E24: Quit His Job, Moved to Costa Rica & Built a Spanish School

Chris Reidy, founder of Tico Lingo in Costa Rica, shares how he built a Spanish immersion school from scratch and the transformative power of language learning through real-world practice.

Guest Bio: Chris Reidy is the founder and program director of Tico Lingo, a Spanish immersion school based in Heredia, Costa Rica. Originally from Chicago, Chris moved to Costa Rica in 2015 and turned his own struggles with language learning into a thriving business that now serves students from around the world.

Topics Discussed:

• How to reach Spanish fluency through immersion
• Why U.S. schools fail at language education
• Starting a business abroad as an American
• Legal and tax challenges in Costa Rica
• Word-of-mouth and organic marketing strategies
• Cultural nuances of Costa Rican Spanish and hospitality
• Overcoming betrayal and burnout as an entrepreneur
• The role of homestays and real-life practice in language learning

Top 3 Quotes:

• "Language is best learned with human connection—apps can’t replicate the spark you get from real conversation."
• "If you want to build something meaningful, be prepared to sleep on a yoga mat and eat rice and beans for months."
• "We don't do much marketing—we just exist, and people talk about us because the experience speaks for itself."

📺Watch the full podcast on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/Ax4co0z3A2k?si=f6kYkGL0B4BaIxnt

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
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