The Education Business Podcast
The Education Business Podcast
Building a business in education can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to do it alone. Hosted by Claire Riley, founder of Classroom Secrets and passionate advocate for helping educators turn their expertise into thriving businesses, this podcast brings you honest conversations, practical strategies, and the behind-the-scenes lessons from those already making an impact in the education space. …
Matthew Henshall: Scaling by Subtraction: Building a Net Positive Business
Episode overview: This episode explores what actually drives sustainable growth in an education business. Matthew breaks down why focus beats expansion, how luck shapes outcomes more than we admit, and why long-term success comes from subtraction, not addition. Listeners will get: A clear lens o…
28:33
Jen Elliott: An Operator’s Guide to Scaling and Exiting an Education Business
Episode Overview This episode explores what it really takes to build a scalable education business. Jen shares lessons from three decades in one organisation, including leadership, succession planning, and preparing for exit. The conversation focuses on the shift from founder-led to system-led bu…
28:59
Kate Bodrova: Building in a Crowded Market
Episode Overview Entrepreneurship often looks glamorous from the outside. Fundraising announcements. Revenue milestones. Big exits. But the reality is much simpler. In this episode, Kate Bodrova shares her journey from selling private English lessons as a university student to building a languag…
20:48Clean
Parita Patel: Building an Education Business Around Life, Not the Other Way Around
Episode Overview Parita Patel spent nearly two decades in education before building a tutoring business almost by accident. What began as a stop-gap after leaving full-time teaching is now a growing education company supporting students from primary through A-levels. In this episode, Parita shar…
18:38
Shane Leaning: Building an Ethical Education Business
Episode Overview In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education consultant Shane Leaning about the journey from classroom teacher to running an education consultancy. Shane began his career teaching in the UK before moving into international schools and seni…
28:40
Craig McKee: From the Head’s Office to SaaS Founder
Episode Overview In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire speaks with former head teacher and chair of governors Craig McKee about his journey from school leadership to building a portfolio of successful education tools. Craig shares how stepping away from headship in 2021 led him…
27:12Clean
Kate Wadsworth: Progress Isn’t Linear: Lessons from an Education Business Founder
Episode Overview In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley speaks with education founder Kate Wadsworth about her journey from classroom teacher to launching What If Education. Kate shares the moment she realised the education system was pulling her away from the values that…
25:51
Matthew Curnier: Scaling Beyond Yourself: A Multi-Company Founder
In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley sits down with Matthew Curnier — founder of Capital Tuition Group and Tutor Onboarder — to explore the winding road from marine biologist to multi-company education entrepreneur. Matthew shares how the National Tutoring Programme expo…
31:36
Matt Wilkinson: Charging Your Worth: From FE Teacher to Tutoring Business Owner
Overview In this episode of The Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley is joined by Matt Wilkinson, founder of Restart Tuition. Matt shares his journey from FE lecturer to business owner, the reality of building a tutoring company, and the mindset shifts required to grow sustainably. They explo…
37:36
John Nichols: The Uncomfortable Truths of Teaching, Tutoring, and Entrepreneurship
What really happens when a teacher leaves the classroom and builds an education business? In this episode, Claire Riley is joined by John Nichols, President of The Tutors’ Association and founder of an international education consultancy, to unpack the uncomfortable truths about teaching, tutoring…
39:37