We were lucky to catch up with Charlotte Jimenez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Charlotte thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Being successful is not only about money, fame, or how people see you. It starts with how you see yourself and how you feel about what you are doing. I am not a multimillionaire and people don’t see me on national television but I feel successful because of all of the changes I have been able to adapt in my life, personal and professional. I had zero connection and what I have today is because of my work. Moving to New York from Spain, I found a school that sponsored me just sending my resume, there wasn’t any job offer, and somehow I made it. Then I found my way to Florida, and I managed to find a job, continue my studies, make friends, and last but not least give a good life to my daughter.

Charlotte, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a French teacher, and I started teaching online in 2014 way before the pandemic made it so popular. Then, I created my website where little by little I would upload courses. I am still teaching online today, and I have an Instagram account named @frenchwithcharlotte where I post useful content, such as daily sentences in French, and mini lessons based on grammar questions or every day life. I am trying to be authentic in everything I do and I won’t change the way I am working just to please people or the algorithm. If I don’t feel comfortable with something, then I won’t do it. However, I love reading and hearing feedbacks from my friends, students, coworkers, followers, and how one video impacted them and why, or what kind of post they would like to see. I am in love with human communication, I love people and getting to know them deeply. And I think that what contributes in making me a good teacher. I also have a passion for writing, which I share in a francophone newspaper in Florida, called Le Soleil de la Floride.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started in 2020 right before the pandemic, in January. I felt like I knew a lot and I was willing to share it. I was very shy at the beginning, I would film alone in the basement, and then it became a habit, I started to have fun. I try to stay authentic as much as I can. My posts are 95% directly related to French, and the other 5% can be pictures of a trip I took, or a place I went, to share a more personal aspect of myself. My stories are also related to French but on my daily life. However, I am not posting anything too personal, such as my daughter because I don’t want everything to be exposed to the world. So I would say, do what you’re good at, don’t do what makes you feel uncomfortable, take inspiration on others, but don’t copy paste, be yourself.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Usually, it’s word to mouth. People love to go to someone who has been recommended! I feel like they trust more. But also, I have some students that reach me via Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @frenchwithcharlotte