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 exposed critical compliance gaps in the tutoring sector and sparked the creation of Tutor Onboarder. He opens up about scaling pains, hiring mistakes, shiny object syndrome, rate increases, systemisation, and the emotional weight of entrepreneurship.

This is a candid, practical, and refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to build and scale in the education space — without losing focus or burning out your team.

 

00:00 – Why Surrounding Yourself with Better People Matters
01:00 – From Marine Biologist to Teacher
02:00 – Training in a School in Special Measures
03:00 – Becoming a Specialist Leader in Education
04:00 – The Birth of Capital Tuition Group
05:00 – The National Tutoring Programme Opportunity
06:00 – Discovering the Compliance Gap
07:00 – Building the First Version of Tutor Onboarder
08:00 – Running Two Companies at Once
09:00 – Leveraging Teams Across Businesses
10:00 – Working On the Business, Not In It
11:00 – When a Lifestyle Business Becomes Bigger Than You
12:00 – The Biggest Scaling Mistakes
13:00 – Shiny Object Syndrome
14:00 – The Real Cost of Not Cutting Losses
15:00 – Hiring Mistakes & Hard Decisions
16:00 – Raising Prices with Confidence
17:00 – Why Systems Matter More Than Ideas
18:00 – Everything is Downstream from Lead Generation
19:00 – Marketing as “Dark Magic”
20:00 – The Reality of Entrepreneurship

 

All About Matthew:

Website: www.capitaltuitiongroup.com / www.tutoronboarder.com
Instagram: @capitaltuition @tutoronboarder
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-curnier-2bb20b257/
CTG FB: https://www.facebook.com/capitaltuitiongroup.

 

In this episode of the Education Business Podcast, Claire Riley sits down with Matthew Curnier &mdash; founder of Capital Tuition Group and Tutor Onboarder &mdash; to explore the winding road from marine biologist to multi-company education entrepreneur.
Matthew shares how the National Tutoring Programme exposed critical compliance gaps in the tutoring sector and sparked the creation of Tutor Onboarder. He opens up about scaling pains, hiring mistakes, shiny object syndrome, rate increases, systemisation, and the emotional weight of entrepreneurship.
This is a candid, practical, and refreshingly honest conversation about what it really takes to build and scale in the education space &mdash; without losing focus or burning out your team.
&nbsp;
00:00 &ndash; Why Surrounding Yourself with Better People Matters 01:00 &ndash; From Marine Biologist to Teacher 02:00 &ndash; Training in a School in Special Measures 03:00 &ndash; Becoming a Specialist Leader in Education 04:00 &ndash; The Birth of Capital Tuition Group 05:00 &ndash; The National Tutoring Programme Opportunity 06:00 &ndash; Discovering the Compliance Gap 07:00 &ndash; Building the First Version of Tutor Onboarder 08:00 &ndash; Running Two Companies at Once 09:00 &ndash; Leveraging Teams Across Businesses 10:00 &ndash; Working On the Business, Not In It 11:00 &ndash; When a Lifestyle Business Becomes Bigger Than You 12:00 &ndash; The Biggest Scaling Mistakes 13:00 &ndash; Shiny Object Syndrome 14:00 &ndash; The Real Cost of Not Cutting Losses 15:00 &ndash; Hiring Mistakes &amp; Hard Decisions 16:00 &ndash; Raising Prices with Confidence 17:00 &ndash; Why Systems Matter More Than Ideas 18:00 &ndash; Everything is Downstream from Lead Generation 19:00 &ndash; Marketing as &ldquo;Dark Magic&rdquo; 20:00 &ndash; The Reality of Entrepreneurship
&nbsp;
All About Matthew: Website: <a href="http://www.capitaltuitiongroup.com/">www.capitaltuitiongroup.com</a> / <a href="http://www.tutoronboarder.com/">www.tutoronboarder.com</a> Instagram: @capitaltuition @tutoronboarder LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-curnier-2bb20b257/">https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-curnier-2bb20b257/</a> CTG FB: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/capitaltuitiongroup">https://www.facebook.com/capitaltuitiongroup</a>.
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The Education Business Podcast is for educational consultants, small education-based business owners, Edtech providers and workshop leaders focused on providing education services to schools, as well as for teachers transitioning to freelancing with an entrepreneurial business idea. Growing and scaling a business that provides a service to schools and education requires a different skillset and inside knowledge to many other entrepreneurial ventures. In this podcast Claire Riley, CEO of Classroom Secrets and host of The Teachers' Podcast, shares what it takes to market and pitch your services to this sector. Find out exactly what headteachers and teachers are looking for, and why building a personal brand matters in your marketing and how you can grow your education business.

The Education Business Podcast is for educational consultants, small education-based business owners, Edtech providers and workshop leaders focused on providing education services to schools, as well as for teachers transitioning to freelancing with an entrepreneurial business idea. Growing and scaling a business that provides a service to schools and education requires a different skillset and inside knowledge to many other entrepreneurial ventures. In this podcast Claire Riley, CEO of Classroom Secrets and host of The Teachers' Podcast, shares what it takes to market and pitch your services to this sector. Find out exactly what headteachers and teachers are looking for, and why building a personal brand matters in your marketing and how you can grow your education business.

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.

Each episode dives into the realities of running and growing an education business—from building sustainable income streams and navigating challenges, to embracing innovation and scaling with purpose. You’ll hear inspiring stories from fellow entrepreneurs, expert insights, and Claire’s own experiences of successes and setbacks along the way.

Whether you’re an aspiring edupreneur just starting out or a seasoned business owner looking for fresh perspective, this podcast will give you the tools, clarity, and encouragement you need to grow with confidence.

Tune in weekly to discover how to make your education business thrive while staying true to your mission of making a difference.

Building a business in education can feel overwhelming&mdash;but you don&rsquo;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.
Each episode dives into the realities of running and growing an education business&mdash;from building sustainable income streams and navigating challenges, to embracing innovation and scaling with purpose. You&rsquo;ll hear inspiring stories from fellow entrepreneurs, expert insights, and Claire&rsquo;s own experiences of successes and setbacks along the way.
Whether you&rsquo;re an aspiring edupreneur just starting out or a seasoned business owner looking for fresh perspective, this podcast will give you the tools, clarity, and encouragement you need to grow with confidence.
Tune in weekly to discover how to make your education business thrive while staying true to your mission of making a difference.