The annual ELT training and networking event
for teachers who want to start or expand their own online English teaching business
The live event concluded on September 8, but you can still get access to all recorded sessions!
Are you…
currently a freelance online English teacher?
interested in teaching English online but not sure where to start?
ready to replace or supplement your language school income by branching out on your own?
looking for ways to find more direct online students?
wondering how you can turn your teaching skills into a successful online business?
What to Expect at the Conference
Come Curious, Leave Empowered!
Join us for a long weekend of live, interactive sessions that will open your eyes to the world of teflpreneurship!
Learn from training sessions on everything from how to reach new students through social media to how to find and establish your ideal niche. Get motivated to go solo!
See the conference lineup here.
Successful Freelancers from all different areas of ELT
Learn from accomplished TEFLpreneurs and established industry experts who are sharing their recipes for success in the freelance teaching world.
Have you ever thought about creating and selling your own materials? Did you know your niche could be as narrow as “English for mining industry professionals?” You’ll meet these successful teachers and more!
See the presenter bios here.
General Admission:
✅ Free
✅ Access to all live sessions (except the small group Q&A the following weekend)
🔴 no recording access
🔴 no access to small group Q&A
Premium Access:
✅ $17 USD
✅ Access to all live sessions
✅ Access to all recordings for 1 month after the event
✅ Participation in a small group Q&A with Shannon on Saturday, September 14th.
General Admission tickets are no longer available as the live event has concluded. You can still purchase Premium Access to view all recorded sessions on demand through Monday, October 7th.
Additional Resources
With Premium Access tickets, you’ll get access to all of the replay videos for a full month after the live event. This is the best way to watch all sessions and review all of the information on your own time, even after the conference weekend has concluded.
You’ll also get to ask any questions you have about starting or expanding your freelance teaching business in a small group Q&A session the following week.
Network, Connect, and Build your Confidence
You’ll meet current and prospective freelance teachers from all over the globe who are coming together for this international virtual event. Share stories and experiences in the session chats, or meet on camera at the small group Q&A.
Who knows… maybe you can team up with some of your new connections for future collaborations of your own!
Conference Schedule
Friday, September 6th
Room A
10 - 11:15am Eastern US time
Shannon Felt
Conference Welcome & Opening Talk: “What Exactly Do You Need to Go Freelance?”
Many English language teachers want to take the leap into freelance teaching, because the benefits are clear. You can set your own schedule and your own rates. You can finally teach what you want to teach and develop your own methods, courses, and brand. By cutting out the language school “middle man,” you have the potential to earn a lot more money. But… how do you get started? Do you need specific tech tools? A marketing background? A massive social media following out of the gate? To kick off this year’s Online TEFLpreneurship conference, let’s talk about what you really need to get started as a freelancer. It may not be exactly what you think!
Room A
11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time
Rhiannon Carter
“Mastering Your Mindset: the Secret Weapon You NEED in Your Online TEFL Business”
You’ve watched the webinars, you’ve read the blogs, you’ve even signed your first few clients! You are ready to get started as a TEFLpreneur. But wait… something is missing… In this talk, Rhiannon Carter shares exactly why developing your business mindset is just as important as mastering new technologies, tweaking your methodologies, or learning how to market yourself. You’ll discover what “mindset” means when it comes to running a TEFL business, the mindset traps Rhiannon herself has fallen into over the past 4 years of working for herself, and learn the most important mindset shifts that will make all the difference in your TEFLpreneur journey.
Room B
11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time
Teacher Little Mary
“Marketing Your Teaching Skills to Get Direct Students”
Did you know that an estimated 1.5 billion people across the globe are currently learning English? That means there are certainly enough students out there for you to start your own online teaching business and become successful in no time. No fancy computers nor beautiful spare rooms in your house required. All you need to get your first direct students are a couple of marketing strategies, your knowledge as a teacher, and a bunch of engaging ideas to retain your students and turn them into your word-of-mouth marketers. Does it sound too easy to be true? Even if you’re starting with zero students, Teacher Mary will guide you through the process of becoming a fully-booked online teacher in just a few months.
Room A
1 - 2pm Eastern US time
Karen Taylor
“The Color Vowel Approach: A ‘Must’ for All TEFLpreneurs”
Working for yourself means working *on* your business and *in* your business. Color Vowel® helps you with both! Learn how this simple but powerful method will boost your learners’ speaking success and make you fall in love with teaching all over again. Then find out how Color Vowel® licensing options give you the extra edge you need for effective client marketing, recruitment, and retention.
Room B
1 - 2pm Eastern US time
Carmen JOseph
“Building a Thriving In-Person ESL Business (Yes, Even as a Non-Native Speaker!)”
Are you thinking about starting your own English teaching business (online or in-person) but don’t know where to start? Carmen transformed a room in her home into a classroom and slowly but steadily grew her student base. In this session, she'll share her journey to success, offering insights on how you, too, can start your ESL business, even as a non-native speaker. Whether you teach online or prefer face-to-face interaction, Carmen's story and practical tips on finding your niche, setting your prices, and marketing locally will inspire and guide you to success.
Room A
2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time
Liz Bigler
“How I Learned to Love Online Teaching”
As one of the many teachers who was suddenly thrust online in 2020, Liz had to adapt her methodology in a hurry. But necessity is the mother of invention, as they say, and Liz quickly realized she actually preferred online teaching over in person. She’s now at the point where she’d much rather be online! Using Zoom, free basic tools available on Google, and a few other strategies, Liz can easily stay on top of her clients’ progress and conduct engaging, interactive lessons. In this session, she’ll demonstrate her favorite tips and tricks in real time - plus short recorded clips of exactly how she uses them with her clients.
Room B
2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time
Leo Roux
“Going Off-Road: How to Sidestep Anxiety and Enjoy Your Entrepreneurial Journey”
Sooner or later, many people get thoroughly stressed out when they start a business. Leo was one of those stressed-out entrepreneurs for over a decade, but he’s not so much anymore. To his surprise, this profound shift had nothing to do with his external ‘successes’ or ‘failures’. In this session, he shares the advice he would give his former business-self if he could go back in time 10 years. Interestingly enough, the advice wouldn’t be about ‘how-to’s and strategies, even though those are clearly essential aspects to starting and running a business. What Leo realized is that if you are prone to anxiety, perfectionism, and overthinking, no amount of external strategizing will save you from the saboteur inside your head. Leo learned a lot of things the (very) hard way, and if this sounds anything like you, he’d like to save you some of the trouble.
Room A
4 - 5pm Eastern US time
Nika Minchenko
“Attitude Matters: Managing Your School with Purpose”
“What impact does my work have on the world?” “What are my core values?” “How can I find joy in my work?” “How does my attitude shape my teaching business?” These questions helped Nika change her language school, kindling her daily motivation even during the war. In this session, she’s excited to share her uplifting journey of rebranding and transitioning from a Russian language school to a Ukrainian language school. It's her aspiration that this story serves as an inspiration, encouraging you to embark on your own path of growth, guided by your deeply held values.
**This is a pre-recorded session**
Room B
4 - 5pm Eastern US time
Peter J. Fullager
“The Whys and Hows of Creating LGBTQIA+-inclusive Materials”
You want to include everyone in your materials and classroom, but the traditionally-published resources consistently omit LGBTQIA+ identities. How can we represent queer identities in a usual way while respecting the community? In this session, Peter explores the need to represent LGBTQIA+ identities and shares some examples from his own materials of how this can be achieved.
**This is a pre-recorded session**
Saturday, September 7th
Room A
10 - 11am Eastern US time
Kirsten Smith
"Digging Deeper: Establishing My Niche as English for Mining Industry Professionals"
There is so much noise in the “teacher entrepreneur” sphere! So many people offering their insights and they often contradict each other. So how do you navigate your own transition into freelance teaching and find the confidence in your own abilities and decisions, while also trying to do it all? Listen as Kirsten shares her journey from the boardroom to the classroom. She will share some of the “mistakes” that she has made and how they have become her most powerful learnings that she has used as a springboard to propel her into the TEFLpreneur world. Worried that your niche is too specific? Join Kirsten to hear how she carved out a niche that’s about as specific as it gets!
Room B
10 - 11am Eastern US time
“Fluency MC” - Jason levine
“Motivating Students with Rhythm and Rhyme”
Music and song lyrics develop accuracy and fluency across all four skills. This workshop will focus on the unique role songs play in language learning by exploring issues surrounding memory and motivation. Join Jason Levine, better known as Fluency MC, to learn how to select songs, plan activities, and create materials that meet your students’ needs.
Room A
11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time
Alex Birmingham
"Where to Begin…? #thestruggleisreal"
Starting a career as a new teacher or freelancer looking to build your own business is an exciting yet nerve-wracking journey. The road is full of challenges—money worries, self-doubt, and figuring out how to market yourself. The fear of failure can be paralysing, making every decision feel huge. But don't worry! You’re not alone. Many have had to face these same hurdles, and Alex is one of them. Check out what he has to say now that he is putting the finishing touches on what he believes is the beginning of the new phase of his career, and why he has no intention of ever looking back.
Room B
11.30am - 12.30pm Eastern US time
Derek Callan
“A Decade in the Life of a Teacher Entrepreneur: Building Online Influence and Beyond”
In this talk, Derek will share his experiences of being a teacher entrepreneur over the last 11 years. He’ll talk about his reasons for going it alone, the first steps he took when he put his business online, the important things he’s learned along the way, and how it’s going now. Get ready for lots of practical advice and insights on a range of topics including running a YouTube channel, building an email list, how to structure landing pages, and much more. Hopefully, Derek’s insight will inspire your own entrepreneurial journey!
**This is a pre-recorded session**
Room A
1-2pm Eastern US time
Jacqueline Sedore & Rachel Laycook of the TEFL Lab
“Maximizing Your Planning and Admin Time as an EFL Teacher”
Working with adult learners to meet specific goals in their English learning journeys is incredibly rewarding, but can also require a lot of work. In this session, Jacqueline and Rachel will share their expert tips for maximizing your time spent on lesson planning and administrative tasks that teachers can use to reclaim their free time, leverage technology, and find space for additional classes (and earnings) in their schedules. Get expert tips on sourcing authentic materials and other lesson content, as well as how to use AI and free tools to get great results and save time outside of class.
Room B
1-2pm Eastern US time
Fergus Fadden
“Travel the World While Teaching English: A Guide to Digital Nomadism for Freelance ELT Professionals”
Are you an aspiring freelance English Language Teacher looking to embrace the digital nomad lifestyle? Join Fergus Fadden as he shares essential strategies for building a sustainable freelance teaching business while traveling the world. This session will provide actionable tips on how to manage your finances, secure online and in-person freelance teaching opportunities, and diversify your income streams. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your freelance business, this talk will equip you with the tools and insights needed to succeed as a digital nomad and independent ELT professional.
Room A
2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time
Karin Bates
“Bring Success into Your Freelancing Work with Confidence”
Looking for professional materials that will work in person or online, with small groups or 1:1? Join Karin to discover how you can teach with Intercambio’s Confidence and Connections curriculum. It’s designed to work well for students who want to learn authentic English and for teachers who want and need a curriculum backed by sound English language teaching principles but that is also easy to teach from. The name “Confidence and Connections” says it all: this curriculum builds skills, increases learner confidence, and inspires life-changing connections for all participants. Karin will share a little about the history of Intercambio, what "relationship-based ESOL” is, and how the Confidence and Connections curriculum can help teachers break into freelancing with confidence.
Room B
2:30 - 3:30pm Eastern US time
Nicola Prentis
“Making Money Doing (Almost) Nothing: Investing for ELT Professionals”
ELT is a hard-working industry not served well financially. Many of us have no idea where to start when it comes to money. Securing your financial future is an overlooked but key part of professional development, especially if you’re setting up your own teaching business. Join Nicola for a practical look at some basic investing concepts to help you grow your salary, increase your savings and start – or improve – a pension or retirement plan.
**This is a pre-recorded session**
Room A
4-5pm Eastern US time
Shannon Felt
“Ask a TEFLpreneur: Behind the Scenes of TEFL Horizons
Have you ever wished you could pull back the curtain on a successful online ELT business to see exactly how it’s running? Or wanted to sit down and pick a successful teflpreneur’s brain about the strategies that actually work, the logistics of earning money day to day, and the mistakes they’ve made along the way? Join Shannon for an interactive Q&A session in which you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at TEFL Horizons and will have the opportunity to ask anything you’ve ever wanted to know about how it all works.
Room B
4-5pm Eastern US time
Nik Peachey
“10 Things I’ve Learned About Building and Marketing My Own Products”
Many teachers have ideas for ways they can generate extra income or create their own business. Many of them stay as ideas and are never realised. Why is this and how can we overcome the inertia? Nik Peachey has been a freelance learning consultant, teacher trainer, blogger, author and publisher since 2007. In this talk he shares the story of how he got started and some of his successes and failures over the years as well as some insights into agile product development and how to build a sales pipeline.
**This is a pre-recorded session**
Sunday, September 8th
Room A
10 - 11am Eastern US time
Jelena Petkov
“Instagram: Build a Brand and Get Noticed”
Have you thought about using Instagram to attract paying students? In this session, Jelena will take you through her journey of building up her @CambridgeEnglish.Ellen Instagram account, where she now has 50,000 followers. She’ll share the way she uses Instagram to build an online presence, as well as why branding is the key to success. From there, she’ll take you through facing (and surviving!) competition and the different ways to market your teaching services and make a profit online.
Room B
10 - 11am Eastern US time
SHereen Jaff
“Stepping into Online Content Creation”
Are you a teacher who wants to build an online presence, but is hesitant to step into the online spotlight? Join Shereen (@anenglishnerd) for an empowering session on building your teacher brand online. Learn practical strategies to overcome camera shyness, generate engaging content ideas, and authentically showcase your expertise. Whether you're camera-shy or unsure where to start, this session will equip you with the confidence and tools to attract clients and share your teaching passion with the world!
Room A
11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time
Olga Kiriushina
“So You Want to Start a YouTube Channel…”
You don’t need fancy equipment and an over-the-top personality to create a YouTube channel with the goal of teaching English. You don’t even have to be a native English speaker. You do, however, need to become a sort of jack-of-all-trades in a way. Olga, the creator of YouTube channel Fluent English with Lady Giraffe, will teach you what the process of creating an educational video looks like, how long it takes (you’re in for a big surprise!), the basics of how the almighty YouTube algorithm works, what kind of skills you’re expected to acquire, what challenges you’re going to face when you decide to upload your first videos, and what being a small content creator feels like.
Room B
11:30am - 12:30pm Eastern US time
Boelo Van Der Pool
“Dyslexia... Problem or Opportunity? (Hint: it's the latter!)”
OMG. Another student with dyslexia. What should you do? Ignore him? Send him somewhere else? NO!!! Teach him! Treasure him! Make this your opportunity to gain new and more students. Get into a niche market that represents 10-15% of the population. In this workshop, Boelo will guide you through looking at what dyslexia is and what you can do to offer dyslexia-friendly language classes. And how you can make this an opportunity.
Room A
1 - 2:30pm Eastern US time
Shannon Felt
Closing Talk: “How to Succeed as an Online TEFLpreneur”
You’ve heard from the experts about the different aspects of the online ELT industry and all of the options out there for generating online income as a freelancer. You’re feeling inspired to get started! In this final session, we’ll go through the essential steps of taking the leap into freelancing, building your online teaching business, and the best ways to set yourself up for success as a TEFLpreneur.
Conference Tickets
🎟️
General Admission Ticket
✅ Access to live sessions each day
🔴 no access to replays or recordings of the conference sessions
🔴 no access to small group Q&A session on Saturday, September 14th
*no longer available as the live event has concluded*
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Premium Access ticket
🔴 Access to live sessions each day (*event has ended)
✅ Unlimited access to recordings of all sessions through Monday, October 7th
✅ Small group Q&A session with Shannon the following week (Saturday, September 14th)
Conference speakers
Karin Bates
Karin has over 30 years of experience teaching English to speakers of other languages of all ages and in multiple settings. Karin joined Intercambio Uniting Communities in January 2022 after most recently working for five years at a non-profit teaching English and adult basic education to immigrants and refugees.
As the TESOL Specialist, Karin is responsible for the training and ongoing development of teachers in The Intercambio Way, both locally and nationally, along with supporting the development of curriculum and materials. Karin received her M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) in 1995 from the University of Colorado at Denver. Additionally, Karin received her Adult Basic Education Authorization (ABEA) from the Colorado Department of Education in 2019.
Karin has experienced living overseas in the U.K., the People’s Republic of China, and Paris, France. She enjoys her monthly book club, binge watching series, and spending time with her two young adult children.
About Intercambio: Intercambio Uniting Communities is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Boulder, Colorado. Over the past 23 years, the organization has grown from a few volunteers visiting adult English language learners in their homes to thousands of participants throughout the country using their curriculum released in 2019: Confidence and Connections. Learn more about Intercambio here.
Liz Bigler
Liz Bigler specializes in helping advanced level Japanese speakers of English be understood “the first time.” Over her career, she has worked with many other types of learners. Based in Atlanta, her business became worldwide when she was forced online in the spring of 2020. Find out more about what she offers at biglerenglishcoaching.com.
Alex Birmingham
Alex has always had a genuine passion for both teaching and foreign languages. When these two interests come together, they create a vibrant language instructor with over 10 years of experience, leading Alex to become a teacher trainer. He has a knack for motivating and inspiring others to chase their dreams while making the most of their time and energy. As a lifelong learner, Alex believes that education is a continuous journey, and he’s dedicated to constantly improving his own skills along the way. You can find him on Instagram @englishville.online.
Derek Callan
Derek started working as an ESL teacher in 2004. Originally from Ireland, he has been living and working in Austria for over 20 years. Since the start of his career, he has focused on Business English and has completed over 10,000 hours of in-company teaching.
In 2012, after 8 years working as a freelancer for different language schools, he set up his first website and went out on his own. After cutting out the “middle man”, Derek was able to double his income and build a loyal client base.
He started the YouTube channel, English for Professionals, in 2019, and in the second half of 2020, he created and started selling his online course, Small Talk for Professionals.
Rhiannon Carter
Rhiannon has been working in and around the ELT industry since 2012, when she had her first teaching position in a summer school in Belgium. A few jobs in Spain and the UK later, she completed her DELTA in 2018, in which she focussed on creating a course which helped newcomers to the UK integrate as quickly and efficiently as possible. For her, language has always been a tool to get other stuff done - and she gets really frustrated by fusty course books and endless grammar exercises that suck the life and meaning out of English.
She now works as a Mindset Coach, helping language learners and teachers re-frame the role of English in their minds and lives and get them unstuck from the stultifying “right answer / wrong answer” framework with which so many of us have been taught to understand language learning. You can find out more about her work here.
Fergus Fadden
Born in rural Ireland, Fergus Fadden is a language teacher and teacher trainer. In addition to his native Ireland, he has lived and worked in France, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, the US, and Canada (where he now resides).
Since his early childhood family holidays to continental Europe, he has been passionate about language, people and exploring what the world has to offer.
Fergus gained his Cambridge ESOL DELTA in 2009 and has worked as a CELTA teacher trainer since 2011. In addition to running Integrated Skills (including the Integrated Skills YouTube channel), he works as an Instructional designer, creating eLearning for a variety of professions.
Shannon Felt
Shannon Felt is the founder of TEFL Horizons and has been an English language teacher and teacher trainer for over ten years. She holds a Cambridge CELTA and DELTA and is also a certified CELTA trainer.
Through TEFL Horizons, Shannon hosts Expand Your Horizons, an ELT podcast, and offers regular professional development webinars for teachers. She also trains teachers through her Online English Teacher certification course and helps current and prospective online teachers build their own freelance businesses in the Online TEFLpreneur program.
Shannon thoroughly enjoys the location-independence that comes with being a TEFLpreneur, and recently moved to Asheville, NC somewhat spontaneously. When she’s not teaching or training, you can often find her reading on a patio, planning her next travel adventure, or in search of more coffee and chocolate.
Peter J. Fullagar
Peter’s ELT career started in 2001 teaching English in Japan, followed by stints in Russia, Poland and the UK. Having taught for 17 years, which included IELTS examining, he ended his teaching career as head of department in a London college.
Since 2017, he has been a freelance writer and editor of ELT materials and more recently, has become a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant in ELT. Alongside reviewing material and creating guidelines for the big publishers, Peter creates his own materials and has recently branched out into giving training workshops. You can see more on his website, www.peterjfullagar.co.uk.
Shereen Jaff
Shereen is a seasoned English teacher with over 15 years of experience, dedicated to helping clients achieve clear and confident communication skills. In 2019, she launched her Instagram account @anenglishnerd, which has since grown to an impressive 135,000 followers. Leveraging her online presence, Shereen has successfully attracted a steady stream of clients.
Carmen Joseph
Carmen Joseph is a non-native ESL teacher who turned her enthusiasm for languages and cultures into a thriving in-person English teaching business. She passionately helps local immigrant women improve their English, speak with more confidence, and find community through private classes and small group classes, as well as social events. She runs her successful small business from her home in Northern Virginia, and is continually trying to find new ways to help even more women become confident English speakers. Find out more about her business at englishempowers.com.
Olga Kiriushina
Olga is a language learning enthusiast who loves sharing study tips with her fellow English learners. She created her YouTube channel, Fluent English with Lady Giraffe, in 2021, and it now has 14 thousand subscribers and almost half a million views. Olga is especially passionate about reading in foreign languages, dictionaries, and studying vocabulary and grammar.
Rachel Laycook
Rachel's EFL career spans more than a decade and has involved classroom teaching, performing linguistics research, and coaching and training teachers at a multinational Ed-Tech company.
As an adult language-learner herself, Rachel appreciates what's happening in the classroom from the teacher's and learners' perspectives, which heavily informs the work she does with co-founder and friend Jacqueline Sedore at The TEFL Lab, where the two design interactive content and curricula to help teachers of all experience levels to lead their students to success.
Jason Levine
Jason R Levine is an English teacher, trainer, and materials writer from the United States currently living in Paris, France. He has led student workshops and teacher training programs in twenty-two countries around the world based on the songs and videos he creates as Fluency MC.
Jason has published with Oxford University Press, Editions Didier, and Black Cat and works as an English Specialist with the U.S. Department of State. “Stick, Stuck, Stuck,” his music video to practice irregular verbs, has more than 50 million views across social media.
Nika Minchenko
Nika is the founder of the online Ukrainian language school VERBA, a YouTuber, and the author of Ukrainian Readers designed for Ukrainian language learners. She embarked on her online teaching career in 2013, initially teaching the Russian language for 9 years.
However, a significant turning point occurred with Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Nika made the conscious decision to cease teaching and speaking Russian entirely, fully transitioning to the Ukrainian language. Nika and her family were compelled to flee from the invasion twice: first in 2014 from Luhansk and then in 2022 from Irpin. Remarkably, the war has served as a catalyst for substantial professional growth.
Just a year and a half after rebranding, Nika's school VERBA achieved greater success than in all previous years. Nika's main mission is to facilitate the dissemination of the Ukrainian language and culture to a global audience, thus ensuring its rightful recognition and place in the world.
Nik Peachey
Nik Peachey is Director of Pedagogy at PeacheyPublications, an independent digital publishing and consultancy company that specialises in the design of digital learning materials, and is the editor of the Edtech & ELT newsletter. He has been involved in Education since 1990 as a teacher, trainer, educational consultant and project manager. He has more than 25 years experience of working specifically with online, remote and blended learning environments.
He has worked all over the world training teachers and developing innovative and creative products. He is a two-time British Council Innovations award winner and has been shortlisted six times. His customers include British Council, Eton College/EtonX, Open University, Google Creative Labs, OUP, CUP, Macmillan and International House.
His more recent projects have included two years as pedagogical manager for a 100% online school delivering language learning remotely to students in Brazil, Head of Content Development for EtonX a 100% online school owned by Eton College and content developer for an English and Interfaith Dialogue course designed for the British Council and Al-Azhar University in Cairo.
His books include:
ChatGPT in the Language Classroom
Team Building Activities for the Remote Classroom
Digital Tools for Teachers
Thinking Critically through Digital Media
Digital Video - A Manual for Language Teachers
Hacking Creativity
Conversation & Listening - A series of lessons for the digital classroom
He also co-edited Creativity in the ELT Classroom and Creativity and the Sustainable Development Goals for the British Council
You can find out more about what he shares on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Jelena Petkov
Jelena Petkov is an English language teacher who specialises in preparing students for Cambridge English Exams. She holds a university degree in English language and literature, and a Cambridge CELTA.
Little did she know that the moment she created her teacher Instagram account, (@CambridgeEnglish.Ellen) 4 years ago would become a significant milestone in her 17-year-long teaching journey. The world suddenly turned into a global village, and people from across the globe started entering her virtual (but very real) classroom. Her online courses, e-books, webinars and newsletter have helped myriads of high-flyers improve their English and pass Cambridge English exams.
Jelena lives in Novi Sad, Serbia, where she runs her Language Centre English with Ellen. Her motto — If it’s not fun, you’re not doing it right — is what she lives by in her classroom, business, and personal life.
Nicola Prentis
Nicola Prentis is a former EFL teacher and author of two award-winning Graded Readers as well as B2+ Speaking, Collins: Skills for Life.
Published books? Yes. Financial security? No. Until 2021, Nicola didn’t have a pension or any way of growing money, only savings sitting idle in a bank account while she worked all hours as a materials writer.
But, after she taught herself all about personal finance, Nicola realised pretty much everyone else in this industry had all the same blocks and lack of knowledge… because no-one teaches us about money. So, with a background in teaching and writing, the next step was obvious: create courses to teach other people what she’d learned about investing and putting money to work. Find out more at www.chilledinvestor.com.
Leo Roux
Leo is a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in language learning and linguistics (his focus at university), communicating and building relationships with clients (over a decade in massage therapy), and teaching (self defense and boxing).
After getting his CELTA in 2022, he realized he had no desire to bury his queer and trans identities in order to fit into the mainstream culture of traditional ELT. Instead, he set out to develop an online community for LGBTQIA+ English learners. He is passionate about providing an affirming learning environment, empowering queer learners to think critically and advocate for themselves in real-life English-language situations, and helping queer people around the world to connect with each other and find community.
Jacqueline Sedore
Jacqueline's career in EFL began with her TEFL certification in Santiago, Chile in 2009. Since then, she has taught countless adult learners of all levels, led TEFL certification courses through Bridge Education Group where she certified over 200 new teachers, and worked as an academic coordinator for a language institute in Chile.
In 2020, she partnered with friend and fellow teacher and linguist, Rachel Laycook, to create The TEFL Lab -- a platform that equips teachers of all experience levels with easy-to-use, pre-planned interactive lesson materials.
Kirsten Smith
Kirsten spent most of her career as a geologist/metallurgist in the mining industry, both in Australia and as an expat in South East Asia. As a senior processing engineer, she was not only responsible for developing innovative design choices for multi-million dollar processes, but in training and developing staff to follow in her footsteps.
As her career progressed, she felt less inspired by the high conflict world of the board room and more satisfied with watching others grow and embrace challenges head on. So when the time came to change course, she knew exactly which direction to go.
She has worked tirelessly in building her own English communication business online through 1-1 online programs, asynchronous learning programs, and online courses. It is her aspiration to empower more non-native English speaking mining industry professionals and to open the doors to the careers and opportunities they dream of. On a more personal level, becoming a TEFLpreneur also supports her own family’s move from Malaysia to Cairo to pursue their dream career and study opportunities.
Karen Taylor
Karen Taylor is founder and director of English Language Training Solutions, home of the Color Vowel Chart, a teaching tool she created in 1999. She holds an MA in TESOL from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a BA in English Literature from Georgetown University.
A former Fulbright TEFL Specialist, Karen was Practitioner in Residence at American University for nine years. She received Ed Tech’s 2020 Visionary Leader award for her work as Head of Education and serves on the board at Blue Canoe Learning Inc.
Teacher Little Mary
Maria, known on social media as Teacher Little Mary, has been working in the international education industry for more than 12 years and has held a wide variety of roles in language schools around the globe.
Her experience traveling to 36 countries and working with students of all backgrounds has helped her understand the market deeply, inspiring her to start her YouTube channel and her own business, Just Teach Method, which offers ready-to-teach ESL lessons.
Maria is a CertTESOL-qualified teacher and a mother of three, currently enjoying the benefits of living a digital nomad life thanks to her TEFL entrepreneurship.
Boelo van der Pool
Boelo (pronounced "Bulo") has been active in the language teaching industry since 1994. He's been a school owner, language coach, course developer, teacher trainer, and international researcher. Being dyslexic himself, he has spent the past five years developing dyslexia-friendly language teaching strategies that have already helped over 200 students in Spain and Latin America improve their English skills. He now works to help language schools and teachers worldwide to successfully gain new clients among the 10-15% of the population with a dyslexic brain.
Conference FAQs
💬 The conference was from Sept 6 - 8. Can I still sign up, even though those dates have passed?
Yes! Even though you’ve missed the live event, the recordings of all training sessions are still available online through Monday, October 7th. Once you purchase your Premium Access ticket, you’ll be immediately directed to the conference platform, where you’ll find all of the recorded presentations. Feel free to watch them all in order or skip around and prioritize what’s most interesting to you.
💬 I’m not in Eastern US time. What time is the conference in my country/ city?
You can use this time zone converter to check the local time where you are, or simply Google a different time zone converter if you prefer.
💬 Will I get a certificate of attendance?
No. Due to the number of participants, I am not able to offer personalized certificates of attendance. And honestly, this conference is all about Online TEFLpreneurship - in other words, going freelance and working for yourself! So the big takeaway from this event is what you’ll learn about starting your OWN teaching business - not a piece of paper to show an employer.
💬 How do I get the Zoom links for the conference sessions?
If you choose a Premium Access ticket, you’ll gain access to the conference platform, hosted on Teachable. You’ll be able to log in to this platform at any time. There, you’ll find the Zoom links for each session (the day they go live) as well as the recordings afterwards.
I’ll email all conference participants (General Admission and Premium Access) at the start of each conference day with the Zoom links for the sessions.
💬 Can I get a refund for my Premium Access ticket if my schedule changes and I can’t attend live or watch the replays in time?
No. Due to the virtual nature of this event, refunds are not available. That’s why I’m making the recorded sessions available for a full month after the live event ends - so you have plenty of time to watch the replays before your access expires.
💬 Is this worth my time and money?
This conference is designed to help you take the leap into freelance online teaching. So if you’re ready to take your online teaching career to the next level, then the answer is yes!
Are you hoping to get inspired by teachers just like you who built thriving online businesses? Do you want to learn more about becoming a successful freelance online English teacher - including how to market your lessons, find more students, earn a higher income, design your own courses, and create your own ELT resources? If the answer is yes, then I think you’ll absolutely love this conference.
💬 I’m not sure I’m interested in freelancing or starting my own online teaching business. Should I still attend?
If you’re curious about it, why not? Perhaps start with free General Admission so you can see some of the live sessions, risk-free. If you want to learn more or go deeper, you can always upgrade to Premium Access later.
💬 With a free General Admission ticket, can I still watch the replays/ get access to the recordings?
No. With General Admission, you can choose which sessions to attend live, but you will not have access to the replays afterwards.
💬 But there are two live sessions happening in each time slot! So with General Admission, I’ll have to miss one…?
Yes, unfortunately that means you’ll need to choose which of the two sessions to see live. The best way to enjoy all the sessions is to upgrade to a Premium Access ticket.
💬 Why is there a charge for Premium Access? Can’t you make the replays available for free?
Charging a small amount (only $17) for Premium Access helps to cover the significant time and effort it takes to organize and run this event. Most 3-day, international events in our industry have a significantly higher ticket fee. I did my best to make this event as accessible as possible, while still offering the highest possible value.
💬 What if I sign up with General Admission and then decide later that I want access to the recordings?
No problem! Just return to the ticket page and purchase a Premium Access ticket. You’ll instantly unlock access to the conference platform, which includes the recordings. You’ll have access to these from the time you purchase Premium Access until Monday, Oct 7th.
💬 Why do the Premium Access replays expire after a month?
This conference is intended to be a live event, not a self-study course. If you’re looking for ongoing, on-demand training about how to go freelance, then you’re a great candidate for my Online TEFLpreneur program!
💬 Will I be on camera?
No need to dress up; you will not be on camera for the conference sessions. 😁 The sessions will be “webinar style,” meaning you’ll be able to see and hear the presenter but you won’t be able to turn on your camera or mic.
If you purchase the Premium Access ticket, you WILL have the option to be on camera for the special Q&A and group coaching session the following week.
💬 Will I be able to interact live with the presenters and the other participants?
If you attend the live presentations, then yes! You’ll be able to interact and ask questions in the chat.
💬 How is this conference different from TEFL Horizons’ usual webinar series?
This is a full weekend virtual event that’s bringing teachers and industry experts together! You’ll hear from a whole variety of successful TEFLpreneurs; not just me.