Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor

🎓 Should You Leave Academia for Industry or Business? If you're standing at that crossroads—wondering whether to jump into industry or build something of your own—this episode is required listening. 💡 In this conversation, Tory Wobber shares how she went from a Harvard PhD in biology to a leadership role in data science at Facebook and Google… and eventually became a sought-after coach helping o...

💰 How to Make Money as an Academic Outside Higher Ed (Even If You Feel Guilty Charging) Burnt-out from academia but still struggling with guilt about charging for your skills? In this episode, I challenge the beliefs that keep academics underpaid and overworked—and show you what’s possible when you embrace your worth. I share how I went from tenure-track burnout to running a six-figure editing an...

🔥 Burned out in academia? Wondering how to turn your PhD into a flexible, fulfilling business? Cara Jordan did just that—and in this episode, she reveals how she went from freelancing for artists in NYC to founding Flatpage, a thriving academic editing agency and publishing house. So many academics feel stuck, exhausted, and unsure how to market themselves beyond word of mouth. Cara shares exactl...

Burnt out by content creation? Glued to your phone, cranking out posts that barely get engagement? You're not alone—and there’s a better way. Academics starting their businesses often fall into the trap of chasing social media trends—thinking they have to do Reels, show up daily, and perform for the algorithm. In this episode, I walk you through a step-by-step system that simplifies content creati...

Are you afraid to leave academia because you've “invested too much” or feel like it’s “too late” to start over? In this episode, master life coach and midlife mentor Suzy Rosenstein shares how to regret-proof your life, especially if you’re over 50 and stuck in a career that no longer fits. Suzy left a 27-year career and built a thriving coaching business—proof that it’s never too late to pivot. I...

Why does investing in your academic business feel terrifying? You've spent tens of thousands of dollars on your education—but when it comes to starting your academic editing or coaching business, you're trying to do it with zero investment, zero tools, and zero support. Why? Because academia trained you to survive on scraps. This week, I’m breaking down: 💡 Why investing feels so risky for academi...

“You Can’t Eat Prestige.” It’s a brutal truth that haunts many academics—but what does it actually mean? In this raw and radically honest episode, I sit down with coaches Tory Wobber and Jen Polk to unpack one of the hardest parts of leaving academia: letting go of your academic identity. For so many of us, being a professor isn’t just a job—it’s a calling. We internalize the idea that we’re speci...

Are PhD career coaches worth the money?? In this week's podcast episode, I'm joined by fabulous PhD career coaches Victoria (Tory) Wobber, PhD, CPCC and Jennifer Polk, PhD to answer this very question. Rather than just saying "yes" and patting ourselves on the back, we share insights into our own experiences working with coaches and clients and give some tips on when and how you might go about cho...

What if your own accountability tool became a profitable business--and academic escape plan? Dr. Nicole Pettitt didn’t set out to build a business. She just wanted accountability for her own writing. So she launched a free co-writing group for women in grad school—and it quietly became a coaching business, with paid clients and real impact. Many academics want a “Plan B” but don’t know where to st...

🎙️ AI is NOT taking your editing job—unless you let it. In this episode, I’m joined by Erin Servais, a former fiction editor and agency owner who pivoted her entire career after asking ChatGPT to edit a paragraph. Erin has since trained hundreds of editors in 20+ countries in her signature course, AI for Editors. She shares: 🤖 How she transitioned from agency work to AI instruction 🤖 The Star Tr...

🎙️ “I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving academia. I just left.” When Jeff Malins quietly exited a tenure-track position to protect his marriage, mental health, and creativity… he didn’t know how to talk about it. He didn’t even post an update on LinkedIn. In this honest conversation, Jeff shares what led him to walk away from a ‘successful’ academic career—including the surprising clarity that came...

Still Think Business Is Sleazy? This Episode Will Change Your Mind Burned out academics often assume the business world is greedy, exploitative, and cutthroat—worse than higher ed. But what if the right corner of online business was actually collaborative, compassionate, and aligned with your values? In this episode, Paulina shares her personal journey from academia to entrepreneurship—including t...

What if writing could be fun again? In this episode, I'm talking with Chris McRae, a tenured professor of communication and published author who found himself burnt out by the grind of academic publishing. But instead of staying stuck, he created something entirely new: Writing from Wonder: the Writing Workshop in a Box—a sensory, curiosity-driven experience that brings joy and creativity back to...

📌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 w...

👉 Ready to level-up your business by hiring a business coach? Connect with me on LinkedIn or email me (paulina [AT] acadiaediting [DOT] com) and let's have coffee (on Zoom). I'd love to get to know your business and see if we're a good fit to work together. Think the only way to grow your editing or coaching business is by taking on more clients or becoming a marketing guru? Think again. In this...

Feeling stuck in academia, but unsure how to take the first step toward starting your own business? In this episode, I reveal the most accessible, low-risk, high-reward way to monetize your academic skills: offering paid workshops. Workshops have helped me and many other coaches and course creators test their offers, gain confidence, and even land long-term coaching or editing clients—without the...

Are you burned out from academia but still love research and writing? You’re not alone. In this episode, I talk to Anna Clemens, a chemistry PhD who left research to become an academic writing coach. Through her Journal Publication Formula, Anna helps researchers get published faster—without the overwhelm. What started as a blog turned into a full-blown coaching business, and she now runs the Rese...

Tenure was supposed to be the promised land. But for Dr. Lisa Anthony, it felt like a dead end. After years in academia, she realized something was missing—joy, creativity, and connection. The surprising solution? Launching a side hustle in academic editing and coaching. What began as a reluctant experiment became a full-blown passion—and even made her fall in love with marketing (I know, right??)...

🎧 Burned out in academia and ready to reclaim your time, income, and sanity? You don't need another degree to escape — you just need a plan. Important NOTES for this episode: 👉 There are just 3 spots left in the September cohort of BAE. Doors close August 22. Go here to save your seat before they're gone: https://acadiaediting.com/editingfreedom_postlaunch/?utm_source=acast&utm_medium=notes&...

Marketing doesn't have to feel gross, fake, or confusing. In this episode, I coach Bhaskar Raman—a skilled academic editor—through the exact mindset and messaging shifts that help editors attract higher-paying, more satisfying private clients. Bhaskar has years of experience working with academic publishers, but he’s ready to go direct—to work with scholars one-on-one. The problem? Marketing feels...

Burned out in academia and wondering what comes next? Rosalba Lopez was in your shoes—struggling through a disheartening PhD and trying to make ends meet on a stipend. But instead of settling for the usual path, she turned her love of writing and editing into a multi-6-figure business in medical writing, academic editing, and coaching. In this episode, Rosalba shares how she: 🎆 landed her first f...

Start building your new academic business here: AcadiaEditing.com/BecomeAnEditor Wendy Gillis has had quite a journey—from the thrills of Madison Ave., to an MBA and Doctor of Business Administration, to professor (and mom) life in North Florida. And yet, something was still missing. After spending years trying to launch a business on her own, Wendy discovered my program, Becoming an Academic Edit...

Have you been thinking about quitting academia but you're terrified of how you'll replace your income? In this episode, I share 3 steps you can take to launch and grow your editing or coaching business before you leave your academic job. I share: 📌 Why editing and coaching are a great fit for academics (and low-risk!) 📌 3 things you can do right NOW to get started (and bring in real money) 📌 3...

Are you worried that AI will replace editors? If so, this episode is for you.  I talk with Daniel Heuman, creator of PerfectIt and the new AI tool Draftsmith, about how AI is shifting the editing landscape—and whether or not editors should be afraid of what's to come. We discuss: ✅ How Draftsmith works ✅ Why sentence-level AI editing is so effective ✅ The surprising inspiration for Draftsm...

When you’re just starting out in business, choosing between the infinite tech tools is incredibly overwhelming. Even just learning what all the abbreviations and acronyms mean can make your head spin. 🤯 In this podcast episode, I talk with Becky Launder, co-founder of Oh My Hi, an all-in-one platform that helps new business owners create a website, save data on clients and inquiries in a CRM (or...