Creator Empires: Builders in Language Education

In this episode, Jan takes you into an exclusive roundtable discussion where Langpreneurs reveal what's working for them on YouTube. More about our events: https://creatorempires.com/

AI makes it easier than ever to build apps, courses, and software, but will building more actually grow your business? In this episode, Jan shares big-picture takeaways from the Creator Empires mastermind in Tenerife, where 20 Langpreneurs spent five days discussing what’s changing in the world of online language businesse, and what hasn’t. The key idea: growth starts with identifying your biggest...

This episode is a little different. I sat down with Lucas Bighetti, one of my co-founders at Teacher AI. In this conversation, we go deep into language learning in 2026. What works, what doesn’t, and how things are changing. Lucas is one of the best polyglots in the world and really knows what he’s talking about. Enjoy! Create your own clone and offer your students unlimited speaking practice for...

This episode is a little different. I sat down with Lucas Bighetti, one of my co-founders at Teacher AI. In this conversation, we go deep into language learning in 2026. What works, what doesn’t, and how things are changing. Lucas is one of the best polyglots in the world and really knows what he’s talking about. Enjoy! Create your own clone and offer your students unlimited speaking practice for...

In this episode, Jan sits down with Tobias, co-founder of Tandem, to unpack the story behind one of the world’s biggest language exchange apps and what it takes to build a sustainable product in a crowded market. Tobias shares how Tandem grew from an early video chat concept into a global community with tens of millions of users, why the business needed capital to reach critical mass, and how the...

In this episode, Brenda dives into the the strategies behind her success: how she built a sustainable YouTube channel that attracts thousands, developed a membership that creates loyal learners, and organized in-person immersion trips in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, and Madrid that turn students into lifelong friends. You'll discover how to leverage AI to streamline video editing, the importance of ni...

Giovanna Carvalho from Teachable talks about how AI is changing online education, and what creators and app builders in the language space need to focus on now. The episode covers why human connection, trust, and community still matter, how creators are adapting their offers, and where new opportunities are opening up as AI makes content easier to produce. Are you building in the language space? J...

Join Xavier Anguera, co-founder of Elsa and senior VP at Babel, as he explores how AI is changing language learning. Discover how AI makes learning more personal and effective, and why it's not just about flashy features. Learn how AI tools are built and how they help people learn languages faster. Whether you're interested in tech or just curious about learning, this episode offers clear...

In this episode, I sit down with Timothy from LearnCraft Spanish. A langpreneur who built a 7-figure Spanish coaching business with just 17K YouTube subscribers and a non-active podcast. We dive deep into: How LearnCraft Spanish sells premium coaching programs from $400 to $1,000/month Why “serious learners” are willing to pay much more for language coaching How Timothy generates high-quality lead...

We just got back from Amsterdam. This episode is the debrief. At our recent Langpreneurs mastermind, two talks stood out above everything else. One was a deep dive into Teachable's own student and creator data, surveying hundreds of buyers across price points and niches to find out what's actually driving course sales right now. The other was a masterclass from Olly Richards of Story Learn...

What does it take to build one of the most recognized IELTS brands on YouTube, and turn it into a seven-figure business? In this episode, Jan sits down with Chris, who went from being a lawyer in 2008 to teaching English in Asia, to building a YouTube channel with 4.5 million subscribers and tens of millions of monthly views across platforms. Chris shares the unfiltered lessons behind his success,...

Teacher Stefano has been teaching Italian online for over a decade, and in that time he's built a YouTube channel approaching 300,000 subscribers. But the most interesting part of his story isn't the subscriber count, it's what he figured out about turning views into an actual business. In this episode, Stefano shares why he stopped chasing views and started optimizing for leads, how h...

In this conversation, Jan and Olly discuss the evolution of language education businesses over the past decade, focusing on the transition from blogging to video content and the impact of AI on the industry. They explore strategies for optimizing lead generation, the future of online courses, and the importance of building a strong personal brand and audience. Olly shares insights on how to adapt...

In this episode, Jan shares proven systems and real case studies for growing creator education businesses in 2026. Drawing from his experience building six and seven-figure education businesses and working with top content creators in the language education space, he breaks down actionable strategies across three core growth pillars: traffic, conversion, and lifetime value. What You'll Learn: Traf...

5 ways to keep your creator-led education business future-proof: 1. Your fans want to learn from YOU. Make your products as personal as possible. 2. People will always be happy to pay for transformation, not for information. Position your offer that way. 3. Sell access. Build a community, offer live co-horts, of offer one-on-one access to yourself. 4. Consider running in-person events. The need fo...

There are only 3 ways to grow your creator business: Get more views (traffic) 1. Turn more viewers into customers (conversion) 2. Get customers to spend more (product/offer) 3. The hard part? Knowing what to fix right now. Here’s a simple guide: 1. Optimize TRAFFIC first if: You’re not getting top views in your niche You haven’t fully committed to a YouTube strategy 2. Build a PRODUCT if: You’ve g...

You’re a content creator selling education, but your conversion rates are too low… Maybe because you have a big following in low-income countries. Or you’ve just managed to attract lots of freeloaders. Now what do you do? – First, we need to make sure: 1. You’re offering something that people actually want 2. You have proper sales systems in place 3. Are your conversion rates really that low? (Com...

Your creator business is worth nothing… To most investors, at least. Because when you leave the business, it goes to zero. But they’re often great for cash flow. Creators can invest that cash into product-first businesses that fill a real gap in the market. Something that can outgrow their personal brand. Software is just one example. That’s what we’re doing with Teacher AI Check out our events: w...

The most successful creator businesses I’ve seen have one thing in common: They all have tons of traffic. Because if you have traffic and trust, you can sell almost anything — even with bad marketing. So before thinking about your next product or marketing trick, ask yourself… Am I really doing all I can to get more views? How obsessed are you with: Nailing your video ideas Perfecting your video p...

His business never grew exponentially. He never built any marketing funnels. But guess what? Out of 20 language businesses in the room, HIS business was the biggest. How? - He was one of the first movers to teach on YouTube. - He’s been doing it for 15+ years. - He's published over 100 books, courses, and apps. He started early... and just kept going. Simple, but not easy. Join our events: www.cre...

‘’I want to scale, but I don’t have enough time’’ I have to write newsletters, post on six platforms, redesign my website, move to another CRM system, and launch a new $5-per-month membership. - And I also want to start a podcast. - And create another course. - And redo my funnels. But I don’t have enough time. How do I scale my business? This is something we often hear from creators. The thing is...

Here’s how to promote the same product to your audience every month - without exhausting your audience. First, remember: the product and the offer are two different things. You can sell the same product using: - Different offers - Different sales angles Here’s how to keep your promotions fresh and interesting throughout the year: Month 1: Buy now get free bonus Month 2: Offer a payment plan Month...

The “Double down on what’s working” advice has a major flaw. It can make you overlook obvious gaps in your business. Example #1 • Who: A content creator with tons of traffic • What worked: Creating content • Usual advice: Create more content • Real bottleneck: Nothing to sell • Better advice: Create a product Example #2 • Who: A language learning app • What worked: Facebook ads • Usual advice: Run...

The power of niche A ‘Langpreneur’ I know spent $35K on an event ran by a world class entrepreneur that you know from social. Someone I also look up to. And yes, loved the event. They studied his business. Their key insight; his conversion rates were too low. Then he came to our event for creators in the language space. And so he asked us how to increase his conversion rates. And then he told us w...

Here's the list... - Promote a lead magnet in each video - Show a screen recording of what the sign up process looks like - Print the lead magnet out, show it in your video - Optimize your opt-in pages for mobile - Mention the lead magnet in a pinned comment - Potentially mention your lead magnet in different places in your video - Use the community tab to promote your lead magnets - Show your fac...