The Education Business Podcast

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 on product-market fit vs early traction
A grounded view on growth during and after COVID
Practical thinking on focus, strategy, and saying no
A realistic take on “net positive” success beyond revenue

00:00:00 – The core principle: scaling through subtraction
00:01:00 – Matthew’s journey into tutoring and edtech
00:03:00 – The accidental start of Lessonspace
00:05:00 – Early traction vs real product-market fit
00:07:00 – Customer-led growth
00:08:00 – COVID: luck, timing, and rapid growth
00:10:00 – Post-COVID strategy and saying no
00:12:00 – Focus as a growth strategy
00:13:00 – Building and scaling a team
00:16:00 – The personal cost of building a business
00:17:00 – Defining “net positive”
00:22:00 – Sustainability vs impact in education
00:26:00 – Final lesson: subtract to scale

All About Matthew:

Matthew is the founder of Lessonspace, a Zoom alternative to conduct your online tutoring.

Website: thelessonspace.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lessonspace/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 businesses. It challenges common assumptions about growth, value, and control.
At its core, this episode is about building something that works beyond the founder. That means strong leadership layers, clear accountability, and a business model that can stand on its own.

00:01:00 – Jen’s journey into education business
00:04:00 – Purpose and working in schools
00:06:00 – Leaving and returning with clarity
00:07:00 – Ownership and mindset shift
00:11:00 – Preparing a business for sale
00:13:00 – Systems, metrics and scalability
00:15:00 – What buyers are really investing in
00:17:00 – Succession planning explained
00:22:00 – Hiring and developing leaders
00:25:00 – Culture and people strategy
00:28:00 – Staying relevant in education
00:29:00 – Relationships and long-term growth

All About Jen:

Jen Elliott is CEO of EPM Ltd, a leading provider of HR and payroll services supporting over 2,000 schools and trusts across the UK. With more than 30 years of experience, EPM partners with school and academy leaders to navigate complex staffing and employee relations challenges, delivering technology-enabled solutions across HR, payroll, pensions, safeguarding, compliance, and consultancy.
Having worked in the business since 1996 Jen was appointed as EPM CEO in 2017. She has worked with many schools and some of the UK’s largest MATs over the last 30 years, supporting academy leaders with complex staffing and employee relations issues. In 2025, Jen founded the Network of Education Excellence (nEdEx), designed to bring together education leaders to share insight, drive innovation and strengthen sector collaboration.
She also Chaired the Board of CF Group, an organisation dedicated to supporting young people through Alternative Provision, children’s homes, and independent social work services, leading the organisation through to its sale in 2025. Outside Education Jen is on the Advisory Board of www.eightfourtwo.co.uk, a financial investment business. Jen is passionate about supporting young people with their careers and providing development opportunities for students to support with the transition from school to business.

Website: www.epm.co.uk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-elliott-b1187023
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 language school and founding an education technology company.
The conversation explores what really drives founders: curiosity, challenge, and the desire to build something meaningful.
Kate explains why success is not just financial. She talks about the role of personal growth in entrepreneurship, the importance of listening closely to customers, and why there is no magic system for scaling a business.
Instead, the work is straightforward. Build something people need. Talk to your customers. Improve the product. Repeat.
For founders in education, her message is clear: competition should not stop you. When Kate opened her language school, there were already 38 schools on the same street.
What mattered was commitment, energy, and focus on the customer.

00:00 — Introduction
01:00 — How Kate Started Her First Business
02:10 — Why Founders Need Challenge
03:05 — What Success Really Looks Like
04:00 — Can Money Buy Happiness?
05:30 — Entrepreneurship and Personal Growth
06:40 — Why Kate Never Chose Employment
07:30 — The Truth About Systems and Productivity
08:20 — Why Customers Must Be the Centre
09:30 — How Customer Conversations Shape Strategy
11:00 — Competing in a Crowded Market
12:30 — Final Advice for Entrepreneurs

All About Kate:

Kate Bodrova is the founder and CEO of Amazy.uk, an award-winning platform that transforms how schools and educators create, manage, and deliver learning content while tracking student progress. A former ESL teacher, she is on a mission to modernise education by giving schools and teachers greater flexibility, control, and impact in the way they design, track, and share learning experiences.
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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 shares how illness forced her to pause and rethink everything. That period became a turning point, shaping the way she built her business around health, family, and purpose.
She talks openly about the realities of running an education business while raising a family, what “balance” actually looks like day to day, and why building the right team is essential for sustainable growth.
This conversation explores the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, and life design.

00:00 Introduction to Parita Patel00:01:30 Leaving the classroom and discovering tutoring00:03:00 Viral meningitis and a forced pause00:04:30 How recovery reshaped the business vision00:06:00 Growing LEAP Educate from two tutors to a team00:09:00 What “balance” really looks like in practice00:12:00 Structuring a founder’s day around family life00:16:00 Building a team and letting go of everything yourself00:18:30 Advice for education business owners

All About Parita:

Parita, a mum of two teens, an educator of 18 years with experience in Primary, and Secondary SEND education. From Teacher to tutor and entrepreneur, Parita’s mission at LEAPeducate is about empowering ALL students to maximise their academic potential no matter their barriers. Supporting parents to support their children is one of her strengths; after all, a successful education journey blossoms in a triangulation with the child at the heart of the journey
"Providing a platform for children to learn and be the best version of themselves is my passion and ultimate goal. Some children may want support in challenging themselves academically, some to overcome learning barriers and others to gain optimum confidence. All children have the right to learn in the in alignment for them, enabling them to achieve their potential."

LEAPeducate is an award-winning inclusive education organisation aspiring to support its students (aged 5-21) to learn holistically while developing wider skills for longer term success in a competitive world. If you would like to optimise your child’s academic journey through tuition and academic mentoring, you can join the LEAPeducate family booking in FREE consultation to discuss your requirements >>> www.leapeducte.com/contact

Website: https://www.leapeducate.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leapeducate/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paritapatel-leapeducate/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leapeducate
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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 senior leadership roles in China. After running professional development across schools in Asia, he noticed something surprising: teachers would attend training, give positive feedback, and yet very little would change in practice.
That experience sparked a deeper interest in sustainable change in schools.
In this conversation, Shane explains why traditional professional development often fails, how leadership coaching can transform school culture, and what happens when schools develop real confidence in their own expertise.
The discussion also turns to the realities of building an education business. Shane talks openly about the steep learning curve of entrepreneurship, particularly the challenge of sales and the difference between having expertise and building a sustainable business.
The episode explores ethical business in education, the importance of trusting educators, and why founders should be cautious about the picture of business success portrayed on social media.
Hosted by Claire Riley, this episode offers practical insight for founders building businesses that serve schools.

00:00 – Introduction to the podcast01:00 – Shane’s journey from teacher to international school leader02:30 – The moment he realised professional development wasn’t working03:30 – Discovering the problem of sustainable change in schools05:00 – Life as a consultant supporting schools globally06:30 – Coaching in education vs coaching in business09:00 – Why teachers rarely get executive coaching11:30 – Teachers as leaders in the classroom13:30 – The transition from education to business14:10 – Operationalising your offer as a founder15:00 – The risks of product-led education businesses17:30 – Why confidence changes school culture18:30 – Psychological safety in schools19:20 – Breaking the “waiting loop” in organisations20:00 – How confident schools approach failure22:00 – The steep learning curve of sales23:00 – The myth of “if I build it, they will come”24:30 – Learning how to sell without feeling salesy26:20 – The reality behind business success on LinkedIn27:00 – Why founders need a community

All About Shane:
Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders around the world. He co-founded Work Collaborative and hosts the chart-topping school leadership podcast, community and academy, Education Leaders. Previously, he worked as Regional Head of Teaching Development for Nord Anglia Education. Passionate about empowering school leaders, he co-authored the best-selling book, 'Change Starts Here.' As a CollectivEd Fellow, Teacher Development Trust Associate, and TEDx speaker, Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership.

Website: shaneleaning.com
Podcast: Education Leaders: shaneleaning.com/podcast
Instagram: @leaningshane
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaningshane/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@education_leaders
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