From Stay-at-Home Mom to Startup Founder: The Wild Ride of The Homework Helper

Three years ago, I was a stay-at-home mom with an old computer, and a phone. I wasn’t looking to change the world—I was just trying to put my tutoring income on the books for tax purposes. So, I did what seemed logical: I declared an LLC/ tutoring business called "Mrs. Puleo." No grand plans, no dreams of empire—just me, helping students, and making sure my earnings were accounted for.

Then my daughter turned one, and I wanted more time with her. Simple solution. I’d hire another tutor to pick up a few sessions. I put a quick job listing on Indeed, went to bed, and woke up to hundreds of applications. I was shocked! I still am. I picked one tutor, then another, then another. Suddenly, I wasn’t just tutoring—I was running a full-blown tutoring service, connecting students with help in subjects I never could have on my own. 

I did things differently, too. I never enforced a rigid schedule on my clients. I always gave them flexibility regarding timing and encouraged them to let their kids book sessions on their own if it was age-appropriate. Turns out, this breeds academic success too. (See last blog)  I was giving students access to flexible, fast tutoring, and I was giving tutors work they loved. It was a win-win! My personal favorite type of situation, haha!

About four months and over 100 students later, I had a realization..What if I automated myself? I do a ton of intermediary scheduling...and I would love to spend more time finding great tutors....What if I somehow developed a system that could scale this process and help thousands—maybe millions—of students? Like a mobile/app Uber* type of situation. 

And just like that, The Homework Helper app was born… in my mind, at least. Because let’s be real—app development? That’s a whole different beast. A beast that took three years to tame. But, that’s a story for another day.  

-Rachel Puleo, Founder of The Homework Helper app 

Download The Homework Helper app and send it to someone who needs it! 

*Uber is a registered trademark of Uber Technologies, Inc. This reference is for illustrative purposes only and does not imply any affiliation or endorsement."

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