Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All

Jessica Martin & Amanda Werner
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Jess and Amanda have been friends and teacherpreneurs for over ten years! They are excited to share their silly banter and business acumen with teachers who are looking to start a business and begin making recurring revenue online! 

  1. 4d ago

    Selling to Schools Instead of Teachers: How Teacherpreneurs Can Land PD Contracts (Part 1)

    What if instead of selling a $5 product to one teacher, you could sell a $10,000–$58,000 package to an entire school? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess explore one of the biggest untapped opportunities for teacherpreneurs: selling professional development and curriculum directly to schools and school districts. Neither Amanda nor Jess is doing this full-time right now — and that's exactly what makes this episode valuable. Instead of a polished pitch from someone selling a course on how to do it, you're getting an honest, exploratory conversation between two teacherpreneurs who have dabbled in it, turned down opportunities, learned from friends who do it successfully, and are trying to figure out whether it's the right move. If you've ever wondered whether your expertise could translate into school-level contracts, this is the episode that lays out what's actually involved. In this episode, you'll learn: The three pricing tiers every teacherpreneur should start with when selling PD to schools: a one-hour talk, a half-day session, and a full-day workshopReal contract numbers: Get Your Teach On charges $58,000 for a year of school PD, and the Seven Habits program costs around $50,000 — what does that actually include?Why writing a book (even self-published) is one of the fastest ways to establish the credibility schools look for when hiring PD providersAmanda's experience being contacted by principals who were in her membership — and why she turned down PD opportunities despite the moneyThe honest reality of selling to schools: purchase orders, district contracts, billing delays of 3 months to a year, and why it's a long gameWhy Zoom-based PD is a real option — even major curriculum companies deliver training virtually, so teacherpreneurs can tooJess's case for why now — when budgets are being slashed and PD is getting cut — is actually the perfect time to build your PD offeringAmanda's niche sweet spot: helping ELA teachers navigate AI and student writing, delivered via Zoom from UruguayThe personality factor: why selling to schools isn't for everyone (Amanda's honest take on why teaching adults makes her uncomfortable as an autistic person)Monica Genta and Jen Manley Consulting as examples of teacherpreneurs who've built successful school-facing businessesMentioned in this episode: Get Your Teach On (PD conference company)The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (school PD program)Monica Genta, author of 180 Days of AwesomeJen Manley Consulting (Instagram)Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Jess's current read — no relation to PD, just vibes)Stay tuned for Part 2, where Amanda and Jess will break down what goes on a landing page and one-pager when you're pitching your PD or curriculum to school administrators. Watch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda's leaf close-up background, Jess's galaxy background, and the existential question of what that says about their mindsets. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    21 min

  2. May 22

    How to Build an Email List as a TPT Seller (Even If You've Failed Before)

    Every successful TPT seller Amanda and Jess have ever talked to credits the same thing for their success: their email list. Not their TPT store. Not their social media. Their email list. So why is it the one thing most teacherpreneurs never actually follow through on? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess have a raw, numbers-on-the-table conversation about building, neglecting, and trying to revive an email list — including what it actually costs, what a good conversion rate looks like, and why Jess keeps starting over while Amanda hasn't emailed her list of 5,000 subscribers in two years. This isn't a polished masterclass. It's two teacherpreneurs doing math on screen, confessing their email marketing failures out loud, and trying to figure out the next move together. In this episode, you'll learn: How Amanda originally built her email list using Mailchimp, WordPress, and OptinMonster — and the pop-up strategies that actually workedThe real cost of email list tools: OptinMonster ($313/year), ConvertKit pricing tiers, and why Kajabi at $200/month wasn't worth it for JessMailerLite as the best free starting point: 1,000 subscribers free, recommended by Claude for teacherpreneurs just getting startedWhat a good email opt-in conversion rate actually is (3–5% is solid) and how to calculate yoursJess's real numbers: 100 subscribers in one weekend from Instagram stories, a 2.5% conversion rate, and why she still felt like a failureAmanda's real numbers: a 28.5% conversion rate on her podcast-to-opt-in campaign — but only 7 total visitors (and why that's still useful data)Why Amanda is mining her 5,000-subscriber list for her top 1,000 "super fans" (à la Pat Flynn) instead of emailing everyoneThe critical difference between owning your audience (email list) and renting it (TPT, Instagram, Facebook) — and what happens if a platform disappears tomorrowHow to scrub a dormant email list and re-engage cold subscribers without getting flagged as spamAmanda's secret locked page strategy: using podcast episodes to drive listeners to a hidden page with editable slides behind an email opt-inAI agents for email: Amanda's vision (and fear) of using Claude Code to automate email replies and list managementWhy big lists aren't everything — and why Amanda would rather have 1,000 people who love her than 35,000 strangersTools and platforms discussed: OptinMonster (pop-ups and opt-in forms)ConvertKit (email marketing platform)MailerLite (free for first 1,000 subscribers)Mailchimp, AWeber, ActiveCampaign (alternatives)Kajabi (course platform with built-in email)Claude by AnthropicSuperfans by Pat FlynnWatch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda surrounded by puppies (and one is her real dog) while Jess interrogates her about email strategy. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    29 min

  3. May 8

    3 AI Prompts Every TPT Seller Needs for Market Research (We Tested Them Live)

    What if you could do hours of market research in minutes — and actually get answers specific to your TPT niche? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess test three powerful AI prompts live on screen using Claude to uncover exactly what middle and high school English teachers are buying, complaining about, and searching for on Teachers Pay Teachers right now. The results are surprisingly specific — and packed with product ideas. From the SEL and neurodiversity gap in secondary ELA, to the AI cheating crisis breaking the homework model, to what's almost completely absent on TPT that teachers desperately need, this episode is basically a free business strategy session powered by AI. The 3 market research prompts tested in this episode: Prompt 1: "What are my customers buying right now?" — Claude identified SEL resources, adolescent literacy and reading intervention, AI literacy and digital citizenship, neurodiversity-affirming classroom resources, and no-prep engagement-driven formats as the top categories where demand is surging for secondary ELA. Prompt 2: "What are my customers complaining about right now?" — The top pain points: AI cheating has broken the homework model, student behavior and disengagement are worsening, parents are becoming adversaries, burnout from non-teaching work is at an all-time high, students can't read at grade level, and there's no clear AI policy from administration. Prompt 3: "What's missing in the Teachers Pay Teachers marketplace?" — The biggest gap Claude identified: neurodiversity resources for general education secondary teachers. When you search neurodiversity on TPT, you get bulletin board crafts for awareness month and self-contained special ed resources for early elementary — almost nothing for the regular 7th or 10th grade ELA teacher with neurodivergent students already in their classroom. Also discussed: Why Claude's memory feature matters for market research — and how it personalizes results based on your store and nicheThe difference between Claude Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku (and which one to use for this)Why you should pair AI market research with SEO keyword tools like YDP to validate demand on TPTWhat AI gets wrong: why you still need real human conversations to spitball ideas and validate assumptionsJess's cautionary tale about a three-ingredient AI recipe that was pure slopWatch this episode on YouTube. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    19 min

  4. May 1

    Can TikTok Actually Make You Money as a TPT Seller? Real Teacherpreneur Success Stories

    A TPT seller posted one TikTok about test prep strategies — and made $200 in an hour instead of her usual $15 for the whole day. A teacher influencer made $900,000 in three years just filming her daily life. So should you drop everything and start posting on TikTok? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess dig into the real numbers behind teacherpreneur TikTok success stories and debate whether this is a real opportunity or just the latest shiny object. Jess brings the proof — screenshots from the Wallflowers Facebook group and a juicy Reddit thread — while Amanda plays devil's advocate, asking the questions every skeptical seller is thinking: How long has this person been posting? How many followers do they have? And can you really replicate someone else's viral moment? The result is an honest, unfiltered conversation about social media strategy, the attention economy, and why consistency matters more than any single platform. In this episode, you'll learn: The real story behind a TPT seller who made $200/hour after one TikTok went viral — and the context most people leave outThe teacher influencer making $900K in three years on TikTok by filming her entire day, including brushing her teeth and grading papersWhy Amanda calls this "shiny object syndrome" — and why Jess thinks TikTok has crossed over from fad to permanent platformThe 80/20 content rule: 80% entertaining content, 20% sales content — and how the viral seller broke itHow reframing your product with a creative spin (like calling test prep a "hack book") can be the difference between $15 and $200 in a dayWhy Jess deleted all her websites but Amanda still swears by email marketing — and how both approaches make about the same moneyAmanda and Jess's different marketing philosophies: social media vs. email lists, and why both workUsing AI to brainstorm creative product angles and viral hooks for existing TPT productsAmanda's potential TikTok idea: documenting her family's move to UruguayThe attention economy explained: why being in the right place at the right time matters, but consistency is what gets you thereMentioned in this episode: Wallflowers Facebook Group (5,800 TPT seller members)Claude by AnthropicCassie the English Teacher (YouTube channel about moving to Uruguay)Watch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda in her magical fairy butterfly field and doing jazzercise moves while Jess tries to have a serious conversation. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    23 min

  5. Apr 24

    Stop Trying to Beat AI: How to Stand Out as a Teacherpreneur When the Market Feels Impossible

    AI can generate a slideshow in two seconds, a video you can't tell from real life, and an email that sounds just like you. So what's the point of even trying anymore? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess tackle the scarcity mindset head-on and share why the market isn't actually as saturated as it feels — and what teacherpreneurs can do right now to find their people instead of trying to beat AI. The conversation kicks off with a reality check: Jess sent Amanda an AI-generated nostalgia video that looked completely real — until Amanda's kid instantly identified it as fake. If we can't even tell what's AI anymore, how do teacherpreneurs compete? Amanda and Jess break down the three things AI can never replicate about your business, debate Claude's list of "moves that work right now," and get honest about imposter syndrome, invisible TPT stores, and why chasing hot takes on social media might be making you blend in more, not less. In this episode, you'll learn: - The 3 things that differentiate you from AI and every other teacherpreneur: your story, your opinions, and your specific people - Why AI content feels "too perfect" — and how that's actually your competitive advantage - Amanda's bestselling TPT product story: how the worst year of her teaching career accidentally created her most successful resource - Jess's secret to building a loyal customer base: treating every follower like a friend, not a transaction - What makes TPT sellers invisible: low-effort products, jumping on cringey trends, and "hot takes" that aren't actually hot - Why Amanda left social media — and how she reframed "standing out" as "finding my people" - The Superfans mindset: why 25 real people engaging with your content is a room full of supporters, not a failure - Claude's controversial list of strategies for standing out (and which ones Amanda hated) - Why the real reframe isn't "how do I beat AI?" — it's "how do I become undeniably me?" - Amanda's idea for creating AI video versions of the hosts (and Jess's very real concern about being turned into a political puppet) Mentioned in this episode: - Superfans by Pat Flynn - Claude by Anthropic - YDP (Your Data Playbook) for TPT analytics - Speechify for AI voice cloning Watch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda's jazzercise moves, her balance ball, and Jess bouncing around the screen from 10 feet away. Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    26 min

  6. Apr 17

    When to Pivot Your Teacherpreneur Business (and When to Stay the Course)

    Should you pivot your teacherpreneur business — or are you just chasing the next shiny object? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess have an honest conversation about every major pivot they've made in their teacher businesses — what worked, what flopped, and what they wish they'd done differently. From starting on TPT to launching blogs, memberships, web design services, webinars, and podcasts, Amanda and Jess have tried it all. They share the real reasons behind each pivot (spoiler: most of them started because someone else said they should), what they'd go back and change if they could, and why the ability to pivot might actually be your biggest asset right now as AI reshapes the teacherpreneur landscape. In this episode, you'll learn: - Why Amanda has pivoted her business so many times — and the one pivot she's genuinely glad she made - The pivot both Amanda and Jess regret most: not going all-in on TPT product creation during the 2020–2022 digital product boom - How "shiny object syndrome" shows up differently for neurodivergent entrepreneurs and AuDHD business owners - Why Jess's blog getting hacked and held for ransom taught her a hard lesson about owning your platform - How AI is forcing even massive companies like Grammarly, WordPress, and Squarespace to pivot — and what that means for small teacherpreneur businesses - Jess's latest pivot idea: physical bookmark products suggested by Claude, sold on both TPT and through a membership - Amanda's take on building websites with Claude Code and GitHub instead of WordPress or Squarespace - Why sitting in the "pivot zone" for a few months and thinking it through beats making snap decisions — even when you're someone who loves to just go for it Mentioned in this episode: - Hard Fork podcast (New York Times) — the Grammarly story about using writers' likenesses without permission - Claude by Anthropic — for brainstorming business ideas and product strategy - TPT (Teachers Pay Teachers) Watch this episode on YouTube to see Amanda's Montevideo, Uruguay background and Jess bouncing around the screen thanks to Zoom's latest "feature." Subscribe and leave a five-star review — and remember, if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever.

    19 min

  7. Apr 10

    Is AI Killing Women-Owned Businesses? What Teacherpreneurs Need to Know Now

    Watch this Episode on Youtube! Don't forget to subscribe:) Is AI threatening your teacherpreneur business — or is it the biggest opportunity you've never had? In this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess break down a viral Substack article from Risky Women and Anthropic's recent labor market report that reveals which jobs and businesses AI is disrupting the most — and why women-owned businesses are taking the hardest hit. If you've noticed your TPT sales dropping 20–40% over the past couple of years, you're not alone. Amanda and Jess share what they're seeing across the teacherpreneur community and dig into what the data actually says about who's most at risk: older, female, more educated, higher-paid knowledge workers. But this isn't a doom-and-gloom episode — it's a strategy session. In this episode, you'll learn: What Anthropic's AI labor market report reveals about women in business and white-collar job displacementWhy TPT sellers and teacherpreneurs are seeing 20–40% sales dips — and what's really driving itThe "4% rule": how to identify the work AI can't touch and make it 80% of your businessWhy community, human connection, and authentic personality are your biggest competitive advantagesHow to audit your offerings and pivot toward high-judgment, relationship-intensive, creative workThe case for showing up on social media as your real self (and why AI influencers like "Jessica Foster" make it even more urgent)Dollar sales, hashtag sales, and physical products: alternative revenue strategies TPT sellers are exploring right nowAI agents explained: what they are, what they can do, and why most people still need help using themThe one reflection question every teacherpreneur should be journaling about right nowArticles discussed: "Your Business Isn't Failing — The World Is Changing" on Risky Women SubstackAnthropic's "Labor Market Impacts of AI" report (March 2026)Washington Post coverage on AI's impact on women in white-collar jobsSubscribe to Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All and leave a five-star review. And remember — if you share this podcast with 10 other people, you'll have good luck forever:) :)

    25 min

  8. Apr 3

    TPT Seller Discounts: How to Use the New Discount Feature to Boost Your Sales

    TPT just rolled out a brand new Seller Discounts feature — and in this episode of Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All, Amanda and Jess walk you through it in real time. They screen-share the new Discounts dashboard, activate every available discount type, and talk through how TPT sellers can use these tools to increase sales without slashing prices across their whole store. Here's what you'll learn in this episode: - Where to find the new TPT Seller Discounts feature (under Shop → Promotions → Discounts) - How to activate the first-time buyer discount, abandoned cart discount, and follower discount - How to customize and schedule discounts (including the 20% cap and "ends never" option) - How discounts differ from TPT sitewide sales and the auto opt-in feature - Dollar sales and hashtag sales: how TPT sellers use Facebook groups to run flash promotions - Why half-price launch day pricing can train your followers to buy on day one - The role of email lists in driving TPT sales — and whether AI is changing that - Tips from Jess on Shelly Rees's TPT Seller Success Facebook group and collaborative selling strategies Resources mentioned: - TPT Seller Discounts page (found under Shop → Promotions → Discounts in your TPT dashboard) - TPT Seller Success Facebook Group - TPT Share: Teachers Pay Teachers Share Ideas Facebook Group (73,000+ members) Subscribe to Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave us a five-star review if this episode helped you out. Check out our course here: https://www.wackyteacherpreneurs.com/

    15 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
6 Ratings

About

Jess and Amanda have been friends and teacherpreneurs for over ten years! They are excited to share their silly banter and business acumen with teachers who are looking to start a business and begin making recurring revenue online! 

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica Martin & Amanda Werner
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    74
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All
  • Show Website
    Two Wacky Teacherpreneurs Tell All

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