Freelancer or Business Owner? with Rachael Roberts

Freelancer or Business Owner? with Rachael Roberts

Author: TESOL Pop February 13, 2024 Duration: 13:10

Founder of Earn Learn Thrive, Rachael Roberts, discusses the nuances between freelancing and business ownership in education. With over 30 years of experience in the field, Rachael offers valuable insights for educators wanting to move from employment into business ownership.


KEY TALKING POINTS


Defining Freelancing vs. Business Ownership

Rachael explores the distinction between freelancing and business ownership, emphasizing the importance of viewing oneself as a business owner regardless of terminology.


Shifting Mindset for Success

Rachael highlights the significance of adopting a business mindset, empowering freelancers to take control of their careers and attract higher-quality clients.


Getting Started While Employed

Rachael addresses the common dilemma of starting a business while employed, offering practical advice on balancing employment with entrepreneurial pursuits.


Building Your Business Step-by-Step

Rachael shares strategies for launching a business gradually, emphasising the importance of identifying target clients, understanding their needs, and offering tailored solutions.


Organic Marketing for Educators

Rather than traditional sales tactics, Rachael advocates for organic marketing, which focuses on building relationships and providing value to attract ideal clients.


Sustainable Growth and Client Relationships

Laura and Rachael discuss the misconception that a successful business requires numerous clients, emphasising the value of cultivating long-term relationships with the right clients.


ABOUT

Rachael Roberts is a qualified coach with 30 years of ELT industry experience as a teacher, teacher trainer and materials writer, including 15 years as a thriving small business owner. Rachael is on a mission to help ELT freelancers break free from being underpaid and undervalued.


Through her foundation course (The Confident Freelancing Roadmap) and membership (The Confident ELT Freelancer Collective), as well as her group programme (Designed to Flourish), she aims to challenge the low expectations and the culture of ‘having to’ accept poor conditions, and teach ELT freelancers the steps they can take to build sustainable, fulfilling businesses.


Visit Earn Learn Thrive to learn more.


TRANSCRIPT

Watch with closed captions.


SUPPORT

Say thanks with coffee.


LEARN TO PODCAST WITH LAURA

Podcast Pathfinder programme


CREDITS

Producer Laura Wilkes

Editor Haven Tsang

Thanks to our inspiring guest, Rachael Roberts.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


Ever feel like the best teaching ideas come from a quick chat in the staffroom, but your schedule never allows for it? TESOL Pop captures that spark. Designed for the busy English language teacher, this mini podcast delivers compact, meaningful conversations with TESOL, TEFL, and ESL educators globally. Each episode is a focused interview, kept under fifteen minutes, packed with practical ideas and personal insights that can genuinely shift your approach in the classroom. You’ll hear stories about career pivots, reflections on what actually works with students, and clever uses of technology, all shared in a casual, accessible tone. It’s the audio equivalent of a refreshing coffee break with a colleague who gets it. The podcast understands that profound professional development doesn’t always require a lengthy seminar; sometimes, a single, well-timed insight is enough to reinvigorate your teaching. By tuning in, you join a global conversation that feels both personal and immediately useful, making it easy to integrate new perspectives into your daily routine without overwhelming your calendar.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

TESOL Pop
Podcast Episodes
Tackling Self-Limiting Beliefs in Leadership with Shane Leaning [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:39
Organisational Coach Shane Leaning dispels common self-limiting beliefs that often deter educators from pursuing leadership roles.In this episode, Shane talks about:✅ Leadership Realities: Shane challenges the misconcept…
Making Teaching Materials More Inclusive with Lottie Galpin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:50
Inclusive ELT Consultant Lottie Galpin talks about the importance of inclusive representation in teaching materials and suggests ways to make textbooks more inclusive.In this episode, Lottie talks about: ✅ The importance…
Language Games for Very Young Learners with Jema Perry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:26
Founder of Mooncake English, Jema Perry, talks about stages of child development and shares three recyclable games that we can use with our very young (ages 2-4) language learners.In this episode, Jema talks about: ✅ Mot…
Taking a Career Break from Teaching with Sarah Omar [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:09
Teacher Trainer and Educator Sarah Omar shares the story of her career in teaching so far and what motivated her to take a break. In this episode, Sarah talks about: ✅ How we can support our ongoing learning and build ou…
A Guide to Teaching One-to-One with Rob Howard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:37
Business owner Rob Howard shares his experience and tips on teaching one-to-one English language classes.In this episode, Rob talks about:1. Challenges we may encounter in moving from teaching groups to one-to-one2. The…
Activities for Raising Climate Awareness with Harry Waters [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:59
Renewable English Founder Harry Waters shares three fun and simple activities we can use in our face-to-face classes to help raise students' awareness about Climate Change. In this episode, Harry talks about: How we can…
Stress Management Strategies for Teachers with Adrian Bethune [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:56
Author and teacher Adrian Bethune shares his experience with stress in his career and how this inspired him to find ways to support teacher self-care and wellbeing. In this episode, Adrian talks about:1. Normal versus ch…
Soundbites from the ETAS Professional Development Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:05
This special episode features soundbites from the English Teachers Association Switzerland (ETAS) Professional Development (PD) Day in Bern on 2 September 2023. We interviewed attendees Elizabeth Hirst, Veronique Vouillo…