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Franchisee Profile: Linda Shaw, owner of the First KidzArt Franchise
“We’re trying to make kids healthy.”
This is one of the goals of Linda Shaw, executive director of KidzArt Charlotte in North Carolina. As the very first KidzArt franchisee who is in her 11th year of business, Linda has already met many of her goals but continues to set more related to helping local children.
“We want all kids to have fun with art. KidzArt is for everyone, even those who think they can’t draw,” says Shaw.
According to Linda, KidzArt is more about teaching life skills than anything else. Learning to draw involves children solving problems, envisioning their options and trying new things. She teaches them the KidzArt philosophy: there are no mistakes in art and don’t compare.
With eight instructors as part of her team, Linda looks for teachers who are inspired by meaningful work and have confidence. She still teaches classes herself and offers her instructors advice on all aspects of teaching. With a continued emphasis on quality, Linda’s team seeks to “wow” the students and their parents with the unique KidzArt method and the great results.
Parents play a important role in the KidzArt experience. Linda lets parents know about the brainstorming process each child experiences in her class and how each child is encouraged to make an art project their own. Teaching them to unleash their individual creativity and not copy, compare or feel inferior is essential.
One parent whose son took KidzArt classes for four years, was so impressed with Linda and KidzArt she purchased her own KidzArt franchise. Jill Long took over part of Linda’s territory and currently serves the South Charlotte area.
Since 2000, Linda and her team have taught over 4000 students in Charlotte and the surrounding areas. She looks forward to increasing that number as she continues to offer after school classes at local elementary schools, private schools and community centers.
Learn more about Linda at http://www.kidzartncsc.com/ or
http://www.facebook.com/pages/KidzArt-Charlotte/114231729373
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