We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bertha Delgadillo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bertha below.

Bertha, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

As a Spanish language educator and content creator, I am honored to carry the title “TEACHER” and serve the students and professionals I train. Through seeking to understand their uniqueness and assets, my mission is to remind every educator and student of our power to uplift one another and not to lose hope in the personal or professional goals and dreams planted within us. Every educator can do this, but I do this through Spanish language teaching at the school where I hold a full-time position and through consulting and courses for language teachers.

As an educator, I know ALL people, particularly educators, have the power to help their students keep their dreams alive amid all adversity. I know this because I lived it. From the age of 11 until my high school and college years, it was my teachers who saw me as more than someone or a number taking up space in a classroom; they saw me as a human and took the time to learn about my story as an immigrant, my struggles of growing up undocumented, and they even went out of their way to learn how to support me. In middle school, I was taught English as a second language by my teacher, who went out of her way to get books that were a good fit for me so that I actually would read and grow in the language. Then, while in high school, I was taught about the importance of reading, writing, and voicing my narrative so that I could apply for scholarships, as it was the only way I could fund my out-of-state college expenses. Once I made it to college through literature, I reconnected with my native language. I also developed emotional intelligence through discussions and networking skills through community service opportunities brought to me by my professors. If it were not for all the outstanding educators who helped me reach the next step ahead when I almost stopped believing, I would not be a National Board Certified Spanish Educator nor a language consultant with even bigger hopes and dreams for the future.

It is difficult to sustain hope when we focus on the things we cannot control, but seeing others who share similar stories or challenging upbringings use their voices to shine light onto others reminds me that no matter how devalued others may perceive the teaching profession, the reality is that we are life changers.

For this reason, my mission is to continue to work towards becoming the best language educator I can be for my students and the teachers I serve because our country, in the middle of this teaching exodus, needs educators who can still hope and advocate for the future of their students and the teaching profession.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Though I graduated in 2006, I could not teach until 2013 due to my status at the time. Thanks to my mentor, Roman Czerwinski, I developed a passion for professional learning. As soon as I stepped into a classroom, I began reading books and blogs and watching YouTube videos to grow. I also scouted and attended teacher conferences, they are invigorating. I implemented changes as I began to process the many ideas other professionals shared. Soon after that, my supervisors started providing me with opportunities to share with other educators within my district. This allowed me to believe that beyond my students, I also had the ability to support teachers, so I asked myself in December 2019…Why limit yourself to supporting only the language teachers in your district? This is when my blog and company, Profesora Delgadillo LLC, was born.

Through Profesora Delgadillo, LLC, I train language departments nationwide on effective teaching practices, particularly for high school Spanish educators. However, many of the principles and strategies I work with are adaptable to other languages. I present at conferences often and have delivered keynotes on topics relevant to language education. I also support educators through my blog posts, YouTube channel, and social media posts.

Since launching Profesora Delgadillo, LLC, I am most proud that I have never quit this business while teaching full-time. I am so grateful to have been able to share with educators everything I could during the COVID years. Though those were difficult years for all educators and students, I am honored to have been able to share what was working for me during virtual and hybrid teaching with others. I received so many emails where educators shared their success stories.

Have you ever had to pivot?

It has not been easy to run my business while teaching full-time, and I have had moments where I have had to take breaks as I am the only person behind Profesora Delgadillo, LLC, writing blog posts, creating content, and providing training. I could hire a virtual assistant and know how to streamline, but I choose not to do that. Simply put, it is essential to clearly understand how one wants to grow and transform their business and at what speed. One thing that helped me understand this was being open to investing in hiring the right coaches. The right coach can help creatives make leaps in their journeys.

Furthermore, in 2022, I struggled with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and I had to recognize that operating my business on top of my full-time job was adding chronic stress to my life, so I had to take a step back and prioritize my health. Still, I did not give up as I have connected with other content creators in my niche who value community over competition and have supported me in staying accountable in this journey because that is exactly what entrepreneurship is: a beautiful, non-linear journey.

Currently, I am pivoting as I am limiting my speaking engagements as I am pursuing a doctoral program, so I am in a time of growth through reflection. I still attend my blog and online communities, and those educators who follow me closely understand as my business shifts over time because I am very transparent about my moves. I am sure that once I complete my doctoral degree, it will be time to pivot certain aspects of my business, but until then, I am content and grateful for what I have and can presently offer.

To others, my business may be small, and I could do way more to scale, but it is precisely what I need it to be for now. This, too, is the beauty of entrepreneurship: The level of success is up to the person with the vision.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Through operating Profesora Delgadillo, LLC, I quickly had to unlearn that the work hours of my business would determine my earnings. Coming from the mindset of a salaried employee, one expects to receive payment for the number of hours worked, and it is easy to let that mindset follow us as we transition into entrepreneurship, but that is not the case. I am happy that I realized this early in my business journey: The hours I put in do not dictate my income. What is more important than that is how one chooses to show up with their audience, and for this, systems, consistency, and authenticity are essential.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://profesoradelgadillo.com/blog/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/profesoradelgadillo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profesoradelgadillo/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bertha-delgadillo-nbct-52200746/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/profedelgadillo
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgQGV1d_hJHWwBV4CanuX_A