Lessons in Freedom

By Julia ChalmersBusiness Entrepreneurship Education Self-Improvement

Lessons in Freedom episodes

November 02Ep 45 - The 1 Hour Planning Session That Pays Me All Year
Build a Marketing Calendar That Matches Teachers’ Seasons (and Your Life First)
Most educators building a business feel the seasonal sales dips and panic, or chase the next shiny thing, when a simple forward-looking plan would take the guesswork out of it.
In this episode, I’m walking you through how I build a marketing calendar that works with teacher, school, and parent buying seasons, and why I always plan my life in before my business:
Why predictable seasonal slowdowns don’t have to mean panic, overwhelm, or shiny-object syndrome,
How to layer your life commitments, your business commitments, and your audience’s calendar into one plan you can actually stick to, and
How to spot your peak seasons and build in runway, build time, and recovery so you’re not running on empty.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why education businesses so often hit predictable seasonal sales dips, and how a marketing calendar helps you plan for them
What a marketing calendar actually is... a forward looking plan, at least three to six months ahead, across social media, email, podcasts, and events
Why I plan life first (birthdays, holidays, and downtime) so my marketing never comes at the cost of burnout
How to layer in your existing business commitments, like launches, collaborations, and events, to see what capacity you really have
How to map your audience’s calendar and psychological timing, from term rhythms and reporting season to assessment needs, behaviour management peaks, holidays, and events like Book Week
How to time your peaks with runway, build, and recovery, and the weekly review that keeps the whole plan on track

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join the Education Business School waitlist.Opening on 9 November https://www.juliachalmers.com/ebs
OR
DM me 'EBS' @JustJuliaChalmers for all the info.
Listen back to Episode 38 The Product I Haven't Touched in Years (That Still Sells While I Sleep)
ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories.
Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven’t already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions
24 min
October 26Ep 44 - Is a Membership Right for You? ( What I Learned Closing My First One)
Join EBS here
Memberships for Educators: How to Build, Price, and Test an Ongoing Offer Without Burnout
Most educators considering a membership are drawn to the idea of recurring revenue, but very few think through whether it’s built around what they love teaching, or just what they think people need.

In this episode, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about memberships and ongoing offers for educators, including what I got wrong with my own sold-out membership that I closed after six months, and what I’d do differently today:
How to work out whether a membership is actually the right ongoing offer for your business, using the 3P method of passions, powers, and problems,
What makes people join and stay, the rhythm, volume, and retention strategy that keeps a membership alive, and
How to test the model without committing to something that burns you out before it even gets off the ground.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why closing a sold-out membership was the right decision, and what it taught me about building offers around what you love, not just what people need
How recent TPT changes are affecting resource-based memberships and why now is the time to think beyond the resource creator model
Real client examples of ongoing offers that work, from retention memberships for families with neurodiverse children to resource vaults with implementation support
The 3P method (passions, powers, problems) for working out whether a membership is actually the right fit for you and your business
The three things every membership needs to keep people paying month after month: rhythm, volume, and a clear reason to stay
How to price strategically using ceilings, tiers, scarcity, and urgency, and why pricing is one of the most powerful filters you have for the right members
Why testing your membership model with a short sprint or challenge first is the move that saves you from long-term burnout

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join the Education Business School waitlist.Opening on 9 November https://www.juliachalmers.com/ebs
OR
DM me 'EBS' @JustJuliaChalmers for all the info.
Listen to episode 'The Year My Business Broke'

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories.
Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven’t already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions
36 min
October 19Ep 43 - The Price of Success
When Pushback Is Proof It’s Working...Reframing the Hard Moments in Business
Most business owners take negative comments, complaints, and criticism as a sign they’ve done something wrong, but what if the hard moments are actually attached to the biggest signs that something is going right?
In this episode I’m sharing the one I almost didn’t record: what happened when I tried to open a strategic conversation about Teachers Pay Teachers and faced escalating messages questioning my integrity, and why I’m choosing to talk about it anyway:
Why upsetting business moments are often attached to positive signs like sales, growth, visibility, and leadership,
How to separate useful feedback from mean noise, and where to put your energy when someone comes at you online, and
The four actions that help you move through the hurt without letting it stop your momentum.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why negative comments, complaints, taxes, and tech problems are often the hidden price tag attached to something going well
How a two-star review and a critical DM became evidence that people were paying attention, and what that reframe changes
Why hurt in business isn’t always proof you did something wrong, and how to tell the difference between a signal worth listening to and noise worth muting
The four actions to take when pushback hits: name and feel the hurt, separate useful feedback from mean noise, choose where your energy goes, and revisit your evidence list
Why keeping a running list of wins and resilience moments is one of the most powerful tools you have on a hard day
How to keep going when pushback makes you want to go quiet, and why staying visible is often the most important thing you can do next
The founding round for Education Business School (EBS) has sold out.
Doors open again soon.
Learn more about the EBS here https://www.juliachalmers.com/ebs

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions
22 min
October 12Ep 42 - Your Fave Platform Changed The Rules Overnight - and taught every biz owner a lesson
TPT’s 2027 Policy Shakeup! Why Educators Must Diversify Beyond One Platform
Most educators selling on Teachers Pay Teachers built their business trusting the platform would stay the same.
But starting January 2027, the rules are changing in a way that will affect every single seller.
In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what TPT’s new policy means, what your options are, and the bigger lesson underneath all of it, because this isn’t just a TPT problem.
It’s a reminder that building on someone else’s platform is always a risk:
What the new exclusivity tiers actually mean for your revenue and your freedom to sell elsewhere,
The three paths available to TPT sellers right now, and how to think through which one makes sense for your business, and
The game plan I’m putting in place to protect my own income and divert my marketing to a platform I actually own.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
What TPT’s 2027 policy changes actually mean, the new exclusivity tiers, the rising platform cut, and what sellers give up under each option
Why the choice between going exclusive or staying basic isn’t just a financial decision, it’s a decision about your long-term business freedom
The real lesson behind the shakeup: why relying on one platform, one marketing channel, or one sales outlet is always a risk regardless of how stable it feels
The three paths available to TPT sellers right now, and the questions to ask to work out which one fits your situation
My own draft game plan: dropping to basic, shifting marketing to my independent site, increasing ads, updating ManyChat links, and creating website-exclusive resources
Why communicating transparently with your audience through any platform transition builds trust instead of losing it
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
TPT Breakdown FREE GUIDE : https://www.juliachalmers.com/tpt-breakdown
If you want to learn more about Kajabi and how it could work to move onto your own platform, here is a link to check them out (please note that as a partner I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, but I’d recommend them regardless) https://app.kajabi.com/r/UjYLgMcj/t/5nev6a2s
ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?

If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
20 min
October 05Ep 41 - I Want More Women in Education to Get Rich
Education Business School Founding Round. Build Offers That Stack, Sell, and Run Without You
It's here!!!
Click here - Come and join Education Business School (Founding round closes Wednesday 7 October at 9 PM) Perth time:
or
Click here - DM me 'SCHOOL' on Instagram for more information
Most established education business owners aren't stuck because they lack knowledge… they're stuck because their offers, sales, and systems aren't working together in a way that keeps generating income without them having to constantly push.
In this episode, I'm officially opening the founding round pre-sale of the Education Business School, and sharing everything you need to know before doors close Wednesday 7 October at 9 PM Perth time:
Why educator businesses stall even when the owner is talented, experienced, and working hard,
The three gaps that are quietly keeping your business from selling without you, and exactly how EBS is designed to close them, and
What's inside the program, who it's for, and how to get in at the founding round price before 9 November.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why time-poor education business owners need offers aligned with how teachers, schools, and parents actually buy, in seasonal cycles, not on demand
The three gaps EBS is built to fix: in-demand offers, non-icky selling, and the systems and automations that keep things moving without you
What offer stacking means, why it matters, and how it creates income that compounds instead of requiring constant promotion
What's inside Education Business School, including Offer Lab, Sales Fast Track, Brand Camp, Freedom Files, monthly workshops, live Q&A calls, and community support
Who this program is specifically for, established education business owners who are ready to stop trading time for results and start building something that runs
How to join the founding round before doors close, including VIP options and where to find all the details

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join the Education Business School waitlist

Doors close WEDNESDAY 7th OCT! Get in today!

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
28 min
September 28Ep 40 - 150,000 Products Sold. Here's What I Got Wrong
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Five Business Mistakes I Made (and What I'd Do Instead) as an Education Entrepreneur
Most educators building a business learn the hard lessons slowly, through perfectionism that stalls momentum, platforms that drain energy, and tasks that never get off their plate because letting go feels too risky.
In this episode 40 of Lessons in Freedom, I'm sharing the five mistakes I made on the way to building a multi-seven-figure education business, and exactly what I'd do differently if I were starting again today:
Why chasing perfection and editing out the "human" moments slows you down more than almost anything else,
How trying to be everywhere at once wastes the time and energy that one committed platform would have compounded, and
Why fear of trying, and fear of being bad at something first, is the mistake underneath all the other mistakes.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why perfectionism is costing you momentum, and why the "human" moments you're editing out are often exactly what connects
How using your audience's own language instead of polished slogans or AI-generated copy transforms your marketing
Why spreading across TikTok, Pinterest, Etsy and everywhere else fragments your effort, and what committing to one platform long enough actually produces
How believing only you can do key tasks like social media becomes a ceiling on your growth, and the template, training, and patience approach that makes delegation actually work
Why accepting 80% done from someone else is one of the most important skills you'll build as a founder
Why your earliest work is supposed to be bad, how to iterate through it, and how to know when it's time to pivot rather than push on

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join theEducation Business School waitlist
Work 1:1 with me here
ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories.
Tag @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
26 min
September 21Ep 39 - I Tracked Every 15 Minutes Of My Week (And it sucked)
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Where Did the Hours Go? Auditing Your Time in 15-Minute Blocks
Most educators building a business have an intentionally designed workweek on paper, and a completely different reality playing out in practice. When my four-day, 15-hour week quietly became three days, I felt busy but like nothing was actually moving forward.
In this episode, I'm sharing why I'm logging every single work task in 15-minute blocks for two weeks, what I expect to find, and why auditing has to come before you can systemise, automate, delete, or delegate anything:
How a simple Google Sheet, Claude, and a 15-minute timer can reveal exactly where your time is actually going,
Why "quick" five-minute tasks and "should" activities are likely the biggest hidden drain on your working hours, and
How to use what you find to make smarter decisions about what to keep, hand off, or let go of entirely.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why a perfectly designed workweek can still leave you feeling busy but stuck, and what that feeling is actually telling you
How to run a simple two-week time audit using 15 minute blocks, a Google Sheet, and a timer you probably already have
The difference between tasks that move your business forward and tasks that just fill your day, and why that distinction changes everything
Why energising and productive don't always mean the same thing, and how tracking both reveals a fuller picture of your work
How accumulated "quick" tasks and obligation-driven content creation quietly consume your most valuable working hours
Why you have to audit before you systemise, automate, delete, or delegate, and how accepting 80% done opens the door to real leverage
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Work 1:1 with me here
ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me@JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.
If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode. And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
23 min
September 14Ep 38 - The Product I Haven't Touched in Years (That Still Sells While I Sleep)
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Most educators think a digital product needs constant updating, refreshing, and promoting to keep selling, but an eight year old teaching resource that hasn't been touched in years is still selling almost every single day.
In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly why that happens, what seven years of sales data actually reveals about buyer timing, and the once and done systems that make it possible to sell on autopilot without constantly showing up to push it:
Why "passive income" is the wrong frame and what intentional autopilot actually looks like behind the scenes,
The AI-resistant "secret sauce" that comes from real classroom experience and why it's your biggest competitive advantage, and
The systems, sequences, and pricing decisions that keep a product selling long after you've stopped thinking about it.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why an eight year old, untouched digital product still sells almost daily, and what that tells you about product quality versus promotion
The difference between passive income and autopilot income, and why the distinction matters for how you build
How to ship a minimal effective version first, then revise to high quality, and why busywork tweaks are the enemy of momentum
What an AI resistant "secret sauce" is, why it comes from real lived experience, and how to embed it into your own products
The once and done systems that keep a product selling… scheduled social rotations, freebie lead magnets, ManyChat triggers, and email nurture sequences
How to read your own sales data to understand seasonal versus psychological buyer timing, and use those peaks and dips to your advantage
Why product sequencing across year levels and pricing for both profitability and accessibility are the moves that compound your results over time
LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Work 1:1 with me here

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.

If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
34 min
September 07Ep 37 - Your hidden Audience of Buyers
How to Find Your Hidden Audience of Buyers (Even When No One Engages)
Most people mistake low engagement for low demand, but some of your most ready to buy people are completely invisible, watching everything you do without ever hitting like or leaving a comment.
In this episode, I'm sharing what a difficult season of illness and parenting challenges taught me about the people who are paying attention even when you can't see them, and the practical steps for finding and serving your hidden audience of buyers:
1. Why low engagement doesn't mean low demand, and how to stop letting silence talk you out of showing up,
2. How to identify your hidden buyers and build offers for them, whether you're starting from scratch or already have an audience, and
3. Why you don't need a massive following to make sales…you just need the right people and the right offer.
IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
Why so many of your most ready to buy people are invisible… watching, listening, and waiting without ever engaging publicly 
How unexpected DMs and listener messages during a quiet season proved that your work is reaching people even when you can't see it 
How to identify what to offer if you don't have a business yet, by noticing the questions people already ask you and leveraging the networks you already have 
How to create new offers for an existing audience based on current needs, packaging what people want while delivering what they actually need 
Why strong connected offers, personalised systems, and mindset support are the combination that turns a hidden audience into consistent buyers 
The difference between needing a big audience and needing the right audience, and why that shift changes everything about how you grow

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED
Join the Education Business School waitlist
Work 1:1 with me here

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.

If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.
And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
25 min
August 31Ep 36 - Greige nearly killed my biz
Most business owners chasing credibility don't realise they're quietly sanding down the very thing that makes them worth choosing, until they look at their content and can't tell it apart from everyone else's.

In this episode, I'm getting honest about how I accidentally greige-washed my own brand… how trying to look more "professional" made my coaching account indistinguishable from every other business coach online, and why I'm done with that:
What greige-washing is, how it happens gradually and with good intentions, and why it's quietly killing your brand,
Why the personality and specificity you're hiding is exactly what your dream clients are looking for, and
How I'm recommitting to the educator-specific expertise that actually built my business — and what that means for how I show up from here.

IN THIS EPISODE YOU WILL LEARN
What "greige-washing" is and how even experienced business owners accidentally blend into the background while chasing credibility
Why resenting your own content is a signal worth paying attention to, and what it's usually telling you
How leaning on systems and ads can quietly reduce your investment in the organic content that made you recognisable in the first place
Why education-specific strategies like membership retention, whole-school licensing, and offer design are worth owning loudly, not hiding
How to stop diluting your personality to fit trends and start showing up in a way that actually reflects what you do and who you do it for
What it looks like to recommit to your magic, and why that's the move that makes your business worth following again
LINKS
Join the Education Business School waitlist: https://www.juliachalmers.com/founderswl Or Dm Me EBS @JustJuliaChalmers
Instagram @JustJuliaChalmers
Website Mrs Chalmers Cherubs
TPT Mrs Chalmers' Cherubs

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?
If this episode made something click for you, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me @JustJuliaChalmers so I can celebrate you.

If you haven't already, follow the show so you never miss an episode.

And if you've been listening for a while, leaving a rating and review takes two minutes and helps Lessons in Freedom reach more educators just like you.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for education and motivation only. I’m sharing what’s worked for me and my clients, but it’s not financial, legal, or accounting advice. Your decisions and results are always your own. Please seek professional guidance before making any financial or business decisions.
20 min

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If you’re an educator who wants more - more income, more impact, more confidence, and more freedom - you’re in the right place.

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