How one educator built a preschool from the ground up and grew with brightwheel

Building a business from scratch 

Leinani, a long-time educator, had a clear vision: to create Creative Minds Learning Academy, a preschool where children could thrive in a safe, enriching environment. But bringing that dream to life, and then growing it, came with major operational challenges.

Like many new programs, Leinani juggled a patchwork of disconnected tools. Her personal phone for family communication, Google Drive for contracts, Stripe for payments, and spreadsheets for records. Every task, from enrollment to billing, required hours of manual work. “All of these things easily took 4-6 hours a week to manage.”

It didn’t take long for Leinani to realize she needed an all-in-one solution like brightwheel. Now, she spends little to no time on admin and can support in the classroom instead. “Brightwheel has all the pieces you need to lift your business off,” Leinani says, “which was a great time saver for me. Now I can do what I like to do, I can be that innovative educator.” 

Brightwheel was truly a 99% stress reduction for me this year alone.

Leinani G.

Founder and Lead Teacher, Creative Minds Learning Academy

Brightwheel’s impact: more time, less stress, and a strengthened new program

Since implementing brightwheel, Leinani has transformed Creative Minds Learning Academy.  Brightwheel has not only streamlined operations but also empowered her to build a stronger, more professional program.  Here’s how:

Reclaiming time, reducing stress

Brightwheel gave Leinani back valuable time by removing the heavy admin load that made starting a new program especially challenging.  Without dedicated staff, she was juggling everything —recordkeeping, communicating with families, chasing payments—on her own. The 99% stress reduction she cites isn’t just a number; it marked a real shift. Now, with everything in one place, she has the time and headspace to focus on expanding her program and supporting her team and families.

Goodbye chasing payments 

Running a new program means wearing a lot of hats, but billing doesn’t need to be one of them. With brightwheel billing, Leinani was able to automate invoicing and reminders, removing the stress of tracking down payments. As Leinani notes, “Uncomfortable conversations about money, brightwheel takes it off me and takes care of it. The parent chooses how they want to pay, and they set it all up.” This not only saves time but also fosters a more positive relationship with families.

Enrollment made effortless

For Leinani, admissions used to mean hours of manual work. Now, with brightwheel, everything is in one place. Digital forms, contracts, and student profiles are streamlined, allowing Leinani to focus on building relationships with new families from the very first interaction.  “I’ll do tours at the school, and the parents will be like, ‘Oh, so what do we do next?’ And it used to be this really big thing that would take me hours to set up their profile, set up all those pieces. And now I just say, ‘Oh, great, you can expect an email from brightwheel, and you can get all set up.’ And that’s all I have to say.”

Professionalism that builds trust

As a brand-new preschool, Leinani knew she had to quickly establish trust with families.  Brightwheel provided the tools and dedicated onboarding support to project a professional image from day one.  Digital check-in, contracts, and a streamlined system conveyed a sense of organization and care, reassuring parents that their children were in good hands.  

The experience of children needs to be of the most value, and brightwheel is behind the scenes helping me with the operational piece. It truly legitimized my business.

Leinani G.

An ideal, flexible curriculum for new programs

Leinani knew Experience Curriculum, which had positively impacted her own children, was the right fit for Creative Minds Learning Academy.  With the time demands of launching a new program, she needed a customizable, high quality curriculum that was ready to use from day one. As she noted,  “Experience Curriculum allows you to lean into creativity while following the curriculum. It’s all right there, it’s all prepared for you, and then you can lean into it.” Leinani also appreciates how the curriculum can adapt to meet the needs of any program. Her staff can either use it as is, or tailor the themes based on the classroom’s unique learning goals.

Space to focus on what matters most

Perhaps the most meaningful result of all is that Leinani and the Creative Minds team brought her vision to life: creating a nurturing, creative learning environment for children. By reducing the friction from opening a new program and day-to-day operations, brightwheel has given Leinani the time and clarity to cultivate a thriving program. Leinani is now able to dedicate her energy to what truly matters: building a school where every child feels confident and ready to learn.

Ready to launch your dream program? Learn more about brightwheel’s New Program Experience at mybrightwheel.com/new-programs/