Inspiring Conversations with Gabrielle Graham of English With GG

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabrielle Graham.

Hi Gabrielle, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
The foundation of “English with GG” wasn’t built in a classroom; it was built right on the job sites of my father. He was a self-made painter and carpenter who worked tirelessly, sunup to sundown, but always with a smile on his face and a joke ready. I was a total daddy’s girl, and his encouragement—to start a business with every creative idea I had—is my continuous inspiration. Because college wasn’t the traditional path in my blue-collar upbringing, my own academic “seed”—the journey represented by the growth in my logo—took some time to find its soil.

The true turning point happened after my son was born in Las Vegas and we made the move to Ohio a year later. That transition was bittersweet, occurring just before my father passed away. He isn’t here to see this come to life, but knowing I was finally taking that next step in our generational line—the first to get a degree—was one of our last, meaningful conversations. I draw on his hard-won resilience every day as I continue my academic path; I am finishing my Associate of Arts in Psychology this May, and starting my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at ASU this Fall, I have three TEFL certifications, and am also completing my 40-hour RBT training certificate.

But the defining moment for my specific focus on education and psychology wasn’t a planned educational step; it was a profound personal transformation. After my wife’s mother passed away, we made the immediate decision to adopt my little sister-in-law, London, who came to live with us facing significant intersecting health challenges. Suddenly, during the peak of COVID, I was thrown into the chaotic, intense dual role of her primary advocate and her teacher for online schooling. Navigating her complex neurological, visual, and mobility needs, I saw firsthand where the standard, one-size-fits-all education system was failing her. That experience solidified my conviction that true education requires understanding the “why” behind a student’s communication and behavior first.

This entire closed-loop system of growth, born in Ohio from that inherited blue-collar grit and refined by behavioral science, is the DNA of “English with GG.” My teaching style is completely neuro-affirming and psychology-focused. My first step is always to understand the unique “why” behind the person, creating a personalized, custom-designed “nesting space” of support. I focus on identifying how a student learns before deciding how to teach. My deepest motivation is to be the same source of joyful determination for my students and children that my father was for me, showing them what it looks like to build a professional system resilient enough to “fly off into the world” with in 2027, as we prepare to join the international inclusive education community in Uruguay.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Oh, a smooth road? Absolutely! If your definition of “smooth” involves navigating a category-5 hurricane of family tragedy, becoming a full-time medical detective, running a multi-child homeschool academy, gong to school for Psychology, getting certified as a TEFL instructor, and launching a business from scratch while navigating being a wife, parenthood, and being a “stay at home” mom. My entrepreneurial journey has been less of a path and more of an interactive obstacle course.

Our move from Las Vegas to Ohio with a one year old happened just before the world shut down for COVID. Soon after, I lost my father to cancer, my absolute anchor. Simultaneously, my wife lost her mother after a rapid 6 month battle with cancer only a week later. Reeling from that grief, we made the immediate, heart-led decision to adopt my little sister-in-law, London. Who has time to process grief anyways?

This is where the true resilience struggle began. The situation was complicated; her biological mom spent years in profound denial, treating London exactly like her neurotypical siblings, unable to accept or educate herself on how to help London just be her best self. The medical picture we inherited was… incomplete. We were told she only had mild CP and degenerative myopia in both eyes.

I was thrown into the chaotic, intense role of her primary advocate and medical detective. My days became a “doctor-palooza,” taking her to multiple specialists just to find answers. We weren’t just getting a second opinion; we were uncovering the truth. We discovered the main cause of her symptoms were from ataxia and a degenerative cerebellum. She needed braces for her feet and legs. We even put her through extensive genetic testing, and they still can’t pinpoint what’s actually going on. This entire investigation culminated in London undergoing a top-to-bottom back surgery for severe, double-curve scoliosis—a critical, massive condition that no one even knew she had until I fought to uncover the truth behind her posture and hip pain.

The true origin of “English with GG” came from this intersection of adversity and advocacy. Helping London and my son find their specific learning styles, while navigating intense medical needs and standard school failures, forced me to do a complete top-to-bottom investigation into education, psychology, trauma, and different “neurospicy” brains. I had to understand the “why” behind a student’s communication and behavior first.

This journey was deeply personal. I myself have ADHD. Growing up, I was the student left behind in a class full of neurotypical kids who understood the cookie-cutter lessons. I silently drowned, and no one knew how to help me other than to say, “just do the work.” I am driven by a passion to ensure no other child feels that way.

While navigating this chaos, I stumbled onto teaching English as a foreign language. The idea clicked, and I dove in headfirst, earning a Level 5 TEFL degree within a month, along with two specialized certificates in teaching neurodiverse students and teaching online. To launch “English With GG,” I built my website and started the true entrepreneurial grind here in Ohio: I advertised everywhere, printed business cards, and even put up old-school tear-off sheets around town. It took a few months to get that first crucial student, but now I’m enjoying every single minute of tutoring English to native speakers as well as providing foreign language instruction to immigrants. My core mission is helping people grow and making a difference in their lives.

To continue this mission, I launched my own academic path in Psychology via online courses, allowing me to stay available for my kids’ complex, 24/7 needs. I am finishing my Associate of Arts in Psychology this May, and then starting my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at ASU this Fall. (I am also completing my 40-hour RBT training certificate).

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about English With GG?
At English With GG, I like to think of myself as a “personal gardener” for my students. I believe every person’s journey begins with a single seed, and my job is to cultivate the right environment for them to grow in their own way. I specialize in neuro-affirming support, which is a fancy way of saying I meet students exactly where they are—especially those with ADHD, Autism, or other unique learning needs.

What sets me apart is that I’m not just focused on the lesson plan; I’m focused on the person. I’m currently finishing my Psychology degree at ASU and my RBT training because I want to be a voice for those who can’t always find the words to say what they need. Whether we are using art, clay, or “living laboratory” field trips, my goal is to make sure every student feels seen and understood before we even open a textbook. I welcome learners of all ages, races, religions, backgrounds, lifestyles, etc.

I am most proud of the confidence I see blooming in my students. I live by the rule: If a student cannot learn the way we teach, we must teach the way they learn. My family and I are even taking this “Learning Village” mission global when we relocate to Uruguay in 2027!

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
i was an outgoing tomboy that loved to skateboard, rollerblade, play with the boys, and hang out with my dad. children have always been drawn to me. even in 5th and 6th grade, i would have a trail of kindergarteners following behind me. I have always wanted to save every kid and animal.

Pricing:

• 20/hr English/ESL
• 35/hr Business English

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.englishwithgg.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/englishwith_gg/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576087237798
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielle-graham-a69615275/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/english-with-gg-maple-heights?uid=QlEclV212tRAof7fx-uEvg&utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@eggenglishwithgg