The Tutor Podcast

One of the really interesting things you get to do when you are exposed to lots of people socially or via business is choose between the plethora of opportunities that come your way if you listen and connect with people. The possibilities are endless for business, pleasure or helping people if you keep your ears open and see the collaborations possible between those in your community.    KEY TAKEA...

Teaching, coaching and mentoring people is about change. We are constantly shaping and changing their minds. Neil shares how he helps his students grow by bypassing their habitual psychological defences to teach new habits and techniques.    KEY TAKEAWAYS The teaching process is fairly consistent, it's about shaping and changing people's minds for the better. The students' sense of identity will e...

In this episode Neil talks about how working in the occupation you love and gaining energy from is difficult to relinquish. In fact, should we really retire at all if we gain so much impetus from a job that we love?     KEY TAKEAWAYS We are all at our best when we are useful to other people. The work itself is the reward if you enjoy your job. Why give that up? Don’t let society, or anyone else, t...

Following on from the last episode of the importance of alternative income streams to support you doing the job you love, Neil explains the options available to you with the BEEP model, your four choices when deciding on the types of extra business you want to adopt.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Business/commercial activity (with or without your active involvement.) Earn it through an extra job or tuition fees...

Teaching, tutoring and coaching may be the thing you love primarily, but being in business for yourself can often open your eyes to more business opportunities that come your way. Neil talks about the dangers of the bright, shiny project that can pull you away from your first love, tutoring but also how having more than a single business can free you to enjoy what you find the most fun.   KEY TAKE...

Summer Term is coming to an end and students are providing holiday dates. Neil thinks holidays are overrated. If you enjoy your job, why would you need one?   KEY TAKEAWAYS Don’t do stuff that makes you unhappy. Like golf. Others don’t understand the drive of the entrepreneur and their single mindedness.  Keep your eyes open. Continue to look for opportunities in your down time.   BEST MOMENTS ‘I...

In this episode Neil addresses the biggest problem affecting you in your tutoring business, time. It is something we all wish we had more of and so Neil has a few tips and rules to stick to when deciding how to use this precious resource.   KEY TAKEAWAYS You could be using your time upgrading your skills, creating systems that make your use of time even more efficient or investing it in people you...

Neil presents to you The Encyclopaedia of Applied Fantasticness, the tome containing all the positive and inspiring notes, reviews and information provided by his students over the years. If you don’t have one yourself, Neil tells you why you should be starting one immediately.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Your own collection of positivity provided by your students can be a book you can return to when you feel...

Neil recently discovered a textbook on forensics and was reminded of Edmond Locard who created the first crime lab. He presented the theory, The Locard Principle, that every criminal brings something  to a crime scene and also leaves with something and both of these can be utilised in forensic detection. Equally, every contact between tutor and student will also leave a trace of the exchange, as N...

Everyone running a business has an obligation to keep up to date records of their finances to satisfy tax law. However, not everyone has accounting or record keeping skills or are organised enough to keep on top of the task. Neil explains the basics of what is required for you to be able to rest assured that you are covering all the legal bases.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Please don’t ignore these requiremen...

The first step in becoming an expert in any field is to read up on it yet in modern times fewer people seem to consider this as essential. Neil explains why you are what you read.   KEY TAKEAWAYS By seeing the books that people are reading you can roughly predict how peoples 5 year future is going to pan out. A constant reading regimen or habit can catapult you in to expertise in any field you cho...

Neil loves a list. The highly organised usually have several ‘to-do’ lists on the go at once, but in this episode Neil shows you his ‘not-to-do’ list.   KEY TAKEAWAYS DON’T do anything that makes you unhappy. DON’T deal with t*s*@rs. DON’T pursue projects or work that conflict with the core values of fun, honesty, usefulness and success in your own terms. DON’T waste too much time on adventurous f...

Neil tackles the hot topic of the moment, the dreaded inflation. It is the true enemy of savings and the economy in general, but is it all bad?   KEY TAKEAWAYS  Inflation is the rate of increase in prices over a given period of time. Often referred to as the ‘cost of living’. Vast quantities of currency being dumped into the economy by our Government helped create inflation.  If you have your savi...

Neil talks about teaching mature students in this episode. Many of Neils students are fully grown adults of three kinds, absolute novices, lifelong players and people that used to play but quit in order to pursue other priorities. What problems do they present and how can you overcome them?   KEY TAKEAWAYS The non players may think it’s all talent, but its all about skill and work at the end of th...

In this episode Neil explains the value of time. How do we value, use and sell our time in our teaching and coaching businesses?     KEY TAKEAWAYS You are never going to have enough time to do everything you want. Choose tasks that have the highest value to you to make your time count. If you are spending too much time working in your business, you may not be spending enough time working on your b...

Time Boxing is a simple and useful time management technique that Neil utilises to keep his tutoring business running chaos free. With this method you will not waste time, and subsequently, money.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Use paper so you can see it all in front of you without having to open software or be distracted by social media alerts. In your diary spaces have two columns, one for notes and the other...

Neil talks about the value of routine when built into the function of you and your business. What sort of routines are beneficial to your business in standardising your methods and improving your mindset day to day? Consistency is key.   KEY TAKEAWAYS A routine is something that you perform the same way every time you action a task. Once established they become habit and can come in the form of wr...

Don’t wing it! Think long term, and think big. Neil talks about how thinking 5, 10, or 15 years ahead with your plan can result in better long term results and how a solid overview can bring clarity to an otherwise muddled and random business.    KEY TAKEAWAYS Consider a strategy in terms of how lucrative and engaging it can be over years rather than in the short term. Try to think a few moves ahe...

A simple idea. If what you are currently doing is not producing the results you want, change it. Disrupt it. Trying another method has got to be better than continuing with a system that does not work. Disruption makes good sense. Break the pattern.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Instead of asking “how do I succeed?” ask “how do I screw up?” Chances are your already doing some of these things. Identify the thing...

Neil details his teaching method to keep his students engaged, entertained and inspired. Borrowed from a method found in Christopher McDougall's 2009 best-selling book, "Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Super Athletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen.", Neil has adapted it to his own guitar teaching and added in his own ingredient that guarantees a return student ; fun.  KEY TAKEAWAYS E...

Neil discusses the self doubt that plagues us with a special episode created for his friend, a retired science teacher, the best teacher during his time as a school guitar tutor. As great a teacher as she is she still struggles to believe in herself as a private tutor. There is one lesson Neil teaches that can quieten the doubts and make tutoring a comfortable place to be, DDWT.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Pa...

Neil introduces a traditional sport training model, one that can be applied to a number of teaching applications including Neil’s guitar tutoring business. SAID is an acronym for Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand and can be used by you in your teaching, mentoring or leadership role.    KEY TAKEAWAYS If you are not conscious of how you train you will get any old result. The body and mind will o...

Hi, it’s Neil Cowmeadow here EPISODE 210 of  The Tutor Podcast, the weekly show that’s all about how to Start, Grow and Love your tutoring business... whilst staying sane and having fun in the process. In today’s Episode 210 - Free Introduction Sessions Specifically, how I do it now (not how I used to) and the reasons why I think this is the sanest and best business way of finding the right studen...

What do you say when someone asks “What do you do?”. It is time to have your Elevator Pitch ready. Employ an interesting, detailed, and productive reply that truly shows what you do for your clients and what, potentially, you could also do for them. Neil explains how and why.   KEY TAKEAWAYS Plan and rehearse your speech so you can use it off the cuff in conversation when your occupation is enquir...

Neil recalls an experience when a seemingly impossible task was suggested to him, with apparently very little chance of success. Having said yes anyway, a surprising unforeseen resulted in a few life lessons learned, and Neil recounts them in this episode.   KEY TAKEAWAYS It is important to say ‘yes’ and then to say ‘it’s possible’. Never discard an opportunity. Children all have the initial spark...