From Teacher to Franchisor: How Vicky Pennington Is Scaling Let's Glow Sensory

What happens when the business you start isn't actually the business you end up scaling? In this episode of The Class Business Podcast, Krissy Monaghan speaks to Vicky Pennington, founder of Let's Glow Sensory and a finalist for Scaling Business of the Year at The Class Business Awards 2026. Vicky left a teaching career she had dreamed about since childhood after becoming increasingly disillusioned with the profession and wanting greater flexibility for her family. During lockdown, while pregnant with her second daughter, she began planning her exit and building what would eventually become Let's Glow Sensory. But the original concept looked very different. Vicky initially launched a broader early-years business called Strong Foundations. It was only after running classes and seeing babies' reactions when the lights went out and the glowing sensory equipment appeared that she realised she had found the thing that could make the business stand out. That decision changed everything. Today, Let's Glow Sensory delivers immersive glow-in-the-dark sensory experiences for babies and toddlers and has grown into a franchise network with five franchisees, with Vicky's long-term ambition to take the brand across the UK. In this episode, we talk about: • Vicky's early-years teaching background • Why she had wanted to be a teacher since childhood • Becoming increasingly unhappy within the teaching system • Wanting more flexibility after becoming a mum • Using lockdown to plan her exit from teaching • The original Strong Foundations business idea • Why the first version of the business evolved • Spotting a gap through the reaction to glow sensory activities • Why retention helped Vicky realise she needed a stronger niche • Rebranding around Let's Glow Sensory • Creating a premium, recognisable visual identity • Why Vicky wanted class photographs to be instantly identifiable • Learning about positioning, values and standing out in a crowded market • Making mistakes and adapting rather than expecting perfection • Knowing when the business was ready to franchise • Vicky's ambition to take Let's Glow Sensory across the UK • Supporting other mums and former teachers into flexible self-employment • Growing to five franchisees • Why many franchisees first experienced the business as customers • The expertise different franchisees bring into the network • Why leaving teaching can feel like such a huge risk • Redefining success around flexibility rather than income alone • Building the business while raising three young daughters • Learning to ask for expert support instead of doing everything alone • Investing properly when scaling a franchise • Why podcasts, networking and free learning still matter • Building a model that other people can confidently invest in One of the most useful parts of Vicky's story is that Let's Glow Sensory wasn't born fully formed. She tested. She watched how customers responded. She realised the original offer wasn't distinctive enough. Then she leaned hard into the part that created the strongest reaction. That willingness to adapt gave Vicky a clear niche, stronger retention, a recognisable brand and ultimately something she felt confident enough to franchise. 👉 Find out more about Let's Glow Sensory: https://letsglowsensory.com/ Vicky Pennington is a finalist for Scaling Business of the Year at The Class Business Awards 2026. Join us on Saturday 10 October 2026 at the National Conference Centre in Solihull for The Class Business Live, followed by The Class Business Awards & Afterparty. Secure your place here: https://www.kristinemonaghan.online/o... #TheClassBusinessPodcast #TheClassBusinessAwards 00:00 Meet Vicky Pennington 00:10 Introducing Let's Glow Sensory 00:36 Vicky's career before business 00:46 Leaving teaching after becoming a mum 02:08 Wanting to be a teacher from childhood 03:12 Why the teaching system became too much 04:00 Lockdown and planning an exit 05:36 The original Strong Foundations idea 06:09 Where the glow concept came from 06:22 Starting without a clear niche 07:00 The moment Vicky saw the opportunity 08:21 Creating a distinctive brand 09:39 Choosing a premium visual identity 10:46 Why positioning matters in a crowded market 11:59 Making mistakes and adapting 12:29 Why franchising requires a long-term vision 12:50 Vicky's UK-wide ambition 14:37 Growing to five franchisees 14:59 Who joins the Let's Glow Sensory network? 16:20 Helping teachers make the leap 16:56 Leaving the security of teaching 18:00 What success looks like for Vicky 19:29 Running a business with three young daughters 20:32 Finding time when life is already busy 21:37 Why Vicky invested in expert support 23:02 Joining the Let's Glow Sensory franchise 23:45 Finding local classes 24:11 Scaling Business of the Year