The February Freelance Challenge
Does this sound like you?
You WANT to teach adult ESL online…
But you have no idea where to start. Do you need a website? A massive social media following? How do you set that stuff up? And what do you do with it once you have it?
You’re thinking about joining a platform like Preply, Cambly, or iTalki, but you’re not sure it’s the right move.
You’ve heard the only real option is teaching kids in China. Isn’t there a way to reach adult learners in other parts of the world?
You’re afraid the market is already oversaturated with online English teachers and it will be impossible to find students.
OR you ALREADY teach English online…
But you’re not having much luck booking students. They’re all using DuoLingo or AI these days, aren’t they?
You work for a language school or online platform that takes a cut of your pay. You’re ready to do this on your own, set your own prices, and keep what you earn.
You have social media followers, but you can’t seem to turn them into paying clients.
You’ve got a website set up, but no one’s visiting it. What are you doing wrong?
You have some one on one students… now you’re thinking about launching a group course. You just aren’t sure how. Will people sign up?
Join the February Freelance Challenge
…and learn how to branch out on your own, market your teaching skills, and book more students!
10 days of practical training, targeted action, and helpful feedback
Here’s how the challenge works:
Each day during Week 1, from Monday, February 17th - Friday, February 21, I’ll post a short video training on the challenge platform - you can log in and watch whenever you’re ready.
Then each day during Week 2 - from Monday, February 24 - Friday February 28 - at 11am Eastern time (4pm GMT), I’ll host a live workshop on Zoom where we’ll dive deeper into each of the trainings from Week 1.
Each training video will include exercises to map out your freelance strategies. And in each live workshop, I’ll give you concrete action steps to propel you forward as an ELT freelancer.
In the challenge community, you can ask questions, respond to daily prompts, share progress on your action steps, connect with your fellow freelancers, and get my tailored feedback on your strategies and ideas.
Here’s what You’ll Accomplish…
Step 1: Find Your Superpower
You'll learn how to narrow your focus to a more specific niche, based on your personal teaching "superpower." You'll kick off the challenge by answering the question: "Who is my ideal client?"
Mon, Week 1 (February 17): Watch the video training & do the action steps
Mon, Week 2 (February 24): Find your Superpower Live Workshop - 11am Eastern/ 4pm GMT
Step 2: Craft Your Offer
Next, you’ll brainstorm what you can teach and how you can teach it (trust me, there are more possibilities than you think!) and you’ll start to bring your initial offer into focus. We'll talk through the logistics, the details, the pricing, the challenges, and the benefits! You’ll answer the question: "What can I offer to help my ideal clients?"
Tues, Week 1 (February 18): Watch the video training & do the action steps
Tues, Week 2 (February 25): Craft Your Offer Live Workshop - 11am Eastern/ 4pm GMT
Step 3: Set Up Your Platforms
Let's untangle your tech! We'll determine what exactly you need for your offer and then look at easy (and affordable) options for a website, course platform, and anything else you might need. And don't worry... even if you're tech-challenged, I'll show you how to make this work for you! You'll answer the question: "Where will I set up my ‘home base’ online?”
Wed, Week 1 (February 19): Watch the video training & do the action steps
Wed, Week 2 (February 26): Set Up Your Platforms Live Workshop - 11am Eastern/ 4pm GMT
Step 4: Magnetize Your Marketing
You've got the skills... it's time to learn how to to sell them. We'll go through simple but essential marketing strategies so you can get eyes on your offer and attract the right students. It’s time to answer the question: "How will I find clients?'
Thurs, Week 1 (February 20): Watch the video training & do the action steps
Thurs, Week 2 (February 27): Magnetize Your Marketing Live Workshop - 11am Eastern/ 4pm GMT
Step 5: Master Your Mindset
The final piece of the puzzle is… you! We'll dive into one of the most important yet underestimated factors in your success as a freelancer: your mindset. You'll learn why this matters and how to cultivate an attitude of proactivity and success. No need to answer the question “What are you waiting for?” — you’ll be off and running as a freelance teacher!
Fri, Week 1 (February 21): Watch the video training & do the action steps
Fri, Week 2 (February 28): Master Your Mindset Live Workshop - 11am Eastern/ 4pm GMT
Questions?
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The challenge is mainly hosted on a platform called Mighty Networks, which will serve as our challenge hub and community throughout the ten days.
After you register for the challenge, you’ll be invited to join the community. That’s where you’ll be able to log in and access everything related to the challenge each day. The videos will be posted there, as well as the Zoom links for the live workshops, the daily action steps, and the replays for each workshop.
The community is also where you can interact with your fellow challenge participants and post your ideas so I can give you feedback!
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Yes, we’ll do a live workshop each day of Week 2 (Monday, February 24 - Friday, February 28) at 11am Eastern time. Please use this time zone converter to check the local start time for you.
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That’s totally fine! I’ll post the replay of each day’s workshop on the conference platform so you won’t miss anything. Just make sure you watch the videos and recordings before the challenge ends on Sunday, March 2nd.
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No, not this time. While I often host professional development webinars about teaching methodology, this is about how to set yourself up as a freelance language teacher. So I’m assuming you’ve got the teaching skills already - I’m going to show you how to market those skills and book clients.
Since this challenge is all about working for yourself, so there’s no need for a certificate. What you learn will be much more valuable than any piece of paper!
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No. You’ll only have access to the videos, replays, and challenge platform until the challenge ends on Sunday, March 2nd. This is meant to be a short-term live event that propels you to take action… not a self-study course.
If you’re looking for ongoing support in building your ELT business, join me in Online TEFLpreneur, my business coaching program specifically for freelance ESL teachers. I’d love to work with you every step of the way.
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Yes! Even if you’ve already gotten started in your freelance teaching career (i.e. you’ve set up your website, you’ve already found some students on your own, etc) you’ll still get a lot out of this challenge. Expect to walk away with new ideas, strategies to market your teaching more impactfully, and refreshed motivation.
What’s your background? How do you know about freelancing online?
I’m Shannon - nice to meet you! I’m a CELTA and DELTA certified teacher and teacher trainer. I’ve taught English and trained English teachers for many years in all different contexts, and I also work as a Cambridge CELTA tutor, course & curriculum designer, and ELT consultant.
By the end of 2018, I was working full-time as a CELTA trainer and had recently been promoted to Director of Teacher Training at the center where I worked. I’d managed to turn my love of ELT into a stable career.
But I wasn’t exactly living the dream. I wanted more freedom in my location, my work, and my income.
So I decided to take the leap and start my own business. I used the skills and experience I already had as a teacher/ trainer and combined it with simple but essential business & marketing techniques. I started developing my own courses and programs and attracting my ideal clients.
Now, I make my own schedule, set my own prices, and teach only what I’m truly excited about. There’s no limit to how much I can earn, the clients I can reach, and the impact I can have.
It didn’t happen overnight, but my life changed for the better once I set up my business and started working for myself instead of someone else.
And making the decision to go freelance - to take that very first step - was what started it all.