After more than a decade in the classroom, Kristen knew it was time for a change. She began teaching in 2008, spending six years in middle school and four years teaching high school English. As her family grew and her husband’s schedule became more demanding, the traditional classroom no longer supported the life she wanted for her children.

Kristen chose flexibility by leaving the classroom to homeschool her kids and create a career that allowed her to stay present for her family while still doing meaningful work.

Today, she works part-time as a tutor with Smart Solutions VA, supporting students of all ages through flexible private and small-group sessions. The company connects her with clients so she can focus on teaching and tutoring on her own schedule.

You can book a session with Kristen here: https://www.smartsolutionsva.com/

She also serves as a Client Success Manager for Integrative Health Courses, an online program created by medical doctors that provides education and support for children and adults with eczema and food allergies.

In this episode, Kristen shares how she built a flexible career outside the classroom and redefined success on her own terms.

Sam’s story is proof that you don’t need decades in the classroom to build a powerful career outside of education.

After six years in education, a defining moment with limited administrative support and compassion made her realize it was time to pivot.

She stepped into recruiting, learned on the fly, and climbed from Talent Acquisition to Lead Recruiter and then Talent Acquisition Manager in under two years.

Since then, she’s worked with a startup as Head of Candidate Success and now serves as a Recruitment Consultant in her husband’s business, wearing many hats and applying the same skills teaching sharpened every day.

Her journey is a reminder that sometimes the fastest growth comes from taking the leap before you feel fully ready.

After eight years in education, she knew something had to change.

Long nights, low pay, and missed time with her son made teaching unsustainable, so she took a leap into something new.

With support from a community of teachers making the same transition, she navigated the challenges, stayed patient, and built a new career that offers both flexibility and growth.

Today, she’s been promoted to Enterprise Customer Success Manager at Syndigo, where she’s thriving in a role that values balance and impact.

Her story proves what’s possible when you bet on yourself.

I sat down and spoke with Lakeisha Webb who taught within inner city schools for over 12-years covering grades 4th-8th. Lakeisha moved into an Educational Technology Specialist within the district to before finally stepping out of the education all together.

She highlights some of the pressures, challenges, and struggles she faced while teaching and the realities of working with student's within an inner city school system.

Lakeisha finally took the leap of faith to move into a family-owned Funeral Home Business. She started as a Service Support Specialist and is now a certified Funeral Director for Service Corporation International.

I sat down and spoke with Meredith Cooley, who was a former English teacher for over 17-years across multiple states and even overseas, before finally deciding to leave.

She highlights her early understanding of wanting to have the work-life balance to be able to be there for her family, but like so many teachers didn't know where to start.

Her passion within writing help fueled her mindset to help up skill and acquire new skillsets to help her become marketable in the job market.

She then started her own business, Page & Purpose, which she has been running for over 3-years. She is an education content and copywriter and even also helps coach teachers wanting to get into copywriting.

Her website link is included below:

https://www.meredithcooleyb2b.com/

I sat down and spoke with Candice Coker, who was a former Elementary School teacher for 5-years before deciding to leave the classroom.

In this special episode, Candice has over 13-years experience within recruitment and talent acquisition. She highlights very specific skillsets and ways you can help sell yourself on LinkedIn in a competitive market.

We also discuss the use of AI and how companies use Applicant Tracking Systems to source candidates for openings.

Candice has now been a Talent Acquisition Manager for Total Education Solutions for over 5-years.

I sat down and spoke with Natalie Parmenter, who was a former elementary teacher in California and then North Carolina.

We discussed her journey on stepping outside of the classroom into entrepreneurship of starting her own business.

She discusses the grit that comes with running a business and all the transferrable skills teachers have they don't realize.

Natalie has been running Primary Focus for over 4-years. Primary Focus is the parent's guide to elementary school where she hosts workshops locally here in Charlotte to help parents prepare their child for schools.

Her website and YouTube channel links can be found below:

https://primaryfocus.tv

https://www.youtube.com/@primaryfocus

I sat down and spoke with Sarah Jordan, an elementary school teacher for over 10-years to discuss her reasons of why she left the classroom.

Catching up with a friend at a BBQ helped connect her with opportunities beyond the classroom wall which peaked her interest.

As she manages a team of 7 Customer Success Managers, she shares her insights on ways to stand out in a heavily saturated market.

Sarah finds herself now as a Manager of Customer Success at BrainPOP.

I sat down and spoke with Victoria Duffy, a former Special Education and Business Education teacher for over 5-years before leaving the classroom.

Victoria highlights her unique journey as she was not only holding a part-time job in hospitality while teaching, but also went back to school in the evenings. Her dedication and perseverance is a lesson to all of us that teachers have so much more skills outside of the classroom.

As a former Lane Switch client, Victoria shares her story of why she took the leap of faith into a new career and the success she has been having in her new role.

She is now a Unit Secretary for Robert Wood Johnson Barnabas Health.

I sat down and spoke with Kate Breitenfeld, who was a 4th-generation educator for over 5-years before deciding to leave the classroom.

Kate talks about her journey in the classroom and some of the tough decisions that lead her leaving teaching.

She still is having impact on students outside her high school teaching role as a Student Life Coordinator at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte.