This is a special one-off episode for my upcoming event, Sumantha's Online Summit 2026.

I invited tutors to share their game-changing moments in their tutoring business and journey.

You'll hear from:

Sarah - how she stopped 11+ tutoring because it didn't feel aligned.

Claire - her moment when she realised she could do things her way.

Sophie - when she decided to be her true, neurodivergent self and how it changed everything.

Sophia - her realisation that progress is progress, even during challenging times.

Claire - how letting go of what other people thought was liberating.

Maria - how asking parents what they wanted transformed her business.

Anita - how changing the content of testimonials transformed how many students she attracted.

Miralee - how tuning into what truly lights you up changes everything.

It's a corker of an episode, and I hope you'll join us for the tutoring event of the year!

Upgrade Your Education Business Summit

Sumantha

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👋🏽 Hello! I'm Sumantha McMahon, and I've supported over 100 tutors and education business owners.

As a teacher 'dropout' turned professional tutor, combined with my 20+ years as a business owner, I'm in it with you! Yes, I'm qualified too :-)

My training leans on tried-and-tested methods that are completely tailored to our niche.

Work with me to breathe life into YOUR definition of success:

#1 Bespoke 1:1 Mentoring

High-touch 6-month programme for tutors who want to make their business more lucrative, in a sustainable way for the future, while protecting the impact they make.

#2 The Tutors' Mastermind

The leading membership for tutors that combines tailored training (live and recorded), a community of like-minded business owners and exclusive discounts.

This podcast is recorded using Riverside. Sign up for your account here (free plan available)

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Sometimes, I share links to resources and apps that I recommend. They are all based on my experience - if I don't love them, I don't recommend them. In some cases, I earn a small commission for my recommendation, at no cost to you.

© 2024 Sumantha McMahon

This week I have a cold, so it is the perfect timing for this very special episode. If you have not already heard, I am running a summit for tutors called Samantha’s Online Summit 2026.

So wherever you are in the world, as long as the time difference works for you, you are very welcome to attend. If you attend live on the day, it is completely free.

If you want to pay a little extra for some additional support, the VIP pass gives you access to recordings and special do it with me sessions.

If you head to upgrade your education business dot com, you will see a button in the top right corner that will take you straight to the summit.

My goal with this summit was to bring our community together and hear from as many voices as possible. That is why I am not speaking on the main day.

Instead, I am running a VIP session because I did not want to take up space. I really wanted this to be about the wider tutoring community.

With that in mind, I invited several tutors who pitched ideas to help me create a very special episode for the podcast.

I asked each of them the same question. What was a light bulb moment that truly changed how you approached your tutoring business or practice?

This question is completely aligned with the theme of the summit, which is redefining what is possible.

I am going to let you hear their insights in their own words, and I really hope you enjoy listening to these conversations.

Hello, I am Sarah. I live in Devon, and five years ago I left school to start my own tuition business with my business partner, Liz Vanko.

We run an outreach alternative provision across four local authorities in the South West, working with a team of tutors both online and face to face.

When we first met, your business looked very different. I remember that turning point when you shared an idea that started with a Facebook group and then grew from there.

That was when you really became known as a go to and began specialising in alternative provision.

You mentioned that this shift was a real journey. I would love you to talk about the light bulb moment that helped you think differently about your business.

When we started, Liz and I were both primary school teachers aiming to offer English and maths tuition for Year 6 and 11 plus.

It never really sat comfortably with us. We both wanted to work in alternative provision and started doing a lot of business reading.

One of the books we read was Get Different. We were also part of an 11 plus Facebook group with thousands of parents.

We posted regularly, but everyone was saying the same things about confidence and grades, and it made me feel really uncomfortable.

I did not feel true to myself. Reading Get Different helped us rethink our values and put relationships and trauma informed practice at the centre.

We realised we were offering 11 plus tuition because we thought we should, not because it aligned with who we were.

I have spoken to several people for this episode and a clear theme has emerged around removing the shoulds and stepping away from what everyone else is doing.

It is about knowing when to say no, understanding why you are saying no, and choosing what truly aligns with your values.

When you align your work with what lights you up, it completely changes how you support people.

There are trends in tutoring. At different times people say this is where the money is or that is where the money is.

Whether it is 11 plus, online tutoring, group tuition or alternative provision, none of these paths are easy.

If you choose the wrong path for you, it becomes twice as hard.

You shared that you did not have a successful school experience yourself and that this impacted how confident you felt offering 11 plus tuition.

You felt your voice was small because you were surrounded by people whose experiences looked very different to yours.

You were shrinking yourself to sit at a table where you did not truly belong.

Something you once felt ashamed of has now become a badge of honour because it mirrors the experiences of the children you support.

If you have to shrink to sit at a table, it is not a table you should be sitting at.

That idea applies to so many areas of business. If you feel you have to shrink to belong, it is worth questioning whether that space is right for you.

I have spoken to tutors who are scared to be visible because of politics or fear of judgement from others.

If being visible means shrinking yourself, then that visibility is not serving you.

There is space for tutors who love pushing high achieving students just as much as those who work with anxious learners.

You do not have to follow someone else’s business model to be successful.

When you learn what truly aligns with you, you naturally start speaking about it with confidence.

When you love what you do, you voluntarily invest time in learning, growing and staying curious.

Staying curious fills your professional world with energy and makes you better at what you do.

If you do not feel aligned with your work, you are unlikely to immerse yourself fully in that world.

Without that immersion, it becomes much harder to position yourself as a go to in any space.

Alignment is not about delivery methods. It is about where you are at your best and who you want to serve. You shared that values still guide your decisions today and that they help define who you are as a business.

If you chase trends or focus only on where the money is, it rarely works unless passion is driving it too.

There are many ways to make money, but the key is choosing the one you can fully commit to.

I then spoke to Maria, who runs Maria’s Tutoring Services and previously worked as a SENCo and maths specialist.

Maria shared a moment that changed her business when a home education parent commented on flexibility.

That comment prompted her to survey home education families to understand what flexibility meant to them.

She reviewed the feedback and designed an offer that worked for families without disadvantaging her business.

After advertising the offer for six months, she now works with around thirty home educated students each week.

Listening instead of assuming allowed her to create something that truly met her clients’ needs.

She balanced flexibility with clear boundaries around scheduling and payments.

This approach created a win win for both the families and the business. We talked about how feedback can feel uncomfortable, especially when you worry people might criticise what you offer.

By asking honest questions, Maria discovered improvements she could make without compromising her boundaries.

Parents often want choice even if they do not always use it, because choice creates a sense of safety.

I then spoke to Anita, an 11 plus tutor working in Birmingham, about assumptions around results.

Anita shared that she believed parents only cared about exam outcomes, but later realised they value the journey.

Parents want to understand how their child will be supported and what the process will look like.

This realisation changed how Anita asked for testimonials and the level of detail parents shared.

More specific testimonials helped prospective parents see whether her approach aligned with their values.

This clarity led to more enquiries turning directly into committed clients.

We discussed how assumptions about affordability, timing or priorities can limit business decisions.

Success and progress look different for every family, and results are not the only measure that matters. We talked about how broad testimonials help parents understand not just outcomes, but how you work.

Clear testimonials change the conversation because parents arrive already informed and confident.

I then spoke to Claire, a face to face maths tutor in Surrey, about making peace with what she did not want.

She described how relieving it was to realise she did not want to grow a team or scale in the expected way.

Letting go of those expectations gave her the space to build a business that suited her life.

She shared an exercise about defining goals alongside what you are willing and unwilling to do.

This helps narrow your growth options and removes unnecessary confusion.

We discussed how wanting something because you should is a red flag worth paying attention to.

Not every opportunity needs to lead to growth. Sometimes wanting to do something is reason enough.

Clarity about what serves you helps you make better decisions about time, energy and investment.

Seeing what others are doing can show what is possible without meaning you must follow the same path. We reframed comparison as a way to see what is possible rather than something to feel pressured by.

Being clear on what you want creates self assurance and makes it easier to celebrate others.

I then spoke to Sophia from Pineapple Tuition about redefining progress during difficult seasons.

Sophia shared how she set very high expectations for herself and felt frustrated when growth was slow.

Moving from teaching into business required her to step off the constant hamster wheel.

She learned that progress is still progress, even if it is one small step at a time.

We talked about seasons in life and business, and how priorities naturally change.

Success is not always about growth. Sometimes it is about stability, safety and having options.

Unlimited growth exists in business, but that does not mean you must chase it constantly.

Asking yourself how much is enough can be uncomfortable but deeply clarifying.

Feeling present and content in your business can be a sign that you are exactly where you need to be. We talked about how growth can be unlimited, but focus and prioritisation are what really move the needle.

Doing fewer things well often creates more impact than chasing every new idea.

I then spoke to tutors about authenticity, removing masks and allowing lived experience to shape how they work.

Being fully yourself creates stronger connections with parents, students and the right clients.

When tutors stop worrying about judgement, they give themselves permission to build businesses that feel aligned.

This episode brought together many voices, but the message was consistent. There is no single right way to succeed.

Redefining what is possible starts with trusting yourself, listening carefully, and choosing a path that truly fits.