Biz Her Way Series: Meet Lyneé Lopez The Powerhouse Behind Verve Educational Consulting
By Sacha Walton, Business Strategist and CEO of SWI Management Group
Hi, I’m Sacha Walton, founder and editor of Biz Her Way. My mission is to celebrate women business owners and entrepreneurs who are disrupting their industries, trailblazing the norm, and impacting change within their communities.
Women are making an impact worldwide in business ownership. Whether they are Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs, Authors, Speakers, Creatives, or Intrapreneurs as C-suite employees; they are playing by their own rules and creating their narratives.
According to the Small Business Association (SBA), “over 13 million women own businesses in the US.” Women are taking their place in society and scaling businesses with ideas, talents, passions, and skillsets while staying focused on legacy building.
My heart desires to see women win and I’m excited about sharing the amazing stories of these phenomenal women.
Let’s lift up and applaud all the amazing, talented, inspirational, and diverse women worldwide who are making their voices heard.
Recently, I had a wonderful interview with Lyneé Lopez, founder of Verve Educational Consulting LLC, One of Biz Her Way’s Top 25 Women to Watch in 2024.
Thank you for having this interview with me. I’m excited about sharing your story in our Biz Her Way Series here on Medium.com.
Our readers would love to learn more about you. Please tell us who you are and a little something about yourself.
Hi, I’m Lyneé Lopez! I’m the powerhouse behind Verve Educational Consulting which has carved a niche in early childhood education with my unique sustainable leadership coaching approach. Having started my career 25 years ago as a mental health mentor, I quickly took my skills through the classroom, faculty room, and into the boardroom.
The unique experiences fueled the launch of my consulting business in 2013 where I quickly became known for my successful grant writing skills and start-up implementation.
Since then, I have amassed numerous achievements including the acquisition of over 100 million dollars in new start-up funding for early childhood programs in New York City, mentored more than 50 new early childhood leaders, and supported the opening of 65 preschool programs.
Known as an educational architect, I help schools build the leadership, instruction, and funding sources needed to provide equity for the communities they serve. I have mentored high-level community leaders on transformational mindset approaches and am often sought out for my team-building skills.
In 2017, I partnered with For a Reason (FAR) to provide teacher training in Haiti which sparked my passion to bring educators around the globe together to share best practices and unity for early childhood advocacy. Since then, I have sat down with leaders in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and all over the US…….
I am the co-author of the newly launched book Living All Out which chronicles the amazing stories of 20 entrepreneurs and their journey to living a fulfilling life. I am also the host of the Café Verve Podcast, Reiki master, and Hypnobreathwork® coach.
My life seems busy, but outside the business world, I am fueled by my adventurous spirit with hiking, kayaking, road trips, photography, and global travel. I love creating new fun memories with my family and have recently started learning to sail. So exciting!
Now, everyone has a story behind the beginning of their business. What inspired you to start your own business, and how has your journey been so far?
To be honest, I never really anticipated that I would own my own business. In 2013, some key life events presented me with an opportunity and I took it. I recently shared my startup story in the collaborative book “Living All Out” which was released in the Fall of 2023. Here is an excerpt from the book:
“As the New Year celebrations of 2013 rolled in, I had no idea I was about to experience a midlife crisis. I was given notice that my career as an Early Childhood Director was coming to a halt because the school program I had been with for 5 years was closing. Blindsided by the news that my contract was ending on January 30th, I began to spiral into a freight train of failure.”
Alongside that, my mother’s throat cancer had returned, and she was not recovering well from surgery. As I hibernated in grief and failure, searching daily for motivational quotes and listening to Les Brown’s speeches on repeat, one February afternoon a voicemail came through from the CEO of my former company. He wanted to offer me a subcontracting contract for a client that specifically requested me.
At first, pride led my thinking and I was both confused and angry by his offer. After taking some time to think about it, I eventually took the contract, which marked my first experience as a “business owner.” This new career opportunity provided great money and time freedom, something I had never had the privilege of experiencing before…………
In November of 2013, I officially opened Verve Early Childhood Consulting LLC. I continued to do subcontracting work for the next two years as I built my client list. By year 3 I was writing 100% of my own contracts.
Tell us about the pivotal moment when you knew your business idea had great potential.
My very first contract was a HUGE project. I was the early childhood grant writer for 10 schools which required long hours of writing, lots of document reviews, downloads/uploads, and chasing deadlines.
I remember the moment that we received notice on the grant applications. We got every single grant that first round and continued to get grant funding for an additional 55 schools over the next few years! In the grant writing world, a 100% success rate is unheard of, but I am happy to have celebrated that.
Which quotes or affirmations inspire you?
“Follow your Bliss…..” by Joseph Campbell.
I have always been fascinated by the work of Joseph Campbell and his insight into human nature and culture. When I look back on my life and can see the pattern of where I followed the things that gave me joy and the beautiful tapestry of living it.
“It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so others don’t feel insecure around you” by Marianne Williamson.
This hangs in my office to remind me to be courageous.
How are you making an impact with your business or project?
I am passionate about early childhood and equity. In my business model, I have been able to acquire impactful grant funding for programs that have allowed thousands of children to access high-quality early childhood experiences for free.
I spent the first 5 years supporting the building of these programs, training new staff, room setup, and implementing curriculums and assessments. With the early childhood program expansion nationwide, I have shifted the majority of my focus to sustainable leadership.
I currently partner with school (private and public) leaders to build their instructional expertise and coaching practices. I am focused on collaborative partnerships to raise the quality of programs as opposed to the antiquated approach of one-sided faculty meetings and scripted professional development.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs looking to start their own ventures?
There are a few key things I did that made a huge impact on the success of my business.
First, become informed! I knew nothing about starting a business on the legality side. A friend recommended my local small business development center to me. They were instrumental in helping me structure my business model and I continue to seek resources from them.
Second, get your money straight! Right off the bat, I started using QuickBooks. I hired a bookkeeper who supported me once a year in entering all my data. This became a huge asset later in applying for business loans.
It is also how I knew my business crossed the million-dollar revenue mark last summer.
Third, don’t undersell yourself! Pricing is one of the hardest pieces in entrepreneurship. When I priced my first contract I came up with my initial number and then doubled it. I was so nervous when I sent the contract quote but it was accepted!! This taught me so much and is one of the reasons my business became financially viable.
We celebrate women entrepreneurs in our publication. How do you make a difference in the lives of other women entrepreneurs?
I have recently been sharing my business journey in hopes of inspiring women that they can have it all.
In 2013 I had to re-envision my life and I was clear on 3 things. I wanted to have financial stability, be present for my children both physically and energetically, and have time to enjoy my life.
To get to this I had a lot of personal development to do. I often find women who seek me out to learn how to create a life full of abundance and inspiration.
For this, I have created Verve’s Inspiration Projects that include the Cafe Verve Podcast, Verve Retreats, and the One World, One Breath Collective.
How do you balance the demands of entrepreneurship with personal well-being and self-care?
At the beginning of building my business, I only knew how to hustle. I had a lot on the line, and I was teaching myself as I went. Alongside this, I was also grieving the death of my mother and the loss of my marriage.
I went to therapy regularly for years and I began to travel internationally. I leaned into taking new courses, meeting new people, and actively sought to do things that brought me joy.
Since then I have become a Reiki Master and Hypnobreathwork certified coach. I had to actively seek things to keep me in flow, creative, and harmonious.
I now have begun to build this into my work with education leaders as a part of my coaching on sustainability practices. It is also the inspiration behind the One World, One Breath Collective.
Provide words of wisdom in 2 -5 sentences for another woman.
Don’t wait to live your life. If you have children, showing them how to fully live will be one of your greatest gifts! Stay connected, stay inspired, stay curious, and be bold!
What’s next for you?
I am currently working on a digital course and E-book that will support new early childhood leaders to understand the foundations of building high-quality experiences for young children.
The One World, One Breath Collective is set to go public this summer and includes live events, inspirational merch, and 1:1 coaching sessions. It is dedicated to living an energetically aligned life both personally and professionally.
Follow Lyneé Lopez: LinkedIn and Cafe Verve
For more information visit www.verveconsulting.com
Sacha Walton, business strategist and owner of SWI Management Group helps entrepreneurs level up their businesses with strategic planning, marketing, and branding, which drive business growth and visibility. If you would like to be featured Biz Her Way Series, email us at info@swimgtgroup.com
