Today we’d like to introduce you to Monique Lewis.
Hi Monique, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I can tell you straightout that I never planned to open a business. As a 43-year-old busy wife and mom of two delicious little people, I was certain that my part-time job was all that I could handle until it all changed. I’d worked at my local community college as an ESL Instructor for almost 8 years when I learned I was going to lose 6 weeks of pay in an 8 week period due to system changes with less than 1 month’s notice. Honestly, I panicked. Who can just coast through 6 weeks of no pay? Out of true necessity, Next 2 Native Language Learning was born on May 1, 2023 and I was terrified. I definitely knew I wasn’t down for a product-based business and that route would take too long to execute. I realized that I needed to monetize my knowledge and fast! I’d learned Spanish 20+ years earlier and had created two courses from scratch. That’s what I had and it turns out, it was all I needed. While still working at the community college (I couldn’t afford to quit!), I launched my company and about 8 months later, it all changed again. Because of my relationships at the community college and a true desire to eliminate any conflict of interest, I requested that they share my number with any students they couldn’t serve so, and they did! One of the first contacts they passed along was prefaced with “I think she needs language lessons for her work group.” I called and it turned out to be the Education Coordinator at the Carolinas AGC! The reason her “work group,” needed language lessons? There was a fatality on a construction worksite in Charlotte and OSHA determined that it was due to the language barrier. Then and there an inextricable link was formed in my mind between language and life and I pivoted from a B2C company to a B2B with a focus in high-risk industries. Out of all the places language access could be used (hospitality, food production, restaurants etc.), using it to keep people safe and preserve life was the most impactful option. I secured my first corporate client by the end of 2024 with the Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas (HCAC), doing real work to preserve life through Language-led Workforce Development. Language changes lives and we have now packaged our offerings in tiers, workshops and webinars that are addressing the broad language gap in the construction industry and it has been a ride! I’m still in shock that I’m the Founder of a real live company and I can’t see myself going back. Thank you for taking time to hear my story.
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?
I remember vividly the first night I ran a class as Next 2 Native, out there on my own and not with the safety net of a company. I was the company! There were some minor mishaps but in the moment they felt little a stream of tiny failures. By the end of it I remember hearing my own voice say “What do you think you’re doing?” and I cried. I don’t remember ever feeling that unsteady in my own talents and it hit hard that night. Over time my confidence has grown through doing but I am ever on the journey of making my mind over to think like a CEO and not an employee. THAT has been hard and on the days where I can fight through the overwhelm, I can really “show up,” the way that I’m intending to and good things happen. Aside from that, wearing so many hats is NO JOKE! I am a wife of almost 19 years, a mother of a preteen and a 10yr old (who I seriously think is the host of a 30yr old sometimes), I volunteer a lot of time as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and I’m a business owner. I am busier now than I was in my 20’s and I rocked my 20’s! Finding balance is a fantasy, conquered only for brief moments in my mind and the rest is often frenetic. All things considered though, I’ve been in business just over 2 years and the growth has been atypical in the most beautiful way and I’m thankful! I only hope that what I’m building will afford me the time to dig deeper into the things that matter most to me. Right now I’m spread thinner that butter on a piece of diet toast but I hope it won’t stay that way. It’s actually not my desire to keep a schedule this glutted but I’m on my grind, trying to make something amazing and that calls for energy and right now, thanks to Jehovah and the support of my family, I have it to expend.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
More than a third of the construction industry in the US is Spanish-speaking. In some states that number tips over 50%. While companies invest heavily in equipment, technology, and safety measures, few recognize that communication breakdowns – especially in multilingual teams – are costing them more in delays, errors, and loss potential than they realize. Whether we focus on improving the English skills of the labor force or the Spanish skills of middle management and HR, we are closing the language gap in construction. We offer Language-led Workforce Development to protect life, strengthen teams and retain talent.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I am a student of the Bible, I love different features on Masterclass, I follow top voices in AI and construction news.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.next2native.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monique-lewis-a0aaa3239/
- Other: https://www.next2native.com/checkthebox
