Meet Lacey Frank and Alison Parker! They were recently recognized as Tutor Doctor’s Franchisees of the Year. Their franchise, Tutor Doctor of the Emerald Coast, is located in Panama City, Florida.  A passion for education led Alison and Lacey to the Tutor Doctor franchise opportunity.

Following Their Passion

“In 2015, we were two elementary school teachers looking for a big change. Due to policies and red tape, we had lost our spark,” Alison says. “We knew we needed to find another career in the area of education because that is where our passion lies.”

Their passion for teaching and education continues to motivate the Emerald Coast team, along with the benefits that come with business ownership. “Our teenage sons describe this best: ‘Our moms aren’t stressed anymore. They can spend a lot more time with us and things aren’t crazy in the mornings before school!’”

The Importance of Community Outreach

Alison and Lacey’s day-to-day schedules vary due to the nature of the Tutor Doctor business. There are schools to visit, calls to answer, emails to reply to and consultations to schedule. But all of that leaves a lot of room for community outreach as well. “We love to get out in the community as much as possible, so we are constantly running contests on Facebook, wearing Tutor Doctor logo apparel, and having tutors drive the Smart car,” Alison says.

Community outreach is important to Alison and Lacey because they understand that as much as Tutor Doctor is an educational franchise, our franchisees are in the people business. “This business runs on people and the relationships you choose to build with those people. If needed, you could run this business with a notepad, a pencil, and great people skills,” Alison says. “This business is about people rather than a spreadsheet. If you care, the people will recognize it and the business will come.”

The Journey to Franchisee of the Year

The Tutor Doctor Franchisee of the Year title is awarded to a franchisee who embodies our brand’s spirit and values. We chose Tutor Doctor of the Emerald Coast because they not only establish strong relationships in their community, but they also are a part of our thriving franchisee network. “We also believe in the importance of building relationships within our company,” Alison says. “Sharing ideas, materials, and campaigns that are successful help us to do that with franchisees across the world. It makes us all more successful.”

This recognition meant so much to Lacey and Alison, especially after their business and community was struck by a natural disaster in 2018. “Our community was struck by a category 5 hurricane in October of 2018, so it was a very difficult year for us personally and professionally. At one time, we didn’t even know if we could keep the business running,” Alison says. “We worked so hard to keep our heads above water and stay positive. There were many tears flowing that night when our names were announced as franchisee of the year. We love this company.”