Amy Herzog, Founder of North Shore College Consulting
Names: Amy Herzog
Founder: North Shore College Consulting
What's your elevator pitch? (Ie. In one sentence, what do you do?)
I am a former tax attorney turned independent college consultant and co-owner of North Shore College Consulting; providing comprehensive guidance to students from 9th grade through high school, helping them navigate the complex college preparation, selection, and application processes with personalized strategies for academic success and personal growth.
What's your story?
My background in law and business—combined with my specialized training in college counseling—reflects my lifelong commitment to education and personal growth. This passion extends to helping students navigate their own educational journeys. After transitioning from a career in tax law, I found my true calling in college consulting. My goal is to provide personalized guidance that helps each student reach their full potential. I love seeing my students succeed and take pride in cultivating their lifelong goals, happiness, and growth.
As a mother of four, I find personal fulfillment in helping other families navigate the complex college admissions process. My own experiences as a parent informs my approach and drives me to support other families.
My continued motivation is rooted in my genuine desire to guide students through a critical phase of their lives, combining my professional expertise with a personal touch to help them achieve their college dreams.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
Being a FoundHer means being a part of a community that understands the unique challenges women face in the business world. This supportive environment allows for open, candid discussions about career advancement, personal development, and navigating and confronting challenges head-on. The group provides invaluable networking opportunities, connecting me with like-minded professional women across various industries. This network can lead to new business partnerships, mentorship opportunities, and lasting friendships.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
Working with numerous teenage girls, I help them to recognize and address barriers that women face in leadership and entrepreneurship. I highlight the need to boost confidence in young women and teenagers who may be dismissive about their abilities and ambitions, and stress the importance of having more women in leadership roles to provide examples for younger generations, inspiring them to see leadership as a viable option.
What are three podcasts you listen to that have helped you with your business?
The Mel Robbins Podcast
BossBabe - Natalie Ellis
The Marie Forleo Podcast
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
Since hearing about her from my daughter years ago and taking her online pilates classes, I have admired Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, the owner and creator of MWH. Melissa successfully leveraged digital platforms to build her business into a mega-business, Melissa's skill in personal branding and maintaining authenticity is very inspiring since my work with families and high school students relies heavily on personal connections and trust. I was also very impressed when Melissa's business success became the subject of a Harvard Business School case study in 2021.
How did you land your first client?
We started by offering our services for free to the high school children of friends and family members. This allowed us to gain practical experience, refine our consulting process, and develop our product offering. During the first two years we used these students as "guinea pigs" to perfect our methods and successfully helped these students gain admission to their desired colleges. News of their services spread organically through word of mouth. As a result of our proven track record and the positive buzz generated by satisfied students, we secured our first paying customers.
What was an obstacle you overcame to get your business where it is today? Please share the story behind it.
One significant challenge we faced was the increasing competition in our local area, as college consulting had become an increasingly popular field. As our business grew, we invested years in developing a comprehensive curriculum and proprietary materials to guide students through the college application process. These resources became the backbone of our services, helping us achieve great results for our students. However, this success also made us vulnerable to potential competitors.
A particularly challenging situation arose when a parent of a former student, with whom we had worked closely for four years, decided to start her own college consulting business in our community. What made this especially difficult was her use of many of our proprietary materials, which we had shared with her son during our work together.
While it was tempting to confront this situation directly, we chose a more professional approach. Instead of engaging in conflict, we redoubled our efforts to distinguish our company from the local competition. We focused on several key areas including:
*In-depth training and education: We emphasized our team's extensive knowledge and experience in the field.
*Ongoing continuing education: We committed to staying at the forefront of college admissions trends and best practices.
*Credentials and professional memberships: We highlighted our affiliations with three major professional organizations in our industry, underscoring our commitment to high ethical standards.
*High-touch services: We doubled down on providing personalized, attentive support to each of our clients.
By focusing on our strengths and continuously improving our services, we were able to maintain our competitive edge.
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