I started learning about financial freedom from Dave Ramsey about 10 years ago. You either love Dave or you don’t, but I was fascinated by him. Heck, I still am. I think he is a genius businessman and I’ve learned a lot about finances through his programs for my personal life and my professional life. I’ve done his envelope system and my business operates through his entire leadership model. I was a member of his leadership program for a year and a half and I still believe so much in his mission, but here’s the catch – for some reason most teachers don’t believe they can achieve financial freedom. 

Is it because we live paycheck to paycheck? Is it because we barely make ends meet? Is it because we’ve been so wrapped up in our busy day-to-day lives that we haven't taken the time to focus on lifting that burden of debt off our shoulders? In today’s show, if you’re feeling stuck on your road to financial freedom, I’ve got some insights for you on how to go from an overworked, underpaid, and debt-filled teacher, to financially free and focused on success as a CEO Teacher®. 

I know how hard it can be at every level of building an online teaching business. Whether you’re thinking about getting started to make extra money for your family OR you’re ready to create your own programs, build an audience, and go all in. Every step of the way, you’re faced with new obstacles to overcome and new questions that Google just can’t answer. I am here to help you get the information and inspiration you need no matter what stage you’re at!

When My Financial Freedom Plan Began…

2 maxed-out credit cards, nearly $100,000 dollars in student loan debt, upside down on a car payment with no gap insurance, on Medicaid and WIC to pay for health costs and groceries, and living rent-free in a home my parents owned until we could get on our feet. Yeah, I’ve been there. 

And it wasn’t even that long ago. Does anyone feel like you are so deep into something that there’s no way out? That the quicksand started at your toes, but now it’s up to your neck and you remember from shows you watched as a little girl that once it gets that high, you’re a goner. Yeah, me too. But what is so crazy about financial freedom when you are that deep in debt and heartache and stress and anxiety is this – it only takes one small thing to make you breathe a little easier….it only takes one little gift to help your neck come out of the quicksand enough, sometimes even your chest to get out and you can breathe easy again for a little while. 

Sometimes that comes in the form of a tax refund. Sometimes it’s an unexpected check in the mail as you are walking to your mailbox in tears scared to open the box. Fearing the next piece of mail or bill and you realize it’s a check from some random overpayment you made. Once I went to the doctor 8 months pregnant still owing $1200 from my previous child before we qualified for Medicaid and the doctor himself paid off my bill and the nurses gave me flowers. 

Damn, what a feeling. Those small moments gave me hope. I think they were God grabbing my hand and pulling me free and screaming at me. “Kayse this isn’t it for you. Kayse I have bigger plans. Kayse keep fighting. Kayse, this debt is not who you are.” 

Whew. I tell you this story because I’ve been where you are. And I tell you this story to say – I don’t live a single second of fear or anxiety about money anymore. I can’t pull you out of the quicksand instantly, but I can (with your help) help you dig out little by little. We can chip away at this monster together and when we get started, hours will turn to days and days will turn to weeks and weeks into months and months into years, and then you’ll be able to say – we did it too. So if you’re feeling stuck on your road to financial freedom, I want you to start right here.

Steps for financial freedom as a Teacher

1. Remember, you are worthy of this

Yes, you are worthy of all of this. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done, where you’ve been, how bad you’ve messed up. You are worthy of this just as much as anyone else. It doesn’t matter if you came from a family with wealth or a family struggling. You deserve this. 

When I made $100,000 in 7 days I cried a LOT and felt extreme guilt. I didn’t think I deserved this. I almost let that fear and anxiety take away this dream. It took a lot of conditioning and learning and listening to experts before I finally BELIEVED I deserved this. Teachers, we are our own worst enemies expecting to get paid so little for such hard work. If I know anything about educators it’s that they deserve this life of financial freedom more than anyone I know. 

2. Reframe your mind and mantras around money

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been working on reframing your mindset on money and creating the life you want as a teacher. And I want to share with you a few mantras I created that help me get back focused. A mantra is a word or sounds repeated to aid concentration in meditation. It works by getting your focus back on what you desire. And friends, they work. Here’s one I use around money that I say to myself 10 times a day in any situation.

I am worthy of financial success and money will help me help more people.

If you reframe why you desire money, it allows you to attract more. I don’t desire money to buy things. I desire money to help other people get out of quicksand. I tip $100 to the waitress 9 times out of 10. I give to churches, local community needs, people abroad, and more. I don’t say I hope I make more money so I can buy more things. I am worthy of financial success and money will help me help more people. Money is just a thing we create in our lives that allows us to live an easier, more fulfilling life to help more people. When you approach it that way, it will make its way to you over and over again. 

3. Reduce thoughts focused on lack

When you focus on all the debt you have or all of the things you don’t have, that’s when the money energy stops. Even felt like nothing you do works? You will never be successful making extra money? You’ve got to work 100 hours a week to make as much money as you desire? Yeah, me too. I’ve been there. I read this book “Dollars flow to me easily” about 4 years ago and I used to say that mantra constantly. 

It honestly was a joke in the beginning because I truly didn’t believe it. My husband would laugh and clap when I would start on a “dollars flow to me easily” kick. But coincidentally what it did was allow my mind to stop focusing on the lack of the things I was missing in my life and start focusing on making money easily. Now I don’t want you to assume it won’t take work because it will, but it won’t be as hard as you may think. And over the next few weeks, I’m going to take you on the journey to help dollars flow more easily to you in your life as a teacher. 

Are You Ready to Learn How to Build Financial Freedom?

We are creating a free new video series that will radically change the way you feel about income and effortlessly allow you to make more impact all over the world with more freedom than you ever knew existed. I’m going old-school whiteboard-style on this video series and will be showing you step by step how I've built our CEO Teacher® company – all I need is a commitment from you and heck, why not all of your teacher friends? So go ahead, mention to all your colleagues that this is coming and next week I’ll give you the top-secret link to get on the waitlist to pick your path to limitless success as a teacher. 

As we are getting ready to deliver the new video series straight to your inbox, I am also sharing all of my tips and strategies that will help you become the next CEO Teacher® Trailblazer. A teacher who defines success in his/her own way and goes after goals with an action plan. You can find all of the information all about this series over on my Facebook page. 

How could reducing ALL of your debt allow you to breathe easier and live the life you want as a teacher?

Have you had a chance to submit your CEO Teacher® in Training question? This week's topic is all about blogging. I have so many great tips and strategies surrounding a blogging style and how to share value with your audience. Tune into the podcast to hear exactly how I am helping our next CEO Teacher® Trailblazer!

Maybe you will be the next CEO Teacher® Trailblazer like my friend, Kaylan Long from Caffeinated Behavior Change who used her earnings from the first half of 2021, to create her own financial freedom. As a result, she was able to pay off all her debt (aside from student loans) in one short year.

She isn't a unicorn either. The CEO Teacher® program has allowed so many of my students to crush their debt, and finally, live a financially stable life as a teacher. Whether they have begun to build the life they want with an online business. Or if they are just beginning to change their mindset around money and earning their worth.

If you are looking for more information and financial freedom tips you can check out some of my favorites here:

Dave Ramsay's 7 Baby Steps

The Budgetnista Blog

A Guide to Personal Finance for Teachers