Can You Be a Scholar Without Academia? This Writing Coach Says Yes

Can You Be a Scholar Without Academia? This Writing Coach Says Yes

📌What if the dream job—tenure, publications, grants—still leaves you feeling empty inside?


In this episode, Leslie Wang, PhD, shares how she transitioned from a tenured academic to a thriving writing coach and podcast host, finding deeper purpose and flexibility outside academia.


Leslie’s podcast is now ranked in the top 3% globally, and she runs a successful coaching business helping academics write their books without burning out. She shares how she made the leap into business, found her niche, and now works with clients she loves—on her own terms.


If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s really possible to leave academia and build a meaningful (and profitable!) business, this episode will give you clarity, courage, and steps to take action.


What You’ll Learn in This Episode:


📌 Leslie’s full journey from PhD to tenure to entrepreneurship

📌 How coaching gave her what teaching couldn’t

📌 Her 4-month financial test before quitting

📌 Why being 80% ready is enough

📌 Advice for launching your side hustle the right way


🔗 Resources Mentioned:

👉 Your Words Unleashed Podcast: https://yourwordsunleashed.com/podcast/


👉 Princeton University Press Coaching Program: https://press.princeton.edu/book-proposal-development-grants?srsltid=AfmBOoq-kAZYOXpzEJRWsrxggELLaDoOdn0mQv97PPOJlH2XJo9zmfIQ


👉 Book: The Prosperous Coach by Steve Chandler & Rich Litvin (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/4n31GHb


👉 Coaching resource: Rhonda Hess – The Prosperous Coach Podcast: https://prosperouscoachblog.com/prosperous-coach-podcast/


📣 Know someone stuck in academia? Send them this episode.


Want to end burnout and become an academic editor or coach?

Go to AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor



00:00 - Overview of Leslie's background as an academic and coach.

02:27 - Starting a business feels daunting yet rewarding.

06:23 - Experience of burnout in academia.

09:58 - Transitioning from academia to coaching and editing.

12:20 - Email from the chair marked a turning point.

14:10 - Importance of finding happiness beyond career.

17:15 - Coaching differs from teaching in tangible impact.

18:32 - Light bulb moments bring fulfillment in coaching.

20:35 - Empowering clients through coaching without advice.

23:09 - Importance of mental and scheduling space in coaching.

27:39 - Learning to say no to avoid burnout while freelancing.

29:01 - Rule to replace salary for four months as a threshold.

31:37 - Balancing a side hustle with academic commitments.

35:40 - Embracing uncertainty in decision-making.

37:24 - Majority of clients focus on book coaching.

39:00 - Coaching incorporates developmental editing for effectiveness.

45:54 - Podcast creation keeps business engaging.

46:31 - Interviews enrich the podcast experience.

48:10 - Social media is crucial for marketing outreach.

55:30 - The role of support in leaving academia behind.

56:45 - Final thoughts on pursuing personal fulfillment outside academia.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(100)

From Burnout to 10k Followers: How Erin Schleiden Built The Academic Writing Coach

From Burnout to 10k Followers: How Erin Schleiden Built The Academic Writing Coach

You've always assumed that niching down will scare clients away, but you're getting it wrong.I know it's counterintuitive, but Erin Schleiden, PhD, is the perfect example of why narrowing your niche i...

3 Syys 30min

4 Signs Your Academic Business Has Outgrown You (and What to Do Next)

4 Signs Your Academic Business Has Outgrown You (and What to Do Next)

You're fully booked with editing or coaching clients. Revenue is good. And somehow you still feel like something's about to fall apart.If that sounds familiar, you haven't done anything wrong—you've h...

27 Elo 56min

The "House Cleaner Theory" of Pricing Your Academic Editing Services

The "House Cleaner Theory" of Pricing Your Academic Editing Services

If you're still charging 2 cents a word for academic editing, this episode is going to make you uncomfortable—in a good way.In this episode, I break down the two beliefs that keep editors underpriced ...

20 Elo 52min

Does Leaving Academia Still Feel Like Failure? Reflections on the Last 10 Years

Does Leaving Academia Still Feel Like Failure? Reflections on the Last 10 Years

Leaving academia can feel like admitting the whole thing was a mistake. It isn't—and the fear that says otherwise isn't an accident.In this episode, Paulina sits down with career coach Jen Polk (From ...

13 Elo 36min

How to Finish Your PhD and Launch Your Editing Business (with a Toddler at Home)

How to Finish Your PhD and Launch Your Editing Business (with a Toddler at Home)

Thousands of moms around the world are getting their PhD while juggling many (or all) of the parenting responsibilities.In this week's episode, I spoke with Laura Vasquez Bass, of Atlantic Editorial, ...

6 Elo 49min

"There's No Work Out There" Is a Lie: 3 Places to Find Your Next Editing Clients

"There's No Work Out There" Is a Lie: 3 Places to Find Your Next Editing Clients

You keep hearing there's no editing work out there. Let me be clear: That is NOT true—and if your calendar has been empty, the problem probably isn't the market. It's that your ideal clients don't kno...

30 Heinä 44min

How to 4x Your Editing Rate without Learning a Single New Skill

How to 4x Your Editing Rate without Learning a Single New Skill

You've been editing for an agency since 2020, and you're still making the same 1.5 cents a word you started with.Meanwhile you're staring down another year of barely cracking $40K for work that's eati...

23 Heinä 47min

Neurodivergent and Burnt Out? Why Freelance Editing Might Fit Your Brain Better than a 9-5 Job Does

Neurodivergent and Burnt Out? Why Freelance Editing Might Fit Your Brain Better than a 9-5 Job Does

After a Yale University Press internship where a supervisor told her she had "a strange brain," and six months of applications with zero interviews, Hannah Bartlett stopped trying to fit into a system...

16 Heinä 43min

Suosittua kategoriassa Liike-elämä ja talous

sijotuskasti
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-rahapodi
mimmit-sijoittaa
ostan-asuntoja-podcast
rss-rahamania
lakicast
hyva-paha-johtaminen
rahapuhetta
sijoituskaverit
inderespodi
oppimisen-psykologia
rss-sami-miettinen-neuvottelija
rss-porssipodi
leadcast
rss-pinnan-alle
rss-doulapodi
rss-yritys-ja-erehdys
rss-karon-grilli
rss-inderes