The Teacher's Guide to a Membership That Works For You, Not Against You

Summary4 min read

Podcast: The CEO Teacher Podcast
Host: Kayse Morris (@kaysemorris)
Episode Title: The Teacher's Guide to a Membership That Works For You, Not Against You
Release Date: April 9, 2025

Introduction

In the April 9, 2025 episode of The CEO Teacher Podcast, host Kayse Morris delves into creating effective membership models tailored for teachers. Titled "The Teacher's Guide to a Membership That Works For You, Not Against You," the episode provides educators with actionable strategies to build sustainable online businesses that align with their passions and teaching expertise.

Embracing Control Amid Uncertainty

Kayse begins by addressing the prevalent uncertainties affecting educators today, such as changes in the Department of Education, economic fluctuations, and market instability. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on aspects within one's control to shape a secure future.

“You get to be in control of your future.” [00:00]

The Power of Simplicity and Connection

Transitioning to the core theme, Kayse shares a personal quote that encapsulates her philosophy:

“The best content isn't the most complicated. It's the most connected.” [02:10]

This statement underscores the episode's focus on creating meaningful, straightforward content that fosters genuine connections with the audience.

Three Steps to Building a Sustainable Teacher Business

Kayse outlines a three-step framework designed to help teachers establish a thriving online presence without feeling overwhelmed.

1. Solve a Clear Problem

The first step involves identifying a specific issue that you can address more effectively than anyone else. Kayse encourages teachers to leverage their unique "teaching magic"—those standout skills or methods that set them apart in the classroom.

“What problem can I solve better than anyone else?” [03:09]

She advises educators to pinpoint their strengths, whether it's exceptional lesson planning, classroom management, or student engagement techniques, and use these to create valuable solutions for their audience.

2. Keep It Simple and Sustainable

Simplicity and sustainability are crucial for long-term success. Kayse recommends that teachers start with a simple promise and gradually build upon it. Consistency is highlighted as a key factor, allowing educators to maintain their offerings without burnout.

“Consistency is key here. And being able to repurpose things that maybe you've already done in the classroom or you've put online will help it be simple and sustainable.” [04:30]

By repurposing existing materials and choosing a primary content format (e.g., videos, podcasts, written guides), teachers can streamline their business operations and maintain a steady flow of content.

3. Build Connection with People First

The final step focuses on fostering strong relationships with your audience. Kayse emphasizes the importance of making your audience feel seen, heard, and connected.

“Connection first, content second.” [06:15]

She suggests using platforms like Facebook groups, private podcasts, Slack channels, or Zoom meetings to create interactive communities. Showing authenticity and celebrating community members can enhance engagement and loyalty.

Creating a Continuous Revenue Loop

Kayse introduces the concept of the "continuous revenue loop," which hinges on the ability to flow and adapt within your business model. This involves regular check-ins, live calls, and ongoing appreciation of community members, ensuring a dynamic and responsive business environment.

“When you package that idea, the vision, the lightness inside of something with a whole lot of purpose, that's when super magic gets to happen.” [05:45]

By maintaining a cycle of interaction and value delivery, teachers can create a self-sustaining business that continuously attracts and retains members.

Consistency and Passion as Cornerstones

Highlighting the significance of consistency, Kayse quotes Dr. Stephen Covey:

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” [09:30]

She advises teachers to remain focused on their core objectives and passions, ensuring that their business endeavors align with what genuinely excites them. This alignment not only fuels motivation but also resonates with the audience, fostering deeper connections.

Conclusion and Encouragement

Kayse wraps up the episode by inspiring teachers to envision a future where their innate talents translate into successful online ventures. She reassures educators that they possess the necessary skills and experiences to build something meaningful and sustainable.

“You already have done the hard part. You've lived the story of being a teacher. Now it's time to build something so beautiful from it.” [10:55]

With optimism and actionable advice, Kayse encourages her listeners to take the first steps toward transforming their teaching passion into a thriving business, reminding them that their best is yet to come.

Key Takeaways

Focus on What You Can Control: Amid external uncertainties, prioritize actions within your sphere of influence to shape your future.
Prioritize Connection Over Complexity: Create simple, meaningful content that fosters genuine relationships with your audience.
Implement a Three-Step Framework:
- Solve a specific problem using your unique teaching strengths.
- Maintain simplicity and sustainability through consistency and repurposing content.
- Build strong connections by engaging with your community and celebrating its members.
Embrace Consistency and Passion: Stay focused on your core mission and leverage your authentic passion to drive your business forward.
Envision a Sustainable Future: Use your teaching experiences as the foundation for building a successful online business that aligns with your lifestyle and aspirations.

By following Kayse Morris's guidance in this episode, teachers are equipped with the insights and strategies needed to create membership models that work harmoniously with their lives, enabling them to extend their educational impact beyond the classroom.

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Transcript8 lines

[00:00]
A
Hey, CEO teachers. Welcome back to the show. Today we're going to talk about a teacher's guide to a better plan that might work for you instead of against you. I was talking to some friends today on a Zoom call, and we were just talking about the issues that are going on in the world today, how much uncertainty there is with understanding what's happening to the Department of Education and trying to figure out if the United States is going into a recession and what the stock market looks like. And while I am an advocate for letting go of things you cannot control, I am a proponent for honing in on things you can control. And it's my mission on this planet to make sure that every teacher knows that you get to be in control of your future. So stick around for today's episode. You don't want to miss it.
[00:52]
B
Have you ever sat in your car after school, keys in the ignition, engine running, just sitting there, too tired to move even? Yeah, me too. Back then, it was back roads, Diet Coke, and embarrassingly enough, a cigarette in hand, I was trying to hold it all together, wondering why I felt like falling apart. They don't tell you that teaching can feel like that, that you can love your students and still feel completely lost in the process. Well, I decided to write about it. This is the version of teaching that we just don't talk about. It's called the not so Fabulous Life of a Teacher. And if you've ever felt like you're barely making it to 3pm, if you've ever question whether this is the life you were actually meant to live, then this story is for you. It's free, it's honest, and it just might be the reminder that you didn't know you needed. You can go to Casey morris.com book or click the link in the show notes to download it. Now it's K-A-Y-S E M-O-R-R-I S.com book and let this be your permission slip to want more.
[02:05]
A
I mean, how cheesy is this?
[02:07]
B
I'm about to start today's podcast episode.
[02:10]
A
With a quote from myself. Insert eye roll. I know, but it seemed so fitting. And it reminded me of why I started what I did all those years ago and why what we're doing again to help it really get back to the heart of who we used to be. Okay, so the quote is, the best content isn't the most complicated. It's the most connected. Say it again. The best content isn't the most complicated. It's the most Connected. And so today's show is about a better guide or a better plan that might work for you instead of against you as a teacher. If you're stressed out about what the future might hold for you, or if you're stressed out about your job and you're just looking for other ways so you could just be daydreaming about what a new life plan might look for you as a teacher. Something that's simple, something that's lighter, that's more aligned. I don't know about you, but when.
[03:10]
B
I feel like I'm out of alignment.
[03:11]
A
Everything kind of goes a little bit crazy. And so in those moments, I want to get really clear on what I want for my life. And usually that involves a whole lot more time doing the things that I love. Spending time with my family, getting to travel, laughing, getting outside. All of those things make life feel lighter and a lot more simple. And the good news is, is that you don't need something super fancy. You don't have to have all of the skills that you once used to have. I only want you to think today about a vision of what the future you could look like. Something that allows you to teach for you and not against you. And in fact, some of our most successful students, they didn't start with this big business plan idea where they automatically knew what they wanted to sell, and they automatically knew how they were going to build their business and market their business. It started off as just a little small seed, maybe a one off lesson, a single solution that their teacher heart knew could help someone else. And getting back to the basics of that, it's so refreshing. It, it feels so good again, it feels lighter. And when you package that idea, the vision, the lightness inside of something with a whole lot of purpose, that's when super magic gets to happen. I like to call it the continuous revenue loop. But it all starts with flow. And being able to flow into what you need means you gotta learn to let go. I want to give you three simple steps to help you start building something that feels really good as a teacher. And it might support more people than you ever thought possible. The first step is that like anything else, you got to make someone's life a lot easier. You need to be able to solve a clear problem. It's tempting to want to help everyone, every teacher, but successful things are really built around one specific solution. So here's a little bit of homework. Ask yourself this, what problem can I solve better than anyone else? I like to think of this as your unique teaching magic. This is what everyone comes to your room to see exactly what you're doing. This is what you get the rave reviews on your teacher evaluations all about. Because this is something that people need. They see that as your unique teaching magic. Maybe it's parents or teachers or students or admin. I don't know who your perfect audience is, but being able to solve someone else's problem is the secret to this online puzzle that is going to help you find something that works for you, not against you. So I talked about feeling lighter and more simple. So start with a simple promise. You can always grow, but clarity builds trust and trust builds retention of your people over time. The second step is I want you to keep it simple and sustainable. So step one was solve a clear problem. Step two is keep it simple, but also keep it sustainable. You don't need to over deliver every single time you want to share about something that helps people's lives become easier. In fact, you shouldn't always over deliver deliver unless you've created something where you're ready to teach more people. So remember, consistency is key here. And being able to repurpose things that maybe you've already done in the classroom or you've put online will help it be simple and sustainable. And then choosing a primary format and sticking to it of how you want to share your content with the world. I want you to remember this though. If it's not sustainable for you, then it's probably not sustainable for other people. And our goal is to be lighter and simple and more sustainable over time. Because the secret weapon to anything in life is consistency. It's the ability to repeat something over and over and over again. And although you might get tired of it, you don't even have to have the willpower to keep going. You're just able to keep going. So step three is that I want you to focus on building connection with people first. First, then worry about the content part second. Connection first, content second. Because the number one reason that people stay involved and interested in things that you have going on, it's because they feel seen, they feel heard, and they feel connected. So you can use simple tools to bring people together. Of course, it could be Facebook, it could be a private podcast. Maybe it's like a slack style space or a zoom meeting. I don't know what floats your boat, but anything like that can help people feel seen and heard and of course connected. So showing up and showing your personality when you can will allow you to build something together. A great marketing strategy that I once heard is that people want that in which they help create. So think of it as you're not really building something online that you created, you're building something online that other people helped you create. And a pro tip with this is that you can celebrate everyone that helps join you and everyone that's fueling your momentum. And once you've got everything mapped out, here's what comes next. I want you to think of creating something simple and easy that feels like a cycle. So this could be five simple parts to building something that's not so secret, but allows you to keep this teacher magic machine going. You can focus on other people's transformations. You can have check ins, live calls, you can remind people why you decided to do what you're doing. And you can appreciate people without making them feel guilty. Remember, just because you're sharing about all of these newfound things that make you really, really excited, it often is. The answer that you need in itself is that when you're excited about something and when you put your heart and soul into something, when there's true connection and love for what you do and admir, people will automatically feel it. There's like this energy that you put out where people are like, yes, I want more of that. So I want you to remember that today we're talking about a teacher's guide to a better plan that works for you. So we always talk about marketing strategies. And I wanted to keep today super light and airy and easy where you just remember that Dr. Stephen Covey said the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. And so I want you to just start thinking about ideas of what other people come to your classroom and ask you about what other people are interested in. Something that makes you feel good is easy. And over time, as we talk in the next few weeks, I think you're going to see that that idea or that little seed that you planted in today's episode could be the start of a business that you didn't even realize that you had inside of you. And it's not a $3 lesson plan to sell on teachers, pay teachers. In fact, it's just this idea that you could potentially live a life you love that involves doing what you want to do in your own time. But because you're a teacher, you have these innate gifts and talents that not everyone on the planet was born with. And in the next couple of weeks, I want to show you exactly how to take whatever you're passionate about in the classroom and turn this into a brand new idea unlike anything that we've ever done before. Thanks so much for listening. Just remember, you already have done the hard part. You've lived the story of being a teacher. Now it's time to build something so beautiful from it. As always, remember, your best is yet to come. And your best might start right here, right now.
[11:09]
B
Do you ever feel like you're just trying to stay afloat with everything you have to do as a teacher? Making copies, trying to get bathroom breaks, even when it's on your lunch break? Probably not even taking time off because the thought of writing lesson plans is just too daunting to leave for the sub. Look, I've been there. I felt that. And I believe every teacher listening right now is nodding along and says, you know what? I totally am in that season of life. But I want to help you out. So we have a goldmine of an uplifting and supporting community. And I want you to know you belong here where you can come and it's a safe place to talk about all the things you're stressed out about or just to get some advice on how to get through each and every day in a better, more positive way. I want to officially invite you into the room where it all happens. Introducing the CEO Teachers Lounge. It's a community for educators building their online businesses with their limited free time. Even if you haven't got started yet, or if you're doing this for a while and we don't want you to do it alone. It's led by myself and our integrator Ali Elliott, where we're going to explore how to live a purposeful, balanced life and also attain our wildest dreams without burning out. The online teacher business world is so much bigger than we could have ever imagined, and it's time that you tapped in to the best community around. You can gain valuable insights and actionable strategies to elevate your teacher career and build a thriving business. Come join us. Go to Casey morris.compatreon to sign up right now. That's K A Y S E M O r r I s.com p a t R E O N and we'll see you inside of our community.