Rejecting Societal Timelines: Young adults are easing the pressure to adhere to traditional life milestones. This includes delaying marriage and parenthood, and altering paths in education and careers. They prioritize personal fulfillment over societal expectations, paving their own paths to happiness and success.
In a world rapidly changing through technology, societal norms, and global challenges, a new generation of leaders is emerging. Ambitious young adults are not just aiming for traditional markers of success; they are redefining what it means to be successful. Beyond the corporate ladder and financial milestones, they prioritize impact, sustainability, and personal fulfillment. They are entrepreneurs, activists, scientists, and artists who are shaping the future with innovative ideas and actions. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Libby Lossing.
Libby Lossing is the owner of multiple locations of Mathnasium Learning Centers, an international franchise network of over 1,100 math learning centers that serve over 100,000 students. Lossing became a second-generation franchise owner with Mathnasium in her early 20s and currently leads a team of fourteen centers across San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, and Dallas.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My experience with Mathnasium began when my parents opened their first learning center in 2013. I worked as a part-time tutor during my summer and holiday breaks, all while earning my bachelor’s degree from UCLA. My responsibilities included tutoring math for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, guiding them through their homework, and preparing them for tests and quizzes. After loving my time as a part-time tutor, I decided to pursue a career in entrepreneurship.
Right around the time I was finishing my senior year, I moved up the ladder at Mathnasium and became the Director of Operations for our San Diego location. During my first year of working full time in that role, I expanded our operations to Phoenix and then in my second year, we opened in Dallas. I served as the area manager for those areas, organized and executed marketing campaigns, and found ways to help franchisees expand their footprint.
After a decade with Mathnasium, I became a multi-unit franchise owner of Mathnasium Learning Centers last year, marking my transition to a second-generation owner within the brand. Since then, I have expanded our family’s presence beyond San Diego, Phoenix, and Dallas, through a multi-unit acquisition of four locations in Denver. It’s immensely fulfilling to uphold my family’s legacy at Mathnasium and to remain dedicated to delivering the highest level of service, helping every child who walks through our doors.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your teaching career? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
One of the most memorable and intense experiences during my time at Mathnasium happened when we had to adjust our teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Mathnasium planned to gradually roll out our online tutoring platform, Mathnasium@home, to learning centers around the country. However, we had to expedite that process when all of our tutors went remote in the early months of the pandemic.
Overnight, we transferred our entire business online. During that quick transition, I was responsible for remote training over 100 people, onboarding for 1,000 customers, and supporting our fellow franchisees. I am incredibly grateful for the support Mathnasium provided me throughout the entire process. While it was a marathon tackling the pandemic, I learned the importance of quickly adapting to unforeseen circumstances without sacrificing the quality of our service.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
Tenacity: Running a business means overcoming a number of challenges, whether it be economic or operational. It’s important to always tackle a problem head-on and make sure a setback doesn’t impact your long-term growth strategy. One area where I’m extremely motivated is our key performance indicators. If I see my lead conversion slipping, I will come in early and stay late to do additional follow ups to get our numbers where they need to be.
Dedication: Sitting in on meetings and conversations with industry leaders has been instrumental for my development as an entrepreneur. It’s important to be a sponge and take in all the information you can. No matter how long you’ve been a business professional, you never know what you might learn by listening to others and observing your surroundings.
Confidence: The ability to effectively network is an invaluable skill. Franchising has been incredibly helpful for me to find connections because there is already a built-in network of owners. Speaking with business leaders and building relationships with those who are in my area, are passionate about marketing, and have a similar portfolio to me has been extremely beneficial for my growth and advancement at Mathnasium.
Okay, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview about how ambitious young adults are redefining success. How would you define success?
Success is all about making sure that you meet your full potential, both professionally and personally. As a multi-unit owner for Mathnasium, I am not only responsible for myself, but for the many kids that come through our doors. It’s important for me to make sure that my learning centers are running as efficiently as possible. For example, ensuring that we’re providing each child access to top-notch tutors, up-to-date supplementary education materials, and necessary assistance. Every child should come out of our sessions not only feeling more confident in math, but actually enjoying the subject. Math is a crucial skill for people to remember throughout their life, and it brings me pride to know that my business plays a role in making sure that it’s understood in a meaningful way.
My goal is to bring our curriculum to as many children across the country as possible, as there are way too many kids without a proper education.
How do you incorporate social responsibility and sustainability into your definition of success?
It’s important to make sure that my learning centers promote diversity and inclusion. Everyone should feel welcomed with open arms when they step foot into a Mathnasium. Families come to us wanting their child to get high-quality tutoring, assistance on homework, and preparation for tests, while also playing fun games that can help them develop a love for math. I’m very dedicated to ensuring that every child utilizing our services receives the best supplemental education, regardless of their background. We accommodate students with disabilities and adjust our curriculum to meet the needs of all students.
Additionally, Mathnasium provides services for kids in foster care and military families at a discounted rate. It’s part of our commitment to make sure children from potentially disadvantaged backgrounds receive a proper math education, along with showing our support and appreciation for the brave men and women who defend our country.
Can you describe a moment or decision that significantly redirected your path toward leadership?
I naturally gravitate toward leadership roles, and over time, my style has adapted to suit different situations. For instance, during my tenure as captain of the Spirit Squad at UCLA, I embraced a nurturing leadership approach, particularly with incoming freshmen, ensuring our team provided vital support during their transition to college life.
Upon graduating, I entered my family’s business portfolio, where I initially grappled with concerns about perceptions of nepotism at Mathnasium. To mitigate this, I adopted a servant leadership approach, prioritizing the needs of my team and focusing on building trust. This strategy was pivotal in earning their confidence and strengthening my own leadership capabilities within the organization.
What role do mentorship and community play in shaping your approach to leadership and success?
After years as a business professional, I agree with motivational speaker Jim Rohn’s quote that “you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” That’s why I prioritize spending as much time as possible with successful people in the business world. After spending time with them, I feel motivated to push myself beyond what I thought was possible and look at ways to increase my own location performance and portfolio.
In what ways do you think your generation’s view of success differs from previous generations?
There are two key differences. Firstly, I believe my generation views success beyond what they’re doing professionally. We prioritize a healthy work-life balance and meaningful relationships outside of work. We’re also more aware of the health consequences of burnout and elevated stress levels, so we make sure to include some me-time as part of our daily routine. Secondly, I believe my generation has a different view on being entrepreneurial. Younger people who are running businesses spend more of a concerted effort toward social and environmental responsibilities. This includes being driven by sustainability, social responsibility, and inclusion.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Ambitious Young Adults Are Redefining Success?”
How do you navigate the challenges of innovation and change while staying true to your values and vision for success?
While it’s crucial to continuously innovate your business, it’s equally important to prioritize your customers’ preferences. At Mathnasium, we are dedicated to adapting our programs with our customers in mind, by gathering feedback on any changes we implement and ensuring that adjustments to our operations are aimed at enhancing their overall experience.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
I am extremely passionate about everyone having access to a high quality, individualized education. During my time at Mathnasium, I have seen the tremendous impact one-on-one instruction and a customized curriculum can have on students trying to learn math. It can be an extremely difficult subject to understand, so it’s important to have the best tutor and resources to meet the needs of each student.
Arizona has a school choice voucher system that I believe is very beneficial to a child. The state provides financial assistance to families and allows them to choose which school they to educate their children. I would love if this would be implemented nationwide.
How can our readers further follow you online?
You can follow our company on LinkedIn at Mathnasium (Operated by Lossing Enterprises, LLC) and on Instagram at MathHelp4Kids.
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
About The Interviewer: Eden Gold, is a youth speaker, keynote speaker, founder of the online program Life After High School, and host of the Real Life Adulting Podcast. Being America’s rising force for positive change, Eden is a catalyst for change in shaping the future of education. With a lifelong mission of impacting the lives of 1 billion young adults, Eden serves as a practical guide, aiding young adults in honing their self-confidence, challenging societal conventions, and crafting a strategic roadmap towards the fulfilling lives they envision.
Source: Gold, Eden. “Future Leaders: Libby Lossing of Mathnasium on How Ambitious Young Adults Are Redefining Success.” Medium, June 28, 2024. https://medium.com/authority-magazine/future-leaders-libby-lossing-of-mathnasium-on-how-ambitious-young-adults-are-redefining-success-3d9d515bece8.
Mathnasium meets your child where they are and helps them with the customized program they need, for any level of mathematics.
