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Happy Friday [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], Change is hard. My daughter finished Kindergarten last week. Every time life shifts gears, you are offered a portal. It’s easy to opt out This time, I decided to opt-in. She had been at the same school for 5 years. Our family had been a part of the community for almost 7. My husband and I both worked there. He also decided it was time to move on after this year. So, this community has known my little family as we were getting to know ourselves. They knew her before she was earth-side. They’ve watched her become who she is. They’ve played a huge role in the kind-hearted, generous, aware, curious human she’s growing into. The teachers she’s had over the course of 5 years there have been nothing short of amazing. They are thoughtful, generous with their time, energy, patience and love. They have held space for her to grow and learn, to stumble and recover. If I’m being honest, they have felt less like “teachers” and more like parenting partners. They have taught me so much about how to be the best version of myself for my girl. To be what she needs. And she will be moving on to another school next year…not because she has to. But because we felt clear that it was time for a new chapter. This can be the hardest thing to do. To trust your intuition. To make a decision not because it’s not good anymore. But because you believe with a slight tweak, that other doors might open. We aren’t given great examples of that. We aren’t taught how to trust our gut. But over the last 2 years, I have spent a lot of time intentionally remembering how. Remembering why it’s important. I have also let busy-ness shuttle me from place to place and moment to moment over the past few weeks. I have allowed myself to not think about how sad I feel to be moving on from the community that has held my baby while she grew into a kid. Held me while I grew into Motherhood. Until the morning of her “flying up ceremony.” I picked up a thank you card from one of my husband’s students, and there were the tears that had been waiting for just the right moment. I didn’t really have time for them. But I let them come. I sat down, lit a candle, and offered myself time to be in this portal. To feel what comes with change. To let it wash over me. Then I went to watch my baby girl “fly up,” up and out. In her speech (!) she said, “I’m going to a new school next year. I’m kind of scared, but I will be brave… because I know so many people love me.” I cried again, tears of gratitude. Tears of of hope. Tears of uncertainty. But if she can be brave, then so can I. I don’t know what the next stage will be like yet. But I can feel for the line where one thing is completing and another is beginning.Where a seed has been planted and although I can’t see the sprouts yet, I know the roots are diving deep, embedding themselves in the earth. And I can trust that it will be exactly what we need. Anyone else sitting in the portal of change right now? I especially think of teachers who have made the decision they are done, but don’t know how to take the next steps. You know the next version of you is waiting, but you can’t see or feel her yet. I invite you to pause and allow yourself to feel the lines. To plant the seed. To know the roots are moving into the earth, even if you can’t see the sprouts yet. These are the moments that end up defining your time. And if you are interested in guidance on becoming a paid content or copywriter for education companies, reply with the word “READY” and let’s chat. The 4 x1
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Open for BIG news!
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Hi [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], TL;DR: The WAITLIST for Classroom to Copywriter is OPEN!
We are so close to the end of the school year. For 17 years in my life that meant…sweet relief.
Slower mornings Drinking my coffee while it still hot Going for runs without having to rush back to be ready for work. But most of all it meant… QUIET.Something happened to me over the years and years of being a teaching… I become an introvert. I craved alone time. I needed the quiet to know what I thought or even just to feel for what was important in my life. This problem got much louder in my life once I become a mom. Now I was no longer returning to my empty apartment to decompress. I had a tiny human to take care of. At some point, I could no longer reconcile spending all day in noisy classrooms with this idea… that what I really wanted was to spend more time in a quiet space. Maybe you don’t relate to that part, or maybe you do. Maybe you just know somewhere deep inside that you are ready for change. Or maybe you’ve known for months or years but really haven’t been able to figure out the next step. Well. If that’s you, I wanted you to be the first to know that… The Waitlist for Classroom to Copywriter is officially OPEN!
This is my debut course/community for women who are ready to step out of the classroom and into content or copywriting in the Education/EdTech space. And I’m PSYCHED, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE].This project has been a teeny, tiny seedling for a long time and I CANNOT WAIT to bring incredible women together: To share their experiences To work side-by-side in order to step into the next version of themselves To be guided by someone that knows what it feels like to walk this path To learn some specific writing skills and gain the confidence to do something new but in a space that feels familiar. IS THIS YOU?
The 4 x1
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Is this you?
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Hey [FIRST NAME GOES HERE], I wanted to send a quick email and let you know how excited I am to be building a course and community specifically for female teachers who are ready for a change and know they might want to try content or copywriting. Is this you? If you think this sounds like something you might be interested in, just reply with the word, “interested.” That’s it! (And if you have questions, feel free to ask them too! I’m happy to answer anything you’ve got.) p.s. thanks for being here! |
Money talks
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The number in front of me on the computer screen stared loudly back at me. My nightmare, the one that had kept me stagnant for years, not taking a chance on myself, was happening. In real time. This cannot be true, I thought to myself, shame and anger swelling inside of me. How did I let this happen? Down the rabbit holeIt was April 2024 and my ex-teacher self felt stunned by this news: my first real tax return for my first year full-time in my business. I had left the classroom after 17 years to pursue something I knew would feel more authentic in this stage of my life. But I had never had to deal with taxes—not really. For my whole adult life I had been an employee. Filled out a W-2. Neatly chosen to claim 1. Gotten a sweet, sweet refund. Every. Single. Year.
Until now. I laid my head on my computer and imagined the look on my husband’s face when I had to tell him. We had often used our refunds for a bigger purchase we had been eyeing, to pay off debt, or to book a trip somewhere. Now, we OWED MONEY. A LOT OF IT. The money I had been “putting aside” wasn’t enough. It wasn’t even close. This could have been a moment where I shut down. Let myself fall down a rabbit hole and let the negative self talk wash over me: I am a total idiot. I knew I wasn’t cut out for this. Now I’ve put myself and my family in a shitty situation. I should go back to being an employee where I’m safe from things like this. It would have felt legit. It was the thing I feared most and it came true. But… I was still standing. It’s not the event that defines youWas I knocked down a bit (or a lot)? Yes. Did I give myself some time to sulk about it? Also yes. (Just being honest folks). But truly, it’s never the worst things that happen to you that ruin you. (Read that again.) It’s what you choose to do next that defines a situation. Every time. So, I remembered why I wanted to have my own business. I remembered that every new venture will have learning curves. This was definitely one of mine. …And then I picked up a book. Specifically, I picked up Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. (not an affiliate…just a fan) A business coach had recommended it to me over a year ago. Did I read it then, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]? No. No, I did not. Was I now pretty pissed off that I had put it off? Sure was. I learned more about finances in the first 50 pages than I had in the whole of my life before that. Also he’s a funny dude and it’s an easy read. Win-Win. I immediately changed the way I was doing money for my business and, although I am still not an expert, guess what? When tax season rolled around, this year, I sweating much less. Because I knew I had been following sound advice and putting the right amount aside—and not touching it, [FIRST NAME GOES HERE]. (Turns out that part’s important.) I was still nervous. Because, as I said, money isn’t my thing. Or wasn’t. It’s becoming more my thing with each new nugget of knowledge I wrap my head around. And if I can do it… you,[FIRST NAME GOES HERE], most definitely can too. The 4 x1
Here’s how you can work with me:
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I couldn’t believe what I found
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A sick feeling started in my stomach and crept, slowly, up into my throat. There were so many names. Each with only a few months worth of signatures. I was definitely about to get fired. H2: The boss you have nightmares aboutIt was my first job out of college. A job I had wanted only to be able to live (and play) in New York City with my friends. This is not lost on me. But hey Reader, I was only 22. My boss was a (much less stylish) Miranda Priestly-type, who seemed to truly enjoy making me look like an idiot. Here I was, a college graduate with decent street smarts for an upstate NY girl, feeling INCOMPETENT several times a day. If I asked questions, any questions, it was met with a deep sigh and little help in return. I would sit in my little corner cubicle, wasting an inordinate amount of time simply because I didn’t know what to do, and I sure as hell wasn’t asking her.
H2: WTF did I want to do?In my last year of college, while many friends knew exactly what they would pursue upon graduating, I still had no idea. Well…that’s not entirely true. I knew I wanted write. And, I had no idea how to make that happen in a real way. I remember friends ribbing me a little, “what are you going to do, sit under a palm tree and write poems?” (Yes, I thought, yes—that sounds perfect, actually. TBH, Reader, still does .) While my dual “dreams” of being able to write whatever I wanted, and also to live by the beach have still not quite come true, I am way closer than I ever thought I’d be. (Not to the beach, but there’s time for that.) H2: The discoveryI had almost made it a whole year in the world’s worst marketing assistant job. Every Sunday—All Day Sunday— I found myself in deep discomfort, wanting to do anything other than return to that office the next day. I wasn’t familiar with my body’s warning signals and didn’t really talk to anyone about what I was feeling. (I know Reader, but at 22, we don’t all understand that emotional peace and calm are our birthright). And then, one afternoon towards the end of end May, I made a DISCOVERY. As the assistant, I made all travel arrangements and did a lot of events preparation and I was required to sign off on everything. As I flipped back through previous records, I noticed the name and signature of the assistant would change every few months. Until I was hired. A sick feeling started in my stomach and crept towards my throat. What happened next was unexpected, though. My dread dissipated as I slowly realized: IT’S NOT ME. IT’S HER. After months of feeling like a failure, of thinking to myself: How is it possible that I am so incompetent that I can’t even handle an assistant’s job? How did I graduate college? I realized: she doesn’t like anyone. She hires people, uses them up and then disposes of them. I’ve just allowed myself to be stagnant here for longer than most. I immediately knew what I need to do. I still wasn’t sure exactly I was supposed to be doing for work, but I sure as hell knew it wasn’t this. And my emotional well being had taken a major hit. So I quit. Climbing the Mountain of LifeI wish I could say that this was the one and only time I needed to learned this lesson. That I learned how to listen deeply to myself and was never in this position again. But alas, learning isn’t always linear, and growth often looks like: same view, different perspective. Switchbacks up a mountain rather than a path that cuts through the trees. I am still on this path. Learning from my experiences. Honing my intuition and ability to listen to my heart and my gut with less doubt and resistance and more curiosity and trust. Have you ever felt this way? That you thought you learned something only to discover that there you were again, with a slightly different take and maybe a little more trust? Hit reply. I’d love to hear your stories! The 4×1
Here’s how you can work with me:
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