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The Homeschool How To
I don't claim to know anything about homeschooling, so I set out on a journey to ask the people who do! Join me as I chat with homeschoolers to discuss; "why are people homeschooling," "what are all the ways people are using to homeschool today," and ultimately, "should I homeschool my kids?"
The Homeschool How To
#177: The Truth About Leaving a Successful Career to Homeschool
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What happens when you've built everything you thought you wanted... and realize it's no longer the life you want?
In this episode, I sit down with Ceci Washington, entrepreneur, business mentor, and homeschooling mom, to talk about the decision to walk away from a thriving business, leave behind financial security, and choose a completely different path for her family.
We discuss the fears that stop parents from homeschooling, why so many families feel pulled toward a different way of raising their children, the grief that can come with leaving your old life behind, and why grief doesn't always mean you've made the wrong decision.
We also talk about socialization, technology, homeschooling regulations, balancing work and family, and what it really looks like to build a life around your children instead of fitting them into your schedule.
If you've ever wondered whether homeschooling could work for your family—or whether it's possible to redesign your life around what matters most—this conversation is for you.
Cheryl on Ceci's podcast- YouTube
www.instagram.com/itsceciwashington
www.instagram.com/getradicallyreal
https://stan.store/CecileJWash
Resources from Cheryl: 🎓
New to homeschooling? Grab the free 30-Day Quick Start Guide
📚 Knowing exactly what to teach is the hard part, so I broke it down for you in plain English! Grab this today — What Do I Actually Teach?
💻 Want to Homeschool but still have to work? Check out my course on how to do just that: How to Work and Homeschool course
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Believing You Can Choose Differently
SPEAKER_02I didn't plan to homeschool. I started asking hard questions, realized how little control parents actually have, and made the hard decision to leave a government job to homeschool my kids. Now I interview other homeschooling parents to learn how this all works. I'm Cheryl, and this is the Homeschool How-To podcast. Let's learn this together. Before we jump into today's conversation, I wanted to tell you why I think this episode matters. So many parents think that the hardest part of homeschooling is choosing curriculum, but it isn't. The hardest part is believing that you're allowed to choose a different life. My guest today, Cece, she walked away from an incredibly successful business because she realized that she couldn't get this season with her children back. We talk about the fear, the grief, the identity shift, and what happens when you finally stop living the life that everybody else expects you to live. And if you're sitting there thinking, I want to homeschool, but I don't know how I could possibly make this work and pay the bills, that's exactly why I created the course How to Work in Homeschool. So I'll link that in the show's description. It isn't about convincing you to homeschool, it's about showing you practical ways that families are actually making it work. Now let's get into today's episode with Ceci.
Cece’s Turning Point On School
SPEAKER_02Welcome. We have today a very fun guest. Cece, I'm so excited to have you here because you're just a little ball of energy. How are you? I'm doing very well. How are you doing? Great. Now, you're I you had me on your podcast a couple of weeks ago, and that was a lot of fun. So check out that episode. And I love to like return the favor and give anyone that has me on their podcast, you know, if they homeschool, I want them on mine so we can share your story as well. So we'll link the episode to your podcast in the show's description here so people can check out kind of my story and what I chatted about. But what even made you get into homeschooling in the first place?
SPEAKER_00I mean, you know, we've talked about this before, but there there's so many reasons. Like, first and foremost, time with your kids is like one of the most important things. But for me, it was, you know, it's just like sending them to an indoctrination camp.
SPEAKER_02I mean, I it's just what it is. It's like where did the realization come from you? Like, I know I grew up just thinking everybody does it, it's gotta be normal. It's it's the people smarter than me have vetted the system and they know best, right? A hundred percent. Is that you? Where was your turning point?
SPEAKER_00I think like when it came time to send my daughter into kindergarten, oh, into this system, and I started to feel that fear, and then I was like, okay, like where is this coming from? And then I started to do more research and talk to different homeschoolers, and I was like, oh my god. And at the time I couldn't homeschool because I had my business. So I sent her to private school. So I sent her to a Montessori and was led by like a more conservative Christian woman, and she was there for junior kindergarten and senior kindergarten, but like I would have clients tell me things that are like teachers tell me things that were happening in the schools, and I was just like, I am not comfortable sending my kid into these systems. And one of them was she's a kindergarten teacher, and it's so funny is that people gaslight you when you talk about this online. I've talked about this online, they're like, that didn't happen. And I'm like, yep, I'm just lying, and so was my client. But my client was telling me that in kindergarten, they are to assume that children are they them until they specify their pronouns. And I was like, Pardon me? Pardon me?
SPEAKER_02Crazy.
SPEAKER_00It's it's crazy. That is crazy. So there was that, and then I had another client that said, Yeah, we have to lie to the parents, and if the kid comes to school and they're identifying as like John, but they're actually Sarah, we're not allowed to tell the parents, and she quit her job because of that. She's like, I'm not lying to parents.
SPEAKER_02I you're not even the first that has sort of gotten into this for me because yeah, I have had teachers and uh that say, like, my values were just being challenged, and I knew it was time to leave the system because of of this stuff. And yeah, people don't believe that it's real, but it's like maybe it's not a hundred percent of the teachers and a hundred percent of the districts yet, yeah, but it is slowly rolling out because I think if they did that, people would be like, No, we're not doing this, and there'd be a big, you know, stand-up walkout, even though there already is kind of a walkout from lots of teachers.
SPEAKER_00But and millions and millions of homeschoolers, millions, yeah, four million homeschoolers.
SPEAKER_02They're rolling it out slowly, probably in the more liberal states like mine and New York, uh in in you know, it's it'll trickle in everywhere eventually. So we do have to speak up about it and kind of let parents know this is what is happening. And if you're okay with that, then fine. Yeah, but you should still be aware, like you should be aware that it's going on to choose what do I want this for my child or not.
SPEAKER_00Well, and that's exactly it. And and that's the thing, is like if you want to send them into the system and you're okay with you know, whatever it is that's happening there, and it's not all about it's not all about that. I mean, for me, it's enough to not want to send them into that system. And of course, there's many other reasons, like of course, number one being the amount of time that I get with my kids, and and you know, you don't get that time back. And, you know, there was a post that I saw something about like how many extra hours we get with our children, and it's crazy. And then you have parents that are like, oh, I can never spend that much time with my kids. And I'm like, okay, like I don't know why you would ever say that. Like, would you say that in front of your kid? But it's like, if you want to send them into that system, like have at her, but like I know enough and have heard enough from teachers and other homeschooling parents to where I'm like, there's no freaking way I'm sending them into that, it's not happening unless they ask, I'm not sending them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and right. I I probably would have been one of those moms that said, Oh, I just can't spend all day with my kids. Cause and it is a lot, it's dripping. Yes, it's a lot to like keep people alive all day. Yeah, but you also, it is your job to make humans that people want to be around. And if you had them and they're your blood and you can't stand being around them all day, why do you think teachers or other children will? You have to mold them into people that are likable. And I do I try to have this conversation with my son a lot. Like, hey, I'm not trying to tell you to be someone that you're not, but your life's gonna be a whole lot easier if people like you because doors will just open, opportunities will open. And I try to give him the example of when we were in Florida, there was like this 80-year-old man staying next to us that took him fishing every morning and every evening, let him use his poles, his bait, all this stuff, and they had just such a great time. And I'm like, if you were a jerk, he would not have done that. Like, he wouldn't have wanted to spend time with you. So think of all that you learned from that experience and the fun that you had because of being a likable person to that man. Now extrapolate that by all the people that you meet in your life.
SPEAKER_00And so it will open if you're likable.
SPEAKER_02So if you don't like your own kids, chances are people other people will shut the door on them too. If if you're not shut the door on them yourself.
SPEAKER_00And it's just such such an audacious thing to say. Just like I when people say that I'm literally like, I j I don't even know what to say to them.
SPEAKER_02I think it's like one of those it was ingrained in us from some sort of social media aspect or television propaganda. Oh, yeah, it's normal to say this. Of course it's draining, but Well, and that's just it.
SPEAKER_00Like people just act like we're just over here, like La-De-Dun, and it's just like all sunshine and rainbows, and it's hard, and it's you know, it's it's like the ultimate sacrifice that you make for your children. And I think I'm not gonna look back and go, Oh, I spent too much time with my kids. Right.
SPEAKER_02I I think that was one of my first posts that did very well a couple years ago, was like what I learned. And the last one was like the last slide was I will never say I spent too much time with them. Nobody ever says that on their deathbed. So, how old are your children?
SPEAKER_00I have little kids. So I have one turning two, one turning five, and my daughter just turned eight. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_02So our oldest are the same. So you've kind of been at it now for like the first, second grade, you know, where you've had to actually report what
Reporting Rules And Approved Curriculum
SPEAKER_02state are you in?
SPEAKER_00I'm in Canada. So we're in Manitoba and and we do have to report to the Manitoba school board.
SPEAKER_02Okay, and how how strict is that?
SPEAKER_00It's I wouldn't like I would say it's sort of strict because they they definitely have approved curriculum that you have to use.
SPEAKER_02So even New York doesn't have that yet.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So if if they if you say if you say that you've used something that they don't like, they tell you, or you know, you just make sure that you say that you're using the curriculum that's approved.
SPEAKER_02So I have heard in like California or something, or you know what it is? You know what I've heard from guests is that if I sign on as like part of the charter school, so I'm still homeschooling, but they maybe submit my paperwork or or or maybe they get uh like tax credits or a reimbursement check. Well, California is a state of fraud, so obviously they would do that. I think that's what it is. Places where people are like, yes, I'm getting a tax credit or a refund or some sort of reimbursement for my homeschooling, that is where they have to sort of report more about what they're teaching. And that's when in the states at least they can say, Oh, you can't use that, it's a Christian curriculum. And I've heard of people saying that that I can't use this curriculum because it's Christian and they they want it to be completely secular. Yes. So but you're not is that the case with you where you are, or it's everybody no matter if they're accepting funding or not.
SPEAKER_00We don't have funding here, we don't get funding, but uh yeah, it's just yeah, it's just a rule here. In Ontario where I lived, it wasn't like that.
SPEAKER_02Okay, so it's just a certain province that you're in.
SPEAKER_00Certain provinces that have different rules.
SPEAKER_02What would happen if you didn't do what they asked? Like do they just put them back in school?
SPEAKER_00I honestly, you know, I I haven't had that happen. So I I I honestly don't I honestly don't know. I have heard where the you have a homeschool liaison essentially that's between you and then them and then the the school board. They work for the school board, but they're a homeschool liaison. And I've heard of people saying like if you don't re meet like the liaison saying to the parents, if you don't meet these requirements, like you're gonna you have to put your kid back in school and blah blah blah blah. I I don't know because that hasn't happened to me because I I put I put the right stuff in the report.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02It is just crazy though when you think about you know birthing your own child and raising them that there is this level of reporting for their education that you have to do. And I understand people come at it from the standpoint of well, if you're abusing your children or neglecting your children, we want every kid to have the same opportunities to succeed in life. But like you and I have done enough research that we know, first of all, that stuff happens anyway, even in the school district, and often it happens the teachers abuse them, like nothing is even done about it. I have people that work for child protective, and they're like, Well, we get these reports all the time, but unless we see the parent actually doing it, we really can't do much. We can't remove the kids from the home, and there's nowhere to put them if we do. It's not gonna be in a better situation. Yeah. So um it is the when you look at when you know kind of the bigger picture like that, it is just a slap in the face, like it's the government saying, like, ha ha, you think they're your own, but they're not. We still got our thumb over it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and so that's the one thing that bothers me about them picking, like having approved curriculum. It's like, well, the whole point of homeschooling is to pick what you want to teach them and not necessarily like I'm only gonna teach them, you know, that uh like whatever, whatever the topic is. It's you not getting the opportunity to have the freedom to teach them the way you want to teach them or with the curriculum you want to use or whatever the case is. Now, I do get like some people keep their kids home and it's not good, and they're not giving them what they need because they do need something, you know what I mean? So I get why they do it, but it's like they're trying to take that freedom away from even homeschoolers to like choose how or what they want to teach them.
SPEAKER_02Can I ask you then?
Prom Fears And Real Social Life
SPEAKER_02And I I try, I've been trying really hard to think back to the questions I had before I started, and I'm still new at this, like I said, you know, our kids are just about eight and I'm learning still. Three years of interviews with homeschoolers, but I've learned a lot over the last three years, but I want to try to put myself in that position in the beginning, and it's really hard to think about like, can I take away all of the school dances and parades and the prom and the football games and the friends that they have? Where in your journey of like realizing that mainstream life is really just sort of a facade or a matrix, and like rationalizing, can I take this from my kids to you get to a point a couple years in where you're like, that was just a carrot they dangled to take away more.
SPEAKER_00What did that look like for you? I think like because my kids are still young, excuse me, because they're still young, I I think that that's something that is always sort of a concern. I think that you you do sort of think like, oh man, like they're not gonna have prom. But guess what? Like I didn't go to prom. I didn't go to prom. So I look at stuff like that. And I lived in the States when I finished high school. So like I had to go to pep rallies and like do all of these things. They like make you go to the pep rallies. I was like, I don't want to go to this, but I think you look back and it's like, am I doing them a disservice? And and you do sort of, I think I think we'll you always will question it a little bit. I think that that's normal, but also I see like how much they've grown leaps and bounds just being here with me. And they sort of it sort of like uh balances itself out in my head in my head. Do you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, or or probably the pendulum swings way more. Yeah, I think about like I had um somebody come to my house yesterday, I get like a deep cleaning done once a year. A lady, um, she had her her boyfriend's daughter with her, and I said something about how we homeschool, and she goes, Oh, my boyfriend's daughter is homeschooled, and I was talking to this 17-year-old girl, and I was and she's actually gonna come on the podcast too. I was blown away with how easy she talked to me as an adult. Like, just like she knew me, she was so comfortable, and you know, was asking her why she homeschooled. She was like, Well, I I know I want to be a nurse, so I really didn't see wasting my whole day doing tedious stuff, sitting in rows, you know, waiting for the class to be quiet. And yeah, she was all that didn't make sense to me because I know what I want to do, and I want to focus on that now and do dual enrollment and when I graduate high school, be done with two years of college, basically. And I'm like, wow, that is just amazing. I was like, you literally, this conversation made me feel so good about the choice of your direction, yeah. Yeah. And the cleaner even said to me, She goes, Your kids, I can't believe how well they talk to me. She goes at seven and three years old. Most kids won't talk to an adult. And they took me around the house, they showed me all this stuff, and either they're so deprived of social interaction that they were like, Oh, human, let me talk to you. But that is not the case at all.
SPEAKER_00No, but people say that about my kids too.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, they see people all the time. But it is it is funny uh to think about it. And then I think I my son loves fishing and dirt bike riding, and now he's BMX racing and being out in the wilderness and starting fires and like catching frogs. And yeah. This week he started taking apart the fish that you know he made so that he can eat them. And so he's learning that process. And I'm just like, wow, he would not. I don't think he would be doing this stuff if he were in school. And it's not like I know anything about this stuff. I but I have put him around kids that do. So he's learning from them, which is such a beautiful thing, because then those kids are teaching him too. Where in your classroom do older kids and younger kids have time to teach each other things?
SPEAKER_00You know, and that and that's the thing that they that they don't. Like we have a co-op that we go to once in a while, and he gravitates towards the older kids, and they just love, you know, and they they they just love him. And people think that because you homeschool that your kids aren't gonna be socialized, but the thing is is that they're socializing with an age reign anywhere from three to 17. You know what I mean? So they're getting they're getting diversity.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00You know, that's what's happening. And people always say, oh, same thing, like your kids are always so, you know, so social and well behaved and and all of that. And it's like you look at the difference when they're around school kids versus when they're around homeschool kids, and you're like, like you see it. You know what I mean? You just you see it because it's a different, they're just they're just different in a good way.
SPEAKER_02Was COVID what woke you guys up? Like, how does your husband how did he take it when you were like, hey, we're going to homeschool now?
SPEAKER_00So I have selling my business. I I he I didn't sell my business, I closed it and walked away.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00He I I am literally married to the most supportive man in the entire world. I could be like, We're we're gonna sell all of our stuff and move to Switzerland, and he'd be like, Okay. Oh my god. Like he like he just wouldn't question a decision that I make for us. He just would not, uh, or anything that I want to do, whether it's business or personal related, he's always like, Yeah, that's great.
SPEAKER_02Like, so I don't know if it's good or or bad for this guy. Yeah, no, I mean like he's tomorrow, it's happening.
SPEAKER_00No, like he's just like so supportive of you know the things that I want to do. And I'm supportive of of him too, but he just was like, Yeah, I agree. I don't want to send them, I don't want to send them into this. And you know, it's like you look at a child's innocence and you look how much they change. If you look at kids that have gone to school or in school now, you can see the difference in innocence. Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Like we were around some school kids on New Year's Eve, and they were making fun of my daughter for not knowing what Facebook is. I'm like, you're a nine, like to this kid. Like, why do you know what Facebook is? And why are you making fun of a seven-year-old at the time for not knowing what it is? Like, that's so weird to me.
SPEAKER_02Especially when you're obviously a content creator. Like, it's not like you are just from another world and and can't grasp these big concepts of social media, but it's you have chosen not to put the kids on there or expose them to it.
SPEAKER_00Nope. Nope, they're not on there. You like you don't no one sees my kids on social media unless it's the back of their heads on my on my open account. And I don't post my kids. I they don't have technology, they don't have iPads, they don't, you know, like we we keep them away from it. And people are like people think you're doing them a disservice. It's like, listen, my kids know how to use the technology, they're not stupid, they know how to use it, but I don't allow them to, you know, just free range and sit around with a a phone in their hand while we're out to eat or at the grocery store or whatever the case is. They don't get to have that. It's not gonna be a thing. And you just yeah, you just kind of have to be protective of that with them because it's scary. But like a nine-year-old making fun of a seven-year-old for not knowing what Facebook is is mind-blowing to me. I'm like, what? Like, what? Because my then she came to me and she's like, Mom, they were making fun of me because I don't know what Facebook is, and like what's Facebook? And so then I had to explain to her like it's social media, and you know, you're you you're too little for social media, and this is what it is, and this is blah blah blah blah. And then she gets it, right? She's like, Yeah, she's like, she's like, why would they even know what that is? I'm like, couldn't tell ya, couldn't tell ya.
Daily Rhythm Without Constant Screens
SPEAKER_02That's for sure. What does your day look like? I mean, so you're you obviously have the podcast. What is the homeschooling you got little ones to? What does it look like, especially since you're not putting them in front of a television?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, and we don't because yeah, that part is hard. I mean, I do let them watch TV. I don't want people to think that they're like, you know, locked in their bedrooms, but it looks like a lot of playing, a lot of time outside, a lot of um like they like figure it out if you're bored, go do something kind of thing. I mean, you know we wake up, I let them wake up whenever they want to. And school gets done usually when the littlest one naps. But we've been done school for almost a month now. You know, we did our, you know, however many weeks we're supposed to do. So we've been done for a while now. So it's a lot of letting them figure it out, to be honest. Get up, figure it out.
SPEAKER_02And that is it's hard at first. Like it's funny as you're talking. I mean, so we do, you know, my kids will watch TV, but my son, I realize he just doesn't, he just opens the door and goes outside. Like that's what he just would rather do. Yeah, and so it's never been an issue with him. My daughter, I can see she's gonna be a little harder to break from the television. She's very comfortable on the couch with a snack. Yeah. But um, like not having the iPad in the car, we just haven't ever done it. And you know why? Not even because I intentionally didn't, but because my s I get a little car sick, and my son one time had an iPad in his hands in the back seat and he threw up. I knew you were gonna say he puked on it. After that, it was like, oh, well, you just can't have that in the car because it will make you sick. And then we just never brought it back in the car. Yeah. I think maybe I bought a thing, like if it's on the back of the seat, it's okay, but if he's holding it is when you get nauseous. So, like maybe for a long car ride, I'm like, oh, a special treat today. I'll bring the iPad and hook it to the back of the seat or use my phone. But we've switched more to audiobooks or music if we're in the car or just conversations. Yeah. And it's funny because it's once they don't think it's an option, it's not really a fight anymore. And my friends keep telling me, you can do that with the television too. And I'm like, Yeah, I know, I know, but sanity is something I need as well.
SPEAKER_00Well, we have TVs in our car, so I'm not even gonna deny that like the car rides are quiet because we have a DVD. I have I have like the entertainment package in my SUV. So, like, that's like whatever. It is what it is what it is.
SPEAKER_02It's like a full movie theater, but it totally is the point, sort of being like what you want changed once it's not the norm for them anymore, they will stop the fight on it. So if your child has been introduced to the social media or the video games or whatever and you like want to scale it back or what whatnot. I know one day I'll have to get there with the television for my three year old. Yeah, it's like once the fight's over and it's just not the norm anymore, you know, they really it's so much easier to do that in the homeschool community than when they're seeing their their peers with it.
SPEAKER_00Well I took the iPads away because they had iPads. I I did they did have iPads and I took them away over a year ago and I haven't given them back. They don't even know where they are. I took them away. I was like you know you just start to see that behavioral shit and I was like I'm not not doing this. So I just took them away and that was it.
SPEAKER_02And um when you think long term like you have to do all is all of the curriculum that you do for like what your province is telling you or do you have the liberties? Is that just like reading and math and you have the liberties with science and history and so you have to hit the four core subjects here.
SPEAKER_00So the four core subjects social studies science math and language arts those are their the four like this is what you're reporting on. You don't have to report on other random subjects you don't even have to report on like art or just on the four core subjects. So I so I make sure to hit the four the four core subjects every single day. Excuse me and and that's all you have to report on here which is which is fine. And the thing is is they're getting so much of that regardless of whether you hit if whether you use the right curriculum or not. I understand why they want you to use certain curriculums like I I totally get it. And yeah you just have to report and say that's what you're using.
SPEAKER_02Okay so but they're telling you what curriculum they want you to use for those four courses.
SPEAKER_00There's a there's approved curriculums and ones that aren't like they'll say like okay the good and the beautiful this is just an example I don't know if it's approved or not but they'll say you can't you can't you can use that for filler but that can't be your main curriculum. Wow. Excuse me. Yeah. Okay.
SPEAKER_02So when you look long term like are you homeschooling that way? Like it you know when you when I talk to people sometimes it's like okay well what's your goal with the child and I think that makes it easier to homeschool when you're like okay well I have a goal for my child to be an entrepreneur or yeah maybe no survival skills so that if the power went out they can handle that or be a world traveler, you know, lots of people world school. Are you looking at it in terms of that yet or do you think it's too early?
SPEAKER_00I think that my goal for our children is to allow them to have the freedom to decide what that looks like for them. So maybe they want to go to college and I don't know what they would go there for, but maybe they want to go maybe they want to go to college and become a nurse because you know you have to have the schooling for that. Or maybe maybe they want to go to trade school maybe they want to be a world traveler. Maybe they want to start their own business. Like I just want to support whatever that looks like for them and make sure that they have the what's the word that I'm looking for just the knowing that they can choose whatever whatever path they want to take.
SPEAKER_02So somebody that has their kids in school or is worried about homeschooling might say okay but I know school will touch on certain subjects like shop class I don't know maybe they don't have shop class anymore. And I don't know if they do is that a thing I how do we know as the homeschool parents that we are even exposing them to all of these different jobs or things that might exist. Have you thought about that?
SPEAKER_00They get they get exposed to all of that. I mean just to think that they don't is crazy like we built a chicken run out in our backyard that's carpentry and my son wanted to help his dad with that I got married to a concrete worker so they know about concrete like they they're going to be exposed to things they're just going to be you drive down the street you see construction men they're very inquisitive oh what are they doing? Blah blah blah blah like I still do some hair that's a trade you know like they're gonna be exposed to so many different careers that they you know they'll figure they'll figure it out if they want to try more we put
Closing A Successful Business To Be Present
SPEAKER_00them into something.
SPEAKER_02Right yeah and can you talk to me a little bit on when we did your podcast you talked about like how you sold or you didn't sell you closed your business and like I know for me leaving my government job to homeschool I mean I see now I didn't have to I could have made homeschooling work if I really wanted to stay employed there. Whether that looked like oh work from home maybe a extra permission or 50% from home or whatnot putting them in different things that are popping pop up schools that people have. But why did you choose to close the business and how hard was that?
SPEAKER_00Well it was probably one of the hardest decisions I ever made like losing my voice. It's probably one of the hardest decisions I ever made I cho I chose it because I wanted you know more time more money more freedom and I was doing doing very well in that business. I had it for 11 years was very very successful. We never never lost money every year we made more money it was a thriving I closed it in the in the year that we were about to have like our best year ever. Because I was unwilling to continue to sacrifice all of the time I was giving to my business and my staff and my clients and in to the detriment of my children. I wasn't going to do that anymore. And it was such a hard decision to make because like you're giving up like your livelihood and your career for the unknown you know don't know what it's gonna look like when you're don't have any money coming in.
SPEAKER_02The unknown and for like the easier option of well I in at by age three they'll be in day or preschool. Yeah that's probably paid for by taxes. I know it's different in every area but I know right now at four years old you can have your child go to the elementary school for preschool because then at five, right, they would go into kindergarten at six first grade. Yeah. So I mean that's crazy because when I think back to kindergarten I was born in eighty four it was a half a day kindergarten. Yeah same I was eighty two it was half a day. Yeah I don't think you even had to go but half a day and now it's mandatory full day in each school I think across the country here. Yeah and now we've lowered it to age four where you can go on the tax dollar because parents are working. So that's definitely the easier option and that's what most people are doing. Yeah so what that obviously take us through your thought process.
SPEAKER_00I mean like I I was tired number one of constantly being pulled away from my home life because when you own a business like a brick and mortar business for those watching it was a hair salon a fully staffed hair salon so like someone calls in sick you have to go someone you know um you got you've got to get your supplies every weekend you're constantly dealing with clients and staff and you know people emailing you on Sunday night to wanting to talk about their hair and just so much stuff that was con that constantly pulls you away from your family. And I just I got I got tired of that and I knew that if I wanted to and this was just for me that if I wanted to be fully present with my kids like a hundred percent of the time a hundred percent of my time to them that I could not I could not have that business anymore. I couldn't do it anymore. And I decided to close it and the reason I didn't sell and I I think you and I talked about this on my episode is because I it was attached to my name it was it's it's called Washington House Salon. You guys can look it up it was attached to my name and I did not feel that anyone could run it with the same level of integrity that I did for 11 years and I didn't want anyone to tarnish the Washington name. That was important to me. And I just decided that yeah I'm just gonna close it I'm gonna walk away sold all my fixtures my color and was able to transfer the lease to another business took the space and that was it like I knew in 2020 when we got shut down we were shut down for seven months out of the entire all of the lockdowns which we were multiple six figure businesses. I lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales and when it came time to open back up I was like I hate my life I wow I hate my life at this point I had uh had my salon for almost seven years and I was like hate my life and I don't want to go back because like I was home with at the time I only had my daughter and uh we were you know spending our days together and we were learning how to bake bread and we were making bagels. I remember I made my the best bagels I've ever made in my life during COVID and like it came time to open back up and the whole time I'm hustling I'm moving clients every week because every week they would make an announcement we'll let you know next week we'll let you know next week. So I'm moving clients every week and you know I had my work computer and the work phone at home and I'm just like you know being a freaking hustler and yeah it came they announced that we were opening and I was like oh my god I I don't want to go back I freaking hate this I freaking hate this and it was like the biggest self-realization that I needed I think like COVID did that for a lot of people it are it either like made you realize that you were okay with your complacent little life or you were like I am done with this and yeah it took four years but I I shut her down.
SPEAKER_02Yeah uh I never looked at it that way um for myself but I bet you it was the same you know the masking three year olds here was where we were like no we're not gonna mask a three year old are you insane that was the straw that broke the camel's back here so we took him out of daycare a daycare that we did love. I mean it was an in-home daycare the lady had been doing it for probably 50 years. I can't mask in her home? Yeah because she said the state shows up to do audits randomly and if they saw that we weren't at least trying to mask the kids in New York state at this after this and that was my thing too I said all right tell me what daycare providers have died during COVID because the kids weren't masked and if you show me real numbers and they really died of COVID then I can justify maybe putting a mask on my son. But if none of them have died where are you getting this new policy from that three year olds in daycare need to be masked that is insane.
SPEAKER_00I mean we didn't have our kids in daycare I had a nanny like I don't know like just what it was I had a nanny coming to the house so I didn't have to deal with that but when I put my daughter into the Montessori I that was one of the questions that I asked like are you going to be masking these kids and no and I was like okay because I'm not sending them if you are right yeah that was the big thing for us we weren't gonna mask and I think maybe having him home with me it was like oh well this feels natural.
SPEAKER_02This feels normal I was working and my I don't think my boss knew that my kid was home with me but we were like we don't have anything else to do with him. We're not sending him to daycare my in-laws I'm sure helped out a little bit when I had McMeetings but I definitely remember at times like being on a heads or on the phone with my boss and running down my driveway where my son is screaming in the kitchen looking at me through the door like why are you running away but I was like well I can't you're screaming and I can't have her hear you because I'm not supposed to be here. But um but also the funny thing to me was okay if barring the screaming child when there's someone on the on a meeting everything else I could handle doing both with the government work it was like there's not a lot of work here to be done. I can do it all from my home with a child here and you know if I have meetings okay I could set up a sitter but she would surprise call me because I think she knew what was going on. But um what are you up to? But the big part of that was like why I am like a 40 year old human being and you're telling me now that I have to go back into the office because policies were changing and I've sat here and proved to you that I can do both things. Yeah why can't I just do both things and it was and I I understand why but it was still like you're not giving me any jurisdiction over my own life I'm telling you what I can handle. You're telling me that's just not going to be the way because then everybody wants to do it. But again I'm 40 years old. I should be able if I can do your work I should be able to do whatever I want to do in in the other time. So that was also like a 100% I can't live under your thumb either. And so I'm much happier now. Probably busier trying to do both things but uh yes yes what made you want to start a podcast?
Following The Nudge And Rebuilding Work
SPEAKER_00Well I had a podcast before actually it's called business is a business is a game and I had it for I mean it's still it's still existing. I just haven't shared an episode I shared an episode I think last year. So I spent after I closed my business and moved we moved provinces we sold all of our stuff we moved to a new province we just completely started over and I spent a good year and a bit in I call it boss bay burnout fog and in grief because you do grieve your old life a little bit like I gave up everything that I knew. I was grieving and knowing that I had to move through that grief. And after about a year and a bit of that I finally started just like come back to myself a little bit and the biggest thing for me wanting to start my podcast was connecting with like minded people, exposing some of the ideology that's happening in schools in the world right now and just having conversations with like minded people or people that are interesting and just yeah like I was like I I made the decision to start the podcast in December of 2025 and I launched it on January 1st 2026. Just like just gonna do this.
SPEAKER_02That was it's something you said really struck me the grief. I think we experienced that too with deciding to homeschool and okay there might not be the Halloween parade and the little fun things that the schools do. No within the homeschool community you can recreate anything the government 100% yeah okay but even that aside we we can allow ourselves to grieve that but grief does not equal regret no no no no a hundred percent yeah yeah let yourself grieve that like I'm not going to be unless I choose to do it myself I'm not gonna be doing first day of kindergarten pictures or you can do them we do them right you can do them yeah exactly like I said like we can recreate anything. Yeah I think it's we have this idea in our mind that it's going to be so different if we homeschool versus the school but you can put on dances you can you know what we have started doing is going camping with other homeschool families like once or twice a year. Yeah I love that I mean it's just it's of course my husband is sitting there the whole time like why did we leave the country to sit in the woods next to another family like with even strangers you know because you can't really pick for sure for people to complain that our kids are riding bikes like we live in the woods why would we leave but I'm like experience the kids think it's fun and you can be on a lake or whatnot but it is funny. It's like we've literally removed ourselves from the woods to sit next to another family in the woods that we don't know. Yeah I love it though. I love it. Two strangers down but it it's these are fun things and we get to pick the families like it's not like in school we're like well he's friends with Jimmy so I kind of have to be friends with Jimmy's mom but I don't really like Jimmy's mom. Yeah I don't like Jimmy but we're together all day and I can't control that where I can say like you know that kid's kind of a butthead and we're just not gonna hang out with them anymore or 100%. So they're there but I do love that I we can grieve it doesn't mean we're regretting the decision.
SPEAKER_00No and that's the thing that I think most people don't realize is like like when you give something up and it's that bold like for me I gave up my entire life like I gave up my career I gave up my business I gave up everything that I had built from the ground up like I'm been an entrepreneur for the last 20 years. Like I built that shit from the ground up. So of course you're gonna grieve because you don't know what your life is going to look like. You're so used I was so used to hustling and go go go go go go go all the time and when it came time to slow down my nervous system didn't know what to do with that because it all comes back to your nervous system right my nervous system did not know what to freaking do with that. So I yeah I was just in a state of holy shit I don't know what my life looks like who am I what am I gonna do? Well simultaneously because my mindset is good knowing this is totally normal I'm gonna work my way out of this I just need to move through this grief and I will be okay. I will be okay and like I said in December probably like November to 2025 is when the fog started to kind of like lift and I started to like feel like I was coming back to myself again and I just was like I'm done with this grief of my leaving my old life behind I have everything that I asked for I wanted to homeschool my kids I wanted to have chickens I wanted to have more property more freedom more time I have all of that I have everything I asked for. You know what I mean? And I could find gratitude in that and the grief just sort of went away you know what I mean I love that so much.
SPEAKER_02Yeah because I can see that about you you're a go go go and that was really probably like and I and I needed that is this enough yeah I needed that and the thing is is like when you give up a lot of money and we made a lot of money I know as an entrepreneur I can make that again I can make money again it's just gonna look differently now and it does look differently now.
SPEAKER_00And and and I think that like a lot of people they they are afraid to give up something huge like that because usually it comes down to money. And when you're rebuilding it sucks at first but like you can make money again in the thing that lights you up you don't have to do this like soul sucking job that you don't even want to do just because you think you have to do it.
SPEAKER_02Right. You know yeah and it's funny that you say that because you were an entrepreneur you created the business but it doesn't mean that that's what you want to do for 35 years. You know you you did it you accomplished it you and then your season changed because you had little kids right and and you will have another business someday when they're older.
SPEAKER_00Well and I have I you know I don't have to have another brick and mortar brick and mortar business. I have another business now everything I do is online. So you know you find find things that work for you. You don't necessarily have to have a business like work in the evenings if you have to work you know what I mean for me like I don't want to go work for anyone else because that's just my mindset. So I found other ways to make money.
SPEAKER_02Yeah and I think I was so ingrained in the school system that like I didn't like I or in ingrained the wrong word um trained to just think like I had to be told what to do. Yeah. Right. So I never really experienced what do I enjoy doing. So it was really scary for me to leave the government work because it was like well I've always just been told where to sit what to do. Yeah. And now that I have extra time I was kind of like you like I gotta be doing something and stuff it's grief. Yeah it was like learning how to podcast and then learning how to start an Instagram page and then learning how to market and then learning how to edit episodes and publish them and and you know like opportunities have just opened up that I never even thought imaginable. Yeah. And I'm still just in the first three years but even I can't like I remember people asking me well what's your goal and I'm like I don't know I I like Dell Big Tree. I my goal would be to like figuring out as I go. Yeah my goal would be to be on the highwire someday and I haven't gotten there yet but I've met Dell three times or twice. He's been on my podcast I'm actually having dinner with him next week at a conference. So like I I I mean like I never expected that these were all kind of just happenstance things too. I wasn't like seeking it out and I'm like imagine if I really like had had the time my kids were a little bit older and I really could be like the go-getter.
SPEAKER_00You know people have asked me to they flew me out to Texas to be on a podcast like these millionaires and but I feel like you're I mean like you you've created this beautiful life just stepping into what your soul was calling you to and I'm a firm believer that when you when you listen to the nudges even when they feel really scary whether it's to show up online to start your own business to create digital products because you've got your awesome digital product like what when you follow those nudges the opportunities find you.
SPEAKER_02Yeah and they just do not every single thing works. Like I've definitely failed in a lot of ways you know these posts don't work or there's yeah same oh my god same right but they're all stepping stones so I hope that this episode for people listening could just really encourage you to like take that nudge and listen to the nudges because they're often not wrong.
SPEAKER_00It's the fear of the nudge that stops you right and most people have the nudge but most people don't follow the nudge. Like I remember when I was sort of brainstorming with Chat GBT about my podcast because that's what we do. And I he's like well he I say he just because I have the man voice. So he like what kind of things would you want to talk about what kind of guests what what like if you could have your dream guests who would it be and I was like well Joe Rogan and Theo Vaughn and and Chat GBT was like whoa whoa whoa basically was like telling me to like take my standards down and I was like screw you Chat GPT like who's to say that I can't have them on my podcast one day? What are you talking about? And I think when you work hard enough and towards something long enough that those types of things are inevitable.
SPEAKER_02Yeah they just are I want Mike Rowe on. I've reached out to Mike a couple times. I gotta you know I know him and Dell have been on episodes together and I know him and the Tuttle twins have done episodes together. So like yeah that that'll be my goal Mike Rowe.
SPEAKER_00I love I love teaching kids about all the dirty jobs yes dirty jobs I was gonna say yeah dirty jobs and he talks about trades he had there's a video of him where he talks about trades and um yeah I think it's such a lost thing like people don't know that hairstyling is actually a red seal trade here in Canada. So like you you go to trade school and you are considered a tradesman and so like I have a tradesman six certificate and people don't realize that that it is one but um there's such a lost art in the trades. Yeah you know plumbing electricians like HVAC yes HVAC carpentry like such a dying art form.
SPEAKER_02Yeah they can't find anyone in that area so if you've got kids that are a little bit interested I mean they can start their own business but make so much money yes just knowing the trades you save a lot of money because you don't have to hire other people to do your stuff.
SPEAKER_00Yeah 100% 100% I save thousands on hair because I can just do it myself.
SPEAKER_02Amazing CeC where can people find you where do you want them to follow you or check out your podcast from and I'll I'll still link everything in the show's description but first let's let's talk about where they can find you.
SPEAKER_00You guys can find me on Instagram under it's CC Washington Washington like the state just like it sounds it's C C C E C I Washington and the podcast it's called Radically Real and we're on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts Amazon all of the places and it and the handle is get radically real and yeah that's the best those are the best places to find me. What advice would you have for the parent that has not taken the leap yet to homeschooling but wants to I think that like we just talked about is that like listen to the nudge even though it feels really scary right now if you have that nudge and you're feeling that pull you just gotta find a way to make it work and I promise you there are ways to make it work financially with your time like the only thing stopping you from not doing it is the excuse that you make in your own head about why you can't do it. Which that's great sounds mean but it's true.
SPEAKER_02I love it. Thank you so much for joining us today this has been so fun.
SPEAKER_00Thank you for having me.
SPEAKER_02I appreciate it we'll have to do it again. Absolutely I would love that I'll have you back on in a couple months fun awesome all right check out the episode uh where I was on CeC's podcast I will link that below as well and give her a follow. Thanks guys thank you for listening to the Homeschool How to podcast if today's episode helped you please be sure to follow the show and leave a review. It's the best way to support the podcast. And if you're just getting started or need a reset head to thehomeschoolho.com and grab my free 30 day homeschool quick start guide. Until next time keep learning keep questioning and thank you for your love of the next generation