"I Wish I Hadn't Waited So Long": How to Build a Business With Your Academic Expertise

7 Clients in 12 Weeks: How Annie Left a 20-Year Teaching Career and Launched Her Editing Business

You've been doing everything right—teaching, advising, serving on committees, even organizing a union—and still hitting a wall. Annie Brubaker did all of that for 20 years, watched her salary get frozen for 12 of them, went on a 29-day strike, and finally decided she was done waiting for an institution to value her. Then she landed 7 editing clients in her first 12 weeks as a professional editor. In this episode of the Leaving Academia podcast, Annie talks about what actually moves the needle when you're starting a freelance editing or coaching business from scratch—including the mindset shift that helped a self-described perfectionist get her website out the door before it was "ready," and why networking felt way more natural than she expected. What we cover: 🌟 How Annie went from non-tenure-track faculty to 7 paying clients inside a single 12-week BAE cohort 🌟 The minimum-viable-product mindset that helped her stop overthinking and start landing clients 🌟 Her specific outreach strategies: informational interviews, cold emails, local nonprofit connections, and more 🌟 Why she chose to name her business after herself—and what that decision meant to her sense of ownership and identity 🌟 How LinkedIn stopped feeling like self-promotion and started feeling like finally getting to say what she thinks 🌟 Why Annie credits the BAE community with getting her clients years faster than going it alone Connect with Annie: Annie Brubaker Writing Consulting — abwritingconsulting.com LinkedIn:  [https://www.gstatic.com/youtube/img/watch/social_media/linkedin_1x.png] / anniebrubaker   [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVEyU3cwejVWNFJqbWR5b1FXM0x5dlpwR2gtd3xBQ3Jtc0tuYVhPei1rbGpPUm85VEFkLUdtWWROTG14aEdfSUtCa2MtVDZuZmdpMnBfcVQtTEk3X1dJdmhSOWVaZzJ4MXRycjNjU0RENWUwUmJiZXhVazljWFZqRjhkV1NsSUtTc1VSM0E2ZmxPbDdydGJDU0pTQQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fanniebrubaker%2F&v=A552_UhC5mE] Resources Mentioned: Atomic Habits by James Clear Becoming an Academic Editor or Coach (BAE) program: AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor The Academic Entrepreneurs Studio: AcadiaEditing.com/studio 3:15 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=195s] - Why Academic Faculty Should Unionize 7:20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=440s] - How To Overcome Institutional Burnout 11:45 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=705s] - Building A Successful Editing Business 15:10 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=910s] - How To Find Your First Clients 18:55 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=1135s] - Mastering The Art Of Self Promotion 22:30 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A552_UhC5mE&t=1350s] - Future Goals And Final Thoughts ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The AI Editing Backlash Nobody's Talking About (And Why It's Good News for You)

You're worried AI is going to kill academic editing and coaching. Here's what's actually happening—and why it might be the best news you've heard all year. If you've asked yourself, "Should I even bother starting an editing or coaching business when AI is taking over?"—this episode is your answer. Paulina Cossette has been watching the industry closely, and the picture is more nuanced (and more hopeful) than the doom-and-gloom narrative suggests. In this episode, she walks you through exactly what's changing, who's using AI to edit, and why human editors and coaches are more in demand in the AI era—not less. In this episode, you'll hear: 👉 Which AI isn't going to steal your clients (and who exactly is using it for editing) 👉 Why AI is genuinely bad at the technical parts of academic editing (yes, including citations) 👉 The AI backlash that's growing steadily—and what it means for your business 👉 What a good editor or coach actually sells (hint: it's not grammar checks) 👉 Real 2026 results from BAE members: 7 clients in 12 weeks, matched stipend income, first $10K month 👉 How to position yourself so the right clients say, "That one. I want her." Whether you're considering academic editing as an exit from academia, already freelancing and wondering how to level up, or building a coaching business alongside your editing work—this episode will give you clarity and direction. Resources Mentioned: 🎯 Erin Servais's AI for Editors program: aiforeditors.com 🎯 Episode 58 of Leaving Academia (interview with Erin Servais) 🎯 Free roadmap for academics who want to build a business: acadiaediting.com/map 🎯 The free Homepage Blueprint for landing private clients: acadiaediting.com/blueprint 🎯 The Academic Entrepreneurs Studio: acadiaediting.com/studio ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The 1 Thing Killing Your Academic Business Before You Even Start

You spent months preparing to launch your editing or coaching business, and you still haven't started. Or maybe you launched, got crickets, and shelved the whole idea. Here's the truth: it's not your idea, your niche, or your credentials holding you back. It's a single question your PhD brain has been trained to ask on repeat–and it's functioning as a verdict before the trial has even started. In this episode, Paulina breaks down the mindset trap that keeps brilliant academics stuck in endless preparation, early abandonment, and "planning from the floor." She unpacks why the same critical thinking that made you a rigorous scholar becomes the thing that sabotages your business. She also shows you how to use the research skills you already have–data collection, hypothesis testing, pivoting–to build something that works. You'll hear: 🟢 The 4-word question that's keeping you frozen (and why it feels like "due diligence" when it's really self-sabotage) 🟢 The 3 ways academic conditioning shows up in failed launches: endless preparation, early abandonment, and planning from the floor 🟢 Why one or two LinkedIn posts and a sales page will never sell your workshop (and what to do instead) 🟢 How to treat your business like a research project–not a performance review 🟢 A college-application framework for setting dream, safe, and backup numbers for any offer 🟢 The shift from "what if this doesn't work?" to "how can I make this work?"–and why it changes everything If you've been telling yourself you'll start your editing or coaching business when you feel "ready," this episode is for you. ▶️ Subscribe for weekly episodes on leaving academia and building a freelance editing or coaching business. 📚 Resources Mentioned: BAE (Becoming an Academic Editor or Coach) – for academics who are building a business. Next cohort begins September 2026. Get on the waitlist at AcadiaEditing.com/map The Academic Entrepreneurs Studio – 6-month mastermind for academics who've launched and want to grow. Get more info at AcadiaEditing.com/studio 1:30 - The Academic Mindset Trap 3:45 - Why Academics Fear Failure 6:10 - Endless Prep, Early Abandonment 8:30 - Planning From The Floor Explained 10:45 - Shift From Fear to Action 13:00 - Marketing Workshops The Right Way 15:15 - Build Trust Not Just Sales 17:30 - Your Business A Research Project 19:45 - Embrace Pivoting For Growth 21:55 - Set Ambitious Business Goals 23:10 - The Power of "How Can I Make This Work" 25:25 - Next Steps To Grow Your Business ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Academic Skills You're Giving Away for Free (and What They're Actually Worth)

⏱️ Stop doing this academic work for free. Every Tuesday, you wake up, drink your coffee, read a dissertation chapter, meet with a struggling grad student, teach a seminar, peer review an article, and edit a colleague's grant proposal—and you call it "being a professor." But each of those tasks has a name in the freelance world. And a price. And a market full of people who would pay you handsomely to do it. In this episode, Paulina walks you through a normal day in academic life and points at every single thing you already do—then tells you exactly what it's called outside the ivory tower and who would pay you for it. Developmental editing. Copy editing. Academic coaching. Book coaching. Workshop facilitation. Online course creation. Expert review. Grant editing. These are real businesses run by real former academics earning real money (think $60–$400/hour), and you already have the skills to do every single one. If you've ever stared at your CV and wondered how to translate "dissertation advisor" into something the non-academic world understands, this episode is your roadmap. You don't have to give up the work you love—you just have to leave behind the institution that's sucking you dry. By the end of this episode, you'll be able to look at your own week and see it for what it really is: a portfolio of marketable services worth thousands of dollars to the right clients. What you'll learn: ⏱️ How a 7:30am dissertation chapter review is actually $60–$100/hour of developmental and copy editing ⏱️ Why your 9am coaching conversation with a struggling grad student is a $100–$200/hour service ⏱️ How your afternoon class prep translates into paid workshops, online courses, and group programs ⏱️ Why your FREE peer review for journals is worth $100–$300/hour outside academia ⏱️ The one skill you have that AI can't replicate (and why it's becoming more valuable, not less) 🔗 Resources Mentioned: Ep 52: How to Turn Your Skills into a Paid Workshop: https://youtu.be/bM2gyXsQccs?si=CXQTM3w3us56K__r 👉 Subscribe for weekly episodes on leaving academia, building a freelance editing or coaching business, and reclaiming your time, energy, and income. 🐦‍🔥 Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach? Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor 01:30 — Why higher ed needs you to feel stuck 02:30 — The spoiler: your daily work is actually 6+ jobs 05:30 — What developmental editing actually is ($60–$100/hr) 07:00 — Copy editing and line editing explained 11:00 — Academic coaching defined ($100–$400/hr) 16:00 — Book coaching and writing coaching ($1K to tens of thousands) 20:00 — Creating paid workshops and group programs 25:00 — Facilitation, retreats, and institutional contracts 29:30 — Expert review and publishing coaching ($100–$300/hr) 33:00 — Grant editing as a business ($100–$250/hr) 36:30 — Why AI won't replace human editors and coaches 40:00 — The real question: which skills light you up? ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.

The Identity Shift Every Academic Needs Before Becoming a Paid Editor or Coach

Does selling your editing or coaching services make you feel gross, salesy, or like a fraud? You're not alone, and there's a reason behind that discomfort, but it has nothing to do with selling itself. In this episode, Paulina explains why so many academics struggle to charge for their knowledge, and how to reframe selling as service so you can finally build a sustainable freelance business without the guilt. After leading 8 cohorts of Becoming an Academic Editor or coach (BAE) and helping over 100 academics launch their own editing and coaching businesses, Paulina has heard this fear come up again and again. Here's what she's learned: the discomfort isn't about the act of selling. It's about the gap between everything academia trained you to believe and what it actually takes to run a profitable freelance business. In this episode, you'll hear: ✒️ Why universities and publishers have conditioned academics to give their labor away for free (and how this shapes your relationship with money) ✒️ The real source of that "icky" feeling when you have to quote a price ✒️ How to reframe selling as information transfer, not manipulation ✒️ Why charging fair rates is what makes you a better editor or coach for your clients ✒️ The identity shift required to go from underpaid professor to paid expert ✒️ How your years of expertise translate into intellectual property worth charging for If you've ever hesitated to send a quote, undercharged for your work, or felt guilty asking a client to pay you, this episode will completely change how you think about selling. 📌 Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach? Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Subscribe to the podcast for weekly episodes on leaving academia and building a freelance editing or coaching business. 2:15 - Why Academia Pays Less Than You Deserve 4:30 - The Truth About Publishers and Free Labor 6:45 - How To Reframe Selling Services 9:00 - Your Knowledge is Valuable IP 11:15 - The Ethical Imperative to Charge 13:30 - Actionable Steps to Embrace Your Value ---------------------------------------- Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy [https://acast.com/privacy] for more information.