Katie Eppley spent seven years in the classroom before hitting a breaking point. Anxiety pushed her to make the difficult decision to leave midyear. From there, her path took some unexpected, and inspiring, turns.
In episode 187 of The Teacher Career Coach Podcast, Katie opens up about life after teaching, how becoming a nanny (and later, a new mom) shaped her next steps, and the struggles she faced with postpartum.
That experience sparked a new passion: helping families through the sleepless newborn phase. She got certified as a pediatric sleep consultant and launched her own business, Cuddlebug Sleep Consulting.
We talk about the emotional toll of teaching, what it really takes to start something on your own, and why having a strong support system makes all the difference.
If you’re thinking about a new direction or wondering what’s next after teaching, this one’s for you.
Find Katie on Linkedin.
Listen to the episode in the podcast player below, or find it on Apple Podcast or Spotify.
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- Explore the course that has helped thousands of teachers successfully transition out of the classroom and into new careers: The Teacher Career Coach Course
Episode Transcript:
Welcome back. Join us today as we hear Katie Epley story. Katie is a former teacher who is now A-C-N-S-S certified newborn sleep specialist. With her new practice, it’s her mission to help tired parents become less sleep deprived, enjoy parenthood, and help their child become a rockstar sleeper. Today we discuss her journey from teaching, going out on her own and finding new passion.
Hope you enjoy.
Elizabeth: Well, welcome back everyone today. I’m super excited today to introduce you to Katie Epley. Welcome Katie.
Katie: Thank you. I am super excited to be on this podcast to just chat with you about everything. It’s actually crazy to think that two years ago I was on the other side of this listening to this podcast on the way to and from work. So to be on here is really cool.
Elizabeth: Oh, well, we’re so excited to have you and I can’t wait to dive into your new career where you are now, but we’d love to learn a little bit about your experience in education and kind of what that was like.
Katie: Yeah. So, well, ever since I was little, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher. I was that little girl who would, you know, line up my stock animals and dolls and teach to them like they were my students. So, it was just something that I always knew that I wanted to be. so I was in education for seven years.
So I started as a parent educator in second and third grade, actually at the school where I went to when I was younger. So that was really cool to work with alongside teachers who I had had when I was younger. Um, I then got my own classroom. So I taught fourth grade. For two years. And then during COVID, I taught sixth grade virtually for one year.
And then my husband got a job in Michigan. So we moved from Massachusetts to Michigan and I ended up teaching fifth grade for a year and a half in Michigan. So that’s kind of my journey in education and.
Elizabeth: Awesome. Well, I love that you have that experience as a para educator as well. We have para educators in our community too. So it’s great that you have. through both the lenses of
Katie: Yeah, definitely.
Elizabeth: And so after your move, um, after COVID teaching virtually, tell us a little bit about that turning point where you decided that you didn’t think teaching was going to be your lifelong career.
Katie: Yeah. So honestly, you know, I don’t know if you felt this way with your career in education, but looking back, I feel like the burnout kind of started early for me, but it just increasingly got worse throughout my seven years. And, you know, just to kind of give some examples, that first year, I know for a lot of educators, whether you’re a para or have your own classroom, it’s really hard.
And so that excuse was, Okay. It’s my first year. Like, I just have to get through this and I’ll be good. The second year was a little bit better and then COVID happened and you know, it was unprecedented times and that was tough. And then, when I moved to Michigan, it was kind of like I was starting over again, it was a new grade, a new school, new teachers, new district.
And so that first year I had really high hopes that I was just going to go in early, every morning, stay late, get everything done. And then that next year was going to be. The year where I had it all figured out and it was the complete opposite. Actually for me, that was when I just completely burned out.
Really. Um, I mean, I I ended up leaving in the middle of the school year just because it was so physically, mentally, emotionally draining for me as a teacher. And I just. Really knew that I needed to leave education in that moment.
Elizabeth: So you mentioned something that’s kind of come up a lot with our teacher community. So I don’t know if you want to. Go into it a bit more, but we have a lot of questions about leaving in the middle of the year, breaking the contract, just kind of thoughts about that. So if you, if you wouldn’t mind, do you want to share a little bit about that experience?
Katie: Yeah, of course. So I think what really made me leave in the middle of the school year was just everything that I went through. First off, I lost 10 pounds that year when I was, um, that fall, when I started teaching, I wasn’t sleeping. So I had this constant. ache almost and it was ju I actually went on anxiet talking to my doctor and So, you know, after going that, I just knew tha There’s one specific moment that I remember where I just had reached my breaking point, really.
And, you know, it was actually the one of the school days where it was probably the easiest school day of the year. And, you know, I woke up and I was sobbing to my husband and I was like, I, I can’t go in, like, I can’t do this anymore. And I went to a meeting with him in the car and I jotted down in my notes, all of these.
Talking points that I was feeling inside of me as to why I wanted to leave education And um, I sent an email to my principal who Was really understanding and great. The district that I worked in was amazing. I just sat with him and, you know, went through all of what I was feeling, how this wasn’t because of my district.
just needed to leave for myself. And so when I sat down with him, um, I went into it. I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn’t know if I was going to be leaving, you know, that day, or I was going to be there till the end of the year because of my contract. And so when I sat down with him, I just explained like, I will do whatever you need.
I will work with someone until you find someone to fill my position. I will work till the end of the school year. If you can’t find anyone, I just knew that at some point I needed to leave.
Elizabeth: Thank you for sharing that. And you know, when it’s affecting your health like that, absolutely. Um, and how amazing too, that you shared with him and he was so understanding. That’s great to hear with these administrators who are understanding of that and supportive,
Katie: And I think he, he was actually a teacher himself in the classroom, which I think was really helpful. And one other thing that I want to share too, is that I know everyone has different You know, circumstances and listening to this podcast. I know some teachers, you know, just changing grade levels or schools or what they’re doing within education can really help them with burnout.
But because I knew that the district where I was at, the team that I was working with, it was almost like a great place where I could land in that almost made it easier for me because I knew if I wasn’t happy there, I wasn’t going to be happy anywhere else. And, you know, even before I left. I worked in a really big district and the assistant superintendent actually came to my school and like took me out of the classroom and just wanted to chat with me and explained how grateful they were to have me and just to check in to make sure I was doing okay, which I think spoke volumes about that decision that I was making.
Like it was tough, but it was, I knew it was still the right decision.
Elizabeth: does speak volumes of that district, especially with the assistant superintendent coming to check on you, I feel like, that’s definitely not the case everywhere. And it does always make me happy when. there is that support out there. So I’m really happy to hear that. And then now before we get into where you are now.
So when you left your position, I would think you had some time to process. Think about what you want to do next. So how did like the seeds start germinating for business idea?
Katie: Yeah, so honestly, what that moment that I talked about when I, you know, sat with my principal, like I said, I had no idea what I was going to do next. And so I had some ideas of careers that I wanted to do. And that, um, from what I remember, I was looking at recruiting, being an admin assistant or an executive assistant and a nanny.
And so the nanny route is where I went and I nannied for six months and I absolutely loved it. I, found my family on Facebook and I am still really, really close with them today. So that was, that was awesome for, you know, where I ended up right after that. So what I’m doing now is actually something that just kind of fell into my lap.
and it was not something right away that I had even thought of.
Elizabeth: Very cool. And I love the part that you mentioned about nannying. I was going to ask you where you found it and you, and you already answered, you said Facebook, but I know that’s a route. some people are looking into too, and I don’t know, I’ll have to look up the other websites, but there are some, some websites that like are specifically looking.
Katie: Yeah, definitely. Um, I think care. com is one that I went on, um, that I met with some families through. And then also, um, the, like there was a, local mom, nanny network that I found out that some family members, um, that live in this area had told me about. So looking, you know, if you have mom friends or anyone who is local, getting in a group like that is great.
And also. Specifically in my area, there was actually a nanny concierge service. and so I had reached out to her and she fixes nannies with families. And so I was in touch with a lot of people through, through her as well.
Elizabeth: Oh, how cool. Thank you for sharing some of those resources.
Elizabeth: So now you are a founder, you own your own business, and you’re a pediatric sleep consultant for newborns.
Katie: Yes. So I, I actually work with two different types of, parents. So the first is expecting a newborn parents. So anyone who has a baby from zero to three months. So I created a program where I work with them for about three months. And I really focus on laying a solid sleep foundation for the child to just really help the parents.
have more energy and with their mental health, because having a newborn is tough. And after five months, if they are not where we want them to be with sleep, um, I look at sleep training them. I also work for the sleep consultant side of things, with older children as well, ages four months to six years, where I create individualized sleep plans for their children and, You know, I work with them to make sure they have a seamless bedtime, get them eventually to sleep through the night so that everyone is well rested.
So I absolutely love what I do. And to be honest, it’s really cool because the sleep plan part of things is. Very similar to what a lesson plan is. I know as teachers, we don’t really use lesson plans. You know, we write them on a sticky note or in our plan book, but it was, it’s very similar to like having educational goals, you have sleep goals and you have step by step, you know, instructions.
Of teaching the parents how to work with their child to sleep.
Elizabeth: That’s so interesting, and that leads me to wonder, cause it’s such a specific and unique path that you took. So what led you to this path?
Katie: Yeah. So I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason. So, like I said, I wasn’t sure that this was even a thing really, but, um, I have a 15 month old daughter, her name’s Abby, she just started walking. She’s napping right now. Um, but she, I really struggled with her postpartum my first month and, it Actually, very similar to what I was going through when I was looking to leave education, like the anxiety that I was feeling I wasn’t sleeping.
I wasn’t eating. And so I kind of knew what that felt like. So I made sure to, you know, take care of myself and do what I needed to do. But, The pediatric sleep just became a real passion of mine with my daughter and I, you know, looked into it a lot and became really interested in learning all about it to help her.
And, you know, I ended up helping some of my friends and I was like, you know what, this could be something that I really could do on the side. because at that point I didn’t know if I was going to go back to nannying or be home with my daughter. And I was like, this could be a really great thing I can do on the side for now and like, just to help people.
And I feel like I have my own career, but still be home with my daughter. So it just, it really just made sense for me.
Elizabeth: Very cool. And I love, you know, a lot of educators When they’re transitioning to different careers, they still want to feel that passion and engagement for what they were doing. Because when you’re a teacher, that’s why you got into it, you know, not
Katie: Exactly.
Elizabeth: play, but, but for the kids. And so it’s, it’s cool to hear. you kind of notice this in your own life and found a passion for it. And I’d love to hear a little bit more about what the day to day looks like.
Katie: Yeah. So sometimes the day to day is chaos, honestly, because I am home with my daughter for the most part. She doesn’t. Go to daycare, have a nanny. So I’m home with her. So right now, this business is, um, part-time, but I definitely, my goal is to slowly have it become full-time. So to have someone come and watch her so I can, you know, focus on things.
But what I do is during her nap time from noon to three, I work on my business. And then when I put her to bed, I work. Work on it, you know, for hours, sometimes in the morning. I’m not a morning person, but sometimes I’ll get stuff done and even on the weekends, ’cause I love working on it, but, it’s different every day of what I’m working on.
So some of the things that I do, you know, if I’m working with a new family, I create. a new, an individualized sleep plan for them. sometimes I’m consulting with families, so I’m meeting with them, um, via zoom right now. I don’t offer in person, but that’s something eventually I’d like to do. I also do a lot of reach outs to local businesses.
So part of what I’m doing with my business is working with Offices like pediatric offices, OBGYN offices, any mom groups that, you know, moms get together to talk about mental health or just get together and, you know, work out all those different things, just getting in front of new moms. And I present workshops to them.
So just kind of pitching myself to those businesses about how I think I can help their patients or their clients. I also work on social media. So that’s not really a way that I get new clients, but it’s Just something that I have for my business. So working on that, and I also sometimes create new resources for my clients, like for example, a wake window chart just to have to send to them, or, um, I created a quick fridge view chart for new moms or, you know, moms who are breastfeeding or formula feeding so that they can see how long, you know, they have to leave milk out or things like that.
So,
Elizabeth: Oh, that’s so informative. I’m thinking, you know, and it seems like there is such a need for this. You know,
Katie: oh yeah.
Elizabeth: just thinking about some of my friends with kids and they’re, you know, tired or up all night. And.
Katie: that point you would really do anything to get a good night’s sleep. So it’s definitely something that’s needed for sure.
Elizabeth: And is there any certificates or licensure that you needed to get to be able to do this?
Katie: Yeah, that’s a great question. So you have to go through a certification in order to be a sleep consultant. I am also a CNSS, which is a newborn sleep specialist. So I took another course in addition to my pediatric sleep certification. Um, So there are a lot of different programs out there. So I kind of had to do my due diligence to look into all different programs and see what they offer.
so I just kind of, you know, looked at a bunch of different ones. So I ended up going through the IPSP, which is the Institute of Pediatric Sleep and Parenting. So it was a self guided course, which again, I. It took me about two and a half months and I did it when my daughter was napping.
and so you could do it on your own time as much or as little as you wanted to. And I got certified through there and I ended up choosing that one just because the reviews were great and, it was a decent amount. It was 3, 500. Some of them were 10, 000. So, um, the price point was kind of great. And then, They had a lot of different experts.
They had twin experts, they had mental health, experts, they had nurses. So it was really great to kind of get, um, lactation consultants, everyone’s different perspective. And I left feeling really prepared to work with new families and really help them sleep.
Elizabeth: Oh, that’s so good to hear.
Katie: Yeah,
Elizabeth: And would you tell us a little bit about, so now that you have this business operationally, there things that you have to do that are similar to what you did in teaching? Maybe some of, like you were talking earlier about those transferable skills. So in running a business, what kind of things did you pull from teaching to support you?
Katie: so there is definitely a lot of transferable skills. I think the first one is, you know, a lot of teachers love to be creative, you know, like you have your morning slides up on the board and you’re creating fun lessons. And so with this business specifically, there is a lot of ways to be creative. My creative side is coming out, you know, for social media, I like to create fun reels and things for my Instagram.
I also created my own website, which was cool. I had never done that before. So, you know, being able to do things like create my own logo on Canva and just create different resources. definitely those transferable skills of creating things, you know, um, definitely helps with the business side of things.
Also just day to day organization, you know, creating lesson plans and doing all that. There’s so much that goes into a business, you know, keeping yourself organized and creating a plan of what you have to do daily. that’s definitely one of the things and I would say also, you know, the communication, I’m the only one in my business right now, but communicating with other businesses who I’m looking to work with and communicating with parents and families, it’s very similar to, you know, communicating with parents of the students that you had or, you know, so very, very similar things.
Elizabeth: And do you plan on, um, growing your business? You mentioned you, you are in it yourself. do you look to have employees one day or what’s kind of your thought about growth?
Katie: Yeah, so honestly, like owning my own business has been cool because I have this whole vision for my pediatric sleep consulting business and I’m definitely trying to take things one at a time and not get ahead of myself. But one of the things that I really hope to do in the future. Maybe not even near future, but future is to work with, um, you know, mental health people who like therapists, especially with working with newborns.
There are a lot of moms who went through what I went through postpartum. So having something where I can. Support a family with sleep, but then they can also check in with someone if they’re struggling, just with the transition to parenthood. So that’s something that I definitely want to incorporate.
But I think for now, like definitely just kind of getting my business off the ground and, you know, getting a few years under my belt and doing it. Um, but that’s really something that I hope to do.
Elizabeth: Very cool. I love that idea.
Katie: Yeah,
Elizabeth: And in this process, did you have a mentor or were there any sorts of, um, books or, you know, podcasts that you listened to that really kind of, you Yeah,
Katie: is if you’re listening to this podcast, you are doing great because this is what helped me honestly so much, I just remember listening to other episodes and feeling like I wasn’t the only one who was struggling with teaching and that made the world of a difference, honestly, and hearing, you know, ideas of different, careers that people had gone to.
And helped me be more positive. I’m like, all of these people have left education and I can do it too. So this podcast really, really helped. Another thing that really helped me, um, I actually reached out to a teacher. She’s, she was like, you know, my mom. What do you call it? Mom, work mom.
Um, yeah, I had a lot of work moms, which I was lucky, but I had reached out to her cause she left education and she told me three things. The first one was to download this podcast and I did. The second one was to read the book. What color is your parachute? Have you heard of that book at all?
Elizabeth: yeah.
Katie: Yeah, so I read that and I diligently did every single exercise and that really helps me just kind of pinpoint careers that I might be interested in and then honestly, just reaching out to family or friends who, you know, were in different careers that I may have been interested in and just, you know, Really diving deep and asking them what is their day to day look like?
What do you like about your job? What don’t you like about your job? you know, the holidays are coming up. So getting together with your family, like, oh, I know you do this. Can you tell me a little bit more about that? And it’s really cool to find that people are interested to hear about, like, why you want to leave teaching or what you’re looking to do.
Like, they’re really, Willing to help and, and are really excited to tell you about their careers.
Elizabeth: So that part where you talked about meeting other people talking about careers, I think that’s so important because It even brings awareness to careers you would never even know existed or have thought about.
Katie: Absolutely. Yeah,
Elizabeth: thinking about some times where I’ve been, you know, at dinners and I’ve learned about different careers and I’m like, well, what’s that?
I’ve never even heard of that. And it’s, it’s cool because who knows, you could be interested in it.
Katie: exactly. And I think, you know, I know some people touched upon this in the episodes that I listened to, but as a teacher, sometimes I think we just are like, oh, I’m a teacher, you know, and there’s so many other. opportunities, careers that you can do out there and just hearing about them, listening to different things is really important to keep your, an open mind of all of the possibilities that, that you can do to be successful.
Elizabeth: And if you could give the teachers listening who are on the fence, about leaving education, a specific piece of advice or a thought. Do you have anything to share with them?
Katie: Yeah, I have a lot. I would say, first of all, if you are me two years ago, and you’re crying in the car, going to work, or even you’re not crying, but you’re stressed and you’re thinking about leaving. Give yourself grace because it’s really hard. I mean, I was at a super low place in my life and it was honestly one of the hardest things I, I have a lot of self confidence and I just felt completely at my lowest point.
And if you are feeling that way, you’re not alone and there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And it’s, it’s really scary when you don’t know what your future holds, what your career holds. but you know, you will get through it and teachers are amazing people who do amazing things and you have so much to offer to the world, whether that is staying in education or going a completely different route, you, you will figure it out and, you know, just leaning on other people, reaching out, talking to other people.
is really just kind of what I would say.
Elizabeth: Thank you for that. And now that you’ve left, can you tell us a little bit about how your work life balance has changed?
Katie: Oh, I feel like a new woman. I mean, I I’m a very bubbly person. If you ask my family or friends. And when I was teaching, there were moments where I felt I was just like a lump on a log sometimes. And I, I couldn’t get out of this, you know, and it wasn’t always that way. It was just, that was when I was burnt out, but, I look forward to work.
You know, I, I love what I do. I love what I do now. I get excited like talking about it. and so I just have this balance where I can work on work, but then I can come home and enjoy my home life with my husband and my daughter. And I actually still do think about work, but it’s fun stuff that I’m thinking about.
So it is. It’s like a complete 180. Yeah.
Elizabeth: Oh, I’m so happy to hear that.
Katie: Yeah, so, um, I obviously have no background in business whatsoever. I was just, uh, you know, not just, but I was a teacher and a nanny. So this was all new to me. when I, the course that I took to get certified, they had one specific module that was, you know, Based on explaining to you how to start a business.
Um, so that was really helpful. So for anyone out there who is thinking of possibly starting their business, um, I’ll just kind of go through the steps quickly of what that looked like. So the first thing was to name your business and you have to, there’s a website where you can go to make sure that your business name isn’t taken already, and you can create a logo for it, which is actually kind of fun.
It’s like, again, the creative side comes out. The second thing is you register your business, business with your local state and government, um, you can do that online. And then the third thing is to choose your business structure. So there’s a lot of different structures. There’s an LLC S corp, um, sole proprietorship.
So my company is an LLC, which is a limited liability company. And. What that does is it separates your personal assets from your business assets. So, you know, knock on wood, if I was to ever get sued or go bankrupt, it would protect things like my house and my car. Cause it’s separate from my business. the next thing was to get an EIN number, which is kind of like a social security number for your business.
and then you can create a website. That’s not something that you have to do, but, um, you know, You know, you can do that for your business. It’s helpful. And then you have to figure out a way to accept payments. So a lot of websites out there like Squarespace, Wix, they have things that are part of the package that you purchased the website with, where you can.
Um, and then I, for my specific business, I created an intake or an assessment form. So for new families that I’m working with, I ask them all questions about sleep, like their routines and kind of see, you know, where there’s room for improvement or what they’re doing. Great. And then also the last part is to book keep so track all your income and expenses and, right now I’m just using Google Sheets, but this month, um, I am transitioning to QuickBooks, which a lot of larger businesses use, but also small businesses.
So that’s kind of how the steps to start your own business and what that looks like.
Yeah.
Elizabeth: And is there any last things that you want to share, um, about what you’ve learned about yourself as we wrap this up? Uh, what have you learned about yourself making this big career change?
Katie: Yeah. So I’ve learned a lot about myself. Um, I think the first thing is that I am a career driven person. And I don’t know how to put this into words, and I don’t know if you felt this way too, but I think as teachers, you know, we, like when you’re a teacher, you have a career, you have a job that you, that you do, but.
You know, I have a lot of friends and family that are in corporate or, you know, I hear them making advancements in their career and it’s just really cool to feel like, Hey, I’m on a podcast. You know, I got published in the media. I’m doing a workshop. I booked my first 10 clients and I’m helping a lot of people.
So just to feel like I’m a very career oriented person now, not saying that I wasn’t, but it’s just a different feeling where I started my own business. And so I’m really proud of myself for that. And I, think that’s something that I don’t really give myself credit for, but it’s really cool when you can look back at how you can transition into a new career.
I mean, that alone, everyone that’s been on this podcast or is thinking about it, like that’s a huge accomplishment.
Elizabeth: Thank you so much for sharing that and for sharing your journey today. I can’t wait for everyone to listen. So thanks so much, Katie.
Katie: Yeah. Thank you for having me. Have a good rest of your day, Elizabeth.
