In 2015, I started teaching English online. I had left my job in the Jamaican call centres a little over a year ago and had begun working online, taking on multiple roles: virtual assistant, sales cold calling, and Amazon customer service, just to name a few.
Breaking Into the ESL World: My Journey to Becoming an English Language Coach
One fateful morning, while heading back to school to drop off my kid’s pencil case that I had left at home by accident, I asked a random stranger to drop me off at the school. Looking back, this was probably reckless of me, but his kid was wearing the same uniform as my kid, and it seemed as though he was getting ready to take his kid to school.
I’m sure it was naive of me, but I thought, “What the heck?” This random stranger introduced me to the idea of teaching English online.
As I was in the market searching for opportunities to successfully make a living from home, I jumped on the idea. Did the research and applied to the school he recommended to me, using his wife’s referral link.
And what do you know? I got the job. It was great, but the hours were inconvenient and the pay wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. But I fell in love with ESL teaching, especially since it allowed me to be present for my son. So, I stayed with the company while keeping my options open.
The more students I taught, the deeper in love I fell with the field. I had found my place. I knew exactly what I wanted to do. In 2016, I went into overdrive, sending out applications to various schools. Rejection became my breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Then, after getting creative with my application and submitting a video resume (which was quite unorthodox at the time), I was successful! I landed my dream job, signed contracts, and in January of 2017, I officially became an English Language Coach with my previous company.
More Than a Job: How Teaching ESL Became My Purpose
It was amazing. The hours were flexible, the pay was great, and I was in control of my time. Working with students from all over the world allowed me to experience so many different cultures and see inside the daily lives of people from all walks of life.
Helping students to build their confidence and improve their speaking, reading and writing skills became my calling. The conversation classes were my favourite, as I spent so many hours just acting in the capacity of a life coach. I formed beautiful bonds and friendships with some students, and this path filled my life with a deep sense of purpose.
Nothing beats the feeling of joy I got from hearing my students come to class to celebrate that they got the job I helped them practice for; or the girl said yes after I helped them build up the confidence to ask her out; or they finally took the leap and went after their dream of moving abroad.
The promotions earned, the dream jobs landed, the new businesses that were started: all with elated “thank yous”; all affirming my impact. All affirming my purpose.
Losing My Dream Job Overnight: The Harsh Reality of Contract Work
Now imagine this: one day, you forget you have a class on a Sunday. You don’t normally work on a Sunday, so, naturally, you go about your day as if you didn’t have any students: making breakfast for your family, playing with the kids, flirting with your husband, doing your usual Sunday chores.
But you did have students to serve that day.
And you miss one class.
Fortunately, you remembered just in time for you to attend the other classes you had for the day, but it still bothers you that you missed the one class. Eventually, you let the thought leave your mind as you work with the other amazing students you have for the day.
You end your final class and open your tutor dashboard, intending to submit your after-class reports for your students to know what their strengths and weaknesses are from today’s classes and to encourage them to book future classes with you.
But you can’t log in. You assume it must be an internet or browser problem, so you restart your router, restart your computer, and try to log in again. The same thing happens.
“There is no account associated with your email address. Please contact Salesforce for assistance.”
“Wait… what? No account? Okay, clearly they’re having some issues on the backend,” you think to yourself.
So you open your customer support dashboard and you try to log in.
404 page not found.
Huh?
You assume it’s just a technical problem and IT is working behind the scenes to fix the problem, so you wait.
Then you hear a notification on your phone.
New email. Email from your centre manager.
You get a slight relief as you assume they are reaching out to you to let you know they are aware of the technical problems you’ve been facing for the past hour.
Opens email.
The world goes silent as you read.
Your heart sinking to the floor with every word.
“We are regrettably terminating your Independent Instructor Agreement as of today. We thank you for the services you provided and sincerely wish you all the best in your future endeavours.”
Just like that. No warning. No way to appeal your case. Nothing. Just lights out. Goodbye.
After 8 years of service, over 25,000 students taught, and a consistent 4.9/5-star rating.
I wish I could tell you it ended differently, but if you’ve ever worked a contract job, you probably know this feeling all too well: one mistake. Contract terminated.
The Wake-Up Call: Why I’ll Never Rely on Someone Else’s Platform Again
I just sat there with my jaw dropped. Numb. Confused. Everything I had built was gone, and sadly, I signed the contract that made this action legal.
I’m still not certain what emotions I felt. Maybe I haven’t fully processed it yet. But I did feel this: never again will I allow myself to be so expendable. The hand that feeds you owns you, and never again will I allow that hand to be someone else’s.
Reclaiming My Voice: How I Turned Job Loss Into a Writing Career
So this year, I’ve decided to fully pursue my passion for writing. I started a writing business, Gow Publishing, where I will do what my heart screams: write.
I had been working on my first book, Don’t Die Broke, for a while and playing around with other concepts, but truthfully, I hadn’t dedicated all of my efforts to my writing, as I gave most of my professional energy to this company for 8 years. Serving their vision.
After I received that contract termination email, I finished my first book, which is now in the final stages of the self-publishing process and is set to be released to the public in the summer of this year.
From ESL Coach to Empowered Author: Building Gow Publishing
Will I be a big-shot, super-super-famous success? Who knows? All I know is that this time, for the first time in my life, I will no longer be hiding behind fear, self-doubt, impostor syndrome, or insecurities. And this time, I am in control.
Your Turn to Rise
If you’ve ever felt discarded, overlooked, or defined by someone else’s decision, let this be your reminder: you are not powerless. You are the author of your own story—no title, company, or contract gets to decide your worth or your future.
I lost a job, but I found my voice. And now, I’m building something that’s mine.
So ask yourself—what dream have you put on pause because you were too busy building someone else’s vision?
Don’t wait for permission. Start writing your next chapter now.
Own your voice. Bet on yourself. And don’t you dare die broke—of purpose, potential, or power.
Let’s rise.
-Lis
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