Lessons Learned

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Instead of writing my mistakes out as a long, long story, I decided to generate a list of the things I thought I could make money with or be successful at...HAHA!

(Disclaimer: Some may find success with some of these actions, but I did not.)

My first idea was to try to monetize a website to help teachers with classroom management strategies, must-have teacher supplies, and basic helpful tips and printables for new teachers. I read ALL the articles, tried several platforms, and even took a course in affiliate marketing. I did ALL THE THINGS, but nothing ever stuck. I did this four different times...yep, I started four different websites and shut them down after about a week because this fleeting idea was an absolute flop.

My next attempt at a successful website was to host one devoted to DIYers, projects, and design ideas.  I got a little further with this one, but still nothing just seemed fantastic about it, soooooo I shut it down.

After trying to be successful with my own site, I tried to create printable invitations and other items for sale in an Etsy store.  This was actually up for a few months, but not a single sale. One thing positive did actually come from this because I learned a very important tool.....I had no idea how important it would be in the future-Canva!

I purchased a membership to a course called CEO Teacher, by Kaycee Morris. I printed all the materials and spent countless hours watching the videos (actually they were quit good and I learned a lot). But with the membership being nearly $100 a month, I couldn't justify continuing this at the moment. (NOTE-this is actually something I would like to purchase again knowing what I know now.

Onto the next one on the list--educational consulting services. I created and updated my profile on LinkedIn to showcase the skills I had picked up over the years. I went on to create yet another website and my own consulting firm. However, without the network needed to establish a successful consulting business, you guessed it...kaput. I did at this point begin to see how others found success on a platform called Upwork. Read more about my success with Upwork here.

This is only a small list of attempts to pay the bills from the comfort of my own couch. I also tried to begin a teacher supply subscription box service and a few other ideas that also fell short. As stated in my disclaimer, some may find true and lucrative success from one, if not all, of these ideas. I was just not driven enough or lacked whatever it took to make money. I am not trying to deter anyone from attempting to monetize anything! By all means, go for it!