From Classroom to Boardroom: A Teacher's Unexpected Business Journey

In 2011, Lisa Collum found herself standing in OfficeMax, clutching the last $99 from her checking account. She exchanged it for five binders, which she filled with her fourth- and fifth-grade writing curricula. These humble binders marked the beginning of her side hustle, Top Score Writing. Initially, she sold them one by one, but soon demand grew. Within five years, her living room became a bustling assembly line, with her 8-year-old managing the three-hole-punch.

Lisa's teaching method, honed by helping English language learners excel in structured essay writing, caught the attention of school principals. In 2015, her side hustle surpassed her $40, 000 teaching salary and became her full-time job. That same year, she bought Coastal Middle and High School, a nonprofit private school, using funds from her business. Today, Top Score Writing, based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, serves schools and teachers across all 50 U. S. states. With six full-time employees and 10 part-time staffers, the company raked in nearly $1. 9 million in annual profit last year. Lisa, now the CEO, never imagined her venture would grow this big. When a school principal first asked to buy her curriculum, she laughed and replied, "I'm not a business person. I can't sell this. "

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