Jill Baumann is the founder of Self-Directed Success (SDS), a platform that helps microschools build calm culture, sustainable enrollment, and clear ways to explain student growth without grades, burnout, or performative metrics.

As the co-founder and director of a teen microschool, Jill has spent nearly a decade inside the daily realities of microschool leadership — mentoring students, supporting families, navigating behavior, and carrying the invisible load that founders often absorb. That lived experience shapes everything SDS builds.

Jill’s work focuses on one persistent problem she saw again and again: schools are doing meaningful, human-centered work — but lack systems that make that work visible, explainable, and sustainable over time. Through SDS, she designs growth translation tools and culture frameworks that reduce founder overwhelm, honor professional judgment, and help schools communicate their impact with clarity and confidence.