Marlene Dandler built her company and a community from her kitchen table.
This week, I sat down with Marlene Dandler, founder of Seashore Academy, a fast-growing network of private hybrid schools that started right there — at her kitchen table.
What inspired me most wasn’t just how far she’s come, but how she leads: with clarity, care, and the conviction that great education, and great leadership, both start with human connection.
My three top takeaways:
1️⃣ Hiring for alignment, not background
Marlene explained that her toughest hires were leaders from traditional education, talented people who struggled to embrace Seashore Academy’s flexible hybrid model. What finally worked was finding a leader who shared her excitement for change and innovation.
2️⃣ Leadership energy trickles down
She compared leading her company to parenting: when she’s calm, the household, or the business, is calm. Her morning run and prayer aren’t just self-care, they’re her leadership practices.
3️⃣ Culture travels through connection
She keeps her on-site and remote teams united through short daily video huddles and by sharing photos from the classrooms, reminding everyone, even those thousands of miles away, of the joy they’re helping create.
Conversations like this remind me how much leadership is about intention — who we hire, how we show up, and how we stay connected across distance.
Grateful to Marlene for sharing her story, her heart, and her wisdom.
Full episode coming soon.
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The Freedom Test: Can Your Business Run Without You?
I barely checked my email for the past two weeks and drastically reduced my workload. It’s summer, and I’ve been traveling through Europe. On my way to Bulgaria, I had breakfast with Janet Bell, who happened to be here as well. Janet and I have known each other for years, going back to our time in OPWIL (Office Products Women in Leadership).
Even though so much has changed around us, our connection was instant. We enjoyed coffee in the sun and talked about the changes AI is bringing to the office supply space.
That conversation reminded me of something I’ve come to appreciate deeply: as business owners, we need to build companies that can run without us. If my business can’t operate while I’m away, while I’m traveling, then it’s time to redesign the system.
Here’s what made that possible for me:
✔️ Delegation rooted in trust
✔️ Systems that carry the weight
✔️ People who show up and take ownershipIt sounds so obvious and even banal, yet it took me years to get right. And I see so many business owners who know this, yet still struggle to find the right people who allow them to let go.
This trip gave me gratitude for the freedom I’ve been able to build.
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The Best Lessons Don’t Come From Books, They Come From People
The best lessons don’t come from books. Sometimes, they come from a night at Coldplay with a friend.
Last week, I met up with Dan Baker from Valatam in East London, just before the Coldplay concert. Technically, Dan is a competitor, he runs two outsourcing agencies. Most people would hold back in that situation. I don’t.
Why? Because I met Dan through EO, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. And in EO, I learned that even when we’re in the same industry, we don’t compete with each other. The only real competition is with ourselves.
To grow my business, I need to grow myself not fear what competitors are doing. That’s why every time Dan and I meet, we talk openly. And I walk away with ideas, feedback, and perspectives you can only get from someone who’s walked the same road.
I’m grateful for friends who prove that you can cheer each other on, learn from each other, and still win in business.
P.S.: The Coldplay concert made a memory. But peer learning makes change.
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When Losing a Client Feels Like a Win
I lost a client, and I’m actually happy about it.
Let me explain.
A while back, we placed a fantastic team member with what is now our former client. She did such a great job from day one, showing perfect culture and role fit, that they decided to hire her directly.
Yes, it happens in outsourcing. But here’s what really bothered me: poaching talent doesn’t just break terms. It breaks trust and destroys culture.
I believe the most valuable thing a business owner has is their reputation with clients, suppliers, and teams. Breaking terms sends a signal to that employee and to the rest of the team that shortcuts and small acts of dishonesty are acceptable. In the long run, that erodes trust and damages both the business owner’s and the company’s reputation.
Great cultures are built on respect and integrity.
And if a client shows us they don’t believe in that, then we’re simply not a good fit.Because without values, there is no partnership.
What do you think? Does a little cheating corrode team and company culture?
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