Today we’d like to introduce you to Suzanne Miller.
Hi Suzanne, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve always loved writing- even though my Ph.D. is in Economics, I knew that I would use my training to communicate beyond the walls of academia. When my eldest child was born, I stayed home but continued to write. At one point, I was a community columnist for The State, where I wrote about local and state-level issues from an economist’s perspective.
When my daughter reached kindergarten age, I couldn’t find a half-day program. So I kept her home for kindergarten and continued to teach her myself. It was a delight to do educational projects and go on field trips, and she was thriving. As my husband and I debated whether to enroll her in first grade, we eventually decided that you don’t mess with what’s working, and it was working. So I homeschooled my children until they left for college.
Homeschooling high school seemed different than the earlier grades- there was significantly more record keeping. I found myself designing curricula for more formal courses. Then it was time for college applications. It had been years since I had written or read a personal statement, but I realized how much I enjoyed helping my daughter craft her application essays. At that point, I decided to coach outside my homeschool so that others could write engaging essays showcasing their writing abilities, characters, and personalities.
Of course, I was still running a homeschool at that point. I formed EssayFaire, but neither advertised nor had a website. I relied on word of mouth and didn’t always have clients. Homeschooling was my full-time job, and essay coaching was a small side gig.
As I prepared to close my homeschool, I thought about what I wanted to do next. And I knew. I wanted to make my side gig my main job. So I incorporated, built a website, and found myself expanding into college counseling, application management, and curriculum development.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Transforming from an occasional essay coach into a full-fledged writing and literature firm took a change of mindset. Previously, I had focused solely on helping my students and their families navigate college applications and essay writing. I now had to consider areas outside my core competencies, such as building a presence in the community. While gaining new skills was rewarding, the marketing and publicity aspects of being a business were (and remain) outside my comfort zone. I’m grateful that along the way, I was fortunate enough to find a mentor who taught me how to construct a solid foundation for my business,
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
EssayFaire is a writing and education coaching firm specializing in college applications. The college application process can be stressful for students and families for many reasons- the stakes involved, the desire to be genuine, time management, and more. We strive to make the journey less stressful and to make it easier to find schools that are great fits.
We provide college and graduate school essay coaching, assist with application management and planning, aid homeschoolers with statements of educational philosophy, and offer tutoring in literature and creative writing. We’ve just added CLT prep. We can design full curricula or exploratory options for students who want something outside of what they get in the classroom. All our services are tailored to each client.
At EssayFaire, the emphasis is on the student. I’m most proud that when students are done working with us, they have more than just an essay- they are better prepared for college-level writing, and when they arrive there, they thrive.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Good advice from my mentor: take the time to build a strong foundation. At the beginning, you may feel that things aren’t happening quickly enough, but later you’ll be glad you took the time to lay a framework that you can build upon rather than one you have to toss out.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://essayfaire.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suzannedmiller01
