Meet Marlene Sheehan Dandler

We were lucky to catch up with Marlene Sheehan Dandler recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Marlene Sheehan, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

Being a runner has helped me develop a daily exercise habit. Every day starts with a prayer and a workout. From there, all the other habits have flowed. I find that exercising even when I’m tired and don’t feel like it helps me do other “hard” things I must do, even when I would rather not.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I started Seashore to empower parents to be more in control of their child’s education without having to homeschool by themselves. I created Seashore because I wanted it for myself, for my own children.

I wanted top-notch academics without the pressure and with a ton of fun and laughter. I also wanted a screen-free environment, so our students are free from tablets, Chromebooks and phones at all times on campus.

Seashore looks a lot like a private school, but we offer parents 1-5 days/week so they can customize their child’s education. We also allow them to travel whenever they wish, so they are not bound to a traditional school schedule.

We offer families a mix of academic days and entrepreneurship days where students learn to start their own businesses, learn public speaking, learn financial management, as well as cooperation and negotiation skills.

Seashore families enjoy the legal rights of homeschoolers while knowing they have top-quality academic instruction in a screen free, digital-free environment. Our small classes of 15:1 ensure that the students are given optimum individual attention.

Parents have medical freedom and rest assured that we do not teach children about any gender ideology; we consider these topics to be none of an educator’s business and strictly the decision of the family.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1.) Commitment to natural health. I believe strongly in the rights of an individual to make medical decisions. I don’t consider medical professionals to be gods, and don’t believe they have the right to dictate, only to advise. Not only does this benefit my company but it has helped me handle stress and stay healthy and strong.

2.) Joy in education. I have seen the emotional and physical havoc that the pressure of a getting in to a prestigious college can bring to too many teens. I have also seen that this same pressure can adversely impact curiosity, creativity, and overall health. Intellectual curiosity dies under immense stress. While academic excellence is important, the pressure is often unnecessary and self-created. I have chosen a third way: academic excellence minus the pressure. This has proven to be a popular theme when talking with families, and has attracted my clientele.

3.) Entrepreneurship and Financial Management: My lack of education in these areas left me scrambling as an adult. I tried to learn as much as possible on my own and had to do a lot to reset my mindset and belief system. As I have grown in my entrepreneurial journey, I am more passionate about empowering children with these skills so that they feel capable of making money outside of “going to school to get a good job” which is what traditional schools teach. I also want them to learn about debt, credit card interest rates and investments while they’re young.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am looking for other entrepreneurs who may want to start a school like Seashore Academy. They need to be willing to take the risk of entrepreneurship, but I would love to spread this model of academic excellence, freedom, empowerment and joy in education as I believe it is the healthiest way for children to learn.

We have a training program for those interested; to apply, please go to the SeashoreAcademy.org and click on “ownership”
Link: https://micro.seashoreacademy.org/?_gl=1*1585uk4*_ga*MTc1MDYyODY3OS4xNzIxMzMzODgx*_ga_N0932QC9J9*MTcyMTQzNzEzOS4yLjAuMTcyMTQzNzEzOS4wLjAuMA..

Contact Info:

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