My journey from one side of
the dreams business to the other
My journey from one side of the dreams business to the other
Thirteen years. Two Degrees. Three States. Six Schools. Six Grades. Thousands of Students.
These are my stats from my career as an Elementary School Teacher. I often reflected on my teaching career path, especially as those young inquiring minds over the years would ask me, "Why did you become a teacher". See, I decided that I would be a teacher when I was in third grade, and I never wavered from that goal. But here's the reality - when it really comes down to it, I chose teaching because I didn't know what other opportunities were out there, I didn't know what else I could be.
Teaching was the only profession I had any real exposure to, so it was the only one I ever considered. I went to school. I loved school. That meant I should be a teacher, right? It's all I ever knew and so it was what I believed I was meant to be. This was my path. And I followed it perfectly. Bachelors Degree. Masters Degree. Tenure... What I realized over the years though was that I had put myself in a box, from just 8 years old. I didn't even let myself consider anything else that I may want to do with my life. But as the years went on, I realized I was starting to outgrow my box. I had bigger dreams, goals, and aspirations. Both personally and professionally. I started to get the entrepreneurial itch. I knew I was smart enough and skilled enough to figure out a new path but it took some time to find my niche. What else could I be?
I WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DREAMS BUSINESS
In teaching we are often asked to reflect back on our "why". Why do we do this work? In my years as a teacher I took great pride in helping young people recognize their strengths, identify their interests, and exercise their potential.
"What do you want to be when you grow up?"
Its the classic question we ask children. Because of my eventual realization that I became a teacher purely for lack of awareness that there were other options, I always made it my intention to integrate exposure to a multitude of professional fields in my work with my students. I wanted them to discover the limitless possibilities of what they can become and what interests they may have. My job was to guide students into identifying what their dreams were for their lives and then give them the tools and guidance to make those dreams come true.
MY NEW DREAM
Today I'm on the other side of the dreams business. Rather than merely ideating with my "clients" (i.e. students) on their potential dreams, I now work directly with entrepreneurs, the grown-up dreamers, who are living their dream every day and making it a reality. Creating the life and work they envision despite obstacles and challenges and through blood, sweat and tears. Learning through the process as they build their business and develop their sense of self at the same time. THIS IS EXCITING WORK! The passion that I had for my students has translated to a new passion for my marketing clients. In many ways my work now mirrors my work in the classroom: providing the tools, knowledge, guidance and support to make dreams come true.
WHY DIGITAL MARKETING IS MY PERFECT FIT
It was in my tenth year of teaching that I really started to explore my own interests, wondering what else may be out there for me. I was ready for a change and wanted to live a new dream for myself. This time around I wanted to choose an endeavor that was truly ME! I reflected on my values as well as the tasks in my work that I thoroughly enjoyed, like:
Designing and Creating Digital Products - My colleagues would tease me because I always liked to make my lesson materials myself rather than find something that was already created. I knew exactly how I wanted them to look and function for my intended purpose and it was always fun and satisfying to create resources from scratch that achieved my goals. I love opening up a blank template and seeing what it can become (from yearbooks to wedding invitations to worksheets). Now I get to create websites and funnels; ads and social media content, exploring my creativity and seeing a direct impact of my work.
Writing and Telling Stories - In grad school I had a professor tell me that he hoped to see my name on a professional published work someday because of the skilled writing I produced in his course. I have always loved the mystique power of the written word and discovering new ways to manipulate language to convey meaning. Now, I write copy that speaks directly to my clients' ideal avatar and results in conversion. I will listen with intensity to your brand story so I can hone in on exactly the messaging your ideal clients need to hear to hook them and turn them into raving fans of your work.
Working with Passionate People - It matters to me that the people I work with care about what they do. My fellow teachers inspired me daily and now I get that same energy from the ingenious entrepreneurs that I partner with. Excitement breeds interest. Interest breeds engagement. And engagement breeds results. When people are all-in, good work gets done! I love the raw passion that comes with the entrepreneurial spirit. Business owners, who are creating their life work, have it. And the energy they produce is contagious! I am so down with being in these people's corner!
Using Data to track effectiveness - Analyzing what the numbers tell me about the effectiveness of my methods is just as valuable now as it was in teaching when I was digging into my students' math or reading scores. Numbers tell a story and it is both an art and a science to do the detective work into what the data is telling me and how to best proceed. I genuinely get a thrill looking over ad and engagement metrics on my client's campaigns, celebrating triumphs, as well as trouble-shooting, and creating an action plan for less than ideal data.
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DISCLAIMER: Any sales figures I stated above or stated on my Facebook™ page are my personal sales figures and those of my extended team. I’m using these references for example purposes only. Your results will vary and depend on many factors. I have the benefit of advanced training and mentorship and am part of a collaborative team that has learned what works over the years and also keeps up with the current updates and trends. All serious business entails risk, investment as well as massive and consistent effort and action. If you understand and accept those facts we invite you to book a strategy call with us to discuss next steps.
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