EPISODE · Jul 1, 2026 · 1H 8M
The Secret to Duplicating Yourself and Moving from Freelancer to Founder - Zoe Smith
from Teacher Talking Time · host teachertalkingtime
"When you are constantly thinking in scarcity because you're broke... you don't put enough value on yourself, on your time. You will undercharge, you will always look for ways to stretch yourself too thin. And you can also say yes to the wrong customers, too." We sit down with entrepreneur and BE School founder Zoe Smith. Zoe Smith is the founder of BE School, a specialized Business English institution that scales corporate communication via an international team of over 50 educators. A veteran language coach who designs high-touch corporate environments and personally guides Fortune 500 executives, she recently launched The BE Hub: an interactive sister platform providing editable, real-world target curricula directly to language teachers worldwide In this episode, we discuss: How helping build a 50-location Canadian childcare ecosystem proved that corporate clients will gladly pay premium fees for high-value operations. Why failing to separate your personal pockets from business capital keeps you acting like an employee. How having a newborn and a new business fueled a "failure is not an option" mentality How eliminating regular month-to-month invoicing in favour of non-refundable upfront class packages entirely deletes the administrative stress of chasing money. What managing C-suite executives reveals about regulating your own internal nervous system against minor operational fires. The necessity of duplicating yourself for your business to really take off The braveness required to shut down classes with CEOs when invoices weren't getting paid. Launching a sister company - BE Hub - without sinking tens of thousands of dollars into technical development overhead. *Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube. FOR MORE FROM ZOE SMITH: 1. Connect on LinkedIn 2. Visit the BE School 3. Visit the BE Hub OUR PARTNER: E-Solutions for ELT E-solutions for ELT helps teachers build an online system that works for them by building practical websites, course platforms, landing pages and automations designed around the real needs of their ELT businesses. You tailor your teaching to your students. Your tech should be tailored to you. Explore E-solutions for ELT 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.
What this episode covers
"When you are constantly thinking in scarcity because you're broke... you don't put enough value on yourself, on your time. You will undercharge, you will always look for ways to stretch yourself too thin. And you can also say yes to the wrong customers, too." We sit down with entrepreneur and BE School founder Zoe Smith. Zoe Smith is the founder of BE School, a specialized Business English institution that scales corporate communication via an international team of over 50 educators. A veteran language coach who designs high-touch corporate environments and personally guides Fortune 500 executives, she recently launched The BE Hub: an interactive sister platform providing editable, real-world target curricula directly to language teachers worldwide In this episode, we discuss: How helping build a 50-location Canadian childcare ecosystem proved that corporate clients will gladly pay premium fees for high-value operations. Why failing to separate your personal pockets from business capital keeps you acting like an employee. How having a newborn and a new business fueled a "failure is not an option" mentality How eliminating regular month-to-month invoicing in favour of non-refundable upfront class packages entirely deletes the administrative stress of chasing money. What managing C-suite executives reveals about regulating your own internal nervous system against minor operational fires. The necessity of duplicating yourself for your business to really take off The braveness required to shut down classes with CEOs when invoices weren't getting paid. Launching a sister company - BE Hub - without sinking tens of thousands of dollars into technical development overhead. *Prefer video? Watch the episode on YouTube. FOR MORE FROM ZOE SMITH: 1. Connect on LinkedIn 2. Visit the BE School 3. Visit the BE Hub OUR PARTNER: E-Solutions for ELT E-solutions for ELT helps teachers build an online system that works for them by building practical websites, course platforms, landing pages and automations designed around the real needs of their ELT businesses. You tailor your teaching to your students. Your tech should be tailored to you. Explore E-solutions for ELT 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.
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The Secret to Duplicating Yourself and Moving from Freelancer to Founder - Zoe Smith
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