Dr. Karun Pathak is looking to help students reach their true potential

Dr. Karun Pathak left the world of academic teaching to start his own tutoring company – the Flawless Academy. Aimed at helping children of first-generation immigrant parents do better at school after realizing they were facing challenges in the classroom, today, the academy helps children in the US and Canada reach the potential within.

The Flawless Academy in Canada also helps high-school students prepare for university, provides adult education to newcomers in Canada so that they can work in their chosen fields, and assists Canadian students who want to go to university abroad – primarily the UK, US, and Australia.

 

Could you firstly tell me a little bit about yourself?

Sure. I’m a 40-year-old Canadian Indian. I have a bachelor’s degree, a specialist in philosophy, minor in psychology. I have a post-graduate diploma in biotechnological law and ethics, and I have a PhD in moral psychology. I’m working towards also being a licensed paralegal right now and a lawyer.

 

What inspired you to move into business for yourself? Why did you not want to pursue a career in the corporate realm?

Education has always been something that differentiated me; it allows me to access people from different cultures and understand people of different backgrounds. The bringing together of the universe through this simple model of education always said to me that this is where serious, positive change can be made. The issue in Canada is that the opportunities for educators are insufficient, or they have too many hurdles and protocols that prevent you from being the educator you want to be.

The opportunities that come from education aren’t what we were told they were. So, a lot of people are reluctant, and education isn’t having the significance it once had. That is the main barrier I wanted to overcome.

 

So, your academy helps overcome those barriers. Is that what it does?

I believe that unlocking curiosity in the student is what is missing in the education system. We try to unlock that individual code that each student has, which keeps their inner curiosity at bay for fear of not being accepted or being seen as different. We take a different approach: more hands-on, more comical, more fun. It’s a fun where you’re pulling the knowledge out of the student, where they realize they already know the information. They have incredible revelations understanding that they are capable, and then they become curious about what else they can do. That ripple effect allows us to show them the opportunities that come from this. Curiosity is the key.

 

Could you tell me about the positives and negatives of running your own business, as well as the skills and qualities you need to succeed?

The positives for any sole proprietorship are that the money is great when there are profits. This economy requires you to have resilient and optimistic resilience. You need to be committed. I’ve read that to succeed in Canada, you require at least five years of commitment towards a business before it flourishes, and my personal experience reflects that. It’s been about six years and we’re just starting to expand.

The negatives stem from the immense personal investment required with little to no real benefits in the first five years. Anything that can break your spirit will happen then. If you can push through that with resilience and optimism, that endurance starts to speak for itself. People look for longevity when deciding to trust a business. The positives are that it’s fulfilling – teaching is incredibly fulfilling. The downside is the amount of energy required, especially if you have a family or other obligations.

 

Could you tell me about some of the lessons you’ve learned in running your own business?

The most fundamental lesson is that you need a good team. If you do not have good people in your circle that you can trust and delegate to, I don’t think any business will move to the next level. After hiring and firing well over 20 or 30 people, I finally got a good team. With that team, I was able to get more clientele and get over the hump into the positives. It’s absolutely essential to have good people around you who are passionate and have the same commitment and loyalty to the students. Our loyalty to them supersedes any negative effects we experience.

 

Could you tell me roughly how many clients you have? I also see the students come from immigrant backgrounds. Is there a reason for that? 

Culturally, immigrant backgrounds from Asia have a different understanding of the role of education. They believe education is a central pillar upon which you build the rest of your character, wealth, and life. I don’t believe we have that same push in local Canadian culture. That cultural fundamentality is still recent in the memory of immigrant families, and they instill that in their children. In my six years, I’ve had a maximum of three second or third-generation families; it’s always first-generation family kids. The second-generation kids, informed by their parents, are the ones seeking help and are more motivated. I believe that’s the major push towards the immigrant side.

In the summertime, we have a minimum of six or seven students to a maximum of 30 or 40. Many of our university and upper-year high school students book on demand with our flexible booking feature. With those, we’re up to 30-40. The regulars are approximately 20 to 25 students.

 

Could you tell me about the expansion plans you have for the future?

We’re working on a project to send driven students who want to be lawyers or medical practitioners abroad. In Canada, you must complete a four-year degree to even qualify for law or medical school. Our plan is to educate these students to write their tests, get into top universities in England, and then come back as qualified professionals. We are looking for a way to regulate that program because I’ve seen a four-year undergraduate degree kill the passion of some of the best students. Our expansion plan capitalizes on the fact that people spend an unnecessary four years studying subjects irrelevant to their chosen profession. Apart from that, penetrating further into the local market is another goal.

 

Any advice you have for people of immigrant background who want to come to Canada, start their own business, and be successful?

Stick it out. Make sure that when you’re all in, you stay all in. There are going to be ups and downs. The ups are very short, few, and temporary, but the downs are prolonged and arduous. So, don’t give up. If you truly believe in what you’re doing, if you truly love it and find value that you can add to another’s life, don’t give up. Work it out. Find a team that can help you, and shoot for the stars.