Teacher Shift
Here at Teacher Shift, hosts Ali Simon and JoDee Scissors unpack one of the toughest questions educators face when considering a career shift - Who am I if I’m not a teacher?
Teacher Shift podcast shares resources for educators who need help with job exploration, identity, wellness, financial planning, and decision-making. We invite teachers, former teachers, people that love to hire teachers, mental health professionals, resume coaches, scholars, and financial planners to share experiences and guidance with educators that need or are considering a shift.
Teacher Shift
How a Side Gig Turned This Teacher Into an Accidental Business Owner With Abigail Reller
Teachers are known to supplement their teacher salaries typically through things like tutoring and summer school. But in today's episode, you’ll hear about how one teacher became an accidental entrepreneur when an investor gave her $100!
Today, Ali and JoDee are joined by Abigail Reller, a former teacher who now, along with her husband, Aaron, own Abigail Reller Art. Together, these three former teachers discuss what led to Abigail pivoting into running her own art studio, the struggle with finding the work life balance as an educator, and the power in building a strong network within your school community.
Connect with Abigail:
Abigail Reller Art
Instagram
Facebook
A podcast decoding young brains and behavior in a digital world.
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
Connect with Ali and JoDee:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teachershift
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/teachershift
Teacher Shift LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/teacher-shift
Ali’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisimon/
JoDee’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodeescissors/
Website
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/
Episode Transcriptions
https://www.teachershiftpodcast.com/blog
Ali 0:06
Teachers are natural innovators, entertainers and problem solvers. They dream of growing old into the profession, teaching their kids kids. But sometimes career goals shift, and that makes opportunities outside of the classroom seem intangible questioning who am I, if I'm not a teacher? I'm your host, Ali Simon.
JoDee 0:29
And I'm your co host, JoDee Scissors.
Ali 0:32
And this is Teacher Shift.
JoDee 0:43
It's no secret that teachers find ways to supplement their income: tutoring seasonal work and summer school to name a few. Today, our guest shares with us how she became an accidental entrepreneur after her first investor gave her $100.
Ali 1:02
Today our guest is Abigail Reller, a former teacher of nine years. Abigail along with her husband Aaron are owners of Abigail Reller Art. Abigail is no stranger to entrepreneurship, thriving on creative solutions to help people. When she's not covered in paint, which is never. She enjoys listening to podcasts and keeping up with the latest interior design trends. She currently lives in Metairie, Louisiana with her husband and four children: Anna, Frances, Benjamin, Peter, and Thomas. We're so glad to have you on the show today, Abigail.
Abigail 1:35
Thank you. I'm so excited to be here. I've been really looking forward to it.
Ali 1:39
So for our listeners who may not have heard previously, we interviewed your husband, Aaron Reller, who's also a former teacher, for the podcast. And then we learned during that interview that he was married to a former teacher himself. And we were just so eager to talk to you too, because we've actually had one other couple on the show. We've had Adam and Ashley on the show. And they both were former teachers. And it was just really interesting, because that is actually pretty common. I think in education, that you'll you'll meet couples for both educators. So excited to talk about your experience today about teaching and then deciding to ultimately leave the classroom and start something new. So can you tell us a little bit about your story?
Abigail 2:23
Yeah, so Aaron and I met teaching. So after college, I took a job teaching religion at a Catholic high school in Mississippi. I taught eighth grade. So I was like the babies of the high school. I loved it wondered, like, is this going to be a forever thing? How does it go? Like Aaron was an ace teacher there the same time. So he and I got to know each other. We dated for like nine months got engaged. Then we moved down to New Orleans, which is where I'm from. He's from Minnesota. I took a job teaching early childhood here. So I taught at an independent Catholic school in New Orleans, I taught one year old through kindergarten religion. Loved it. That was like sweetspot dream job, like amazing. It's the kind of thing where the different classes would come into my room. You know, it was like, I was like an enrichment class, kind of. It was that kind of a schedule. And so it would come into my room for like, 45 minutes at a time. And I go, and it was just so fun. So that was an all girls school. So then I realized, like, Okay, we've got one daughter, now have a son, if you're going to be in school together, I'd like to be able to work at the school where they're gonna go. And also like, the other school was up so it was just logistics, right? So I made the transition to where I was teaching middle school of religion at St. Catherine of Siena, in Metarie, where I live now. And my daughter started pre-k three there at the same time that I started teaching there. And it was awesome. I loved it. Things definitely changed a little bit because it was like, Okay, now I'm taking home papers to grade as opposed to putting all of my time into my lesson plans. So I felt like that was a little bit of a shift for me like that. Because initially when I taught eighth grade, I didn't have children, right. So like if I needed to grade papers after school, or if I need to do any of that, it was fine. When I was at Sacred Heart teaching early childhood, all of my attention could really be focused to like, the experience in the classroom. And I loved that about it. And then it got to this point where then I was, you know, teaching middle school, which I love middle schoolers also. But then I was grading papers, and I was doing lesson plans for that. And then I've got, you know, two little babies at home, one's breastfeeding still. So it's like, during the night, it wasn't even an option. Like, oh, I think I'm gonna grade and so sleep. It was like, this kid won't sleep. Unless I'm nursing and this one is two years old. You know, it just...
Ali 4:57
Yeah, it's a lot harder when you have kids and I think that's something that I personally felt also. And I know JoDee, a lot change for you, too, when you have your daughter. We start teaching, and we have these, you know, expectations of what we can handle can manage, and then we add kiddos to our lives, and it really changes. And I also think, you know, grading papers is a lot. And it would be great if we had enough time in the school day where we could actually have like planning and get that all done and not have to take it home. But it doesn't end up panning out that way.
JoDee 5:30
I felt like I was constantly juggling. I was juggling, being a teacher, being a new parent, and taking care of myself. And the one that kind of always fell was me. I was always sick. I was always tired. And really started to take a toll on me personally, because I was sacrificing for others, which, you know, that's kind of what like, you have that type of servant mentality when you are a teacher and you are taking care of your kids. But what boundaries do you have to be able to pull back and say, Hey, I have to be well, so I can be present?
Abigail 6:09
Absolutely. And, and I remember thinking, like, my kids would get sick. And I would think like, Okay, I took off this day, okay, now I took off another one and another one, like, shoot, if I get it, what's gonna, you know...
Ali 6:21
I'm gonna run out of days. Like, you only have a certain number of days. And, and then honestly, like, the hardest part is when you're out, it's so much work to be out, because you have to, like, prepare the lesson plans for the sub.
Abigail 6:34
I know, I know. On one hand, I'm like, I get it. You know, but, but it's not ideal. And it's not the same as like, it's not like you can walk into like your desk job, or go run your Etsy shop, or go do whatever, like, then you kinda like, feel bad, and you're not 100%. But like, you can still like grind out the work. It's like, you have to go to work not feeling good. And like, still do the same performance or be engaging. Like you can't just be like, oh, sorry, guy, like, I'm really not feeling it today.
Ali 7:06
No, especially not with little ones. You really have to engage them. You know, I taught high school, so I had a little bit more leeway. Like, there were things where I was like, you know, class and I taught Spanish. So my mind, I'm thinking like, class. Like, you know, I would just tell them like, I'm not, I'm not 100% today. Please work on this. And then, you know, when I came back, and I was feeling better, I'd have to like, catch up on everything. But teaching the littles because I've also taught like religious school and things like that with younger kids. And JoDee knows because you talk about this a lot, but like you're, you're on all the time.
Abigail 7:39
Yeah, you're right. Like, with my middle schoolers, I could say like, like I was pregnant for teaching middle school. So I'd be like, um, hold on, I'll be right back. If I didn't feel good or whatever, and they were understanding and they were really good about it. And you can have those kinds of conversations, but you still owe them the best of what you can offer, you know?
Ali 7:59
So you were feeling this way after teaching. And you had at this point, was it two children or had you had your third?
Abigail 8:04
So at this point, we had two children, and I was teaching. And I remember, my husband and I said, we had like, bought a house after our daughter was born. And we felt like it was really a stretch, but we were like, we got this, it's gonna be fine. And after our son, so we have a daughter and three sons. After the oldest two are born, I remember looking like at our finances one month and thinking, like, this is it. Like, this is the max. Like, we make this amount and these are our expenses. And it wasn't like, I really wish that I could, like get a Louis Vuitton purse to know or like... It was like, we're not gonna be able to save. Like, we're not going to be able to have another kid like, because there's no more dollars in like the plusses and minuses each month. And I remember feeling like, okay, like, we're gonna ride this train. We're gonna see how it goes. And like, we both loved teaching. And like, I was a good teacher. Aaron was like, an amazing teacher. Like, I remember sitting in on his classes and being like, this is unbelievable. Like, he was so good. And so I feel like, I just didn't know how long we were gonna be able to sustain it. And so then I get pregnant, like, a couple years later, then COVID happens. And we had Peter, like, in May, the May of COVID. So like, March was locked down, and we had him in May. We went back to school that August, and I was like, Yeah, I'm gonna keep teaching, you know. I started the year and you know, like, the restrictions were just different. So it was like, instead of all the different classes coming to me, like, I would go around to each middle school class. We would rotate instead of the kids rotating. But then like, my kids had to be at school. And I had to make copies in the morning or after school. Like I couldn't have my kids with me at different areas of the building. It took like three days. And I was I was like, okay, living this. I'm realizing this can't happen. Between Ben and Peter, I had started my art business, which, you know, like, at one point I had tried like direct sales, like selling products of a different kind. Like, there was always like, what if we do this an earring with tutoring the whole time, right? And then we decided, like, Okay, I was going to paint with Anna Francis one time in the summer. Then it came out, like really beautiful. And I was thinking, wow, like, I really love this. And my aunt was like, you should just share it on social media. Like, just see what happens.
JoDee 8:07
Can I ask a question really quick? So going back to the finances question, what I'm hearing is what you did, where you all tried to supplement your income by tutoring and by doing these other other things. You have this this third child now. So you are using supplemental income to help sustain the lifestyle?
Abigail 10:59
Yes, like So Aaron was tutoring often. I tutored for a little while. And then we were realizing, though that so then after our whole day of teaching, than we were going to tutor, which was the time when we had to spend with our kids, which was one of the perks of being a teacher was like, oh, like, you're off when they're off, and you work when they're at school. But really, then there's no wiggle room for any margin of error. There's no, like, if they're off, we're off. So someone's got to be watching them all the time. You know, it became like, we were really feeling it. And I was realizing that then Aaron wouldn't get home till like six o'clock, because we tutor after school. He's not getting home till six, which is normal for a lot of people. And I think that a lot of times, the argument is, well, if you're a teacher, like you get off at three, or you get off at 3:30. But like, it doesn't end there.
Ali 11:54
Yeah, I mean, what I'm hearing you kind of share with us is that you were encountering a lot of, I don't know if frustrations is the right word. But you know, you thought you're going into a career that was really going to be probably a great family career. I think a lot of us go into teaching for that reason. I can tell you that that is probably my top reason why I picked education was that I wanted to be there when I had kids. Because my mom had her own business and she wasn't able to, like take me to dance class and to go to all rehearsals. And so then you realize, as you get deeper into it, depending on you know, your situation, but you were trying to increase your income, do tutoring, do after school activities. Like, then you're not actually able to spend as much time with your family. And I think it maybe makes you question. I love teaching, but I also love my own family, and how am I going to make this work, especially you have a growing family. We all know, even if you were getting a discount at your school where you were teaching and your kids were going, child care is very expensive. And so you know, when you want to grow your family, we had another guest on the show that that was one of the reasons why she left teaching was because she had twins. And she couldn't really afford daycare for two kids on a teacher's salary where she lived in Virginia. And so you have all these kinds of obstacles that are coming up. And so that made you and your husband decide, okay, we need to supplement our income, maybe we can really make this work. And I love hearing about how you started to do art with your oldest. So tell us a little bit about how the art studio started.
Abigail 13:26
So she was three at the time. And we were painting over the summer together. We really wanted a piece of abstract art for above our sofa. And we couldn't find something that we really connected with and could also afford. So we were like maybe I'll just make something for it. And I love to paint but like I didn't know what I could do. So we worked together, we painted this piece. And we loved it. It came out really beautifully. And so my aunt was like, you all should just post it and just see what happens. So we posted it online. And the mother of a kid that Aaron was tutoring at the time saw it and she said, Hey, would she do something like that with my boys. And then an interior designer was at her house planning her powder room. And I remember her saying that she just mentioned it to her. She was like this local artist, which like, I was not an artist at the.... you know, like I would have never. But she just says it to this interior designer. She's like, this local artist is going to be coming to paint with my boys, and this is where that's gonna go. And the interior designer was like, that's an amazing concept. And so we had a meeting the three of us and the interior design firm allowed me to use the front of their office space as my studio. So I would go in, I would clear out the front. I would set up the drop cloths and bring the canvases and people started doing it. And I love what I do. One of my favorite parts about teaching was actually parent teacher conferences. I don't think that that's very common, but I always loved them because I loved getting to talk to the parents and be like, Oh my gosh, you're so much like your kid, you know. Or, Oh, that's, that explains it. Like, this is the connection or this, you know. And so, I feel like now what I get to do is I get to paint with these families, and have like, its parent teacher conference everyday. Like, I get to see the kids and their parents and the dynamics. And I just love that. And so anyway, it really took off. And so that started like, 2018. 2019, I think the space next to the parking lot where I would park for work every day became available for lease. And so we decided to rent that as the studio. And it was always like, Okay, if I can make enough money to rent a studio, like, that would be awesome. Okay, because it was just out of our house. So literally for like, a year or more, our house was just covered in like canvases, art supplies and everything. And I remember so much feeling like, are we irresponsible for like having a messy house like this? Like, are we irresponsible for me spending the week, the weekends like painting and then Aaron's got the kids? And then we're not all together? And like, is this going to become something? You know, you just question yourself. And I remember always going back to is it irresponsible that like, like, are we misusing our money? Like, what is what's going on here? If something doesn't feel right, I look around. And I'm like, nobody else seems to be like, really like this. And, and I don't mean to sound like overly privileged or anything. Like, I don't feel like our expectations were like very high. It just felt like the ends were meeting. And so like, What was the plan, you know?
Ali 16:53
It kind of sounds like you were almost like an accidental entrepreneur. Like you didn't realize that you were building something throughout this process. You started something kind of unintentionally, right? Where you were doing art with your child, someone else heard about it. And then it started to grow really in a very organic way. And for those of our listeners who have not seen this amazing artwork that Abigail does with her clients, you have to follow her on Instagram at Abigail Reller Art. I started following you years ago. And it's just such an amazing thing that you do when you bring kids and their parents together, and they can be creative. And then you finish the product. Like there's different options for finishing it. But what I love about it is that it just grew out of a passion it sounds like. Something you enjoy doing with your own children. And you're able to share that with other people. So you and Aaron kind of accidentally fell into this and then are trying to make like more intentional decisions, while being cautious about finances. Because honestly, as teachers, like, it is hard to become an entrepreneur when that's gonna require a lot of capital. You're ona dual teacher income.
Abigail 18:07
Yeah. And I remember my aunt, the same one who was like, you should post this online. I remember her taking me to the art store and saying, Here, I'll give you $100 to buy a canvas.
Ali 18:18
lShe was your investor. She invested in you.
Abigail 18:20
She was my investor. And I like, we couldn't have done that. Like there wasn't wiggle room.
JoDee 18:25
I'm glad you're putting that into perspective. And I'm seriously just learning so much about your story right now, because I went into it thinking I knew your story, but I didn't. First I thought you're probably already an art teacher. I did not know that your subject area was religion. And that, you know, you had a lot of experience with these primary or early childhood ages, but also all the way up to middle school. And it makes sense that the root of your teaching, that the root of your pedagogy, is good instruction, like making sure that you're working with children of all ages and helping them be successful. Because when you look at your videos, the way that you interact with all of these children, is so beautiful. It looks so peaceful and fun. And I'm sure there are challenges. But what I notice first is that you're great with children. And then you see the art kind of take form. And I don't think anybody could do this job as well as a teacher because of the way you interact with the kids. And then all of those things that follow like being an entrepreneur. I mean, teachers are entrepreneurs every day. They are having to improvise. They're having to make quick decisions. They're having to make rules and boundaries and do all of these things for large quantities of kids. And we already possess these skills that we have to then transfer, when we do become a different type of entrepreneur, such as having a small business. So what would you tell the teacher that is like you that you kind of start this little business, and you're you're kind of at a crossroad? Do you just come back to teaching? Or do you pursue this you know, head on? What would you tell that teacher that is trying to make that decision?
Abigail 20:30
Okay, so this is a loaded question, right? So a lot of it has to do with the specifics of your financial situation, and also what you want for your life. I think, do it. I think take the time to invest in yourself, and your family, and your situation, whatever it is, right? Like, whatever your picture of what you want your life to look like is, take the time to invest in something that could, even if you've never leave teaching, like there are some businesses that you can start, and you can get it running. And maybe it's a lot of work on the front end, but like, it can kind of coasts and supplement that, that teaching lifestyle. I think, you know, I remember sitting with a couple of my teacher friends, and we would look at each other and be like, what else can we do? What else can we do? And these are some amazing teachers. That's what sad. It's like, yes, there were things that were hard about teaching, right, that we're talking about and lamenting over occasionally. But it got to this point where when we looked at our family, and we looked at our careers, we decided and we realized, like, it is a luxury to continue to teach. Like, we love it, but we can no longer choose this. And the scary part, and one of my biggest fears when I look at my children at school, is that like, teachers are going to realize that. Like, it is not hard. And I say this with like, humility. It is not hard to replace the salary of a teacher. Like you can, you can start an Etsy shop selling someone else's products and make more than teachers make. And I look at my kids. And it's like, it's not just like, okay, middle School is one thing, right? You rotate. You're with a teacher for 50 minutes, an hour and a half, if it's like a black schedule. Kids in like, up to third grade or whatever the self contained classes, this is how they spend their day with like a teacher all day, the same one. And if she's exhausted or he's exhausted, or if they're at their max capacity everywhere else, then your kids spending their day with somebody who is maxed out already, you know? I worry about that. I worry about it a lot. And I'm not saying that it's the fault of any of the schools that I taught at. I'm not saying it's the fault of any principal, or a pastor, or whatever. Like it's a systemic thing, and I don't have the answer. But what's going to happen?
Ali 23:09
We think about that a lot. JoDee and I, we talk about that a lot. It's something that's on my mind, basically, every day. And I think one thing we have to put into perspective is that you were a teacher for nine years. You contributed to various schools for nine years. You gave a lot of yourself during that time. And that's so valuable. And I also think that it's okay to say I'm not in a position where I can give it my all anymore. And if we can just continue to get people to become teachers, even if it's not their 30 year career. It's a valuable profession. I mean, all the skills that you learn by cultivating your practice, your pedagogy, like JoDee mentioned, allowed you to transition.
Abigail 23:53
I really do believe that. And also, I will say this, teaching well, and building the relationships with parents and students is, and has proved to be for me anyway, an excellent network, base network for starting a business beyond that. So Aaron and I, the people that we know, I mean, we've met some of the best people in the world, I really believe that. I'm like, we know some of the best people in the world, like parents, kids, families, co workers. You meet so many people, and you get to know on a personal level, so many people. I feel like that's so unique. Even if you work in a huge corporation, you don't really know closely the number of people like you do if you're a teacher. And so, if you have done this well and if you would give like of yourself and build these relationships, these people will support you in whatever business you start. Like, if it's something that, that can apply to them. And so I feel like that is what I would tell a teacher who's considering it. Like you right now in the relationships that you're building teaching, you're building your network. And I didn't realize that at the time. But in hindsight, so I had an open studio on Monday, right? And you could come in and buy ornaments. A good number of the people that came were parents of old students that I taught. And that wasn't to do the kids thing that I do, right? Like that was to buy art that I make or ornaments that I mean. I mean, that's, that's amazing. And so I remember to, I remember taking a marketing class in college, and it was human resource management or something like that. And this guy came in, he gave a talk about how his job he was like, he ran the Superdome, which is like the sports arena here, right? One of the biggest things in New Orleans, like it's where the Aaints play. So everyone loves the Superdome. He ran the Superdome. And he said that, when he traced it back, like, he realized that it was from a volunteer, like the connection that he made at a volunteer job during like the Olympic trials in New Orleans. Like he met someone and then continued to just meet people along the way. And I remember thinking, like that just stuck with me. And he was like, I did that volunteer position. Well, and I met these people. And then they referred me to this. And like, initially, it was volunteering, right? But then it became like, oh, now I'm hired. And then now he's like, runs the Superdome.
JoDee 26:29
Yeah, I've heard something similar like that, like, you can't really see the future. But when you look back, you can see how it's helped you every step of the way. And from what I hear, you know, you have these families that you've built relationships with. And they're your cheerleaders. They're your customers. They're your marketers. They're out there doing grassroots marketing for you.
Abigail 26:54
I have a note on my phone of cheerleaders.
JoDee 26:56
Yeah. And you've gone on, you've built this business. You've gone on, you had Thomas who we know has had health challenges, and you've been able to be there for your family. You and Aaron have been able to make really tough decisions, to get to a point in life where you feel a little more sustained, a little more there for your family. And I think the power of both of you being teachers probably contributes to the fact that you are where you are today, as you are reflecting back on, you know, your path through nine years. And we have to be thankful for all those years that we taught. And right now, where you are is an example of, you know, the work that you did, how successful you were in the classroom and the rapport that you built with all of those people. So thanks for your service for all of those years, and now you're on to the next thing using all your amazing teacher brain skills.
Abigail 27:57
Totally, totally. And I and I think you know, you know how some people are like, Oh, don't be a teacher? Like, don't do this. Like I would never tell someone that. I loved teaching.
JoDee 28:10
Ali, what's your famous saying, What's Ali's favorite saying?
Ali 28:14
Teaching is the best first career. I think teaching the best first career. And, you know, to your point, I texted JoDee months ago, Daphne said, she wants to be a teacher. Like, that's my daughter. And, you know, it was like, it took me like, I was like, taken aback. I was like, You know what, you should be a teacher like, I can totally support that. I think it's great. I don't know if she'll end up being a teacher. She's only eight years old. But I think that, you know, there is so much value in the profession. And I do hope that long term, we can change things. We can, you know, increase salary, be able to have better time management for teachers and make it more of a longer term career. But right now, it's still a fabulous career to start off in. And be able to talk to you today and hear your teacher story: Teacher turned entrepreneur. Like it's just been a really a great gift. A wonderful way for us to start our day to day and I want to thank you so much for your time.
Abigail 29:10
Oh my gosh, you are so welcome. And thank you for having me. It was a joy and I love talking about teaching.
Ali 29:16
Thank you. And we want to let our listeners know that if you want to check out Abigail Reller Art, you can find more information at AbigailRellerart.com And as mentioned earlier, at Abigail Reller Art on Instagram, and we'll link those in the show notes.
Are you interested in suggesting a topic for Teacher Shift? Being a guest or recommending a guest? Please see the episodes page on our website to make a submission. And if you'd like to write for us, see our blog page. If you liked Teacher Shift, give us a five star rating and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Apple podcasts, Spotify and Amazon music. Today's episode was written and recorded by me, Ali Simon, and my co host, JoDee Scissors. Executive produced by Teacher Shift. Produced and edited by Emily Porter. Original Music: Emoji by Tubebackr.