Spotlight on Mom -- Susan Levy of He's All Boy Inc

Introducing ABC flash cards guaranteed to make him (and her) laugh & learn.

He's All Boy Alpha Cards, created by a mom with an entrepreneurial spirit, uses the humor and subject matter most appealing to young boys to capture their attention, channel it into early core skills and willingly establish a pattern of what will hopefully become a thriving lifelong joy for learning.  

Bright, engaging, and funny, these flash cards are ideal for 3-5 year olds; entertaining to age 99.

While this flash card set is geared towards boys, I have been using it with Savannah for a little over a week now, and I can't believe how well they work.  Created by a mom, who has worked over the last 15 years as an elementary school teacher and educational consultant, these ABC Flash Cards will keep a boy's attention as they learn their ABC's.  What sets these Alpha cards apart from other ABC flash cards is the silly words and funny illustrations that creator, Susan Levy uses.  Come on, what child wouldn't giggle when they see a dog licking water from the toilet, or an bear picking a booger from his nose. 

 

Like I said, I have been using these alpha cards with Savannah, and she even giggled when she saw the different flash cards for the first time.  Now, she can recite the ABC's without a problem.  And, when I ask her what each letter is on these 4.25"x6" 16 pt. card stock with a glossy finish flash card, she is able to tell me the letter and what she sees on the card.  When  I showed my husband these flash cards for the first time, he thought they were silly cards.  He didn't know how they would help a child learn their ABC's.  But, after just one day of using with Savannah, he was amazed at how quickly Savannah was picking up the letters, etc.

Stay tuned on Friday, when I will be sharing more about these silly flash cards, which really do help young children learn their ABC's and stay engaged during the entire learning process, and will be offering a 10% coupon code. But, in the meantime, please enjoy my Spotlight on Mom interview with Susan Levy, owner of He's All Boy, Inc.

 

Name: Susan Levy

Company Name/Product/Service: He’s All Boy Inc.

Company Location: Denver, CO

Company Website:  http://www.he-is-all-boy.com

Facebook URL:  https://www.facebook.com/Heisallboy

Twitter Handle: @heisallboy

Age of Company: 6 months old

Favorite Inspirational Quotes: The human brain and body respond positively to laughter with the release of endorphin, epinephrine (adrenaline), and dopamine, and with increased breathing volume (more oxygen). When a lesson starts with humor, there is more alerting, and the subsequent information is attached to the positive emotional event as an event or flashbulb memory. Neurologist and educator Judy Willis’s book “Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher” (ASCD, 2006)

Favorite Book: The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How many children do you have? What

are their ages? Your hobbies? Etc.

I am a mother, wife, educator, traveler. . . I have been married to an amazing man for almost 12 years! We have two children.  Our oldest daughter is 8 years old and entering third grade.  My baby is 5 and is going to be in Kindergarten.  I do not know when I became old enough to have two elementary age children! 

Does eating good food and trying out new restaurants count as a hobby?  That is definitely one of my favorite things to do.  I also enjoy hanging out with friends, reading great books and going to the gym.

Briefly explain your business. How did it come about?

A little over a year ago, while I was working with my son to learn the alphabet using several different types of flash cards and games, I found that none held his attention. Determined to create something that would make recognizing, learning and remembering the ABC’s fun, I started thinking about what held a boy’s attention and made them laugh. The topic that stood out the most was anything and everything to do with potty humor. I immediately started making a list in a notebook of funny words and images for each letter and Alpha Cards was born! I now have Alpha Cards ABC flash cards and Alpha Cards the Matching Game.  They are both unique tools to help even the most reluctant learner to recognize, learn and remember their ABC’s! 

Now I am working hard to let everyone know how much fun learning can be!  My cards are in many retail and specialty shops across the country.  They are also available on my website www.he-is-all-boy.com.

What is a typical work day like? 

I have not quite figured out a typical work day yet! It starts by getting my kids ready for school or right now camp.  Once everyone is out the door I head back home and begin.  The day is a mix between fulfilling orders, answering and writing emails,doing laundry, marketing, making phone calls to potential customers, cleaning the house, contacting media, accounting, paying bills, getting dinner ready, and picking up the kids.  Ok, I admit the laundry, cleaning of the house, and even getting dinner ready does not happen as often as I like, but wishful thinking is a good start...right? 

Once the kids are home I try to turn back into full mom mode.  Then once they are in bed I try to read and learn more about running a business and make a list of what needs to be accomplished the next day.

What has been a struggle while starting up your company?

I have never run a business before.  This is all brand new territory so at times it can be a bit overwhelming.  I feel so fortunate though because my husband has been an incredible role model and support.  He has had his own graphic design business for 15 years.  He has helped me every step of the way in establishing my business.  

What did you do in your past work life?

My background is in education.  After graduating from Emory University I worked in Ecuador teaching English.  After that I returned to the US and got masters in education at the University of Colorado in Boulder.  I worked as a first and second grade teacher in Denver for many years. I then became a literacy coach for the Denver Public Schools.  Before starting He’s All Boy Inc. I had been working for about 10 years as consultant training instructional coaches and principals.  All of these experiences left me with a deep belief that all people learn in many different ways and it is our job as a teacher, coach, consultant and parent to find what works best for each individual and use (or create) the right  tools so learning can occur! 

What have been some of your major successes?

Seeing the results of using Alpha Cards with my son is definitely my biggest success yet.  He is now 5 and trying to spell words on his own. Just recently when he asked how to spell Wednesday I referred to the “W’ card which features worms wiggling out of a waffle and he immediately knew what sound the “W” makes. My company is in its infancy so I will have to report back on more successes that we are sure to have!

What have been some of your major challenges?

Knowing that I can’t do everything at once, but wanting to anyway.  There is so many directions that I can go and trying to prioritize can be difficult.  

On those impossible days, what motivates you to keep going?

The laughter that I get to hear whenever I share Alpha Cards with someone new.  It is exciting to have a product that not only is educational, but brings a smile to both children and adults.  

What is your balancing secret in managing a business and family?

My family is my secret.  My children and my husband are extremely supportive. Whether it is helping me sort and package the cards or brainstorm the next big idea, I try to involve my children in everything I do.  I love having my children see me learning something new.  I like that they have to see me struggling and having to problem solve.  I am definitely on a steep learning curve on how to balance the business and the family.  I’ll let you know more if I ever figure it out!

What is next for your business?

I hope to keep growing and creating products that make learning fun and exciting.
  

Do you have any advice for other mom entrepreneurs that are starting out and struggling, or are on the fence about starting a business?

I feel so new to the world of mom entrepreneurs that it would be hard to give advice.  All I can see is it is a blast.  I am loving the challenge that every day brings. My mind is going 100mph and I love it!  If you have an idea, just go for it!