The freedom to work the hours that work best for me and my family and being able to set my hours the way it works best for me will NEVER get old. I love that freedom. Cheryl Hatch, www.preschool-plan-it.com
Cheryl’s journey to this kind of freedom began long before the internet, back in the 1990s. As a preschool teacher and director, she wore many hats and saw a common frustration among her peers: they spent hours scouring different websites for lesson plans, often with little to no budget.
The idea to share her own two decades of saved materials started as a plan for printed booklets, but life—and a full-time career—put it on the back burner.
The “aha!” moment came years later, in a conversation with her daughter, who suggested a wild idea: build a website.
Cheryl’s reaction: “ME? Build a website?…(cue cricket sound)”
That suggestion sparked a journey that led her to Solo Build It! and the creation of Preschool Plan It, a site designed to solve that core problem for teachers. When I first interviewed Cheryl in 2015, she had already turned her passion into a growing work-from-home business.
Ten years later that business has evolved in ways she never imagined. In this follow-up interview, Cheryl shares how she went from selling a few digital products to running a six-figure business with a membership program, all while designing a life with the freedom that never gets old.
Let’s dig in!
1. Cheryl, it’s been a decade since our first interview. As you reflect on your online business journey, please share a few highlights—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and how your original motivation of being a work-at-home mom has evolved along with your family.
Well, there certainly has been all of that—the good, the bad, and the ugly! As my preschool site’s traffic grew, so did the emails from subscribers. They were looking for more help with lesson planning and training. So, I added some digital resources and eventually a monthly membership. That was the good.
The bad—I didn’t know how to create online products or create email marketing funnels… all the tech stuff… and that’s the ugly to me—the tech stuff. However, we can learn anything online, and with the help of a marketing person, I learned that I could figure out what I needed to know and that I could get the help of others for the parts I didn’t know.
I’m incredibly grateful to have the online business that I have. Ten years ago it allowed me to do what I had hoped for at that time—spend time with my adult daughters based on their busy work and college schedules. I was able to plan my work time around their schedules. And it allowed me to spend lots of time with my new grandson.
Since then, our family has grown and changed. My husband is now retired, and we now have two grandchildren. Working for myself allows me to plan my work so my husband and I spend lots of time enjoying his retirement, and it allows me to plan my work around when the kids and grandkids are available.
For example, I take school vacation weeks off so I can spend time with them. I take lots of time off in the summer for lots of family sleepovers!
TAKEAWAY #1: “The good” in Cheryl’s journey came directly from listening to her audience. Her business grew from a simple content site to one with digital products and a membership because her readers asked for it.
Take this golden rule to heart: solve your audience’s problems and your business will thrive.
And “the ugly”? For her, it was the tech stuff—a major hurdle for so many people. Her lesson is an important one: you don’t have to be a tech genius. You can learn what you need and get help for the rest. This is a core reason why Solo Build It! exists—to provide an all-in-one platform that simplifies the tech so you can focus on your business.
The most compelling part of Cheryl’s story is how her “why” has always revolved around freedom. Her business has consistently given her the freedom to put her family first—from being there for her daughters to now enjoying retirement with her husband and spending priceless time with their grandsons.
This is the ultimate goal for so many of us: building a business that serves our lives, not the other way around.
2. Looking back, is there anything you’d do differently with preschool-plan-it.com? What key lessons are you now applying to your new site, toddler-plan-it.com?
I would not change a thing! Preschool Plan It does exactly what I’d hoped it would do—serve preschool teachers and the children in their care while providing an income!
It did teach me that it’s important to really go through the SBI! Action Guide step by step. I am applying the Action Guide to the development of my new sites— Toddler Plan It and a third site (still in the research stage—it’s about a specific genre of books and book reviews).
Because it’s been a few years 😉 since I went through the Action Guide, I decided it was important for me to go through it again from the start to remember what I may have forgotten, and I’m glad I’m doing that.
Some things have changed regarding how keywords work on sites for SEO purposes and there’s great advice on making the user experience of your site the best it can be.
TAKEAWAY #2: When we look back at our decisions in life, Cheryl’s statement is the ultimate answer: “I would not change a thing!” That’s the sign of a business built on passion and a solid foundation.
So, why is a successful 15-year veteran going back to the very beginning of the Solo Build It! Action Guide for her new sites?
Because the online world is in constant motion, now faster than ever with the advent of generative AI and AI search.
Best practices for things like keywords, domain names and site structure are different than they were 15 years ago. What hasn’t changed though is to always put your human visitors first. Never create content just to please search engines.
This is where the SBI! Action Guide shines. It’s both the keeper of the timeless online business basics and a dynamic resource, constantly updated by our team.
3. Speaking of your new site, how do you balance keeping up with both businesses? Do you stick to a schedule, or do you decide day-by-day where to focus your time?
Both actually! I am a planner. I think it may be in my DNA, lol. I like to know what I’m working on each week. I used to just fill in my calendar with what needed to get done.
Over time I’ve realized that batch processing (doing similar tasks in the same day) is much more effective than breaking it up over the month. For example, I create the content for my membership on one day. I then create the deliverables and printables on a different day.
So, I’m all in with content creation in one day and then can work on visual creation on another.
My schedule has changed over the years as I’ve become more effective by streamlining/batching the work that I do.
I have two schedules. I have a school-year schedule (September through May) and a summer schedule.
September through May I work three days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) three weeks a month. That’s right—I take a week off every month.
Week 1: I work on Preschool content: I create and schedule my email marketing and newsletters for the following month for my free list and for my members and I create the two pieces of content for my members.
Week 2: This is marketing and sales week. It’s the week I create any new email marketing funnels, new products, updates to the website, etc.
Week 3: This is the week I work on my other two sites (the toddler site and the book site).
In the summer I only work on the preschool site, and I only work on Tuesdays (because I will NOT miss an SBI! Zoom call if I can help it!). That means I work on everything preschool (from Week 1 of the above schedule) on Tuesdays and have Wednesday through Monday off every week during June, July and August.
TAKEAWAY #3: LOL. Cheryl is indeed a planner. I wonder if her talent has anything to do with her sites’ topics? 🤔
Many of us dream of freedom, and Cheryl shows us what it looks like in practice: a highly structured, intentional schedule designed to maximize both productivity and personal time.
Her secret weapon? Batch processing. Instead of scattering different tasks throughout the week, she dedicates entire days to specific functions—one day for membership content, another for marketing, another for her new sites. This is a proven method to reduce mental clutter and get into a state of deep work.
But what I find most inspiring is how she builds her life first, then fits her work into it.
- She works just three days a week, three weeks a month.
- She takes a full week off every single month.
- In the summer, she works only on Tuesdays.
Cheryl has perfected the holy grail of every online business owner: build a life you love while making good money.
Oh, and by the way, the Zoom calls she’s so keen on attending? These are the live Q&A sessions every SBI! member has access to. They’re perfect for getting your questions answered on the spot, learning something new and mingling with your fellow online-business owners.
4. Many creators in the education space are exploring AI. How are you approaching it? Are you using tools like Tai to help brainstorm curriculum ideas, draft lesson plans, or something else entirely? Or are you continuing your hands-on approach, and if so, why?
I don’t use AI for content creation. I have a hands-on philosophy for lesson planning. AI tends to generate more cookie cutter stuff. I also LOVE planning activities, so I don’t want to outsource that.
I am intrigued about AI though (even though I have very, VERY little knowledge/experience in it). This fall I will be going through the Tai Guide to learn all about it.
During one of the recent SBI! Zoom calls we were talking about Tai. I’m excited about all I’ll be able to use it for from business planning, to content ideas, to SOPs.
I have so many Standards of Operation for each task in my business that I’ve written over the years, and I think AI will help streamline that process somehow.
TAKEAWAY #4: I love Cheryl’s approach to AI. As a hands-on expert who is passionate about her craft, she has no interest in outsourcing her core content creation to AI—and she shouldn’t! AI can’t replicate true passion or deep, hands-on experience.
However, she’s not dismissing it either. She recognizes AI’s potential for other business tasks like planning, idea generation, and creating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
This is a smart and balanced approach that we teach in the Tai Guide. You don’t have to use AI for everything. The key is to identify where it can save you time on administrative or supporting tasks, freeing you up to focus on the high-value, human-centric work that only you can do.
5. In 2016, you launched the “Preschool Cubby” membership program. How has this move to a recurring revenue model impacted your business in terms of income stability and your ongoing time commitment?
The membership has been great. Many teachers were asking for more involved lesson planning (more than what the website offered), so I created a membership where they can choose the four weekly themes they want each month.
It has definitely helped with income stability. At this point I know that the average member stays with the membership for two years so I can plan based on that.
In terms of time commitment, it doesn’t take more time because most of my website content on Preschool Plan It is evergreen. Therefore I don’t need to continually create new pages. That time is spent now on creating content for the membership.
TAKEAWAY #5: Cheryl touches upon the key benefit of the membership model: income stability.
Because she knows the average member stays for two years, she can forecast her revenue and plan her business with a level of predictability that’s difficult to achieve with one-off product sales or fluctuating ad revenue.
Her answer regarding the time commitment surprised me. Usually, a membership is rather time intensive, as you continuously have to provide new content for your members.
Due to the evergreen nature of Cheryl’s website content, she was able to simply shift her time from writing new web pages to creating materials for her “Preschool Cubby” members.
Does your topic lend itself to a membership? It’s worth looking into it.
6. Beyond the membership, what do your site’s monetization mix and income level look like today?
This is such a great question to reflect on! When I started my first website with SBI! my goal was to make maybe $300-$500 a month. My monetization plans were to run ads on my site and use affiliate links. That’s what I did until about 2014.
In 2015 I added digital downloads teachers could purchase. With that model, the income was about $1,800 a month—far more than I had planned or dreamed!
Then teachers started asking for more detailed help with lesson planning. Someone told me that my site “just screamed membership.” Well, I had no idea what that might even look like.
After much discussion and planning I launched the membership in 2016 and that took the revenue up to approximately $5,000 a month (my membership is NOT expensive—It’s $17.99/month or $172 a year).
Today, my monetization mix is still the same: ad revenue, digital products, affiliate links (mainly Amazon) and the membership. The business is now a six-figure annual business.
TAKEAWAY #6: Cheryl’s monetization journey is a perfect illustration of how an online business can grow and scale over time.
It started with a modest goal: $300 to $500 a month from ads and affiliate links. For many, that alone would be a huge success.
Then came the first big step: she listened to her audience and started creating and selling her own digital products. That move tripled her income to around $1,800 a month.
But the real game-changer was the membership. Again, she listened to her audience’s needs and created a recurring revenue stream that took her income to $5,000 a month and eventually helped her build a six-figure business.
I find Cheryl’s story so motivating and reassuring: You don’t need to have it all figured out on Day 1. Start simple, listen to what your audience wants, and progressively add more valuable (and profitable) income streams as your business matures.
7. Many successful online businesses rely heavily on their email list. What role does email marketing, including your Preschool Teacher Tips newsletter, play in your overall business strategy?
Email marketing is EVERYTHING to my business. While I have social media, my email list is what truly makes the difference. It’s how I connect with teachers, provide the information they need, and introduce them to the membership.
My strategy has two main parts: regularly scheduled emails and automated sequences.
For my Regular Emails, I send a few different types:
- Weekly Newsletters: These go to my free list with helpful preschool topics and a link back to the full article on my site. This drives traffic, which helps with ad revenue and affiliate sales.
- Promotional Emails: Three times a month, I offer a low-cost digital product ($6). Many teachers who purchase these eventually convert to the full membership.
- Member Newsletters: I also send weekly tips to my paying members to help them get the most out of their membership, which is key for retention.
Automated Sequences also play a huge role. I have several running in the background based on a subscriber’s actions.
- For my Free List: New subscribers get a Welcome Sequence that introduces them to my site and the membership. If they buy a digital product, they get a separate sequence that delivers it and gently nurtures them toward the membership.
- For my Paid Members: New members receive an Onboarding Sequence during their first month with tips and videos on how to use the membership. I also have retention automations set up to handle reminders for upcoming renewals, failed payments, and expiring credit cards.
I LOVE automations! They are a “set it and forget it” system that works for me in the background.
(Important reminder: Don’t forget to review the automations periodically to ensure the information is up to date!)
For those wondering, I use ONTRAPORT for my email marketing, which integrates well with my membership software, AccessAlly. I’ve been with them since 2017 and find their customer support to be to notch.
TAKEAWAY #7: If you haven’t given email marketing much thought for your online business, I hope Cheryl’s enthusiasm inspires you to reconsider. Her statement, “Email marketing is EVERYTHING to my business,” tells you just how important it is.
The benefits are plentiful. You’re connecting with an audience that wants to hear from you. You own your list, so you’re not at the mercy of unpredictable algorithm changes. And you gain valuable insights by seeing which topics your readers are most interested in.
But as Cheryl’s system demonstrates, the real power lies in email automation.
Her automated welcome, onboarding, and retention sequences work for her 24/7 in the background—a “set it and forget it” system that nurtures subscribers and retains members without her daily involvement.
This is what transforms an email list from a simple communication tool into a time-saving engine that drives your business forward.
8. What’s your approach to social media? Which platforms do you use for your site(s), and why?
Sigh. Social Media. I do have a Facebook and Instagram account for the preschool site but honestly, I don’t see much traction from them.
The great thing about social media is you can reach a lot of people.
The not so great thing is social media platforms don’t want you sending people off their platforms so leading them to your website can be a challenge when the reach is being squashed by the platform.
Also, for me, 80%+ of my site traffic comes from organic search (teachers going to search engines like Google to type in what they’re looking for) so I find it best to focus on my website and email marketing.
All that to say, I have Facebook and Instagram but don’t post often on them currently.
TAKEAWAY #8: “Sigh. Social Media.”
Cheryl’s opening says it all, doesn’t it? Can you relate? You know you should have a presence on social, but it often feels like a time-consuming chore with little direct return.
However, not having any social media presence isn’t an option either, not if you want to be perceived as a reputable brand. And, like Cheryl points out, you can reach a lot of people on social platforms.
So, what could be the solution? Outsourcing. If the income from your site allows it, hire a Virtual Assistant to manage your social media platforms.
It allows you to maintain a presence and engage with your audience without draining your own time and creative energy. This frees you up to focus on the high-impact activities you enjoy and that drive your business forward.
9. After all these years, what do you still find most rewarding about being an online business owner?
The freedom to work the hours that work best for me and my family and being able to set my hours the way it works best for me will NEVER get old. I love that freedom.
TAKEAWAY #9: Freedom is the ultimate prize, the number one answer we hear from Solo Build It! members when we ask them what they enjoy most about being a solopreneur.
It’s not just about the money; it’s about what the money and the business model make possible. Cheryl’s journey is a perfect example of how building a business with a system like Solo Build It! isn’t just a financial goal—it’s a lifestyle goal.
10. You’ve done something many solopreneurs dream of: created a business that has thrived for over 15 years. What is your most important piece of advice for building a business that remains relevant and profitable for years to come?
I think having a strong “Why” is the most important thing. Creating a business to make money is usually the top reason and the second is around having more time. And both are great and can happen!
However, making money and having time is not enough of a why. I read once that many who start an online business don’t actually end up with a business but rather, they end up with a job they do from home.
I still believe that passion is the most important thing. I’ll requote what I quoted 10 years ago in our last interview:
“The secret to success in life is to make your vocation your vacation.”
— Mark Twain
This is true for business as well. Choose a niche (topic) that you’re excited about, that you can picture yourself talking and writing about for years. That’s when a business is a business and not just a full-time job you do from home!
TAKEAWAY #10: Thanks for this nugget of wisdom, Cheryl! After 15 years, her advice isn’t about a specific marketing tactic or a new tech tool. It’s about the engine that drives everything else: your “why.”
She continues by saying that “making money and having time is not enough of a why.” Without a deeper passion for your niche, your business can quickly become just another “job you do from home.”
Not having a strong “why” and picking the wrong topic are two of the main reasons why bloggers quit. Don’t let it happen to you!
This is why the first five chapters (we call them DAYs) of the Solo Build It! Action Guide are all about discovering your best niche, focusing on the intersection of your passion, your knowledge, and what people are searching for.
Cheryl’s long-term success comes from the fact that she chose a topic she genuinely loves and can see herself “writing about for years.”
That passion is the fuel that gets you through the tough times and turns a business into a vocation. It’s the true foundation for building something that lasts.
To sum it up, I’ve put together the highlights and key lessons from Cheryl’s SBI! success story:
How Do You Create a Business That Serves Your Life?
- Listen, Then Create: Cheryl’s business grew because she listened. From digital products to her membership, every new income stream was a direct response to what her audience asked for. Solve their problems, and they will tell you how to monetize.
- Design Your Life, Then Build Your Business Around It: She takes a week off every month and works one day a week in the summer. By treating her time as the most valuable asset, she created a business that fits her life, not a life consumed by her business.
- Scale Your Income in Stages: She didn’t start with a membership. She began with ads, then added digital products, and finally launched her recurring revenue stream. This gradual, user-driven approach is a sustainable way to grow your income over time.
- Let Passion Be Your Foundation: Her final piece of advice is so important. The reason she has thrived for 15+ years is her genuine passion for her niche. That passion is the fuel for longevity, turning a potential “job” into a fulfilling vocation.
Cheryl’s story proves that it’s possible to build a business that is both highly profitable and perfectly aligned with the life you want to live. She is just one of thousands of “everyday people” who have built successful, life-changing businesses with Solo Build It!.
Want to learn from more of them?
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