My journey in helping children began in 2010 with School of Riding. My desire to help kids grew to be a significant part of my life when I had the chance to take over Spring Learning. I had fond memories teaching children in Japan for other schools for the first seven years after moving there (while I worked on Skate Slate Japan), so when my friend Peter called one day to ask, "Dan, would you like to own your own English school?" I was very optimistic I could do it. With enthusiasm, I responded, "Of course!" He promised to call back soon and ended the call.

After a month of negotiations, I was delighted to establish my own English conversation school in Yokohama. The process demanded immense cooperation from my staff, and together, we achieved it. In October 2019, I embraced my new role as the acting manager and owner of Spring Learning. I implemented significant changes to enhance communication and to reinforce our commitment to the community. It took some time for the students to adjust to these changes, but we managed to keep almost all of our clients.

One of the most challenging yet rewarding endeavors was increasing enrollment during the pandemic. We adapted quickly, introducing innovative approaches to keep our community engaged and learning. Rewriting my marketing plan to survive this tumultuous period was very challenging in Japan

To concentrate on branding and engaging directly with our students, I outsourced the management of the curriculum, scheduling, and the trial period. This decision allowed me to dedicate more time to the creative and personal aspects of our school, launching exciting new programs like art classes, riverside longboard events, movie nights for adult students, tie-dye T-shirt workshops, wooden robot painting, and skateboard-making workshops.

Reflecting on this period, I often pinch myself to remind me of how far I’ve come. It was not just a chapter of my career but one of the fondest experiences of my life, filled with gratitude and honor to create a positive impact in hundreds of student's lives. Being the owner of Spring Learning was a privilege every single day. I invite you to visit and see for yourself the magic we created.

For more details, please visit SpringLearning.net