Most of us agree that a great teacher is priceless and can leave a lifelong positive impact on a child. Yet, teachers are rarely compensated as such which is an even harder situation to navigate for Black teachers. Former teacher and principal Dr. Erica Jordan-Thomas noticed this dilemma and did something about it. Earlier this summer, “Dr. Erica” as she is warmly referenced released her insightful book, 7 Figure-Educator: Turn Your Experience as an Educator Into Income, Impact and Freedom.

Dr. Erica was a featured author at our ESSENCE Festival of Culture last month and your fireside chat was standing room only. Attendees were primarily Black women educators who wanted to know how to monetize their meaningful skillsets as Dr. Erica has. Here, the Harvard University educated PhD shares her insider secrets on why she invested in real estate early in her career, how her personal style informs how she is respected professionally and why her grandmother, a former domestic worker, is one of her biggest motivators and inspirations.

ESSENCE: When did you first realize that your professional skillset as an educator extended beyond the classroom?
DR. ERICA JORDAN-THOMAS: It hit me when I took on my first consulting contract. I realized that most education consultants had never worked inside a school, and they didn’t always reflect the backgrounds of the students in the districts they were serving. Meanwhile, here I was, doing the actual work, in the classroom and in the principal’s office, and I could see firsthand that I could do this better than the people who were already out there doing it.

What I didn’t understand yet was that the marketplace would pay for that expertise. Educators are constantly building strategies, solving problems, developing people and creating results—we just aren’t taught to think of those skills as intellectual property. Once I understood that, I couldn’t unsee it.

ESSENCE: Our session at the ESSENCE Festival of Culture was packed with teachers, principals and other educators who are also primarily Black women!
DR. ERICA: Black women educators have shown up for this book in a way that has been incredibly meaningful to me. At ESSENCE, looking out and seeing so many Black women who have spent their careers pouring into students, schools and communities—and watching them connect with a message about building wealth for themselves—felt full circle.

7-Figure Educator has always been and will continue to be about creating a pathway for other educators to see what’s possible for them, too. When a Black woman educator tells me this book gave her permission to dream bigger about her income, impact or life, that’s the work. That’s why I wrote it.

ESSENCE: What are three important skills that you think most teachers use at work regularly that can be leveraged to earn revenue outside the classroom?
DR. ERICA: First, framework building. Educators are experts at taking complex ideas and breaking them down into clear, teachable frameworks that help people get results. Whether it’s designing curriculum, creating professional development, or developing learning experiences, that ability to organize knowledge into a repeatable process is incredibly valuable. That’s exactly how courses, consulting frameworks, books, and intellectual property are built.

Second, communication and influence. Every day, educators persuade students, families, colleagues, and stakeholders to take action. We often call it building buy-in in education, but in business, it’s called marketing and sales. The ability to communicate value, build trust, and inspire action is one of the most profitable skills an entrepreneur can have.

Third, data-driven decision-making. Educators constantly analyze data, identify patterns, and adjust their approach based on evidence. Those same analytical skills translate directly to business, where you’re using data to improve your marketing, sales, finances, and overall strategy.

ESSENCE: Most educators don’t seem to realize how much lifelong impact they have on their students. Do you agree?
DR. ERICA: Absolutely. I became an educator because of an educator. My third-grade teacher, Ms. Lester, showed up for me and my family during a major transition in my childhood, and the way she led with relationships and care shaped the trajectory of my life. She probably couldn’t have known then that the little girl in her classroom would eventually become a teacher, principal and build a company devoted to educators.

That’s the power of this profession. Educators plant seeds they may never get to see bloom. And that’s also why I feel so strongly that we must value educators—not just with appreciation and apples, but with compensation, opportunity and pathways to build the lives and wealth they deserve.

ESSENCE: You’re also a real estate investor. What gave you the gumption to invest in real estate?
DR. ERICA: I bought my first property at 25 while I was an assistant principal. Transparently, I didn’t have a sophisticated investment strategy or a deep understanding of appreciating assets. Looking back, I think that instinct was rooted in something much bigger than I realized at the time. For Black families in particular, ownership has always represented opportunity, stability, and the ability to build something that can outlive us.

I was able to purchase my first home because I took advantage of a first-time homebuyer program that helped with my down payment. On an educator’s salary, that support made homeownership possible.

ESSENCE: Your blonde braids, Nike kicks, fringe skirt, cropped shirt and necktie were all so fly at the Festival! How important is authenticity in one’s career journey — regardless of their profession?
DR. ERICA: I love this question because I spent many years in environments where there were these unspoken ideas about what a teacher was supposed to look like, what a principal was supposed to look like, even what a Harvard student was supposed to look like. And when you spend enough time in those environments, you can start editing pieces of yourself without even realizing you’re doing it.

What I’ve learned is that authenticity isn’t a departure from professionalism—its professionalism done honestly.

ESSENCE: Who is your biggest inspiration in life?
DR. ERICA: My biggest inspiration has always been my grandmother, Minnie Emma Jordan.

She was from Lexington, Mississippi, a small rural town of about 2,000 people, and she raised seven children in the Deep South. She worked a variety of jobs—from domestic work to retail—doing whatever it took to provide for her family. She may not have called herself an entrepreneur, but when I look back, that’s exactly what I see. She embodied resourcefulness, resilience, and the unwavering belief that you create opportunities rather than wait for them.

Today, as I build businesses, invest in real estate, and help educators create wealth, I often think about her. In many ways, everything I’ve built is part of her legacy.