Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in language education but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Jenny Chien, Founder of Lingua & Beyond, located in Bellevue, WA, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

I'm a language coach specifically for ESL and Mandarin adult learners. I coach adults from around the world who would like to elevate their English or Mandarin skills.

Tell us about yourself

At age 15, I packed up two luggage and moved to the US from Taiwan. At the time, my knowledge of English was very limited, so I understood the struggles of learning a new language and immersing oneself in a new culture. Living in the US for over ten years now, I've accumulated experience in training and coaching many employees into leadership roles in various sales organizations.

At the beginning of 2020, I realized that if I wanted to create a life that aligns with my goals & values, I would have to make some changes. This was when I decided to start my journey of helping language learners. After almost two years of teaching ESL & Mandarin online, I realized that if I wanted to fully embrace my creativity in teaching, I would have to start something of my own. This was when Lingua & Beyond was born! Through my experience learning and teaching languages, I understand that every learner has a unique learning style and different learning goals, so I aim to utilize coaching techniques and my personal experience to help learners grow and achieve not only their language goals but also their life goals as well.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment so far is that I was able to help language learners from all around the world. I created language coaching programs that not only teach the knowledge of English and Mandarin but also teach the learners how to effectively acquire new languages while accomplishing their learning goals and even life goals.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?

The hardest thing as a business owner is to figure out how to do everything by myself on a low budget. So far, my business is still a one-woman show, and juggling everything from marketing to running my language coaching programs can sometimes be overwhelming.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Don't be afraid to start small. We often think that we need to have everything planned out and ready to go before starting a business, but this mindset can stop us from moving forward sometimes. Just start with whatever you have because you won't know what you need as a business owner until you start doing it.
  2. Just because every other business owner is doing it, it doesn't mean their actions also work for your business. Do the things that make sense for YOUR business and YOUR clients.
  3. Run and grow your business with the intention to inspire, help, and empower people instead of making lots of money. When we run our business from our heart, it shows through our words and actions, and this will help us attract more clients and even increase returning clients.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://linguaandbeyond.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linguaandbeyond/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.