The $99 Gamble That Turned a Struggling Teacher into a Multi-Millionaire
In 2011, Lisa Collum was staring at the harsh reality of just $99 in her checking account. With three young kids to care for and a career at a crossroads, she had every reason to panic. But instead of giving in to despair, she made a daring decision—a decision that would not only change her life but leave everyone wondering: how did she pull it off?
It all began with five simple binders from OfficeMax. They weren’t flashy. They weren’t groundbreaking. Yet, inside those binders, Lisa had poured her heart into a fourth- and fifth-grade English lesson plan that she knew worked wonders. But here’s the catch: she had no idea if anyone would actually buy them. Would this $99 bet pay off? Or was she risking everything for nothing?
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What happened next shocked even Lisa herself.
The binders sold out almost instantly. Five became ten, then twenty. Soon, Lisa’s living room was packed with orders, her kids helping to pack and ship binders as fast as they could. The demand was shocking—but what made her lessons so special?
Years earlier, Lisa had been a teacher at Village Academy in Florida, where her students—many of whom struggled with English—were falling behind in writing. Determined to help them, she created a simple system: break writing into clear steps for planning, introduction, body, and conclusion. But could a system so basic really make a difference?
The $99 Side Hustle That Changed Everything
In 2011, Lisa Collum stood at a crossroads. With just $99 in her checking account, she made a bold move: she bought five binders from OfficeMax, filled them with her fourth- and fifth-grade writing curricula, and labeled them “Top Score Writing by Lisa Collum.” She wasn’t sure if anyone would buy them, but she knew she had a teaching method that worked.
To her surprise, the five binders sold quickly. Five turned into 10, then 20. Within a few years, Collum was selling hundreds of binders from her living room, often enlisting the help of her children to keep up with demand.
Fast forward to today: Collum, now 41, is the CEO of Top Score Writing, a Palm Beach Gardens, Florida-based company offering K-12 writing curricula and consulting services to schools across all 50 U.S. states. Her journey from teacher to CEO is a testament to the power of passion, persistence, and believing in your craft.
From Classroom Innovator to Business Trailblazer
Collum’s teaching career began in her 20s at Village Academy School in Delray Beach, Florida. Her fourth-grade students, many of whom spoke English as a second language, struggled with essay writing. To help them succeed, she developed a structured approach that focused on planning and writing introductory, body, and conclusion paragraphs.
Her methods worked: in just her first semester, 95% of her students passed the state writing test, a dramatic improvement from the previous year’s 38%. For two consecutive years, every fourth grader at her school became proficient in writing.
The success was so remarkable that it raised eyebrows at the Florida Department of Education, leading to two investigations. While the results were verified as legitimate, the experience reinforced Collum’s confidence in her teaching techniques.
In 2011, after having her third child, she left her district job for a virtual teaching role. Days later, principals from her old district asked to buy her curriculum. She sold the first binders for $75 each, and her business took off through word-of-mouth referrals.
By 2015, Top Score Writing had outpaced her $40,000 annual teaching salary, allowing her to leave the classroom and run her business full-time. That same year, she expanded her reach further by purchasing Coastal Middle and High School, a nonprofit private school in Lake Park, Florida.
A Growing Business With National Impact
Today, Top Score Writing has grown into a multi-million-dollar enterprise with six full-time employees, 10 part-time staffers, and nearly $1.9 million in annual profit as of last year. Collum’s products, which now range from $125 to $625 depending on grade level and services, are used in schools across the U.S.
Initially, the curricula were designed for Title I schools, which serve students from low-income families. Over time, the program also gained traction in schools with higher concentrations of gifted students. However, Collum acknowledges that her approach, which emphasizes structure over creativity, has received mixed reviews in some circles. Critics argue that while her method prepares students for tests, it may not foster creative expression.
Collum’s response: all students need a strong foundation in writing fundamentals, especially in today’s post-pandemic educational climate where writing skills are often lagging behind math and reading. She emphasizes that her program does incorporate creative writing toward the end of the school year.
Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Confidence
Like any entrepreneur, Collum has faced her share of challenges. She’s lost contracts due to parent concerns and navigated the growing pains of scaling her business. But over the years, she’s learned to trust her instincts and adapt when challenges arise.
“The first five years, it was really hard to have confidence in myself, even though I had data that what I was doing worked,” says Collum. “Now, I know how to take the hit, learn from it, and move forward.”
When she’s not running her business, Collum speaks at educational conferences, sharing her story with others — a powerful sales tool that also inspires her audience.
Her advice to aspiring entrepreneurs? Stick to what you believe in and trust the value of your work.
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