5 Questions with Mathnasium of East Round Rock’s Jennifer Faulkner
In an effort to get to know more about the people who make Round Rock such a great place to live, I am resurrecting a series I did years ago called “5 Questions With….” As I did in the past, I will be asking a few questions of interesting people of Round Rock – people who work hard behind the scenes, people who strive to make our city great, people who make fun events & places possible in our city, and just cool folks you need to know.
But I wanted to take it a step further and reach out to as many businesses owners in Round Rock as I can. I want to catch up with them to learn how their business is doing under these conditions. And see if & how we can help keep them in businesses. I think you will be happy to hear some of the unique ways that businesses have adapted to the changes or are making plans to offer new products and services once they do open.
Many of the after school programs and tutoring help in Round Rock has come to complete standstill. But some business owners are rising to the occasion and innovating to bring their customers what they want.
Check out how Jennifer Faulker, owner of two Mathnasium locations here in our area is doing just that!
What is your business?
Mathnasium of East Round Rock and Mathnasium of Georgetown
What is the status of your business now?
We are open 100% virtual learning sessions. Same customized programs, same material, same A+ instructors. We are proud to have retained all of our employees, even with decline in business. Our mission was to “work hard to keep our team working.” It is working!
What do you miss most about your business?
Seeing our students through videoconferencing is great, but doesn’t compare to the hugs, smiles, and interactions we see in person at the center.
What are the plans for the future for Mathnasium?
We are now laying the groundwork for reopening the in-center piece, hoping that will happen at some level by June. We were already on the path of offering an @home service, so that piece will still continue. Families now have two great options for either in-center or at the convenience of their own home. We will be doing a major restocking of our reward cabinets because these kids are doing amazing work at home, and we will owe them a lot of reward cards!
What has been a few of your favorite “at-home” activities during this time?
We have 4 kids ages 9-16 and are very active all the time. It is so nice to have the extra family time together. My dad, who is 81, is also on an extended spring break visit and having him here has been the biggest blessing. We are all enjoying family movies and game nights together.
Bonus – what’s the first thing you will do once the Stay-at-Home mandate is lifted?
We will be recognizing our leadership for their perseverance and dedication during these difficult couple of months; they have really stepped up to take on an enormous change in business models very rapidly. They are the real rock stars in this, along with our families who have stayed so loyal and joined this crazy virtual journey with us! We’d like to also purchase some gift cards from local businesses to use in our reward cabinets and support their journey back to being open again as well.
Find Out How Others Round Rock Businesses Are Doing:
The Yogurt Experience’s Rebecca Darling
Mays Street Boutique’s Ashley Deli
My Party Palace’s Michelle Azuara
Mi Mundo Coffeehouse & Roastery’s Sabin Shrestha
Tammy Kay’s Boutique’s Tammy Munguia
Monster Mini Golf’s Brian & Amy Smith
The Dance Gallery’s Christine Hayes
Huntington Learning Center’s Tanuja Deo
Penfold Theatre Company
Craft & Racked Chris & Sara Freeman
Wildflower Orthodontics
Lifetime Vision Care’s Dr. Jennifer Khanh
Mathnasium of East RR’s Jennifer Faulkner
Paige’s Bakehouse – Paige Perry
The Rock/Alcove Cantina/The Flats’ Michelle Ly
Round Rock Dental Group’s Dr. Eric Hoffman
Love Barre’s Kristin Crawford
Hot Dog Marketing’s Jessica Scanlon
The Mirror & I’s Val Frazee
Renzi’s Tutoring & Guitar’s CJ & Tammy Renzi
If you are a small business who has been effected by the stay-at-home order, we’d love to hear from you to tell your story! Please email me at rebecca@roundtherocktx.com
