Heidi Fish and Meggie Martin: Sparking Real Life Learning for Future Leaders

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it caused massive disruptions across all sectors of society. Schools were especially impacted as they scrambled to shift to online and hybrid learning models. For many parents, this exposed weaknesses in the traditional public school system. Two mothers in Minnesota, Heidi Fish and Meggie Martin decided to take learning into their own hands and homeschool their children. This journey led them to found Real Life Learning Co . (RLL Co) in 2022 — a company dedicated to teaching children critical life skills not found in standard curriculums.   

The Path to Homeschooling

Heidi and Meggie met back in 2016 through a network marketing company. They immediately clicked and wanted to be friends. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, they both independently made the decision to pull their kids out of public school and try homeschooling.   

Heidi has 10-year-old twin daughters. Her background includes a dance degree and an MBA. Before having kids, she never imagined homeschooling. “I had a sister-in-law that was talking about homeschooling. I was like, good for you. Yeah, not me. Never,” she recalls.   

But when COVID-19 hit, it dramatically shifted her perspective. “Once you get to experience it, there’s just so much more support and resources and communities for the homeschool community. I think it’s very different now than just three years ago,” she explains.   

Meggie is a former kindergarten and special education teacher and yoga instructor. She now homeschools her four kids. With teaching experience under her belt, some assumed homeschooling would be easy for her. Yet, it came with unexpected challenges.    

“I really had to reframe what learning looked like and see that my kids can learn a ton of subjects in 30 to 40 to 50 minutes and we’re done for the day, whereas in traditional schooling, you’re sitting for six, seven, eight hours,” Meggie describes.   

Despite early difficulties, they both grew to love homeschooling and witnessing their children thrive. “It allows you to customize your schooling in a way that’s best for your kids,” says Heidi. “Being able to embrace their journey and allow them to excel in a way that works best for them is a really powerful experience.”   

Collaborating with Purpose

As Heidi and Meggie navigated their first-year teaching at home, they identified gaps in traditional schooling. Critical life skills and subjects were missing. “ We both just have this passion for helping the next generation become more conscious and self-aware,” explains Heidi.   

From mindfulness to entrepreneurship to leadership, they discovered homeschooling provided space to explore these supplemental topics. But resources were lacking. They began chatting about collaborating on something to support fellow homeschoolers. One weekend in early 2022, they got together to brainstorm business ideas.   

“We wanted to impact the next generation. And as we both kind of navigated our first year of homeschooling, we started chatting more and decided, hey, we should get together one weekend and see if there’s something that we could create for the homeschooling community,” Meggie recounts.   

As they covered the hotel room walls with sticky notes of concepts, they felt kids needed to learn, the phrase “real life learning” captured the essence of their vision. Thus, the idea for Real Life Learning Co. was born.   

Building Brighter Futures

Heidi and Meggie launched Real Life Learning Co . (RLL Co) to empower parents to engage their kids in real life education. Their offerings fill gaps missing from both standard curriculums and alternative homeschooling options. RLL Co. takes a holistic approach spanning mind, body and emotions. The core products include the Real Life Learning Bundle and My Daily Journals.   

The Real Life Learning Bundle offers a comprehensive curriculum across nine subjects, including nutrition, growth mindset, entrepreneurship, and leadership, among others. Available in both paper and online formats, it caters to diverse learning preferences. Each subject is divided into four detailed lessons, enhanced with videos, project ideas, and bonus masterclasses led by various experts.   

My Daily Journals help kids develop positive habits and self-awareness. With sections for affirmations, gratitude, goal-setting and reflection, it instills important rituals. The journals come in both English and Spanish for various ages. Heidi and Meggie aim for simplicity in their offerings to make real life learning accessible.   

“It could literally be something that you do as a family, you know, on the weekend or maybe a Thursday night,” describes Heidi. “It doesn’t have to be this overwhelming commitment.” The products work for all families—not only dedicated homeschoolers. Anyone recognizing gaps in traditional education can incorporate RLL Co.’s tools.   

Vision for Future Generations

In just two short years, Heidi and Meggie have already made great strides with RLL Co. But for them, this is only the beginning. “We want every kid to have our bundle and our journals. We know that when we feed our kids positive thoughts and pour into them and allow them to take autonomy for their health and their wellness, they’re going to thrive,” states Meggie.   

They dream of expanding their suite of offerings and helping more and more children. “The vision is the more we can impact today’s generation through our products and tools that we offer, the more we can shift the future of our country, of the world,” Heidi adds.   

For these passionate mothers and educators, Real Life Learning Co. signifies their commitment to future generations. Two mothers simply wanting more for their kids sparked a movement now rippling outward. One family at a time, RLL Co. spreads knowledge and self-confidence so critical yet profoundly lacking.   

Practicing Mindful Self-Compassion

Embarking on homeschooling marks the start of a journey that will likely come with challenges and triumphs for the whole family. Heidi and Meggie advise exercising patience with yourself and your children as you figure out an approach that works best. It can feel awkward at first as you figure out a style that works for your family. They encourage parents not to force formal schooling structures at home, which can cause frustration. Instead, have an open mindset to let learning happen organically in unique ways tailored to your child.   

They also advise parents to prioritize self-care. Seek personal recharging time so you don’t quickly burn out, whether it’s fitness, hobbies, or simply quiet time. Model this self-nurturing for your children too. Openly communicate when you need a short break. Boundaries and self-care allow parents to fully pour into home educating without depletion.   

Remember, homeschooling is a journey. Allow patience, flexibility and grace as you find rhythms fitting your lifestyle. When parents practice self-love while customizing instruction around children’s needs, homeschooling becomes a holistically enriching experience for the entire family.   

Heidi and Meggie remind us that ordinary people can catalyze extraordinary change. By banding together around a shared purpose, we all have the power to shape the future. RLL Co.’s incredible journey is only just beginning, but the lives they’ve touched so far demonstrate the massive impact driven by passion. Through Real Life Learning Co. (RLL Co), Heidi and Meggie are not just teaching children how to learn; they are teaching them how to live.