8/7/2023 0 Comments Elliot kids activity table![]() ![]() As with after-school care, parents have to navigate a confusing patchwork of options, but in the summer, they need a plan for all day, every day, for three months. The lack of universal child care is a pain point for parents throughout the year, but the summer is a unique headache. She joked to me that it is “more sophisticated than a bill tracker” she uses to follow legislation in her work at a children’s-advocacy nonprofit the spreadsheet is color-coded, and registration dates are cross-posted onto her work calendar so she can jump into action as soon as slots open.ĭeane’s intense approach reflects the state of modern parenthood. Case in point: Rachael Deane, a mother in Richmond, Virginia, has a summer-camp spreadsheet. The scramble to sign kids up for summer camp begins in January, because limited slots and huge demand have led to a highly competitive environment that verges on absurd. She put dots and cones and basketballs out and it was the most precious thing to see…just yesterday we were working on TOT stuff and she told me ‘I want to be a TOT teacher.’ She’s four years old and it’s just precious.New Year’s resolutions had barely been resolved before parents across the nation started thinking ahead to summer. “She was the TOT teacher and all of her stuffed animals were set up. ![]() ![]() “My granddaughter was playing TOT one day,” she said. I felt like I always had the backing of TOT National, and I still do.”Įlliot said TOT is truly her passion and said she’s never had a day she didn’t want to go to work, and her passion is rubbing off on others. It’s hard, it’s work and you get some no’s but you also get a lot of yes’s. If we had problems, she’d have suggestions. There was a coach that we’d be in contact with weekly. There was lots of support the year I started. “TOT National has developed a good plan, and if you work the plan, the plan will work,” she said. She said she felt that TOT fully prepared her with an excellent game plan. The past six years haven’t been perfectly smooth sailing for Elliot she’s had trouble marketing in some school districts that have strict guidelines on passing out flyers and other materials, but the bumps in the road don’t bother her. I love the fact that I have my family to help.” There are a lot of things you have to do for the business. “The support of my husband, daughter and son…having family there is very beneficial. “I couldn’t have done it without my family,” she said. Having her family’s support, both in her decision to become a franchise director and assisting her throughout the years has been critical to Dana and her success in her eyes. In that respect, it’s been unique to have something we can all participate in.” What I love is whenever we have the performances my son helps… my sister helps… even my mom helps. Now, every August, we’ve got to put labels on the flyers. Our kitchen table was a mess for weeks, but it was a project we did as a family. “There were nights we’d all be sitting at the kitchen table putting labels on flyers,” she said. It’s not something they expected, but Dana said learning the business brought her family even more together. Elliot’s daughter is one of her teachers, and when August rolls around or performance nights are happening, everyone has a role. TOT has since become a family affair for the Elliot’s. I liked the whole idea of the movement and the music and the curriculum… to teach something fun and still be teaching.” “I liked the idea of being able to do something that was fun but also worthwhile with children,” she said. Elliot said she had always wanted to be a successful business owner, and after discussing the opportunity with her husband, she decided to go for it. She and her husband attended an informational meeting where they met Missy Washam and liked everything they heard. A year later, she received another email and decided to get more information. She said she remembers everyone looking so happy, but the timing wasn’t right for her. Like many TOT owners, Elliot received an introductory email that she initially brushed off. I still work every day, but I get to go to different places.” To me that’s the beauty of having your own business. I get to teach and see the kids everyday, but I’m not stuck in the same four walls everyday and it’s really nice. Not only is she enjoying the work that she’s doing, she enjoys the freedom it allows her. Six years ago, Dana Elliot left her job as a fourth grade teacher and took on the new role as the owner of the Teams of Tomorrow franchise in the Great San Antonio area.Īll these years later, Elliot could not be happier with the decision she made. ![]()
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