Show Notes

In this episode, I have a wonderful conversation with Dr. Donna McConnell, a former first-grade teacher and reading specialist with over 20 years of experience in K-12 education. Today, she is an Account Executive at 95 Percent Group, a company deeply rooted in the Science of Reading.

Donna’s journey was driven by a single question: "How can I increase my impact?" She shares her methodical, "due diligence" approach to finding a company that matched her "non-negotiables." We discuss her rigorous process for vetting a company's mission, products, and culture, and how she completely reframed her "preconceived notion" of what a "sales" role truly is.

• A Career Built on Impact: Donna explains how her career path was a constant search for greater impact—from 25 kids in the classroom, to 750 as a coach, to thousands at the district level, and finally to a national scale in edtech.
• The "Non-Negotiables" List: Donna shares her criteria for choosing a company. It had to have: 1) True mission and vision alignment; 2) High-quality products she would use with her own child; 3) Independent, third-party efficacy research; and 4) A culture filled with experts she could learn from.
• How to Vet a Company (Really): She didn't just read the website. Donna got her hands on the actual products to analyze them with her expert lens and networked with current employees to understand the company from the inside out.
• Reframing "Sales": Donna admits she would have said "absolutely not" to a sales job 10 years ago. She discusses how she learned that her strengths as an educator—thought partnership, coaching, and problem-solving—were the exact skills needed for the role.
• Vulnerability as a Strategy: You don't have to know everything. Donna's key advice is to be comfortable asking good questions and saying, "I'll find the right answer for you," rather than feeling pressured to have the answer on the spot.

Episode Article

Why would a passionate, successful educator with over 20 years of experience leave K-12 public education? For my guest, Dr. Donna McConnell, the answer was "impact." As a first-grade teacher, her impact was on 25 kids. As an instructional coach, it grew to 750. As a district administrator, it became thousands. To make the next leap to a national scale, she realized her path led through the edtech industry.

But Donna, a former reading specialist, didn't just jump. She began a methodical "due diligence" process guided by a clear set of "non-negotiables." This is where her story provides a powerful roadmap for any teacher considering a change. First and foremost was "mission and vision alignment." She needed to find an organization that she could stand behind, one whose purpose was fundamentally in sync with her own.

How do you verify a mission beyond the marketing slogan on a website? Donna used her expertise as a tool. She got her hands on the company's actual products and asked herself, "Is this high quality? Would I use this with my own child?" She also did the crucial work of networking, talking to current employees she trusted to get an authentic feel for the culture. Finally, she looked for proof, seeking out companies that invested in independent, third-party efficacy research to prove their resources "have a positive impact on student literacy outcomes."

This process led her to 95 Percent Group, but the role was "Account Executive"—a sales position. "Ten years ago, if you'd asked me, 'Donna, would you ever consider a sales role?'... I would have said, 'Absolutely not,'" she admits. She had to dismantle her own "preconceived notion" of what "sales" meant. She soon discovered that her greatest strengths as an educator—thought partnership, coaching, listening to problems, and collaborating on solutions—were the exact skills the job required.

Her learning curve wasn't the content; it was the new "lexicon" of sales strategy, like "managing a pipeline" and "prospecting." Her final "non-negotiable" was finding a place where she could keep growing. She wanted to be "surrounded by the smartest people in the space." Donna's journey is a perfect example of how to transition with purpose and find a role where you don't have to leave your identity as an educator behind.