Ricky Shah is the Director of Kumon Chesterfield, a high-performing education franchise known for its strong enrollment and operational discipline. A former Kumon student who completed both the math and reading programs, Ricky’s story comes full circle as he eventually acquired and now leads the same center where he once studied and taught. His background spans teaching, nonprofit work, statewide political campaigns as a field organizer, and entrepreneurship through operating UPS Store franchises with his family before transitioning fully into the Kumon business.

In this conversation with Raj Tut, Ricky breaks down what it takes to scale a people-driven business: redefining delegation as a strategic growth tool, identifying the “1–3 tasks only I can do,” and systematizing everything else through hiring, training, and clear accountability. The episode also explores family business dynamics, the challenge of separating work from home life, and lessons learned from leading through disruption—especially during the COVID transition and operational crises like severe weather. Key themes include building trust through consistent communication, training for real-world scenarios, maintaining standards through culture, and leading calmly when the team looks to you for direction.

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Twitter: ⁠twitter.com/ItsRajTut⁠ ⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajtut/

⁠Instagram: ⁠instagram.com/ItsRajTut⁠

TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@itsrajtut

Kumon (National Website): https://www.kumon.com/

Email: chesterfield_mo@ikumon.com

Phone: (636) 537-5522

Timestamp:

00:00 Delegation philosophy and focusing on tasks only the owner can do

01:35 Introduction to Ricky Shah and Kumon Chesterfield

02:19 Early journey as a Kumon student and love for math and learning

04:17 Post-college path through nonprofits and burnout from red tape

05:42 Transition into statewide political campaigns

07:50 What campaign work actually looks like and the role of a field organizer

09:32 Extreme work hours, pressure, and leadership lessons from politics

12:42 Shift into entrepreneurship and family business roots

15:06 Operating UPS Store franchises as a family-run business

18:29 Pros and cons of working with family and taking work home

20:46 How a Kumon center operates day-to-day

22:37 Individualized learning, fluency metrics, and student progression

25:32 Director influence vs standardized curriculum across Kumon centers

27:44 Full-circle story of acquiring the same Kumon center he grew up in

30:22 Taking over during COVID and adapting operations

32:40 Leading through disruption and maintaining calm in crises

34:22 Diagnosing learning gaps and adapting to post-COVID students

36:13 Leadership presence and why the team looks to the leader in emergencies

38:44 Hiring, training, and building accountability through systems

40:38 Transitioning from instructor mindset to director mindset

42:36 Working on the business instead of in the business

45:56 Passion, trust, and long-term student success

50:08 Deciding what to delegate and what to keep

54:20 Why Ricky personally handles parent meetings and sales conversations

55:56 “Hole in one” advice on delegation and scaling a business

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