After being a special education teacher for four years, Kathy founded the Wicker Park Learning Center in Chicago (Wicker Park neighborhood) in 1989.  There were no tutoring centers in the area at the time and the ones that did exist (Sylvan and Huntington),  were far too expensive and too far away for the families in the area.   She started in the the basement of a former Polish banquet hall in the  community and eventually moved to other locations in Wicker Park and other neighborhoods.  Working closely with the Chicago public school system, students are tutored at the Center, at local libraries near their homes or in their home.   Currently there are three sites in different areas of the city.   Services will expand to the suburbs, a main goal for the upcoming school year.

What is your background and how did you get into your business/career?
I am a former special education teacher.  I used to tutor students at their homes in addition to working as a classroom teacher.  I really enjoyed tutoring the students and decided to start a tutoring business, since there were not many tutoring businesses at that time, which was 1989.

What is your business and how is it unique?
My business is the Wicker Park Learning Center.  It is unique in that we provide our tutoring services throughout the city of Chicago.  Also, we offer our services at a reasonable cost.

Who are some of your clients; what do you especially appreciate about them and how have they reacted to your service or product?
We have worked with a variety of clients over the years.  My most memorable client is Congress Man Luis Gutierrez’s daughters.  I was very honored that he chose my agency to work with his daughters.  Also, I got to know his family very well and they were long time clients of mine.  I appreciated how well he thought of my agency and he had always reacted very positive to my tutors’ services.  

What do you like best about what you do?
I like best when we help students increase their skills and do better in school.  It is so rewarding to me to see students do better and become confident in their ability to succeed.  I also like the compliments I get from their families as well as schools and other agencies.

What role does passion have in your work?
Passion has a lot to do with my work.  If I didn’t feel passion for what I do, I couldn’t continue to do it.  It gives me the strength and motivation to keep moving forward and it helps me find additional ways to work with students.

When you first started were you able to visualize your expected final outcome?
I dreamed a lot that first year of what I wanted the business to be.  I am proud to say that it has become what I dreamed it could become.  I did have a lot of ups and downs along the way, but experiencing this growth overall has been great.

Can you tell us about that final outcome-what will your business look like then?
I see my business adding other centers in all areas of the suburbs.  In addition, I would begin after school programs at various schools in the suburbs.  I would also add to the schools we serve in the city. 

What were your top three obstacles/challenges?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was firing poor performing employees.  I have a very difficult time firing people.  I always considered myself a positive person, and I like helping my employees feel the same way I feel about how rewarding it is to work with students and help them achieve better grades.  When an employee’s actions do not demonstrate this view, it is very disheartening to me.  I do try to not take it personally though. 

Another big challenge I faced was losing very good employees for all different reasons.  It was very hard losing these valued individuals. 
Another big challenge is losing clients for a variety of reasons.  Usually, it’s because they did not like the tutor and did not want to have me assign a different tutor.  They sometimes have negative things to say beyond not liking the tutor such as I have a lousy agency and I’m not good like the other agencies, such as Sylvan and Huntington.  I’ve learned over the years not to take those comments personally, but it is still hard to hear such negative comments.

How do you deal with doubt, fear, and self-recrimination?
That is very difficult for me to deal with.  I keep telling myself to keep moving forward and learn from the mistakes I made, particularly regarding dissatisfied clients.  I also have to remind myself about the good things I had done to help students over the years, which helps me overcome the doubt, fear and self-recrimination.

If you had the opportunity to get the best advice from a business guru, and could ask only one question, what would your question be?
The one question I would ask is what is the best way to move forward with this business?  I’m sort of between ending my work with certain clients and want to add other clients.

As you look back, what is the one thing you wish you knew when you started?
I wish I knew how to negotiate better with clients.  I definitely learned the hard way and made a lot of mistakes, like offering my services at fees that were far too low.

Any regrets?
I don’t really have any regrets.  Even when things weren’t working well and it was hard to get through that time, I’m beginning to see the hard times as a learning experience to help me do better.

Do you believe luck has something to do with you getting to where you are now?
I believe luck does have something to do with it.  In addition, good advice from various people I encountered and of course prayers always helped me with everything.

What is the best piece of advice you have for other women on their way to their Optimal Level?
I would tell them to never give up on what they want to do even at times it seems very difficult.  I firmly believe with each step you make to achieving your goals, you will get to your optimal level.  

Any additional comments you would like to make?
I just want to say that Optimal Level has been very instrumental in helping my business grow and improve.  Optimal Level also helped me personally by enabling me to think, act and work in a much more effective way which I never thought of before.  I would recommend all employed women to join Optimal Level.  It is so helpful in so many ways.