I am the Founder of C3 Education Group, an after-school tuition centre with 4 campuses across Sydney and an Online Learning School that supports school-aged children from 4-17 years old.
I am a wife and mother of 4 high achieving children who passionately advocates for a growth mindset learning approach to personal excellence through the power of creative and confident communication. This philosophy of learning is the cornerstone of C3 Education Group and my life’s work to inspire and impact more school aged children to embrace learning in dynamic ways.
When did you start your business?
I started my business 20 years ago after I left 10 years in the corporate space.
What was the inspiration behind starting this business?
I was a financial literacy adviser in a bespoke team managing a portfolio of $100 million for seasoned and aspiring medical professionals. When I became a mum for the first time, I thought about the future of learning for my children to reach professions like medicine or law, which inspired me to think about how to educate our future generation to be dynamic and outside of the box thinkers who armed themselves with a can-do attitude for financial success. My answer was that children had to become experts in all aspects of LITERACY. My two adult children reached their goals of being an aspiring doctor and lawyer!
What are you most excited about in your business?
The most exciting aspect of my business is to see the growth mindset of the students we teach, the staff we guide and the families that we impact. Whilst the business has become much bigger than my little homegrown start-up, the children that I used to teach have now become parents and have returned to the ecosystem of C3 Education Group in one form or another. It is a virtuous cycle!
What has been the most challenging thing about starting your business?
The most challenging part of starting a business is the perseverance to see it through. As a mum, the struggle of keeping the dream alive and the daily grind is real and undeniable. I remember having 3 kids under 5 years old – I would be a mum by day, and then a business owner by night, burning the candle on both ends. Each year was another notch on the belt of success.
What advice would you give to other women thinking about starting a business?
The advice I would give is to follow your passion and work hard. The best businesses can flop or the worst ones can flourish, and it all comes down to hard work and dedication.
Why did you enter the AusMumpreneur Awards?
For years, I was social media shy and didn’t think it was necessary to put myself out there. I believed that as long as I served the families and the community, then I just needed to put my head down and bum up. Over time, I realised that the literacy and education landscape continued to let our children down. For me to continue being a voice of authority and serve my community, what better way to have an amazing reach and recognition from the one and only AusMumpreneur who advocates for mothers dedicated to making a difference in the world!
What did you enjoy the most about being part of the awards?
The expertise, dedication and grit of the women that I was in the room with. The awards showed me that my hard work was being recognized among some of the best businesses out there. I was so humbled by that recognition.
What surprised you most about the awards?
I was surprised by the amazing calibre of the business women in the space. Each and every woman I met blew me away with their stories of passion, hardship and dedication to get where they are today. I was in awe of the professionalism that I witnessed, and the support for others who won awards – it was amazing to see the camaraderie and shared experiences that were acknowledged and appreciated.
How did the awards help you in your business?
The awards ensured that my hardwork was recignised. It continues to bring traffic to our service
What advice would you give to other mums thinking about entering the awards?
Put your best foot forward. And always have a speech ready, no matter what the outcome! It acts as an affirmation of your belief, permission to acknowledge your work and, if you don’t win, a ready-made speech to give at the next awards ceremony!
What has been the best thing about starting your own business?
Work life balance! Whilst the grind can be hard at the beginning, the ability to choose your own hours, be with your family and in control of your future is priceless.
What’s happening next in your business?
I am currently working on building a plethora of online resources accessible to parents and children that focuses on early learning literacy. Hopefully, these will be picked up by early learning centres and schools.
What are your big plans for the future?
The sky’s the limit! I am
What is your website and/or social media links?
Personal website = www.christinewan.com (coaching and speaking business)
Instagram = @christinewanofficial
