Understand and Love Math - Miss Kuiper's Classroom

Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Johanna Kuiper, Owner of Miss Kuiper's Classroom, located in Salem, OR, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is Miss Kuiper's Classroom. I sell digital products, host a podcast and a blog, and am a course creator! It's all geared towards middle school math teachers who have students who are behind or working below grade level.

Tell us about yourself

I am an 8th-grade math teacher in the PNW. During my first year of teaching, I became frustrated with the curriculum I was given because it didn't suit the needs of my students. When I would search online for resources to help me fill in the gaps, there weren't any math resources geared towards students with major gaps in their learning. So I created my own.

And I knew if I was searching for them, other teachers were too. And that's when I started my online business, where I sell math lessons and activities and overall help math teachers engage students academically using research-based strategies that help students deeply understand and love math.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment as a business owner is jumping in and doing it scared. I can't even begin to count the number of times I didn't know how to do something or faced imposter syndrome when it came to business. But instead of letting that fear stop me, I used it to propel me forward. And that right there continues to be my biggest and best accomplishment.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

Staying consistent. Whether that's with social media, my podcast, blog, etc., staying consistent is a challenge. On top of creating and maintaining my business, I am still a full-time classroom teacher. Trying to balance everything is sometimes nearly impossible. This is why being proactive (not my strong suit yet!) and batching content is vital to being able to stay consistent.

And putting yourself out there. I am a middle school math teacher trying to change the way people view math. Lots of people have an idea of what math class should be because they sat through monotonous math classes. That's not ideal for learning, and I do it differently. Yet when I share that with the world, the old-school thinkers push back heavily. So pushing through the "haters" can be another huge challenge as a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

Start now. Don't wait until "the time is right." It won't come. Do it now. As cliche as it sounds, there is no time like the present.
Give it time. It can be a slow and steady growth where the long game is the key to success. Don't give up because it seems tough now.
Find a community of like-minded people. It will not only give you accountability but also a place of relatability. I don't think I would have survived the imposter syndrome, the questions I couldn't answer through Google, and the "is this normal?" without the support of my entrepreneur friends.

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://misskuipersclassroom.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissKuipersClassroom
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/misskuiper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissKuiper

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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