Are you wondering whether you should sell your teacher resources on your website or if it’s just one more thing everyone says you “should” do? You’re not alone. This is one of the most common questions teacher-sellers ask when they start taking their business seriously.

In today’s episode, we’re breaking down everything you need to know so you can make the right decision for YOUR stage of business. By the end, you’ll know whether selling on your website is worth it, what it actually takes to make it profitable, and how to avoid wasting time or money in the process.

We cover:

• Why so many teacher-sellers want their own website

• Shopify vs. Squarespace vs. WordPress (and what I chose)

• The truth about uploading your entire product catalog

• How long it really takes to see sales

• What you must have in place BEFORE you open a store

• Website pros, cons, and deal-breakers

• When a website becomes more profitable than TPT

• Whether you should add a TPT “buy” button on your product pages

• Why email list + trust = the secret to website sales

• The long-term payoff most teachers never talk about

If you’ve been confused, overwhelmed, or unsure whether you’re “ready” to add a store to your website, this episode will give you the clarity you’ve been needing.

If you’re not sure whether you’re ready—or you need help figuring out the next right step in your business, I offer 1:1 coaching to help you grow with clarity and confidence.

I support teachers with:

• TPT store strategy

• Website setup + offers

• Messaging + positioning

• Mindset and overthinking

• Anything your teacher brain is stuck on

If you’re craving real progress with way less overwhelm, book your coaching call: yourteacherbiz.com/coaching

• Squarespace (my website platform)

• Shopify (another popular website option)

• Emily Bryant, CPA for TPT sellers

• My 1:1 Coaching: yourteacherbiz.com/coaching

If your teacher business feels harder than it should, you’re not alone. Most teacher entrepreneurs are making decisions based on emotion, guesswork, or daily dashboard checks that send them into panic mode. In today’s episode, we break down why your business feels overwhelming and how simple data tracking can instantly bring clarity, calm, and direction.

We’re talking about what to track (and what NOT to track), how to set goals that actually fit the season you’re in, and why focusing on the right metrics will make your business feel lighter, more grounded, and easier to grow.

Plus, I’m sharing the tool that completely changed how I make decisions in my own business: ✨ The Teacher Business KPI Tracker: now available in my shop.

If you want your business to feel less emotional and more empowered this year, this episode is your roadmap.

• Why running your online teacher business feels so overwhelming
• How data helps calm your brain and reduce the “nothing is working” spiral
• The #1 metric that matters most when you’re just starting out
• What to track in Year 1 versus Years 2–3 versus later stages
• Why tracking too many things creates confusion (not clarity)
• Why TPT dashboard dips don’t actually mean what you think
• How a year-at-a-glance view can completely change your confidence
• How to choose metrics that match your season of life
• The simple tracking habit that makes business decisions easier

👉 Teacher Business KPI Tracker Get the simple Google Sheet that helps you track revenue, product growth, email metrics, website traffic, and more all in one place.

👉 Book a Free Teacher Business Clarity Call Need support deciding what to focus on in your business? Let’s talk through your goals and simplify your next steps.

Social media can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling teaching, life, and a growing TPT business. Do you really need to be on Instagram? Does marketing actually work? And how do you promote your resources without living on your phone?

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Ashley Mickelson, a longtime teacher seller and self-described accidental entrepreneur. Ashley shares what she’s learned over nearly a decade of selling on TPT, building relationships online, and using simple marketing systems that don’t lead to burnout.

We talk honestly about social media, automation tools like ManyChat, and why relationships (not hacks), are what truly grow a sustainable teacher business.

If you’ve ever felt stuck between wanting more visibility and wanting more peace, this conversation will meet you right where you are.

• How Ashley accidentally turned teaching into a long-term TPT business

• Why relationship-building matters more than posting perfectly

• What ManyChat is and how teachers actually use it (in simple terms)

• How automation can save time instead of adding stress

• When it makes sense to invest in tools and when it doesn’t

• How introverted or camera-shy teachers can start showing up online

• The difference between content that lasts vs. content that connects

• How Ashley balances family life, marketing, and running her business

You don’t need to do all the things to grow your business. You need to connect with real people, show up as yourself, and build systems that support your life, not consume it.

YouTube name Teach the Teacher Author with Ashley Mikkelsen https://www.youtube.com/@teachtheteacherauthor Social media links Insta- https://instagram.com/teach.the.teacherauthor FB- https://facebook.com/teach.the.teacherauthor FB group - Instagram for Teacher Authors https://www.facebook.com/groups/ReJUNEvateyourIGChallenge Website https://teachtheteacherauthor.com/ Contact email ashley@srtaspanish.com landing page or freebie link How to start your email list: https://teachtheteacherauthor.myflodesk.com/dzu6rybc2d

If you’re a teacher who wants to build income outside the classroom, whether through TPT, digital products, or mindset work, I’d love to support you. Book a 1:1 coaching call if you want personalized guidance on income planning,

What if working from home and “passive income” aren’t as stress-free as we’ve been led to believe?

In this episode, I’m sharing a very honest reflection on what it’s actually like to run a business full time, especially as a former teacher who was used to a steady paycheck. I’m recording this at the start of a new year, in the middle of selling our house, and coming off a season that felt busy, heavy, and lacking joy. That reflection led me here.

If you’re a teacher dreaming of leaving the classroom, working from home, or building “passive income,” this episode is for you. Not to discourage you, but to help you make the best decision at the right time with clarity instead of fantasy.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why business ownership brings a different kind of stress no one really talks about
• What “passive income” actually looks like in real life
• The financial difference between a teacher paycheck and business income
• Why making just enough money in your business isn’t enough
• How taxes, expenses, and slow months really impact your take-home income
• Why saving 3–6 months of expenses is non-negotiable
• The importance of having more than one income stream (especially if you sell on TPT)
• What surprised me when I reviewed my own income data
• How to think clearly and realistically before quitting your job

This episode is about grounding your dreams in truth and making empowered decisions instead of emotional ones. You absolutely can build a business and work from home. I just want you to do it in a way that protects your peace, finances, and future.

Here’s to 2026: Create value. Go sell it. And don’t underestimate what you bring to the table.

Book a 1:1 coaching call if you want personalized guidance on income planning, product strategy, or your next step out of the classroom

Why More Time Doesn’t Make You More Productive When we’re working full time, it’s easy to believe that if we just had more time, we’d make more money in our business. But what happens when you finally have the time and productivity still feels off?

In this episode, I’m sharing honest lessons I’ve learned from staying home to work on my business full time, and what that taught me about productivity, time management, and execution. If you’ve been working hard but not seeing results, this episode will help you see what’s really getting in the way.

We talk about why time isn’t the real issue, how planning can turn into procrastination, and the simple strategies that helped me move from busy to actually getting things done.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why having more time doesn’t automatically lead to more money
• The hidden productivity trap of working for yourself
• How planning, learning, and “preparing” can become disguised procrastination
• Why motivation is a myth (and what actually works instead)
• How hesitation, overthinking, and fear slow down execution
• How the 5 Second Rule helped me take action faster
• The First Domino Concept and how routines reduce decision fatigue
• How scheduling in realistic time blocks creates clarity and momentum

Key Concepts Mentioned

• The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
• The First Domino Concept (starting with one small action that triggers momentum)
• Decision fatigue and why structure matters when you work from home

How to Apply This to Your Life & Business

1. Identify your first domino (your one non-negotiable starting point).
2. Use the 5-4-3-2-1 rule when you feel hesitation or resistance.
3. Write out your schedule in advance to remove daily decision-making.
4. Focus on execution—not learning, planning, or scrolling.

If this episode hit home for you and you know you’ve been busy but not productive, this is exactly what I help teachers with inside my one-on-one coaching calls.

We look at what you’re working on, what actually makes money, and what you need to stop overthinking so you can start executing. No fluff. No endless learning. Just clarity, a plan, and action.

If you want support applying what we talked about today to your business, you can book a one-on-one coaching call with me. 👉 Schedule a Call

Connect With Me

Got questions or want to share your story? Email me at info@monica-lopez.com. I read every message and would love to hear from you.

So many teachers want more. More income, more flexibility, more ownership over their time, but never take the first step toward building a business.

Not because they lack skills. Not because they don’t have ideas. But because of a belief they’ve been carrying for years: “I’m just a teacher.”

In this episode, I unpack a deeply ingrained mindset that came up for me recently. One rooted in culture, class, and identity and how it quietly shows up when teachers think about selling on Teachers Pay Teachers or starting a business of their own.

We talk about the harmful messages many of us internalized about where we come from, what we’re “allowed” to want, and who we’re allowed to become and how those beliefs keep us playing small, even when we’re capable of so much more.

If you’ve ever thought:

• “I don’t have anything worth selling.”

• “Other teachers are better than me.”

• “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

• “People like me don’t do that.”

This episode is for you.

• The hidden belief that keeps teachers from seeing their value

• How cultural and family messages shape our business identity

• Why where you come from does not determine where you’re going

• What it really means to “act as if” when building confidence

• Why selling on TPT isn’t about being special, it’s about believing you’re capable

• How to take the first small step toward a new identity in business

You are not “just” a teacher. You are a problem-solver, a creator, and someone with real value to offer.

And if you’re ready to explore what that could look like for you — even if it feels scary — you don’t have to do it alone.

Schedule a clarity call with me and let’s talk about where you are, where you want to go, and what your next step could be.

If you’re ready to walk into 2026 with more clarity, less overwhelm, and a whole lot more focus, this episode is for you. Today, I’m breaking down the strategies I’m keeping, the habits I’m letting go of, and the single biggest planning shift that has already made my business feel more intentional and aligned.

Inside the episode, we cover:

• Listing TPT products consistently
• Growing and nurturing my ESL Teacher Membership
• Hiring help and staying in my zone of genius
• Keeping email marketing simple but consistent
• Blogging to add value + strengthen SEO
• Free and paid collaborations
• Monthly strategic planning sessions
• Growing my Facebook group intentionally

• Overworking and believing more hours = more success
• Shiny object syndrome and business ideas that don’t align with my long-term vision

You’ll hear why clarity has become my guiding principle and how having a simple yearly skeleton plan has helped me instantly decide whether something fits my business—or belongs in the “nope” pile.

If you take nothing else from this episode, take this: Plan out your promotions for the entire year. You don’t need a detailed plan—just a simple structure. It creates clarity, reduces stress, keeps you focused, and protects you from shiny object syndrome.

Free TPT Starter Kit Mini Course Learn how to set up your TPT store the right way—branding, covers, thumbnails, storefront, and more. Grab it here: Free Mini Course

Ready to start making money on TPT? This is a live group coaching program where I walk you step-by-step through making your first—and next—$100. It's not a passive course. You get accountability, live coaching, and support every step of the way. Join here: $100 for $100

AI is everywhere and if you’ve been feeling nervous about your TPT business because teachers can now generate worksheets, quizzes, and vocabulary lists in seconds… this is for you.

AI can’t replace teacher experience, teacher insight, or teacher-created structure and that’s exactly where your opportunity lies.

In this episode, we break down how to grow your TPT business in the age of AI by focusing on the types of resources teachers still actively search for, still buy, and still can’t create with a single prompt.

You’ll learn:

• What AI can and cannot create (and why it matters for your store)

• The kinds of products that stand out in a crowded TPT market

• How to use AI as a tool, not competition

• Why hands-on, scaffolded, multi-step, and design-heavy resources are your edge

• How to build a TPT store that’s still profitable as AI evolves

If you’ve been feeling stuck, discouraged, or unsure whether TPT is still worth your time, this episode will help you see what’s possible and how much value you actually bring as a teacher creator.

A 6-week live coaching cohort where you’ll get clear on your niche, map out a simple product line, get weekly feedback on your resources, and build a confident, strategic plan to grow your TPT income. 👉 Join the waitlist