We had the good fortune of connecting with Meredith Kasper and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Meredith, how do you think about risk?
Many years ago I came across a quote in Spanish, which has continually encouraged me to take chances. El mayor riesgo es no arriesgar – Accion Poetica, which means, the biggest risk is not taking risks. Everyday we wake up and face risks, some more obvious than others. There is an illusion of safety that society feeds us, but the reality is, it’s all a risk of some sort. By not doing something because it seems scary is a risk, the risk of not following your dreams and living with regret. Sometime the things that seems scary or that you might not succeed at are the best teachers and a great reason to take a risk and go for it.
For me, the best way to learn is through experience, but it’s not always easy. There have been many struggles along the way. But there have also been amazing adventures and success too. There have been many many experiences where in the moment I thought. “Wow, I never would have guessed I’d be here / doing this.”
Very often in my life when an opportunity presents itself, I think to myself, “I should probably take the opportunity now because it’s here. What if I don’t get a chance to do it later in life for some reason. This mind set has allowed me to travel the world visiting different people who I’ve met along the way. It has also encouraged me to start many small business’s over the years. Not only here in the USA but also when I lived in Mexico and in Norway. I think, Why not? What do I have to loose? If nothing else it’ll be an experience.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
In 2016, I launched Custom Spanish Courses because I saw a need for vocabulary specific Spanish classes. There are tons of high quality general Spanish courses out there, but not vocabulary specific to different professions. Therefore, I started off by developing a curriculum geared towards teachers and offered it in an immersion setting. The results were phenomenal. The teachers loved the course and said, focusing on vocabulary that they could use right away in the classroom was extremely useful and that the immersion setting was super valuable. They went home thinking about Spanish and came back the next day ready to apply what they’d learned the day before. When learning something that is applicable much more can be gained and the learning curve decreased.
From there I decided to expand out to other professions. My next undertaking was working with regional police in the I-70 West POST region. I met with the Lieutenant at Carbondale PD and we came up with a plan for their curriculum. We decided on a 3 day immersion that would focus on 3 primary topics. I gathered information from Lieutenant Wurtsmith on what vocabulary and phrases would be most useful to them, and I built the tailored curriculum from there. Again, the results with the officers were impressive. The feedback being that this was the first language course they’d taken that helped them feel more comfortable using Spanish on the job.
I strive to create super interactive courses that keep people engaged, having fun and moving around. It helps the participants learn quickly, sets everyone at ease and the time flys by. The thing that I am most proud of is that I am able to create Spanish courses that engage people from start to finish and encourage them to use another language. I am impressed every time by how much they can learn in a short period of time.
A recent comment from a participant validated that I am on the right track. She said, “That was the best training I’ve ever been to! Not just the best language training but the best training. I learned so much, I feel way more comfortable speaking Spanish and the time flew by.” – K. DeClaire 911 Dispatch, Castle Rock.
Comments like that make me proud of what I have created.
Over the years Custom Spanish Courses has continued to grow. Although 2020 was a really tough year with all my contracts cancelled. At the beginning of the year, I was set to teach more courses than any of the previous years and I was so excited for things to really take off. I was very discouraged. I didn’t really know what to do or how to proceed. Many people suggested modifying the course and offering them online. However, I felt completely overwhelmed, disheartened and uninspired by this idea for many reasons.
A. The courses I’ve created are super interactive and you need to be face to face to do the activities.
B. I thought how can I compete with Rosetta Stone, Babble etc. bigger businesses that have resources to invest in high quality/high tech platforms.
C. I am not overly tech savvy.
It all felt daunting.
I thought how can I possibly make an online course that isn’t just passive learning that engages the student with active learning?
Over several months my inspiration returned but finally I got an idea of how to make the experience more meaningful. I have now created 5 online, self paced courses. 3 for law enforcement and 2 for medical providers.
In March 2021, Castle Rock 911 dispatch training coordinator reached out and asked if I could create a course for them. I agreed and was excited about creating a new course. The training was the first in-person course since 2019 and it was great to be back in the classroom. The course was the first in-person course since 2019 and it was great to be back in the classroom. (I just finished teaching that course last week)
Apart from the pandemic, my biggest challenge is getting in touch with the right person who understands the importance of learning Spanish and building cultural bridges. Because my niche is very specific, I end up cold calling police stations, sheriff’s offices, school district administration offices, hospitals, medical offices, fire departments. It takes a lot of perseverance to keep calling and reaching out if people shoot you down. The other big hurdle is funding. Most of the employers or agencies that I am targeting all have limited budgets so that is often an issue.
It hasn’t been easy but it sure is fun and gratifying each time I get a chance to teach a course or create a new curriculum.
The courses I have created over the years are:
Face to face:
Spanish for Educators 1, 2 & 3
Spanish for Law Enforcement 1 and 2
Spanish for 911 dispatch 1
Online:
Spanish for Law Enforcement: How to Calm a Situation 1 & 2 and Basic Traffic Stop.
Spanish for Medical Providers 1 and 2
And
Excited to create more.
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So let’s say it’s summer time when my friends come to visit and that my friends love the outdoors as much as I do. First, I would show them around the town of Carbondale, which doesn’t take long. I’d suggest eating out at some of my favorite restaurants: Phat Thai, The Goat, Silo, Mings or the Village Smithy and grab a drink at the Marble Distillery or The Batch.
As far as activities, I’d suggest a soak at either Avalanche Hot Springs or Iron Mountain Hot Springs. We could also go either up valley to Basalt or Aspen or down valley to Glenwood to check out things in town. There are always lots of things happening around the valley; free music, festivals and events. Or perhaps we’d head over to Paonia and check out some of the wineries there.
But what I’d really like to show them is how amazingly beautiful the area around Carbondale is. I would take them camping and/or four wheeling in any direction. Up the Crystal River, or the Frying Pan, or go up towards Aspen or north to the Flat Tops wilderness. There’s a lot to choose from and it’s all breathtaking.
I feel so fortunate to live here!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ll give a shout out to all my family and friend who have encouraged me to go for it and have been there to celebrate my small successes along the way.
Website: http://www.customspanishcourses.com
Youtube: https://youtu.be/dK7g-pPMjkM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/customspanishcourses/