Meet Leah Martin | Homeschool Curriculum Writer & Teacher

We had the good fortune of connecting with Leah Martin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Leah, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
I’ve been running My Little Robins for almost eight years, and I’ve always had the long-haul approach: I’m trying to build a business for the long haul, not for just the foreseeable future. During 2020, many new homeschooling small businesses like mine popped up, and some of them took off really quickly. Some businesses gained 100,000 followers seemingly overnight. This was really discouraging for me, and I thought that maybe I should quit. If someone else was obviously doing better with less effort, then why was I trying so hard?

Ultimately, I realized that I was placing my value in the wrong metrics: social media numbers. Yes, it is great to have a lot of social media followers, but a smaller number wasn’t preventing me from encouraging others, sharing what I knew about education, and writing curriculum that people wanted to use in their own homes. Discouragement is a temporary emotion, and when you experience it, you can either quit, or start problem solving. I chose the problem solving route. I started working with a business coach, who helped me optimize my products and social media strategy, so that even with a modest following, I could still reach as many people as possible with my message.

What should our readers know about your business?
My Little Robins is a small business in the homeschool niche that helps homeschooling families solve problems through expert advice and teacher-created curriculum. After teaching in public schools for 7 years, I began teaching in a private Christian school that used the Charlotte Mason Educational philosophy. This gave me a view of education that I had never seen before. Education could be non-competitive, holistic, and individualized. When my second child was born, I stopped teaching at that school to be a stay-at-home-mom. I knew that my children’s education would be different, and I wanted to share what I had learned with the world.

The hardest transition in my business was viewing myself as a hobby blogger and then as a business owner. I had a group of girlfriends who celebrated my accomplishments and milestones, and helped me see that I was truly a small business owner. Once I began to trust that God had a plan for my business, and that I was a legitimate business owner, it started to grow consistently.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite go-to’s for out-of-town guests have changed over the years. Red Rocks is definitely a must-see place for people who have never been here before. Hopefully there’s a good concert going on, but if not, running up and down the steps is fun, too! We live in South Denver, and love taking guests to Pindustry for the mountain view on their patio and a round of bowling. This is also great with kids! My favorite, family-friendly hiking spot is Lair ‘O the Bear, So many of our guests have gotten to see our favorite hiking spot and the big, twisted cottonwood tree that is so fun to climb!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m really thankful for my husband Nate, who supported me when I wanted to start a blog with two tiny children in tow. He recognized that I needed a creative outlet, and encouraged me to spend time writing and creating curriculum, even if it meant staying up late or leaving events early to finish projects in the margins of our busy life. Now, he’s a big encourager of our homeschooling life, cheering me on and celebrating each child’s wins as we learn together.

Website: www.mylittlerobins.com

Instagram: @mylittlerobins

Facebook: @mylittlerobins

Other: Thinking Love Podcast- Thinkinglove.education

Image Credits
Product Images- Robin Lloyd Headshots- Ashley Olander