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Meet Shelly Humbach of Humbach Education Consulting in Littleton

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelly Humbach.

Shelly, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
After 20+ years working as a litigation paralegal (a career I loved), I decided to make a complete career pivot and having been introduced to college admissions counseling via volunteer work, I knew this was my calling. I jumped in with both feet. With the support of my family, I returned to school and earned my College Counseling Certificate, with Distinction, from UCLA-Extension. Simultaneously, I became a member of every professional organization available and joined a small business advisory board.

Looking back, it was my confidence and faith in high school students, combined with my deep appreciation for education, that was the inspiration and foundation of my business. Still is. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring solid, competent and comprehensive college admissions information and guidance to high school students and families. I am laser-focused on the commodity of a college degree, with a keen awareness of the sacrifices and resources necessary to achieve one.

Having supported three daughters to earn a degree, I get it. The financial burden, alone, is staggering and I am committed to helping families spend as little as possible for college. And just to clear things up, is the college degree worth it? Undoubtedly, yes. Is it the right or best path for everyone? Emphatically, no. And this has never been more true than right now as higher education, along with virtually every other industry, is reeling with regard to the COVID-19 pandemic. I anticipate that colleges and universities will be forced to make hefty changes to the current model, which is clearly broken. Case in point – how is it that we find ourselves in a place of paying $80,000 per year for a Bachelor’s degree? It’s nuts.

Having guidance and coaching in college admissions is a smart move. Why? Because it is essential that students and families become savvy consumers and the best way to get there is to entrust an expert. The college application process has unfortunately become so cumbersome and complex as to make it overwhelming, if not seemingly unattainable. I really believe education and opportunity are the foundation for a good life and every student should have equal access to both. I built my company on this principle and strive to ensure that every student has the best shot at a solid and valuable education and the opportunities that come with it. The greatest testament to my work is that the vast majority of my client families come by way of referral.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Female entrepreneurs face unique challenges and those challenges multiply exponentially when there are children in the picture. While my kids weren’t babies when I started Humbach Education Consulting, they were approaching the super fun and easy adolescent and teen years. Can you sense the sarcasm? Children at any age require a great deal of attention, yet for teens, the increase in parenting requirements is dramatic and the stakes are significantly higher. Yes, it’s stressful to question which diaper is the best for your baby. It’s another matter entirely to wonder where the hell your 16-year-old new driver is at 3:00 am on a Friday.

For the working mother, the personal, inner conflict, never-ending to-dos and physical, mental and emotional exhaustion takes its toll. It’s key to create balance through intentional self-care and the art of saying, “nope”. Boundaries are like little angels; they protect us from harm and provide insight into what matters. It was critical for me to become confident in my abilities as a professional but also as a mother and to embrace the potential of each. I am an ardent believer in the Law of Attraction and I incorporate this belief into my everyday life. I looked forward to my work and approached it with authentic enthusiasm. I envisioned a full caseload, continued to develop professionally and looked to my small business advisory board for a clear eye and direction. My husband was completely supportive, encouraging and helpful (when he was not traveling for business), and my girls were compassionate, respectful and truly excited for me. I recognized the power of the role model and was honest about the struggles.

At one point, when life was getting a tad too gritty, I sat all three of them down and said, here’s the deal. You all are capable of assisting in the operation of this household and the care of yourselves. And we all have our work. Yours is primarily to be a student and mine is to grow this business and help people. One daughter can drive, one can organize and one can consistently tell all of us what to do and how to do it. Our new approach became that of “roommates”. They could see that I was busy and fulfilled with my work; that I was happy. And this made them happy too. The plan worked mostly and grew into a bonafide win-win. Today, they are educated, functioning, contributing adults. And all three know their way around a kitchen like a boss.

I suspect the challenges of launching and running a small business are ostensibly similar across the board. Systems? Marketing? Cash flow? Small business owners wear all the hats, all the time. My learning curve was straight up, but I recognized the thrill of positive energy and experiencing the sheer joy and privilege of walking alongside a young person as they make important decisions about their future. Ten years ago, when I started Humbach Education Consulting, there were few Independent Educational Consultants in the industry and even fewer who were credentialed. Drastic federal and state education funding decreases, which then led to a significant reduction in high school counselors, has driven the dire need for qualified, educated and competent college consultants. I operated with the mindset that there is more than enough business for everyone and support, collaboration and continued professional development, especially for solo-preneurs, is vital to sustainability and success.

On another note, I am acutely aware of the inequities in access to higher education and, in an effort to have a tiny impact, I am supporting and providing planning materials and resources to the Bridge Project. In partnership with the University of Denver, the Bridge Project serves youth in Denver’s public housing neighborhoods and is doing an incredible job of providing college counseling services and resources to high school students for the vast majority of Denver Public Schools. My work includes providing mentoring, guidance, and systems to the spectacular individuals running the pre-collegiate program. This collaboration has been an answer to prayer; how can I cast a far wider net and reach many, many more young people than what I am capable of as a small business owner? This is one solution.

Please tell us about Humbach Education Consulting.
I launched Humbach Education Consulting ten years ago and have grown immensely, reaching full capacity every year (which includes freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors.) And while most families contract when their student is a sophomore, I am seeing an uptick in freshman engagement. As an Independent Educational Consultant, I help students discover something they love, care about and want to be involved with; and then support them with every resource I have. I empower students to make the smartest decision with regard to college, a place to thrive and slay the next chapter. It is a blessing and a privilege to be part of the exciting dreams and aspirations of my students. I continually develop my skillset and as a Certified Educational Planner (CEP), have achieved the highest “standard” in my field. In fact, there are just over 200 CEP’s in the United States and only twelve in Colorado.

My job is really two-fold. One, to coach the student in finding fantastic fit college options based on a comprehensive list of thoroughly researched choices and two, to assist each student in discovering who they are and then translate their awesome self to a clean, authentic and compelling application. Each year I visit between 20-30 colleges and universities across the United States and abroad. To date, I have toured nearly 200 campuses and this allows me to bring my personal take and specific college details back to my families. I’m known to text campus pictures to my students with messages like, “You’ve got to research this school right now! I can see you here!” I am thrilled to say I have never had a student transfer and this is due to the research and discovery work we do. I use a variety of personal assessments to guide our work; two standouts are YouScience (aptitude) and the Enneagram (personality). I have a knack for quickly establishing rapport with my students and hold them to a high degree of accountability. It helps that I’m not their mom and as such, peace in the home is often maintained or restored. Any parent of a teenager is picking up what I’m putting down here.

What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
The many care-free days spent on horseback, gallivanting around what is now the Denver Tech Center. Gone from sun-up until sundown with nothing more than my horse, and a backpack complete with a PBJ, fruit and a quarter for that ice-cold Dr. Pepper at the end of the day. Bliss.

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