Teacher Starts Writing Consulting Business

Adrienne Harris, a university writing specialist, started the Write On! Consulting Agency to teach writing skills and to provide tools and strategies for both students and educators.

Your Side Gig?
I am the owner of a writing consulting business, the Write On! Consulting Agency.

Tell us a little about your work.
I am the writing specialist at Albany State University.

 

 

What led you to work outside the classroom?
I was creating newsletters for my church coupled with a friend of a friend needing help with some writing assignments. I was referred to help her, and the business grew from there.

What advice do you have for other teachers who want to do what you do?
Be patient and organized. Because I work a full-time job and run a business, I have to stay organized to ensure I don't miss deadlines or appointments.

What's the biggest mistake you've made and what did you learn?
I remember a time when I wasn't working my business as much as I should have been. I learned to touch it at least once a day.

If you could go back and give your 20-year old self some advice, what would it be?
20-year old self, getting out of debt is possible. Have a budget and stick to it!

If your FUTURE self in 20 years could look back at where you are today, what advice might the Future You offer the Current You?
The rewards of steady plodding are grand. Stick it out!

Which resources do you rely on the most?
I rely on grammar books… any books that talk about writing, actually.

When are you the happiest?
When I am working on my business, researching, and teaching.

What 2-3 Books Do You Consider Must Reads?
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed The World and Understanding English Grammar by Martha Kolln and Robert Funk.

What are the 2-3 most important work-related purchases you've made in the last year?
A parking decal and work paraphernalia.

You're being shot at dawn; what's your last dinner request?
Cubed steak and rice with sweet peas.

Are there specific resources you use that you'd recommend to others?
I recommend Canva for advertising purposes. I also believe in using analytics from various social media outlets as a means to help you fine tune what you're doing.

What's your next goal?
To organize various teaching modules.

Anything else you'd like to share with other teachers who want to follow in your footsteps?
Work hard. Even when it appears as if no one is watching, they are.

What's one additional question we should ask and how would you respond?
How often do you take time just for you from everything you have going on? One to two times a week

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This teacher profile is part of SimpleK12's Extra Teacher Income series, where we interview educators about the things they're doing outside of the classroom, for both enjoyment and also a little bit of cash. To read more in this series go here, or to suggest your own story and a possible profile, go here.

If you have any questions for Adrienne or anything else related to this topic (and there will be more extra teacher income profiles and stories coming soon), please leave them below in the Comments.

For a different extra teacher income story, check on what Heather Brandon  (blogging and educational consulting) is up to.

Or, follow along with full-time college prof, Dustin York, and his many side gigs.