As a Teachers Pay Teachers seller, I’m a member of many TPT-focused Facebook groups. Often in these communities, teachers share that they want to start selling on Teachers Pay Teachers, but there’s something stopping them. It might be a lack of knowledge or the feeling that they’re not good enough. But what is really stopping many is their fear. This book review is for teachers who want to become teacherpreneurs but just can’t get started. If that’s you, then go get Do It Scared by Ruth Soukup NOW.

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Ruth Soukup and Pushing Through Fear

I found Ruth Soukup about a year ago when I began my own Teachers Pay Teachers journey. She is a blogger, author, and podcaster. I began to follow her–the queen of blogging herself–while setting up this very site in hopes of soaking up some of her business savvy.

Her podcast, which shares the same title as her book, is part goal-setting, part encouragement, and part inspiration.

(It’s definitely a must-listen for any class-weary teachers or aspiring business owners out there.)

The premise of Ruth Soukup’s book Do It Scared, and much of her other work, is that fear is not something to be avoided.

Rather, fear is inevitable, and if we are going to accomplish big dreams, then we must learn to act and Do It Scared.

But Fear Isn’t Stopping Me From Anything… Is It?

Now, you might be like me. You might believe that fear isn’t the thing stopping you from your one big goal. After all, we’re out in the world. We’re not hiding under our beds. And is there anything more terrifying than facing a classroom full of judgemental teenagers every day?

I think not.

But fear has many manifestations. Sometimes it’s procrastination (guilty!). Sometimes it’s excuses (again, guilty!).

The genius of Ruth Soukup’s newest book is that it’s applicable to everyone as an individual.

You first start by taking Soukup’s online fear assessment. This assessment will match you with your fear archetype.

For example, I’m a “Rule Follower.” A lot of my fear in life comes from being worried about breaking rules. I was totally that kid in grade school who always came on time, sat in their assigned seat, and never dreamed of skipping my homework.

In the book, Ruth Soukup talks about how each fear type manifests itself, how it holds people back, and even the strengths associated with each fear.

My rule-following made me a straight-A student (woo!), but also makes taking risks in my life–even positive, necessary ones–a struggle.

Ruth Soukup’s Process

Like any self-development process, the first step is acknowledgment. Armed with this self-knowledge, Do It Scared walks the reader through the perils of giving in to fear and the strategies for working through it.

What I found really helpful in this book were the examples and anecdotes. For each archetype, Soukup shares stories and examples.

I definitely saw not just myself, but many people I know, woven throughout this book.

She gives helpful advice for each archetype also. She often recommends finding an accountability partner. For my rule-following self, I need to make stepping outside of my comfort zone a habit.

Do It Scared and Start Selling on Teachers Pay Teachers!

I think Do It Scared is especially pertinent for teacher-authors selling their products on Teachers Pay Teachers.

After I uploaded my first product, I was immediately overcome with imposter syndrome.

How could I possibly think anyone would want something I made?

Why would anyone pay me for it?

I’m doing other teachers a disservice–they should spend their hard-earned money somewhere else.

But I resisted the urge to take down my store. I doubled down and kept at it. And within six months, I had my first four-figure month.

Now I’m a year in and still learning, growing, and fighting fear every day.

Do It Scared and Start Selling on Teachers Pay Teachers

The fear of not being good enough is real for us teacher-authors. So is the fear of not knowing how. I see so many would-be teacherpreneurs asking questions about marketing when they haven’t even uploaded their first freebie.

(You don’t have to know it all to get started, guys!)

When new tax laws rolled out last year, so many teacher sellers just gave up instead of stepping up to the challenge of learning the new systems. (Which, by the way, is crazy to me–teachers afraid of learning? Yikes!)

Then there are excuses–we work full-time jobs, we have families, blah blah blah.

All of these things that seem like really legitimate reasons to give up, or worse, not even start in the first place, are rooted in fear. Fear disguises itself as many things.

But Do It Scared not only helps readers diagnose the root of their fears, but walks them through overcoming, and even leveraging those fears.

So if you’re ready to start selling on Teachers Pay Teachers, or you have some other big goal you want to accomplish, but you keep putting it off, I highly recommend Ruth Soukup’s newest book, Do It Scared.

Buy it now from Amazon!