How Triple Thread Learning Helps Teachers Build Businesses

This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through our recommended links. We will only recommend products or services that we have personally used or that members of our community are currently using. This is of absolutely no cost to you, the company we recommend may pay us a small fee for linking you with them and this helps us with the running costs of our website. Learn more through our Private Policy and Affiliate Disclaimer pages.

When we first introduced Claire and Sonja from Triple Thread Learning (TTL) on the Exit Stage Teach Blog, their story resonated deeply with our community.

Check out our original blog post with Triple Thread, The Exit Stage Teach Journey with Triple Thread Learning

Two teachers who had walked the familiar corridors of NSW schools carried the weight of student learning and wellbeing on their shoulders, feeling the pull between loyalty to the profession and the whisper of burnout. They had done what many dream of but few attempt: stepping away from the classroom to build something of their own.

At that time, TTL was taking its first bold steps into the world of franchising. The logical next step was to share what they’d built and give other teachers the same chance to carve out a flexible, fulfilling career. It was a model born of passion and practicality.

But like all good teaching journeys, the lesson plan evolved. The last few years have seen TTL grow, stumble, reflect, and ultimately transform into a model that is more flexible, more sustainable, and more in line with the heart of its mission: helping teachers keep teaching, just differently.

The First Transition: From Classroom to Business

Stepping out of the classroom wasn’t a neat, linear process.

As Sonja explains:

“Leaving teaching isn’t just about changing jobs. It feels like letting go of a part of oneself. For us, teaching was never just what we did; it was who we were. And walking away came with a lot of fear and guilt.”

Both Claire and Sonja admit that in those first months, they clung to the certainty of their teaching skills but felt out of their depth in business. Tax, websites, contracts, and marketing were an entirely different language.

Claire reflects on what she would have done differently:

“If I could go back, I would have found a mentor much sooner. Someone who could believe in us when we were still learning to believe in ourselves, and who could guide us through those early steps we found so overwhelming.”

What carried them through wasn’t a perfect business plan. It was the same thing that carries teachers through the toughest days: a sense of purpose.

“We started TTL because structured literacy changed the trajectory for our students,” Sonja recalls. “We saw kids make progress that had felt impossible in the school system. That was our spark; we knew we had to find a way to do more of that.”

Early Days: Finding Ground in Values

The first months of TTL weren’t glamorous. There were no fancy offices, no polished marketing funnels, no neat five-year projections. What they did have was a set of values and a determination to anchor every decision in them.

Sonja remembers, “The very first thing we did was sit down and ask: what kind of impact do we want to have in our community? Who do we want to serve? What will we not compromise on? Those conversations set the foundation for everything.”

That foundation became their compass as TTL began offering literacy intervention, professional learning, and parent support. By the time the COVID-19 pandemic prompted families to go online, demand for their evidence-based approach skyrocketed. Waiting lists grew.

Claire laughs as she remembers: “It was every small business owner’s dream and nightmare at once. The demand was there, but the systems weren’t. We were running to keep up.”

The Franchise Years: A Model That Made Sense For a While

With demand surging, the pair considered their options. Hiring employees didn’t feel right at the time. Franchising, on the other hand, seemed perfect. It offered teachers a ready-made model, resources, and a brand to lean on, while providing TTL with a way to expand its impact.

“At that stage, franchising felt like the best way to share what we’d built,” Claire explains. “We wanted other teachers to feel the freedom and fulfilment we’d found, and franchising was the obvious way to package that up.”

And for a time, it worked. TTL grew. Educators came on board. Families found the support they desperately needed.

But behind the scenes, cracks began to appear.

The Turning Point: When Growth Outgrew the Model

The more TTL grew, the more Claire and Sonja realised that franchising didn’t sit comfortably with their vision. The structure was too rigid, the legal and financial barriers too high, and the creative freedom too limited.

Sonja shares:

“We’d have these amazing teachers come to us, excited about what we were doing. But then they’d ask questions like, ‘Can I only do structured literacy in this model?’ or ‘If I make resources, who owns them?’ Their excitement turned to hesitation, and we started losing the very people we wanted to support.”

The second turning point came after a candid conversation with a seasoned business owner who had left franchising himself. He asked them the uncomfortable but necessary questions: What was TTL really about? What did they want teachers to walk away with? Did franchising align with that vision, or was it boxing them in?

Claire remembers the moment clearly:

“It hit us hard. We realised franchising was at odds with what we were trying to do. It was scary to let go; we’d poured so much into it. But holding on was stopping us from growing. Letting go was terrifying and freeing at the same time.”

Rebuilding: Flexibility Over Rigidity

From that reflection came a new model, one that would become TTL’s backbone. Instead of forcing teachers into a one-size-fits-all franchise, they would offer three pathways:

The Educator Business Course: A course for teachers curious about starting their own practice but unsure where to begin.

Structured Literacy Educator Training: Training for educators who want to deepen their skills and confidence, with or without leaving the classroom.

Licensing with TTL: For those ready to run their own business but seeking ongoing resources, mentoring, and community support.

“We designed it so teachers could choose their own level of involvement,” Sonja explains. “You can jump in at the level that suits you, knowing you’re not alone.”

This model wasn’t just more flexible; it was more faithful to the values that had guided TTL since its inception.

The Exit Stage Teach Connection: Marketing That Felt Like Them

As TTL rebuilt, another challenge loomed: marketing. Both Claire and Sonja laugh about it now, but at the time, it was a source of real stress.

“Our first attempts at websites and social media honestly felt like a Year 10 English project,” Claire jokes. “We’re teachers, not designers. We knew what we wanted to say, but not how to say it in a way that landed.”

Enter Lauren from Field of Digital, a fellow teacher-turned-marketing strategist, whom they met through the Exit Stage Teach community. Lauren is one of our recommended specialists in the Exit Stage Teach community, and she has helped countless teachers in our community create their own businesses. We are so grateful to have her support our community members.

“Working with Lauren was transformative,” Sonja says. “Because she’s a teacher too, she understood our vision. She could see both the heart and the systems, and she knew how to translate that into branding and funnels that actually worked.”

Lauren not only redesigned TTL’s marketing but also created the Marketing Module, now embedded in the Triple Thread Educator Business Course.

Lauren explained to us what Claire and Sonja have created with the Educator Business Course,

“The Educator Business Course is phenomenal, it’s such an amazing resource for anyone who wants to start their own business. It goes into such detail, and Claire and Sonja have infused it with so much of their experience and learning. I was honoured to be a part of it and proud to create the Marketing Module in the course.”

There is a working connection and mutual respect among Lauren, Claire, and Sonja, which shines through when they discuss each other’s businesses and how they have collaborated to create the Educator Business Course.

“It’s step-by-step, low-cost, and practical,” Claire explains. “We wanted teachers to feel empowered, not overwhelmed, and Lauren’s module makes that possible.”

Get in touch with Lauren at www.fieldofdigital.com.au for website design, social media management, brand creation, business mentoring and more.

The Teacher Experience: From Fear to Confidence

For teachers entering Triple Thread’s programs today, the transformation is both practical and personal. By the end of the business course, participants will have professional contracts, clear offerings, polished marketing materials, and most importantly the confidence to take their first client call.

Claire lights up when she talks about this:

“We watch people go from asking, ‘Can I really do this?’ to saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m doing this.’ Seeing that shift, it’s incredible.”

Licensing, too, has grown into a pillar of support. Licensees receive structured literacy resources, monthly mentoring, live and recorded PD, and access to a community that shares the highs, the lows, and the practical hacks.

“It’s not just about running a business,” Sonja says. “It’s about not having to do it alone.”

For the Burnt-Out Teacher Who Still Cares

The most powerful message from Triple Thread Learning is this: you don’t have to stop being a teacher to change your life.

“We wish more teachers knew that,” Claire says. “Your instincts, your care, your expertise, those are your greatest assets. You don’t lose them when you leave the classroom. You use them differently.”

For teachers on the brink of burnout, the advice is gentle: start small. Rest first. Then consider taking structured literacy training or working in an employed role. Often, that’s enough to reignite the spark.

“Sometimes all it takes is seeing a student finally ‘get it’ in a 1:1 setting,” Sonja explains. “That joy reminds you why you started teaching in the first place.”

Looking Ahead: 2026 and Beyond

TTL’s focus for the next few years is clear: growth with heart. They plan to expand their structured literacy training into regional areas, increase the number of licensees, and refine the Educator Business Course so it can be scaled nationally. They have huge waitlists and a massive demand for what they offer, and now they need teachers to help support as many students as possible.

But through it all, they remain committed to staying grounded.

“Every week, we still work directly with clients,” Claire insists. “That’s non-negotiable. It keeps us balanced and connected. It’s where the magic happens.”

A final word for teachers

If you’re a teacher standing at the crossroads, exhausted, but still carrying that fire to make a difference Claire and Sonja’s message is simple:

“You don’t have to stay stuck. You don’t have to leave your passion behind. And you don’t have to do it alone. There’s a middle ground, and that’s what we want to help you find.”

Claire and Sonja are always open to you reaching out and connecting with them. Get in touch and discover how they can support your journey beyond the classroom.

www.triplethreadcourses.com.au/teachers