Shows
Mentor UpThe Business Reality Behind the Polyglot Conference: Carrying a Global Event on Your Shoulders — with Richard SimcottIn this episode, we go behind the scenes of one of the world’s most international language events — the Polyglot Conference — and talk about something most people never see: the business reality behind it.
My guest is Richard Simcott — known for speaking dozens of languages, but in this episode, we focus on something deeper. What does it actually take to carry a global event on your shoulders for more than 13 years? The pressure, the pivots, the financial risks, the emotional weight — and the resilience to keep going.
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Survey (and the chance of w...
2026-02-1251 min
Mentor UpWhy Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail — and What You Can Do Instead to Make 2026 a Successful YearMost New Year’s resolutions don’t fail because of a lack of discipline — they fail because change is often approached in the wrong way.
In this episode, I reflect on a deeply honest New Year’s Eve dinner with entrepreneur friends in Barcelona, where we had the kind of conversations founders rarely have out loud. Instead of talking about goals and resolutions, we asked each other better questions — questions that create clarity, alignment, and sustainable success.
I’m bringing those questions into today’s episode so you can reflect on your own direction, decisions, and priorities...
2026-01-1213 min
Mentor UpWhat It Takes to Build a #1 Global Brand in a Niche — with Hyunwoo Sun + Insights from Our First Language Business Retreat in TaiwanIn this episode of Mentor Up, I sit down with Hyunwoo Sun, one of the most respected entrepreneurs in the global language-learning industry.
Hyunwoo has spent over 16 years building a brand that became #1 in its niche worldwide, publishing 50+ books and 80+ courses, all while staying deeply present as a father and leader. But this conversation isn’t about hustle, shortcuts, or overnight success.
We talk about what it really takes to build something that lasts: calm leadership, long-term thinking, knowing when to step back as a founder, and why impact matters more than metrics. Hyunwoo shares wh...
2025-12-2157 min
Mentor Up10 Years of Building and Scaling a Company: 10 Things I'd Do Differently If I Had to Start Over TodayREAL TALK: After 10 years of building ZALOA, I’m sharing 10 things I would actually do differently if I had to start over.
From thinking bigger and raising capital earlier to hiring smarter, avoiding shiny-object syndrome, setting clearer expectations, and finally listening to my body — this is the real talk I wish I had heard a decade ago.
Number 10 is a special one: It's the only thing I wouldn’t change. I would choose it again, exactly the same way, every single time.
LINKS
Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more Rea...
2025-12-0114 min
Mentor UpWhat Makes a Business Truly Successful — Insights from International Investor Herby MarchettiIn this episode of Mentor Up, international investor and AI expert Herby Marchetti joins us for a candid conversation about what truly makes a business successful. From the wild early days of Germany’s startup scene to global mergers and acquisitions, Herby shares insights from 17 years of investing, advising, and building startups — and how trust, clarity, and courage remain the most valuable capital of all.
LINKS
Follow me on Instagram and LinkedIn for more Real Talk about Life as an entrepreneur.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stories/anja_from_alemania/
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2025-10-1936 min
Mentor UpLessons for Entrepreneurs & Leaders: How to Stay Resilient After Betrayal and DepressionWhat happens when everything you’ve built is taken from you? In this raw and powerful episode, serial entrepreneurs Laura and Ray Blakney open up about losing their company, facing betrayal, and navigating the darkness of depression.
They share the unfiltered truth of hitting rock bottom — and the hard but transformative journey of finding resilience, rebuilding trust, and redefining success. For entrepreneurs and leaders, this is more than a story: it’s a reminder that failure only happens when you stop trying.
✨ Whether you’re in the middle of your own struggle or preparing for the challe...
2025-08-2441 min
Mentor UpThe Inner Journey of a Nomadic CEO: What I Shared at the Female Founder Talk in BerlinIn this episode of Mentor Up, I’m sharing the recording of a live talk I gave at the SIBB Female Founder Event in Berlin.
It’s not a how-to guide or a glorified success story. It’s real talk about what it actually means to be a nomadic founder: 9 years of bootstrapping my company ZALOA Languages — until forming a strategic partnership with one of our biggest clients who later became our investor.
I also reflect on my own path — from being born in Germany to living in different countries since 2007 — and what it feels like to come f...
2025-06-3057 min
Mentor UpThe $100 Million Mindset: How Dan Roitman Scaled Pimsleur, Making It the #2 Language Brand in the U.S.What does it take to scale a business to $100 million — and what if the biggest thing holding you back is you?
In this episode, I sit down with Dan Roitman, the entrepreneur who turned Pimsleur into a $100 million product and the #2 language learning brand in the U.S.
We talk about the mindset shifts needed to grow past $1M, why most founders never manage to scale, and what it really takes to build a business in the era of AI. Dan shares practical insights, bold decisions, and the unfiltered truth about what drives companies to...
2025-05-2652 min
Mentor UpReal Talk: The Hardest Launch I’ve Ever Done and How it Went + Tips for Your Next Product Launch (Solo Episode)Launching something new is never easy — but launching a completely new product while running an already successful business? That’s a whole different game.
In this solo episode, I’m sharing the honest, behind-the-scenes story of the launch of our new technology last week. From rebuilding our platform while still supporting thousands of users, to navigating shifting timelines, stretched teams, and tough decisions — I take you inside the chaos, the clarity, and the lessons.
You’ll hear:
What made this launch so uniquely challenging
The biggest mistakes and turning points along the way
2025-05-1215 min
Mentor UpHow to Take Control of Your Finances & Start Investing (Even with Small Amounts) – with Cristina JaegerIn this episode of Mentor Up, we dive deep into a topic that is relevant to all of us money.
In the Spotlight, we look at why financial education is still one of the most overlooked tools for personal and professional growth—and why it matters not just for investors, but for everyone who wants to build a sustainable life and business.
For the Real Advice segment, I’m joined by Cristina Jaeger, a finance expert with over 14 years of experience in wealth management and founder of herFinancialFreedom, a platform that has helped over 2,000 women gain...
2025-04-2158 min
Mentor UpCo-Founders: The Most Important Relationship in Business—Why Ours Didn't Last and What You Can Learn From ItToday’s spotlight is on a big question: should you have a co-founder?
In the category Real Talk, I open up about how I chose my business partner back in 2017.
And in Real Advice, things get personal – I’ve invited my former business partner to join me as we publicly talk, for the first time, about why we’re no longer working together as business partners, what actually worked between us, and what we would do differently if we had the chance to start over.
If you like this episode, please don’t forget to s...
2025-04-0755 min
Mentor UpWhy Most Businesses Fail, How to Stay in the Game, and the Vision Behind Rawad A. Zaki’s Flying HousesIn this episode of the Mentor App, we dive deep into the harsh realities of the startup world, exploring why most startups fail and more importantly, how to avoid becoming part of that statistic. Join us as we introduce revolutionary founder, Rava A. Zaki, who delves into the future of mobility with his Flying Houses, and shares his visionary take on sustainable innovation.
As we journey through real stories and personal experiences, we uncover the critical lessons learned from failed startups, explore the importance of flexibility, and discuss the necessity of finding your true purpose as an...
2025-03-2051 min
Mentor UpBuilding a Personal Advisory Board: How to Find Mentors to Thrive in Business & Life – with Jeannie EdmundsSuccess isn’t a solo journey—it’s built on the wisdom of the right mentors. In this episode of Mentor Up, I sit down with Jeannie Edmunds to explore how to build your own personal advisory board and find the mentors who can help you thrive in both business and life.
We discuss:
✅ Why everyone needs mentors
✅ How to identify and approach the right mentors
✅ The biggest challenges in business—and how mentorship can help overcome them
✅ Real-life mentorship stories and lessons from Jeannie’s experience
LINKS
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2025-03-0952 min
The Language Leaders PodcastExpert Strategies for Superior Student and Client Retention: Insights from Industry LeadersEver wondered how industry leaders achieve such high retention rates?
This episode reveals insider strategies and real-world success stories from three expert panelists at the Language Leaders Student Retention Summit 2024.
This includes three proven strategies:
Targeting Learner Groups: Anja Spilker (Founder and CEO) shares how Zaloa Languages transformed retention rates by understanding and targeting specific learner groups.
Multilingual Coaching: Kristina Curtis Ekiz (VP of Customer and Learner Operations) reveals how personalised support in learners' native languages at EnGen boosted engagement and motivation, backed by data.
Data-Driven Success: Laiz Maiochi (VP of Customer Success at...
2024-07-2633 min
Well-being Wednesday - Der Podcast#5 Anja Spilker: Warum Emotionen im Business Platz habenMit Anja Spilker spreche ich über Unternehmertum, Emotionen im Business und Breathwork. Anja ist International Founder, Polyglot, Startup Advisor, Content Creator und noch so vieles mehr.Highlights dieser Episode: Routinen können gut und wichtig sein, aber es kann eine echte Herausforderung sein, eine feste Routine zu etablieren, vor allem wenn man in verschiedenen Zeitzonen arbeitet und unregelmäßige Arbeitszeiten hat. Hier gibt es andere Wege, Balance zu finden.Negative Erfahrungen haben oft den positiven Effekt, uns selbst besser zu verstehen und auf unsere eigenen Grenzen zu achten.Selbstfürsorge und das Setzen von klaren Grenzen sind e...
2023-11-0132 min
Martin adquiere un idioma27. ¿Cómo lograr un acento perfecto? - Anja Spilker📺 Puedes mirar este episódeo en youtube acá: https://youtu.be/ohhDkeF-zEg💙 Ayudame sostener este canal uniendote a mi Patreon ⇢ https://www.patreon.com/martinadquiereunidioma📖 Aprende leyendo con esta app LINGQ ⇢ https://bit.ly/3y6IiT5📺 Netflix y TV de otros paises con este VPN ⇢ https://bit.ly/3awGqHD¿No estás pudiendo aprender un idioma como quisieras?Interesados en tener asesoría conmigo: martinbalh@gmail.comYoutube de Anja: https://www.youtube.com/c/DeutschmitZALOAInstagram de Anja: anja_from_alemania00:00 | Introducción03:01 | Presentación de Anja
2022-09-161h 04
Schluss mit lustig? Der Kinderhospiz PodcastSternenkinderambulanz- Wenn das Empfangen zugleich ein Abschiednehmen istWenn ein Kind im Mutterleib, bei oder kurz nach der Geburt verstirbt, zerstört das Hoffnungen, Träume und Planungen für die Zukunft. Ein Ereignis, dass die Eltern ein Leben lang begleitet, aber einen Platz für ihre Trauer finden sie in der Gesellschaft oft nicht. Diesen Platz bietet die Sternenkinderambulanz der Bethanien Diakonissen-Stiftung. In dieser Folge war Anja Spilker, die Leitung der Sternenkinderambulanz, zu Gast und erzählt von ihrer wichtigen Arbeit, worauf es bei der Begleitung ankommt und was für sie Trauer bedeutet.
2021-11-261h 06
Language & Travel Hacking#66 Anja Spilker on Creating a Language School in MexicoBenny Lewis and Shannon Kennedy talk to Anja Spilker about learning Nahuatl, combating negative feedback as a language learning, and running a language business.Featured ResourcesZALOA LanguagesMentioned in this EpisodeZALOA LanguagesAnja on InstagramAnja on FacebookAnja on TwitterZALOA Languages on InstagramZALOA Languages on FacebookEpisode OverviewSome of the topics brought up during the interview are:Living in Mexico in a second languageOpening a language schoolUsing social gatherings to gain conversation skills in a new languageCombining fitness with language learningBuilding a business in another countryLearning Nahuatl...
2021-09-0643 min
Radio HispanohablanteEpisodio #10 Entrevista Anja from Alemania-Anja SpilkerEn una charla de jueves en la cabina de la Freies Radio für Stuttgart-99.2FM y una nueva emisión de Radio Hispanohablante, tuvimos la dicha de entrevista a Anja Spilker, creadora del proyecto "Deutsch lernen mit Zaloa".
Anja es una YouTuber muy famosa en el área de aprendizaje de lenguajes, vive desde hace algunos años en Cholula, Puebla y nos cuenta los detalles de su experiencia con el idioma español, lenguas indígenas en México y el amor a la cultura de este país.
LINKS ANJA:
INSTA- https://w...
2020-10-0922 min
Radio HispanohablanteEpisodio #9 Radio Hispanohablante: Aprendizaje del español para extranjeros-Visita Anja from Alemania.¿Cómo aprenden los extranjeros y los alemanes a hablar español? ¿Es también muy complicado para ellos, como para nosotros el alemán u otras lenguas?
En una charla más de jueves, la redacción de Radio Hispanohablante conversó con dos alemanas que dominan perfectamente la lengua española en la cabina de la Freies Radio für Stuttgart.
Soli tan tiene 24 años y habla un español muy basto. Ella estudia la maestría de Ciencia de Medios en la Universidad de Tübingen y ha estado en países como España y Ch...
2020-10-0952 min
Creator Empires Podcast44. Running a Physical Language School vs. an Online School with Anja SpilkerMany people dream of an adventure overseas. Anja Spilker, founder and CEO of Zaloa Languages, thought she was going to Mexico for just six months in 2014. So far, she's been there six years and counting. She built a language school in Cholula, not far from Mexico City, and she had about 500 students at its peak.
When COVID hit Mexico she closed the doors and decided to take her entire business online. In this interview, we´re going to talk about the pros and cons of running a language business online vs. offline.
In this interview you will learn:
- What to...
2020-09-1853 min
The Actual Fluency Podcast for Language LearnersAFP 141 - Anja Spilker on using languages and travels as a reboot, and mental healthOn this episode I'm joined by Anja Spilker (CEO and Founder of Zaloa Languages, where we talk about the positive effects learning languages and travelling can have on mental health.
Nothing in this episode is medical or professional advice, if you are struggling - PLEASE see a professional.
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2019-01-151h 13