Why I Quit Online Tutoring

Quit Teaching

May 30

Note -This blog post is from a video I made back in October 2024. I realized I never shared this story on my blog!

If you’ve ever felt trapped by your own niche or pressured to keep grinding despite feeling burnt out, then this post is going to resonate with you. I want to break down why I left the world of online tutoring behind, what I learned about niching down, and how clarity came after stepping back—and what I’m excited about next.

The Backstory: Why I Started (and Stopped) Tutoring

Let’s rewind a bit. If you’ve been with my channel since 2018, you know I started out focused on tutoring content. Back then, it felt like the right direction—I was running a tutoring business, sharing what I learned, and connecting with people looking for that support. But by mid-2021, I hit a wall. I was tired of repeating the same topics. I tried pivoting into the YouTube marketing world, but let’s be real: that niche is packed. Everyone’s offering advice on how to get more views or optimize your thumbnails. I realized those topics didn’t really excite me.

Still, out of habit (and a little bit of guilt for leaving something that had served me), I drifted back into tutoring. There’s always that little voice: “You’ve done well with this. Shouldn’t you just keep going?” But, if I’m honest, that voice ended up running me ragged.

Burnout, Bandwidth, and the Realities of Tutoring

After reopening my tutoring business in late 2023, I realized quickly that it wasn’t just about knowledge or love for teaching anymore. There were client relationships to constantly manage, new concepts to relearn, and always the chase for new clients. One client wanted in-person sessions, late in the evening, which didn’t fit my family life at all. I ignored my gut, took them on anyway, and it ended exactly how I should have expected—with them asking for a refund and me, yet again, stressed out and questioning what I was doing.

It’s not just physical or mental exhaustion either. There’s the emotional toll of dealing with clients who aren’t the right fit, feeling guilty letting clients go, wondering whether to communicate with parents, teachers, or both. It honestly began to feel like I was back in a traditional classroom, but with less support and more pressure because it was my own business on the line.

I know from talking to others that these struggles aren’t unique to me—they’re the reality for lots of tutors. If you resonate with this, you’re definitely not alone.

Rethinking Income and Passive Revenue

There’s also a big question of balance and value for time. For example, I was making $45 for a 45-minute session, but once you add prep time, communications, and follow-up, it just wasn’t working for me energetically or financially. While all this was happening, I noticed that my older videos and blog posts (thanks to affiliate marketing) were quietly bringing in consistent, even growing, income—completely passive.

It kind of hit me: why am I grinding so hard for each tutoring dollar when my old content is doing so much heavy lifting on its own? It freed up my brain space to question my real priorities.

The Problem With “Niching Down”—And the Inspiration to Pivot

The pressure to “niche down” is everywhere in the YouTube and business world, but hearing Vanessa Lau say it’s outdated felt like a breath of fresh air. She’s a content creator I look up to who built a business around Instagram marketing and then, after serious burnout, stepped away completely. She came back reminding her audience (and me) that building a personal brand—one that can evolve as you evolve—is not only okay, it’s smart.

Tying yourself too tightly to one niche can start to feel inauthentic. I became “the tutoring girl,” but that’s not me anymore. If you’re worried about switching lanes because your audience expects one thing, know that it’s okay. Your people will find you, and if some don’t follow, that’s part of the process.

What’s Next? Digital Minimalism, Motherhood & Following What Feels Good

So what am I excited about now? I want to lean into digital minimalism—how stepping away from Instagram and Facebook brought me more clarity and, ironically, more income. There’s homeschooling, slow living, motherhood, decluttering, and just the honest, messy, trial-and-error of making life work for my family.

My plan is to try new content, see what resonates (throw that spaghetti at the wall!), and keep things honest and flexible. If you’re tired of the grind or dreading making content about something that no longer excites you, take this as your sign that you can embrace change, too.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, your journey is unique. If you’ve been hustling in a niche that just doesn’t fit anymore, it’s okay to walk away. Try what feels right, see what sticks, and know that sometimes the path to fulfillment is letting go of what used to work to make space for what will.

Let’s see where this next season takes us—and thank you for being along for the ride. If you want to hear more about slow living, digital minimalism, or homeschooling, let me know in the comments. I appreciate each and every one of you who’s been here.