Sometimes we can get so in our own heads about all the things we need to do to make our next career move. But sometimes what we really need to do is the simplest. And today, I want to give you some very simple advice that has truly been life changing for me.
And it's saying what you want. Say what you want by putting it out there that we want to make a new career move, that we want to leave the classroom, that we're interested in coaching, or curriculum development or education consulting, we put it out there that we're open to these opportunities.
And if we're not telling people, then they don't know. So it goes beyond just applying for jobs. A real key part of getting what you want is talking about it, and talking about it to key people. And through the process of talking about it, you actually get more comfortable with the idea.
You're like, oh, yeah, I'm moving into curriculum development now, where the first time you say it, it might feel super awkward.
I remember this was true for me, when I started thinking about starting Educator Forever. I probably thought about it for at least a year, and never mentioned it to anyone. And then I decided to one of my teacher friends talk about my idea.
And it felt super awkward and scary to be like, Hey, I'm thinking about starting this business for teachers to really show them what they can do beyond the classroom. And it felt really terrifying just saying my idea, my dream out loud.
But when my friend started responding, and saying, Oh, wow, that sounds great. Yeah, you should do that. It felt so validating. And it also built in accountability, that the next time I talked to my friend, she was like, Hey, how's that business going? Where I could have just been thinking about it in my head for another year.
But putting it out there and talking about my ideas, talking about my dreams, made it actually happen, because people kept asking me about it. And I got that encouragement, and I got to try things out.
I hear from my students all the time, my Educator Forever students, that they feel scared to share what they're doing. And often they procrastinate, and then start building a website or start tweaking their resume, instead of talking to actual people about what they want to do. And that's totally normal. But I challenge you to start talking about what you want to do.
One of our students in our Grow Your Education Business Accelerator recently shared a story that she started talking to a university professor about a project that she was really interested in doing. And through that conversation, she started really speaking about all the things she wanted to create all the things that she could offer to this person who was very receptive and encouraging, and actually turned in to a new opportunity for her.
We had another Educator Forever student who just started talking to family members, then at like a family barbecue was talking about how she was leaving the classroom, open to new opportunities. And then a friend of a friend called her up, and it led to a new full time position in education that she's super excited about.
None of these things would have happened if they hadn't just talked about what they wanted to do. It doesn't have to be polished. And through talking about it, you get clarity. I know though, it can feel scary. So think about those baby steps. Think about a family member or friend that you could try out talking about what you're thinking about doing next, and see how it feels.
And then when somebody asks you at a party, like what do you do? And you're interested in getting a curriculum development, let's say, you know, you could say hey, you know, I'm a teacher, but I'm transitioning into being a curriculum developer. And I hoped to create curriculum for Ed Tech sites or curriculum development houses or nonprofits.
And talking about it gives you clarity, and it helps you get into that mode that this is your next step. So the first step can just be talking about it. And then challenge yourself to really ask for what you want. This is something I am still working on.
And I recently had a big meeting about a curriculum project for our Educator Forever Agency, and we were talking about this project, which seemed really cool. But this whole other next step, you know, a bigger project, I kept thinking about like, oh, actually, but we could do this too. And we could do this too. But it felt kind of scary to say that, you know, we're just talking about this kind of finite project.
But I decided why not? You know, let's say How about, we could actually do all the writing and the editing and the graphic design, and we could do this whole project. And they said, Yes, because I presented it that way. And because I asked.
I've had many opportunities where people don't say, Yes, but I'm still glad that I asked. And honestly, our whole Educator Forever Agency where we create curriculum was created because I was doing curriculum as a single curriculum developer. And a company asked how many lesson plans I could take on a 500 lesson plans.
And I knew from running Educator Forever from doing some other big curriculum projects with other curriculum writers that I knew people who could help me out with this. So I said, Actually, I could take on all of the 500 lesson plans with a team of curriculum developers to create them. I thought they would say no, and it felt so scary to ask.
But they asked for more information about the curriculum writers. And then I found the people and I got their bios, and I made a more formal pitch, and we got it. And that turned out to be the very start of our curriculum agency. Because in that scary moment, where I super doubted myself, I actually asked for what I wanted.
So I challenge you. Number one, talk about your dreams. They don't have to be fully formed. It can just be Hey, you know, I'm thinking that maybe I don't want to be a teacher forever. But I do want to stay in education. I'm thinking about maybe doing some consulting or maybe doing some coaching.
Through talking about it, you put it out there, you build connections, you build awareness of what you're interested in, and you get clarity. When you get more comfortable with that, ask for what you want.
Don't be afraid to ask for what you want. The worst that will happen is the person says no, and that's okay. Every no brings you closer to a yes.
I would love to hear about how you are putting yourself out there talking about your dreams and asking for what you want. You can DM me at @educatorforever on Instagram. I would love to hear about all the ways that you are getting visible and trying new things.
