Today we’d like to introduce you to Keshia Villas.
Hi Keshia, 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 had always wanted to own my own business but wanted to make sure that I started it in something I was passionate about. After college, I went to an immersive Spanish school at a mission base in Oaxaca, Mexico. There, I also had the life-altering experience of teaching adults English and realized that teaching language was my passion. Since then, I’ve had several years of experience teaching for a local adult ESL program and teaching Spanish classes out of my apartment living room. Two years ago, I wrote out the vision for Bridge the Gap to meet working adults’ specific language learning needs while honing in on the elements necessary to learn a language. That summer, I facilitated a successful beta program and have continued my journey since!
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has not always been a smooth road. There have been struggles along the way! And I think this is the same for any other entrepreneur. Starting from the beginning, as a black woman, I have not had many examples of seeing people like me own and be successful at their own businesses. This made my few examples truly stand out. One of the main examples I had was my grandmother, who owned her book store. Seeing her operate as a professional in her business inspired me and helped me know that it was possible to make money through something I was passionate about. Another black female entrepreneur who was an important example for me was the hairdresser my mom took me to as a young girl. I remember thinking about how strong and independent she was. Her influence helped me to know that I could achieve the same for myself. Although this may not seem like an apparent struggle, the truth is that seeing more people who are similar to you succeed subconsciously partially gives you the confidence that you’ll also succeed. I am thankful that the examples I did have stood out enough to help me know that I could do it too.
Another struggle that I’ve had is with growth through marketing and sales as one who doesn’t have a forte in marketing and sales. I have always been unsure how to approach this area of my business. But something that has helped me in all of my challenges. Including this one is realizing that when I get anxious, stressed, and worried during this growth process and when I want so badly to get out of the moment, I get discouraged and find all sorts of reasons to quit. But when I fully embrace the challenges and see them as making me better, I maintain a positive attitude, walk in hope, and continue to have faith. I’ve tried all sorts of things with marketing. And there are two ways of looking at it. I could decide that it isn’t worth my effort, that nothing is working, and that this business will not be successful. Or! I could decide—just like Thomas Edison—that I’ve figured out one more way not to market and that I’m one way closer to figuring out the right way for my business. I’m intentionally deciding to be in the moment and be okay with figuring things out. I’m intentionally deciding to be in the moment because the future is greater than this moment’s challenge, and it’s worth it!
Lastly, about a year ago, all I could imagine was what I would do and how much I could accomplish if only I could devote all of my time to Bridge the Gap (I had another full-time job at the time). Recently, I’ve been able to step away from my full-time job to devote all of my time to Bridge the Gap. This has been a true blessing, but even in that, there is still struggle there. No matter how much things seem to be going right, I’ve realized that there will most likely always be something that I believe will make everything perfect for my business; but the truth is that wherever there is growth, there will be challenges. So, I’d rather have the challenges than a smooth road because that only means I’m growing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bridge the Gap Language Services.?
Bridge the Gap is a language learning program for adults who want to learn or improve a new language. We only offer Spanish but plan to branch out to other languages in the future. Bridge the Gap stands out by matching every student with a native speaker who schedules weekly conversation sessions with the student. These sessions give students a safe space to practice speaking Spanish and learn the language’s culture. Another way Bridge the Gap stands apart is by creating personalized language learning plans for each student. The grammar and conversation teachers work together to devise an achievable plan for that student based on their goals.
I am most proud of what Bridge the Gap stands for. In this world of strife and struggle, we see the beauty in getting to know someone who is culturally different from you. Our language learning model shows that we learn the foundation of language and culture through the relationships built with native speakers (our conversation teachers) in the program. We offer several program tracks that vary in the amount of time spent with your conversation teacher per week and the choice between live or recorded grammar sessions received weekly. No matter what track a student chooses, our focus is on getting that student to speak Spanish, which is what we’ve seen with our students. Students that came to us shy and afraid to speak even what they knew have come out of the program more confident and comfortable speaking out in the real world. Bridge the Gap is a language learning program for adults who want to learn or improve a new language. We only offer Spanish but plan to branch out to other languages in the future. Bridge the Gap stands out by matching every student with a native speaker who schedules weekly conversation sessions with the student. These sessions give students a safe space to practice speaking Spanish and learn the language’s culture. Another way Bridge the Gap stands apart is by creating personalized language learning plans for each student. The grammar and conversation teachers work together to devise an achievable plan for that student based on their goals.
Pricing:
- 90-Day Basic Track: For students that want to take it slow, this track includes 1-hour conversation session per week, access to 1 recorded grammar session per week, two 30-minute language coaching sessions at the beginning and end of the 90 days. Price: $495
- 90-Day Basic + Track: For students that want to pick up the pace, this track includes 2 hours of conversation sessions per week, access to Bridge the Gap’s recorded grammar sessions (20+ hours of learning), three 30-minute language coaching sessions at the beginning, middle, and end of the program Price: $745
- 90-Day Deep Dive Track: For students on a mission, this track includes 2 hours of conversation sessions per week, 1-hour grammar session per week, access to Bridge the Gap’s library of recorded grammar sessions (20+ hours of learning), three 30-minute coaching sessions at the beginning middle, and end of the program. Price: $995
- Your Custom 90-days: For students looking for something more specific to their language learning journey, this track is customizable to what you need. Price: please contact for pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://btglanguage.com/programs/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btglanguage/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/btglanguage
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8wY-dxN2HTVrk_f35Tjh1w
