Danna Thomas and the Happy Teacher Revolution
Most of the conversation about teachers is about pay. Danna Thomas thinks the deeper problem is that nobody is taking care of the person standing at the front of the room.
She taught in Baltimore City public schools for 7 years, founded Happy Teacher Revolution to support the mental health and wellness of educators, and later became a Happy Check client. So this post is 2 stories in one: how a kindergarten teacher started an international movement, and what happened when she let her own results speak on video.
Why a Teacher Started a Revolution
Danna is open about the fact that her own teachers are the reason she is here. As a student she struggled, and she was very practiced at putting on a smiling face. Her educators saw through it and pushed her to get help.
"If it wasn't for my teachers, I wouldn't be here speaking with you on this podcast today. They truly saved my life and were the reason I became a teacher myself."
Then she stood on the other side of the desk and saw what the job asks of people.
"I served as a Baltimore City public school teacher for seven years and recognize firsthand how we truly are not adequately supporting educators for the emotional demands of the job."
When she started talking openly about her own healing, colleagues came out to her about things they had never shared. That was the seed.
"I realized that we really all craved an opportunity to come together and to connect. And that's how Happy Teacher Revolution was born."
Not Thinking Big Enough
By the time we met at a mastermind, Danna had already won the Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab and expanded Happy Teacher Revolution into 26 states. And she still said this:
"We had just won the Johns Hopkins Social Innovation Lab. I had expanded Happy Teacher Revolution 26 states. We were global. But at the same time, I still wasn't thinking big enough."
She could quote the numbers: 3.6 million teachers in the US, an estimated 3.3 million of them stressed out, and 80 million children sitting in a classroom with a stressed out teacher. The best school supply, in her words, is the investment a teacher makes in herself, and self care for teachers ripples straight to students.
I was a social worker in schools with at risk youth before I ever ran a company, and I did not understand what teachers go through until I worked with Danna. Her free Starter Pack walks teachers through self care exercises for themselves and their classrooms, and she was already working with districts to spend professional development budgets on it.
What Happened When Danna Became a Client
Danna and I built her online platform in 6 weeks: a new website, over a thousand new followers and 3 online certification options so she could support more educators. Then I did what I do with every client. I asked her 3 simple questions on video while the result was still fresh. Her answer is the reason I named one of my podcast episodes The Mirror of Truth.
In Danna's Words
Danna Thomas and I built her online platform in six weeks: a new website, over a thousand new followers and three online certification options so she could support more educators. What she said afterward:
"The real difference that Mark has made in my life has been in how I see myself when I look into the mirror."
More real stories on the Happy Check client results page.
That is what a testimonial does for the person giving it, not just the person reading it. It holds the mirror steady. If you want the full system behind that, read the Social Proof System.
Keep Listening
Want Your Results to Speak for You?
On The Purpose Chasers I sit down with people who are building something that matters. In my business, The Happy Check, I help coaches, creators and service businesses turn that same kind of real story into video testimonials and content that bring in clients.
If you want to take your marketing to the next level, book an organic marketing audit call with me.
Or start with the free Happy Check book and learn who to ask, when to ask and how to use what they say.
Keep reading: how testimonials shape an entrepreneur's identity, the Testimonial Waterfall framework.
