Rachelle Schuster, Founder of Canasta Consultant
Name: Rachelle Schuster
Founder: Canasta Consultant
In one sentence, what problem do you solve and for who?
I help women and men at all stages of life looking for a way to take a pause from the stresses of everyday life by learning how to play the game Canasta!
What's your story?
I am a 55 year old mom of three (26, 24, 19) who began my career as an elementary school teacher. I chose to leave my tenured position behind to raise my children only to return to the classroom as a substitute teacher when my youngest turned 7. I have always worked multiple jobs simultaneously just because I like to be busy (and earn money!). A year ago, I took a leap of faith and started teaching Canasta lessons along with creating an Instagram to try and build a Canasta Community. It has been an incredible journey. My videos have been seen by over 500k people in the last 30 days. I’ve connected with women (mostly) from all over the USA and Canada. I have had the opportunity to combine so many things I love into this one business-writing, creating, teaching, networking and I am very grateful for all the support.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
I love meeting and connecting with new people. I always have. When it comes to building my business I am trying to be very mindful of who I can trust. After speaking with Lindsay, I am hopeful I can learn so much from her and others in this community.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
I am a HUGE advocate of people supporting people. On my platform I make myself available to women 24/7 to discuss not only game questions but how to handle different situations. When I was younger I wanted to start a company that helped women get back to work after having children. I am always a cheerleader for my friends, people I work with and of course my own daughters!
Who is a female entrepreneur you look up to and why?
I just adore Sara Blakely. She comes across as so genuine and I love how she always takes care of her friends. How wonderful would it be to be able to treat your besties to an annual trip? She seems approachable, fun and brilliant.
What are the first five things that you did when you were starting your business?
Asked friends if they thought I would be good at being a Canasta teacher
Posted in FB groups to try and gauge interest
Studied as many rule book guides as I could get my hands on
Explored any certifications I needed
Started a business Instagram
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
I have worked many different jobs throughout my life but being an elementary school teacher is the reason I believe I am having success. I tell everyone if you ask me a question I will answer you and when you asked me the same question again I will answer you again and never make you feel badly about it.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
It’s all me! I started with 29 followers (friends I asked to follow me). I made a commitment to post every single day and for almost a year that is exactly what I have done. It can be challenging thinking about good content 365 days a year. I have now incorporated videos which has helped me grow quickly.
How did you land your first client?
I wrote in my community FB group asking if anyone would be interested and for three groups immediately.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I think my social media platform has separated me from the other teachers. I now have other teachers and authors of canasta books engaging on my platform.
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