Thank You.

Thank you to everyone who has inspired me to develop this idea, to those who have given me the courage to try it, and to those who have lent their talents to help me launch it.

First of all, I would like to thank two women.

First and foremost, thank you to my wife Rachel who has supported me in every possible way the past few years while I have tried to developed this idea. I want this Chilingual project to be successful just so I can buy her the finest rugs, the rugs that she deserves. Thank you Rachel, for all the dinners you cooked for us while I was tutoring online, and for all the post-dinner cleanup you did while I was tutoring online some more. I agree with the axiom “Behind every successful man is a great woman,” not because I am successful or confident that I will become successful, but because I wouldn’t even have this chance to be successful if not for you. I love you more than the number of times I’ve asked you to send me the Canva login code.

Secondly, I need to thank Claire, my volunteer small business coach from SCORE Chicago. This website (or this company) wouldn’t exist if I had not been paired with Claire. When I first met her online, I had so many ideas colliding with each other inside of my neurodivergent brain. I had no idea how to slow them down, let alone organize them. I had so many doubts about starting a small business, and didn’t how not to be overwhelmed by them. Claire was generous with her time and her expertise and she kept me on track during my planning phase. She was a true cheerleader for me and she believed in my project even when I struggled to. In honor of Claire, and all of the great SCORE small business volunteer mentors, please visit www.score.org to learn more about their amazing organization. You can get paired with your very own Claire, or volunteer your time to help another wannabe entrepreneur.

Next, I must thank my tech bros, who gave me renewed hope that just because you are a “tech bro,” it does not automatically mean that you are a douchebag. Thank you Rick, who designed my first logo, and to Aaron who took that logo, and my chaotic brand ideas, and yet was still able to build a beautifully-designed website around them. When Aaron first asked me what my visions for my future brand were, I answered, “Um…Do you know Poochie from The Simpsons? I kind of what my website to be like Poochie of online education.” Rather than running away like a sane person, Aaron stayed with me, and he designed this website. Aaron’s talent and intelligence are evident in this site, and in his support of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Next, I must thank my old friend Brian, who not only introduced me to Aaron, he helped me so much in trying to get me to understand websites, and which of my stupid ideas I could or could not pull off on said websites. Brian has been helping me with technology for more than twenty years, which is funny because he is actually one year older than I. Thank you, Brian, and apologies in advance for all the future questions I will ask of you.

I must also thank my good friend Steve, who has helped me in countless ways, and for countless years. He was probably the most responsible for helping me establish the social atmosphere at our old school, which might be the most responsible for helping me bring those students back to online classes at Chilingual. You have always been a great cheerleader for me, which is probably no surprise for man with such an ample dumper. Thank you for marrying me (twice) and I very much look forward to marrying you in Colombia.

Speaking of South America, and men with great asses, I need to thank my former student-turned great friend Eliécer. Eliécer is like many of my former students in that after my class, he earned a master’s degree and now has an awesome job using his English. He teaches computer sciences at a local Chicago university and he taught me (okay, tried to teach me) all about the…science of computers? I don’t know, I didn’t really understand much. I actually designed most of my Chilingual classes to appeal to students like Eliécer, busy adults with advanced English who might want to take their last step toward true fluency. He will always be welcome in any class I teach, online or otherwise.

I actually want to thank my all of my former students, all 15,00-20,000 of them, who are the inspiration for this project. I loved teaching you, and I want to teach you again. Or teach your friends. Or (gulp) teach your kids. I started teaching ESL in 1997, when I was just a kid (19). I taught English and TOEFL for the next twenty years and I loved every minute of it. Then I got a “real job,” and lo and behold, I really started missing teaching again. Hence, Chilingual.

I have had the time of my life teaching you on Randolph St., on Michigan Ave., on Wabash, on LaSalle, on Halsted, on Sheridan, on Narragansett, and in all of those church basements, grammar schools, coffeeshops and the like. I really liked doing it and I want to do it again. Hence, Chilingual.

Special thanks to all of my former students who provided me with recommendations for this website, and especially those who allowed me to promote their businesses on the Student Lounge page. I am immensely proud of the success you have had after leaving my class and I hope that the visitors of my site get your businesses get some new eyeballs, some new clicks, and some new customers.

Thank you to one particular former student in Murcia, Spain. Nacho, my Dirty English class is a love letter to you. Sure, other women have given you their bodies, and one has given you a son, but how many of them have created an online class for you? I hope you like it. Make sure to visit his brothel in Murcia, linked here

They say “it takes a village” to raise a child. Well my company is kind of like a child in that it has thus far, only cost me money. And it has definitely taken a village to get it started. And I hope that Chilingual does become a village—an online village through which people from around the world can access knowledge and exchange ideas. At least until Mark Zuckerberg figures out a way for us to exchange other stuff online.

-John

October, 2025