504. How English helped her say yes to a whole new life

When you think about success in English, what comes to mind? Do you think about being able to speak without getting stuck? Do you think about speaking flawlessly without making mistakes or without mispronouncing words? When I think about success, I think about what's possible. What is possible for you now that wasn't possible for you before? What is possible for you on a personal level, on a professional level, on a social level? And these are the things that I love talking about with my students. And today you are going to join a conversation that I had with one of my students. Her name is Jelena, originally from Serbia, now living in the U.S. and working on her PhD. And in this conversation, she's going to talk about the anxiety and stress and lack of capabilities that she felt when she was communicating in English before she had moved to the US and before she joined one of my programs, New Sound, later Beyond. And in those programs, she went through a deep transformation when it comes to her English and how she is capable of using the language freely, clearly, and confidently. So she will talk about what is possible for her now, what are the things that used to be an issue and are no longer an issue. And I want you to listen into this conversation because it is so inspiring and so motivating seeing someone who has been exactly where you might be right now and seeing what's possible for them with guidance and structure and with doing the work. She's going to talk about all the good, bad, and ugly, and I bet that you are going to find a lot of value and inspiration. In this conversation. I cannot wait for us to get started. Let's listen.

Hi, Elena.

Thank you so much for joining me today. How are you doing?

I'm doing really good. Yeah, like the weather is terrible, but I feel great and I'm very grateful for this opportunity to share my story about my life in the United States and how actually I improved over the years thanks to your programs in general, but mostly New Sound. So I'm very excited to talk about that.

I am so excited to hear more and to ask you, and for those of you who, who are new to this, to these types of conversations, these are conversations that I often have with previous students of mine who talk about what's possible for them now that English is no longer an obstacle. And I cannot wait to share with you Jelena's story. Story. And we also talked right before we hit play and we said it's going to be like a public catch-up, right? Like we're gonna catch up on each other's lives and the changes, uh, but we're gonna do it publicly cuz I think it's so inspiring seeing people who are confident and fluent and successful and understanding that it hasn't always been like that. And this is what I wanna talk about.

Yeah. Yeah, for sure. For me it was like a such a, such a struggle at the very beginning. So, um, Yeah, it's a huge shift in my life in general.

So, so let's talk about that. But before that, please introduce yourself to those who don't know you, which is probably most of the people watching right now.

So my name is Jelena. I'm from Serbia originally, but about 5 years ago I moved to the United States for work. So I work at the University of Michigan as a research fellow now. I started as a visiting researcher back then. And this is maybe important to the story because I was able to get a position here at the University of Michigan after the New Sound course. So that's the reason why I'm mentioning that. And yes, I think, yeah, so basically when it comes to my English journey, so I used to learn English in elementary and high school, but it was almost You know, with written tests and grammar, and I didn't have actually a real opportunity to speak English before I moved to the United States. So basically 5 years ago, when I came here, I was very anxious. I was an avoider. So I was like super scared to talk with my first supervisor. So every time that I would need to have a meeting with her, I was like anxious and, you know, shaking. And it was just not a very pleasant experience for me. And I avoided going outside. So basically the only comfort zone that I had at that time was like spending time in the apartment. Because every time that I would step outside from the apartment, it's like out of my comfort zone. Doing grocery store, going to the doctor's appointment, going to work, talking science with my colleagues. So everything, or like making social interactions, everything was a struggle.

Everything related to English and to other people, whether it was about science or about where are the eggs.

So basically everything, yeah, was related to English because in order to communicate the science I need to use English. And, uh, you know, even if I had good ideas, I didn't know how to communicate them. Or like, maybe it's not that I didn't know how to communicate that, that was part of the problem, but also confidence. I think That was the thing that I was lacking the most because I was afraid.

So I would, you know, and, and I want to emphasize that because you said I, all I knew was basic, you know, English or blah, blah, blah, like you said, you know, just communicating, but you did get that position and that offer. So that means that you were able to pass some exams or to go through some kind of a process. So clearly English was there for you. It's just that it wasn't like the spoken experience or feeling confident or had permission to share ideas like you had in Serbian, for example, or like you would have liked in English, right?

Yeah, exactly. So yeah, as you said, but like even if I, when I was preparing for my interview with supervisor, it was a struggle. And I remember I would walk outside with my husband. Uh, I maybe just, uh, to give a context. So my, my husband used to live in the UK and his English is really good. In comparison to mine, especially like 5 years ago, you know, and I was always, you know, comparing myself to him and I was frustrated that my English was not good enough. But he, he's like, was always supportive. And before all these interviews, I would practice with him and, you know, I would try to learn some phrases and new words and like how to present myself in the best possible way. So yeah, I think like with the practice and like that was like hours and hours and days of practice, I was able to get that position. Yeah, you're right.

Yeah. So, so like you had that practice, you had the ability, but when it came to live spontaneous, you know, uh, I would just— day-to-day conversation.

Or, or I would bring my husband with myself as a support because I knew that whenever I you know, get stuck or like I cannot recall the word, he would be here to jump in. So it was just like, you know, it's just, I don't know.

Yeah.

When I think about those times, it's so funny and silly, but, you know, it's just like I was, I don't know, I feel like I'm a partially like perfectionist and I knew that my English is far from perfect and just that just blocked me from going outside and, you know, communicate with people in general, no matter like whether that was, you know, finding friends or like teaching or, I don't know, communicate my scientific ideas.

I think that like what you pointed out, that when you are a couple and one has a higher level of English or more experience or just more confidence, right? It immediately puts the other person, and I know that from a lot of my immigrant students, usually women like immigrating to the US and it's kind of like having that on one hand support system and on the other hand it's almost like it's a way of staying hidden, right? Like not pushing yourself or not. So, and also like the nature of communication would be that the one person, whether it's the woman or the man, would be more dominant, more having conversations. So they would go ahead and improve their speech speaking skills, social skills, all of that, and the other person would stay dependent on that person. Again, men or women, women, men, or men or women. So I think that, um, that it's something that if that happens, like what you said was great, that at least you had him as a support system, but you still, you were still the one speaking and communicating, which is, which is really important. And it's important to pay attention not to hide behind other people. So that you can still put yourself out there, 'cause it's really, really important. How did you feel when, during that time? Like what was, you know, of course it's frustrating that you can't talk and you were avoiding, but what, how did that make you feel about yourself and about your capabilities?

Yeah, I, yeah, I didn't feel really good like about myself. I had like these very like sad days because I, in Serbia, back in Serbia, and after Serbia, I lived for a short period of time in Slovenia. I was always surrounded by people and I would always go after work to like drink coffees or whatever, like wine nights with my best friends. But that was something that I was lacking here. And I think that really hurt me on emotional level. So I was really, really, really struggling and I was really desperate. I don't know. Basically I was desperate. So I knew that I need to do something for my basically mental health because I was struggling a lot. It was real, real struggle. Yeah. And then actually I, so University of Michigan has a great support or support system for international speakers. And I think maybe I was lucky that I moved to Ann Arbor, which is a university town, student town. So there are like a lot of people all over the, the world. So they have a really good, you know, on a Michigan University of Michigan website, I recommended courses and like ways how to improve your English and everything. And among all these courses, it was yours, New Sound course. And I think it's so surprising to me, by the way. Yeah. But I think it was like one of your students written like a review of NewSound. And I will, yeah, I think it immediately caught my attention. And I think maybe one of the main reasons why I decided to join NewSound is that you are also a non-native speaker. Because I think that I always struggle, like when I, when I came here, I struggled to speak with people in general, but like Speaking with native speakers is— it was like always, um, like additional step of like uncomfortability. I don't know if that's a word in English, doesn't matter, but like, yeah, uncomfortable, like even more uncomfortable because I knew that international students could relate to me as I could relate to your story. And when I saw native speakers You know, they maybe if they learned like second language, but like in the, when it comes to like English courses and everything, I knew that, you know, you are a non-native speaker and you will understand what struggles we have when we try to learn English. So that was like, I think one of the biggest reasons why I decided to enroll to New Sound. And I started actually, I was late for the New Sound round. So I started with Sprints and I noticed that Sprints helped me a lot with my pronunciation, which was like also a really— I think my pronunciation also besides confidence improved the most. 3 Sprints. Like there are a lot of differences, there are like many differences between how we pronounce Serbian sounds and English sounds. And, you know, so I think Sprints really helped me with pronunciation and I saw that, you know, this works for me, you know, and I trust you. And, uh, yeah, that's how I, uh, enrolled in the New Sound.

Uh, I love, I love this story. First of all, thank you so much for sharing and I'm so happy and proud and, and, you know, uh, and I think that at the end of the day there are many methods that work, but for a lot of people, I know how specifically pronunciation, even if it's not just about the accent but the method, mm-hmm. Really builds up, builds you up as an international speaker. So I wanna talk about, I wanna ask you, what was it about pronunciation or what was it about New Sound specifically? 'Cause it's not just pronunciation, but what was it about New Sound that helped to transform? And if you can share like a turning point where you said to yourself, oh my God, now I feel like a change, I feel a difference.

Yeah. So first, maybe to go back to pronunciation, because I again discussed a lot about this with my husband and I actually learned that I am not aware of all these sounds that exist in English. So for example, one of the biggest struggles that I had is the TH sound, and I was not aware of its existence. And he told me, and I was like, I don't know how to pronounce this. And I remember attending one of, like, you had a workshop before the new sound and you shared a sneak peek into the new sound. And there was a lesson about the TH sound and I was like, that's it. Yeah, that's it. Now I know how to pronounce because I knew that you were going to explain how to position mouth because I wasn't unaware that I need to change a bit how I position my tongue and muscles inside of the mouth to to pronounce English sounds. And, you know, I'm a scientist, so I need to break that down.

Scientist and a perfectionist, which feels like it sometimes goes together, right? But yeah.

So yeah, that was pronunciation. And then, yeah, the other thing that I really liked about New Sound is that I had so many opportunities to speak in a safe environment, which was—

Talk about that. Why is it important?

Very important for me because, you know, you, you meet with a group of people from all over the world who are all very kind and very understanding, and we all come with more or less similar stories and struggles. And I think it's very— for me, it was very beneficial to speak and practice in that safe environment because everyone is like very supportive and You know, you build confidence step by step. At least that's how it happened in my particular case. Once when I learned that I can, you know, speak without any, you know, issues, let's say issues, but I am able to discuss different topics because we didn't discuss only like, you know, selected topic, but like every single day or week we would have like a couple of different topics and we would discuss about them. I learned that I can do that. I can go outside and I can speak with people. So the only thing that actually was blocking me from doing this is actually courage, or like I was afraid, or, you know. So, um, the turning point, and that's something that I shared with all of you guys in the New Sound, was this famous story, um, about visiting professor that came to the University of Michigan. So back then it was like, I think, middle of the New Sound round. I had a couple of questions for him, but I was still afraid to ask him those questions in front of people. But after the lecture, I approached him and we had like a 15-minute conversation about like the science and, you know, his lecture. So that was, I think, a huge, huge step for me. And yeah, I think that was like a very, like, as you said, turning point. Like, it was like, please clearly gave me like this confidence boost that I can do this not only in the safe environment, but like, you know, can go outside and live my life fully, basically.

Yeah. First of all, I totally remember that story and we refer to this story every now and then, sharing about, like, you know, talking about the impact it could have. Because I think, you know, what you're saying is that I did the work, you know, I opened up my speech, I built confidence through building my pronunciation, but also building confidence in actually having conversations with other people in a safe environment, proving to myself that it's, that I'm capable of doing that. Because at the end of the day, it's just like proving to ourselves that we're capable. So do you think that mindset and having that, like these transitions or transformations in your thinking, you know, do you think it's needed for people who might say, no, I just need like, just let me learn pronunciation or let me just—

Yeah, I think mindset is one of the most important things, at least for me. Because, you know, if you have like these limiting beliefs and you're like afraid of speaking, I think, you know, this is the switch that you need to start and go outside and, you know, speak, you know, whatever. So I think in my particular case, besides pronunciation, and also, you know, I learned a lot of of vocabulary and grammar here and there. But I think mindset and like, you know, this confidence that I gained was like the most important part in my journey.

What are some other wins that you have experienced since then? So if we look back at Yelena from 2021, let's say, to Yelena of 2026, what—

yeah, they're like, uh, there are a lot of wins. So the first one, uh, I, I got a research fellow position here at the University of Michigan. I did an interview with a professor, and I was super happy that that was successful because I got the chance to stay here in the United States with my, with my husband. So that's, you know, unmeasurable happiness, happiness. And then also, I, I'm super proud of the having an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and to have a really great social circle, like friends that we hang out with regularly. And among them is my best friend Amanda, who is a native speaker. And I'm just saying that because at the beginning I told you that I was really afraid of like speaking with native speakers in particular.

And the loneliness of, of someone who has just immigrated or relocated, you know, like it's a, it's a real thing and it's hard to, you know, to, to break break through when you're in that loop.

Exactly. And I think it's maybe just not just speaking, but also like getting used to like how the thing, like when the relations in the United States work, because I think, you know, how to communicate. So that was like all the, all the, like those tiny nuances that you learn when you live in the country, cultural differences. Yeah, it was just, I'm so happy that I have Amanda and that we have like this beautiful friendship and, you know, doing brunches and speaking about so many different topics like I would speak with my best friends in Serbia. So I think I really, really appreciated it and cherish that friendship a lot because, you know, that's something that I didn't think it would be possible for me in the United States. But like, I'm, yeah, I managed to do that.

That is like one of the biggest wins.

Yeah, it is because I'm really, yeah, I'm really a social person. So if I'm not surrounded by people, I'm very, yeah, I don't feel well. I need people around me. So I think that may be one of the reasons why I like dancing because it's like a social thing. Right. You know, another, another win, uh, is that, um, I taught salsa, Cuban salsa here in Ann Arbor. And some, that's again, thing that I would never—

In English.

In English, I would never think.

Scientist teaching salsa in English.

Yeah, that was like, I don't know, it was just, I don't know, I could not imagine that something like that would happen to me. Like having this great community here and like everyone was like so welcoming. It just, I'm so lucky that I'm surrounded with this great group of people.

And yeah, but you also attract this and you are open, right? Like it's not magic and it's not just luck. It's also what the intention that you've set, you actively looking for it and you actively making a change in your mindset, in how you show up, your willingness to be vulnerable and open even though it was scary. Like it's not coincidence. And I think it's possible for people who have that mindset and who do the work, because it's both about putting in the work, but also, you know, kind of like doing the real thing.

So yeah, basically. So that's what I was trying to do. As soon as I got, as I said, this confidence and I knew that people understand me, what I'm trying to say, you know, I went outside and I tried to seek for, you know, someone to speak with. So I don't know, in the past also, like one of the things that was like really stressful for me was a doctor's appointment, right? Because, you know, you want to explain to doctor what's wrong with you, but now, you know, I don't need to like do hours of research before I go to the doctor's appointment. So it's just like—

That is huge. You know, I remember in New Sound, this woman, And she was like, it's the first time in 3 years that I went to a gynecologist because I was so afraid. And I finally did it because I wanted to, you know, like I could hold my ground with, in English and tell them what I think. And which was, you know, like this, this is life-changing for a lot of people. I have a question for you. First of all, congratulations on all these unbelievable, incredible wins. Like, you know, you are such a superstar. I love, love, love hearing it. And I love, you know, Jelena reached out to us a few weeks ago, a few months ago, and just sent us, she sent me an update about like, I just want you to know, 'cause she hasn't been in, you know, New Sound happened in 2022. It's been a while, but she sent me an update, which I loved 'cause I love getting that from my students just saying, this is what's possible for me today. And, and, and the impact of doing this, working on this the way you did is long-lasting. It's not something that you feel just like after a month or two or so.

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And I'm, I'm still improving. It's like, you know, never-ending.

Endless students. Exactly. Yeah. Eternal students. Maybe that would be the more, more appropriate word. I'm curious to know a little bit about the, you know, what you've discovered about cultural differences and how you, what needs to shift for you to connect better in the US coming from Serbia.

In Serbia, we are like a more direct and we are not always like very sensitive towards like other people's feelings. Like, yeah, but I think we still have like a good intention, but like, You know, you're more direct, but here I think sometimes people can get offended by that. So I learned how to tune down my directness, if that makes sense. Also, I think that I feel like my English personality is not you know, one-to-one to my Serbian personality. I think there are like a lot of reasons for that. Uh, but like, for example, you know, even though my English improved tremendously, I still don't have like the same vocabulary as I have in Serbian. So I always need, you know, to try to find a way depending on the topic, like how I'm going to say, uh, uh, words. Uh, I think that I, I'm, I was like, um, It's like, for me now, it is still like very hard to make jokes. I think that's one of the biggest challenges that I still have. It's just like very hard sometimes. And usually, you know, I use my facial expressions. That's what I'm good with to compensate for not being very resourceful.

Yeah, exactly.

To make good jokes. But I think that the most Yeah, the thing, and then, um, yeah, I don't know, like, you know, work-life balance here is also like totally different there. I think that you know that you, you used to live in the United States. So that's something that I also struggled a lot because people expect you to work a lot, and, uh, which is fine, uh, but again, you know, in Europe it was like much more, or like more relaxing, um, environment when it comes to work. But then again, you know, there is a price to pay because like here you get, you know, better scientific outcomes, let's put it that way, you know. So it's, yeah, I think it's just, and then yeah, also I think that I'm also like have, I'm very open to my best friend Amanda and I can talk with her about like so many different topics, but I don't know, some topics here I think that are more sensitive than the topics that I was able to talk with like random people, you know, in Serbia. So those are, I think, maybe the things that I noticed the most. But yeah, I think it's— yeah, I learned a lot. I'm very grateful because it's not just like meeting like the people from the United States, but also like a lot of people from mostly like South America and India and China. They all have like different ways of communicating their ideas. Sometimes when you need to read between the lines, you know, it's just like a very, very interesting experience in general.

And I think being able, like, just even being aware of it or paying attention is, you know, it's a good skill to have and just, you know, operate from curiosity and not from assumption. Like, you know, this person would be like this, this person would be like that, which is, I think, what you're doing. And also, I think that cultural differences are more noticeable at the beginning of relationships. And then the closer you get, you give yourself permission to communicate the way that feels natural to you. And I'm sure that you and Amanda, for example, have a very different type of communication and relationship than how you have with other colleagues or people that are— that you don't know very deeply.

Yeah, I know. And I noticed that also through actually teaching salsa. That was also like a huge switch because I think, um, and that's actually where Beyond helped me because after New Sound I enrolled in Beyond, uh, because, uh, I practiced my, um, teaching like salsa lessons, uh, within Beyond because I learned that I cannot use the same, um, Way of teaching as I used to do in Serbia. So again, teaching in Serbia is more direct. You say, you do this wrong and you do that wrong. Here you need to be like a little bit more careful and maybe not direct and maybe not like correct the person, like a certain person, but like talk in like more general terms and things like that. So it's— that's a good point.

I agree. Yeah.

Yeah.

This is definitely something that I see a difference. I also see it as a coach in how people want to receive feedback. Like, there are the students who is just like, just tell me what's wrong, right? Just tell me. No, don't tell me good things because that I can't, I can't, you know, fathom it as, as feedback at all. And like, you know, and, and others, if I say something that might be very critical or harsh, could, you know, really impact their confidence. So feedback is always given. It's just that the way it's given has to be adapted to the person receiving it. And I think as a good coach or communicator, depending on who you're speaking to, it's important to understand, you know, what they need from you. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. Jelena, what would you recommend, you know, for people who have been where you were at the beginning, you know, like when you decided I need to make a change, um, in terms of practice habits, mindset, and strategy, what would you recommend for them to do?

Um, okay, it's a lot. So I think first thing is just, uh, you know, go outside and find someone to speak with. I know it's stressful, but like nothing Bad can happen to you. You can only improve. I think, I think actually that was like the most, like one of the most important things that I did for myself. Going outside and speaking with the people in the real life is the way to do it. And I think that helped me in my case the most. And like that, that, that is the way I made like these, you know, successes in my work life, social life, general life. Then when it comes to habits, I think I might confess— I need to confess I'm not like really— I'm a bit of a lazy person, so I don't have like any, you know, strict habits except one very important one. Which is every time that I had an interview or like very important presentation, I do sprints. That's like my go-to every time that I have something important. I, it's just like, uh, yeah, I, I think this is like a great— I don't— yeah, it's just the perfect practice for everyone because, you know, I, I can notice immediately after this 10-15 minutes how my pronunciation changes, I become more confident. I'm already in this, in that mindset of like, you know, now I'm speaking, now let's go, you know, I can do this. So it's, you know, so that's, that's the one habit that I had. And I forgot what was the third one.

I'll tell you, but just for, for people who don't know what sprints are, sprints are very deliberate, intentional 10-minute drills designed to improve fluency, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and it's designed to build a habit of, you know, like just doing and getting, you know, warming up and, and, and, and getting fit when it comes to your pronunciation. And I have quite a few sprints on my YouTube channel and we have daily sprints and beyond. So it's absolutely accessible. The last question I had, cuz I asked about practice and habits, right? Like which is that? And I think you also mentioned when you started your journey, the habit of going to Conversation groups, right? Like that, that is the one thing.

Yeah, that was it. Yeah, for sure. I think that helped a lot. So while it was like, you know, still in this in-between, whether I'm confident enough or not, maybe, you know, now nowadays since I have like so many opportunities to speak English on daily basis, I don't feel like I need— maybe if I move back, you know, to Europe, then I would need to, you know, return and practice because I would not— I will not have you know, as many opportunities to speak on daily basis, but I have regular meetings. I meet with Amanda or like my salsa friends. I go to social events. So it's just like so many different opportunities for me to speak. So I don't necessarily practice English every single day, but again, maybe, you know, practicing. I do sprints, I watch movies, you know, just, and then speak with people who, you know, for example, Every time that I speak with Amanda, I learn some new phrase, new word. You know, it's just, you know, it's maybe that.

It's turning every, yeah, you're living the dream, right?

Yeah.

Like living in English, using English, learning from it, you know, constantly improving. Uh, so that is now your practice. Before that it was, you know, you've created it artificially for yourself inside of New Sound and Then and Beyond, but now you have transformed and there is no need for that anymore. And this is why the programs exist, to get to from where you were to where you are today, not to be there all the time.

Yeah, that's the reason why I'm so grateful. Yeah, sometimes I like to say that I'm the product of your work because I used, you know, so, so, you know, everything, like every single piece was designed in a way from my perspective to help me to come from this stage of like being afraid, anxious of speaking, to like where I am today, where I use English on daily basis without any issues. Of course, I still make mistakes. I still cannot recall the word, the particular word all the time, but that is not the point of the conversation. Conversation, you know, or communication, you know, it's like language. You want to use the language to communicate with people and And that's not always just like to have a rich vocabulary or perfect grammar, but like communicate your ideas with as many words that you have, with your smile, with your arms, with your, you know, it just, that's the point of the language. And once when I learned that and became confident enough, I just went to the world and yeah, that's how I did it.

And that is the mindset, right? Like that is the mindset part. Part of it. It's just like language is not to be spoken just for it to be spoken well. It's to connect, to achieve your dreams, to create a social circle around you, and to grow personally, professionally, to teach salsa.

Yeah. Yeah.

For example. Yeah. The last thing was strategy. So you chose pronunciation, uh, for that. So I'm assuming you would advocate for doing pronunciation work to develop that confidence and fluency.

Yeah, for sure. Cause I think it helped me tremendously to learn, uh, basically cause as I said, like each, uh, each language has, uh, uh, their own unique sounds. The idea behind choosing like a pronunciation, uh, is to learn, um, how to use the sounds of English because I was not aware that like there is like 40+ sounds in English. So I was puzzled and at the same time, you know, I wanted to be aware of them, to be able to pronounce all these words that were like more or less familiar to me. And by doing that, I basically noticed that my pronunciation improved and I can easily pronounce some words that I was not able to do that in the past. So that also boosted my confidence as well. And, you know, it's very easy to see the improvement over time. I think that's something that's very like measurable because, you know, we did like so many different practices where you would record yourself and like at some point you hear the difference and, you know, okay, okay, I learned the TH sound, you know, like, yeah. You know?

Yeah, exactly. It's like quick wins in a way.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it's, yeah, I think that it helped me a lot, especially since, you know, I was not aware of that before I moved to the United States. Uh, that I'm like, my pronunciation is very like hard, rough Slavic. Like we have like very hard sounds. And then I learned that I need to soften, uh, soften pronunciation of those sounds to be like more, um, in the spirit of English language. And now I know still—

no, hang out for those THs.

Yeah, yeah. And I know still, you know, people would ask me, you know, well, where are you from? You know, I hear that. Bother you? No, I think that's, uh, I don't know. I, you know, I'm still Serbian, you know, it's just my other personality and I'm, you know, It doesn't bother me sometimes. Yeah, I think because the reason why it doesn't bother me is that people still can understand me because I'm—

Yeah, going back to the mindset, the most important thing, communicate well, be a good listener, make connections. That's it.

Exactly.

Have impact when you speak. You don't have to have a perfect American accent to do that.

Exactly. So yeah, so that's the reason why I think it's just, I'm okay with that. And you know, it always starts some fun, you know, small talk here is just a normal thing that you do. I actually became a very good small talker, if again this is a word. Good for you. That's also going back to the cultural differences, right?

Yeah. Direct cultures don't like small talk.

Yeah, I know, I know. Uh, and, um, yeah, I think that, you know, the accent thing sometimes really starts a really nice conversation and you meet people and they tell you, oh, I'm, you know, for example, my grandpa was from somewhere, you know, and, you know, always, uh, yeah, it doesn't have to be a bad thing.

No, it's all how you reframe it. Exactly. And it's really important, your interpretation. Because you could feel good and you can feel bad about the same situation, and it's just a choice. Um, Jelena, you are incredible. You sound incredible. It's such a pleasure talking to you. I want to say a huge thank you for sharing your experience and your story. Uh, you know, you attribute a lot of your success to my programs, but I have to say it's all you because you were entirely responsible to your growth and your journey and your choices and your, you know, curiosity and consistency. So 100% is up, you know, was up to you and you did incredible job and you deserve to celebrate every single win. Uh, I am just grateful that I could be a part of your journey. So thank you so much for being my student and thank you so much for sharing your story.

Yeah. Thank you for inviting me, uh, to, for this interview. And as I I said, like, I, I will always be grateful, like, until the end of my life, like, for, for this whole experience. Because as I said, like, uh, I think the biggest achievement for me is that I have, like, a normal life in the United States, you know. I just— it's very, you know, I live here the same way I used to live, or like very similarly the way I used to live in Serbia. And that's I think, uh, the thing that I'm the most proud of. So that's, uh, yeah, thank you for doing that. Thank you for creating, uh, these platforms to help people, uh, like me.

Thank you so much. That's so inspiring and promising for people who may not have that experience, and they've immigrated and they maybe miss their lives back home. So it is possible. And maybe one day, one day we'll get you to come back to Beyond and teach some salsa.

Yeah, maybe.

Bring you as a guest teacher for salsa classes.

Yeah, actually we had a great fun there. Yeah, I really like those classes.

Yelena, thank you so much and I wish you the best of luck in your next steps.

Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us and thank you Yelena for this beautiful, beautiful conversation. I am so incredibly happy for you. If you want to learn more about our programs, Beyond or New Sound, I'm going to put links in the description below. New Sound is my signature pronunciation coaching program, and Beyond is our English fluency membership. So if you have any questions, let me know in the chat. And in the meantime, have a beautiful, beautiful rest of the day, and I'll see you next week in the next video. Bye.