Professional Growth for the Entrepreneur: Tutor Doctor of Rhode Island

by Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro, Ph. D.

As part of a series focusing on Rhode Island small businesses whose mission includes helping organizations, their owners and employees grow throughout 2016, we turn to Tutor Doctor® of Rhode Island owned by West Warwick resident Patti Avin. After spending the majority of her career in the health insurance industry, Patti decided that she wanted to open her own business to provide a lasting positive impact on her clients. She discovered the Tutor Doctor® franchise which enables her to provide people with the knowledge they need while helping people achieve, feel better, and reduce conflict or frustration when learning. She also welcomes the feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment which she feels along with the freedom she has to accomplish her mission.

When one thinks of tutoring, one typically thinks of helping students who are not doing well in school, helping students to prepare for college boards or possibly helping students
to learn at an accelerated pace. While the majority of Tutor Doctor’s business involves school students, their client base ranges from pre-school students whose parents want them to learn a second language to senior citizens who want to learn how to use computers. Patti recruits and secures tutors for clients of any age and for any subject matter. She also offers helpful recommendations for becoming a better student in blog postings available on her web site.

Patti speaks with pride when she describes a few of her successes: 

• Teaching a world class subject matter expert who spoke fluent French, but not a word of English to speak fluent English in three months so that he could deliver a technical speech to a corporate board of directors, and subsequently relocate to Rhode Island to play a significant role in leading the business.
• Training office personnel to rapidly become experts in using computer software without needing to leave the office.
• Providing young adult students with better executive functioning skills so that they would be prepared to enter the workforce as highly motivated, focused, organized, individuals with a positive attitude.

Here are a few of Patti’s recommendations for all professionals to learn so they can achieve their professional objectives: 

• Don’t be too hard on yourself. Be patient and be reasonable. If you have not studied for a while it may take a little bit longer to get started.
• Be confident and have a positive attitude. If you don’t think you can or will learn, you are setting up unnecessary obstacles.
• If you aren’t succeeding at learning, think about why.

Is it the setting you are trying to learn in with too  many competing demands for your time? If so, think about changing your setting. Going to the library to  study, or possibly taking a week or two off, going to a resort or going on a cruise and studying for a few  hours a day in a relaxing setting.

Is it the approach you are trying to use? Possibly you are trying to learn from a book but online learning  or taking a class would work better for you. Maybe just changing books or online programs would work  for you. You might also find that having a subject  matter expert who knows how to teach (a tutor) may  help you to achieve your goals more quickly, enjoyably and with little to no frustration.

Need a professional recommendation? Feel free to contact Patti for personalized recommendations and help developing a study plan which should work for you. Visit www.TutorRI.com for  more information.

Dr. Ronald G. Shapiro
Independent Consultant in Human Factors Learning & Human Resources

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