Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernard Vasconcelos.
Hi Bernard, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Brazil and when I was 7 years old, my family moved to Orlando. I grew up here, graduated from Dr. Phillips high school, and went to Florida Tech to study Astronomy. My parent’s business (travel agency) took a big hit after 9/11 and we moved back to Brazil (Rio de Janeiro). I ended up majoring in Architecture and started working at the University. I went on to do a Master’s in Education in London for a year and when I returned to Rio, I started working with language schools. I did an MBA in business and helped an English school grow from about 1k students to 3k students. Then, I decided to move back to Orlando, where I considered home. My wife and two kids moved to Orlando with me and I started a language school. After 2.5 years, my school was nationally accredited and certified to issue I-20s to international students to come to the USA to study English on a student VISA. Today I own and run my language school, with over 200 international students and 20 employees. I also run an online English conversation program where we’ve had hundreds of people from over 50 different countries practice their English skills.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not smooth at all. The road to accreditation was difficult. We couldn’t teach English to international students until accredited and to become accredited we had to teach to tourists and locals. It was very challenging and a big investment and risk.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We teach English to international students coming to the USA on a student VISA. We focus our methodology on conversation. Many English schools around the world teach English by focusing on textbooks, grammar, and tests. Students typically go to class, study, and do homework and a test in traditional English schools. We work by focusing on students using their English skills to discuss topics and learn by using the language, so students become fluent faster. Our brand is locally known for quality and for great customer service. We take great pride in our student’s feedback (5.0 on google reviews).
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Typically, I’m not much of a risk-taker. However, when I moved to the USA, it was a huge risk. Leaving my profession, friends, family, and comfort behind for something new and adventurous was nothing short of a huge risk. Also, investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in a business in a new market was a huge risk. My company needed national accreditation to have a chance to compete for clients’ business. Many times, I thought about giving up, but I did not give myself that option. Accreditation took 2.5 years and every month the company was taking a loss. After accreditation, our school became an immediate success. We were extremely busy enrolling students and we reached 230 (close to max) in less than a year. Then the pandemic hit! We’ve adapted and we still have about 200 students. I’m proud of my team for everything we’ve been through and we look forward to continued growth.
Pricing:
- about $6,000 a year to study in our Intensive English Program
- $39 per month to study in our Online English Conversation Program
- $55/h for private classes
Contact Info:
- Email: info@libertylanguageacademy.com
- Website: www.libertylanguageacademy.com and www.conversationalive.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/libertylanguageacademy and http://instagram.com/conversationalive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/libertylanguageacademyusa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZxspmiM0ezNuSh9udywCQg
