‘Trust the Process’: How the Rolons Went From One Creative World School to Three

Nick and Amanda Rolon live in Oviedo, Florida, with four kids and a calendar to match. On any given weekend, you’ll find them at a dance recital, a baseball game, a football field, or a horseback riding competition. They’re a busy working family first, and that part of their story explains how they came to own three Creative World Schools, the newest of them in St. Cloud.

Two Careers Outside Childcare and a Mom Who Saw It First

Neither of them came from childcare. Nick spent 15 years as a territory manager for a national food brand. Amanda worked customer service for a grocery chain, waited tables, and held plenty of other jobs along the way. If you’re reading this and don’t have childcare-specific experience, theirs is a good answer.

The idea came from Amanda’s mom, who worked in franchising for another education brand and saw the fit before they did. Their own kids’ preschool years turned that nudge into a plan. The Rolons wanted school options that nurture young minds, and they weren’t finding them. That’s when they started looking at what it would take to build one.

What Set Creative World School Apart

They compared seven or eight franchise brands before signing with Creative World School in 2017. What stood out was the CEO, Dr. Marianne Whitehouse, who never lost the heart of the brand even as it grew. The curriculum and the environment were so different from what their own children had experienced that they wanted to take their kids there, and they wanted to be the ones running it.

“Creative World knows children come first,” Nick says. “The company gears everything, from the inquiry curriculum to the design of the building, towards positive growth and experiences for the children.”

Their Oviedo school opened in May 2018. It has since earned multiple awards and consistently high marks for quality and operational excellence, and the Rolons have become leaders within the Creative World franchise system. Both of them now sit on its Franchise Advisory Council. “We really do feel like we have input and can provide meaningful change for the schools in the system,” Nick says.

How the Rolons Knew It Was Time to Build on Their Success

Their school in Apopka came next, in August 2025. The Rolons knew it was time when they felt they were doing well and could repeat it. The biggest hurdle, they’ll tell you, was learning to keep the same standard at more than one location. Once they proved they could, they embraced a new opportunity, acquiring the school in St. Cloud.

On support, the Rolons are blunt. “It’s not even close to any other franchise we looked at,” they say. “Any idea or problem we’ve had, there has been someone there waiting. The big thing is asking.” The Creative World support team gives them room when things are running well and shows up the moment they ask. Every owner also has a dedicated business coach for as long as they own the school.

Over eight years in, their biggest lessons are simple. Nick came in asking how to make the school his own and learned to trust the process. “We follow the blueprint and it works so well,” he says. His takeaway is to follow what’s there and grow with the model. Amanda’s is to take a breath, remember the reason you do this is the kids, and find the joy and fun in the work.

How the Rolons Promote a Positive Team Culture

The Rolons show up for their teams, at school events and in the day to day, and they want to know their staff as people. Two years ago, they took their whole team to Disney, they run scavenger hunts, and they once surprised new teachers with bundt cakes and little notes reading “We’re nothing bundt excited to work with you.” They have staff fill out “About” forms with their favorite things so they can put together goodie bags, and they use the DiSC assessment to understand how each person on the team works.

For Nick, a preschool has to be more than a daycare. The way he puts it, if they’re average, they’re sub-par, so he’s always asking how to go above and beyond. For Amanda, it’s in the details and the little moments, like sharing something special a child did with that child’s parents.

“Keeping the culture is just as important,” Amanda says. They make sure their teachers see them giving their own time, and they keep investing in them.

That same mentality spills into the community. The Rolons have sponsored Oviedo city events, helped the local food pantry every Christmas, run toy drives and school supply drives, and partnered with the Oviedo Police Department on a Build-A-Bear event for kids in tough situations at home. They’ve stepped in for their own school families after a job loss or an illness, and they’ve partnered with nonprofits across greater Orlando. As they put it, the whole mission is to continue to help kids.

The Rolons’ Advice for Future Preschool Franchise Owners

Nick’s advice is direct. “Do your homework. Look at every brand. Tour them. If you’re looking for the right reasons, you won’t find anywhere else that checks all the boxes.”

When asked what they’re most excited about for their new St. Cloud school, Amanda said they’re looking forward to growing themselves further professionally. The Rolons aren’t the only multi-school owners. After 56 years and a Top 200 Franchise ranking from Franchise Business Review, Creative World School has helped a lot of families like the Rolons build a school with the Exploratorium™ and iSTEAM curriculum at its center, where inquiry comes first and the science, technology, engineering, art, and math show up as rockets, robots, and hands-on discovery. If their story sounds like it could be yours, reach out to our franchise team and let’s talk.