Entrepreneur on Fire: my journey from classroom teaching to educational consulting

I listen to a lot of podcasts while I’m working around the house and exercising, and Entrepreneur on Fire is my go-to when I need a bit of motivation for writing. It’s a daily free podcast which was voted best in iTunes in 2013. Listening to John Lee Dumas interview inspiring people like Seth Godin and Daniel Pink as well as others who have stepped out of their comfort zone and started their own businesses always inspires me and encourages me to take risks.

A mutual friend recently introduced me to John and suggested that I participate as a guest on the show to share how I turned my passion for helping teachers into a career as an educational consultant. Though I’ve written several articles to help those who want to follow that path, I haven’t talked very much about my personal journey from classroom teacher to instructional coach and consultant, and I thought the Entreprenur on Fire podcast would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

The interview process in Entrepreneur on Fire is unique in that it really focuses on the stories behind the success of entrepreneurs: John highlights a failure and lessons learned, an ah-ha moment and the steps taken to turn that moment into success, and includes a “lightning round” where he asks five questions that extract nuggets of wisdom from his guests. It was so much fun to think back on what I’ve accomplished and also see how my mistakes and setbacks brought me to the place I’m at now.

Check out the 30 minute podcast (or view in iTunes) to hear my conversation with John about the following topics:

• How I transitioned from classroom teaching to consulting, and what my daily work now entails
• The way I used my blogging platform to propel my career as an author
• The caveat to following your passion and expecting the money to follow you
• The biggest failure I’ve ever experienced (a story I’ve never shared publicly before)
• How I learned the steps to founding my own publishing company
• The ways my passion and focus have changed over time—and how yours might, too
• How I got started creating materials for TeachersPayTeachers and what drives my success there
• Details on my fourth book Unshakeable: 20 Ways to Love Teaching Everyday…No Matter What
• The obstacles that were holding me back from becoming an entrepreneur and how I overcame them
• The best business advice I’ve ever received
• A personal habit that I believe contributes to my success
• An internet resource and book title that I’d recommend to those who want to be edupreneurs

I’m excited (and a bit nervous) to share so much of my personal experience with you all! I hope it’s helpful to those of you who are attempting to create change in education and support students and teachers in ways beyond your work in the classroom.  There aren’t very many resources out there and it can be very reassuring to hear from other people that YES, your dream is possible! Thank you for listening, and please feel free to ask additional questions in the comments!

You can find more resources on getting started as an educational consultant in the Edupreneurssection of my website, including tips for  becoming an educational consultant, how to publish a book for teachers, blogging tips for teachers, and advice for monetizing your teaching blog.

Check out my new courses to help you launch YOUR business as an educational consultant!