From Teacher to Creator: Kayla Zenner on Motherhood, Flexibility, and Monetizing Social Media

You can find Kylie on Instagram @boldlygroundedpodcast or @kylieepperson_ Go follow Kayla @thefarmstyle Or check out her website for her recipes www.kaylazenner.com Kylie Epperson talks with her friend Kayla Zenner, a former rural math teacher turned farm wife and entrepreneur, about leaving full-time teaching after childcare challenges and an unpaid maternity leave. Kayla shares how postpartum life and the loss of local daycare options pushed her to seek flexibility at home, while also struggling emotionally with not earning her own income for the first time in years. She describes starting sourdough baking, selling loaves, and teaching in-person classes, then realizing scaling an in-home bakery would recreate a stressful full-time job. Kayla shifted to sharing family-friendly recipes online, experienced rapid follower growth from viral videos, and began monetizing through a recipe website with ad-network revenue, plus paid brand partnerships managed with help from a brand manager. She explains her focus on quick, practical meals and the joy of hearing followers add her recipes to their family rotations.   00:00 Welcome to Boldly Grounded 00:40 Meet Kayla Zenner 01:25 Leaving Teaching and Daycare Struggles 05:09 Postpartum Pressure and Identity 06:37 Sourdough Hobby to Side Hustle 07:59 Money Mindset as a Stay Home Mom 11:55 Scaling Back for Flexibility 16:27 Going Viral and Growing Online 18:04 Monetizing with Website Ads 20:03 Brand Deals and Staying Authentic 24:45 What Kayla Creates Now 28:05 Family Meals and Picky Eaters 33:33 Where to Find Kayla 34:13 Final Thoughts and Sendoff Kylie Epperson talks with her friend Kayla Zenner, a former rural math teacher turned farm wife and entrepreneur, about leaving full-time teaching after childcare challenges and an unpaid maternity leave. Kayla shares how postpartum life and the loss of local daycare options pushed her to seek flexibility at home, while also struggling emotionally with not earning her own income for the first time in years. She describes starting sourdough baking, selling loaves, and teaching in-person classes, then realizing scaling an in-home bakery would recreate a stressful full-time job. Kayla shifted to sharing family-friendly recipes online, experienced rapid follower growth from viral videos, and began monetizing through a recipe website with ad-network revenue, plus paid brand partnerships managed with help from a brand manager. She explains her focus on quick, practical meals and the joy of hearing followers add her recipes to their family rotations.   00:00 Welcome to Boldly Grounded 00:40 Meet Kayla Zenner 01:25 Leaving Teaching and Daycare Struggles 05:09 Postpartum Pressure and Identity 06:37 Sourdough Hobby to Side Hustle 07:59 Money Mindset as a Stay Home Mom 11:55 Scaling Back for Flexibility 16:27 Going Viral and Growing Online 18:04 Monetizing with Website Ads 20:03 Brand Deals and Staying Authentic 24:45 What Kayla Creates Now 28:05 Family Meals and Picky Eaters 33:33 Where to Find Kayla 34:13 Final Thoughts and Sendoff