"Trusting my instincts has been the cornerstone of my success as a CEO."
Welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview with Jamie Krasnov, the visionary CEO behind the remarkable success of Apex Leadership Company.
In this engaging conversation, Jamie opens up about his journey from a decade in private equity to leading a dynamic child enrichment franchise. With a strong foundation in business and a passion for community impact, Jamie’s leadership has propelled Apex Leadership Company to unprecedented growth and recognition.
Throughout the interview, Jamie shares candid insights into his entrepreneurial mindset, highlighting the importance of trusting one’s instincts and staying true to one’s values.
From navigating challenges to seizing opportunities, Jamie offers a behind-the-scenes look at the strategies and philosophies that have fueled Apex Leadership Company’s ascent.
Join us as we delve into Jamie’s inspiring story, discovering the principles and practices that have made him a driving force in the world of education and franchising.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Jamie Krasnov: I’m Jamie Krasnov and I’m the CEO of Apex Leadership Company, a dynamic child enrichment franchise pouring millions of dollars into elementary and middle schools each year.
I was born, raised and still live in Houston, Texas. I graduated with honors from the University of Texas with a business degree and went on to work in private equity for a decade.
In my role, I purchased and grew multiple companies across different industries. I enjoyed the work I was doing, but after ten years, I was itching to do something different.
Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, running my own business had always been a dream of mine and after gaining vast experience in my previous work in private equity, I knew I could scale a company to new heights with my skillset.
Franchising was the area I wanted to invest in as it proved to be a business model with the most opportunities for growth. So after researching thousands of Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs) and interviewing hundreds of franchisees, I found Apex Leadership Company and determined it was a company that had the most potential room for advancement and success.
Additionally, the brand’s mission to serve and support communities and children strongly resonated with my personal values, making it a cause I wholeheartedly support and want to drive forward.
I officially took over as Apex’s CEO in 2021. Now, just over two years later, we are seeing unprecedented growth for the brand, having exceeded a 200 percent revenue growth, successfully expanding our presence into new markets and raising a record of more than $60 million for schools a year.
We have 122 territories across the United States that are operated by 64 goal-driven franchises. On our corporate staff we have 30 dedicated professionals with immense amounts of business and leadership experience.
Not to mention our incredible investor board made up of highly-skilled professionals from various industries and backgrounds who all believe in supporting schools and childhood development.
What advice do you wish you had received when you started your business journey and what do you intend on improving in the next quarter?
Jamie Krasnov: One piece of advice I wished I knew sooner since stepping into the CEO role is to trust myself, that listening to my heart and gut instincts will lead me to success. There’s been a few cases where I put someone else’s advice before my own ideas and it always led me in a circle.
It was difficult to enter a new role in a new industry and hear so many perspectives, but learning to believe in myself has provided the most success.
I have learned to listen, evolve from what I hear and understand that every piece of advice, while valuable, isn’t the best decision for my company.
Moving forward I am looking to build out the company’s core mission, vision and values to make sure we are operating in line with our goals. I want to make sure we lay everything out clearly to make our process of expanding easier with these set guidelines in place.
Here is a two-fold question: What is the book that influenced you the most and how? Please share some life lessons you learned. Now what book have you gifted the most and why?
Jamie Krasnov: “The Outsiders” by Will Thorndike was an important book for me. It really describes what a CEO should focus on and what the actions that CEOs are responsible for. More than that, it really shows the impact a strong leader can have and gave me the inspiration to focus on business in general.
The book I gift most often nowadays is “The Monkey and Me”. It is a great book about entrepreneurism and the emotional ups /downs. It helps folks navigate them and know what they are feeling is normal.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Jamie Krasnov: When I first became CEO, it was a challenge to feel the impact I was making. But now looking back and actually seeing the progress, I feel confident that we are moving in the right direction.
The past two years have been rich with success, but now we want to focus on telling our story and what we do here at Apex. We’re currently operating in 33 states and we want to make Apex available everywhere in the United States.
Expanding our reach all starts with brand awareness and educating school systems on what we provide. So, to anyone interested in making a difference in the American school system, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Years 2020-2023 threw a lot of curve balls into businesses on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past years, how can businesses thrive in 2024? What lessons have you learned and what advice would you share?
Jamie Krasnov: A key message I have for businesses looking to thrive in 2024 is to set long-term goals and make strategic investments. You must envision your future and where you want your company to be.
Even if the growth of your business seems slow initially, think of each decision and action you’re taking like placing a domino in a line. Eventually, these small steps create a powerful chain reaction and will propel your business towards the success you dream of.
So, stay patient, keep making thoughtful choices and watch as your business grows steadily into the thriving venture you aspire it to be.
What does “success” in 2024 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Jamie Krasnov: In 2024, we broke our record for the most amount raised a year for schools which totaled over $60 million. We have also seen increased expansion in Apex locations opening in new areas across the country.
Apex also hosted more than 1,700 events, an impressive surge from the 1,400 events held the prior year.
Success in 2024 means that we can surpass these benchmarks we set in 2024. In simple terms, I hope we hold more events for kids, raise more money for schools and reach new markets.
Our ongoing commitment to make Apex accessible to every child, every school and every community across the nation is a goal that remains at the forefront daily
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Jamie Krasnov for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
Disclaimer: The ValiantCEO Community welcomes voices from many spheres on our open platform. We publish pieces as written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Community stories are not commissioned by our editorial team and must meet our guidelines prior to being published.
