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Grow Your Tutoring Business Podcast
Why Some Tutors Succeed Faster (and It’s Not Just Luck)
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In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, Richard dives into a powerful mindset shift every tutor should consider: is success really about luck, or is it about consistent, strategic hard work? If you’ve ever looked at another tutoring business and thought “they’re just lucky,” this episode challenges that narrative and explores the true habits and actions that fuel business growth in the education space. Whether you’re new to tutoring or running an established tuition business, this conversation will help you reflect on how you’re showing up, and what consistent effort really looks like.
We’ll unpack how showing up for your business—on social media, in your community, and with your clients—can tip the balance in your favour. Learn why word of mouth still reigns supreme, why consistency trumps perfection, and how the most successful tutors combine mindset, visibility, and service quality to attract more students. If you’re serious about growing your tutoring business with intention (and without burnout), hit play now. And don’t forget to subscribe, like, and leave a review—it helps us reach more tutors like you.
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Make It Happen Mondays: Real Questions from Real Tutors
17:39|In this Q&A episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I answer real questions submitted during Make It Happen Mondays—my weekly live coaching session for tutors. We cover what to focus on when launching a new tutoring business or platform, how tutors can find their first clients, and how to design a simple customer journey that builds trust with parents. If you’re starting a tutoring business, relaunching your services, or feeling unsure where to put your energy first, this episode offers practical, experience-led guidance without the overwhelm.We also dive into some of the biggest growth questions tutors ask: how to move from 1-to-1 tutoring into group tuition, when (and how) to take on another tutor, how to fill daytime tuition slots, and the pros and cons of agencies, home education, and international tuition. This episode is ideal for tutors, teachers and education business owners who want to grow sustainably, increase income without burning out, and make confident decisions about scaling their tutoring business.https://www.tutorswhothrive.com/make-it-happenStop Relying on Last-Minute Enquiries
15:10|In this reflective episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I share something I wish I’d started sooner in 2025 — building an interest list for future students rather than relying on last-minute enquiries or traditional waiting lists. I talk openly about how this happened by accident, why it’s changing the way I grow Mr C’s Tutoring, and how nurturing parents early through content, workshops and light-touch offers can lead to stronger starts each September. If you run a tutoring business, offer 11+ or GCSE tuition, or rely on word-of-mouth marketing, this episode will help you rethink enquiries, demand, and sustainable growth.I also reflect on the wider evolution of my businesses, from setting clearer boundaries to rethinking memberships, courses, group tuition and long-term scale. We explore why waiting lists aren’t always a sign of success, how interest lists can support ethical growth, and what tutors should be doing now to prepare for 2026 and beyond. This episode is ideal for tutors, teachers, and education business owners who want to grow with intention, improve their marketing and onboarding systems, and build a tutoring business that feels calm, strategic, and future-focused rather than reactive.How Investing In Yourself Opens Doors
43:09|Investing in yourself isn’t just about spending money — it can be free, it can be paid, and it can be the daily choice to put time, effort and belief into your growth. In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I share what investing in myself actually looked like while I was still teaching: the books, podcasts, YouTube and social media voices that shaped my thinking, the mindset shifts that helped me take a leap of faith, and why “skin in the game” can create the energy you need to move forward.We’ll also talk about the impact — how personal development and business development go hand in hand, how investing in the right people can bring speed, clarity and confidence, and why the real return often comes through relationships, community and opportunities. If you’re a tutor, teacher, or tutoring business owner thinking about leaving the classroom, starting a tutoring business, growing your tutoring business, building online offers, or joining a course or membership, this episode will help you rethink what investment means and choose your next step with intention.When Teaching Breaks You… and Tutoring Builds You Back Up
19:05|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, Richard shares a powerful personal story about his mum and dad, a sliding-doors moment on a roundabout, and how heartbreak and hardship pushed his dad into action. He connects that family story to the journeys so many tutors and ex-teachers go through: the misalignment with school values, the pressure of targets, the emotional toll of staying in the classroom too long, and the moment you realise something has to change. If you’re a teacher thinking about leaving education, a tutor building a tuition business, or an online tutor wondering where your drive comes from (and why it sometimes disappears), this episode will really resonate.Richard explores how hardship can be the catalyst for ambition and legacy – whether that’s starting your own tutoring business, growing from 10 to 50+ students, or creating work–life balance that actually works for your family. He talks honestly about being “in the pit”, why you shouldn’t make big decisions when you’re at your lowest, and how to use frustration, burnout and “I’ll prove you wrong” energy as fuel to build something better. You’ll be encouraged to reflect on the stories, role models and key moments that shaped you as an educator, and be reminded that the work you do now as a tutor becomes part of your students’ stories – and sometimes, part of their children’s stories too.email: richard@tutorswhothrive.comTrust Your Gut: The Power of Instinct in Tutoring and Teaching
16:07|In this episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I’m talking about something we don’t give ourselves enough credit for: our professional instincts. I share a story from my early days in social services, where a primary mental health worker picked up on signs of domestic abuse before we’d even knocked on the door, just from subtle cues and experience. We dig into what that means for us as tutors, teachers and education professionals – how our brain, body and nervous system are constantly reading red flags and green flags in the children and families we work with, whether that’s safeguarding concerns, tricky parent conversations, or noticing when a child is actually ready to move on academically.We then bring it right into the tutoring room: spotting when a student is bored because the work is too easy, handling behaviour in small groups, recognising when a family isn’t the right fit, and noticing the things that quietly light you up in your tutoring business (hello, GCSE maths tutoring!). This is a reflective, honest episode for private tutors, tuition business owners and teachers who want to lean into their intuition, stay aligned with their values, and make better decisions about the students, parents and opportunities they say yes (or no) to.You’re Bloody Good at Your Job: Passion, Legacy and the Difference You Make
17:03|We forget how powerful our work is. In this solo episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I make the case that tutors aren’t “just tutors”—we change trajectories. From 11+ and GCSE breakthroughs to confidence, mindset and motivation, I explore the academic and emotional impact of tutoring: light-bulb moments, intrinsic motivation, and the long-term ripple effects into sixth form, university, careers and family life. If you’re a tuition business owner who needs a reminder of your value (and a few stories to share in your marketing), this one’s for you.You’ll get practical prompts to reflect on impact, build your “evidence bank” (testimonials, messages, results), and turn those into content that attracts ideal families. We’ll talk authentic branding, simple habits for consistent visibility, and why sharing wins (and the graft behind them) grows trust and bookings. Perfect for UK tutors, GCSE/11+ specialists, and tutoring business owners focused on client acquisition, student outcomes, and sustainable growth. Subscribe for more episodes on pricing, packaging, safeguarding, marketing and systems that help your tuition business thrive.Authenticity Sells: How Tutors Build Trust & Loyalty
14:12|Want to build an authentic audience for your tutoring business without feeling fake on social media? In this solo episode of Grow Your Tutoring Business, I share a practical framework for showing up as yourself, growing trust and loyalty, and turning followers into families who buy. We cover core values, consistent content habits, and real engagement (DMs, comments, voice notes) that help tutors create a personal brand parents actually believe in, without the over-polished, inauthentic stuff.I also reflect on how Tutors Who Thrive grew when I stopped performing and started speaking in my real voice, plus lessons from Lisa Johnson on consistent, values-led visibility. You’ll leave with simple steps to grow your audience, improve engagement, build an email list, and market your tuition services with integrity. Perfect for UK tutors, teacher-turned-tutors, and anyone who wants ethical marketing that leads to bookings.The Bait-and-Switch Killing Trust in Tuition
15:54|Feeling tempted to say “I’m not selling anything, come to this free thing”? In this solo episode, I unpack why that line erodes trust, first in you, and then across the wider tuition industry. I’ve seen this bait-and-switch approach in other sectors for years, and it’s now creeping into tutoring. I explain why it backfires (even if you don’t pitch on the webinar) and how it trains parents to be sceptical of all of us.Instead, I share a simple, ethical structure you can use today: be transparent about next steps, deliver a complete win in the free session, then invite—never pressure—the right people to continue. We’ll cover the “Promise → Proof → Path” framework, a permission-based CTA, and a quick checklist to audit your copy, design a useful free asset, set expectations, and nurture without tricks. If you care about trust, community, and long-term reputation, this one’s for you.Passion, Boundaries, and Better Business
13:01|In this reflective episode, I unpack a simple but slippery question: where does passion actually come from, and how do we use it well in our tutoring businesses? Fresh from a visit to a school’s IB cohort (mentoring project = very impressive!), I share what I told their sixth formers about running a great session—and how their questions led us into a wider chat about passion. Is it discovered by trying things, or is it something we already have that gets assigned to football, teaching, business… even fixing washing machines? We explore both sides, plus the role of boundaries—what to fold into your brand and what to keep purely for you.Then I bring it home with what’s changing for me: still loving the Kent Test/11+, but feeling pulled towards creating resources and opening up GCSE Maths again. We’ll talk seasons of passion, how to balance impact with life (hobbies, family, sanity), and how to notice when the thing that lit you up needs to evolve. If this resonates, or you’ve got your own “passion pivot”, I’d love to hear it. Drop me a message via the email in the show notes.thrive@tutorswhothrive.com