Is the Juice Worth the Squeeze, with Grifan Cayce

Money Tales

In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Grifan Cayce. Grifan began her career in the teaching profession. She was driven by a deep love for education. As Grifan immersed herself in the demanding world of high school teaching, she encountered a stark reality: the disconnect between her efforts and her financial compensation. Teaching multiple AP classes in a competitive school district, Grifin felt the weight of her labor far outweighing the rewards. The rigid teachers’ salary structure did not recognize the results she was producing or her efforts, leaving her feeling undervalued and frustrated. In one poignant moment, as she looked out her classroom window at a colleague leisurely enjoying the sun as a PE teacher, Grifan realized the stark disparity in their different levels of work, yet their compensation was basically the same. As a result, Grifin made the decision to pivot her career.

Grifan is a mother to two little girls, wife and avid skier. As a young professional, Grifan obtained her Master’s in Education focusing on modernizing delivery of US History in a manner to encourage student engagement and metacognition. Stepping away from the classroom in 2008, Grifan attended law school and practiced estate planning and probate law for nearly fifteen years. A longtime advocate for public schools and civic education, Grifan was recognized by the Washington State Bar Association for her work in civics education with local students.

Grifan remains dedicated to this work and Co-Chairs a political action committee that runs local political campaigns for school funding. Today, Grifan is both a recovering attorney and recovering people pleasing perfectionist – for the time being she is focused on raising her daughters to shamelessly value the present moment by exploring the outdoors, taking risks, and making each day an adventure. Grifan isn’t sure what is next and is trusting she’s right where she needs to be.