We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Barrett and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, what do you attribute your success to?
I think the most important factor behind the success of my businesses is that I created them with my own children in mind. I knew what I wanted for my own children and did not find it in my local community, so I decided to create it myself. I had a vision for the type of education I wanted for them. I saw my daughter so excited for her first day of kindergarten. She had looked forward to this moment for a long time, and frankly, she was disappointed. The focus on standardized achievement and test performance (in kindergarten!) dulled her excitement after the first week. She was so excited to learn and experience the world and when I saw her flame start to dwindle, I pulled her out of kindergarten and we began to homeschool.

As a female engineer, I see the same thing with older kids who are so excited, for example, to learn chemistry. Chemistry is fascinating, but when they get to class and see that it is studying vocabulary and processes from a textbook, it takes the wind right out of their sail. Science classes must be hands-on and experiential so kids can experience science in a meaningful way.

Over the years, as my children grew, the business evolved with them. Their needs changed and this helped me to keep evolving and changing our programs to meet older children too. Meeting my own kids’ needs through my businesses allowed me to create a superior product.

Now my kids are older and do not benefit directly from the business anymore, but I continue to think back on what we did right for them years ago, while evolving with the times and next generation of kids too.

Other things have certainly contributed to our success as well. A good partner that I fully trust, a passion for Waldorf education, and various helpers along the way who share their expertise have helped us on our path to success.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a lifelong math & science lover. I love making math engaging and meaningful for students and helping them find confidence and joy in the subject. My educational background is in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a degree from Georgia Tech. Upon graduating, I started my career with Walt Disney World. I went on to work in various engineering roles for Disney including managing a team of engineers and statisticians.

My oldest child was born in 2006, and I had a strong desire to stay home with her. She had some health issues and it was hard for me to go into work each day and perform in the way that I did prior to her birth.
I decided to leave Disney and follow my entrepreneurial spirit. I opened an engineering consulting company, and through this company, I organized conferences and ghost-wrote articles, presentations, curriculum, and health programs for many clients including two NY Times best-selling authors, medical doctors, and various business leaders. I was an editor for a magazine by a global fitness brand and worked with this brand on many projects. I also helped functional medicine doctors transition to the concierge practice model. Back in those days, I found clients through CraigsList and word-of-mouth. Once I had done work for one doctor’s practice, they would recommend me to others and the work kept me very busy as I juggled raising two young children at the same time. But I enjoyed the flexibility to work when they played or slept and to stop working if they were sick or needed something. It left me with more time with my children and that is what I wanted when I left Disney.

In 2015, I founded my first homeschool enrichment program in Orlando, FL. I had been seeking a homeschool enrichment program for my two children that combined hands-on, nature-inspired, whole-child learning with Waldorf philosophies. After envisioning what an ideal program would look like and not finding one nearby, I decided to open a school in Orlando that offers this unique program for homeschoolers. In 2016, I opened a second homeschool enrichment program in the southwest Orlando area. Since that time, I have opened and operated four additional in-person Waldorf-inspired homeschool programs. I have hired dozens of mothers who also seek to work while staying home with their children and I love that I have been able to help offer flexible work for women.

In 2021, I partnered with a dear friend to bring my knowledge and experience from the previous programs to a wider audience. Lotus & Ivy virtual classes was born to be a special blend of Waldorf education and homeschooling for English speaking students all over the world.

I think the greatest challenge was when my children were young and I wanted to balance career and motherhood. They are older now, so it is much easier. I have set the foundations my business over the years with the experience I gained, and now is the time when I can dedicate more time and energy to my work. Having a business partner has always been helpful because one of us can pull the weight during times when the other needs to slow down due to illness, vacation, or even a simple doctor appointment.

Speaking of challenges, I think my business partner and I would agree that we face challenges daily. I used to joke that owning a business means you are the Complaint Department. As the business grows, the complaints grow too. And complaints are challenging. We must allow them to challenge us and grow us, rather than deflate us. We cannot ever take complaints personally. Complaints give us the opportunity to help someone else, to offer kindness, and to improve our business, so in reality, complaints are blessings. Daily blessings!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Sacramento, CA so if I had a week to show a friend a good time, I would take them for 3 days to Mill Valley, CA and 3 days to Carmel. In Mill Valley, we would go to Muir Woods, walk around the downtown, and maybe see a play in San Francisco one evening. The little movie theatre in Mill Valley is fun, and the town has numerous outdoor eating spots. We especially love Flour Craft, a gluten-free bakery in downtown Mill Valley. Piazza D’Angelo is a favorite dinner spot.

Carmel is my favorite place in northern CA. You really could spend more than 3 days there, but the must-see activities are window-shopping and eating downtown, Sea Ranch for dinner, catch a play at the Forest Theatre, and hike Point Lobos.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I could shoutout to many people who have helped me along the way.

My first business partner, Jenny LeMeiux, who jumped in with me as two young mothers who wanted career flexibility that allowed us to stay home with our children when they were young. I left the business consulting business to focus more on my passion for bringing Waldorf education to more communities and Jenny continued the business.

With Candi Clark, a dear friend and fellow Waldorf homeschool mom, I started our first Waldorf-inspired hybrid school in Orlando, FL. She and I did everything from directors to teachers to curriculum writers to student services to event planners to clean-up crew and more! And she always brought the laughter and made the hard work a lot of fun. We loved each one of our students and experienced highs and lows with the community. It was a time I will treasure forever. Candi still runs this school, but I moved out of state and decided to start the virtual option.

My longtime friend, Heather Parrish is my current business partner. We raised our kids in the same neighborhood and talked for years about education and what we could build together. Finally, in 2021, we opened Lotus & Ivy Waldorf-inspired virtual classes for homeschoolers, and, together, we have built the largest business I have ever owned and operated. We push each other every day to be better, and we have each other’s backs through thick and thin. To have such a friendship is probably quite rare and I am grateful beyond words. We have set goals together for the next 5 and 10 years and I am looking forward to what we create together, along with our amazing team of teachers and community of parents and students.

Website: http://www.lotusandivy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotusandivyllc/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahsbarrett/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lotusandivy

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1XG6_C8JQ5-3s9gwOhuFwQ

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