034 | Resilience Rules: Turning Trauma into Triumph As Female Leaders with Alyse Maslonik

From a childhood bouncing between foster homes to becoming the CEO of a multimillion-dollar company, Alyse Maslonik's story proves our circumstances don't define our future.

Alyse grew up in generational poverty and suffered unimaginable abuse, leaving her voiceless and believing she didn't matter. But Alyse was determined not to let her traumatic past write her future story.

She funneled her pain into purpose, starting a company dedicated to providing educational scholarships to underprivileged youth. Now, Alyse is uplifting thousands of students and blazing a trail for women entrepreneurs as one of the top 3% of female business owners nationwide.

Listen to this inspiring firsthand story of resilience. Alyse's journey from a domestic abuse shelter to a trailblazing CEO will leave you believing no obstacle is too great when you have a purpose on your side.

In this episode, Alyse and I discuss

• Harnessing your anger or adversity as fuel to drive you towards a purpose bigger than yourself. 
• Sharing your authentic story and passion when pitching your business idea. 
• Building a team that supports you fully, both personally and professionally. 
• Staying fiercely committed to your mission through failures and wins alike.
• Making time for loved ones even amid growth and demands.

This episode at a glance:

[03:12] Started in a domestic abuse shelter. That is where I lived. I did not have. We just ended up there with the clothes on our backs, Dawn, like that's all we had. And so, to be ranked among the revenue-generating women-owned businesses in the nation blows my mind every day.

[11:31] I want to watch their families' lives change and not struggle paycheck to paycheck. And for me to have a hand in that motivates me every day to keep going because I get to see the change that I wished I had at an earlier age. It's healing.

[12:12] I have a quote I've learned is true. Running away from your trauma is a race you'll never win.

[21:36] Being uncomfortable and hearing someone's story is sometimes the key to growth and being a better person and more compassionate

[24:39] It's important to be raw and honest so that they can see, you know, there is light even when it feels so, so, so, so dark. And there is love after violence, you know. 

Resources and links mentioned in this episode

• RedefinED
• Alyse Maslonik
• E I T C Scholarship
• Free Range Thinking
• Dawn Andrews

You might also like

• Rising to Lead Through Grief, Loss, and Trauma
• How Courage Can Lead To Your Purpose 
• Company Vision Workbook

More about the “My Good Woman” podcast

My Good Woman is a podcast for bold female leaders hosted by me, Dawn Andrews! Grab a seat at the ta

Want to increase revenue and impact? Listen to “My Good Woman” for insights on business strategy and female leadership to scale your business. Each episode offers advice on effective communication, team building, and management. Learn to master routines and systems to boost productivity and prevent burnout. Our delegation tips and business consulting will advance your executive leadership skills and presence.

Transcript

My Good Woman
Ep. 34 |  Resilience Rules: Turning Trauma into Triumph with Alyse Maslonik

Dawn Andrews: Hello, friends, welcome to My Good Woman, the podcast for new and future female leaders. I'm your host, Dawn Andrews, a happily married hockey mom, and the founder and CEO of Free Range Thinking Business Strategy Consulting.

Grab a seat at the table with me each week for candid conversations with culture shifting, glass ceiling busting, trailblazing women leading impactful enterprises. We discuss what makes them tick, how they get it all done, and actionable strategies to help you lead with confidence and grow the visibility, reach, and revenue of your business.

We're classy ladies, but we don't bleep the swear words. Listener discretion is advised.

Do you ever feel like your traumatic past holds you back from achieving your biggest goals and dreams? Have you ever wondered how to turn that pain into power? In this week's episode of the My Good Woman podcast, you'll hear how one inspirational woman transformed a childhood filled with abuse and poverty into a purpose driven mission to provide educational access to thousands of underprivileged kids. Alyse Maslonik's journey from domestic abuse to trailblazing CEO proves no matter where you come from you have the potential to uplift others? Her story will inspire you to channel adversity into achieving your own professional dreams. Here's my conversation with Alyse Maslonik.

Welcome to the My Good Woman podcast.

 Alyse Maslonik: Yes. Thanks so much.

 Dawn Andrews: I'm really delighted to talk to you and learn more about your journey from early and modest beginnings to where you are now in the entrepreneurial world. Would you gimme just a little bit of background about RedefinED and what it is and where you've come from?

Alyse Maslonik: Sure. Yeah. So I, am the founder of RedefinED Advisors. We are an outsourced development company for non-public and private schools. We started just focusing on Pennsylvania. We have since expanded, into other states, which has been wonderful. But, we help raise financial aid and scholarships for underprivileged students so that a K through 12 education is more equitable across the board.

Families that are economically disadvantaged have the same ability to achieve an education that works for them, and it's not just reserved for wealthy families that can afford the tuition.

Dawn Andrews: How does it work exactly? Do families find you and then you're also connected to the school or the educational opportunities? Like where, are you the hub of that activity?

Alyse Maslonik: That's a really good question. So we actually partner with schools. So schools hire us, to raise contributions through, in Pennsylvania it's called the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program, which is a tax credit that's provided to taxpayers. So when they make a contribution to a scholarship organization, they can get up to 90% back on their tax liability.

So they're incentivized to do that, but a lot of people don't know about it. So schools hire us as a firm to come in and educate their community to say, Hey, instead of sending your tax dollars here, you could make a difference right here for kids in our community. So that's what we do and that's what we focus on.

Dawn Andrews: Oh my gosh, that's so great. Now I'm making my little like evil genius fingers. Do you have plans to take over the world with that? Because I'm glad Pennsylvania's getting the benefit of it.

Alyse Maslonik: Yes. I really do. Right now there's about 14 states that have this type of state tax credit. We have entered Georgia, so we're in the Savannah, Georgia market and yeah, that is our plan. We're working with the strategic planner right now to help us, really scale in the way that we want to.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah. Is somebody working on your behalf in, state governments to be able to help pass those tax laws if necessary? Do you have somebody lobbying on your behalf?

Alyse Maslonik: We don't, we actually do a lot. I do a lot of it myself, when I have time, but there's just so much momentum that state after state, it's like a domino effect. They've seen the benefit specifically in Pennsylvania and how much that has achieved. And so it's spreading very rapidly, even without a lot of push. When we get to a point where we have expanded to all of those states and need more room to grow at that point, I think we'll focus more on lobbying than we do now.

Dawn Andrews: I am so excited for the possibilities for you. It's so great. Why don't we back it up a little bit, you are now among the top 3% of women owned business owners.

Alyse Maslonik: I know, I just can't believe it. I, it's so wild to me because, my life started in a domestic abuse shelter. That is where I lived. I did not have, we just ended up there with the clothes on our backs, that's all that we had. And so to be ranked among the revenue generating women owned businesses in the nation, it just blows my mind every single day that we are where we are.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah. Let's talk about that, let's dive in and for the listeners, if you have experienced trauma and abuse, I just wanna let you know that we are gonna have a real conversation. So if that's something that's sensitive to you, please do what you need to do to take care of yourself. You can always read back transcripts if that's more comfortable for you, or come with me on this incredible inspiring journey as I talk to Alyse take away what you need to take away.

Your journey from generational poverty to becoming a successful entrepreneur and CEO inspires me beyond measure. Is there one pivotal moment or decision that propelled you forward despite the challenges and also helped shape your entrepreneurial mindset? Or was it, I just gotta look after myself and something needs to happen? 

Alyse Maslonik: That's such a good question. I, did go through a lot of abuse. Not only did my biological father force us into a domestic abuse shelter, but the second stepfather after that, abused me for seven years and I didn't say anything for a very long time until I was,  oh my goodness, like 19.

 And, the state picked it up as a criminal prosecution. There were other victims, and we went to trial and it was devastating actually. He walked away a free man, and, the abuse had passed for so long, so there wasn't any, real evidence, like tangible evidence left at that point. And so he walked away a free man.

And while this was happening, I had met my biological grandfather through Facebook and he reached out to me and he said, Hey, I live in Charlotte, North Carolina. I hear your story and I'm not gonna give you a penny, but I'll give you a place to live and I'll teach you what I know. And the day after I watched my stepfather walk away without any repercussions of the devastation that he left behind.

I packed up everything I owned Dawn into my 1996 Chevy Corsica, and I drove down to North Carolina with $63 to my name, and just desperate to stop hurting. I was hurting so bad I had told my family whenever I was like 13 that I was being abused and no one believed me so then I had to live with him until I was 19 and finally got my family to listen

And I, and then the court system didn't listen and I just felt what am I doing? Does anyone care about what's been happening to me? And my grandfather, he was just really a straight shooter. He had, left my grandmother when she was pregnant with his last son, and he went off and without all that responsibility, was able to go and make something of himself now and he was really good at real estate investing and really showed me the ropes and so I transferred my Applebee's waitressing job from Pennsylvania to North Carolina. 

So I started right away that week, enrolled myself in real estate school was one of two out of 21 that passed the class and got into real estate and just started really building my confidence of, you know what, I think I can do this. All of those people telling me that I was worthless and worth nothing and didn't matter, and their actions really proven to me that was true in my mind. 

That was all starting to slowly fade away with each accomplishment and each promotion and, so yeah, I had some really successful years, moved back to Pennsylvania, and I reconnected with my high school sweetheart and we're now married and I've known him, he was my first boyfriend when I was 15, and we have three beautiful kids now. But when I moved up here, I got into banking because real estate in Pennsylvania is not like what it was in Charlotte.

Dawn Andrews: What I'm hearing is that your pathway through entrepreneurship was the pathway to rebuilding your life.

Alyse Maslonik: Oh, absolutely. It mirrors exactly my personal and business life are so synonymous and so equal to each other in the path that they taken.

Dawn Andrews: And I just like I'm on pins and needles. I can't wait to hear more of your story. And the reason I'm calling it out for the audience is, oftentimes women are, it's daunting to think of something on your own. The idea of starting a business, the idea of being on your own, having to share what you do and how you do it, fighting with yourself about what's valuable or not, and how people are gonna perceive you. Like it brings up all the things, but it sounds like it was the perfect match for you to heal a lot of things.

Alyse Maslonik: Yeah, I think I looked, had this moment when I got back to Pennsylvania and I realized I went through life alone and I went through horrible, traumatic, awful things by myself with no one as a child, as a teenager. So why can't I do a business? And so that's it was that spark of defiance that said, you know what, if I got through what I got through on my own, I can start a business this can't be insurmountable. Yes. And so that was the mindset that I had and the motivation that gave me enough confidence to get started.

Dawn Andrews: That's so amazing. And so now I'm curious because it takes something to be able to get to the top 3% of women-owned businesses in the nation. And as an entrepreneur getting started, you can definitely, like any of us, can start anything on our own, but to reach the heights that you have reached, it requires trust, it requires building a team and working with others. How has that changed for you over time? Was it challenging to shift into that mindset of, I'll take care of myself and I'll do it and I'll show you and getting to, now I'm gonna do this with other people. What was that like for you, that transition?

Alyse Maslonik: That's really funny that you say that because I think at that point in my life I was just so defiant about like I didn't have an option. I didn't give myself an option to fail. At all. Like it was not, have you ever heard that, burn boats behind you, right? In the battle, right? I burned every boat.

Like I was not leaving that island, like without conquering it, right? So that was really my entire mindset. But switching into a team, I recognize that everything that happened to me created this special kind of resilience that can only be developed through trauma. And so I think that it gave me also the ability to connect with people and find people that have that same drive that's just in every cell in their body that they just want to perform.

And I look for that above and beyond skill. Above and beyond, Hey, what job are you coming from? Oh, you're working as a waitress, I was too. And I know some of the hardest working women and men are servers at restaurants, and I know that they're capable of great things because I am capable of great things and those are my roots.

So for me, building the team actually wasn't difficult because I was very picky on who I pulled, and I treat my employees extremely well, and that will always be something that I do because the greatest joy I think in starting this company has been to watch some of my employees that, before this business, the most they made was like $11 an hour.

And here they are finishing their first year at six figures, to watch their family's lives change and not struggle, paycheck to paycheck. And for me to have a hand in that motivates me every day to keep going cause I get to see the change that I wished I had at an earlier age. It's healing.

Dawn Andrews: 100%,  again already told you how inspired I am. I'm just filled with it in hearing your story. Along the way, what kind of support did you have from a mental, emotional perspective? Because trauma, you can, you can compartmentalize all you want, but at some point you're gonna have to face it down. What kind of support did you use or are you even still using as you continue on your journey?

Alyse Maslonik: That is so good. I have a quote that I've really, I have learned is so true. Running away from your trauma is a race you'll never win. And so when I ran to North Carolina, Dawn, I thought, ha, I outran you. You're no longer part of me, and I'm moving on. And then several years later I realized, oh my goodness, it is still here, it caught up with me.

Dawn Andrews: Alyse, what did it look like when it caught up with you?

Alyse Maslonik: Ugly.

Dawn Andrews: Were you emotional? Were there outbursts with other people? And the reason I mentioned it, is because there are a lot of people that have achieved great success in life because they have that resilience and defiance and they sometimes don't know.

And I'm speaking to this, related to people that are in leadership positions now that may not realize that their trauma is affecting their employees. And I'm not saying that's where you were at this point, but I'm just curious to, to know how it was showing up for you.

Alyse Maslonik:  Yeah, first of all, as a business owner, you can't do everything for everyone and you can't please everyone. And for me, I realized that I am just trying to be everything to everyone cause I don't want people to be upset at me. And it was making me emotional and sad and panic attacks and it was so difficult to, and I get bad flashbacks from the abuse, still to this day, like whenever I don't get a lot of sleep, they're very bad and very vivid.

And so for me, when I would notice my reactions to, if an employee would say to me, Hey, you said this, and I'm like, no, I don't remember if I, I don't think I did, but I would still question my reality. I would know. No, I did say this, but because of my past of getting gaslit I know I've been being abused, but everyone telling me I'm not. It really worked how I trusted my own reality, my experience, what I was seeing, what I was feeling. 

And so when I recognized that it was happening in my business, it was something that I have no shame in going and talking to someone and taking anxiety medicine because here's the thing, I went through things starting at six, really, my biological father stuff started when I was two years old, and then the abuse with my other stepfather started when I was six years old. So for me, I know that all those years of abuse changed biologically your brain. So I have no problem going and asking for help.

In fact, I would always encourage anyone. If they're feeling like this to really do this. But I got to a point where everyone else's opinions were just coming at me so much, and I just felt so frantic inside. I had what I thought, but everyone's opinions were making me question how I really felt. And I checked myself in to a mental health hospital for 72 hours. Because I needed time away from everyone else's opinions to just breathe for a moment and say, look, I really need help. These flashbacks are really bad and when everyone's opinions are coming at me, that can really trigger it.

So oftentimes I think victims of abuse or people have been through trauma, they get scared to admit they need help. And I'm no longer scared to say I need help.

Dawn Andrews: I'm so glad you're getting the support that you need and that you, that when you need it, when you need to call on it, you'll do what you need to do. What I'm really present to too, Alyse is that because of where you've been, there's, an openness or compassion to others, I would imagine the way you described it, especially even in your hiring, you realize that people have been through things.

There's a sensitivity and a compassion to the people that you're working with, and not just your employees, but even the people that come to work with your organization. And that sensitivity, that humanity that I imagine you must feel is pretty extraordinary.

Alyse Maslonik: Yes, I am and hyper sensitive and vigilant in every part. I'm an empath, to my core. I feel people's hurts so deeply, sometimes even more deeply than I feel my own. But I really, I just feel people's pain and I think the greatest compliment I have ever received that relates to that is I had a really tough conversation with one of my employees and we talked about it and it was just performance stuff.

 And at the end she said, Alyse I just wanna thank you cause this is not a fun conversation to have and you really showed me grace. And it just still sticks with me because at the end of the day, we are all people. And I look back in my life and think when I was going through the trial right, and having to testify to all these details, and I was angry, right?

I was angry. And that was looked at from the judge's standpoint is a bad thing. Like you, you shouldn't be angry and you've gotta control yourself and I just wish people would've given me grace. And so it makes me feel very good that I'm accomplishing that with other people.

Dawn Andrews: I am so glad to hear it and I there's part of me that wants to travel back in time with you to sit with you and hold your hand during that moment.

Alyse Maslonik: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, it would've been nice.

Dawn Andrews: So you got a book that you're writing, or that's coming out soon-ish, I think, yes?

Alyse Maslonik: Yes, so I am writing, a memoir on my life, and that has been, when you talk about like the tools that I use to really get through things, this process has been so wonderful. It's called the Anger That She Keeps, a true story of rage and redemption, and it's really focused on anger being beautiful.

 Anger for so often in my life I was so angry and people were like, you need to get rid of that and that's bad and that makes you a bad person. But no one really understood how deeply it burned and how bright it burned Dawn. People would say, put it out. Put it out. But those flames inside me, there is no amount of water or anything that I could have done to reduce those to ashes. And just get rid of it. And I wish someone would've told me a decade ago that anger can be dangerous. But if you can harness it and turn it into fuel for a purpose, there is no stopping you. 

Dawn Andrews: It's an engine, for sure. As long as you're cognizant of what you know, what it is, where it comes from and how you express it, it can be incredibly useful. And it sounds like that's been the underlying engine for you.

Alyse Maslonik: Yeah, it's that chip on my shoulder that I just feel like, and I hope that I never lose it, that I just feel that I was treated wrong. And I don't want anyone else to be treated like I was. And I hope that stays with me for the rest of my life because that is the legacy that I think about every day when I lay my head down at night that I wanna leave behind, that I left the world better than I found it.

Dawn Andrews: What advice would you give to women entrepreneurs who are navigating personal challenges and professional growth together? Given that you've done this dance with yourself to bring yourself out of your past history into the present, what advice would you give women?

Alyse Maslonik: 100% I would always suggest, reaching out for a business strategist, a business coach, or someone in your life. I have this amazing woman on my team. I absolutely adore her, and she's been with, she was my first hire,

Dawn Andrews: Do you wanna shout out her name? Give her some love. 

Alyse Maslonik: Yes, Brooke. She is just amazing and she's been with me for most of the time, and, you need someone like that where she is my sounding board. She is the cheerleader when I'm feeling overwhelmed. She is just that support in this chaos of our business has grown. We went from one school to almost a hundred schools in less than two years. That's how much we have grown. And so it has been chaotic and there's been growing pains and it has become far more than I could have ever imagined. But having her has made it so worthwhile and so fun, and she's helped me so much through personal struggles and business struggles.

Dawn Andrews: Your work as an author and a speaker revolves around empowering women who have faced adversity, especially survivors of domestic abuse. How do you balance vulnerability and strengthen your storytelling to be able to connect on a deeper level without, sort of overwhelming people with, you have a big and challenging story to tell. How do you balance that?

Alyse Maslonik: I used to be really scared to tell my story, Dawn. I like genuinely so scared because I know that it's a lot, but what I tell myself now is if it makes someone uncomfortable, that warms my heart because it means that they've never experienced what I have. And so I hope that the whole room is uncomfortable, because what a learning experience in empathy it is for those that can be overwhelmed.

And unfortunately, being uncomfortable and hearing someone's story is sometimes the key to growth and being a better person and more compassionate. So I don't shield my vulnerability. And I do that because for so long I had to shield so much of my truth to stay in the family that my abuser still was for six years.

And he knew that I told on him and then I still had to live with him like imagine that space of having to morph as a child to oh no, I'm not gonna tell anyone anymore, and still like he knows that I did. It was wild. So for me, it's just one of my sticking points that I will not hide who I am and I see anyone being uncomfortable as a blessing, whether they see that or not, I see that as a true blessing, that it makes them uncomfortable. 

Dawn Andrews: It is such a great perspective and a unique one I think, because I think the tendency for most people, and especially as you reach next levels in your professional accomplishments, I would imagine the tendency might be to want to turn down that story. And I'm not just saying yours, Alyse, for women in general, it's like the more exposed you become to the world, the more visible you become, the bigger the business is, the more employees you have, the more challenging it is to be your whole self.

Alyse Maslonik: That is so true and I always do these quotes in these mantras cuz they get me through. So I'm gonna tell you one more. There's this quote that I read and it has always stuck with me and it says, for so long in my life, I didn't have a voice. I'm slowly starting to learn how to use it, so please excuse me while I learn to adjust the volume.

I love that because do I ever shy down from my vulnerability? No, but I will adjust the volume. So my intention is never to make someone uncomfortable when I won't purposely do that. But if you're coming to see me speak on domestic abuse, you're gonna get the whole thing. And, that's so interesting that you say that because I do still as, as much as I'm like, I live authentically, putting this book out is really scary. It is very scary to me because, there's so much in there that, my family doesn't even know. I've never even spoken to my family. My husband, who I've known since I was 15 doesn't even know. So the world is seeing me in my life-

Dawn Andrews: All of it.

Alyse Maslonik: All of it, and, but I also think that my story, can be so impactful because, statistically speaking, the majority of children's parents that when the child says that they're being abused are not believed, that's the majority. And so there are other people out there that are trying to cope with being abused and not being believed.

And then there are, unfortunately, I wish it wasn't true, but ones that have gone through the justice system and watched their perpetrator and their abuser walk away. And I think it's important to be raw and honest so that they can see, there is light even when it feels so,so dark. And there is love after violence.

Dawn Andrews: Yeah, God, Alyse. There's a play called Twilight by Anna DeVere Smith. She created it and it came out around the time of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. So we're talking, decades ago, but when she was doing some interviews about it, it's a one woman show and she plays different characters and many of them are around that time and that period and that event. And she says that the impetus for creating it was because people don't understand the devastation of speaking your truth and not being believed.

And that line in one of her interviews still to this day, has stuck with me. Like it shakes me to my core. And the fact that you have overcome that moment, not only on a personal familial level, but on a justice system, this is meant to protect me or to at least redeem ehe situation didn't deliver that. Oh,  it, really, you're a beacon of hope.

Alyse Maslonik: Thank you. Yeah. I look back at it and I say there's things that stick with me. Like the judge at the end said that one of the things that he couldn't get past is because I cried too hard. Genuinely like that was one of them that I cried too hard.

And I always think back to those words of like, how do you not understand what that emotionally, not even physically the abuse, but emotionally that does, like why wouldn't I cry? And so I've always, question that through life of oh, can't cry because that's a bad thing, And it's so wild how that works.

But yeah, not being believed was the darkest moment. I always tell this story of, I remember driving in the middle of the night by myself and it's raining, and I was on E and I couldn't find a gas station and I was slamming steering wheel and just shouting out to God, what do you want from me?

What else can you take? What else can you take? You have taken my reality, my loved ones, everything from me. What else do you want? And I think back to that day, and I think, wow, that was dark. It was a dark moment, but understandable, given the fact that your whole identity was stripped from who you were.

Dawn Andrews: I'm gonna shift gears a little bit because the resilience that you have and the anger and the fuel that you have to start something has obviously propelled you in a very short period of time to where you are with your business. What was it like in the early days? Think about that first year of launching RedefinED, like how did you come up with the concept for it to begin with? Bringing these pieces together, I can understand the need of underprivileged kids needing education, how did that happen?

Alyse Maslonik: So I, left the bank as a branch manager when I was like, I don't know, seven months pregnant with my daughter. And I started working for this guy that kind of did almost the same thing, but not really. So he was raising E I T C scholarships and I was like, you know what, as a kid, I got an E I T C scholarship.

I got this scholarship. So I was struggling at public school really being made fun of and just having a really hard time. And our family was poor, so there was no way that we could afford tuition. But we got an E I T C scholarship and I got to go to a private school and it really helped me especially at that time, whether anyone's belief, but for me, I needed to be connected to a higher power and that saved my life.

I would see the way that he was running his business and I always have the way I want to do it, and I just didn't like that.It was all like, what can I get? What can I get and what little can I pay everyone else? I'm like, we are in a life changing, life altering, generational,  amazing position to change the course for thousands of kids. It needs to be about that, and so I stewed on it for a long time and in the back of my head started writing a business plan. I wrote a business plan on my own, just by Google and-

Dawn Andrews: Everything that you need is there. 

Alyse Maslonik: It is. Google is amazing and I always say people ask me like, how did you learn all this stuff? Or how did you learn to do invoicing and or even register of business and it's Google and YouTube, like the tools that are out there for us in this generation are amazing if you utilize them, so yeah, the first few months, so I started September, 2021, so it hasn't even been two years, September, 2021, I leave my job.

I have no income except I, I did sign one school, so I had $1,500 in revenue a month to live on. Yep. And I had a baby, another, a baby in, July of that year. So I was like, just a few, like two months postpartum and just crazy. And I thought with one of these, groups of schools, I thought I had a good chance if I like reached out to them and told them my plan and I, so I called, her name was Joanne and I called her and I said, Hey,  you may not remember me, but I used to work for this company and I have an idea and I'd love to meet with you for lunch. And she was like, of course I remember you. Let's go to lunch. And so I met with her and I told her my idea and she brought the CFO in and he's like, what do you need? And I was like, I need to hire two more people.

Alyse Maslonik: At that time, I just wanted to pay everyone like $36,000 a year, right? That's all I care. I was like, so 36 times three, if you can give me that, I can do this. I know I can do this for you. And he said, you gotta account for another 10% in payroll taxes and then you gotta have a little bit of a buffer. So why don't I pay you this? I walked out of there and it took a long time for all the schools to get organized, right? That was in October, and then it was like November, nothing, December, nothing. January 15th, 2022, signed our first contract. It was almost a quarter of a million dollars.

The week before that, I literally bounced my car payment because I put everything I had into the business, every dime and I was just trying to survive. And I didn't want, my husband's an engineer, but I didn't wanna have to go to him and say oh, I think I messed up. So I was just determined to just wait and see and it came through. But what's so cool, Dawn, about the looking back is every win to me even now is so exciting. Like it just seems like the first time, and I hope I always keep that excitement and even smaller wins. Like we just signs like eight schools. That's, we've signed eight schools before, but to me, I get, we get so excited, just like it was our first. 

Dawn Andrews: I don't wanna speak for you, so you'll have to tell me if I have this right, but what I hear, especially from learning a little bit more about you, is that those eight schools, it's not eight schools. It's not eight rocks came from one spot and we moved them to another spot.

It's all the kids that are nested underneath those eight schools, and that, seems like where drive and excitement and celebration comes from, is that you've opened up opportunities for that many more students to be able to get the education that they're looking for and deserve. 

Alyse Maslonik: 100%, and I look at it and it's like in our first year, we will have impacted nearly 10,000 students. That's 10,000 students that are going to have a different life and better opportunity than they had before I started the business. So yes, you're right. It's like I get so excited knowing that and they don't even know me, but I'm changing their life and that is cool because I always wish that I had these moments of life is good just because life is good, not because someone's giving me something and is going to want something back, and that's allotted with my abuse is I just wanted to know life is good and I didn't owe anyone something for it. And so it brings me such joy knowing that I'm giving that when I didn't have it. But giving that to so many other kids.

Dawn Andrews: Here's what I'm curious about. Part of growing a business, like what I heard is Mrs. Better Way,

Alyse Maslonik: Yes. 

Dawn Andrews: That's what I call myself and I think a core tenant of wanting to start something is that you feel like, they're doing that, but it could be done so much better. and I think I know how I could get that done, so that's a Mrs. Better way thing. The fuel and the anger and the defiance, which has you be determined to overcome whatever obstacles come your way. I hear that. But another like practical aspect of building a business is being able to share your mission effectively and rally people to buy what you're doing or to support your cause.

How do you effectively do that? There was something in that meeting, it wasn't just simply that you walked in and said, Hey, I've got this idea, there was something either about you or the way that you shared it that really got people involved. So what could you teach women that are starting?

Alyse Maslonik: It is sharing that story and why you are the person for the job. I am the only person. Our company is the only company in existence that is led by an E I T C scholarship recipient. I have lived that experience. I know exactly what these scholarships do and how important and life changing they are.

So there is no other company out there that will do it with the passion and the fortitude that we will at RedefinED. And so that is number one. If you don't have the passion, don't even enter the market because it is a, hard market. Hard to get contributions. we've raised 11 million and that is not an easy feat, it's very difficult. But, it is using your story and what is the thing that sets you apart. And I do think that my life has made me so passionate and vulnerable enough to share that passion that when I tell you I don't shield my vulnerability, I can go into meetings and say, this was my life where we were poor and we sometimes like literally struggled very badly. But your school helped me and gave me that scholarship. And the first school that I had, by the way, that signed me was the high school that gave me the E I T C scholarship. So, full circle. 

Dawn Andrews: So poetic. another gear shift. So you're a mom of three, you have gone through this incredible growth spurt in your business with designs to, continue on that path and continue at that level. So the next three to five years are also gonna be, it's gonna be a rodeo. How do you keep it all going? 

Alyse Maslonik: I don't, so I don't want anyone to ever feel like I just gracefully do this. I are there moments where I'm like, whew, I did that. but yes, there are, however, I'm still really learning that I really am, and oftentimes I have to stop myself because I had this moment, several months ago where I realized, for some reason, as a mom that owns this business, that impacts children that sometimes I feel like the other kids need me more.

My kids are fine. We have a good life. Like they know they're loved, all of those things. But then I'm like, I'm gonna pour all of the, because if I have to choose between my kids and the others spending time, I'm gonna go with the others. Not because I don't love my kids, but they're okay and the other ones could use me more.

And I've really had to reel that back very much so because my kids, they are okay financially, right? But who cares about money, right? Like they need a mom that's present. And so that is a very fine line that I'm still very much trying to walk in. My kids need me to be invested. And not put other kids in front of them. And so I do, I struggle with that and I probably always will struggle with that because I yearn so much to help those, or that are the neediest but I have to check myself for sure. 

Dawn Andrews: Yeah. Well, I think any, any person with an ounce of empathy and compassion that sees that other people are struggling when they feel like they're stable. Whatever stable looks like for them is gonna be drawn to wanna help. Couple that with all that is required to be able to competently run a business and it can be a real tough road to navigate on the regular.

Alyse Maslonik: Yeah, but I also, just going back to like my team, I hired the best team and I would put them side by side, any team, because they are so committed and they recognize all that I do. And they are the first to say, Alyse, put it down. Let us do it. We're fine. We'll be okay. You go take a vacation with your kids, and so it is so nice.

 Dawn Andrews: It sounds like they bust you if you need to be busted. 

Alyse Maslonik: They do, they keep me in line and that is so nice that they recognize that I will give and give and give and give until I'm depleted and I need to stop. I need to have some rules on that. But they are my guardrails. I always say they're my guardrails, cuz they will tell me when it's like, Alyse, take a day, take your kids to Hershey Park, or take your kids, somewhere and spend some time so.

Dawn Andrews: I love it. It sounds like you guys are moving through life a unit, like it's a unified bunch of people. It's not just a team related to the business itself, but you guys are all looking out for your personal lives as well.

Alyse Maslonik: We are like a big family that just really does look out for each other and it's that almost marriage concepts where one spouse can't give a hundred percent all the time, so sometimes the other spouse has to give one 20 cuz one can only give 80. And we do that dance in our team right now. And it has been awesome to watch. 

Dawn Andrews: What are yours and the team's and ambition for like the next several years? What would you like to see your company do? 

Alyse Maslonik: Whew. Yeah, so I have so much that I want to accomplish, but, um, small bites. I actually just, engaged with a strategic planner for my business because I do have all of these ideas and things that can really make an impact, but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew. First and foremost is getting into other states. 

Dawn Andrews: Let's pretend that this is like your opening conversation with the universe. You get to speak into it, whatever you want. It will be heard and supported. So which state next? 

Alyse Maslonik: Yeah, so I wanna expand, more into Georgia. So we have, just a small, handful of schools in Georgia, but there is so much potential there. The tax credit is actually a hundred percent tax credit. So for every dollar they give, they get a dollar reduction in the taxes that they owe. So it's like they can double their impact, right?

So they give a thousand and they get a thousand dollars back on their taxes. It just makes sense so there's so much growth there. And then the next one is Montana because my husband loves it out there. And I would love to have an excuse to visit Montana. 

Dawn Andrews: Excellent. All right. Georgia and Montana, we're making it. We're making space, making that happen.I love it. Well, thank you Alyse. Thank you so much for the time that you've spent with me today. Before we go, I do have one more question that I love to ask everybody that has been with me. Imagine we are in New York in Times Square and there are big sparkly billboards everywhere. The biggest one is for you to share a message with female entrepreneurs. What message would you like to share? 

Alyse Maslonik: I think it would be, she who has a why can conquer almost any how. I think that's very, very important when you have the passion and you are so deeply committed. That you will persevere through the small failures to get to the ultimate goal of making a better life or a better product or whatever that is that is your passion. If you have the why, you will get to the how. 

Dawn Andrews: You're a perfect walking example of that.

Alyse Maslonik: Thank you. 

Dawn Andrews: Okay, so last thing before you go. Where can people find you? Where can they follow along as you complete and get ready to launch your book? Where can they, find out more about RedefinED and your program? 

Alyse Maslonik: Sure, our website is redefiningeducation.org, and then I use, LinkedIn, it's like my favorite. So LinkedIn, you can always, connect with me there. I love that platform. I look forward to when the book is completed. It's getting pushed back a little bit, so hopefully by the end of the year it will be out. But yeah, we'll keep you posted if you connect with me. 

Dawn Andrews: So go connect with Alyse on LinkedIn so you can follow along this journey. You've heard a little bit of her story and I'm sure the book will just blow your mind. I'm so excited for you, Alyse. Thank you so much for spending your time with me today. I am filled to the brim with inspiration. Like I'm ready to go out and just start doing a bunch of stuff. Thank you .

Alyse Maslonik: You're welcome. You're welcome. 

Dawn Andrews: Thank you for joining me this week. To view the complete show notes and all the links mentioned in today's episode, visit mygoodwoman.com. And before you go, make sure you follow or subscribe to the podcast so you can receive fresh episodes when they drop. And if you're enjoying my Good Woman, leave us a review on Apple Podcast reviews are one of the major ways that Apple ranks their pod. So even though it takes only a few seconds, it really does make a difference and helps our show grow.

This episode was produced by me and Julissa Ramirez. Thank you again for joining me, Dawn Andrews, in this episode of My Good Woman.