Episode Summary:
In this episode of Mumbition, Sarah Cummings, founder of Teach Ted, shares how a deeply personal experience with her own children’s hospital visits sparked the creation of a powerful resource for families. Through relatable storytelling and evidence-based tools, Teach Ted helps children prepare for medical experiences by empowering them with age-appropriate knowledge and playful learning. Sarah discusses how reducing fear through understanding not only improves outcomes for kids but also supports parents and healthcare providers alike. Sarah also opens up about the realities of building a mission-driven business while raising a family, navigating health challenges, and staying motivated through community and creativity. From bootstrapping and burnout to breakthroughs in tech and storytelling, this episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about social impact, parenting, or starting a business with heart.
Chapters:
• Empowering through preparation. Sarah’s business helps children prepare for medical experiences through age-appropriate stories and play-based learning, reducing anxiety and improving outcomes.
• Parental Confidence Matters: Much of a child’s anxiety stems from their caregivers’ uncertainty. Teach Ted equips parents with the knowledge and language to support their children confidently.
• Simple Tools, Big Impact: The product uses low-tech, accessible formats like books, videos, and printable guides to ensure usability across diverse families and regions.
• Scalability with Heart: Sarah blends her corporate background in scaling businesses with a mission-driven approach, proving that social impact ventures can be both sustainable and scalable.
• Flexible Entrepreneurship: She emphasizes working in a way that suits your life stage—embracing peaks and troughs rather than constant hustle.
• Funding Gaps for Social Startups: Sarah highlights the lack of funding and support for socially driven, scalable businesses that don’t fit the traditional VC mold.
• Community is Key: Staying connected to startup and parenting communities like Mums & Co has been vital for motivation, feedback, and growth.
Resources:
• Teach Ted - Sarah’s business offering story-based resources to prepare children for medical experiences.
• Child Life Therapists – Professionals whose techniques inspired Teach Ted’s approach.
• Playgroup NSW & Playgroup Victoria – Organizations where Sarah gained insights into learning through play.
• Mums & Co – A supportive community for business-owning mums, where Sarah first pitched Teach Ted.
• Canva – Used for creating animated slides for parent guide videos.
• ChatGPT – Used to draft scripts from dense parent guides.
• Clipchamp – A Microsoft video editing tool used to produce educational videos.
• Eleven Labs – AI voice generation tool used for narration in videos.
