Free At 50 Interview: Claudia Medas on Escaping the 9-5 and Creating a Life of Professional Freedom Combining ESL and her Teaching Background
Introduction to Claudia of ESL Slides and the Free At 50 Interview Series
Claudia is young, energetic, and brilliant. She comes from Italy and at 26 years old already knows she wants to use her skills to create a life of professional freedom. She’s a certified teacher of English as a second language and loves it. She also loves watching her students get better at English. Her passion is clear in how she created beautiful and helpful material, launching ESLslides to share it with her fellow teachers.
Each interview in this series asks 8 questions to offer perspective on getting out of traditional corporate life. Enjoy reading about Claudia and get some inspiration today!
Disclosure: As a blogger, I use affiliate links sometimes! I may receive commission from purchases I share, but it does not change your price.
Image by Fabrizio_65 from Pixabay
1 Please tell us how, when, and why you decided to become an entrepreneur?
I have always wanted to become one and I finally took courage and did it at the end of 2020!
I lost my previous job during the pandemic, in the summer. I was at the beach and I received the bad news on the phone.
The following month I sent my CV to all kinds of companies but nobody could hire new people at that moment! I felt lost. Then I thought: this could be a sign! What I thought was bad news, could have been luck in disguise. During that period I realised it was time for me to start following my dreams.
I couldn’t think of what product I could ever sell, but I thought of a service: English lessons. During my last year at university, I worked as a teacher at an elementary school and I loved that experience. That’s why I decided to get certified as a teacher of English as a Second Language (ESL) and I started teaching online from the comfort of my own home!
And shortly after, I launched my blog to share with the world the material I create for my lessons.
Image by www_slon_pics from Pixabay
2 What inspired ESL slides?
When I started teaching, I used to spend hours looking for exercises and activities to give my students. I had to browse several websites to collect enough exercises to plan a fun and effective lesson. I soon realised I couldn’t keep doing that. I was wasting so much time, that I could’ve spent teaching!
By talking to some fellow teachers, I discovered I was not alone! When you’re looking for quality material, sometimes the struggle is real! That’s why I decided to create lesson plans and exercises and to share them with other teachers.
I discovered the most enjoyable activity I could ask for and I make other teachers’ lives easier! And since my material for ESL students is shared in presentations, I named my blog ESLslides.
Image by BUMIPUTRA from Pixabay
3 Did you utilize online resources, courses or coaches to build your business?
I followed the Launch Your Blog Biz course by Create&Go! I got inspired by Alex and Lauren’s (the course creators) successful business story and I decided to start mine as well!
They considered blogging as a full-time job since the launch of their website and made it a super successful business. I read their experience and I thought I wanted to live it as well. And now I’m using social media to share my posts, hoping to reach as many ESL teachers as I can.
Image by Jess Bailey from Pixabay
4 How did you determine your ideal client?
Through Facebook groups of fellow English teachers! I started sharing my content and I saw who kept engaging with my posts.
Also, I stayed in touch with people who took the ESL teaching certification course with me and I asked them what kind of material they need and look for online.
Image by Devanath from Pixabay
5 How long did it take you to meet your income goals?
I haven’t met them, yet!
But I’m working really hard to meet them by the end of this year. I launched my blog in February but I didn’t do much with it until the end of March. Now I’m working on it every day, it’s my job along with teaching ESL.
I can’t wait to reach my income goals!
Image by Tumisu from Pixabay
6 How has your life improved by being an entrepreneur?
I feel so free! I love waking up every day to do something I’m passionate about.
It’s like I can’t ever get tired of working. I like it so much I consider it as fun as a hobby.
I’m not gonna lie, sometimes it feels scary. Occasionally I feel like I don’t know what to do next and I get lost in never-ending to-do lists! But I immediately remember why I’m doing this and I get motivated to do everything I have to.
I want to be in control of my life and make each day fun, doing all things I’m passionate about.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
7 Please share one book you'd recommend for our readers and why.
It may sound cheesy, but I would highly recommend reading The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It surprises me that many people still don’t know about the law of attraction. If you really want something, and you truly believe you’re going to get it, it will happen. Stay always positive and grateful!
I heard of it many years ago and sort of forgot it. Then, one day during my job searching, I saw a successful blogger recommending it. I knew I had to buy it. I read it, highlighted the sentences that most resonate with me and I kept reading it back-to-back for weeks.
I feel like it gives me the motivation I need to keep going and it makes me believe in myself.
Image by DarkmoonArt_de from Pixabay
8 What is the biggest tip you would give someone wanting to start their own business? (if you have 2 or 3 you'd like to share, feel free!)
START NOW! I wish I would have started my business much sooner. I started a blog in 2013 and I soon stopped posting because I was afraid my friends and family could see it. I used to find it embarrassing.
Only now I realise how great it feels to create content you’re passionate about and I’m so proud of it that I want to share it with the whole world.
Don’t waste time thinking about it, just start! You’ll always feel too tired, busy, not qualified or good enough…Those are excuses that you will probably regret in the long run. Take the leap and trust yourself! You are capable of anything you put your mind to.
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