Lea Rozencwajg is a graduate from the Centre for Music and Audio Technology, currently the co-founder and director of CocoRio creative child care.
What are you doing now?
I am the co-founder and director of CocoRio creative child care. CocoRio uses an underemployed talent pool (professionals in the creative industries) to provide a smarter child care service. Our service offers quality child care and children activities but what’s unique about us is that our creative sitters and facilitators also provide creative sessions, completely tailored to the families’ requirements in terms of art form, language of instruction, age group, and of course the child’s unique personality. Our sitters are all DBS checked [to meet child protection requirements in the UK], first aid trained and are professionals in their craft – we have actors, dancers, choreographers, musicians, as well as more specific experts such as puppeteers and mask makers! Many are also multilingual and can offer sessions in a number of languages.
What attracted you to your course, and to Kent?
I was looking to study music and the setting of a Historic Dockyard was very appealing to me and so far removed from where I was based at the time. (Tanzania, East Africa)
Which aspects of your degree did you enjoy the most, and why?
I took a module on music business that involved writing a business plan for a business of our choice. This was my first experience of anything I deemed business-related; until that point, I was very much solely focused on performing, but I decided to see whether my concept of musical babysitting could form the basis of a business model. I had never previously written a business plan, had no idea where to begin in terms of thinking about finances (it’s still not my strongest point) and not the slightest idea of the different kinds of company structures that existed. By the end of the module, I had a solid first plan, a viable cash flow, and a registered limited company. This was by far the most exciting and rewarding thing I did during my Bachelor’s degree!
What impressed you most about our academic staff?
My lecturers were always so experienced and practicing musicians which was very inspiring!
Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now in your career?
Again, the music business module formed the foundation for my business today. My cofounder and I have had to rewrite our business plan a number of times to share with investors at different stages of our growth journey and each time, I’ve used things I learnt in that module.
Are you still in touch with any of your fellow students?
Yes! One of which even worked for us as a creative sitter for CocoRio!
Did you undertake any work experience whilst at Kent? What did you do? Did you find it was helpful in your studies and has it benefited your career to date?
I was a student ambassador and ran music workshops at Brompton academy. Both experiences helped me grow in confidence and no doubt contributed to my ability to engage in conversation with a range of people, from my employees to potential investors, press and all partner relations I manage today.
Could you describe a typical day in your current role?
I’m now a mother of a 5 month old so my mornings tend to depend on my little one. If we’ve had a good night (slept more than 5hours in a row) I tend to start work around 9am, otherwise, it’ll be 10am. Often, I start the day with a call with my co-founder Corinna where we check in with each other on any updates or pressing matters. We’ll then each get on with our ‘go-to wins of the day’. As a co-founder of a start-up, I don’t wear one hat. In any one day, I might do some marketing, interview some potential sitters, write emails, run trainings and do some general business development, but no two days are the same which is what is most exciting about this venture!
What are your future plans/aspirations?
I hope that CocoRio continues to grow and becomes a well-known brand. We are currently operating in London but looking to expand nationally in the next year and maybe internationally in the years to come! Our target market is currently quite affluent families but we would love to be able to run more community classes and offer child care solutions to everyone who needs them once we are able to afford it.
What is your favourite memory of Kent?
Graduation is probably my fondest memory. I remember such a sense of pride and emotion to have made it, and sharing that with my classmates was exceptional; it made all the hard work and late nights worth it!
What advice would you give to somebody thinking of coming to Kent?
Do it, you’ll make friends to last you a life time and you’ll no doubt have a very rewarding experience. Who knows, you might even end up starting your own business 😉
How would you describe your time at Kent in three words?
Full. Of. Life.
Website: www.cocorio.co.uk
Facebook: @cocoriouk
Instagram: Cocorio_Creativechildcare
Twitter: @Cocorio_UK
Email: info@cocorio.co.uk