Teachers Make the Leap

Our Favorite Episodes of 2024: A Year in Review 🎧✨

• Hillary Gale

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Join Kristin and Hillary as they take a look back at their most favorite and beloved episodes from their first full year of podcasting! From heartwarming guest interviews to candid business discussions, they're sharing the conversations that shaped Teachers Make the Leap in 2024.

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Welcome to Teachers Make the Leap, a show that empowers educators to build online businesses they love and revolutionize the way work shows up in their lives. I'm your host, Kristen. And I'm your host, Hillary. We're two former teachers who have successfully made the leap from classroom to entrepreneurship. If you dream of finally leaving teaching to be able to make your own schedule and increase your earning potential, join us each week as we explore real ways to get there through online business.

Hillary:

Welcome to this episode of Teachers Make the Leap. Today, Kristen and I are going to review some of our most favorite episodes that we recorded in the past year. I'm excited for this one. This was our first full year of podcasting. So we had a lot to choose from. So these were some of our most favorite conversations to have with, uh, you know, guests that we had on and also just between the two of us. So if you have not listened to any of these, we highly recommend going back and giving them a listen, or even if you did listen to them, always worth a re listen.

Kristin:

I'm really excited to recap some of these. Do you want to start with talking about some of our most favorite guests that we've had on the podcast in the last six months?

Hillary:

Yeah, we've had some great guests in the last six months. two that come to mind for me were Corey and PETA and Kristen. Corey and PETA were actually friends of yours. So I had not met them until we hopped into our virtual podcast studio and hit record, but they were both just such lovely people. Corey and PETA are both copywriters, very successful copywriters. they're both great. Moms, they're both former teachers, and I believe you met them in a copywriting mastermind group, correct?

Kristin:

Yeah, I had known Peta and Kory separately, just kind of in the copywriter world. Yeah, I think we were in a program together and took a course together. Um, and then I just kind of followed up with them and kind of watched what they were doing online ever since. And they're both women who I admire so, so much. Peta, for her kind of signature niche and topics that she talks about, which is how to talk about what you want to talk about in your business without, you know, being afraid of your audience's opinions. And I, I admire that so, so much. So Peta was just an amazing guest. She really shed a lot of light on her own story from being a classroom teacher and transitioning into helping, youth groups and, uh, high school students. And now she's a copywriter with a family of her own, and she's just got a really fascinating story and some really unique opinions on how to talk about topics that you really care about in your business. Because oftentimes we say business is. Not political. And like, there's no room for your personal opinions and some of those core beliefs that you have in your business. And, PETA really pushes back on that in a way that I find so refreshing, um, and really honest. So love that episode. Go check it out if you haven't yet. And also don't forget to check out PETA's own podcast called the soap box, where she talks more about those topics.

Hillary:

Yeah. One of my favorite little nuggets from PETA's episode in our conversation with her was that she was very much under the impression as were you and I, that before we discovered copywriting, we didn't really believe that writing skills could be used to make money. Like we, we were told that if you like writing all you can do with that love you're writing. Is to teach. And um, you know, it wasn't until that conversation with peta, I think that we really started to talk about that out in the open that writing skills are actually super, super valuable. And so I just really appreciated that she kind of brought that perspective and brought that to light. And I think it's something that a lot of teachers, um, really resonate with.

Kristin:

Yeah, for sure. There's a reason why, uh, we've gotten some comments about that episode, like folks responded to it really positively. So three cheers for that episode. That was a great conversation. I also want to say, Cory's episode really resonated with me, and that's because Cory, like, if you've listened to that episode or follow Cory on Instagram, she's just such an honest, genuine person, and I don't want that to sound cliche, like, she's just, when you talk to Cory, You know that you're talking to somebody who's not going to put up a front like she's just she is herself and she's so Kind in the same vein, right? She's super kind and welcoming and generous, but she's just so honest and You know to like ask her questions about her journey from being in the classroom to transitioning to starting a copywriting business She just had so many good nuggets to share with the audience about what that journey looks like for real, not the sugar coated version. and she's somebody I will always follow because I really admire her.

Hillary:

Yeah. Corey is someone that she started her business and I think she already had three kids and I am always just so blown away by moms who can start a business and also be moms right to multiples. I started my business before I started having kids and man, it's honestly, I can't imagine like doing that. And so it was just really nice to hear from someone like her, and just kind of be reminded that. Anyone can do it, you know, it's, it's possible for anyone. It's not just possible for, you know, people who are single or child free or whatever it might be.

Kristin:

Absolutely. And, and one other thing that I admired about Cori's story is that she had been a teacher in the classroom for 15 years when she decided to make the transition out of the classroom and, and into marketing and copywriting. And I just remember thinking when I was talking to her, It was hard enough for me to spend five ish years, plus a master's degree, like, in a classroom setting and then think about, like, what came next, but Cori, you know, spent 15 years in a job that she genuinely adored. Like, you can tell when you talk to Cori that Her memories of teaching are just like part of who she is. Right? She loved what she did. And to, to listen to her story about how to transition from a career that used to, truly, truly light you up and then, to start something brand new on your own with, with a whole family. such an inspiration she is. And that conversation was really fun.

Hillary:

Yes, so Peter and Corey's episodes were definitely 2 of our favorites, but we have a lot of really fantastic guests on this entire year. So, of course, we can't go over everyone's, but we had some conversations with a couple of our students inside our teachers make the lead program. So, Danielle's episode, I know, was really fun. That's 1 that you recorded when I was out on maternity leave. You chatted with Brittany, you chatted with a mutual acquaintance of ours, Derek Pollard, that episode came out quite recently. And I know that that was just an absolutely lovely conversation because Derek is lovely. Um, so lots of fun guests that we had on this year. So those are definitely worth a listen. If you missed any.

Kristin:

And shifting gears just a little bit, another highlight for me of the episodes we recorded in the last half of the year was when we did summer office hours. And this was something we implemented for the first time ever on podcast. And essentially what we did this summer was I think it was almost every other week, Hillary, right? We held open office hours for folks who were subscribed to our email list. So we invited everybody from our email list to come and hang out with us in a Zoom room, totally free of charge and just ask questions or have conversations around freelance business or transitioning out of the classroom and making the leap, so to speak. And then we, we hosted those on the podcast. so that everybody could listen in if they weren't able to make it live. And those, I don't know if you agree with me, Hillary, I have to have a feeling you will, but those conversations are always truly, truly, like, what lights me up the most about what you and I have done with teachers make the leap is really connecting with teachers who are looking to make a big change and having conversations with them. And those conversations were super organic. The questions were amazing. The people who showed up were. Darling, and I just really have a fondness for, for all of them and for the episodes that resulted from those sessions.

Hillary:

Yeah, I think so too, because those were, I mean, You know, I love getting into these rooms and just chatting with you one on one. So fun, but those were also so fun because there was always at least one other person in the room that was also kind of like following up with questions and, you know, sharing their own experience. And so it was really, really nice to just kind of have like a third and sometimes a fourth person in the room, kind of conversing with us. Most people I don't think really came off mic. Some people did. Um, but even just like. Chatting in the, chat box so that we could kind of, you know, bounce off of them. it was almost life giving in a way. Like it was just really fun to chat with some new people and bring some new people into the room with us and answer questions in that way. So I also really enjoyed that. I would say that was a highlight for me as well. And it's something that I would really like to do again this next summer.

Kristin:

and this is just a little plug. If you're listening to the show and you want to chat with us or you have a question, don't feel shy to reach out in any regard. You can reach Hilary and I directly at hello at TeachersMakeTheLeap. com. We always answer emails. It's just us, so you will literally be getting us. Or you can go ahead and fill out the form in the show notes and submit your question right to the show and we'll answer it on the show.

Hillary:

All right. So another of our absolute favorite episodes this year was when to say, Yes to clients in your first year of business and when to say no. And this was a really fun topic for us to tackle. It was also one of our most popular episodes in the second six months. Um, the second half of this year, and I think a couple of reasons for that. Kristen. It's 1 of those episodes that we recorded. You know, we were talking about it and I don't think we expected it to be as popular as it was, but it's 1 of those topics. You and I were just saying this before we hit the record button. It's 1 of those topics that I don't think a lot of other people talk about. Right? Like when to decide when you should say yes to working with the client and when you should absolutely say no. Because I think a lot of times in business, when we're, when we're talking about starting our own businesses, in this particular community, we talk about working with your ideal clients, working with people that you know, what you would absolutely love to work with. But in reality, when you're starting a business, a lot of times you get on the phone with people or you connect with. Potential clients who don't exactly fit that ideal client mold. Um, there's a lot of gray area there. And so knowing when you should still say yes to working with someone or when you should absolutely say no, I think takes a lot of nuance.

Kristin:

That was a super fun episode just to unpack that nuance for folks, because I think you're right. A lot of times it's just like, say yes to only the things you want and say no to everything else. And while that's a really great and productive kind of way of thinking, it can also feel like. Then you're just going to say no to a lot of things in your 1st year of business when actually the experience of working with folks is really wonderful, in plenty of different circumstances. So, it was really fun to get to kind of draw that line a little bit more clearly for our listeners about in your 1st year of business. When. you're working with a non ideal client when that is still really great for you and great for business and when a client's red flags are just. You know, kind of a deal breaker, so to speak.

Hillary:

one more thing I'll say here really quick is just that, you know, we would never say you should just say yes to everything. You should say yes to everyone who wants to work with you because I think that's a quick way to burn out fast. So like you said, you know, that was a really fun episode to kind of unpack those nuances and really think about when to say yes and when to say no. So again, I was really surprised when, when that episode really took off and was so popular. So many people listen to it.

Kristin:

Yeah. And while we're here, and this is kind of in the same vein, two episodes that we recorded recently, Hillary, if you remember, um, We're episodes that we broke into part one and part two about our most favorite client experiences inside of our businesses and our least favorite client experiences inside of our businesses. If you haven't caught on yet On the Teachers Make Believe podcast, we really like to talk about these dichotomies, and the nuance of here are great things. And here are things that are hard and challenging. And we thought that'd be really fun to shed a light on some of our client experiences that just, they're so fun to interact with and have really just lit us up and also client experiences that were very challenging because That can happen, In business. You can work with a client who challenges you or who has some red flags and it's just a learning experience. So we wanted to normalize that and share some of our own details as well. So if you weren't able to catch those episodes, do loop back and give them a listen.

Hillary:

Yeah. I think they actually pair really nicely with, the 1st episode we were talking about, about, you know, when to say yes and when to say no and where that gray area is. because I, I want to say, and I can't remember, it has been a couple of weeks since we recorded those episodes, but I want to say that 1 of my particular favorite clients was someone that I initially had kind of categorized as a non ideal client, but then he ended up being 1 of my favorite people to work with because I just learned so much. And, you know, I kind of was brought into this. Particular facet of finance that I had never heard of before, and it ended up being really fascinating. And so I think sometimes, saying yes to people that you don't initially categorize as an ideal client can end up being 1 of the best experiences in a good way, because you learn so much. And so I think that pairing those 3 episodes together, can be kind of eye opening in a way.

Kristin:

And as we're kind of reflecting on the last six months of, of the podcast and our favorite kind of highlight moments. What's coming up for me is just some gratitude for this whole project. one of the things I love the most about The Teachers Make the Leap podcast is truly connecting with folks who are at a point in their life where they want to make some big changes. And that leap, so to speak, that point of pivot where you're Thinking about making changes and everything that gets kicked up, all of the emotions, all of the doubts, all of the second guessing, all of the decision making, all of the faith, kind of, that you have to have in yourself, all of the successes and the failures and the personal wins and the missteps, like all of it, all of it. I love exploring that space in particular, like that feels like such a fun area to be in. To talk through, um, and to talk about with not only you because you and I are on the other side of making the leap from the classroom to a different career path, but also to talk about about those things with people who are actively in it and and teachers who are really trying to figure out what comes next for them. That has been so much fun for me this year, and I'm really excited to continue that in the new year. And now that I'm saying this, I'm kind of curious, as you look back on the last six months or maybe the year of the podcast, what feelings come up for you?

Hillary:

I also just have so much gratitude for the fact that we have been doing this, you know, this podcast is something that we first, Well, actually you came up with the idea for this podcast first in 2021 and you mentioned it to me and there were so many reasons that we didn't start it in 2021, right? There were just so many excuses that we made and roadblocks that we almost, I think, invented for ourselves. And then finally, in June of 2023, we were like, let's just do this. Let's just. Air this thing, sit down and record some episodes. Um, and let's just do this. And I feel like it has been the biggest gift that we've given to ourselves because it's just been really fun. We've made so many connections with teachers. what I really love about this podcast is hearing the questions from teachers that I never would have thought of, you know, and, and just realizing that, you know, the things that. You and I think are important to talk about. Sometimes aren't the questions that teachers have. And so I love all all of the dns that we've gotten from people. I love when people submit questions to the form that we have in the show notes. Like, I just love hearing what's going on in other people's brains. so that we can, talk about those and share our own experiences with those. So, That was a very rambly answer to your question, but I think tying it all together, I just have a lot of gratitude for everything that's come out of you and I simply just kind of hitting this record button and having these like off the cuff conversations about what it was like to lead teaching and start businesses.

Kristin:

Yeah, and to, to just kind of like offer this as we move into wrapping up this year, it never, never, never is lost on me that Without teachers showing up and being interested or asking questions, this podcast wouldn't really exist and we'd just be kind of, you know, talking to each other. So I just want to take a moment and extend some thanks to anybody who's listening or if you have supported the show or asked a question, even you've helped create this show. Um, that we're so grateful for, and that hopefully, hopefully other teachers are benefiting from. So, definitely a community endeavor. And, that's not lost on me, especially now as we kind of wrap up the year.

Hillary:

Well, Kristen, I've had a lot of fun kind of looking back at some of our favorite episodes that we have recorded this year. Um, and just thinking through some of the moments that really meant so much to us, as we have produced this podcast together. So again, thank you so much to all of our listeners. We are so, so appreciative of you and the time that you choose to spend with us every week. and we will catch you next time in the next episode of Teachers Make the Leap.

Thanks for joining us on this episode of Teachers Make the Leap. We can't wait to help you make the leap from teacher to thriving business owner. If you liked what you heard today, subscribe to the show on your favorite listening app and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. We'll see you back here next week.