Kathleen Preisler

Kathleen Clarke-Preisler is a school district secretary based out of Grapevine, Texas. Born in New York City, she attended a two-year community college in the suburbs before enrolling at Tarrant County College in Texas. Kathleen worked as a school administrator for twenty years overseeing educational institutions while supporting students and faculty. She claims that helping individuals reach their career and educational goals is highly rewarding.

Today, Kathleen works as a substitute teacher. When she is not working, she enjoys yoga, swimming, traveling, and decorating.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

Working with children and helping them advance their academic careers has always been a passion of mine. The years I spent as a school administrator taught me a lot about the United States education system. It was my job to coordinate administrative processes and manage policies. I took my role very seriously and did my best to improve learning environments for students and faculty.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

I start my day out with various types of exercise, so that could be swimming, yoga, or dance class. In the afternoons, I alternate between volunteering at my church and substitute teaching.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I’m a social person, so I get ideas from talking and researching with other people. I like to hone in on a specific topic, then learn from professionals who are experts on that topic. I was thinking of becoming a yoga teacher, so what I would do for that is observe a class, take a class, and talk to people who have experience in that area of expertise. I also know a lot of different people in a lot of different circles, so I’m able to get input from a wide variety of sources.

What’s one trend that excites you?

A trend that excites me is the innovation in the skin care and hair care industries. Years ago, taking care of your personal appearance would have been this big, long ordeal, but now everything is so quick and easy because there are so many creams and gadgets and things like that available.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I’m very timely and organized. I think in a position such as mine you really have to prioritize and understand what tasks are urgent and what can be delegated.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be consistent in taking care of yourself so that you can show up in the world as a better person. A lot of times, we can have a tendency to take care of everyone else but ourselves, and I’m a big believer in self-care. When you do self-care, you’re more emotionally charged and in better spirits.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I believe that a nutrient-based lifestyle wards off lots and lots of problems. I take vitamins and supplements, drink freshly squeezed juice, and I believe in the natural way of living. find that taking the time for self care leads to increased productivity and allows you to minimize the effects of stress and burnout.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

Read spiritual literature. That’s a wide-open statement because it looks different for everyone, but make sure to read good spiritual literature.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Networking has helped me a lot because the people in my different circles all have different kinds of knowledge.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

I used to go into projects and restart them when they didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. I don’t see it as a failure, though. For me, it was always more of a reboot.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

I’d have to say an app that keeps you on track for meeting your short term goals. It’s so easy to get distracted, that having something to send you daily reminders would be really helpful.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

My family and I went on a vacation that had an excursion. We weren’t going to do it, but at the last minute, we spent $100 to do the excursion. I was hesitant at first, but it ended up being the best $100 I spent because the experience was worth it.

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

I use Google Calendar for everything.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

In my book club, we just read Where the Crawdads Sing. I would suggest people read it because it taught me a lot about marsh life, which is something that I had no knowledge of before.

What is your favorite quote?

If you do the best that you can do, then you’ve done your best.

Key Learnings:

• The health and well-being of a person is dependent on their self-care. Be sure to have a good self-care routine, so that you have the energy to show up in the world.
• Meet different people at different events.
• Have a good spiritual-based reading program.