We recently connected with Ethleen Sawyerr and have shared our conversation below.

Ethleen, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Overall, being a business owner brings me much more joy than I ever had while working for someone else. Despite the ups and downs of business (especially in this economy), I wouldn’t return to a 9-to-5 job for anything. However, I’d be lying if I said the thought doesn’t cross my mind every so often.

The last time I thought about giving up the business and going to work for someone else was about two months ago. Yes, it was that recent. Inflation has taken a toll on me. “Financial security” is a phrase that keeps popping up in conversations I’ve been having recently. The pandemic is still going on, and just about every other news report is about how we’re on the verge of a recession or depression. It’s exhausting having to hear these kinds of things day in and day out. I go to a restaurant or grocery store and literally feel the impact of the economy on my wallet. No matter where I turn, there’s another reminder that prices are still rising.

It wouldn’t be too difficult to “close shop” and get a six-figure corporate gig somewhere. But I think about all the literal blood, sweat, and tears that have been poured into this business. I’m not the only one who’s made sacrifices. In moments when I want to give up, I think about my team members and how hard they work. They’re doing everything they can to make this business a success, so that encourages me to word even harder. It’s one thing to be a sole proprietor and pack up whenever you want because you’re the only one impacted by your decisions. It’s another to have people who depend on the paycheck they make each month for their livelihood. Sure, they can always find other jobs that likely pay better, but I think they’re vested in this company. At the end of the day, I don’t quit being a business owner because I’ve come too far to walk away now.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m Ethleen Sawyerr, and I’m the founder of Speak Write Play, LLC. We provide editing and proofreading services for authors and small business owners, tutoring for K-8 students, and English instruction to speakers of other languages.

I’ve worked with people from other countries for a large part of my life. As an immigrant, I know how hard it is to navigate life in a new country when you don’t speak the language. I came to this country when I was young, so things were easier for me. However, the hurdles immigrants have to jump through to “make it” continue to pile up.

The idea for Speak Write Play came after a conversation with a former client from a previous job. He was in the US studying English and suggested I consider working with non-English speakers. I thought about our conversation for months. Finally, after about nine months, I decided to take the leap.

Our clients vary, so we solve numerous problems. For students struggling academically, we teach them effective learning strategies. For self-publishing authors, we fine-tune their manuscripts for publication. For non-English speakers, we help them get closer to reaching English fluency. We also do everything in between. We’re cheerleaders, confidants, and advisors when necessary.

The amount of time and attention we give each client is definitely what sets us apart. Our clients come to us with a need. They could go anywhere, but they choose to work with us. That is a huge honor that we do not take lightly. I’d say each team member goes above and beyond to deliver stellar services because we value our clients.

I am proud of the brand we’ve built. Clients who work with us know they are in good hands. They’ve read our reviews, asked around about us, and done their due diligence. They know they will receive superior services worth every penny they spend.

I want potential clients to know that they can trust us because we will deliver. We aren’t out to win as many clients as possible. We want to work with the clients we can best serve. If we’re not a good fit, we can recommend some other companies to work with. We won’t just take on a project for the sake of saying we were part of it. We work with clients and on projects that we believe in and can add value to.

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

Our largest audience is on Twitter, and we built it one follower at a time. For the first two years, we only had a few hundred followers. I wasn’t happy with that because I knew we had awesome content for English learners on there. I decided to change my approach. Instead of trying to follow what others were doing, I infused my personality and instruction style into the platform. I started treating the followers on Twitter as if they were my students in a classroom. That was it. Once I started doing that, people started flocking to the account. In total, I’ve probably spent $100 on Twitter advertising over the last seven years. It wasn’t fruitful for us, so we stopped doing that. Although there are plenty of language learning platforms with larger audiences, I know that the people who currently follow us continue to do so because they receive value from the content.

Instead of trying to do what everybody else is doing, find out what you bring to the table and offer that to your followers. Our audience didn’t grow overnight. It’s taken years to get to where we are. It may take you a few years to get just 1,000 followers, but that’s okay. You want to focus on having followers who engage with your content than just having a large number of random accounts following you.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

We’ve received a number of new clients after attending conferences this year. I go, set up our table, and speak with participants as they walk past. I’m not pushy or forceful in trying to make a sale or gain a lead. Instead, I have sincere conversations with participants and look for opportunities to show that I know what I’m talking about. Being able to address a potential client’s problem is something that helps us greatly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://speakwriteplay.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakwriteplay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeakWritePlayEnglish
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/68045339
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpeakWritePlay
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/speakwriteplayinenglish

Image Credits
Alex Adkins