Show Notes

I’m so happy to share this conversation with my good friend and former colleague, Christine Hayes. Christine is a former middle school art teacher who has built an incredible career in edtech operations and customer success. Today, she’s the Senior Director of Customer Success and Sales Enablement at Zūm, a company dedicated to revolutionizing student transportation.

Christine shares the powerful mission of Zūm, which is about so much more than busses—it’s about how the driver is the "beginning and the end of that kid's day," setting the tone for their entire learning experience. She also opens up about her own career path, defined by her love for the "growth phase" and her "fixer" personality. This is a must-listen for her powerful, practical advice on hiring, networking, and understanding the hidden skills you've already mastered as a teacher.

• More Than a Bus Ride: Christine explains how Zūm’s mission—focusing on environmental impact and the human element of transportation—convinced her to join the team.
• The "Fixer" Personality: A key insight into Christine's career. She thrives in the "growth phase" of a new program, building it from scratch, and is "not wild about the maintenance phase."
• "You Can't Coach Care": Christine's powerful hiring philosophy. She hires for "the stuff that you can't teach"—people who are "smart and hungry" and genuinely care about the mission.
• The Power of Networking: Why networking isn't a "used car salesman" tactic. It's about being curious, talking to everyone, and understanding that "people want to help you."
• Your Hidden Skills: Christine's reminder that teachers have "a lot of organizational and project management skills" they don't even realize. "You're doing it, you've just never called it that."

Episode Article

I always have fun talking to my guest this week, my good friend and former colleague Christine Hayes. Christine is a former middle school art teacher who has translated her classroom experience into a fantastic career, and she currently works as the Senior Director of Customer Success and Sales Enablement at Zūm, a student transportation company.

At first, a transportation company might seem like a departure from edtech, but as Christine explains, she was "hooked" by their mission. Zūm isn't just about busses; it's about education. "The beginning and the end of that kid's day," she explains, "is that bus driver... that's when their school day truly starts." She shared inspiring stories of drivers going above and beyond to connect with students, like learning hand signals for a high-needs child or ensuring a bilingual aide was available. It’s this human element, combined with a focus on a carbon-neutral and electric-powered fleet, that makes her work so meaningful.

Christine's own journey is a perfect example of finding a role that fits your personality. Reflecting on why she left the classroom, she notes it was partly financial, but also a deeper need for new challenges. "I like learning things, but then I need to do something different," she says. "I like the 'get my hands dirty, figure out how we should do this' phase... I'm not wild about the 'maintenance phase.'" Her current role is a perfect fit: the customer success function is new, so she gets to build the playbook from the ground up.

This "fixer" mindset informs her powerful advice on hiring. When she looks for new team members, she's not just looking at a resume. "I want someone that's smart and hungry and someone that really cares," she says. "My shorthand has always been the stuff that you can't teach... you can't coach care. You can't coach hunger." She would rather hire someone "green" who is curious and committed than an experienced person who is "set in their ways."

For teachers thinking about a transition, Christine offers two essential pieces of advice. First, embrace networking, but reframe it as just "go[ing] to talk to everyone." She insists that "you would be so surprised by how charitable and kind people are. They want to help you with your career. They really do." Second, recognize the skills you already have. "When you are a teacher, you have a lot of organizational and project management skills," she reminds us. "You're doing it, you've just never called it that."