Latest / The Side Hustle Career Podcast with Fexingo: Second Income, Freelancing While Employed / How a Teacher Built a 20K Side Hustle in Educational Podcasting
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, I was digging through some listener submissions and came across a story that just clicked. A middle school science teacher from Ohio, Sarah, turned her lesson planning into a podcast that now pulls in over twenty thousand dollars a month. Luna: Twenty thousand a month? That's more than her teaching salary, right? Lucas: Probably, yeah. And the wild part is she started it as a side hustle, recording after school and on weekends. But what she built isn't just a podcast, it's a whole ecosystem around her expertise. Luna: Before we dive into the numbers, I just want to say, we keep this show ad-free because of listeners like you. If you value that, and you want to support what we do, you can buy us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small gesture that keeps us independent. Lucas: Exactly. Every little bit helps us keep the lights on and the microphones warm. But let's get back to Sarah. She didn't just start a podcast; she found a gap in the market. Luna: What gap was that? Lucas: She realized there were tons of podcasts for teachers about pedagogy, but almost nothing specifically for middle school science teachers who needed practical, standards-aligned activities they could use the next day. So she launched 'SciCast', a weekly show where she breaks down a science concept and offers a ready to use classroom activity. Luna: That's such a specific niche. How did she find her first listeners? Lucas: She started by promoting it in Facebook groups for middle school science teachers, and she reached out to a few teacher influencers to get mentions. Within three months, she had about five thousand downloads per episode, which is actually a solid audience for a niche show. Luna: And then the money started coming in? Lucas: Not immediately. For the first six months, she made zero dollars. But she was building something bigger. She launched a companion website where she sold unit plans and activity packs that complemented the podcast episodes. That's where the first revenue came from, about five hundred dollars in month seven. Luna: So the podcast was a funnel for her products. Smart. Lucas: Exactly. And as her download numbers grew, she started getting attention from educational technology companies. By month ten, she landed her first sponsor, an online lab simulation service, paying her two thousand dollars per episode for a six-episode run. Luna: That must have been a huge validation. But twenty thousand a month is a whole different ballgame. How did she scale? Lucas: She doubled down on her audience. She started a private Facebook group for her listeners, and she used their feedback to create more targeted products. She also introduced a premium tier on Patreon where teachers could get early access, bonus episodes, and editable versions of her activities. That became a steady recurring revenue stream. Luna: What about the consulting side? I saw that in the description. Lucas: Right. After about a year, schools and districts started reaching out to her for professional development workshops. She now does virtual PD sessions for schools, and she charges three thousand dollars per session. That's a big chunk of her monthly income. Luna: So the podcast opened doors beyond just ad revenue. It positioned her as an expert. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the takeaway. She didn't just monetize the podcast itself; she used it as a platform to sell products, services, and workshops. The podcast was the lead generator. Luna: But let's talk about the time commitment. She's still teaching full-time, right? Lucas: She was, for the first eighteen months. She spent about ten hours a week on the podcast, mostly on weekends. She batching recording sessions, she outsourced editing to a freelance audio editor who charges fifty dollars per episode. That freed her up to focus on content and marketing. Luna: Outsourcing the editing is such a smart move. A lot of people get bogged down in production. Lucas: Yeah, she told me that the editing was the first thing she outsourced. It was the biggest time drain. And by investing that money, she could focus on what she loved: creating content and engaging with her audience. Luna: So what does her revenue breakdown look like now? Roughly. Lucas: About eight thousand from sponsorships, another seven from Patreon and product sales, and the remaining five from consulting and workshops. That's about twenty thousand a month, give or take. Luna: And she's still teaching? Lucas: She actually just resigned at the end of the last school year. She's going full-time with the podcast and her business. But she says she might go back to teaching part-time in a few years because she genuinely loves the classroom. Luna: That's a great position to be in. She gets to choose. Lucas: Yeah, and that's the dream, isn't it? To build something that gives you options. Luna: What advice would she give to someone thinking about starting a podcast in their field? Lucas: She said the most important thing is to pick a niche that you're genuinely passionate about and that has a specific audience. Not 'teachers', but 'middle school science teachers who need ready to use activities'. The more specific, the better. Luna: And don't worry about the money at first, right? Lucas: Exactly. Build trust and value first. The money will follow. She also emphasized consistency. She releases an episode every week without fail, even when she's busy. That builds a loyal audience. Luna: And what about equipment? Did she need a fancy studio? Lucas: Not at all. She started with a USB microphone and a quiet room. She used free editing software at first. It's the content that matters, not the gear. Luna: I love that. Anyone can start with what they have. Lucas: Absolutely. And Sarah's story proves that even a niche audience can be lucrative if you serve them well. She's now planning to launch a second podcast for high school physics teachers, because she's seen the demand. Luna: That's exciting. Before we wrap up, what's one concrete takeaway you want listeners to remember? Lucas: Think of a podcast not as a product, but as a tool to build relationships and showcase your expertise. Then figure out how you can monetize that trust through products, services, or consulting. That's the real side hustle. Luna: Well said. And if you want to support our ad-free mission, you know the deal. Buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Thanks for listening, and we'll catch you next time.