7 Figure Educator
By: Dr. Erica Jordan- Thomas
The book 7 Figure Educator by Dr. Erica Jordan Thomas (Dr.EJT) is an excellent guide for educators who want to turn their experience into income. Dr. EJT provides very insightful information, a blueprint that goes from starting to running a seven-figure business. The author argues that Educators should monetize their expertise because “if anyone should be a millionaire, it should be an educator.” Separated into three parts: 1) Clarify, 2) Build, 3) Grow, there is a systematic way an educator should go about not only starting their business but maintaining its sustainability and effectiveness over time.
In the clarify stage, Dr. EJT starts with a mindset that the educator who wants to be an entrepreneur is already a part of the 2%, stating that educators need to change “your inner dialogue from wealth and success and perfection and wealth and success are ways I honor my ancestors and just an ounce of the reparations I am owed.” Her in-depth walk-through of the five lenses entrepreneurs use when they start really paints a picture of the clarity needed to get started. The lenses help the young entrepreneur embrace the idea that we “don’t need anyone’s permission to play by whatever rules you want.”Following this deep mindset work, she dives deep into her freedom formula, what you need to break free from the mindset limitations, how to pick a problem as an educator, and finally, how to create frameworks that solve the problems that educational businesses solve.
I personally fell in love with the gut check: “solving one problem is going to be different from anything done before as an educator.” Ouch! The map of pedagogical knowledge, coupled with the notion that one can only operate from their “zone of genius,” is fascinating, especially to an educator who is unlearning how to “multitask” and focus on one problem to solve, when realistically, educators see a million things that need fixing. The assurance that one problem will be the catalyst for change is essential here, as she later notes in the chapter that one should view “Frameworks as cheat codes.” As a doctoral student, I love a good framework, and I have to agree that there is a startling similarity between framework and what we do in education, she cites: theme. Concepts and client objectives are essential, and I could not agree more. The depiction of what it looks like in real life stands tall and adds narrative to the story, providing additional insights into how to make the framework effective. I like to think of frameworks, from what she alluded to in the book, as simple systems. Simple systems for lasting impact allow entrepreneurs to tackle the final resolutions of this section
In the build portion of the text, Dr. EJT gets down to the real nitty-gritty of what businesses need to actually make big money. No surprise here, it’s all about setting yourself up to serve! The idea of using an RTI framework to sell offers was absolutely genius. My favorite part of the book had to be the “claim your client” portion. Why? In this section, she said something that most entrepreneurs don’t want to do. Wait for it! We don’t want to listen to our clients. She drives this point home with one thing: “Being best friends with your client is what we’re going to focus on in this chapter.” That stepped all over my toes, because I really have clients I don’t know who are headaches, and some who are best friends, and they are easy to work with because I know what they need. I met with a brand strategist before, and her advice was in line with Dr. EJT’s: you need to create an ideal client profile. When I read that, I was like DUHH to my younger self! The way she broke down and drew out the client profile was skillful and one that should be highlighted in every book that flies off the shelves. You know, since it’s a USA Best Seller.
She goes on into later chapters to talk about picking pricing strategies that work for you. The example of the Pearson, the underpriced herself, slapped me in the face. Why? Because that was me. My first contract was $1600.00, and I thought I was a big fish until I had to factor in travel and expenses. Now, unlike the first example in the book, I go into full Virgo mode when I have to set a price. I calculate down to a science because that’s what Dr. EJT would do. Did I mention she is a Virgo too, hey fam! Flexing your funnel was such a good chapter because imma say it, just like she said, and leave it alone. “Working your existing network” is how you start. It’s so true, and the ideas that follow on how to move through those contacts were really insightful. You have to read that chapter, and I feel if I keep saying what’s in it, I’m going to spill too much tea, so let me move on.
In the Grow Section, there is information about branding and hiring. I can’t tell that section without spilling tea, so I’ll save that. What I do want to talk about is the founder section. I always knew that I didn’t want to be just the CEO of my business and brand. I wanted to be the founder, making boss moves while the CEO does what they need to do to bring in the money for the business. I had never heard anyone in business talk about being a flounder before, and I really connected with that chapter. Actually, for me, that was the most interesting chapter of the book because I used to see business money as the floor, not the business itself as an asset and a means of liberation by providing jobs for the people I want to serve. While reading, I imagined the students that I taught who can possibly take over the business one day because they understand my philosophy. We all have those students who you know can carry on the legacy, and because I have no children, I look forward to hiring one of mine as a CEO, since in every class we are bound to have a business major. I am now not thinking about how much money I can make to generate income; I want to know how much money I can make to become a founder and hire a CEO. I have done what I needed to do to grow, spending the last two years at five figures. It is now time for me to grow to a six-figure year, spend my money correctly, and not waste it all like in years past, so that I can become a founder and hire a team to carry on the torch. My business has been open for five years, and I feel like I just got it right. This book put the battery in my backpack, and I want to think about the framework again. I love it, and I will revisit it each year. I recommend this book to anyone starting a business. Entrepreneurs have to read, and what a great way to start. A person who believes that “if anyone should be a millionaire, it should be an educator” is a great person to have coaching you from inception to million-dollar business investments.
Personal Story
I enrolled in Get Launched Consulting, her first program, years ago. I was passive, and I kind of did the work! I kind of checked in, and I half-baked the assignments, hoping that if I was in the room, someone would come and save me. Years later, I enrolled in another of her programs, a little more insightful, but I didn’t budget for it, and didn’t have the funds to pay for it. I’m going to be real. Taxes totaling well over 10.000 took your boy out! Now, reflecting, I know that it wasn’t me who made those wrong decisions; it was me not thinking, plotting, and planning like a CEO that made those decisions. Since then, I have grown in my decision-making, my vision for the company, and my overall financial management. I went into this book expecting to find my older self on pages along the way, and I did. Now that my business is 5 years old, I own my trademark, I am on my way to becoming a household name, and I can really apply what’s in this book. To Dr. EJT, thank you for your unwavering love for me! You never treated me like a client; you always treated me like family. To the 7-figure education community, I love you all, and I will celebrate with you again soon. Keep your eyes out for the Energized Educator because I’m claiming it now, I will generate six figures in my business really soon!
To my younger self and all the consultants that were like me, TAKE YOUR TIME! It will come one day, just stay where you need to be, take it one year at a time, and you will be where you need to be. God does not give you more than you can bear, and that goes for the good, too. Pray that God enlarges your territory and blesses you indeed!
