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Reesa Teesa is the latest internet sensation. She went viral for her 50 part content series called "Who TF Did I Marry?" that captivated millions of people. It's rumored that she's made hundreds of thousands of dollars (with more brand deals to come) from the series. When we look at her series with a content marketing lens, we can see so many reasons why this type of content works well. I don't believe this type of content is a fad that will fade, I believe it's here to stay. That's why I'm breaking down exactly what I loved about her series in this episode, including tips for using these strategies in your own business... without creating a 50 part series, of course.

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When I pulled up the timehop for February 22nd- I recognized it immediately. Some of you who have been along for my one year journey as an online biz owner may even remember watching my Insta story! It was a quick Insta story video that I took of myself sitting at my kitchen table. I didn’t have any makeup on, my hair was in a bun that I clearly had slept in, and I was still wearing my polka-dot pajamas from the night before.

In the Instastory, I basically told my then audience of maybe 100 people that I had officially had my lightbulb moment. It was the moment where I knew what I needed to be doing online. The moment where all of my skills, passions, and seemingly random past experiences came together to make this idea that I knew could change lives. That might sound dramatic- but that’s exactly how excited I felt in that moment when it finally hit me.

Up until that point, I had a bunch of seemingly random interests and past experiences. I was always feeling guilty about wanting to spend more time behind my laptop- always getting comments from people about my side hustles. I knew I’d developed a unique set of skils, but it just didn’t quite fit together.

And then it hit me- right there in my kitchen- right there in my polka dot pajamas. A moment I would forever refer to as the polka dot pajama moment.

I could help teachers build a solid foundation in marketing that would allow them to make more sales- steady sales- an additional income stream they could actually count on every month. 

I could use my experiences working with small businesses to bring back that genuine, hometown feel to the online space- I could help teachers connect with other teachers on a genuine level- as if we were all in the same room sharing ideas and changing our teaching together. 

I could be part of a movement to help teachers impact classrooms beyond the four walls of our own classrooms- to inspire, connect, and build relationships with other teachers around the world- much the same way small businesses do.

All of that guilt about my hobbies and passions, all of the desires I had about my own future, all of my seemingly random past experiences came together- and I had to hop on Instagram and tell my 100 followers. 

It was the moment I said HECK with trying to look like perfect mcperfectson on Instagram, the moment I stopped trying to FIT IN with what everyone else was doing. It was the moment I decided to stand out.

And since that polka dot pajama moment- there have been several hundred...maybe even thousand lightbulb moments that followed. It wasn’t as if everything was perfect in my business from that moment on- it was a clearing of the fog that allowed me to take a step forward in my business. But it was in that actual step forward- that movement toward something I loved and knew I could help with- it was in that completely imperfect makeup-free, messy hair moment- that the true growth started.

I’m breaking down three of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the past year that will help you as you build your business.

So if you’re ready to get MUSHY with me, hear my story, and hear me gush over all of you who have been a part of the story, you must listen in to this episode. (Sorry in advance for the pregnancy hormones that get the best of me at the end of this one!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

Connect with Dawn from The Calm and Resilient Teacher

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The Calm and Resilient Teacher Podcast

Books mentioned in this episode: 

Breathe by Belisa Varnich 

Do Less by Kate Northrup

How to Breathe Video from Belisa Varnich

Join the Teacher Hustle Podcast Facebook group to let us know what your biggest takeaway from this episode was!

Did you know that getting a massage isn’t actually self-care? Walking around Target for 2 hours leisurely with a mocha latte doesn’t count either- I made sure to check on that one. (Darn.) 

Dawn from The Calm and Resilient Teacher talks to us about how to use self-care strategies that have a lasting impact on our health, mental health, and general wellbeing. (Yes, we’re getting a little woo in this episode!) 

As a former, stressed-out teacher, Dawn left the classroom to figure out how to heal after burnout and a few mysterious illnesses. Finding EFT/Tapping was the catalyst for her healing and after finding health and peace again, Dawn became trained and certified and is on a mission to bring EFT to as many busy, stressed-out people as possible! 

Dawn is passionate about helping people, particularly teachers, find alternative ways to stay healthier and happier. In her spare time, Dawn loves reading, chai lattes, and spending time with her family. When it’s not muddy or icy, Dawn can be found exploring new trails with her horse, Chinook, and enjoying time outside.

I’m hoping my listeners will appreciate how much I resisted Dawn on some of these strategies because it’s a great learning experience for us busy teacher business owners! I told her I didn’t have time for morning routines or yoga classes, and she won the argument by proving to me that making little changes in my day could take just seconds and would clear my mind to be even more productive in my business.

I’m calling this the LIFE-CHANGING episode because I actually had a moment where I realized I could be a better entrepreneur thanks to some of these strategies. (Listen in to see if you can hear when the lightbulb goes off in my head.) 

Right after this episode, I was already implementing some of the techniques Dawn suggested. This is a must-listen for any teacher business owner who isn’t progressing in their business. What if you’re not progressing because you have a mindset block? What if you’re not progressing because you’re holding stress you didn’t even know you had? What if you’re not progressing because you simply don’t know what self-care looks like, and you’ve been trying to self-indulge instead?

Dawn breaks it all down for us in today’s episode.

And of course, you know I couldn’t let her leave without talking actionable business strategy! Dawn also runs a thriving free Facebook community with an engaged audience. I asked her to share some of her best tips for keeping her audience engaged.

Take a deep breath, grab a glass of water, and enjoy this chat with Dawn! I hope it leaves you feeling calm and ready to take on the world.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

Grab your free Marketing with Intention in 2020 Guidebook here

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Episode 25: Time-saving tricks for side hustlin’ teachers

I have to be real with you. A lot of the scheduling tricks and tips I’ve heard just plain DON’T WORK for those of us trying to work on this business while teaching. I want to save you from the stress I went through trying to make scheduling work for me. MOST people I listened to all gave tips for full-time business owners. Many of those tips work well in theory, but when you only have a few hours to work each night (if that), they need some adjustments. 

In this episode, I’m diving deep into strategy and scheduling to tell you which strategies DON’T work for me, and I’ll tell you what DOES work. 

Of course, especially when it comes to scheduling your time- try the different methods, and choose the one that works for you. Just because one scheduling method works for someone else, does not mean it will work in that same way for you! 

As a side hustlin’ teacher mama- that means I teach full time all day, I hang with my toddlers in the evenings, and I build this business from 7:30-9:30 when the kids are in bed. I HAD to find scheduling strategies that really worked for me and the time I did have to spend in my biz. And I’m happy to report that these tips work. I’m sharing it in hopes that some of you are going to have a lightbulb moment and feel a lightened load by these simple shifts in the oh-so-popular time-saving strategies.

You know I’m DYING to know your favorite productivity tips and tricks! Be sure to come over to the Teacher Hustle Podcast group on Facebook to let us know your best strategies for saving time! I can’t wait to hear about it.   Now I’m headed off to schedule this episode and start the process for the next one. See you next week!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

Join the free Teacher Hustle Podcast Facebook group to continue the conversation!

Download your free Marketing with Intention in 2020 Guide here

Books mentioned in this podcast:

Spark Change by Olivia Van Ledtje and Cynthia Merrill

Do Less by Kate Northrup

Think of this week’s podcast episode as a conversation. If we could sit down together, have some coffee, and chat about all the things business, marketing, teaching, and life...this would be the episode that came out of that coffee talk!

I asked my Instagram audience to ask me a few questions for this podcast, and they totally delivered. We’re covering topics like…

• What is your fave part of being in the classroom?
• How do you stand out in the midst of TPT sale madness on Insagram?
• How do you make your pins stand out on Pinterest?
• How do you snag people’s attention with product covers on TPT?
• How do you deal with self-doubt?

As a warning, this episode does contain a little bit of rambling, some funny stories, and of course...lots of analogies. I hope one day we can really hang out for coffee, but until then...this will have to do! 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

Free Marketing with Intention in 2020 Guidebook: www.alissamcdonald.com/guidebook

Has there ever been a time where one of your friends recommended a product and you went out and grabbed it right away just because they were raving about it? 91% of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. 

Think about it! Before you go to restaurants for the first time, before you book a hotel...what’s the first thing you do? I know I could spend hours reading reviews! And when a product or service doesn’t have reviews, I’m sometimes hesitant to be the first to try it.

So how do we go about getting those reviews, especially with a new product? And how can we be sure our audience actually sees those reviews? In this episode, we’ll talk about the power of customer reviews and how to leverage that power to increase your sales.

Have you ever gone into a pizza shop or a coffee shop and seen a sign where you could get a discount if you checked in on Facebook? That’s the small biz way of drumming up some excitement about their biz. And of course, this isn’t the only way to leverage the power of reviews. I’m going to tell you about some creative ways to showcase your business with social proof.

Reviews feel a little like gifts, right? You’re excited when they pop up- they’re kind of a surprise. But reviews aren’t just good luck. Think about how you could grow your business by seeking out opportunities to get reviews of your work. What if you carved out some time to actively seek out reviews and testimonials? 

You need to start thinking about ways to encourage your current customers to leave their thoughts about your work. Not only does this encourage sharing and word of mouth, but it also strengthens the quality of your brand.

Once you’ve built up a bank of reviews and testimonials, it’s time to get them “out there” to your audience in creative ways. We need to actively and consistently be sharing these reviews. This means sharing them out regularly! Build up your bank of reviews, and get into the routine of putting those reviews out there. 

We’re also going to talk about the downside of reviews. You know what I’m talking about right? Those punch-in-the-gut NEGATIVE reviews. I’ll tell you exactly what to do when this happens.

Remember, if we aren’t sharing our reviews, they’re left hiding in some corner of the internet. We can’t shy away from talking about ourselves and our work. 

Oh, and of course..you know I have to leave you with the reminder that your words of appreciation can carry up another small business- so be sure to go and leave a review of your favorite business today! 

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

Are you on my e-mail list yet? I'm turning this whole e-mail thing upside down and making it fun again with MONDAY MIXTAPES. Grab the brand new free Marketing with Intention in 2020 guide here & you'll be on my list! www.alissamcdonald.com/guidebook

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Email me hello@alissamcdonald.com if you sign up using either of these links to receive the follow-up support! 

• If you’ve heard you’re supposed to have an e-mail list, but you’re not sure what to say..
• If you don’t know why anyone would want to be on this “list”, and you’re sick with worry that if you do start e-mailing people, you’re going to annoy them…

You are not alone!

So many teachers are wondering why in the world they need to be e-mailing people on top of posting on social media, blogging, and creating products. If you’ve ever wondered if e-mail marketing is “worth it” this is the episode for you! 

I’m going to walk you through why e-mail marketing is an important strategy to add to your plan when you’re ready, and I’ll tell you exactly how to get it going in a way that doesn’t feel icky or annoying. I’ll also tell you how to overcome the fear that people will do that dreaded U word….ya know, unsubscribe. 

We’re gonna conquer that fear together on today’s episode.

I saw it on a Facebook group the other day.

“Hey guys, um I know I’m supposed to have an e-mail list, so I put one of those name and email things up on my blog, and two people signed up. Well, one was my mom. But anyway, does anyone know what I’m supposed to be emailing these people? Does email marketing even work?”

Sorry if this was you and I’m calling you out- I totally get it! The reason I cringed when I read it wasn’t because of your question. It was because of the way we’re doing this whole marketing thing. 

There’s SO much information out there for you to sift through that you’re left feeling this huge weight- this huge burden and guilt that if you want to grow you should be adding MORE on your plate. As if we don’t already have enough going on! 

We have school and life and our business- we don’t need to be adding tasks to those to-do lists. I don’t want you to build an e-mail list because you think you have to. YOU are the reason I have a podcast like this…because it doesn’t need to be this hard.

So here’s what we’ll do. I’m going to give you the simple run down about e-mail marketing. Who should be using it, why you should use it, and how to get started. You have to know before I start though…I’m obsessed with e-mail. Out of all the pieces of a marketing foundation that I talk about, e-mail is my favorite. I could talk about it way more than anyone in their right mind would ever want to hear. So know that I am biased, k?

The thing about e-mail is that we have a way to personalize communication with our perfect audience, and we don’t have to fight an algorithm to do it! E-mail is one of the last remaining platforms where the content is actually served to your audience in chronological order. There’s no secret formula to figure out. You send an email, it lands in the inbox. 

Email is a way to stay in contact with a curated group of people who are interested in following along with what you’re going to offer next. Think of it as the contact list in your phone! You have a direct line to let people know when you have a new product launching or to stir up excitement about an existing product.

 If y

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com

TEACHER HUSTLE UNIVERSITY DOORS NOW OPEN! www.alissamcdonald.com/framework

In today’s episode, we’re covering one of those topics that could totally make (or break) your business. Today I’m breaking down exactly what IS worth investing your money on to propel your business over that plateau and toward growth...and what IS NOT worth investing in. (Ya know, the money pit.) 

Let’s face it! Some business expenses are just NOT worth your dollars. But some things we may have been avoiding paying for are actually the ones that could be the reason your business is a massive success this year.

Remember, at the end of the day, we are business owners. We need to make choices just like the local business owners I used to coach in our area. When I worked with those businesses, they had overhead costs that were just accepted because if they wanted a brick and mortar store, they had to pay for the rent, the employees, the products, the membership to the Chamber of Commerce, the paid advertising and on and on and on. 

If we want to see success and growth, we do need to invest in our business. It’s often that investment, that click of a PAY button, that leads us to say, OK. This isn’t just a side hustle. This isn’t just something I do when I have time and something I drop when I don’t. This is my business, and I’m going to treat it that way. 

And when you treat your business like a business, THAT is when the growth happens. You won’t believe the amount of business growth and personal growth that comes from stepping into the role of business owner. It means that sometimes you have to make purchases that make the butterflies in your tummy swirl, but it also means you are building something from the ground up- something you can be proud of. Something that will bring in an additional monthly income- or, multiple streams of extra income. Be wise about your investments, they will pay off.

My word of caution would be to really think about your business goals before you make a purchase. Which investments do you need to focus on THIS YEAR to grow your business?

Teacher Hustle University doors are OPEN! We only open to the public a few times a year, so if you’ve been thinking about getting serious with your business in 2020, now is the time.

Becoming a THU Crew member means having all the marketing resources you need at your fingertips, a solid core training in marketing, a pretty cool business coach that you get to hang out with live twice a month, and a stinkin' incredible group of supportive Crew members surrounding you and cheering you on.

Consider THU your biz bestie. It’s basically your one-stop-shop when it comes to marketing- a place to go with all of your questions and a support to keep you accountable as your business grows. The results The Crew has seen so far are amazing- we’re talking doubling and tripling their monthly income in their biz, getting things DONE, making connections with their niche, and scaling their business to include multiple streams of income. Doors are closing this Friday, so be sure to get in TODAY! Head to alissamcdonald.com/framework and we’ll see you over in The Crew!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit poppd.substack.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thatteacher.substack.com