The mindset shift that changed my life happened after a long talk with myself and finding value in my worth! When you get caught up in scrolling on social channels, looking at TpT stores, or even just focusing on other successful teacher-authors…

What thoughts go through your head?

I asked my CEO Teacher® community this exact question, and to be honest – the answers they gave were a lot different than what I assumed. Instead of negative thoughts about other people, my students were very clear about the way they were feeling. I want to share some of their insights and give you the dos and don’ts of living a life with less envy scrolling. And more moments of living scrolling. 

Consumption. That’s the bottom line. How much is too much? When is enough, enough? I think back to alcohol because sober is my word for the year and even then it’s hard to put a specific amount on it, if you’ve ever been drunk before in your life you know the feeling. You can’t explain it- but you know when you’ve had too much. There isn’t a prescription that is one size fits all. In fact, it’s different for everyone depending on their shape size history and so much more. It’s the same thing with the consumption of social media. Nobody can tell you when you’ve had enough. It’s only for you to know and sometimes it takes going deep before you can hit rock bottom. 

I asked our Level 2 CEO Teacher® members the question:

When you get caught up in scrolling on social channels, looking at TpT stores, or even just focusing on other successful teacher-authors …What thoughts go through your head?

It seems that many of them had the same responses and needed help with how to navigate their consumption. 

Bottom line: most of my students resonated with “I don’t measure up.” Let’s dig down a little deeper here. They wondered:

• Why would anyone buy mine, it’s been done. 
• I can never be so creative. 
• How do they have time to do it all?? 
• How are they able to take great pictures in their classroom when running around like crazy.

I resonated so much with this because when I got started I felt the exact same way. How could I possible make money when thousands upon thousands of other people are already doing the same thing I’m doing.

Some even mentioned the flip side of this mindset shift:

• I get moments where I wonder, “…am I too late?” But then I say naaaah I'm gonna crush it!
• Most of all, I have flipped my thinking, and instead of feeling and letting the jealousy creep in, I have decided to ask myself “what can I learn from their success”? And if I learn, yay, otherwise, I keep scrolling!

Here Are The Top Do’s And Don’ts Of Navigating The Mindset Shift That Changed My Life

➙ Don’t Buy Their Products

I won’t lie – I’ve done it before. Especially in the beginning. I bought their products just to see what it looked like. Now, if someone has something that I want to create – I RUN! 

Literally, a sprint as fast as I can away from them. I used to block them on socials but I think that’s probably too immature for the person I am today. But I just don’t ever want them to assume I took their ideas to create my business. So I stopped buying their products completely. I think this happens more often than not in the online space and that’s why were are lacking in originality. How many different ways can you hear someone teach you how to make a TpT product? 

At the end of the day, it’s literally the same steps. 

• How many different ways can you teach the RACE method in writing? 
• The writing process? 
• Morning Meeting?
• The math equations like PMDAS and other math things I know nothing about? 

Most of these processes have the exact same steps, so if you bought someone’s product and then created your own – they could potentially come back and say you copied them. Even though you literally teach the same thing. So here’s where you draw the line – don't buy their products. 

Take YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR THOUGHTS and make them into something that works. We call it a framework. People are successful because of HOW THEY TEACH AND CREATE not WHAT THEY TEACH OR CREATE. Let me say that again, People are successful because of HOW THEY TEACH AND CREATE not WHAT THEY TEACH OR CREATE. 

So, how can you create a trademarked framework on how you teach and how you create?

• How do you teach math centers?
• How do you create each center for your classroom? 
• HOW is that different from everyone else? 

That’s how you’ll feel confident, but if you continue scrolling and looking at their how, you won’t be able to find yours. 

➙ Do Take The Opportunity To Learn From Their Ideal Customers

Instead of spending money, use what is right there in front of your face. Do some market research. And begin to ask yourself:

• Are their buyers commenting? 
• Are they asking questions? 
• Are they engaging? 
• Have they left reviews? 
• If so, what are they saying? 
• How can you use that for good for your business? 
• Do you see some feedback or questions people may have that their product or service doesn’t currently cover? 

That’s how you can pave your own way. Use the research to create your own products that answer those questions and add the value that the buyers are looking for.

➙ Don’t Stalk Them On Social Media

I touched on this but it’s simple – unfollow them. I did a big blowout of unfollows a few years ago. Yes, even to my friends because I didn’t want to get distracted. I ended up with a lot of messages in my DMs thinking I didn’t like them anymore. That was totally not my intent – so don’t do that, but stop the stalking. You can do that by turning off notifications and muting them, but not unfollowing them. 

➙ Do Use Them As Inspiration to Shift Your Mindset

One CEO Teacher® student said this:

Looking for inspiration for myself and for my students. I'm thinking about what will make my lessons engaging. Along with thinking of various techniques or methods of teaching a topic or end goal. I like challenging myself so it's like digging for gold.

I have created a curriculum, but since I've been taking this course (yes it can be overwhelming) I realize what needs to be done to vamp up the quality. Yes, it's going to take work, however, it takes steps (involving obstacles) to reach the peak. We got this!

➙ Don’t Become All Consumed With Who “They” Are: Shift Your Mindset

Why would you? You cannot be them. You never will be them. Being consumed with who they are does nothing for you. Saying the things they say, being the day-to-day of who they are isn’t how you’re going to find more in life. 

It’s time to run your own race, keep your main thing the main thing, and find joy in the process.

➙ Do Find Original Things That Make You Happy

Try to steer clear of the generic things everyone says on Instastories or on TikTok – people can see right through that. Instead, find your voice. Your passion. Your mission. And lean into that fully and wholeheartedly. 

Just like our CEO Teacher® Trailblazer Renee Hayes. She has written a children’s book and is getting it printed this year after giving people the opportunity to pre-order their copies! She worked with an illustrator to get her book ready for publishing, and she’s developed a Kickstarter campaign to get her book out there. She says, “It's amazing how applicable everything I learned from Kayse seamlessly fit into this adventure!” 

➙ Don’t Model Your Business After Theirs

Find your unique teaching magic and turn that into your special sauce. What that means is that you can create your own framework for learning. That framework becomes your business model. Creating your own framework forces you to make business decisions that are yours and yours alone. That continues to put a unique spin on your ideas. 

You can begin your framework process by mind mapping (and if you are in the CEO Teacher® community I walk you through the exact process I use.) Get your ideas down and begin the all-important work of creating your own dreams and plans. 

➙ Do Find The Gaps

We often refer to this as the gap in the marketplace and I teach strategies on how to do this in our programs.

There are many programs out there that teach people how to run online businesses. Honestly, thousands of people are now doing this, but what was missing?

I wanted to help just teachers and I wanted to do it at an affordable rate. There are those out there that sell programs that just help TpT sellers. And I saw a gap where teachers wanted that. But also with design and branding and help with creating their own businesses outside of TPT too. I used a ton of inspiration to figure that out and then applied a whole lot of action. 

The Mindset Shift that Changed My Life as a CEO Teacher® boils down to blazing my own trail. Messy, scared, and in between. I saw the gaps, found my voice, and used my unique gifts to take massive action. And after listening to my audience (YOU) I found my framework and the CEO Teacher® was born. 

Today I challenge you to take action on your dreams. In order to live the life, you have always wanted it’s time to step out and find the inner teacher you were always meant to be. Let’s make a bigger impact, influence, and income online together!

Let's stop those mindset blocks and embrace the mindset shift that changed my life:

The Power Of A Mindset Shift To Build Or Enhance Your Business

8 Mindset Shifts Entrepreneurs Must Make to Achieve Their Ultimate Goal

3 Mindset Shifts You Need to Make For Your Business to Be Successful