We were lucky to catch up with Ivana Kovacevic recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ivana, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Folks often look at a successful business and imagine it was an overnight success, but from what we’ve seen this is often far from the truth. We’d love to hear your scaling up story – walk us through how you grew over time – what were some of the big things you had to do to grow and what was that scaling up journey like?

I believe scaling up all comes down to patience and consistency. When I became self-employed, once I had a few regular clients, I tried my best to maintain a continued level of quality and professionalism in my work. This later translated to word of mouth, helping me gain additional business via referrals. Patience and consistency also lie behind all the educational content I provide on my Instagram page which is the reason behind my progressive follower/community growth. There will always be days when we feel overwhelmed, overworked, and, sometimes, undervalued. These hiccups are inevitable but should not get in the way of your overall vision. All great things truly take time, so if you’re looking to start a business of your own, be persistent, follow the goals you’ve set out for yourself, and be reflexive along the way – but do not give up.

Ivana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a teacher-turned-entrepreneur! I studied English and Sociology during my Undergraduate studies then pursued two teaching certifications and a Master’s Degree in Education. Back in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to open up a business. I quit my full-time role as an Academic Advisor at a private college in hopes of achieving the ability to be more creative and free in my line of work. During my university days and shortly after, I accumulated a variety of work experiences that were all unique in their own way. At most of these places, however, I found that I wasn’t reaching my full potential and was yet to find fulfillment. I decided to invest in a Business Coach and followed those who inspire me on social media to educate myself on how to run a small business effectively. Specializing in English literacy, I now privately teach students locally in Toronto, Canada, and online (for those living abroad). Aside from reading and writing lessons, I have gained experience helping students communicate with greater ease through coaching; both those learning English as a Second Language and those diagnosed with learning setbacks. I’ve collaborated with authors to create educational resources for their storybooks and have interviewed over 20 teachers via Instagram on different topics in our sector. I particularly enjoy helping others and learning from them along the way. I’m most proud of how far I have come in expanding my work over the past 3 years and look forward to experiencing what is to come in the near future.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I find that social media is very much like grammar; sure, there are guidelines and general rules one can follow, but there are also SO many exceptions and irregularities.

From 0 to 215,000 followers, here are some suggestions I can offer to those looking to build their social media presence (specifically on Instagram):

– Understand your niche and your ideal client
– Target your posts to your target audience
– Use hashtags that are relevant to your niche
– Create a simple and straight-forward bio and display name
– Upload a welcoming and high-quality profile picture
– Engage with your audience through lives, comment sections, DMs, etc.
– Use catchy intros in your short videos
– Review your analytics to understand the content your audience best responds to

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

Growing up, I’ve always been taught to work hard because hard, long work was associated with success. In my head, those who work less are typically less fortunate, so I constantly strived to work, whether it was at school or at my job. Over time, I noticed it had taken a toll on my physical and mental health. I had placed so much pressure on myself because of this notion of success that I wasn’t progressing. Through this awareness, I felt a major block. Ultimately, I had to unlearn this theory. Life is all about achieving a balance; whatever that might mean to you. Our jobs are a fragment of who we are and do not make up our entire identity. Very recently, I began working toward this balance – taking better care of my health, improving my relationships with others, and developing hobbies. Ideally, my vision is to, in fact, work less (at my job) while earning what I believe I deserve. As entrepreneurs, the best method would be to develop a stream (or more) of passive income that does not require you to sell your time. In doing so, we can focus our attention on additional activities that also bring us joy.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.heartoflearning.ca
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heart.of.learning/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivana-kovacevic-200801154/
• Other: Discord Community: The English Circle Email for more information: [email protected]