OnlineBound with Elena Mutonono

Want to learn more about creating free events that will help you sell your programs? Check out my most recent episode on OnlineBound Premium: https://patreon.com/ElenaMutonono   In this podcast I answer the questions I get a lot, "How is free content different from paid one?" "Why do I need to create it?" "How can I make sure it leads people into action?" I share not just why free content is important, but also 3 main principles that turn boring content (like, words of the day or 5 rules for the Present Simple) into one that fires people up!

Get more actionable tips on getting your clients, regardless of algorithms, the economy and other factors that we blame for not being able to get clients. Sign up for weekly OnlineBound Premium on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/c/ElenaMutonono

The Premium Podcast is only for teachers who are ready to take action, and they want specific, ongoing guidance from me. Consider this podcast as online audio coaching because many of the tips I'll be sharing are the tips I share in my community and with private clients as well. When you join OnlineBound premium you get access to: Weekly podcasts full of actionable tips. Scripts with extra links and resources. 10% off on all of my courses and products. The podcast includes both strategic and mindset advice, and it will be reminiscent of ongoing coaching on demand, without the feedback loop. You can join at any time and stay for as long as you want. Go to patreon.com/elenamutonono (link in the description) to access your first batch of episodes.   

Friends, welcome to 2025! I hope this parable inspires you to reflect on what you want to achieve and what you're willing to give to achieve your goals in this new year. This parable was written by Yulia Minakova, inspired (possibly) by Stephen King's thriller "Needful Things," and translated by me. If you would like to learn to work sustainably in 2025, I invite you to check out my resources at my course page: https://courses.elenamutonono.com/ More new projects are coming, especially for all of you podcast lovers, so stay tuned!

In this episode, Aurelie Grihangne explains how she transformed her business in just a year. Like many teachers, she started teaching 1:1 on platforms that ate up all her time for little pay. She had a big audience on social media, but the long hours drained her energy and didn't leave time to create new content. She was struggling and didn't know how to move forward. After working with Elena, she started offering asynchronous programs and shifting away from 1:1. Now she has more time to experiment, create content, and her business is thriving! Your Best French Academy website

In this episode, Akvilė describes how she made the transition from working 8-12 hours a day down to just 3-4 hours. She started feeling burned out and knew she needed a change. When she first tried working asynchronously, it was an experiment that she did as "something extra" on top of 1:1 classes. But then a health challenge prompted her to switch completely. Now she has the freedom to work when she wants and has time to experiment with new approaches to teaching and marketing. Self-coaching has been crucial to reaching her goals. ADCM language school

In this episode, Maurice shares the transformation he's made from teaching 36 hours a week to just 24 with an asynchronous program. He's also got more energy and better hours. Before, he was stuck where many teachers are, selling his time and taking on as many students as he could manage. Now he can be more selective about who he works with. He's also been able to increase his income even though he's working fewer hours. And his students are more engaged and getting better results with his new approach to teaching.   Maurice's LinkedIn profile

In this episode, Phil describes his business journey and how he found the focus that made him successful. After struggling for several years, he was ready to quit - but he didn't. He shares some of the most important steps he took to reach his goals. One of those steps was taking up improv, which has given him more empathy for himself and his clients. It has allowed him to let go and stop getting in his own way. He's been able to bring this approach to his students and clients as well - to help them relax and enjoy learning.   Phil's Conversation website

In this episode, Petra Bozoradi describes her journey to becoming a sustainable business owner. After joining the Smart Teachers Library, she was able to transform her approach. Learning new teaching formats were the most valuable part of her experience. When she joined the Library, she was working 50 hours a week teaching 1:1 and creating materials. Now, she's making more in half the time with asynchronous lessons and no amount of money could make her go back to 50-hour weeks. Her Read, Learn, Speak program is a success!   Easy Hungarian website

In this episode, Vera von Flüe shares how working with a coach helped her to become more efficient. By changing her mindset, she was able to get the same results with less work. Now she doesn't feel so overwhelmed and has more energy for her clients. She no longer feels needy or pushy about selling, but just enjoys talking about her offer. Instead of being afraid of failure, she focuses on taking action and moving forward. This allows her to feel more confident and grateful for the success of her journey. Speak German Now website

Welcome to season 8 of OnlineBound! This season, I want to talk about the price of having a successful online teaching or coaching business and why we avoid paying it. After four years of documenting my own experience and talking with other teachers, I have many insights to share on this topic. It's a key component of building a sustainable business. Listen in to learn about three common forms of self-sabotage that I've observed. It's only once we go below the surface level that we can challenge ourselves to truly grow.   Episode link

Hey Friends! I'm so grateful you're here and I believe that I can help some of you make your business a reality. Here's how we can work together: Inside the Smart Teacher's Library: sign up for a waiting list to get a discount + bonus materials https://www.elenamutonono.com/smart-teachers-library-2/ 1:1 through my 8-week program called Business Clinic. To learn more, contact me directly through my website: https://www.elenamutonono.com/contact-elena-mutonono/ Through my courses and books: https://courses.elenamutonono.com/ Get 15% off on any course or book using the code PODCASTFAN15 I'm looking forward to seeing you enroll in my programs or courses and purchase my books! If you want to stay in the loop of what's happening in my world, sign up for my newsletter: www.elenamutonono.com/teacher ~Elena

In the Smart Teacher's Library we achieve sustainability in 3 steps:   By learning to teach in less time-consuming and more manageable formats. By building confidence and emotional resilience to market and sell programs. By collaborating with other teachers to grow our audiences faster. Join the Smart Teacher's Library today!  It's open for a few days, I hope you can join this time: https://www.elenamutonono.com/library-early-enrollment/ 

In this episode, Leo Roux shares his journey as a queer language teacher. After getting his CELTA certificate and starting to work with students, he noticed something wasn't right. Eventually, he realized that he didn't feel comfortable sharing his queer identity in the ELT community. Partly, this is because most ELT materials are biased toward straightness. He decided that he wanted to create a safe learning space for the queer community. Now he is able to be himself and provide a safe environment for queer language learners to thrive. Queer English website

In this episode, Clare Whitmell talks about her first experience hosting a summit. She shares her enthusiasm for collaboration and describes how she has changed her mindset about it. A year ago, Clare was very uncomfortable with the idea of collaborating because she felt insecure and feared rejection. But once she approached it with curiosity, things shifted. By using the self-coaching tools in the Smart Teacher's Library, she was able to overcome her anxieties. Now she fully embraces collaboration and is already planning future summits! English at Home website

In this episode, Chris Pontiroli describes all the changes she's made since she joined the Smart Teacher's Library. After months of hesitation, she gave it to herself as a birthday gift. Once she made the decision, she was all in and immediately started putting the ideas into practice. She's already sold her asynchronous programs to 70+ students in the past year. The Library brought a sense of community to what can be an otherwise lonely career. And the self-coaching tools have allowed her to shift her mindset - a total game changer. Chris's website

In this episode, Yann Le Bouhellec shares his journey as an online language teacher. After the first year, his calendar was full but he was looking for alternative ways of teaching. He tried to create an online course, but it ended up being even more work than his 1:1 sessions. He was wanted some direction and a support system to guide him. After discovering the Smart Teacher's Library, he's already making great progress. He's discovered the magic of asynchronous teaching and has already sold his first product! Yann's website

In this episode, Aude Bellezanne and I talk about the benefits of a supportive community. She shares her insights about how her mindset and approach to teaching have transformed. After receiving her teacher training in isolation during Covid, Aude had a lot of clients but was overwhelmed. She knew she wanted to make changes and that she needed support to do it. After joining the Smart Teacher's Library, she learned that she could charge more and say no without second-guessing herself. She also discovered the power of teaching asynchronously. Fearless French website

In this episode, I'm speaking with Luke Thompson who just reached a million YouTube subscribers! We talk about why he loves making content and the challenges he's faced. Luke explains why language teachers feel burned out over time, whether teaching in-person or online. For him, creating videos provides a lasting satisfaction that he felt was missing. He also talks about his struggles to commercialize his creativity through premium content. Finally, he shares techniques for staying focused and keeping a healthy mindset at work. Luke's ENGLISH Podcast website  

In this episode, Oli Cooke shares insights about how he was able to overcome a lifetime of anxiety. By using Rapid Resolution Therapy, he has shifted his mindset and his coaching. As a language teacher, he first understood the role of the unconscious mind in learning. He discovered that miscommunication with the unconscious prevents clear thinking. Currently, he's focused on helping online entrepreneurs overcome their anxieties about money. He explains how it's possible to shift your mindset to move beyond fear.   Oli Cooke Coaching website

Welcome to season 7 of OnlineBound! This season, I'm excited to share a revelation that has become an integral part of my business. To succeed, we need the power of evaluation. This can be scary for a lot of reasons. It's much more tempting to chase dopamine hits by running from one course, or program, or coach to the next, hoping for "the answer." Listen in to learn the three questions I ask myself after every launch. This was a game changer that took the focus off my disappointment and helped me move forward.   Link to the episode

Our Smart Teacher's Library is now open! I invite you to join and make changes to your business this year: https://www.elenamutonono.com/smart-teachers-library-2/   If you choose the annual membership, you get a bonus diagnostic session with me + a few other lovely goodies.   Looking forward to seeing you there, Elena

Welcome to 2024! Here's my tiny message to you, with some encouragement and a nudge to start moving towards building a sustainable business. First stop: my masterclass called From 1 to Infinity. https://www.elenamutonono.com/masterclass/ You can join and watch this 3-part training to get the tools and the how-tos on moving away from 1:1 classes AND you get an invite to my bonus class called Program Readiness Checklist, only available to the participants of the Masterclass! I hope you'll join yourself and invite your 1 teacher friend who might be exhausted from trading time for money. I can't wait to see you there! ~ Elena

In this episode, Szilvia Papp describes how self-coaching helped her when her business hit a plateau. Despite having a successful community on Patreon, she knew she needed support. She talks about how going through a difficult time in her personal life was affecting her business. She wanted to find a way to create more stability and take control of her emotions. Through the use of self-coaching tools, she was able to turn her anxiety into curiosity. Channeling that curiosity into trying new things allows her to grow her business without fear. Hungarian with Sziszi website

In this episode, I'm talking with Cara Leopold about the temptation to quit her small business. She shares her thoughts on what gives her motivation when she's facing doubt. We talk about mindset and how self-coaching can help us identify our blind spots. We also discuss the value of promoting yourself and how to get more comfortable with promotion. Finally, Cara shares her revelations about what she wasn't doing in the past and how to own her mistakes. This process has helped her focus on what's important - helping her clients.   Leo Listening website

Are you looking for support on your online language teaching journey? Are you building your business but finding yourself overwhelmed and overworked? If this podcast has helped you and if the values communicated through my work resonated with you, I want to invite you into our community today! The enrollment is currently open through December 5, and you're welcome to join (the bonuses are dope!). Listen as I talk about it (in my own words and with a grass mower somewhere in the background -- sorry), and I hope you join us today! Here's the link to sign up:  https://www.elenamutonono.com/library-early-enrollment/

In this episode, Nina Asseng talks about how self-coaching helped her to recover from a disappointing first launch. She broke free of her negativity and gained mental stability. After taking her "failure" very personally, Nina became overwhelmed by the rollercoaster of emotions that come with selling. She sought support in the Library to help her manage them. Now, she has the tools to analyze her results, learn from them, and adjust her approach. Her launches are more playful and natural, and she feels proud of all the hard work she's done.   German 4 Work website

In this episode, I'm talking with Masha Honcharova about how to move beyond ideas into taking action. She shares her transformation and describes her personal "aha" moment. She sought out coaching because she didn't have any family members who could advise her on her business. She knew she needed to find someone with similar experience. After spending years on courses, events, books, and other personal development, she decided to take the leap. And though it's been a big learning curve, she's getting results! English to Freedom Instagram

In this episode, Estefania Fernandez talks about how she was able to change her money mindset. This allowed her to raise her prices and adjust her beliefs about teaching. After months of trying to reach a specific goal, Estefania decided to get help. Within a few months of starting her coaching program, she succeeded in making 1k euros/month. Now she uses the self-coaching tools from the Smart Teacher's Library to analyze her strategy. This practice allows her to learn from her experiences and grow her business.   Auxiliar de Lenguas website

In this episode, Talita Nakagawa Rochetti describes how self-coaching helped her gain clarity. She went from feeling distracted and overwhelmed to becoming empowered. She talks about her initial struggles with selling and marketing, and how she overcame them. She also describes how she was able to stop procrastinating and be more autonomous. Now she self-coaches when something is holding her back and focuses on serving her clients. She's found that by gaining clarity herself, she's able to market more clearly too. Talitalearn website

In this episode, I'm speaking with Clare Whitmell, an online English teacher specializing in fluency. She tells the story of how she changed her mindset when nothing was working. For a long time she tried different strategies, looking for a tactic that would bring success. But with coaching, she realized that she needed to focus on her offer and how to launch it. Clare shares the ways that shifting her mindset has helped her feel confident about promoting her services. She's now saving time and getting better results than ever before.   English at Home website

My guest for this episode is Claudia Alvarez Calderon, an online teacher of Italian and Spanish. She shares her insights on how her confidence has grown over the past six months. She shares the reasons that she joined the Smart Teacher's Library and the benefits it has provided. She also talks about the power of community and having some accountability. We talk about how she's transitioning to teaching asynchronously, and the freedom it provides. She also shares the mindset shifts that come with teaching fewer 1:1 sessions.   Claudia's Spanglitalian YouTube channel

Hey Friends!   The Smart Teacher's Library is now open, and I hope you join us this time. There's a lot of materials to access, but I'm most excited about the group coaching, the collaborations and the self-coaching tools that will help you manage your emotions and shift the way you think about your  business and your future. If sustainability is something you want to pursue, join us to find support and guidance on this journey! Learn more here: https://www.elenamutonono.com/smart-teachers-library-2/ Elena

OnlineBound is a podcast for online language teachers and coaches who are tired of cramming more client hours into their day and look for ways to grow their business in a smart, lean and sustainable way. In this podcast we explore the topics of authenticity, sustainability, values, efficiency, resilience and creativity when running an online teaching business in an oversaturated language teaching market. Listen to the trailer to learn more about the mission of this podcast.

In this (final) episode of my mini-series on sales, I talk about the importance of making offers, why posting on social media doesn't qualify as "making an offer" and what you need to know about one of the most common objections your students will bring up, "Now is not the best time."   To dig deeper into the subject of selling something that's not 1:1 classes, check out my upcoming training on sales: https://www.elenamutonono.com/sell-asynchronous-program/    

In this episode you'll hear about selling on social media and through your other channel: podcast, blog, Youtube channel, etc. I break down the process of sales in several important lessons I've learned over the years and give examples from my own experience as someone who used to resent sales and thought they were random and chaotic.  Selling can actually be rewarding and help you grow as a person, especially if you want your message to sound authentic and compelling. If you want to learn more, join my training on sales at the end of this month: https://www.elenamutonono.com/sell-asynchronous-program/

In this episode I talk about my love-hate relationship with sales as an online language teacher. I resented sales for the longest time, which is why selling was too hard and unpleasant. But if there's anything I've learned from my struggle, it's this: the sooner you accept that sales are a part of your online teaching business journey, the sooner you'll be able to choose what to think about selling and how to improve your sales skills. Ready to learn more about sales? Join my 3-day training at the end of the month. You can participate live or watch the recordings, but joining now will give you access to 1-week support group on Telegram where you'll be able to ask questions and get coaching on strategies and mindset shifts necessary to improve your sales. Learn more and sign up here: https://www.elenamutonono.com/sell-asynchronous-program/

In this episode, Maritza Parra talks about the power of thoughts and how they shape our reality. She describes how strategies aren't enough if your thoughts keep you from acting. Maritza shares her own journey of overcoming shame and transforming the way she views making money. This allowed her to build her business the way she wanted it to be. She also talks about selling and the importance of selling to yourself first. Only when you convince yourself of the value of your offer can you begin to see results. Maritza Parra website

Check it out here: https://elenamutonono.podia.com/10-summer-program-templates    

In this episode, I'm talking with Tiffani Clairborne, founder of Speak English with Tiffani. She describes how she built a successful YouTube channel - with over 2 million subscribers! Tiffani's core motivation is service, and it drives everything she does. Her goal is to help as many people as she can and loves seeing how her work has changed people's lives. She emphasizes the idea that you should always do your best, but resist comparing yourself to others. Instead, admire other creators and use them as inspiration to better yourself.   Speak English with Tiffani website

My guest for this episode is Tatiana Klimova, founder of Russian Podcast and the Russian Dacha Community. She describes how she grew this project from a hobby into a full-time job. She emphasizes the importance of being clear about who your community is for. By filtering out people who aren't a good fit, she ensures that her members are enjoyable to work with. She also feels it's crucial to be open to criticism and listen to the needs of your audience. This has allowed her content to evolve over time based on feedback from her members. Russian Podcast website

In this episode, I'm talking with Annemarie Fowler, the founder of Speak Confident English. She shares her journey in building her own confidence as an online business owner. We discuss how she had to shift her mindset to get comfortable showing her face when she started working online. Then we get into the benefits of saying no and staying small. Annemarie describes the value of taking time off as a business owner and what she does to unplug. She also invites us to ask what success looks like to us and how we measure it.   Speak Confident English website

My guest for this episode is Vanessa, from Speak English with Vanessa. Listen as we share our ideas about how to keep a healthy balance between motherhood and business. Vanessa explains how she prepared her business for the transition to motherhood and the changes she had to make. She also talks about the importance of seeking support. She gives tips on how to shift your mindset to combat any feelings of guilt that arise. This includes knowing when to say no to extra work and taking time for yourself to recharge. Speak English with Vanessa website

In the second part of this interview with Olly Richards, we continue talking about the relationship we have with money as business owners and the anxiety that can result. He shares insights from his journey to separate his feelings of self-worth from the expectations of others and describes the benefits of non-attachment. He concludes by sharing how we can do our best work when we're in alignment with ourselves, our business, and our students to create the kind of energy which leads to great things.   Olly Richard's website: StoryLearning

In this episode, I'm speaking with Olly Richards, the founder of StoryLearning. In this first half of our interview, we discuss the importance of stories and the stress of growing a business. Olly describes the role of storytelling in language learning and how he built his methodology around it. He also shares what makes it so effective as a marketing tool for small businesses. Learn about the mindset shifts Olly made to scale his business, how he managed his anxieties throughout the process, and his thoughts on being successful yet small.   Olly Richard's website: StoryLearning

Welcome to season 5 of OnlineBound! I'm very inspired to share this new season with you because my guests are all online educators, and mostly language teachers. In this episode, I talk about my belief that expanding your mindset is the most important strategy for a successful launch and share stories about how I've transformed my mindset. Join me to gain some insights into how you can transform your thoughts and emotions to get better results for your next launch. It's a bit scary, but that's a necessary part of growth! Check the episode notes for more links and information: https://www.elenamutonono.com/2023/03/30/successful-launch/

OnlineBound is a podcast for online language teachers and coaches who are tired of cramming more client hours into their day and look for ways to grow their business in a smart, lean and sustainable way. In this podcast we explore the topics of authenticity, sustainability, values, efficiency, resilience and creativity when running an online teaching business in an oversaturated language teaching market. Listen to the trailer to learn more about the mission of this podcast.

In this episode, I'm sharing some reflections on burnout. I talk about my own experiences and what I realized about burnout at the end of last year. I also explain how I challenged the idea that consistent work leads to burnout. Now I find my tasks leave me more energized than ever! I'll also touch on how adjusting your mindset and boundaries can help you to be less affected by other people's criticisms.

In this episode I share my thoughts on how to remove the word "should" from your thoughts and reframe it with something more empowering.  You'll hear me talk about: How it's easy to give up when we compare ourselves to others. How a previous podcast guest, Marija Dobrovolska, felt pressured by gurus to grow and lost the heart of her business.  How we can use our experience as language teachers to help us reframe our thoughts about our business and our progress. How a mindset shift can get your brain to work for you instead of against you. At the end of this episode I'll share with you a poem I wrote called “Empowered." 

For full description, links and the transcript go to www.elenamutonono.com/podcast In this episode I share my thoughts on the idea of time, how we treat it and how it treats us. You'll hear me talk about: The notion of “time will heal all evils” or make all things better. The nature of time, how we can use it to our advantage and disadvantage. The concept of taking time to make a decision. The stories we tell ourselves about our relationship with time. At the end of this episode I'll share with you a poem I wrote called “A victim of time."   

It's easy to convince ourselves that we're not quite ready to try something new, and that we need to do something familiar first. In reality, this is just a stalling technique that prevents us from moving forward. The yes, but first thought loop can lead to endless excuses. Listen in to hear my suggestions on how to avoid this trap.