We recently connected with Jessalyn Burden and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jessalyn, thanks for joining us today. Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

I don’t know about other business owners, but for me, I can definitely say I’m happier overall as a business owner than I ever was before. That doesn’t mean I don’t constantly wonder if I’ve made a mistake or taken on too much with limited business experience. During those seasons when I’ve gone a full month or two without signing a new full-time client, I find myself wondering, Am I going to make it? Am I cut out for this?
For a little backstory: I earned my degrees in elementary and special education in 2020 and went on to work in a public elementary school as a 3rd-grade inclusion teacher in Mississippi, then later as a K–5 ESE (Exceptional Student Education) teacher at a dual-language school in South Florida. This is where the “happier overall” part really comes in. As most teachers can probably tell you, especially brand-new ones, starting out in a teaching career in the middle of a global pandemic, when no one knew what was going on or what they were doing, was nothing short of a nightmare.
There were positive aspects, though. I loved working with the kids who needed that extra one-on-one support, and I loved helping their teachers learn more about accommodations and special education. I loved calling parents when I had something positive to report—even if it was simply that their child with ADHD and Autism sat through an entire lesson.
Ultimately, the main reason I chose to leave public education was the politics of everything. I loved my principal and my mentor; they advocated for me when parents called demanding to see my credentials because I hadn’t pulled their child for interventions yet that week. They did their best to hire more ESE teachers, because when I started, I was the only one for the entire K–5 school. I carried a caseload of 55–65 students all year, and as you can probably imagine, it was absolutely impossible to meet each child’s needs, support them inside the classroom, pull them for small-group lessons and testing, write their IEPs, and attend every meeting.
I came home exhausted and defeated every day after my 45-minute commute. Even though I was doing a million different things, I felt like I was hardly accomplishing anything. I wasn’t happy.
So in June 2022, only two years after graduating, I took the biggest leap of my life. With my husband supporting me both financially and emotionally, I launched Inspired Tutors. In the beginning, I naively expected to be overwhelmed with parents asking for support. At the time, I was only offering K–6 ELA and math individualized online lessons. There has been steady growth, but I quickly learned that just because you start a business and you know people, it doesn’t mean it will be easy. I’ve had to constantly prove to parents that online learning is possible, flexible, and just as effective as in-person instruction—sometimes even better. That’s why I rely so heavily on parent testimonials; parents want to hear from other parents.
I now offer attendance at IEP meetings, homeschool support, and test prep in addition to regular lessons. I even have another highly qualified tutor working with me!
So, yes, I know exactly what it’s like to have a “regular job,” and that’s why I work so hard to make my business succeed, because I can’t imagine ever going back.

Jessalyn, 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 believe what truly sets me apart from other online tutoring businesses is the level of personalization I offer. I want my students to get to know me — and for me to genuinely get to know them — just as if we were sitting together in the same room. I maintain consistent communication with their parents, (teachers, and therapists as needed) so that everyone is always on the same page and working toward a common goal.
For me, this is so much more than just a business. I’m helping prepare students for middle school, high school, and even college by showing them their potential and helping them build confidence in themselves as learners. My approach is not about drilling worksheets or checking boxes; it’s about understanding who each child is, how they learn, what motivates them, and how to make them feel capable and supported.
One of the things I’m most proud of is the trust families place in me. I’ve worked with students who were barely passing and watched them grow into confident, independent learners who participate in class, complete work without tears, and begin to enjoy learning again. Seeing that kind of transformation is what drives me every single day.
I also want potential clients to know that Inspired Tutors was intentionally built small. I don’t want to be a tutoring factory. I want every family to feel known, supported, and valued. Whether I’m attending an IEP meeting, creating a personalized lesson plan, or simply sending parents an update after a great session, I want them to feel like they have someone in their corner who genuinely cares about their child’s success.
My motto is “Inspiring Confidence, Unlocking Potential” and I try to stand by that every single day.

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

As I mentioned earlier, parents trust other parents. The best source of new clients has honestly just been current clients talking about Inspired Tutors to their friends, family, and school community. When you’re entrusting a part of your child’s education to a complete stranger, that small level of initial trust is so important.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Authenticity. I think that’s been the biggest factor in building my reputation. If someone looked at my social media and compared my business page to my personal page, they’d see the same message and the same person behind both. Sure, I share more of my family and everyday adventures on my personal accounts and more of the educational side on my business accounts, but they’re still intertwined. The person you see online is the person you meet in real life. I’m consistent, genuine, and unapologetically myself, and I think people connect with that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.inspiredtutors.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiredtutors/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InspiredTutoring
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessalyn-burden-616237213/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Inspiredtutors

Image Credits

These are my personal photos