Résumé | John Fotheringham

Summary

Seasoned instructional design expert with 20+ years of experience crafting educational content in startups, health, and tech.
Detail-oriented artist-educator obsessed with designing effective, visually beautiful learning experiences that empower, inspire, and transform insight into action.
Fluent in cross-cultural communication, multiple languages, and leading LMS, CMS, UX, and video production tools.

Freelance | 2020 — Present

Scaled a $10M language education brand’s YouTube channel from 30K to 300K subscribers (Olly Richards’ StoryLearning channel) through high-impact scripting, tight editing, elegant visuals, and audience-driven strategy.
Produced and edited educational YouTube videos and Shorts for polyglot Steve Kaufmann (1.29M subs), and helped launch writer David Perell’s How I Write podcast (160K subs), including branding, guest outreach, and in-studio recording.
Managed the entire production process from ideation to publishing, leveraging community polls, surveys, market trends, and analytics to shape topics, support product launches, and align content with marketing and product goals.

Anywhere Immersion | 2009 — Present

Created and sold digital learning products and courses generating $150K+ in revenue, empowering global adult learners to master Japanese and Mandarin through at-home immersion.
Led live, cohort-based Japanese conversation challenges that produced tangible learner outcomes, from speaking flowing Japanese for the first time, to smoother travel, to making career changes, to reconnecting with Japanese family.
Hosted The Language Mastery Show (4.9⭑ rating, 15 years), published 100+ blog articles, and crafted targeted onboarding email drip series informed by learner feedback and behavioral design principles.

Nutritional Therapy Association | Olympia, WA | 2015 — 2018

Overhauled the school’s flagship certification program (improving learning outcomes for 2,000+ graduates to date), and created a new 8-week self-study course, including scripting and directing videos and designing learner guides.
Selected, tested, and implemented the Brightspace LMS, streamlining content delivery and scalability, and partnered with SMEs, instructors, and the marketing team to ensure content accuracy, learner engagement, and brand alignment.

Gram Consultants | Taipei, Taiwan | 2008 — 2009

Trained Taiwanese executives in the nuanced language and cultural skills needed for successful business dealings with American firms.
Produced custom training seminars for tech and finance companies, including IBM, Mediatech, ASUS, Pegatron, MagnaChip, and Standard Chartered Bank.

Berlitz | Taipei, Taiwan | 2006 — 2008

Taught business, social, and academic English, and conducted custom training seminars for corporate clients.
Recruited and trained English and Japanese instructional staff, and conducted new client interviews and assessments.

Hyogo Prefectural Government | Kobe, Japan | 2004 — 2005

Translated government correspondence from Japanese to English and interpreted for English-speaking government officials visiting the prefecture.
Advised and counseled JET Programme participants and other foreign residents living in Hyogo Prefecture.

Hikami-Nishi High School | Aogaki, Japan | 2003 — 2004

Created personalized learning materials and lesson plans for classes of varying ability levels, interests, and academic needs.
Taught communicative English classes to high school students, local senior citizens, and pre-schoolers.