Dear Reader, At the end of my last year in the classroom, I was completely spent.And not in the “needs a bubble bath and a nap” kind of way. I mean, crying all summer, questioning everything, incessantly dreading going back, kind of way. But the thing that snapped me awake? - Realizing that my mask had failed and I wasn't successfully hiding anything from anyone. I knew my mask was failing at home when I was too tired from the day, but when students started to notice ... 😓The moment I knew...
10 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Before we talk about marketing or pricing or posting to Instagram, we need to talk about something way less shiny but MUCH more important: burnout-proofing your business. When I first started my business, I was still recovering from the mental and emotional pressure and unrealistic expectations of classroom teaching.I thought self-employment would feel like sipping chai (or, in my case, a green tea latte) in yoga pants.Instead, I found myself copying classroom hustle energy and...
18 days ago • 1 min read
Hi Reader, Ever feel like you’re scrolling Instagram and everyone else seems to have it figured out… while you’re over here thinking, “Am I behind? Am I even doing this right?” That thought came up again and again in my recent voice-of-customer work — and I realized something big: Most of the teachers in this community actually fall into one of three distinct archetypes. 👉 The Burnt Out Teacher — exhausted but not done. 👉 The New-ish Biz Owner — figuring it out. 👉 The Visionary — ready to...
25 days ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, The other day, I was talking with a new business owner who sheepishly told me, “I’m not ready to post yet — I still need my logo and my website.” I almost choked on my coffee. Here’s the thing: almost every New-ish Biz Owner I meet does this. They work behind the scenes for weeks (or months), building the website, perfecting the service menu, agonizing over a logo… and they wait until the entire business feels “customer-ready” before they start marketing or telling people about...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, It was the summer of 2020, and I was staring at yet another pros and cons list—one of dozens I’d written that year. I had a pit in my stomach and a broken heart. I’d always loved teaching. My classroom was my creative playground. I had deep relationships with my students. I was good at it - great even. But I was also exhausted. Angry. Numb. I couldn’t shake the dread. And the worst part? I felt guilty for feeling any of it. What kind of teacher walks away from kids she loves?...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Dear Reader, IA few years ago, a teacher messaged me at 11:42 PM. The subject line?“Am I too old to start over?” She’d spent the evening doom-scrolling job boards, crying quietly so she wouldn’t wake her partner. She was 53, had taught for 28 years, and told me her soul felt like it was leaking out of her body every time she logged into her school’s LMS. She said she felt ridiculous for even thinking she could start something new. And I told her the truth: • You’re not too old. • You’re not...
2 months ago • 1 min read
Dear Reader, Let’s talk about what I’m seeing everywhere right now. Teachers launching summer programs, posting flyers, sharing about them on their socials— and honestly, I love the energy. It’s exciting to see so many of you putting yourselves out there and making your first moves into business. 🙌🏻 But I’m also seeing some all-too-common mistakes — ones that could slow your growth, stall enrollment, or leave you feeling discouraged when all you really need is a few small tweaks. Here are 5...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, Picture this: It’s the first week of summer break. You’re finally exhaling after another year of juggling 1,000 demands. You spend weeks recovering and coming back to life. But before long, the cycle begins again. Curriculum planning. Revamping lesson plans. Resource hunting. PD sessions. And let’s be honest—you’re lucky if you carve out two actual weeks off. (That was me, year after year. Sound familiar?) Here’s the truth no one talks about: That “summer off” teachers supposedly...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, I recently had the joy of joining Katherine Martín-Fisher on The Beyond Business Podcast to share my story — how I went from a burned-out classroom teacher to a fulfilled private practice teacher and mentor. In this candid conversation, we talked about: ✅ The emotional and financial toll of staying stuck in a system that doesn’t serve you ✅ Why private practice teaching offers more freedom, purpose, and fair pay ✅ How mentorship changed everything for me (and why it can for you...
3 months ago • 1 min read