Have you been thinking about starting a teacher business, selling resources on Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT), or trying a new business idea, but feel like you need to have everything figured out before you begin?

What if you didn't?

In this episode of Online Business for Teachers, we're talking about giving yourself permission to experiment with new business ideas without immediately turning them into a full-blown business.

I'm sharing a conversation I had with an accountant who dreamed of trying woodworking, along with lessons from my own experience starting a health coaching business. I invested thousands of dollars into courses, advertising, and building a business before I had really given myself the opportunity to explore whether it was something I wanted to pursue.

Looking back, I realize that not every idea needs a business plan, a website, or a big financial investment. Sometimes you just need to try it and see what happens!

In this episode, we're talking about:

• Why you don't have to go all in when starting a business

• The importance of exploring and testing business ideas before making big investments

• What I learned from starting my first online business

• Why not every hobby or interest needs to become a business

• How giving yourself permission to experiment can change the way you approach entrepreneurship

Whether you're a teacher thinking about starting a side hustle, a TPT seller considering a new product line, or an established teacher entrepreneur exploring your next business idea, this episode is a reminder that you don't have to figure everything out today.

You can start small. You can experiment. And you're allowed to change your mind!

Here's something to think about this week:

Is there a business idea you've been wanting to try but haven't because you think you need to go all in?

What would it look like to just try it on first?

❤️ Want more conversations about teacher entrepreneurship, business mindset, and building a business that works for you? Join my email list!

🎧 Follow Online Business for Teachers for more honest conversations about the thinking behind the business. And if you enjoyed this episode, I'd love for you to leave a review!

Have you ever felt like you're constantly starting over in your teaching career or online business? Maybe you've tried different business ideas, changed direction, or wondered whether all those experiences were actually getting you anywhere.

As a teacher entrepreneur, I've been there!

In this episode of Online Business for Teachers, I'm sharing my journey from classroom teacher to Teachers Pay Teachers (TPT) seller, online business owner, and membership creator.

For a long time, I looked at all the different things I'd tried as separate experiences. But recently, I started seeing them differently.

What if every career change, business pivot, and new idea was actually another step on a staircase leading you toward the business and life you want?

We're talking about:

• Why changing direction in your teacher business doesn't mean starting from scratch

• How your past experiences help you grow as an entrepreneur

• Why even the business ideas that didn't work out can teach you something valuable

• How to stop questioning every pivot and start recognizing how far you've come

Whether you're just starting a TPT store, building an online teaching business, or exploring what's next in your entrepreneurial journey, I hope this episode helps you see your progress in a new way.

Here's something to think about this week: What if you were never starting over? What if you've been moving forward this whole time?

❤️ Want more conversations about teacher entrepreneurship, business mindset, and building a business that works for you? Join my email list!

🎧 Follow Online Business for Teachers for more honest conversations about the thinking behind the business. And if you enjoyed this episode, I'd love for you to leave a review!

I'm back! ❤️

After taking a few months away from the podcast, I'm excited to be back behind the microphone. And this time, we're doing things a little different.

In this Start Here episode, I'm sharing why I stepped away, what brought me back, and what you can expect from Online Business for Teachers moving forward.

Running a teacher business isn't just about creating resources, making sales, and figuring out marketing strategies. There's a whole lot of thinking that happens behind the scenes. The decisions, the obstacles, the self-doubt, and those moments when you're trying to figure out what to do next.

That's what I want to talk about.

I'll be sharing real stories from my own business, lessons I've learned, ideas I'm working through, and the mindset shifts that have helped me along the way.

Because when you're running a business by yourself, sometimes you just need another teacher seller who gets it.

So grab your favorite drink, and let's figure this teacher seller thing out together!

Let's Stay Connected!

Want a little inspiration and motivation for your teacher business delivered straight to your inbox?

❤️ Join my email list!

🎧 Follow Online Business for Teachers so you don't miss our weekly conversations.

And if you enjoy the podcast, I'd love it if you left a quick review. It helps other teacher sellers discover the show!

If you have ever sat down to work on your TPT store and ended up doing nothing because you could not decide what to do first, this episode is for you.

Today I'm getting really honest about something I have struggled with myself. Overthinking. Indecision. That spiral that keeps you stuck even when you know what you need to do.

I talk about why AI and Google are not going to fix this for you, why teachers are especially prone to overthinking, and the real tools I personally use when my brain just will not stop going in circles.

I also share a very personal story about a fear I carried for two weeks that was completely taking over my life and the exercise that finally got me through it.

In this episode:

• Why ChatGPT keeps you average and what to do instead
• Why teachers are the biggest overthinking rule followers on the planet
• The "and then what" exercise that will change how you handle fear
• Four decision making tools that actually work, including my personal favorite nap trick
• When you need more than a walk and a journal to get unstuck

Links mentioned:

👉 Episode on How to Use Canva Without Breaking Any Rules

👉 Schedule a Coaching Call

If you've been telling yourself you're lazy or you just don't have enough time — I want to offer you something different today.

In this episode, we're talking about what is actually going on when TPT sellers stay stuck. And it usually comes down to three things: fear, overwhelm, and decision fatigue. The tricky part is that most of us don't even recognize it when it's happening. It's not something we do on purpose. It's more like a subconscious self sabotage that keeps us from taking action on the business we actually want to build.

We also talk about the difference between thinking like a creator and thinking like a seller — and why that shift is one of the biggest things holding teachers back on TPT.

In this episode:

• Why "I don't have time" is usually not the real problem

• The teacher giving mindset and how it conflicts with running a business

• Why so many TPT sellers have products sitting in a folder they've never listed

• The what-if spiral and what it's actually doing to your business

• What it looks like to get real support and finally move forward

Not sure where to start? Grab the free mini course: 👉 www.yourteacherbiz.com/free-mini-course

Ready to stop overthinking and actually start? I work with teachers one on one to help them get clear, get focused, and take action, whether you are starting from zero or you have products but are still stuck.

👉 Book your coaching session here: www.yourteacherbiz.com/coaching

And if this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps other teachers find the show, and it means the world to me.

You already have the idea. You already have the resources. So why haven’t you uploaded anything yet?

In this episode, I break down the exact process I use to turn a simple classroom activity into a product that earns money on Teachers Pay Teachers, step by step, no fluff. From opening your store to writing your product description, I walk you through everything. And I get honest about the real reason most teachers never start: it is not strategy. It is mindset. I even share the story of a friend who had a great idea, got stuck on clip art, and still has not opened her store to this day.

If you have been sitting on an idea and telling yourself you’ll get to it later, this episode is for you.

• Why I always ask if you’re a premium or basic seller — and why it matters for your profit
• The one file format rule every new TPT seller needs to hear
• How to design a product that looks professional even if you are not a designer
• What your cover, thumbnails, and preview actually need to include
• How to write a product description that shows up in TPT search
• The real reason teachers never start (and it is not what you think)
• How I built my business while teaching full time — and exactly when I found the time
• What to do in the next 30 minutes after listening to this episode

• Free Mini Course: com/free-mini-course — covers, thumbnails, Canva setup, and more.
• Episode 5 — Tools I Use and How to Avoid Copyright Issues
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Not sure where to start? Grab the free mini course: 👉 www.yourteacherbiz.com/free-mini-course

Ready to stop overthinking and actually start? I work with teachers one on one to help them get clear, get focused, and take action, whether you are starting from zero or you have products but are still stuck.

👉 Book your coaching session here: www.yourteacherbiz.com/coaching

And if this episode helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps other teachers find the show, and it means the world to me.

Stop Overthinking and Start Your Teacher Business: How to Go from Idea to Action

You have had the idea. You have thought about it, researched it, and maybe even had a full conversation with ChatGPT about it. But you still have not made anything.

In this episode we talk about:

• Why teachers stay stuck before they even start
• The real cost of waiting to feel ready
• How comparing yourself to other sellers is keeping you broke
• My own story of starting over and what finally clicked

The truth? You already have everything you need. You just need to get out of your own way.

Not sure where to start? Grab the free mini course: 👉 www.yourteacherbiz.com/free-mini-course

Ready to stop overthinking and actually start? I work with teachers one on one to help them get clear, get focused, and take action, whether you are starting from zero or you have products but are still stuck.

👉 Book your coaching session here: www.yourteacherbiz.com/coaching

I just hit one year of podcasting… and I didn’t go viral.

In this episode, I’m sharing what actually changed and why it matters if you’ve ever felt like quitting something you started. Whether it’s a podcast, a TPT store, or any kind of online business, this is the part we don’t talk about enough.

Because most of the time, it doesn’t look like it’s working.

But something is happening.

I didn’t see massive growth. I didn’t make a ton of money. In fact, I invested more into my podcast than I got back. But what changed the most wasn’t the numbers. It was me.

My message is clearer. I understand who I want to help. I’m not afraid to be seen or heard the way I used to be. And that only happened because I kept showing up.

In this episode, I talk about:

• what changed after showing up for a year
• why clarity doesn’t come before action
• how your message and confidence evolve over time
• and why slow progress doesn’t mean it’s not working

If you’ve been second guessing yourself or wondering if you should keep going… this is for you.

If you’re brand new and need help getting your TPT store started, I have a free starter mini course. You can get it here:

Free TPT Starter Mini Course

And if you’re in that in-between stage and you’re trying to figure out your next move, you can book a strategy call with me and we’ll map it out together.

Book a Teacher Business Clarity Call

📧 Got questions or want to share your story? Email me at info@monica-lopez.com. I read every message and would love to hear from you.