again, whether it be a principal or a superintendent or a curriculum specialist I have to be able to listen closely and carefully to their needs their pain points, you know, what they're looking at so that I can then provide a solution that will actually be able to meet their needs and, you know, and that they can have success. So it's really important that I, that I listen closely and carefully to my customers. And then the second part of that is having good communication where I can share the products that I sell. I need to be able to share what the product is and how it will benefit them.

Olivia L. (25:09):

Oftentimes, if, you know, a principal doesn't know about the value of the product it can be easy for them to, to turn away and, you know, not have as much interest in what I am selling. So it's important for me to be able to convey the value of the product that I am selling to them. And then with that in mind it's very important that I am time oriented. Most times a principal won't, you know, purchase a product on the first phone call that we have, so I will set a callback with them and, and sometimes it can be many callbacks. So I need to keep track of my call log who I talk to when the next phone call conversation will be. And then also whether sometimes, you know, the customer will, will request a Google meet or a Zoom session. So I need to make sure that I stay on top of my appointments and my calls because that's ultimately how I get, you know, my sales and how we get business. So it is important for me to be time oriented you know, without throughout my day, but with answering emails, answering phone calls, and then being proactive and reaching out on my own to customers and setting up those appointments.

Carrie Conover (26:28):

Wow. Just listening to you, I I'm just, it's, it is amazing how far you've come in a year, . And, and, and whoever thought like, I think, so you're technically in sales, correct? Under the sales under, yes. And like I think a lot of people, especially teachers are like, oh, there's no way I could ever do sales. And I bet you probably thought that you weren't a sales person, but like that's the difference between selling, there's a difference between selling, you know, used cars and selling education tools that are gonna make classrooms better.

Olivia L. (27:10):

Exactly. No, I never would've pictured myself in sales, but Carrie, I absolutely love it . I, I find it so fun to engage with customers. You know, in a way it's like consulting where I'm listening, you know, to their needs and being able to provide a solution. And ultimately these solutions are helping students and that was one of the main reasons why I became a teacher in the first place. So I still feel like I'm getting to help students and teachers every single day, which really is my passion and my dream. So I feel like I'm living, I feel like I'm living my, my best dream .

Carrie Conover (27:45):

Well, what advice do you have for teachers who are looking to transition into a role at an education company?

Olivia L. (27:53):

Very, very similar to your advice, Carrie. I I just say go for it. So many education companies need teachers input and need teachers knowledge in order to successfully run, you know, run their business. You know, I use my teaching experience, my teaching background on a day-to-day basis. And I even tell my customers, you know, I was a former teacher, so I totally understand where you're coming from. And just sharing with them my understanding, it's that is such a great relationship builder for me with my customers because I can relate to what they're going through. I've been there, I understand what it's like to be, you know, in their shoes. And so my advice would be to keep moving forward, keep applying. And I used to think of it as this, every application, every interview that I did every afternoon that I would spend time researching different jobs and different roles is a stepping stone to your final destination. And so even though the journey may seem long keep your head up high because there are so many education companies out there that need you.

Carrie Conover (29:03):

Oh, that's amazing advice. Thank you so much for sharing that. And I just ask you if you have any final thoughts or advice before we sign off here on today's episode.

Olivia L. (29:16):

I just wanna say carried. You and the classroom to boardroom community will forever hold a special place in my heart. You and the community have formed who I am today, and I just encourage anyone who is thinking about leaving the classroom to give classroom to boardroom a chance because I feel all the tools and the knowledge that I now carry in my pocket were gained from attending the classroom to boardroom group sessions and by going through the modules. And so I definitely 100% hands down would say Join Classroom to Boardroom because you truly will receive the tools that you need to make the transition forward.

Carrie Conover (30:00):

It's like, I wanna sing that song, you've Got a Friend In Me, . I think that's story, story, right? . But the truth is you do have a friend in me and through going through this process, I get to know everyone. And I'm here for you, Olivia, no matter where your career journey takes you. I hope you stay at Scholastic for a long, long time, , but I'll be here for you through the rest of your career. It's not just a short-term partnership. So thank you for those kind words and thank you so much for taking your time to be here with us. If you are interested in taking Classroom to Boardroom, you can learn more about the course and all the courses that I teach@carrieconover.com. Olivia, thank you so much for being here

Olivia L. (30:45):

Today.

Introduction (30:47):

Thanks so much for tuning in to this episode of The Classroom to Boardroom podcast. If you are enjoying the show, please feel free to rate, subscribe, and leave a review wherever you listen to your podcasts. That helps others find the show and we greatly appreciate it. Once again, thanks for listening and we'll catch you in the next episode of The Classroom to Boardroom podcast.