2 Hour Tutor Client Story
From Burnout to Building: Anna’s Journey to a Scalable Spanish Teaching Business
When Anna Meldrum first started her online Spanish teaching business, she thought she was simply going to build a schedule full of one-to-one lessons.
Just a few months later, she realised something important.
If she continued down that path, she would end up exactly where so many talented tutors do — burnt out, overworked, and constantly chasing the next student.
Instead, Anna began building something different: a scalable group programme helping expats in southern Spain master the Andalusian accent and truly feel part of local life.
There’s a moment in many educators’ journeys where the business you thought you were building collides with the business you actually want.
For Anna, that moment came surprisingly quickly.
The Pivot That Changed Everything
Anna’s relationship with Spanish started long before her business.
Originally from Belfast, she studied Spanish and Portuguese at university and quickly realised how much she loved teaching languages. Her first teaching role was running a Spanish club in a primary school, where her passion for helping others learn the language really took hold.
After university, she moved to Spain.
First Madrid, where she taught English in language academies, then later Granada, a city she fell in love with for its culture, weather, and slower pace of life.
For several years she worked a mixture of teaching roles and office work. But eventually she decided to try something new.
She left her office job and started teaching Spanish online so she could work more flexibly and travel back to Ireland more often.
At first, things seemed promising.
But very quickly, the reality of running a one-to-one tutoring business began to show.
Burnout Behind the Scenes
Anna was teaching mostly individual lessons, covering a wide range of topics:
General Spanish conversation
Exam preparation
Job interview preparation
Language support for everyday life
Her students came from online advertising sites, word of mouth, and social media.
But the model had a problem.
The work didn’t end when the lesson finished.
“I couldn’t just close my laptop when the class ended,” Anna explained. “I still had to prepare all the lessons for the next day.”
Preparing multiple individual lessons meant hours of unpaid work behind the scenes.
Income also felt unpredictable.
If a student stopped, she had to find another one quickly. Growth felt slow. Stability felt uncertain.
Eventually, Anna reached the point many tutors recognise.
She was busy — but the business wasn’t working for her.
“I was very burnt out,” she said. “And a bit lost as well. I didn’t have the guidance that I knew I really needed.”
Finding Her Niche
Around this time, something interesting began happening with her students.
Some learners chose Anna specifically because she lived in Granada, in the Andalusia region of Spain.
They all had a similar challenge.
They already spoke Spanish reasonably well — but when they encountered the Andalusian accent, they struggled to understand anything.
Anyone who has spent time in southern Spain knows this experience.
The accent, pronunciation, and rhythm can be dramatically different from the Spanish typically taught in schools and textbooks.
Anna had experienced the same thing herself when she moved from Madrid to Granada.
And suddenly, a realisation clicked.
This could be her niche.
Helping learners who already know Spanish adapt their listening, pronunciation, and confidence so they can truly connect with Andalusian life.
Sometimes, the niche finds you.
What Anna Built
Anna is now building a group programme through her business Sultura Spanish.
Her programme, “Confidence in Andalusia: Speak, Connect, Belong,” is designed for people who:
already have a foundation in Spanish
are living in Andalusia, planning to move there, or spend significant time in the region
want to feel more confident interacting with locals and understanding the dialect
Rather than focusing purely on grammar or vocabulary, Anna’s programme focuses on something deeper:
confidence and cultural immersion.
She helps learners:
tune their ear to the Andalusian accent
adapt their speaking to real-life conversations
build confidence navigating everyday interactions
feel more connected to life in southern Spain
Her goal is simple.
She doesn’t want language to hold people back from enjoying life in a place they love.
The Opportunity Many Tutors Miss
Many language tutors focus on teaching the language itself.
But Anna’s story highlights something powerful.
Often the biggest opportunity lies in helping people solve a very specific real-world problem.
In her case, that problem is not learning Spanish from scratch.
It’s bridging the gap between textbook Spanish and real-life Andalusian conversation.
When tutors become more specialised, they become more valuable.
Instead of competing on price, they become the obvious choice for people with a specific goal.
And that changes everything.
Investing in Growth
Anna first discovered The 2 Hour Tutor Programme just one month after starting her business.
She saw the content online, saved it, and kept coming back to it.
For months.
Eventually, after experiencing the realities of burnout from one-to-one teaching, she realised she needed help building a different kind of business.
She joined the programme in October.
“I knew straight away that it was what I wanted to do,” she said.
“I felt really comfortable with Ellie, Mel, Terry, and Kelly. I knew I needed that extra guidance.”
The Mindset Shift
One of the biggest changes for Anna hasn’t been technical.
It’s been mindset.
Like many teachers, she had developed a habit of undervaluing her work.
In previous teaching roles, she had quoted prices that were extremely low — and still heard potential students say it was too expensive.
Over time, that kind of experience can quietly shape how educators see their own value.
Anna recognised that this mindset was affecting her business.
The programme’s mindset coaching helped her start to change that.
“It’s honestly been incredibly valuable,” she said.
“I had a lot of imposter syndrome. I kept thinking — why would people choose me?”
But as she began designing her programme and seeing the value she could provide, her confidence started to shift.
The Power of Support
Another part of the experience that made a difference was the coaching team.
Within the programme, Anna has access to guidance from:
Ellie (programme creator and strategy mentor)
Mel (lead coach supporting programme development)
Terry (mindset coach and personality profiling specialist)
Kelly (technical and systems support)
For Anna, knowing support is always available has been invaluable.
“It’s so nice knowing someone is always there,” she explained.
“You’re creating the programme yourself, but you’re being guided and supported the whole way.”
What Anna Would Say to You
If someone reading this story is wondering whether to take the leap and build something bigger than one-to-one tutoring, Anna has simple advice.
“If you’re really considering this and you’re willing to put in the work to build an amazing business, then honestly go for it.”
“The next few months will pass anyway. You may as well spend them building something incredible for yourself and your future.”
The Real Lesson from Anna’s Story
Anna is still in the process of building and launching her programme.
But already, the direction of her business has changed.
Instead of relying entirely on one-to-one lessons, she’s building something with the potential to serve more people while protecting her time and energy.
A business that reflects:
her expertise
her love for Spanish and Andalusian culture
and the lifestyle she wants to build in Granada.
She didn’t just start a tutoring business.
She began building the right business for her.
Find Anna
If you’d like to learn more about Anna’s work:
The 7 Day Andalusian Spanish Confidence Challenge
Her programme Confidence in Andalusia: Speak, Connect, Belong helps learners adapt their Spanish to life in southern Spain and feel truly confident engaging with the culture and community.
Check out her Facebook and Instagram below:
https://www.facebook.com/solturaspanish
https://www.instagram.com/solturaspanish
Is this your next step?
If you’re a teacher or tutor looking at the home education market and wondering how to build something that works — we can help.
The 2 Hour Tutor Programme is a 6-month CPD-certified pathway for educators who want to move from 1:1 delivery to scalable group programmes. Whether that’s tutoring, mentoring, workshops, or courses — we help you build a business that aligns with your values and gives you the freedom you’re looking for.
Or start with our free Group Tuition Guide to get a sense of how we think.
