Building Your Tribe: The Importance of Community for Microschool Owners

By: Jennifer Kempin | January 29, 2025

Starting a microschool can be an isolating experience. I have found that in a culture where traditional schooling is often seen as the only legitimate path, I am often surrounded by families that believe that if their children can’t “cut it” in a conventional classroom, their kid needs to “tougin up”. The idea of a school like mine: that supports the whole child, is trauma-informed, and operates outside the regulation of public and private institutions, is more than foreign. When you are a trailblazer, not just in your field but in your entire community, it can feel like you’re speaking a different language—one that many don’t understand.

When you’re going against the grain in so many ways, having a strong support system is essential. You need people around you who believe in your vision—who will encourage you when you’re exhausted from explaining, defending, and advocating. At the end of a long day of fighting the good fight, you need a soft place to land.

Finding Support

Taking the leap to start your own school is terrifying. Making big decisions—leaving behind traditional career paths, investing in an untested idea—feels overwhelming. As a woman in business, I found myself looking around at mostly male business owners and wondering if I could really do this. I needed to see other moms running businesses before I felt confident I could take the leap. Since I didn’t have that network in real life, I built a virtual village of mentors and inspirations.

One of my biggest influences was Melisa Nielsen from Waldorf Essentials. Through her podcast, calls, curriculum, and recommended reading, she showed me that I could provide a wholesome, technology-free education for children while also managing a family and a business.

I also turned to podcasts by female entrepreneurs, especially those who were mothers. These voices gave me new perspectives on balancing business and family, showing me it was possible to thrive in both.

Keri McDonald’s podcast, LiberatEd, introduced me to the stories of education entrepreneurs across the country. Over and over again, I heard stories of people launching microschools with wild success. This gave me the confidence to believe that my idea wasn’t just a dream—it was a viable business.

Makenzie Oliver’s Teacher, Let Your Light Shine podcast broke the process down into actionable steps. She shared exactly how she started her school, making it feel doable instead of overwhelming.

Finding Your People

Makenzie’s podcast also has a fantastic Facebook group that you can join, full of microschool owners that are at every stage of the game. If you read the last article I wrote, you know what I think about Facebook groups for marketing purposes. But it is also a place where we can find our people! I love Makenzie’s group because you can ask all kinds of questions and get answers directly from your peers. I have joined a few other groups but haven’t found them to be as useful.

I got my first real taste of in-person community at conferences. One of the most impactful for me was the Hybrid Schools Conference at Kennesaw State University in Atlanta (where I’ll be speaking on a panel this year). If you attend just one conference, I highly recommend this one. It was here that I first felt like I had found my people—other educators and entrepreneurs who understood my journey. The relationships I built there have grown into lasting connections and ongoing support.

Another transformative experience was VELA Con. VELA is an organization that not only provides funding for microschool founders but also offers an online community where education entrepreneurs can connect, ask questions, and share experiences. The conference was filled with inspiring speakers, but more than that, it was an opportunity to form real connections with other school founders who were navigating the same challenges.

Creating a Real-Life Community

While online communities and conferences have been invaluable, there’s something uniquely powerful about in-person connections. While my virtual mentors were invaluable, and these newfound, long-distance connections have been amazing, I knew I needed a real-world, local community as well. I started working on creating a network of Pennsylvania microschool owners. So far, we have a Facebook group and have had one meet-up in the Philadelphia area. More to come. Slowly but surely, I’m getting to know these passionate individuals one conversation at a time.

At the same time, I’ve been seeking out women entrepreneurs in my area, particularly those building something new and innovative. I connect with them, support their businesses, share their work on social media, and build relationships with them. Next month, I’m hosting a gathering of local female business owners, and I can’t wait to see where these connections lead.

Building a community is a slow process, and I have learned you really have to come from a place of giving, not taking, when starting out. It doesn’t happen overnight—it happens one relationship, one conversation, and one gathering at a time. But it’s worth the effort.

You’re Not Alone

If you’re feeling isolated in your microschool journey, know that you’re not alone. There are others out there who understand your challenges, who share your vision, and who will cheer you on when the path feels uncertain. Seek them out—whether through podcasts, conferences, online communities, or local connections. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, who support you, and who remind you that what you’re doing matters.

Building a microschool is not just about creating a space for children to learn; it’s about creating a movement. And movements are not built in isolation. They are built in community.

So find your tribe. And if you haven’t yet—start building one.

If you’re looking for a community, reach out! Let’s build this movement together.