From Timid to Expressive: A Student's Journey to English Fluency

What does it mean to fall in love with English? This is how Elisa and I started our conversation that I'm about to share with you. Elisa is one of my dear students, and she has been learning with me for years. And I had the privilege and honor to see her go from being so quiet and so timid to being the most expressive, creative, and outgoing version of herself in English. And you will see for yourself. Her journey is truly inspiring because at every step of the way she challenged herself and was able to break another glass ceiling and another glass ceiling that she has set for herself. This conversation is going to be about fluency, about courage, about limiting beliefs, about

perfectionism and how to overcome it and about letting your voice be heard. She will share it from her personal experience and also talk about the universal experience of speaking English as a second language. I am so excited about this conversation and I can't wait to share it with you. So, let's go ahead and listen to it. Hello. Hello, Lisa. How are you doing? I'm great. Thank you, Hadar. How are you? I'm good. I'm so happy to have you here. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story here on my channel. And uh I'm excited for this conversation. I've known you for so many

years. And I told uh I told you right before the we started recording that it's time for me to share you with the world. So thank you. Thank you so much. I didn't want to, but now I have to. So there we go. Okay. So, um, do you would you like to quickly introduce yourself for those who are not in our community and don't know you? Yeah. So, hi everyone. I'm Elisa and I'm Italian and I live in Italy. Uh, I work in um in hospitality and I use English uh at work uh to communicate with international guests. But that's uh actually not the main reason why I

started working on my English because uh as far as I can remember, I've always been attracted to this language and to its sounds and if you ask me why, I don't really have an answer for that because it's you know it's like when you love someone and people ask you why do you love this person? Yeah, exactly. I mean you can list all the beautiful qualities that the person has you know gentle, caring, kind, but at the end of the day, you know, you just love that person and that's it. You love that person. Yeah, exactly. And I feel kind of the same about English and wait. But so I have a question about this. When was the first time maybe when you were a kid, at least the kid uh that you started developing emotions and feeling

for uh for English? Yeah. It was when I um you know look back as when I was a little girl maybe in elementary school or even before that um I feel like my very first English practice was counter pronunciation practice because let me explain. Tell me. Uh yeah, because I'm a millennial and uh you know back then we had these uh boom box I think you know I don't know if it's the proper name uh those portable music players that include uh both a radio and cassette uh a cassette player. So, um, uh, I used to wait for my favorite English songs to be played, uh, on the radio and I would, uh, record them on my cassette tapes and, um, and I, you know, I was, um, creating my personal playlist uh, because, you know, there

were no there was no streaming back then. So, you had to wait if you wanted to listen to your favorite song. Actually, you had to wait for MANY THINGS BACK THEN, but that's another story. Anyway, once I had this, you know, playlist, uh the interesting thing is that I couldn't uh understand a single word yet because, you know, I couldn't speak English. Uh but I wanted to be able to sing the songs right away. So what I would do is something that I think that many millennials or maybe even older generation generations maybe can relate to. I would uh you know grab my cassette uh player and my cassette tape. I would uh press play for a very short part of the song of a song and then you know uh

press pause and write down uh what I could hear. So not the real lyrics of course but the sounds that my ears could perceive and I would you know um repeat this process until the end of the song and for each song. So eventually I have my personal uh versions of the lyrics and I was happy because I could uh I could sing them. So yeah, uh bottom line, what wouldn't I just have to say like what wouldn't I give to have these papers with songs transcribed? I would I would pay a lot of money to see it right now. So if you I don't know if I still I don't know. Yeah, I should, but I don't know if I still uh have them somewhere. Probably because Yeah. But just would love to have them to see them

because it's so interesting to see how you perceived certain words and what you like because you know the brain if you don't know words then all of a sudden you write these very different things that you hear which is sometimes we do that in our own language. Okay. So this is the first like when you had the infatuation with English when you started falling in love with English and sounds and rhythm. Ah, now everything makes sense. Good. And yeah, so this is why you wanted to explore more. Yes. And uh I have to say that you know my relationship with English uh has been on and off over the years because there were moments when I was

really uh motivated and fully committed and moments where when I felt that I want to I want to give up. Uh but you know somehow uh English always found its way back into my life. What a beautiful way to say it. Yeah. Uh so of course I study I started study English um at school but the English that you study at school I think you know many people uh told you that um you know it's for me I think it's really I don't know how to say really scholastic. So not really the way that I wanted to learn English. Uh and then there was a moment of and then you know during my last year of university I decided that I wanted to improve. So I also enrolled in um in a

private English school. So I had a group classes uh and there was some space also for conversation classes. But you know the conversation that you have in this um you know when there are many people um it's not that fluid because you know maybe you get to answer a couple of questions briefly and then they need to move on to another person of course. So I felt like um I didn't really have the chance to speak in a natural and fluid way. Uh and so before came across your programs. I also um explored another English course online. Not for long actually, but I mean it was not bad. It was really good. Uh but you know, to keep a long story short, I felt like it was not the right uh fit for me. So because what I was really craving

again was of course that a program that focuses on the English sounds, the melodies. So when I finally found something like that, I said, "Wow, I was like I was no I felt like I was reconnecting with Keliza, you know." Yes. Absolutely. Right. Like giving space and room for you as a kid and in your adult life. Before we continue with the story chronologically, tell me one thing that you're doing now regularly or that you can do that 10 years ago 10 Lisa from 10 would say impossible sitting here today with you that I mean first of all this was um unthinkable and uh I don't know many actually there are so many just one thing it's uh not enough because there are many things that I can

do today that uh were not possible for me some years ago I don't know I can I can now I can speak without overinking every single word that I'm saying or I can um uh I can express myself uh fully and not giving just you know the basic answers the the safe answers because you know uh when I had before you before your program um even when I had the chance to answer a question uh in those English classes uh classes but also you know in general when I had the chance to answer a question I would always go for the basic answers, the safe answers because I used to tell myself I used to stop myself. So I used to tell myself that's it. Don't say more because if you say more, you're gonna make a

mess. So I was my I was limiting myself. like what a powerful limiting belief that is, right? Like or you're going to make a mess. And I love because I think it makes so much sense for people who feel like they could be all over the place or get distracted or not be perfect or something like that. And I think that when you have that thought, how limiting it is and how is it limiting you? I was not speaking. So period. Yes. Yeah. Exactly. So it was very I was stuck. So the point is that I you know until that moment I kept consuming and consuming English with podcast and watching videos, YouTube videos or

movies in English and listening to music and so on and so forth. But I was afraid of speaking and it was something that uh I needed to uh to overcome uh because it was like a vicious circle because I feel I felt like I no I'm not ready to speak yet. I'm uh I'm not um I don't know enough to speak. Uh I'm not prepared enough. So I was keep uh I kept postponing this moment and of course I felt stuck because if you don't do something you cannot get better at something and it is like that for any skill in life. So if you want to improve you need to practice. Uh you got to do the thing you want to do right like if you want to do something and you don't do that something.

Yeah. So it's not magic. You have to do something. So yeah. Um but the moment I realized that I needed to change that um I mean I everything changed. Everything. So yeah. And not overnight because you built it, you know, like I've known you for many years and like you've built it. It's kind of like layer by layer until now, you know, you're you're the things that you're doing are just Yeah, I think that, you know, you need to be willing to start uh speaking in a messy way because at first it will be super messy sometimes and that's okay because u uh we are just starting you know something. So that's okay and we

will you I you know you will make a lot of mistakes and that's okay too because that was another uh another issue uh but you know uh mistakes are the only way to improve uh mistakes are part of life. So uh it is how it's how it works. So actually I started with um uh accent makeover you know my journey with you because um I've realized at a certain point uh once I realized that uh I was stuck um and I wanted to do something. I've also realized that one of the things that was holding my uh speaking back was uh pronunciation. Not only that but also pronunciation and since you know pronunciation um I have a thing for you know for the sounds of yeah um I decided that you know instead of because I don't um I don't know I didn't want to

just speak you know English I wanted to sound clear and I wanted people uh understand me um easily. So instead of trying everything at once, I decided I made a decision and my decision was uh to start with uh pronunciation and that's when I joined accent makeover that later became new sound. Yeah. And so I started with that uh and then um beyond uh arrived because in accent makeover and the new sound I did all the job all the work sorry I in accent makeover I did all the work but um I uh was not uh ready to um expose myself yet. So I did all that um on my own even if there was a community um in accent makeover but you know I didn't feel ready yet this world so um uh but when beyond uh arrived and I joined

beyond that was my game changer for me because by that time of course I had already um I had already done some inner work and I had already built some foundation with the pronunciation and inonation and you know the procedy and so I was really I really wanted to practice and I was ready to take actions and that's what I did from the very first moment that I joined beyond I started to be very active very soon and I started to make videos and I started to post them on inside the community started to interact with all the other members and all of that uh had really a um a great effect on my improvements.

Yeah. What do you think what has worked so well for you when it comes to making videos? Because this is how I got to know you more kind of like deeply is just like really watching your videos when you first started when it was years ago, right? Like when you started posting daily or almost daily your videos sharing daily. It was daily. It was daily by the door, you know, like perfect lighting, perfect uh angle and um and I'm curious how you think making videos helped you. I mean, you know, I know it helped me just creating content for YouTube has made me a much better speaker and communicator and I've seen it with my students. But I want you to talk about your own personal experience,

how working with videos has helped your fluency and your confidence. when I joined I uh beyond I um I started to see that there were other members that were posting videos, you know, and then I thought, okay, I think that this can be a nice an interesting way a useful way to improve my speaking because you need to speak, you know, when you record a video, you do that because uh you wanna you speak for like two or three minutes talking about something in English. So you are practicing that's your goal. you're practicing your speaking and um it was helpful because uh because I soon realized that um there was other than you know the main challenge with videos for me. uh there was like another ch a challenge within a ch

within the challenge because uh the main challenge was speaking in English for like two or three minutes. Uh and then I started to realize that uh since I was not used to making videos, I was not used to seeing myself on camera. Uh, I realized that I I didn't like what I was, you know, my face, my expressions, my movements, my hand gestures. And I'm Italian, so I move a lot and uh and my voice. So basically, I didn't like anything. And um so my goals was to overcome uh all of these side struggles too. So that's why I um didn't give up because I was really uh determined to overcome all of these aside struggles other than the speaking one. And I'm happy that I didn't give up because um I feel now I feel

that I'm a um I'm stronger and I'm I am more confident. I mean I'm not just um a more confident English speaker. I'm more confident as a person in general because I worked on all of those side struggles that came up. So yeah. So talk to me about how developing in a language is intrinsically connected to developing personally because I think a lot of people when they come to learn a language they think okay I just need to learn the words and the grammar and then I'll be able to speak but it's almost like you have to think about it I believe that you know this is my method and I think some people connect with it and some people don't you transform into someone new, someone new who speaks another language and that language can

carry who you are and your personality. So I think that when you really transform your English in our case, you also transform personally and I think that was the case for you. So what do you think about that and how has that played out for you? So I feel like the English language uh gives me the chance to show um other aspects of who I am. Um I mean maybe aspects that in Italian are not so visible in English they show up more. Uh um maybe there are some you know in some context in English I might be more expressive or more outgoing, maybe in the exact same context in Italian, I might be more um more reserved or more careful of the words that I'm using, but not because I'm a different person. It's just

because, you know, the expressiveness of the language. Yeah. The expressiveness of the language gives me this chance, this opportunity. And I feel like it's um it's a uh kind of a richness, you know, it's not a limitation. Um I don't feel like I'm a different person. I feel like I'm the same person. It's just that, you know, English uh shows more some aspects of me that in Italian are more um not so visible. Yeah. Yeah. But and I think but I think also that to be able to get to that place, you know, like being so incredibly expressive even more in English than in your first language, you have made a lot of, you know, shifts in how you think, how you manage

perfectionism. We talked about it, right? Like how you show up like inner transformation in your confidence, limiting beliefs, thinking how you perceive yourself. And I think that is an essential part of being able to get to that place because it wasn't just learning the pronunciation. It was really you showing up regularly in interacting with a community challenging yourself managing that voice that kept saying you're going to make a mess. You got to be you gotta say it correctly. You're too much. You're not enough. Right? like all these voices that we hear, it's like really learning how to manage them. Yes. And it I mean it's a huge part of the journey because I think that uh um the mindset work that we also have

in inside new sound. It was really uh important for me because uh if you have all these again if you have all these limiting beliefs and if you keep telling yourself uh you know if you keep limiting yourself with your own words uh you're not going to be able to succeed you know in what you want to become in what in the English speaker that you wanna uh No, you're not going to succeed. Um, and working on my limiting beliefs was a huge part of my English journey. Uh, because when you um uh when you work on that, every everything else uh unlock somehow. Uh so let me can you be more specific and say for example let's say someone watching this right now has this fear of making mistakes right and I know

you've had it so what would you tell them what did you tell yourself to be able to overcome it so I think that uh you need to uh stop you know you need to shift the focus uh you don't when you are speaking because usually when we are afraid of making mistakes Because when we are communicating with the other person, you don't want to sound stupid. You start think overthinking all these uh thing things like oh my god uh was it the right word? Was it the right pronunciation? Uh was it the right way to say it or was it the most natural way to say it? And if you don't shut down all these um thoughts, all these voices in your head, you're gonna you're going to it will drive you crazy. So you need to u you need to make that

uh make that shift and the shift was you know instead of focusing on every um single word that I was saying or the mistake that I might make while speaking I decided that I needed to focus on the message that's it on what I needed to communicate because that's what it is important at the end of the day. So the connection the communication itself. So it might seem like a subtle [snorts] shift uh a silly shift but it's not. It really changes everything in um in your um so just change shift from thinking about your mistakes and editing your thoughts or your words to just think about what is your message what it is that you want to say and exactly that's it I love that and that worked for you

it worked for me of course you know there are days where I feel spectrum kind of like Yeah, it depends on the day too. Yeah, I need to work on myself. I needed to work on myself. Yeah. Uh and another limiting belief that I needed and another major shift uh happened when I stopped saying myself those limiting words. uh like for example when I when everything new uh when I needed to try everything uh something new or a new challenge uh I used to say um no that's not I used to tell myself no that's not for me uh that's not my thing or oh no I'm not able to do this I'm not going to do this uh but then I started

thinking wait a minute do I have proof of that I mean do I have real um evidence that I'm not able uh to do this. So let me try. So I realized that before saying that I actually needed to try uh that something and when I started to say yes to new things and to new challenges, it was mind-blowing because uh I noticed that I was uh capable of doing much more than I had imagined. And so and that little shift again that subtle shift was uh from I cannot do that uh I'm not able to do that to let me try. I mean it's again it seems like it seems subtle and but that's the compound effect right like it's small decisions small changes that make a huge difference that at the moment they don't see much but also you have made big deci not big decisions but

like you took risks and you know like you had courage to do things what are some of the things that you I had I mean I don't want to sound like oh yeah I'm so brave because yeah in a way I'm brave but I feel like my very first reaction was and I think it will always be a little bit of resistance at first, but the point is that now I know that I need to push through and you know to get to step out of my comfort zone. But you know this is so good. So that resistance that a lot of people use as intuition, as like a negative feeling that is associated as fear, maybe it's just testing you to see how willing you are to push through and to challenge yourself so you can actually grow. And you said like I'm I'm accepting the challenge whenever that whenever I feel

that resistance. Yeah. Because usually it's it's a sign that you had to do that when you experience that resistance, right? like it was for the videos. At first I was experiencing this resistance and that's how I felt that was the right thing to do. Okay, do it. Yeah, I'm just going to name some of the things that I've seen you do in the community. First of all, post regularly. You host conversation groups. You came to um a meetup and I got to meet you twice already in real life. You have a podcast in our community and beyond. um you are a very dominant supportive member of the community. So you give a lot to other members of the

community. We did this crazy musical video uh from Chicago uh six women inside beyond and uh that was like very ambitious and incredible fun and super fun and super fun. So it like it's it's like you like to experience the resistance and the challenge and to be able to achieve it. Did I What else do you feel like you're uh I think you mentioned basically everything. I mean it's a lot already. Yeah. I don't know if I like to experience that first part you know the resistance and all these uh struggle but I for sure I like you know um the following steps you know when you come all of that yeah that feeling is incredible the

other side exactly the other side is incredible yeah talk to me about the importance of community in your journey and what it means for you in you know as a Lisa not as a an English student, right? Like personally, and just for context, we are in um you're a part of you've been in New South, but you're also have been inside of Beyond for many years. Beyond is our English fluency um community. And um and yeah, so talk to me about what it has been for you to be a part of this community.

It was everything. So I had to be honest at first. I really underestimated the power of the community because you know when I joined beyond I was really focused on myself on my English journey on my improvements and uh somehow when I joined I was uh expecting the support of I mean your support and the support of all the coaches. I mean incredible coaches I love them all and for sure you know once I um joined beyond the support that I uh that I experienced and I still experiencing today is a lot more than the one that I was expecting for sure. But I was expecting that somehow. What I was not expecting was uh the impact of being surrounded by people who have the same struggles, the same fears and uh

you know these people when you feel like you don't I mean when you feel like you're tired that you're not motivated when you feel like you want to give up when you have these bad days. We all have these bad days and bad moments. Uh you know during these bad moments the community can become your fuel. I mean in my case it was like that or at least this community. I don't know I want to talk about you know I want to be specific. I want to be specific because you know they could there are communities that could suck your energy instead of offer you more.

Yeah. And because these people uh you know are people uh who understand you, who push you, encourage you, who challenge you, who tell you that you can do it and you know even when you don't believe that they make you believe that it's possible. So it's a huge like the biggest part I would say of my English of my journey of my English journey and I didn't just find found English speaking partners in the community. I found real friendships and it was like I didn't see that coming. I it was totally unexpected and it's so beautiful and because you know what you what I didn't what I was not realizing at first when I was focusing just on myself is that uh growth becomes uh um easier and faster and even not even most importantly more

meaningful when you don't do it alone and uh an interesting thing is that one of my dreams when I was a little girl was to be able to speak with people from all over the world. And one of the things that helped me the most to achieve this goal, it was actually people. So I think about you need people for to be able first of all to be able to speak right like you know it's so important and to get feedback and to see how your words land like it's so incredibly important and I love it that it wasn't about that it wasn't what you signed up for but it's what you received and it has you know like it was even better yeah our community is really the most remarkable able

community ever. I'm biased, but I'm also objective. So, I think that you are objective. What is What would you say your goals are moving forward? Oh, when it comes to English, when it comes I don't know. Right now, I'm kind of, you know, I'm open to possibilities. I don't really have right now uh a specific a specific goal that I want to achieve. I mean uh right now I feel like I need to keep uh consistent, keep improving because of course, you know, especially with language is important to be consistent because uh how they say if

you don't use it, you lose it, right? So you need to do the work. So, I'd love to help people who now feel the same way uh that I did. And I think you're already doing that by sharing. First of all, like you're doing it right now, sharing your story because, you know, people look at you and say, "Okay, you know, she's so expressive and so confident and they might feel so distant from that experience." But this, you know, you were like that before. You were reserved. you were quiet, not wanting to make a mess, you know, and this is no longer your reality. And a lot of it, a lot has changed for you because of that, which is remarkable.

Yeah, I was just say because I was thinking about what is possible for me, you know, other than the other the things that I've already told you. I think what is possible for me is uh freedom. I mean, uh I'm I'm not perfect because I still make uh mistakes. I'm sure that I uh I've made uh mistakes um even during this interview, but the point is that I don't let them uh stop me now. And it's not that I don't care because of course I care if I make a mistakes, but it's more important for me to communicate. So uh what is possible for me now is this is the freedom to connect and to express myself and the freedom to be imperfect but speak but still speak. Okay. Yeah. And I think that's key. And I think freedom is so much more critical for the human

experience and for us speaking in a second language than perfection, than being accurate, than getting it right, than always saying the right thing. Because when you don't feel freedom, then you probably use 10% or 20% of what you know, and then you never show up. First of all, you never make the language accessible in and of itself, right? And also, you never have the confidence to show up authentically because you're always in your head. You're always limiting. You're always stifling. And um and I think this is huge what you just shared like telling yourself freedom and self-expression is more important to me than making mistakes. And even when you make mistakes, it doesn't destroy you, right? Like and I

think that when you understand that when you feel horrible, horrified, embarrassed, ashamed, when you make a mistake, first of all, it's probably from some past trauma that you were um you know, like you saw someone being humiliated or embarrassed or you experienced it, whether it has to do with English or something else. And then that feeling, right, that feeling of shame, we try to avoid it so badly like we don't want to experience shame. So we would do everything including eliminating our voice so that we wouldn't feel it. But when you're willing to feel those feelings and say wait actually it doesn't doesn't mean anything you know then you're able to manage it. It's like you said about resistance it will come up fear will come up shame will come up right but

it's how you let it manage you and direct you that's the question. And this is like how we grow as individuals where we don't let those things you know when we don't operate from these emotions but from where we want to be and who we want to become. Sometimes uh English learners might feel frustrated because might feel frustrated when they don't know something um they don't know some words in English. uh because you know when you've been studying English for many years uh for a long time maybe people around you uh start asking questions like uh what's this word in English or how do you express that in English and if you don't know the answer you might feel like oh my god uh I've been studying you

know all these years and I don't know uh the answer to that what's wrong with me you might, you know, you might feel like um you might think that, you know, the other person, oh my god, now the other person will think that I'm stupid, that I'm wasting my time, uh you know, and all that jazz. But I think that it's completely normal not to know everything in a language, even in our own language be because for example, when you um you know, if somebody uh asked me um about you know a specific term a specific um yeah a technical term for uh for a you know in a certain job for example let's say for uh carpenters maybe I know some the names of some of the tools that the carpenters

use in their job but I'm sure that I don't know all of them the names of all of them and that's okay for me honestly I don't feel that if something like that happens in our native language we don't feel that bad why we have to feel like that if that something like that happens um in English so I think we need to stop doubting yourself when um something like that happens and because that doesn't mean that we not able to speak English or that we are stupid or it just means that we are human no that's it exactly And no one's perfect and perfection is overrated anyway. It's boring, you know. So, it really is like, you know, I'm so passionate when I say this because I used to feel like that when, you know, people uh would ask me

something like that and I didn't know the answer. Oh my god. So, yeah. How has pronunciation helped you? What was the thing? You did talk about your love for sounds, but what was it about learning it that um that helped you change something or understand something? Okay. So when I started this uh deep work on um uh the sounds of English uh first of all uh the first thing you know the first thing that helped me was being aware becoming aware of some sounds uh because some many times I think that when in our when we don't have some sounds some English sounds in our native language. I think we tend to replace them when we speak to the closest the closest sounds that we have in our own language. Uh um I used to

do that. Uh and so uh but you know doing this deep work helped me to be uh aware of the sounds. Uh and um and then we also you know during the program you also learn how to really recognize these sounds and to perceive them. How to you learn how to perceive these sounds and then you learn how to reproduce them and then you know you practice them in a you drill the sounds in isolation and in words or phrases and sentences and then in speeches and then the connected speech and then you know proy um focalonation is stress and I love that good student I'm like I love listening to every word and how you build it. Yes. And I think that uh you know when you um go deep uh on the sounds on the pronunciation I think no let me rephrase that. Uh when you learn about

the proy of English everything changes because I think that uh proy carries the meaning and the emotions uh of your me of what you are saying. Uh and that can change uh everything because it maybe you say something, you want to sound super confident, 100% sure, but because your inonation maybe is a little bit off, you uh end up sounding insecure and maybe even that you're searching uh for validation in the other person. So the other person might feel confused, you know, what's the message here? And that's not good. I mean when you are communicating and so I think that's that's important because uh the way you say uh words you know your words uh it makes a difference uh you know because the same words um may sound like you are um excited or annoyed

or um that you are sure insecure or yeah depending on your inonation. So, and that's when you know when you are aware of that's huge that changes the way you communicate. Uh yeah, and I love that. And I think oh another thing another I just want to mention just say what I say another thing about parad uh because you know for sure proadi help helps you to uh to be clearer and to sound confident but I think most of all it um it helps you be in control of your uh message of the message you want to convey and that's it. Yes. And in how the message is going to be received too, right? Like not just the message they want to convey and also what they are going to feel when they receive it.

Yes. So much like people think about I just need to use the right words, right? And grammar and vocabulary and that and then they say something and the other person feels like they're angry with them. And I've had so many students experiencing that because the way they use their intonation and their voice which was extremely friendly in their native language for example in the US where they were living that now like it was it sounded a little kind of like you know uh aggressive or angry. So I think that understanding that is not just about changing how you sound. It's really about understanding what others expecting and because at the end of the day, you want your message to be clear

because it serves you and you get what you want and you say what you think and then you're you're also communicating well for the other person to, you know, to get what they need. Yeah, that's such a good point. What is something that you are excited about that has nothing to do with English? Oh boy, my niece and my nephew. I knew you were gonna say that. Yeah. I mean I Okay, tell me about them. I don't know. I just again it's like you know it's like the question why do you love them?

I just love them. They are so uh cute and I don't know I spend you spend a lot of quality time together. Yes. A lot. I mean, sometimes can be tiring. It can be tiring, but I mean, I don't complain. I'm I'm lucky that I can do that. Yeah. Um, what is one piece of advice you would give someone listening to us right now and maybe they are insecure, they don't know what their next step is, uh, they want to experience a breakthrough and they don't know what to do. What would you recommend for them? Let's say if I could go back in time and tell myself uh and give myself a piece of advice, I think the first one that I would say would be just do it. I mean uh just start. Uh I would say don't wait until you feel like

it's uh the right if until you feel ready. Don't wait until you know more. Don't wait until you are more prepared. Don't don't wait until you feel like it's the right moment because we know that the right moment that moment will never come. So you just need to jump in and start and if that resonates with uh with you um yeah I you don't don't don't know don't don't try to find excuses to postpone this moment out of fears. Maybe you just need to take a little a small step. That's it. Just a small step and then another one and you know all the those small steps will take you further than you think. So if that resonates with you don't waste your time. Just uh start

now. I mean not tomorrow, not later. Start this very second now. do something that you've been thinking about doing that scares you that maybe even if it's just like spend 10 minutes a day practicing something start now. Yes. I mean because the key Yeah. The key is to be consistent. Uh you don't have to practice for hours and hours a day. First of all, because it's not sustainable because, you know, life doesn't doesn't allow us to do that. And with me. Yeah. And so just 10 minutes a day uh they will make a huge difference because those 10 minutes a day will become your results. But of course it has to be 10 minutes every single day. I mean not 10 minutes every once in a

while because that won't take you anywhere. So be consistent small steps. This is such a golden advice and even if it doesn't resonate with you because you said if it resonates with you, but I'm saying even if it doesn't resonate with you, take that advice because this is the key to success with everything. And I've experienced that with everything in my life. Start before you're ready. Start now. Start small. Just start, right? Don't let your brain talk you out of not doing the things that you want to do. That's the most important thing.

Stop limiting yourself because most of the time yourself most of the times we are our own um obstacles. So yeah that ah that's so beautiful to end it with that. Um before we go I'm just going to say we talked about two programs. I'm going to put the links below. We talked about Beyond, which is our English fluency uh community, and we talked about New Sound, which is our um structured pronunciation program. So, if you're curious about this, I'm going to link it below. And uh and that's it. And Elisa, I love you so much. I appreciate you. I really I'm in awe by all the things that you do. I'm in awe by your transformation from you know from accent makeover in the first few months of

beyond and um I'm I'm grateful for all that you bring to the community and to my life and thank you for everything so by saying here thank you so much and thank you for sharing your story with us thank you for the invitation thank Thank you so much for staying all the way to the end and thank you Alisa for this beautiful conversation. And I want to reiterate and repeat what Alisa said. The most important thing is to start before you're ready. Don't wait to be ready. Don't wait for something to happen to do the thing that you want to do. Do it today. It has worked for her.

It has worked for so many people who had a goal and they did what it took to get to that goal. And I'm inviting you to do that today. Thank you so much. Have a beautiful, beautiful rest of the day and I will see you next week in the next video. Bye.