"My Story: Creating a $70K/Year Spanish Language Learning App"
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"My Story: Creating a $70K/Year Spanish Language Learning App"
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"My Story: Creating a $70K/Year Spanish Language Learning App"
Imagine starting a personal journey, not just to learn a new language, but to revolutionize how it's taught.
Meet Eldon Mirjah, the man who turned his personal quest into a groundbreaking venture.
This is not just a story about starting a business; it's about reshaping the landscape of language learning. Eldon's creation, Gritty Spanish, is a beacon for those who dare to venture beyond the traditional boundaries of textbooks and classrooms.
It's a story that proves when passion meets innovation, the ordinary can transform into something extraordinary.
From New York to the World: The Birth of Gritty Spanish
Eldon Mirjah's story, the creator of Gritty Spanish, unfolds like a novel rich in character and plot. His journey begins not in a boardroom, but in the often chaotic world of language learning. Gritty Spanish, his brainchild, is a series of audio stories and lessons coupled with Spanish/English transcripts. This isn't your typical language course; it's an experience designed to boost Spanish listening and reading comprehension in a way that textbooks simply can't match.
The core audience of Gritty Spanish is as diverse as the Spanish language itself. These are learners from all walks of life, each seeking to dive deeper into the language's rhythms and nuances. What sets Eldon's approach apart is its raw authenticity. Instead of relying on sanitized, classroom-friendly dialogues, Gritty Spanish embraces the messiness of real-life conversations, providing learners a taste of how Spanish is spoken in the streets, cafes, and homes.
Eldon's innovative approach has not gone unnoticed. Gritty Spanish has been featured in a variety of publications and language learning blogs (π Donβt miss the Turning Readers into Leads tactic at the end of this post!), gaining recognition from local and digital platforms alike. The Bronx Times, Digital Trends, and academic circles such as NYU have all highlighted the effectiveness and uniqueness of Gritty Spanish. This acclaim extends to specialized language forums like Fluent U, Tell Me in Spanish, Language Magazine, and Bilingue blogs, securing its place as a distinguished resource in the language learning community.
The Making of a Language Maverick
Eldon's story begins on the sun-soaked shores of Grenada, a small Caribbean island, where Spanish was as foreign to him as the distant lands it was spoken in. In 1989, at the tender age of 10, Eldon's life took a dramatic turn when he and his family migrated to New York, a city pulsating with diverse cultures and languages, including Spanish, which he encountered for the first time.
Fast-forward to 2008. Eldon, now a software/network support professional for a law firm in New York City's financial district, found himself living in the South Bronx, a vibrant heartland of Spanish-speaking communities. Despite his proximity to Spanish speakers, he remained disengaged from the language. It wasn't until his 30th birthday trip to the Dominican Republic, his first visit to a Spanish-speaking country, that Eldon faced the language barrier head-on. This experience was a wake-up call. Suddenly, the language he had always avoided in school became a gateway he was eager to unlock.
Back in New York, Eldon started a self-taught Spanish journey, using various applications and immersing himself in Spanish-language music. His progress was steady, but something was missing. The existing Spanish-learning products were lacking the depth and realism he sought. In 2013, driven by a mix of frustration and inspiration, Eldon had his eureka moment: "Hey, Eldon, you can create this program yourself."
Initially, Eldon's ambition was personal. He wanted to craft recordings of Spanish speakers in dynamic, even challenging situations to hone his own comprehension skills. But as he began producing these recordings, the potential for something greater dawned on him. What if other Spanish learners could benefit from this unique approach?
Eldon's journey took another unexpected turn. From designing websites as a side hustle, he found himself venturing into the uncharted territory of language education. Gritty Spanish was no longer just a personal project; it was evolving into a full-fledged business, filling a void in the language learning market. Eldon's innovation wasn't born out of a long-held ambition to teach Spanish, but from a genuine need he identified through his own language learning experience.
Breaking the Language Barrier: The Gritty Spanish Journey Begins
The creation of Gritty Spanish was a journey marked by experimentation, learning on the fly, and a series of trial and error for Eldon. With no prior experience in sound production, Eldon drew inspiration from his brief encounter with the world of music production while working with a soca artist from Grenada. This experience, albeit limited, provided him with a foundational understanding of sound and music mixing, which he believed could be adapted to create a Spanish-learning program.
Eldon's initial setup was modest but functional. He invested in a $400 kit from Amazon, which included a microphone, and rearranged his living space to accommodate his new venture. When it came to software, he chose Audacity, a digital audio editor and recording application. While it might not have been the tool of choice for professional music producers, it was accessible and effective for Eldon's purposes.
The educational content, the English/Spanish transcripts, was crafted using Microsoft Word, a familiar tool from his job at the law firm, and then converted into PDFs. This part of the process was straightforward for Eldon, thanks to his professional experience with these applications.
The real challenge came with the voice recordings. Eldon's first step was to reach out to his sister, who was studying dramatic acting at the City College of New York. He hoped to tap into her network to find Spanish-speaking actors who could bring the transcripts to life with dramatic flair. This led him to a Puerto Rican actress, whom he paid to translate documents and voice-record the Spanish scripts. However, the initial recording session did not meet Eldon's expectations. Despite the actress's evident talent, her voice acting felt forced and did not capture the natural tone Eldon was aiming for.
This setback led Eldon to temporarily shelf the project, during which time he continued to improve his Spanish through music and Spanish-language movie clips. When he returned to the project, Eldon was armed with more stories and a clearer vision. He decided to hire a professional translator online to handle the translations of the first 31 lessons, an investment of around $2,000.
The breakthrough came when Eldon started working with native Spanish speakers from his neighborhood in the South Bronx. Their natural approach to reading the scripts, combined with a more relaxed and fun recording environment, yielded much better results. These sessions marked a significant turning point in the project.
The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Creating Gritty Spanish
The launch of Gritty Spanish was a culmination of passion, hard work, and a dose of reality about the challenges of establishing a new business. By October 2014, Eldon had completed the voice recordings and mixing of his stories and lessons. With his expertise in website creation, he simultaneously developed the Gritty Spanish website, securing the domain Grittyspanish.com and organizing hosting.
The website went live on November 1, 2014. The first few weeks were a mix of anticipation and reality checks. The initial sales trickled in, with around 15 sales in the first month, some from supportive friends and family. This early stage was a learning curve for Eldon, as he quickly realized that attracting customers wouldn't be as straightforward as he had hoped. Despite his confidence in the uniqueness and appeal of Gritty Spanish, he faced the challenge of convincing potential customers to invest in his product.
One advantage Eldon had was his ability to manage the website independently. Not having to pay for web design or maintenance was a significant cost-saving factor. However, as he was not a writer, he had to invest in creating blog content, which varied in cost from $30 to $200 per post. This content was essential for the website's blog, adding value and attracting visitors.
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Eldon was committed to his project, understanding that it would be a long-term endeavor, especially after realizing the initial challenges in the first year. Financially, his job at the law firm provided a stable income to support the startup costs of Gritty Spanish.
A major portion of his investment went into digital marketing, particularly Google Ads and Facebook. In December of the launch year, Eldon spent about $20,000 on advertising. This campaign brought in around 130 sales, which was exciting but not profitable. The key takeaway was the exposure it brought to the Gritty Spanish brand, even though the ads did not always convert to sales. This experience was a crucial lesson in the complexities of digital marketing and the reality that clicks do not always equate to purchases.
Over the years, Eldon faced losses experimenting with ads but also gained valuable insights. These efforts helped elevate the brand's visibility, increased organic site visits, and kept the business afloat. The journey of launching Gritty Spanish was a blend of strategic decision-making, learning from experiences, and persisting through the ups and downs typical of a startup venture.
The Launch and Growth of Gritty Spanish
Since the launch of Gritty Spanish, Eldon identified the creation and promotion of high-quality blog content as a key driver in attracting and retaining customers. This strategy wasn't just about adding content; it was a meticulous effort to build trust and enhance the brand's profile.
Investing around $20,000 in blog posts, Eldon focused on delivering value through these articles. The blog served as a platform to engage not just potential customers but also those who had already signed up or purchased from the website. By integrating the blog content into various aspects of the customer experience, such as linking relevant articles in lesson transcripts, Eldon created a more cohesive and engaging learning environment. This approach not only encouraged repeat visits to the website but also helped in elevating Gritty Spanish's visibility on search engines like Google.
The improved Google rankings, a direct consequence of the rich blog content, led to increased traffic to the site. More importantly, the time spent by visitors on the site increased, positively influencing organic sales. The integration of useful, relevant content on the website created a virtuous cycle: higher quality content led to longer visit durations, which in turn improved search engine rankings and brought in more traffic.
Eldon's goal of reaching over 1 million in sales annually is a testament to his ambition and dedication to growing the Gritty Spanish brand. His journey illustrates the importance of consistent, quality content in building a brand and sustaining a business in the digital age. By focusing on providing value through informative and engaging blog posts, Eldon has laid a strong foundation for future growth and customer retention.
How Blogging Fueled Gritty Spanish's Success
As of today, Eldon reflects on the journey of Gritty Spanish with a sense of accomplishment and an eye towards the future. Officially launched in November 2014, it wasnβt until around 2018-19 that he felt the business truly took off. This shift was a result of significant investments in enhancing the website, the blog, and developing a mobile app.
The business has steadily grown into a profitable venture. Monthly sales from the products average around $4,000, with additional income from blog ads averaging about $1,200 per month. In 2021, Gritty Spanish welcomed around 1,560 new customers and achieved over $70,000 in sales. This progress has Eldon optimistic about the future.
A pivotal moment came in 2018 when Eldon invested in the development of an iOS/Android app and a web app, costing around $20,000. This development was outsourced due to his lack of experience in app creation. The app and web versions offered a user-friendly interface, allowing customers to access content easily, a significant upgrade from the previous method of downloading files to a computer.
Eldon's hands-on involvement was crucial in adding new features to the app, like the quiz section. Although outsourcing the quiz implementation cost $800, Eldon's skills in front-end and back-end development significantly reduced potential costs. He utilized a WordPress plugin for the quiz, requiring the mobile and web app developers only to link to his setup, a solution that was both cost-effective and efficient.
Over the years, Eldon expanded Gritty Spanish's offerings. The initial versions targeted low to advanced learners, reflecting his own language proficiency level at the time. Later, he introduced Gritty Spanish Beginnings and Gritty Spanish Basics, catering to intermediate and beginner learners, respectively.
Eldon acknowledges the importance of overcoming fear and hesitancy, which he identifies as common barriers to pursuing entrepreneurial ideas. This mindset has been a driving force in the continuous development of Gritty Spanish.
Looking ahead, Eldon plans to expand the Gritty Spanish library with more products, possibly focusing on country-specific versions like Mexico. He also recalls initially considering an all-Dominican Spanish-learning program but realizing the broader appeal of a more inclusive approach.
Additionally, Eldon plans to revisit and expand the English-learning version of Gritty Spanish, which had been sidelined due to the challenges of managing multiple products. His strategy includes enhancing the existing program with more blog content (π Check out the Content Upgrade tactic at the end!), additional volumes, and improving the app and web versions.
Innovation Meets Education: The Evolution of Gritty Spanish
Starting Gritty Spanish brought Eldon valuable insights and lessons that were instrumental in shaping both the product and his approach to business. One of the most significant realizations was the diversity and richness of the Spanish language. Initially, Eldon's goal was personal enhancement of his Spanish skills, particularly to understand the colloquial, street-level use of the language. This journey led him to appreciate the various dialects, slang, and expressions unique to Spanish-speaking communities worldwide.
A strategic move that greatly benefited the brand was the introduction of a blog. By creating and offering high-quality, free content, Eldon added substantial value to Gritty Spanish. This decision not only enhanced the brand's reputation but also played a crucial role in attracting and engaging customers. The blog became a platform for sharing insights, tips, and information about the Spanish language, which in turn helped in building a community around Gritty Spanish.
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Another pivotal decision was the development of a mobile app and later a web version of the product. Transitioning from downloadable MP3s and PDF documents to a more integrated digital experience significantly improved customer convenience. The app and web platform offered a more user-friendly and accessible way for customers to engage with the content. This improvement in the user experience not only made the product more appealing but also streamlined the learning process for customers, enhancing their overall satisfaction with Gritty Spanish.
Eldon's experience in developing and growing Gritty Spanish highlights the importance of continuously evolving a product to meet customer needs and preferences. His willingness to invest in technology and content, and his appreciation of cultural nuances in language learning, were key factors in the success and growth of his business.
The Tools and Tech Powering Gritty Spanish
Eldon Mirjah has incorporated a variety of platforms and tools to efficiently run and manage Gritty Spanish, each serving a specific purpose in the business's ecosystem.
WordPress Platform: The backbone of the Gritty Spanish website, WordPress offers the flexibility and scalability needed for a dynamic online business. It's a robust platform that supports various plugins and themes, making it ideal for a content-rich and interactive website.
Easy Digital Downloads Plugin: This plugin is essential for the e-commerce aspect of Gritty Spanish. It manages the shopping cart, checkout process, and automates email communications with customers. This tool seamlessly integrates with payment processors like PayPal and Amazon, ensuring a smooth transaction process.
Thrive Themes: Used as the premium theme for WordPress, Thrive Themes provides a professional and engaging look to the website. It offers customization options that are crucial for brand consistency and user experience.
LearnDash: This WordPress plugin is employed to create and manage quizzes that are a part of the Gritty Spanish learning experience. It's instrumental in providing interactive and educational content within the web and mobile apps.
Mailchimp: For email marketing and automation, Eldon uses Mailchimp. This tool is key in collecting emails, managing subscribers, and automating the series of emails for marketing and customer engagement purposes.
Audacity: A vital tool for the audio aspect of Gritty Spanish, Audacity is used for mixing Spanish-language audios, background music, and sound effects. It's also utilized for creating sounds for blog posts, enhancing the auditory content across the platform.
Ice-cream Screen Recorder: This PC application is used for making screen recordings of the Gritty Spanish interface. It helps in demonstrating lessons and episodes, serving as an educational and promotional tool.
Photoshop: Adobe Photoshop plays a critical role in image editing for the website and blog. From creating the Gritty Spanish logo to designing images and packaging for different versions of the product, Photoshop is essential for all image-related tasks.
Adobe Premiere: For video editing and modifications, especially on the main pages and the blog, Eldon uses Adobe Premiere. This software is crucial for producing high-quality video content that is engaging and informative.
Each of these tools contributes to different aspects of Gritty Spanish, from content creation and management to marketing and customer engagement. Eldon's strategic selection of these platforms and tools demonstrates a keen understanding of the technological needs for running a successful online language learning business.
The Building Blocks of Gritty Spanish
Eldon's journey in creating Gritty Spanish was significantly influenced by various language learning programs and resources, each contributing to the unique format and approach of his product.
Michel Thomasβ Language Tapes: These tapes, known for their stress-free, conversational approach to language learning, had a profound impact on Eldon. The method used by Michel Thomas, which emphasizes understanding over rote memorization, likely influenced the conversational and immersive style of Gritty Spanish.
Rocket Spanish: Another language learning program that Eldon utilized was Rocket Spanish. This comprehensive, structured course might have offered insights into curriculum development and the importance of interactive learning, aspects that are evident in the Gritty Spanish lessons.
Spanish-Language Music: Music played a pivotal role in shaping Gritty Spanish. Eldon's use of music as a tool for improving language comprehension is mirrored in the Gritty Spanish lessons. The inclusion of genres like salsa, merengue, and bachata in the background of lessons is a direct reflection of the influence music had on his own language learning process. This integration of music adds an authentic cultural dimension to the learning experience, making it more engaging and realistic.
These resources collectively inspired Eldon to create a learning tool that combines practical language use, cultural immersion, and an engaging, story-driven format. The influence of these programs is evident in the way Gritty Spanish is structured and delivered, emphasizing real-world language use, immersion, and the joy of learning through listening.
Eldon's Advice to Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Eldon's experience in creating and growing Gritty Spanish offers valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. Here are some key pieces of advice based on his journey:
Act on Your Ideas: One of the most common barriers to entrepreneurship is hesitation and fear of failure. Eldon emphasizes the importance of moving past these fears and taking action. If you have a business idea, especially one you're passionate about, don't let hesitation hold you back. Taking that first step is crucial.
Commitment is Key: Understand that building a business is a long-term endeavor. Eldon realized early on that Gritty Spanish was not just a short-term project but a commitment. Be prepared to invest time, effort, and resources into your idea for the long haul.
Leverage Your Passions: Eldon's passion for learning Spanish was a driving force behind Gritty Spanish. Use your interests and passions as a foundation for your business idea. When you are genuinely enthusiastic about your project, it not only motivates you but also resonates with your audience.
Innovate Based on Personal Experience: Much of the structure and content of Gritty Spanish were influenced by Eldon's personal language learning experiences. Use your own experiences and challenges as a source of innovation. Solutions you create for yourself can often address wider market needs.
Utilize Accessible Resources: Eldon used music, a readily available and enjoyable resource, to enhance his language skills. This approach was integrated into Gritty Spanish. Make use of accessible resources and integrate them creatively into your business model.
Be Ready to Adapt and Learn: The process of building Gritty Spanish involved learning new skills and adapting to various challenges. Be prepared to continuously learn and evolve both personally and professionally as your business grows.
Value Collaboration and Feedback: Eldon's experience with his Panamanian co-worker, who helped translate songs, highlights the importance of collaboration and seeking help. Don't hesitate to reach out to others for assistance, advice, or feedback.
For anyone walking the entrepreneurial journey, Eldonβs story is a reminder that success often comes from a blend of passion, perseverance, and the willingness to embrace and learn from every step of the journey.
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As we close the chapter on Eldon's inspiring journey with Gritty Spanish, we invite you to be a part of this ongoing story of innovation and passion. If Eldon's tale has sparked your curiosity or inspired you, consider sharing this article with your friends and network on social media. Your support helps spread these powerful stories of entrepreneurship and creativity.
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