Purpose Before Profit: Candace & Melinda Shaw of Why Hate Math, On The Benefits Of Running A Purpose-Driven Business
An Interview With Chad Silverstein
You don’t have to change the world overnight. Start with a small, manageable goal, and build from there. Focus on creating a solid foundation and proving the impact you’re making. As you grow, keep expanding your scope and reach.
In today’s competitive business landscape, the race for profits often takes center stage. However, there are some leaders who also prioritize a mission-driven purpose. They use their business to make a positive social impact and recognize that success isn’t only about making money. In this interview series, we are talking with some of these distinct leaders and I had the pleasure of interviewing Candace & Melinda Shaw.
Why Hate Math, a Brooklyn based tutoring company, teaches students to think analytically, logically, and creatively through math. Founded by Candace & Melinda Shaw, two sisters with a passion for education and helping their community. The duo teamed up to open a business that supports learners and educators, helping to build confidence, mastery and genuine appreciation for math. In 2023, Why Hate Math opened their first brick-and-mortar which has allowed them to service over 300 private students with one-on-one tutoring!
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
Growing up in Brooklyn as children of Guyanese parents, we were raised with the influence of two distinct cultures. The blend of these cultures taught us how to adapt from an early age. Before we even reached our teens, during a trip to Guyana, we talked with our dad about starting a carnival business when we returned home. He even suggested someone could dress as a clown, but none of us were eager to take on that role. When we got back, nearly a year later, Candace had saved enough money to buy a snow cone machine, and that was the beginning of something bigger. What began as a lighthearted family idea eventually became a business that lasted for two decades.
During this time, we relocated from Brooklyn, NY to Stone Mountain, GA, where we were no longer surrounded by people from similar backgrounds, but rather by a completely different culture. Despite the challenges, we adapted, but we always stayed grounded in the importance of education. Both of us had a deep passion for STEM — Melinda focused on biology, and Candace on mathematics. We both attended HBCUs — Albany State University and Spelman College — and pursued careers in our respective fields. Since then, we have relocated to New York for over 10 years and began our journey to bridge the gap in education.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
One of the most interesting stories in my tutoring business involves a student, who came with a very specific goal in mind — he wanted to become a firefighter. He had always been interested in fire safety and helping people, and he knew that passing the firefighter exam was a crucial step toward achieving his dream. The only problem was his fear of math.
He had struggled with math throughout high school. He didn’t fail, but he was far from proficient, and as he got older, he, like many, avoided math as much as possible. In fact, by the time he decided to pursue firefighting, he hadn’t touched math in years. However, he soon realized that the firefighter exam required a certain level of math proficiency — particularly in areas like basic algebra, fractions, and measurements.
He reached out to us, and during our first meeting, he was upfront: “I’m terrible at math. I haven’t done anything with it since high school, and now it’s standing between me and my dream job.” We started working with him, targeting key foundations of math. The same student who once thought math would stand in the way of his dream is now ready to tackle it with confidence. This keeps us motivated in doing what we love.
We often learn the most from our mistakes. Can you share one that you made that turned out to be one of the most valuable lessons you’ve learned?
When running a community-focused business, customers often become friends, which brings many benefits but also some challenges. One common difficulty arises when implementing new policies. Establishing clear business boundaries is essential to avoid discomfort during communication and to ensure everyone feels included in the process. We realized that a warm transition, along with grandfathering existing customers into previous terms, helped significantly. Policies are necessary for the success and sustainability of the business, and thoughtful implementation ensures smoother transitions for everyone involved.
As a successful leader, it’s clear that you uphold strong core values. I’m curious what are the most important principles you firmly stand by and refuse to compromise on. Can you share a few of them and explain why they hold such significance for you in your work and life?
Some principles that we stand firm on are integrity and trust. When working with children you are dealing with the most important thing in people’s lives. We take this with great honor and know that we must keep our trust and integrity.
What inspired you to start a purpose-driven business rather than a traditional for-profit enterprise? Can you share a personal story or experience that led you to prioritize social impact in your business?
Having a meaningful impact in the community has always been an intentional goal when developing our business. In our household, education has always been prioritized.
Can you help articulate a few of the benefits of leading a purpose-driven business rather than a standard “plain vanilla” business?
Purpose-driven businesses often see more organic growth. Our customers feel connected to our mission, so they’re more likely to talk about our brand to their friends, family, and network. This can significantly reduce our reliance on traditional advertising.
How has your company’s mission or purpose affected its overall success? Can you explain the methods or metrics you use to evaluate the impact of this purpose-driven strategy on your organization?
Our company’s mission has affected its overall success because we have helped thousands of students improve in mathematics. We measure this by the use of assessment data.
Can you share a pivotal moment when you realized that leading your purpose-driven company was actually making a significant impact? Can you share a specific example or story that deeply resonated with you personally?
We realized that leading our purpose-driven company was making a significant impact at our last back to school event when we were able to offer math supplies to the entire community. Parents and students were thankful and said it would help them transition into a great school year.
Have you ever faced a situation where your commitment to your purpose and creating a positive social impact clashed with the profitability in your business? Have you ever been challenged by anyone on your team or have to make a tough decision that had a significant impact on finances? If so, how did you address and reconcile this conflict?
Sometimes, we extend sessions to provide additional support, which can affect profitability since we have to pay employees more. However, we don’t increase the rate for parents. While we want to ensure the student completes the session, this puts us in a challenging position.
What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs who wish to start a purpose-driven business?
You don’t have to change the world overnight. Start with a small, manageable goal, and build from there. Focus on creating a solid foundation and proving the impact you’re making. As you grow, keep expanding your scope and reach.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Purpose-Driven Business.” If you can, please share a story or example for each.
1 . Purpose
2 . Passion
3 . Teamwork
4 . Gratitude
5 . Integrity
I’m interested in how you instill a strong sense of connection with your team. How do you nurture a culture where everyone feels connected to your mission?
We do team events, meetings, team building activities and give gifts during holidays. We are open to team feedback and lead with trust and compassion.
Could you share an example or story that showcases how your purpose has positively influenced or motivated people on your team to contribute?
The staff at Why Hate Math aren’t just “working a job”; they’re actively contributing to something larger than themselves. From the moment you step into WHM, it’s clear that employees are motivated by the company’s mission, not just paychecks. Some people who had opportunities as children to receive tutoring like to give back and volunteer their time to students that don’t typically have that opportunity.
Imagine we’re sitting down together two years from now, looking back at your company’s last 24 months. What specific accomplishments would have to happen for you to be happy with your progress?
We want students to get into schools that they apply to whether it be High School or college. We love hearing that students have passed their exam for standardized testing. We want to also be able to open up another WHM Lab location.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
whyhatemath.com ig: @whyhatemath
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and Thought Leader with over 25 years of business experience. He has founded, operated, and exited multiple companies and now builds into a handful of high impact CEOs. Chad has launched multiple online communities, including a recent leadership development platform, and also serves as a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator program.
To learn more and connect with Chad visit: chadsilverstein.io
Purpose Before Profit: Candace & Melinda Shaw of Why Hate Math, On The Benefits Of Running A… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.