Ray Blakney, a serial entrepreneur and founder of Live Lingua, explains how losing everything became the catalyst for building multiple seven-figure education businesses from scratch. Beginning as a computer engineer, he launched one of the first live-teacher online schools and scaled several ventures without outside funding. Ray shares how resilience, discipline, and purpose allowed him to turn setbacks into lasting success. Through his Productized Education model, he shows how experts can transform their skills into scalable online schools that create real impact and freedom.



In this episode of Marketer of the Day, Ray dives into rebuilding after failure, designing systems that allow businesses to operate independently, and leading with authenticity. He illustrates overcoming challenges through real-world examples, emphasizes the value of bootstrapping, and explains how to build structures that amplify human potential. The conversation highlights the importance of persistence, learning from mistakes, and creating ventures that endure.



Quotes:



“Success isn’t about what you make. It’s about what you build that keeps working when you stop.”



“I lost everything in a single night, and that’s when I learned how to build something that lasts.”



“Systems don’t replace people. They free people to do what only humans can do—teach, inspire, and connect.”



“Defeat the self of yesterday—that’s how you grow as a leader and as a person.”



“Bootstrapping forces you to build real value because every mistake costs you personally.”



Resources:




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Turn Your Skills into Scalable Online Schools with Ray Blakney