Kym Pomares has blossomed into an amazing force as the owner of Courthouse Academy in Virginia Beach. She is an inspiration, always combining work and play and is now leading her school as a culture of excellence and doing great things. Courthouse Academy is a traditional & Spanish Immersion Preschool and Elementary School. She is always growing and making a bigger impact in the world, and opens up in an honest and candid conversation about the challenges she has overcome throughout her time in this industry, and how she handled them and persevered like a true rockstar.   Key Takeaways: [1:37] Kym was also the winner of the Child Care Rockstar 2017 Award that took place at the Child Care Summit. Congrats to her! [2:50] Kym got her Masters in Audiology and Speech Pathology, and at one point swore she wouldn’t work with children! She then followed a path of working at a Preschool and then opened Courthouse Academy 25 years ago. It has grown immensely and now has over 230 children enrolled. [5:30] Adding Spanish immersion classes was the idea of her daughter, and her family is very strong in Cuban heritage and has spent time traveling around there taking in the customs. [8:22] Kym recounts time spent in Cuba with her daughter, and some of the lessons they learned that she put into play within building Courthouse Academy. [12:27] When building a business it’s not always completely a skyrocket of money and success from the start. Kym has had some trying times and feels it’s crucial to stay positive and work hard no matter what the challenges. [14:38] The very first step after her first Summit was changing the way incoming phone calls were organized. [18:10] Sometimes showing vulnerability doesn’t always result in the exact outcome you are hoping for, but it’s important to keep going and working within your values. [35:03] Kym defines a rockstar as someone that has a vision for the future, isn’t afraid of hard work, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.   Mentioned in This Episode: Kris Murray Child Care Marketing Solutions Child Care Success Academy Courthouse Academy Courthouse Academy Team and Background DuoLingo The Slight Edge: Turning Simple Disciplines Into Massive Success, by Jeff Olson