"It’s 5,000 metres high, and I promise you: it is much scarier to launch a business than it is to jump out of a plane. When you launch, you are open to being judged, and you can fail, but that 80% fear is exactly what drives you to succeed."

We chat with Smart Cookie co-founder Martina Montreal.

Martina is a language educator and the co-founder of SmartCookie. Since 2016, she has taught over 1,000 students, using that experience to go all-in on building a "second brain" that eliminates administrative chaos for teachers. Martina advocates for the power of patience and taking professional leaps, even when launching a business feels scary.

In this episode, we chat about:

• The power of "nàixīn" [耐心]: why patience is the most demanding requirement for both language learning and business.
• Overcoming the cost of inaction: how saying "yes" to an unplanned Spanish class changed Martina’s entire career.
• How a background in abstract logic fueled the creation of a "second brain" for teachers,
• Why Smart Cookie focuses on eliminating administrative fat rather than overcomplicating with features.
• Why true professional strength is built through failure, not playing it safe.
• Why rest is not a luxury: the role trashy television plays in entrepreneurship.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM MARTINA MONREAL:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

3. Check out Smart Cookie

OUR PARTNER: COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT

The Creative House for Leading Educators & Experts.

Amplify your work with high-end video and podcasts that get results. Create impactful videos and podcasts with their programmes and done-for-you production services.

Start your series here.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP.

3. Our CPD Courses.

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Subscribe on Substack here.

"If you only have this theory, you will never be able to swim. You need some water to experience it. Don't be afraid to start with a speaking exam in the first year. If we change the way we assess, we can change the way we teach."

We sit down with the amazing Charline Rouffet.

Charline is a foreign language teacher educator and PhD candidate at Utrecht University, specializing in task-oriented language learning. Her research explores how communicative, classroom-based assessments can transform pedagogical approaches and bridge the gap between theory and classroom practice.

In this episode, we chat about:

• Why young teachers struggle to implement communicative methods within a rigid, grammar-obsessed system.

• How the constant threat of testing shapes every move a student makes and every lesson a teacher plans.
• Why adding unknown elements to assessments is the only way to mimic real-life communication.
• Starting with the learning goals to ensure your teaching and testing are actually on the same page.
• How an obsession with accuracy and "memorizing verbs" is killing student motivation and closing down university programs.
• Why joy and personal connection is the only thing AI can't recreate in the language learning process.

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM CHARLINE ROUFFET

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

OUR PARTNER: FLUENTIZE

Want to teach your best lessons — without all the prep? Fluentize turns real-world videos into interactive ESL lessons for teens and adults. Explore 650+ ready-to-teach lessons designed to engage your students, simplify lesson planning, and save you hours of preparation.

Start for free here.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. CPD & Teaching Resources

2. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

3. Monetize your teaching skills

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Subscribe on Substack here.

"One of the mindsets that I really like is that I want to earn more so that I can sometimes offer more to those who can't afford it. It's like a cycle."

We sit down with teacher and creator Jennifer Lebedev.

Jennifer is the creator of English with Jennifer. Launched in 2007, her YouTube channel has over 1M subscribers and 100M views to date. She is also a published author with Pearson, an award-winning blogger, and a speaker on building a healthy learner mindset.

In this episode, we chat about:

• 18 years on YouTube: starting in 2007 with a digital camera and no tripod.
• The "teacher creative" to business owner shift: moving from "doing it for free" to being a responsible entrepreneur.
• Overcoming teacher guilt: learning to set boundaries and stop apologizing for charging for value.
• The "Happy Money" mindset: seeing money as an exchange of energy rather than a source of stress.
• Why 1.5 million subscribers isn't a "get rich quick" scheme: the reality of YouTube revenue and sustaining a business.
• Identity-based habits: using sleep and mindfulness to fuel professional performance.
• Why one-on-one teaching still matters: using real student interaction to drive content and stay grounded

*Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube.

FOR MORE FROM JENNIFER LEBEDEV:

1. Connect on LinkedIn

2. Visit her website

3. Follow her YouTube channel

OUR PARTNER: COMMUNICATING FOR IMPACT

The Creative House for Leading Educators & Experts.

Amplify your work with high-end video and podcasts that get results. Create impactful videos and podcasts with their programmes and done-for-you production services.

Start your series here.

SUPPORT US:

🫶 Integrate your brand with our podcast in an effort to improve language education.

⭐ Leave a review where you listen.

WORK WITH US:

1. Book a free 1:1 chat with us to strategize your teaching business.

2. Learn how to monetize your teaching skills with TAP

3. Download our free guides for teacherpreneurs.

THE THRIVING TEACHERPRENEUR

Get inspired to start and grow your own education business. Weekly insights, stories, and reflections on education entrepreneurship.

Subscribe on Substack here.