If you’re reading this because you Googled my name, welcome.
Maybe you were curious about the schools I’ve built. Maybe someone mentioned my name in a conversation. Maybe you saw something online and wanted to know more.
Whatever brought you here, I’m glad you came.
Because there’s something I’ve learned about having your name attached to a business, a dream, and a community: People can know your name without knowing anything about your journey.
My name is Shavonda Lawson.
I’m a mother, an educator, an entrepreneur, a Montessori advocate, and a woman who has had to find her strength in seasons when strength felt impossible.
But before I became a founder and CEO, I was simply a woman with a vision.
I didn’t come from a place where everything was handed to me. My journey into education wasn’t built on overnight success or a perfect business plan. It was built through years of showing up, learning, teaching, leading, and believing that children deserved something extraordinary.
I started in classrooms. I learned what it meant to get down on the floor with a child who needed patience. I learned how important it was to comfort a parent leaving their baby for the first time. I learned that teachers need to feel valued, supported, and seen.
And eventually, I learned that I wanted to build something of my own.
Not just a childcare center.
A place where children could belong.
A place where families could feel connected.
A place where educators could rediscover their passion.
That dream became The Nest.
But here’s the part people don’t always see.
Building something beautiful doesn’t mean the journey will always be beautiful.
I’ve experienced moments that made me question everything. I’ve carried responsibilities that followed me home long after the school doors closed. I’ve had to make decisions that were difficult, unpopular, and sometimes heartbreaking.
I’ve watched people form opinions about situations without ever sitting across from me to hear my perspective.
And I’ve learned that the internet can tell a story about you without ever asking you to tell your own.
For a long time, I believed that if I just worked hard enough, loved people deeply enough, and did the right thing, my intentions would always be understood.
Life taught me otherwise.
Good intentions don’t protect you from criticism. And doing meaningful work doesn’t make you immune to difficult seasons.
But those seasons have taught me something equally important.
I am not defined by one moment.
I am not defined by someone else’s opinion.
And I am certainly not defined by the most difficult chapter of my life.
I’m defined by what I continue to build, how I respond when things get hard, and the values I refuse to abandon.
I believe in accountability. I believe in growth. I believe in having the courage to acknowledge that leadership is a continuous learning experience.
Most importantly, I believe in showing up.
Not just when the applause is loud.
Not just when business is thriving.
Not just when everyone agrees with me.
But when the work is uncomfortable, when the path is uncertain, and when the easiest thing would be to walk away.
I’m still here.
Still learning.
Still creating.
Still believing in children, families, educators, and the power of education to change lives.
So if you came here searching for my name, I hope you leave understanding something more meaningful.
Behind every business is a human being.
Behind every leader is a story.
And behind my name is a woman who has worked too hard, loved too deeply, and dreamed too boldly to allow any single chapter to become her entire story.
My story is still being written. And I’m proud to be the one holding the pen.
With purpose,
Shavonda Lawson
Founder. Educator. Mother. Woman still becoming.