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

Hi Libby, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Going through the school selection process with my own family really opened my eyes to the need. We have so many options here in Raleigh. There is year-round school, magnet schools, charter schools, and of course private schools. I have a deep background in education and it was still confusing and time consuming for me. I wanted to fill that need in our community and offer guidance to families.

What should our readers know about your business?
We are a K-12 school selection group which means we help families navigate all their school options. When I started out I naively thought it was going to be a side hobby. I started speaking at a few preschools and helping a few rising kindergarten families navigate school selection.  I was able to use my knowledge of the system and my experience in the classroom to really help parents through the process. But as my reputation grew it became clear that this was a full time job. I have since expanded to help with middle school and high school selection as well as to work with many families moving to the area. SchoolUp now covers all K-12 schools in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. We tour schools constantly and build relationship with those schools to really get to know what makes them unique. I think what makes us special is that we were the first to really pioneer this personalized service in the Raleigh area. Sure there are other well known consultants in bigger cities like NYC and LA but we were the first to bring this comprehensive service here. And we offer a very personalized approach, it isn’t a cookie cutter process, we treat each family like a special snowflake and get to know them and their values in order to help guide them.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live on the north side of Raleigh but we are definitely found downtown regularly. I love the restaurant scene in Raleigh. As often as possible we head downtown for date night. Currently on my list to visit is Umbrella Dry Bar on W. Martin St. and West Street Dog Park and Bar (an indoor dog park and bar!). I love quirky and interesting places and the stories behind them. Second best thing about Raleigh is the outdoor space. My husband and I are big bikers and runners so we frequently take advantage of Raleigh’s awesome parks and greenway trails. Depending on the weather we love to take visitors mountain biking, paddle boarding, hiking or road biking. We have one of the most incredible parks and recreational systems in the country!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
No entrepreneur can get far without the support of family and friends. I am blessed to have an amazingly encouraging and talented husband who really helped me make my vision a reality. I also have an incredibly supportive and successful group of close friends who were always there to give advice or brainstorm ideas and cheer me on.

Website: www.schoolupwake.com

Instagram: @schoolupwake

Facebook: @schoolupwake

Image Credits
Anna Teem with Honeysuckle Photo Co.

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