“Building Something New (and Not So New)”

11th December 2025

By Dawn at Clara James Tutoring

This week, something very ordinary reminded me why I love what I do.

I was working with one of my students on similes. Nothing fancy, just a dozen words like butterflies, fish, and legs, and the challenge to turn each one into a descriptive sentence. I explained what a simile was, handed over the list, and watched her imagination take off.

She came up with lines like:
🦋 “Butterflies as bright as a rainbow.”
💪 “Legs as strong as iron.”

Simple, but magical.
And I left that lesson thinking: this is how confidence grows; tiny, creative moments, one after another.

I’m turning that little exercise into a resource for the Clara James Approach, because it reminded me how powerful and uncomplicated learning can be when it’s made accessible.

And in a way, that ties directly into something much bigger I’ve been working on behind the scenes.

🌱 Returning to an idea I once walked away from

A few years ago, I started building a franchise model for Clara James Tutoring.
It was all created — the mission, the values, the structure, the training, the contract — and people were actually reaching out, asking when they could join.

But I didn’t have the confidence to follow it through.

I can see that clearly now.
I told myself I wasn’t ready, or the timing wasn’t right, or that other people knew better than me.

So I put it away.

But something shifted recently.

💛 When life forces you onto a new road

Unexpectedly losing Mum last month has changed my perspective in ways I’m still trying to put into words.
Grief does strange things — it makes the world feel both fragile and urgent.

Some people have asked whether taking on a big project like a franchise is “too much” right now.
And I understand the concern.

But honestly?
Now feels like exactly the right time.

Because grief has reminded me that life is short.
And if I want to build something meaningful — something Mum would be proud of, something Dad would be proud of, something my three children will one day look at and say, “She did that” — then I can’t keep waiting for the perfect moment.

The perfect moment doesn’t exist.
But purpose does.

And this franchise is my purpose.

It’s the chance to support more children who learn differently.
It’s the chance to help tutors build meaningful, heart-led businesses.
It’s the chance to grow something that leaves a legacy far bigger than me.

So, quietly, steadily, I’ve begun again.

This week we finalised the mission statement and the outline of who the franchise is really for — people who care as much about children as they do about earning a living; people who want to be part of something supportive and deeply human.

It feels right.
It feels grounded.
And it feels like the start of a new chapter — one I’m finally ready for.

🌼 A tiny update, and what comes next

I’m considering creating a small “Coming Soon” page on the website — nothing dramatic, just a gentle place where people can follow the journey if they’d like to.

But for now, my focus is simply on building the foundation with confidence this time.

No excuses.
No hiding.
No talking myself out of it.

Just steady, purposeful steps toward something that matters.

And as always, the ordinary moments — sitting with a child crafting similes, or an afternoon spent with Ada and Clara — remind me what (and who) I’m doing this for.

Thank you for being here at the start of this new chapter.
There’s so much more to come. 💛