By Josh Chernikoff
Starting a business is no walk in the park. You may have a brilliant idea that seems like it could change the world, but the real challenge is getting others to see its value. How do you transform your vision into a reality that others believe in? How do you convince schools, investors, and users that your idea is worth their time and trust?
This is the journey that Brent Newton founder and CEO of myOwl faced. His platform, designed to make homework easier for students, started with a simple but powerful concept inspired by his daughter’s struggles. Yet, turning that idea into a successful business involved overcoming significant hurdles. From convincing skeptical schools to refining his message, Brent’s path was anything but smooth. But through persistence and the right strategies, he turned these obstacles into opportunities.
In this blog, we’ll dive into Brent’s story—how he tackled early challenges, discovered new strategies through the EdSales Elevation Experience, and found support in an unexpected community. For anyone facing their own startup struggles, Brent’s experience offers valuable lessons and inspiration.
The Beginning of myOwl
myOwl began with a simple yet powerful idea. Brent noticed how hard it was for his daughter, Talia, to keep track of her homework. She had to jump between a lot of different apps just to get her homework done. This made it confusing and stressful for her. Brent realized that if Talia was having trouble, many other students probably were too. And it would also be a nightmare for parents to check in and manage.
“no person in the professional world would be asked to use 143 different tools to get their job done.”
That’s when he decided to create myOwl—a tool that gathers all of a student’s homework assignments into one easy-to-use dashboard.
“It's an executive functioning tool targeting the K 12 market that helps aggregate all of a student's homework assignments into one centralized dashboard. There isn't an app out there right now that does that. There are some that do a little bit of pieces of it but nothing that brings it all together in one place with one click access single sign on for the kids.”
What makes myOwl unique is that Talia, who was just 12 years old, was deeply involved in its creation. As Brent’s “co-founder,” she helped make sure myOwl was something kids would actually use. Brent said, she was my co-founder. She represents a really important stakeholder and give the application the voice of the student.
“It was an application that was built by students and parents for students and parents. So for her to be involved in this has been really important and a lot of fun.”
Facing the Early Struggles
Getting myOwl off the ground wasn’t easy. Brent faced the typical challenges of a first-time founder, but the biggest hurdles were messaging and limited cash to invest. “We felt stuck in a rut,” Brent recalled. “We had a great product, but we couldn’t get our message across to the schools and EdTech companies we needed to work with. It was super frustrating—a lot of banging our heads against the wall.”
Despite parents loving myOwl, Brent struggled to get schools and partners on board. Brent realized their messaging wasn’t effective, and they needed to do something fast to turn things around.
Finding a New Direction: joining the 3E cohort.
Initially, Brent aimed to introduce myOwl to public schools, believing they were the right market. However, he quickly encountered significant challenges. “As everybody in education knows the sales cycle with Public Schools is long, and a lot of hoops you have to go through to make it through there.”
The slow decision-making process within public schools made it difficult to gain momentum. After the first 3E coaching session and hearing feedback from the fellow education entrepreneurs in the group, Brent made the strategic decision to pivot toward private schools.
This pivot taught Brent a crucial lesson about the importance of flexibility in business. By shifting to private schools, myOwl was able to gather momentum and set the stage for future growth.
Powerful messaging: positioning myOwl for success.
When Brent joined the cohort, myOwl didn’t have a strong online presence. Brent had a LI account, but he didn’t have it set up strategically to get leads and open conversations with potential clients.
"There was no LinkedIn profile. I mean, I had a LinkedIn page but there was no banner. There were no hashtags there wasn't even in about us section. And if we're entering into pitch competitions or accelerator programs, or trying to get customers or trying to get schools or whoever it might be one of the first places they're going to look as LinkedIn and if they saw my page, they weren't going to take us very seriously. But as a small player, I needed people to take me seriously in that messaging, in that storytelling, in that social media presence. And that was where I really needed the help and what made me turn to that EdSales Elevation Experience."
Brent revamped his LinkedIn profile, which led to increased visibility and more opportunities to share MyOWL’s story. Soon, Brent was being invited to speak on podcasts and even got an article published in an education magazine.
The Power of Community
One of the unexpected but invaluable outcomes of the Edsales Elevation Experience was the power of the group feedback and accountability. When the cohort was wrapping up, they decided to continue meeting to support each other. This became the foundation group of the 3E mastermind group for alumni of the program. As each new cohort finished they had the opportunity to join the mastermind group and to continue getting supported by Josh and the fellow education CEOs. They regularly meet to discuss their challenges, share advice, and offer encouragement through dolphin tank styled discussions.
Brent referred to this group as his MyOWL family, “when I think about my MyOwl family, so to speak, I'm including everybody who is in my cohort” emphasizing how important it was to have a network of people who were genuinely invested in each other’s success.
“We meet regularly, sometimes more than once a month,” Brent shared. “It’s a place where we can share our struggles and find solutions together."
The Results:
Pre-3E Brent was struggling to get app partners onboard for his platform. Post 3E Brent was having discussions with 20 integration partners. “Going from zero to 20 is huge. We have zero schools who are interested in piloting for us, we now have to have or showing interest in what are talking to us about starting that pilot program in the fall. So I mean, those three right there are huge.”
He had also struggled to get any interest from schools. Post 3E he had his first pilot school and two more in discussions. “So I mean, those three right there are huge.I'm not trying to sound overly dramatic, but if we hadn't have done the elevation experience, I'm not sure we would be around right now.”
Looking Ahead
Brent’s journey with myOwl shows that building a successful startup isn’t just about having a great idea; it’s about being able to adapt, finding the right support, and staying persistent even when things get tough. Today, myOwl is gaining traction, with more schools showing interest in pilot programs.
Reflecting on the journey, Brent said, “If you had told me a year ago that we’d be where we are today, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s been a rollercoaster, but I’m excited about what’s next for myOwl.” And we are too. We can’t wait to see Brent and Talia revolutionizing homework across America.
Summary
Start with a Clear Problem: Identify a real-world issue that your product solves, just like myOwl addressed students’ homework challenges.
Involve Your Target Audience Early: Get feedback from end-users to ensure your product meets their needs, as Brent did with his daughter’s input.
Simplify Your Messaging: Ensure your value proposition is clear and compelling, helping your audience understand the problem you solve.
Be Ready to Pivot: If your initial market isn’t responding, consider shifting to a new audience, like Brent pivoted from public to private schools.
Seek Out Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with other platforms or businesses to enhance your offering and increase market reach.
Get Involved in a Supportive Community: Join mastermind groups or entrepreneurial networks to gain fresh perspectives and support.
Stay Visible Online: Optimize your online presence and use platforms like LinkedIn to share your story and connect with key stakeholders.
Be Persistent and Adaptable: Keep refining your product and messaging based on feedback and lessons learned, never hesitating to adjust course.
Conclusion
Brent Newton’s story is a powerful reminder that the road to success is full of challenges. But with determination, the right strategy, and a strong support network, it’s possible to overcome even the toughest obstacles. For EdTech entrepreneurs facing their own struggles, myOwl’s journey offers hope and inspiration. As Brent and myOwl continue to grow, their story stands as a testament to what’s possible when you don’t give up.
I’m really excited for Brent and what he and his daughter are doing, and I can’t wait to catch up with him again in a few months to hear more about his progress.
To listen to the full interview, tune in here.
To find Brent connect with him on LinkedIn here.
Want help getting more leads and sales? Join the waitlist to be the first to know when doors to the 3E EdSales Elevation Experience open again.
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