In this episode of the Colorado Food Magazine podcast, host John Jaramillo sits down with Emory Wilcoxen, founder of Saige Business English, to explore the fascinating intersection of language and cuisine. Emory, a Colorado native and active member of the Hispanic Restaurant Association, shares her journey from growing up in Aurora’s diverse culture to creating a unique educational program tailored for adult English language learners in various professions, especially within the restaurant industry.
Discover how Emory’s background and passion for teaching led her to develop customized English lessons that help professionals connect better with their clients and expand their career opportunities. From her experiences helping students overcome fears as a veterinary technician to learning Spanish through volunteer work, Emory’s commitment to personal and professional growth shines through. Plus, hear about her favorite local eateries, including Sushi Katsu and Tacos Selene, and how food has played a crucial role in her life and career.
Enjoy an engaging conversation that highlights the importance of language in the culinary world and how Emory’s innovative approach is making a difference in the lives of her students.
For more information, visit coloradofoodmagazine.com, and follow the podcast for your weekly taste of Colorado’s vibrant culinary scene.
Timestamps:
0:00 Welcome
0:00:54 Guest Introduction
0:01:26 Childhood and Background
0:03:47 Favorite Food and Restaurants
0:06:32 Mom’s Cooking and Comfort Food
0:07:11 Marriage Congratulations
0:07:40 Business Side
0:08:37 Veterinary Background
0:09:08 Volunteer Work
0:10:26 Learning Spanish
0:10:51 Meeting the Host
0:11:04 Client Stories
0:13:41 Methodology and Customization
0:16:56 Differentiation
0:17:56 Closing Remarks
Episode Transcript:
John: Welcome to the Colorado Food Magazine podcast, your weekly taste of the best in Colorado’s vibrant culinary scene. Now let’s dive in. Welcome to the Colorado Food Magazine, season 4, episode 2. Today we’re with Emory Wilcoxon of Sage Business English. You’re wondering, what does this have to do with food? Well, everything has to do with food, as you know, because, one, we all eat, and, two, we’re here for a purpose. You know the Colorado Food Magazine is sponsored by the Hispanic Restaurant Association, and you’ve played a big part in helping us educate and elevate others through your business English, where that really is a unique program, which I particularly love because it helps people in their profession. So let’s start with you. Tell us about you. What made you start Sage Business English? Before I start that, okay, let me back up. I got ahead of myself. Tell us about you. Where’d you grow up? You know, and what are some of your passions? What are some of your great memories as a child? Just who you are. Let’s talk about that.
Emory: Yeah, definitely. Well, I want to start off by saying I agree. Everybody eats. Food is very important, and I love being a part of the Hispanic Restaurant Association, and I’m very excited to have this opportunity to be on the podcast today. So as you’ve mentioned, I’m the founder of Sage Business English, and about two years ago, I came up with the idea of creating a teaching environment for adult English language learners where they can actually learn the type of English that is practical and applicable to them, given their career and professional lives. But to give you some background about myself, I am a Colorado native. I was born in Denver, grew up in the Aurora area, and I’ve lived in a couple of other areas in Colorado along the way.
John: So you’re not only a native but born in Colorado, which seems like nowadays is harder to find people who are born in Colorado. But I am actually one of the few that you will meet.
Emory: Born and raised. Yes, I am an actual Colorado girl, and I’m happy that I grew up in the Aurora area because it’s a really diverse city, and I grew up in the Aurora public school systems. So from kindergarten until high school, I was with students from all different backgrounds, nationalities. Hearing different languages was normal, learning about different cultures at school was normal, and even myself, personally, my family is very multicultural, so I definitely became very comfortable and felt very at home learning about different people and their backgrounds.
John: Very nice. And that’s the beautiful thing also about food. The Colorado Food Magazine, there’s so much diversity and strength locally, just so much fusion throughout Colorado from the Mexican, Caribbean, and Jamaican, to whoever. It’s all fused somewhere.
Emory: It is.
John: And I know Aurora is one of the, if not the most diverse city in Colorado, from a population perspective and demographic.
Emory: I’ve heard that too, and I can tell you, coming from Aurora, I definitely believe it. You will find any type of restaurant, any type of cuisine you’re looking for in Aurora.
John: So what’s your favorite restaurant in Aurora? I know I told you beforehand, like you better think of some of these places. What do you like to eat? What’s your favorite type of food? Comfort food? And where do you like to go when you want to treat yourself?
Emory: Yes, I definitely am a foodie, and I’m very adventurous when it comes to food. I love to try everything at least once. But growing up, once I gained a little more independence and could drive and make plans with my friends, one of my favorite places to go in Aurora is this sushi place called Sushi Katsu. And it’s off of Havana and Isle, which is a really fun part of Aurora. There’s a lot of different Asian cuisines in that part of the city. And Sushi Katsu, if you drive past it, you will see, especially on a weekend, it’s packed, and there’s always a line of people waiting outside. But it’s worth it, I think.
John: Is it?
Emory: Mm-hmm.
John: Do you have a particular dish you like?
Emory: I was really into, and I still like, unagi, which is like the teriyaki eel.
John: Yeah, the eel.
Emory: Yeah, I love that.
John: That’s actually one of my favorites.
Emory: Yes, I love the flavor. But I like raw sushi too. Salmon.
John: Okay. If you had to name a Hispanic or Latin place, what do you like?
Emory: Oh, that’s a really good question. Tacos. Tacos Eleni.
John: Okay, they’re very good, yeah?
Emory: Yes.
John: Do you have a particular dish? Do you like the birria, al pastor, carnitas?
Emory: I like the lengua tacos, and then they also have pork tacos that are cooked in kind of a red sauce.
John: Okay.
Emory: Oh, they’re so good.
John: Very nice. So now, American comfort food, what do you like? Is there a barbecue place? Is there a sandwich place?
Emory: The first thing I thought of was just my mom’s cooking.
John: Oh, fair enough.
Emory: When I go out, I feel like I don’t usually go out for American food. I usually want something different.
John: Oh, so your mom cooks American food?
Emory: Yeah. Actually, my mom is very culinary, is very adventurous with her cooking, and I think I got a love of food from her as well.
John: Does she have an American dish that she really likes?
Emory: My mom can make some good catfish.
John: Really?
Emory: And collard greens, and mashed potatoes.
John: Kind of a southern style.
Emory: Yeah.
John: Oh, very good.
Emory: Yeah, and she learned that from my grandfather. They’re actually from Baltimore, but she got a lot of her cooking skills from her parents.
John: Oh, very nice. So when you, when I think of American food, I think of home.
Emory: Well, that’s, yeah, that’s fair enough. Who doesn’t love mashed potatoes?
John: I know. Who doesn’t love good fried catfish?
Emory: And collard greens, I’m telling you.
John: Well, I’m not a fan of greens in general.
Emory: Oh, okay.
John: Nothing against collard greens, but, you know, lettuce, broccoli. I do eat them, but only because of my health. They say they’re good for you.
Emory: Exactly, that’s why I do it.
John: Okay, well, that’s very cool. Congratulations, you just got married a couple of months ago.
Emory: Yes, thank you.
John: I did, I think within a week, I texted you saying congratulations and all that.
Emory: Yes.
John: And I met him at the SESOM last year, very nice gentleman. Congratulations to both of you.
Emory: Thank you so much.
John: So, let’s move into the business side. Let’s talk about what brought you the passion or the willingness, or what did you see as a need to create Sage Business English?
Emory: Yes, we go on such incredible journeys through life where unexpected things happen, but they create an opportunity for change, an opportunity to kind of refocus yourself. Because I started in a career that was pretty unrelated to teaching. I used to work as a veterinary technician. I worked as a veterinary technician for six years. And I did that first starting in veterinary clinics and hospitals, kind of in the Aurora area. But then the last few years of that career, I worked at a teaching hospital at a university. I worked in the anesthesia department, and myself and my supervisor worked hands-on with veterinary students who were terrified of performing anesthesia for the first time. We worked on live patients, which were dogs and cats. But I found a real love of being committed to that student and helping them from step one all the way to waking up the patient from surgery, and just being that support of teaching them how to deal with complications that can occur, how to prepare for inducing a patient under anesthesia, that whole process of kind of holding their hands and guiding them, I really enjoyed. And that definitely was a moment of solidifying my love for teaching.
John: But there’s also been other things in my life. I’m really heavily involved in the volunteer work that I do with my faith. In fact, I was raised doing this volunteer work. And every weekend, we would go out into the different communities and reach out to neighbors and show them ways in which they can benefit their lives. But it’s a very personal type of approach where you speak with that person individually, you get to know them, and then you kind of help them come up with solutions just to have better lives. Oh, very nice. So what church were you raised in?
Emory: So actually, I was raised as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. So a lot of people are familiar with the work that we do. And I grew up in that.
John: Oh, very nice. So I understand the volunteer, the passion for willingness to help others.
Emory: Exactly. And from there, a big part of my volunteer work is where I learned Spanish and started reaching out to the Spanish community as well and doing that same volunteer work. So that’s where I really harnessed my Spanish skills also.
John: And then you jump forward or into the future, you saw a real need there.
Emory: Yes.
John: And then that’s how we met. You saw what we were doing, and you contacted me, and I saw what you were doing. What we particularly liked is, when we help the back of the house, we want them to learn Spanish in their profession. A lot of times, everybody’s trying to learn something new. Let’s make what’s important, what’s pertinent, what can help me get ahead, what makes me better in my job. And that’s what I loved about you. And to my understanding, correct me if I’m wrong, some of your best customers or one of them or two of them came through us connecting?
Emory: Yes, after becoming an HRA member and you invited me to the South Zone Food Festival, one of the first clients that I acquired was from the South Zone Food Festival. In fact, to this day, I’m still conducting classes with that student.
John: Oh, really?
Emory: Yes.
John: So how has it helped them? Educating and elevating the Hispanic community across a multi-generational spectrum is our vision statement. From your perspective and maybe her words, how has it helped her?
Emory: This student is very active in her career and very successful, doing a lot of traveling for her job and door-to-door sales, but she’s been limited to the Spanish-speaking community. She approached me wanting to gain confidence in her English-speaking abilities so that she could broaden out the market she is reaching. Meeting together one-on-one has been especially beneficial. She’s taken group classes before but they haven’t felt customized to her needs. With my tutoring sessions, I focus every lesson on the student’s goals. I’ll do an initial needs analysis to assess their level of English skills and ask about their personal goals. Then I’ll develop customized lesson material based on those goals. We may need to refine grammar or verb conjugation, but I’ll also develop lessons on the typical vocabulary used during a sales pitch, meeting a new client, getting them to sign the forms, and more day-to-day vocabulary specific to their career.
John: How has it helped her in her confidence?
Emory: I see an improvement in her confidence. We have had class together for almost a year now. Her ability to express herself to me in English and use the correct verb tenses and words in the correct order has improved. You start to notice the gradual progress a student makes. What has helped is consistency. You can’t expect to acquire a new language in just a month. The most challenging part is using it, but with time and consistency, progress is made.
John: Right. Do you have any anecdotal evidence or direct evidence she says it has helped her?
Emory: Yes, it has helped her in her confidence. What we’re working on now is pushing herself out of her comfort zone to use English more. Her job does not yet require her to use much English, but she’s preparing for it. I encourage her to take advantage of every opportunity to use the language.
John: That’s wonderful. It’s all about consistency and using the language as much as possible. What profession is she in?
Emory: She works in sales.
John: Very nice. So it can really broaden her target audience to connect with more people.
Emory: Exactly. I see an improvement in her conversational skills. With every lesson, I assess a student in speaking comprehension, grammar usage, and vocabulary usage. I also track their progress and give them a progress report at the end of our monthly contract.
John: That’s important. So what differentiates you from other English or ESL programs?
Emory: My approach is personalized and based on the specific needs of my students. We have our first free class together, they tell me the areas of English they want to improve in, their struggles, and insecurities. I observe their English speaking and come up with a customized plan specifically with their goals and needs in mind. It’s very individual student-based.
John: That’s wonderful. That personalized approach makes a huge difference. We’re launching our Certified Culinary Professional Program, and one of the key ingredients to long-term success in the back of the house and the culinary world is the ability to be bilingual both ways. The ability to communicate with the rest of the house helps them progress in their career. We’ll be using you as a tool to help them long-term.
Emory: I completely support this program and its mission because I understand how learning a language opens doors for you and creates a level of independence and growth for you professionally and personally. Being bilingual allows you to meet more people, provides opportunities and connections, and I strive to give that to my students.
John: That’s fantastic. You’ve been so supportive of us, and we appreciate having people like you. If somebody wanted to learn more about what you do and become a client, how would they do that?
Emory: There are multiple ways to contact me. I’m on Instagram under Sage Business English, also on LinkedIn under my name, Emory Wilcoxon, and founder of Sage Business English. I’m available via email at [email protected], and via phone at 719-315-1935.
John: That’s great. If you’re listening, she can really help your career long-term. Do you have anything else you want to say about the Colorado Food Magazine or the HRA?
Emory: Being a member of the HRA was really a jumpstart for me to promote my business to the community I wanted to reach. Yourself, John, and all the members of the HRA have been a great source of support and connections. My husband and I had a blast at the CESOM Food Festival last year. It feels like an environment of encouragement and motivation. Thank you so much for having me on the podcast.
John: Thank you, Emory. We appreciate having people of excellence like you. Your methodical approach and promptness are admirable. Thank you for coming in.
Emory: Thank you for having me.