Call Summary: Prenda Office Hours - Marketing Strategy and Texas Preparation

Overview

Gary joined Prenda's informal open office hours call where team members (Brittany, Sophia, Katelyn) helped new guides (Sonia in Florida, Kristen in Texas) with marketing strategy, platform setup, and scholarship timing. Key insights emerged around Facebook group marketing, relationship-based sales, and the massive opportunity in Texas as scholarship opens in February 2025.

Key Topics Discussed

Texas Launch Status

Vendor List Pending:

• Prenda working on final step to be listed as official Texas vendor
• "We find out any day, literally any day"
• Once approved, all Prenda microschools automatically qualify for scholarship acceptance

Timeline:

• Scholarship opens February 2025
• 16 meet-and-greet events planned across Texas in February
• Current focus: get guides fully set up and on the map for marketing exposure

Opportunity Recognition:

• Brittany: "Texas is an incredible thing we are so excited about"
• Existing Texas guide filled up quickly despite needing full private school accreditation
• Every Facebook mom group already discussing incoming scholarship
• Demand expected to be "through the roof"

Kristen's Story (New Texas Guide)

Background:

• Moved from Utah to Arizona to Texas
• Prenda team was "sad" they couldn't help her until Texas got scholarship
• Motivated by protecting daughter from problematic school environments
• Already far along in profile setup, ready to add students

Her Vision:

• Interest-driven learning where kids pursue what excites them
• Life skills focus (lacking in traditional schools)
• Montessori-style: "hands up, we're doing things, not just heavy academics"
• Faith-informed but not overbearing
• Creating peer community so daughter isn't alone in alternative education

Key Quote:

"I watched that Cuties thing, right... and I was like, that just can't be my child, you can't go through that. So that was 100% motivator."

Sophia's Facebook Group Marketing Masterclass

Strategy 1 - Become Part of Community:

• Join groups early, not just to recruit
• Contribute value even on unrelated topics: "oh, I know where that bakery is"
• Build trust before ever mentioning microschool

Strategy 2 - Profile Posts with Personal Story:

• Share the "why" behind starting: "My wife was like, I understand the thought with really struggle"
• Include key differentiators: "self-paced, mastery-based, background checked"
• Make it personal and relatable

Strategy 3 - Revive Old Posts:

• Search groups for "school" keyword
• Comment on old posts asking "Hey, did you ever find a school?"
• This bumps post and notifies all previous engagers
• Creates warm conversation opportunities

Strategy 4 - Long-term Follow-up:

• Talked to "hundreds of people" through organic outreach
• Many don't convert immediately (alternative education is scary)
• Follow up at start of next school year: "I have an opening, are you interested?"

Key Quote:

"Anywhere where you can add value... that is what's going to build the relationship. Give more than we want to receive."

Brittany on Relationship-Based Marketing

Networking Event Analogy:

"When you go to a networking event, if you're like, 'Look at me, I sell this,' people are turned off. But if you say, 'Tell me about you,' and answer their questions... you'll have this huge community."

Katie's Example:

• Prenda team member with successful microschool
• Known in community for service: church volunteering, neighborhood involvement
• "When she created a microschool, it just made sense to people"
• Filled up quickly through relationship network, not high status

Creating vs. Consuming:

"I have teen girls who I don't allow social media... I've been talking to them about how we should create, not consume. Whenever I'm on, I'm like, 'Mom's creating for work, I'm not consuming.'"

Sonia's Florida Situation

Current Challenges:

• Waiting on background check assignment
• Scholarship deadline already passed for current semester
• Looking for 3-5 kids to start small

Brittany's Guidance:

• Customize flyers to target families who already have scholarship
• Post in local Facebook groups specifying "looking for kids who have scholarship"
• Some families homeschooling but need childcare as economy forces parents back to work
• Success story: grandmother saw flyer at grocery store, called daughter with struggling kids

Teacher Exodus to Microschools

Brittany's Observations:

• Teachers leaving because "it's just all about the testing right now"
• "They can see their kids are struggling, they see it in their eyes, but they have to move on"
• Less recess time, less project time, no more holiday crafts
• Even administrators and principals stepping down to create microschools

Economic Reality:

"With the scholarship, they'll actually make a higher salary than they were making as a teacher. And they're getting more flexible hours, less hours, and it's really what's best for the kids."

Prenda Referral Program

Structure:

• When referred guide puts your name during signup, you get kickback
• Credit applied against Prenda's parent fee
• Some neighborhoods have 3-4 microschools cooperating

Collaborative Model:

• Full schools refer overflow to nearby microschools
• "We have some really cool systems where a school's full, they'll call a local microschool to say, 'Do you have spots?'"

Marketing Assets Available

From Prenda:

• Flyers (customizable with guide info)
• Map listing with ads driving traffic
• Katie's step-by-step Facebook marketing mini-course
• Scholarship application guide with screenshots (coming when vendor list finalized)

Emphasis on Map Visibility:

"We really want you guys on our map because we're putting ads in the map right now, and it's such a small number of microschools showing up there."

Key Quotes

Brittany on Texas Opportunity:

"So many families are going to be looking for this. We're just thrilled to have you to partner."

Sophia on Persistence:

"A lot of them won't take that risk because doing alternative education is scary. Doing public education is like what we're used to. But a lot of those people would come back on conversation years later."

Katelyn on Sales Approach:

"Give, give, give more than we ask. That's what can get sales people the bad rap when we just go in and we're obnoxious with it."

Brittany on Guides as Resources:

"You'll be not just a microschool, you'll be a very helpful person on the scholarship too."

Action Items / Takeaways

1. Get on Prenda Map - Critical for visibility as ads are running
2. Join Local Facebook Groups Now - Build relationships before recruiting
3. Use Sophia's Post Revival Strategy - Search "school" in groups, comment on old posts
4. Customize Marketing for Scholarship Status - Target families who already have scholarship for faster enrollment
5. Document Personal "Why" - Essential for authentic marketing that resonates
6. February Texas Events - 16 meet-and-greets across state, plan attendance

Gary's Post-Call Reflection (to friend)

After the call, Gary reflected on the opportunity:

"I see a tremendous opportunity to make a big impact and also do pretty well financially by basically helping pioneer the future of education... Personal brands attached to monetizable vehicles, that's the key."

"When any organization's head is not Christian, not moral, focused on the right things... then it's stifling you. But this is a real opportunity to be entrepreneurial."

Emphasized to friend that once microschool shows good results with happy parents and kids, telling the story on social media will attract more teachers and parents wanting to join.