Today we’d like to introduce you to Ethleen Sawyerr.
Hi Ethleen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story begins in Freetown, Sierra Leone. That’s often one of the first things I tell people about myself because I am proud of my African heritage. When the war hit Freetown, my family was fortunate enough to be able to flee. My parents came to this country with some suitcases, their children, and a few hundred dollars. I only remember bits and pieces of the plane ride to America, but I grew up having a confident assurance that I would one day impact the lives of children and families globally.
When I was younger, although it may seem like a cliché, books truly were my escape. We didn’t have a lot of money, but I traveled to distant lands, went on adventures, and immersed myself in stories. Through reading, I developed a love for writing. It started with poetry and journal entries, then expanded to essays, skits, screenplays, and novels. Overall, I loved being able to communicate through text when uttering words seemed too difficult.
I have a gift for languages and a passion for teaching. My parents didn’t force me to pursue a specific career, so I dabbled in a little bit of everything while in undergrad at Howard University (H-U!). After serving diverse immigrant populations at a few places in the US, I finally landed on entrepreneurship. A conversation with a friend sparked my desire to start Speak Write Play (SWP). Initially, my primary focus was teaching English to non-native speakers. As the business evolved and clients kept asking for additional services, I realized that there were other opportunities to use my skills for the brand.
Essentially, Speak Write Play is one company that combines my three passions: teaching, editing, and working with children. Today, I am blessed to have a team of amazing, talented individuals who are just as spirited about their passions. We help those who aspire to become best-selling authors, confident polyglots, and high-performing scholars. I didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur, but I took a leap into the unknown and am glad things are working out.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Entrepreneurship has been a literal rollercoaster filled with tears, tears, and more tears. I cried when I received my first corporate client. I cried when a student, who was barely passing before we started working together, showed me a report card with all A’s. I cried when a client, who struggled to learn English and express himself well, landed a job with a major tech company. Although these are instances of “happy tears,” I’ve also had low periods on this journey. There have been days and weeks when I didn’t know if I would be able to pay my bills because a client was late paying me or I just didn’t have enough money coming in. I’ve sacrificed sleep to record, edit, and write copies for videos and marketing content that received no engagement. I’ve sat at my desk for hours creating quality content that someone else later took and passed off as their own.
At some point, I believe every entrepreneur arrives at a place where they must choose to succumb to challenges and obstacles or push past them. I’ve been tempted to be disingenuous with my clients and my brand because I wanted to copy what others were doing. I’ve accused myself of being an imposter because what people saw on my socials wasn’t my reality. Regardless, those issues didn’t overtake me because I reminded myself that I was building a brand that would last. Each time an obstacle comes my way, I tell myself that this company is not just about me. Our services may seem insignificant to many; nevertheless, we are conduits to dreamers who are changing the culture.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Speak Write Play?
Speak Write Play is an English language company that provides editing and proofreading services to authors and small business owners, tutoring services to children in grades K-8, and English as a second language (ESL) services to professionals. Basically, if it has to do with the English language, someone on our team can assist you. Also, I’m excited to say that we now offer Spanish translation services for documents, as well as conversational Spanish classes for intermediate and advanced speakers.
When I first started the business, someone asked me if I offered many services because I wasn’t particularly good at any of them. I chuckled to myself because I wanted to tell this person that the exact opposite was true. As a business owner, I shouldn’t feel limited to doing just one thing if I can excel at multiple. Granted, not everyone is like that. But I am proud to offer multiple services to clients because I am confident in my abilities.
We started out as an ESL and tutoring company, but we are becoming more known for our editing and proofreading services for authors and small business owners. Brand-wise, I am proud that clients who are referred to us or have been following us for some time don’t question our pricing. The vast majority of people who come to us looking for services accept our quotes and keep it moving because they know we will deliver superior quality service. Out of everything, this is one of the most important things to me because I didn’t charge what I was worth when I first started. I accepted what people wanted to pay me and even negotiated against myself a few times. Across the board, whether we’re talking about ESL services or content, tutoring rates, or editing costs, our clients trust that they will get what they pay for and more.
I want readers to know that there are companies that hold themselves to high standards. When contacting a service-based business, it is just as important to be educated about what you’ll be paying for as it is to find out the price. At Speak Write Play, we understand that certain services must be tailored to fit specific clients, so we offer consultations to learn and teach. We want to know what clients expect from us, and we want to ensure that clients know what they will get from us and how we operate. Information is invaluable, so we’re happy to share!
What would you say has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
All clients matter. It’s tempting to want to reduce the quality of your service because you don’t think a client is paying enough (even though it was the quote you provided). I’m amazed at how many people in service-based businesses don’t perform at their best for all clients; the experience is just as important as the actual service or product clients receive. In everything, work as if the client is paying a million dollars for your services.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@speakwriteplay.com
- Website: https://speakwriteplay.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakwriteplay
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpeakWritePlayEnglish
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/speakwriteplay
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/speakwriteplayinenglish
Image Credits:
Photos: Roberto Vergara
