Zach Gilliam

Author, Teacher, Speaker, and Founder of Debt-Free Education


Background Information

Zach grew up in Memphis, TN, where his step mother was an elementary school teacher in an extremely challenging neighborhood filled with poverty and crime. Her dedication and passion for serving children transpired into his core values. He attended the University of Memphis where he majored in Education and was nominated for the H.E. Rumble Student Teacher of the Year Award.

He has taught in the public school system for over 6 years now. During that time, he experienced living paycheck to paycheck, struggled to keep up with the rising cost of living, worked countless hours of unpaid overtime during nights and weekends, and felt overwhelmed from student loan debt. After his bank denied his car loan application, he decided it was time to be serious about getting out of debt and taking his freedom back. Zach managed to pay off over $32k of debt and build up a savings of $15k in 1.5 years on a teacher’s salary.

Nearly 90% of teachers have student loan debt, closely followed by car loans and credit cards. Educators struggle financially because of low wages, lack of resources, and poor habits. Zach’s passion for helping others has evolved from being a leader for students in the classroom, into helping teachers all over the country get out of debt.

His book, The Debt-Free Teacher : A Complete Guide to Eliminating Debt on a Minimal Salary, and online course ( were created as platforms to help teachers overcome financial hardships. He is excited to share his story, resources, and strategic approaches to support all teachers in their journey to becoming a Debt-Free Teacher!


Interview Questions You Can Ask Me
What is
What are the biggest mistakes teachers make when trying to get out of debt?
How can our listeners cultivate a growth mindset?
What is the number one thing teachers can do to get out of debt?
What support and resources are available for teachers to eliminate student loan debt?
What do you wish you knew when you started out?
How can someone listening to this podcast start their debt-free journey?
What is your personal story that drove you to this mission?
What can teachers do today to start budgeting and tracking their money?


How I’ll Promote Podcasts I’m On
Will share and cross promote with a continually growing list of over 500 combined followers on my email list, Facebook, and Instagram.


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The Debt Free Teacher Book URL