Scariest Sh!t Ever

The number of times I started to write this blog, save it to my drafts, delete it, and start over again is ridiculous.  Sharing my journey has become a part of the Teacher Jade brand, but it’s really difficult to share something that I feel is more personal journal worthy than share with whoever is out there reading this blog worthy.

For the last two years, I have told everyone that I was going to retire when I turned 35.  Well, I am 35!  However, when I say retire, I don’t mean completely, I just meant retiring from teaching online.  A semi-retirement.  That was the purpose in creating the Academy.  I was going to hire teachers, hire someone to do admin, sit back, and relax.  Every other time I said I was going to do something, it just kinda worked out.

Hoping that my business “just works out” is not an option.  Between teaching and admin work, I had to say goodbye to that 10-hour work week that I created.  The admin work includes hiring, interviewing, training, providing feedback, scheduling, creating classes, marketing, branding, advertising, interacting with parents and teachers with different needs, completing payroll…this list could keep going.  And, until I find the ideal fit, I am the person doing it all.

What’s So Damn Scary?

I am actually retiring from teaching.  And, there is a saying, “when you do what you love, it never feels like you’re working.”  I have done what I love for 15 years, so maybe that’s why it never felt like work.  Owning and operating is work!  And, I feel it.

Back to this retirement.  I am going to complete two classes through the end of May, and then I am done.  I want my Academy to be successful and I can’t be admin, teacher, and businessowner.  In order from my business to be successful, I have to step back.  That part that is scary means I have to entrust my teachers to continue to offer amazing classes.  My success has been dependent on the work I put in.  Relying on others makes me wake up in the middle of the night, breathing heavy, and second guessing my plans.  I have never had to do that.

So, yeah, I’m a little scared, a bit fearful, of what this new journey is going to look like.

I’m going to close this out with my daughter’s favorite quote, “If you fail to plan, you are planning on failure.” – Winston Churchill

Move with intention.  Don’t be discouraged.

This is probably more for me than anyone reading this.