Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Akers
Hi Melissa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a Montessori teacher for 8 years. I taught the primary age group, which is 3-6 year olds. Many of these families are Austin transplants that don’t have family in the area, and first time parents. Throughout my career I supported them with not only their child’s education, but also their parenting. I realized there were limitations to what I could help with as their child’s teacher, so when I left the classroom I decided to make my focus helping families with their parenting journey.
Another big inspiration for this work happened during Covid. My stepdaughter was 2 years old and home from school full time. We had to figure out a way to keep her occupied and still do our work at home. I made some small changes in our home to make it a more functional space for her and taught her how to work alongside us peacefully. We were able to establish a very sweet family routine. I saw that it was possible for children to work alongside their parents in harmony and felt inspired to bring this concept to other families. Parenting is hard! But my goal is to make it easier, and help improve relationships within family systems.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am still working on defining my scope. I don’t know another person in Austin that does what I do, consulting with a Montessori approach (if you’re out there please reach out!) So this work can be a bit isolating in that way. My struggles in transitioning from always working in a school with defined work hours to being an entrepreneur means I have had to manage my time differently, and look for opportunities everywhere.
As you know, we’re big fans of Melissa Akers Parent Consulting. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At the root of my practice is observation. I observe families at home, I observe children and dynamics and am able to see where the needs are. Sometimes it’s obvious and a quick fix, sometimes it takes a little more digging. I love when I can change a parents perspective or frame of reference for an issue.
Parents who send their children to Montessori schools want to ease the transition between school and home. Montessori teachers want to see this too. When we can make that smooth transition it honors the child’s experience across the board. The problem is, parents can attend parent nights and ask their teachers for guidance, but it’s very dependent on parents looking at their own environment with a trained eye. Thats what my role is. I work with parents as a trained Montessori teacher and parent myself, to look at their environment with them and make little adjustments to make a home that is functional for children. I have a firm belief that many behavior struggles can be solved by inspiring independence.
My work is certainly not limited to Montessori families either. My approach works for any family seeking a more harmonious home life by introducing structure, routine, and expectations for the whole family.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Leaving the classroom to pursue this career was a big risk. I was used to steady income and sales was not in my wheelhouse. Luckily I have great support with friends, family, and especially my husband, who has been working for himself for 10+ years. I got a ton of validation from people I know who agree this work is valuable, but it’s still a risk doing something this niche.
Pricing:
- Free introductory call
- $300 initial package which includes two hours of observation and one hour consulting session
- $125 per hour consulting
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Lizzie Allen
