Reflecting on 4 Years of Life Rediscovered: From Vision to Community

As we wrap up our fourth year at Life Rediscovered, I wanted to take a moment to share a more personal reflection on the journey that brought us here—what I’ve learned, how we’ve grown, and where we’re headed next. Whether you're a long-time LRD family or new to homeschooling altogether, I hope this behind-the-scenes look offers both transparency and inspiration.

As our 4th year at Life Rediscovered comes to a close, I am reflecting on my journey as a program director and entrepreneur…

I started LRD in September 2021, jumping into entrepreneurship during COVID, definitely biting off more than I could chew but at the same time pretty bull-headed (as I can be) and believing I could pull this off. Within 2 weeks of having the idea, I signed a 3-year lease on our very own, very expensive building, hired 2 full-time staff, and found 25 kids to fill our 5-day programs with!

Some might call it reckless… Most people start a homeschool co-op by finding a few families and meeting 1–2 days a week… but not me, I had different ideas and way too much confidence 🤪

I made many mistakes that year and suffered a lot from the emotional roller coaster that came with losing staff and students, getting different staff and students, and running out of money. I desperately applied for grants and got two that allowed me to continue our program and expand to two new locations.

During our second year, at our peak, I was running 3 locations with 10 staff, and almost 100 students… all while pregnant with our fourth child. That year was spent very much in “boss babe” entrepreneur-mom mode, constantly working to sustain what I had built. Lots of late nights, lots of excitement, lots of logistics, lots of driving, LOTS of stress.

Next phase was burnout… and realizing that while expansion was cool and great, and I got a lot of recognition and applause from others about it, my kids (or husband) didn’t need or want any of that. They didn’t want tired mom who shlepped them from the North Shore to the South Shore because a staff was out and mom needed to handle things. They didn’t need three schools, they needed one, where they could develop friendships and create lasting bonds. That year, my business flourished, but my home life suffered.

I decided to close the doors of the two new locations and re-focus on our flagship program. It was the right decision.

We spent our 3rd year in Westborough. It was a happy year—our last year in our expensive building. The lease ending was a financial relief, and with that came the opportunity to re-evaluate what actually works for my family and the community I am intending to serve.

Our fourth year has been our best year yet…

I was happy to be able to continue our program in my mother’s gym, which lay empty during the day. Not being tied to an expensive lease, we were able to reduce our days to only twice a week with a third day for field trips, which have grown to be a pillar of our programming this year and have given my kids so much joy.

I am now pregnant with our 5th, and this part-time program feels completely in line with our needs as a family. My kids still have “school,” their friends, and their community, but we are not all constantly rushing and stressing.

My vibe over the years has very much gone from “hardcore boss babe entrepreneur” to “mom first, that also facilitates a community.” For the first time since opening this business, I was able to close out the year peacefully, with loose ends tied, prepared for next year and not feeling like I am scrambling and pushing my to-do’s into the summer.

I feel grateful for my personal growth since opening, and for the people that have stood by my side through the ups and downs as I figured it all out. I have seen many programs open and close during these 4 years—it’s not easy running a business, let alone a community—and I am humbled and grateful to still be walking this path.

I am SO looking forward to our 5th year this fall—I know it’ll be even better than this year. 🙏🏽