“We need to abandon the attitude that makes a working Ben Torah into a second class citizen.”
I’ve seen many very well respected professionals who dedicated a significant number of years to learning in Kollel before persuing a parnassa and they now earn a respectable salary while giving regular shiurim in the community in areas such as Daf Yomi, Halacha L’Maaseh, Parshas HaShavua, Gemara Bekius and B’iyun and are not viewed with any sense of shame.
These “Talmidei Chachamim professionals”, including accountants, actuaries, financial advisors, and even doctors, precisely because they were serious in their learning during their Kollel years but also kept an eye on parnassa, developed the skills to be able to become Marbitzei Torah in their own right, and are currently looked at by others as models of self-sufficient (with the help of the RBSH”O of course) talmidei chachamim.
They prove this method can be successful!