Level Up Your Course Podcast with Janelle Allen: Create Online Courses that Change Lives: Recent Episodes
Janelle Allen: Learning Designer, Online Course Coach, and Entrepreneur
Janelle Allen from the Zen Courses blog interviews successful online course creators, sharing their stories, successes, and struggles. On the podcast, she also reveals her strategies for creating and growing an online learning business, based on her 9 years as an Instructional Design consultant. Discover how you can build a profitable online course that improves learning, increases revenue, and boosts your authority. Learn how to take your existing learning platform to the next level so you can better serve your audience. Hear stories from agencies, consultants, CEOs and founders who felt called to transform lives through education. Although a lot of podcasts focus on online courses as a means to passive income, you won’t find that here. Instead, you’ll hear from people driven to democratize education and deliver results. Instructional Design, video and audio, engagement, on-boarding, workshops, group programs, marketing your course, launching your course, automation, building authority and trust, social media, getting things done, outsourcing and everything that works (and doesn't work) to help you create a profitable online course that changes lives--including your own!
What’s up everyone! We’re back this week with Joel Klettke, the founder of Business Casual Copywriting and Case Study Buddy. Joel has created very successful workshops and courses and he’s here to talk copywriting, course creation, and growing a client base.
Joel launched Business Casual Copywriting in 2013, focusing on content marketing assets and website copy. He’s worked with clients like HubSpot, WP Engine, Safelite, and Ion Interactive. Two years later, he started helping clients understand their customers better and improve their conversion rates with conversion copywriting.
Tune in to hear Joel’s copywriting journey, how he created Case Study Buddy, his copywriting advice, and how you can write effective case studies. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"The best way to grow your client base is to network and make connections."
"My strategy has always been to solve problems in public, be useful first, worry about selling later."
"It's not about genius, it's about discipline and repetition."
"Confidence is a byproduct of a solid process - when you know what you are doing and why you are doing it."
"I don’t want to work to make a living. I want to work to build a life."
Listen to Learn
00:21 - Rapid 5 Questions
04:45 - How Joel got into copywriting
09:41 - Going freelance growing a client base
13:14 - The shift to course creation
18:17 - Marketing as a service-based business
24:23 - How Joel started Case Study Buddy
32:51 - Copywriting best practices & pitfalls
40:36 - Leveraging audience feedback
45:39 - Tips on copywriting for course creators
47:52 - Exciting things coming up from Joel
Connect with Joel
BusinessCasualCopywriting.com
CaseStudyBuddy.com
Follow Joel on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 130
Hey family! I hope you are doing well. This week, we’re talking about another growth strategy: YOUTUBE.
It actually took me six months to launch my YouTube channel. It wasn’t that it’s especially difficult, but I procrastinated. I found that I was stuck because of my own negative thoughts surrounding doing things that I’m not comfortable with. I mean, I’m really comfortable doing podcasts, but definitely not YouTube.
There are things we procrastinate on because of this resistance within ourselves. I realized that the key to getting unstuck is taking time to reflect, acknowledging the negative loops, and acting anyway.
Tune in to hear my YouTube experience, my advice for starting on YouTube from scratch, beginner tips, and DOs and DON’Ts.
Learn how to create a solid YouTube strategy by visiting JanelleAllen.com/YouTubeGuide.
Episode Quotes
"It's not about the procrastination, it's about why are you procrastinating."
"Procrastination is a symptom of something that we are resisting."
"Video is a great way to connect with your audience and grow your business."
"YouTube is great for discovery, authority, and list building."
"YouTube is all about optimizing and improving over time."
Listen to Learn
01:56 - Recap on guest posting
02:45 - Procrastination and patterns
08:21 - My A-ha! moment
11:19 - Pros and cons of video content
12:42 - Why video on YouTube
16:34 - My YouTube experience and beginner tips
23:27 - YouTube DOs and DON’Ts
Connect with Me
JanelleAllen.com
Follow Me on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 129
Ready to rock YouTube for your business?
Learn how to create a solid YouTube strategy!
JanelleAllen.com/YouTubeGuide
I shared something on Twitter recently:
I don’t know who needs to hear this, but there is no magic genie that's going to help you start your thing. There is no moment when everything will feel easier. You just have to start. You are the magic.
I believe this is so important for people who, for the longest time, have been wanting to start an online business or focus on something they love. I want to encourage you this week to start your thing. You and the actions you take are the magic. Stop waiting.
In this week’s episode, I’m also sharing another growth strategy: GUEST POSTING. If you’re already running an online business, or you want to start building your audience online, this is an incredibly effective way to gain forward momentum. Tune in to hear me break down the key points of guest posting, the pros and cons, and DOs and DON’Ts you need to keep in mind.
By the way, make sure you’re staying up to date with future episodes and getting growth strategies directly in your inbox. Sign up to be part of the family here.
Episode Quotes
"Everyone's roadmap is different... What works for someone else may not work for you."
"The magic is not only you, but it's the action that you take."
"You create your path, but you can only create it through action."
"Guest posting is a flexible and effective strategy if you don’t have time to do podcast appearances."
Listen to Learn
02:21 - Do the thing. You are the MAGIC!
08:41 - What is guest posting?
11:41 - Pros and cons of guest posting
16:23 - Guest posting DOs and DONTs
27:59 - Updates and announcements
Connect with Me
JanelleAllen.com
Follow Me on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 128
Hey family! How is everything going with you? Today’s episode is a solo show. I’m trying to do more of these so I can check in, especially as we all navigate how the pandemic is changing the landscape of our lives and businesses. It’s nice to be able to touch base with all of you.
In this episode, I’ll chat about the COVID-19 situation, recap the big takeaways from recent interviews, discuss podcasting for your business, and dig into some lead generation tips. Make sure you stay tuned, because I also have a very exciting announcement that you don’t want to miss.
Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"If you're an online business owner, you were positioned to adapt better than if you have a brick and mortar business."
"Podcasts are good for traffic, nurturing, and discoverability, but it's not great for lead generation."
"Students do better when they have a community where they can connect and ask questions."
Listen to Learn
01:07 - COVID-19’s impact on online course creators
04:15 - Recap of previous episodes
08:46 - Podcasting for your business
12:36 - Effective lead generation channels
16:01 - New and exciting things happening!
Connect with Me
JanelleAllen.com
Follow Me on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 127
Ready to start a podcast for your business?
Learn how to start a podcast in three simple steps. No excuses!
https://janelleallen.com/startyourshow
Hey, family! This week I’m joined by Tara McMullin, the founder and CEO of What Works, a top business podcast and community centered on the number one question business owners want answered. Tara is here to talk about her pivot from 1:1 consulting to facilitating honest conversations about what’s working in small businesses and discovering the real key: what works for you.
Instead of thinking of podcasts as purely a marketing asset, think of it as part of your business model.
One thing that works for Tara is podcasting. She has interviewed over 180 small business owners about systems for marketing, management, operations, product and personal development, sales, and productivity. I’m so excited to welcome Tara for her second appearance on the show. Tune in and hear how she’s making What Works work and her tips for course creators looking to add podcasting to their business model.
Episode Quotes
"Peer-to-peer learning was really, really important to me."
"During the pivot we did our very best to communicate the change, walk clients through it, and allow them to feel really supported."
"The very first step is demystifying the process because podcasting is not difficult at all, it is just opaque."
"It is a mistake to create content for your podcast and just insert your pitch as an ad."
"I believe in the power of small business owners to reshape our economy and our culture in positive ways."
Listen to Learn
02:00 - Rapid 5 Questions
05:09 - Pivoting to a community-oriented business
13:23 - How Tara started podcasting
15:29 - Podcasting tips for beginners
20:50 - The 3 different types of podcasts
23:51 - Benefits of podcasting for businesses
28:26 - Developing a content strategy
33:40 - DOs and DON’Ts of pitching in podcasts
37:48 - Importance of value propositions for podcasts
41:25 - Exciting things coming up from Tara
Connect with Tara
Join the What Works Network
Listen to the What Works podcast
TaraGentile.com
Follow Tara on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 126
What’s up everyone! This week’s guest is Reuven Lerner, full-time Python trainer, computer scientist, and author of Python Workout.
If you are doing courses because you have expertise and enjoy sharing it with other people, let that show.
Reuven teaches developers and corporate engineers around the world to become fluent in Python. In his corporate training, he serves top tier tech companies like Apple, Cisco, IBM, and Intel, but he also offers Weekly Python Exercises, a set of 15-week courses to help learners become better Python developers. His online video courses consist of hands-on labs that empower his students to understand Python at a deeper level.
Tune in to hear Reuven’s Python journey, plus how he creates engaging online trainings, creates his evergreen newsletters, and drives traffic to his website. Let’s dig in!
Episode Quotes
"There's a bunch of different ways to drive website traffic, so it's important not to put all of your eggs in one basket."
"Narrowing down the service offerings on my website has been more effective."
"If you are doing courses because you have expertise and enjoy sharing it with other people, let that show."
"Informality is no longer seen as a bad thing, so be yourself and keep experimenting."
Listen to Learn
01:28 - Rapid 5 Questions, Reuven's business journey
10:45 - Converting in-person to online training
14:40 - Tips for creating engaging online training
18:24 - How to build an evergreen newsletter
22:26 - Ways to increase website traffic
26:37 - Sales funnel and lead nurturing
29:25 - Importance of a customer-centric website
34:47 - The power of online courses during COVID-19 crisis
41:10 - Advice for online course creators
42:22 - Exciting things coming up from Reuven
Connect with Reuven
Check out Reuven’s Weekly Python Exercise
Read Reuven’s book, Python Workout
Check out Reuven’s newsletter about the business, pedagogy, and logistics of training.
Check out Reuven’s free courses, Ace Python Interviews and Python for Non-Programmers.
Lerner.co.il
Follow Reuven on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 125
Hey family! This week brings you a special episode. Alex Hillman and I teamed up for a live podcast interview and Q&A as COVID-19 was starting to take a toll on business owners.
This is a tough time for most of us. Some online entrepreneurs are seeing a decline in revenue while several industries have been shut down completely. What do we do when we're facing uncertainty, struggling to figure out our next move, and are trying to avoid thoughts of giving up completely?
We pivot. We lean into our communities. We get resourceful.
Alex is the founder of Indy Hall, a coworking community in Philadelphia, and the co-founder of Stacking the Bricks along with Amy Hoy. He joined me to dig into practical pivot strategies, tips for building online communities, and effective sales strategies for a down economy.
Our live audience brought some great questions, so stick around after the interview for some more great advice about marketing during a pandemic, free vs. paid communities, and creating free content when your business is struggling.
Episode Quotes
"If we wait, there may be nothing... so let's be resourceful."
"The difference between a group of people and a community is the direction that the support flows."
"The value of the community gets bigger if the more people are in it and contributing."
"The value of a community is the resiliency of your customers in their businesses."
"Short term thinking is the thing that will kill a lot of businesses."
Listen to Learn
04:45 - Getting to know Alex Hillman, Rapid 5 Questions
11:52 - Challenges small business owners are facing due to COVID-19
18:06 - Marketing and pivot strategies
26:40 - Product sales strategy in a down economy
31:30 - Community building and management essentials
40:07 - Community building during COVID-19 crisis
43:59 - Q&A on finding the right marketing tone
47:28 - Q&A on free content
53:02 - Q&A on free vs. paid communities
1:00:05 - Tools for online community building
1:06:02 - Practical advice for business owners
Connect with Alex
DangerouslyAwesome.com
IndyHall.org
StackingtheBricks.com
Follow Alex on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 124
Hey everyone! This week I’m joined by Paul Minors, productivity expert, virtual consultant, and founder of PaulMinors.com. He is here to talk about his course, How to Become a Virtual Consultant, and how he helps businesses set up and use tools like Asana, MailChimp, Pipedrive and Zapier.
Productivity is the vehicle by which you can have a great life.
As someone who is passionate about productivity and automation, Paul understands that setting up efficient systems is the key to success in any business. His course, How to Become A Virtual Consultant, enables clients to learn the processes and tools he uses to be more organized and achieve more in both business and life. Paul has helped more than 400 clients create more effective businesses using the best tools to get them results.
Tune in to hear Paul’s transition process from one-on-one work to an online course, plus his productivity and marketing hacks and how to build an online community.
Episode Quotes
"Surveying your audience is always a good idea."
"Community is the X factor when building your business online." - Janelle
"You're going to have a load of failure, so patience is really important."
"You will always be rewarded for being consistent."
"The success of a business comes down to how clearly you can communicate an idea."
Listen to Learn
01:43 - Rapid 5 Questions
07:28 - Paul's career and business journey
11:24 - Initial steps and transition to course creation
16:28 - Ways to build an online audience
18:41 - Course launching and audience survey
25:42 - Creating the course structure
27:51 - Marketing channels, why YouTube is worth it
32:21 - How to build and personalize marketing funnels
39:10 - LinkedIn, Google AdWords, and other marketing tips
41:31 - How to price online courses
45:50 - Paul's advice for online creators
48:29 - Exciting things coming up from Paul
Connect with Paul
Check out How to Become a Virtual Consultant
PaulMinors.com
Follow Paul on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 123
Hey everybody! This week, I’m joined by Stephanie Taylor, co-founder of Rent 2 Rent Success and HMO Heaven and creator of Rent 2 Rent Success Kickstarter.
For your business to grow, you have to grow – dream bigger, be bolder, and be a game changer.
Being a property investor, Stephanie believes in creating value for everyone she works with: tenants, landlords, investors, and partners. Her online course, Rent 2 Rent Success Kickstarter, helps people create and grow a profitable rent-to-rent business -- fast and stress free. With her system, you can kickstart your property business in no time, and with minimal experience.
Tune in to hear Stephanie’s story, her marketing tips, and how to have the right mindset for success.
Episode Quotes
"You can presell your course. All you just need to do is be transparent about it."
"In creating a course, just do it."
"For your business to grow, you have to grow."
"All you have to do to start is connect with people."
"Our vision going forward is dream bigger, be bolder, and be a game changer."
Listen to Learn
00:40 - Rapid 5 Questions, Stephanie's entrepreneurial journey
09:43 - What is rent-to-rent?
12:51 - How Stephanie created Rent 2 Rent Kickstarter
18:20 - Preselling and course goal
24:32 - Lessons learned and stuck zones
30:46 - Marketing funnels and channels, plus YouTube and Facebook tips
35:58 - DIY vs. hiring a coach
38:38 - Why mindset is vital for success
43:33 - Online course essentials to get you started
48:14 - Exciting things coming up from Stephanie
Connect with Stephanie:
Rent 2 Rent Success
Get the Rent 2 Rent Guide
See Stephanie over on YouTube
Join the Rent 2 Rent Success Community
HMO Heaven
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 122
Hey family! I'm so excited to be back with you. It's been three months since the last episode because I took a bit of a hiatus. Thank you for hanging out and giving me the leeway to take that break and come back.
In this solo episode, I’m going to report on what I did over these past three months, including finally launching my YouTube channel. I’m happy to say that it’s been up for almost a month now. In line with that, I’ll share my thoughts on YouTube for course creators. Is it really worth the effort?
Then, on a serious note, let’s talk about COVID-19. I’ll get into how it’s affecting online course creators and business owners, and what to do in terms of launching and marketing your course in these unprecedented times.
Finally, we’ll wrap up with what you can expect going forward on the podcast. I was so encouraged during the hiatus by your kind notes, emails, and tweets, and I’m excited to share what’s coming up.
Episode Quotes
"Part of being a business owner is being able to adapt and be agile because there's always going to be uptimes and downtimes."
"In this COVID-19 crisis, it's the time to double down on building awareness and serving your audience."
"Be sensitive with your audience and be empathic. This is not the time to be using scarcity tactics on your marketing."
Listen to Learn
02:20 - What I did during my 3-month hiatus
06:58 - Is YouTube worth it for course creators?
13:22 - COVID-19: Business impact and what to do as course creator
24:51 - What's coming up on the podcast
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 121
Hey family! This episode is going to be different because I’m doing it solo. It’s time for the annual review for 2019. I love doing this part because I’m such a nerd in reflection and planning, and this is the time of the year where things slow down and I can get really intentional about what I want to do and also express gratitude. So listen up as I share with you what went well, what didn’t go well, lessons learned, and what I’m focused on for 2020. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"Marketing isn’t a bad word. Marketing is just communicating your value to your audience."
"Transformation is not about information; it comes through action"
"Doing everything on your own is not the way to grow."
"Growth requires investment (money, time, relationships)."
"Focus on what you love to do, focus on what you're good at, and collaborate more."
Listen to Learn
02:09 - My wins for 2019
12:28 - What didn't go well in 2019
20:51 - Things I learned this year
32:21 - Shoutouts to these amazing people
36:34 - My focus areas for 2020
41:00 - One more thing...
Subscribe to My YouTube Channel!
I’m launching my very first YouTube channel in a few weeks and I’d love to see you there.
→ Click here to subscribe so you don’t miss any videos! ←
What’s up everyone! This week I’m joined by Francesco D'Alessio, productivity expert, YouTuber, and founder of Keep Productive. He’s here to talk about his course, Notion Made Simple, and how he’s helping people find the best productivity tools for their work and life.
My mission is to help people find the right productivity software for their life and work.
Francesco’s passion for tech and productivity tools paved the way for Keep Productive, a blog and YouTube channel that currently has 105K subscribers and more than 10 million views. His course, Notion Made Simple, is an 8-module program that teaches learners at beginner, intermediate, and advanced experience levels how to master Notion. The course is built to help people learn to use Notion effectively, from navigating the vast number of features to managing projects and databases.
Tune in to hear Francesco’s tips about tech and productivity, and how he created Notion Made Simple.
Episode Quotes
"Just be patient. Good stuff comes a couple of years after, not next week."
"There is so much more creative freedom when you are doing these individual courses."
Listen to Learn
00:54 - Getting to know Francesco D'Alessio, Rapid 5 Questions
04:01 - How Keep Productive started, Keep Productive business model
09:53 - What is Notion?
12:01 - Notion Made Simple - Course goal and who it's for
15:58 - Pros of using Notion
18:12 - Notion Made Simple - Launching and lessons learned
22:42 - Importance of timing with courses based on tools
27:34 - Exciting things coming up from Francesco
Connect with Francesco
Keep Productive
Keep Productive YouTube Channel
Notion Made Simple
Follow Francesco on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 119
Grab the bonus segment!
Francesco dives deeper into Notion and how he keeps his courses up-to-date.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! In this episode, I am joined by Pamela Slim, speaker, business coach and award-winning author of Escape from Cubicle Nation and Body of Work. Pamela joins me to share her story and how her brick and mortar learning lab empowers diverse entrepreneurs.
The core of everything is that we all need each other and we work together from our diverse ecosystems.
For over 20 years, Pamela has worked with thousands of entrepreneurs to support them in launching and growing their businesses. Even with the evolution of online courses, many business owners are still stuck with the same problems Pam has been helping them solve for years. In 2016, she started the K’é Main Street Learning Lab in Mesa, Arizona, which is a community-based leadership development lab that supports and strengthens local small businesses. Since launching the Learning Lab, Pam has hosted over 200 events led by 38 community leaders for her more than 4,000 community members.
Listen as Pamela shares her insights about building a community, being physically present with your members, and small business solutions.
Episode Quotes
"Never trust short term success and never assume that short term failure lasts forever."
"There is huge power in physically being present."
"Our problems as business owners are large and varied and they require a lot of solutions."
"The core of everything is we realize that we all need each other and we work together from all different sectors of our communities. "
Listen to Learn
00:56 - Getting to know Pamela Slim, Rapid 5 Questions
05:31 - Pamela's entrepreneurial journey
12:23 - Impetus of creating The Main Street Learning Lab
17:27 - Physical space vs. online courses
28:49 - The power of interdependent ecosystems over empire culture
35:36 - Practical tips for course creators
46:34 - Awesome things coming up from Pamela
Connect with Pam
PamelaSlim.com
The Main Street Learning Lab
Learn more about Pam’s books
Follow Pam on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 118
What’s up everyone! I am joined today by Ken Wallace, online course creator and the brain behind MastermindJam. He’s here to share how he created MastermindJam and discuss the value of peer-led mastermind groups.
Mastermind groups help you to have another set of eyes on the problems about your business.
The idea for MastermindJam came after Ken joined the the 2015 MicroConf. After some some customer feedback and a few tweaks in pricing, Ken created MastermindJam in 2019. MastermindJam is a platform that helps people find a peer-driven mastermind group or create a new group from scratch without having to waste time cobbling together a bunch of different software. With MastermindJam, entrepreneurs can now easily join a business mastermind that can help them supercharge their business growth and move their business forward.
Tune in to hear Ken’s take on value-based pricing, the benefit of peer-led versus guru-led communities, and the story behind MastermindJam.
Episode Quotes
"Always price based on the value of what it is you are bringing."
"Mastermind can mean a lot of things to a lot of people, so you have to get clear on what you need."
"As a course creator, it is important to get a feel for your customer - who they are and what they're struggling with."
Listen to Learn
01:24 - Getting to know Ken Wallace, Rapid 5 Questions
03:36 - Value-based pricing
08:57 - Building the mastermind group business
21:53 - What is a mastermind group and why it is beneficial?
25:05 - Guru-Driven Masterminds and Peer-Led Mastermind
31:01 - Importance of visibility and matching in mastermind groups
42:03 - Exciting things coming up from Ken
Connect with Ken
Check out MastermindJam
Follow Ken on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 117
Grab the bonus segment!
Learn how to find the right community to supercharge your growth and get some practical tips for creating a mastermind of your own.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey family! This week’s episode is the live interview from my workshop with Charlie GIlkey, logistics expert turned executive coach, author, and founder of Productive Flourishing. He’s here to talk about his new book, Start Finishing, and how you can finally finish all of those projects you’ve been wanting to dig into.
All great ideas don't matter. What matters is our execution, our ability to pull them into light, ship them in the marketplace, and make the difference that they are going to make.
Before becoming an executive coach, Charlie worked in the Army as a Joint Force Military Logistics Coordinator, where he mastered the skills of planning and strategizing. In his book, Start Finishing, he shares his expertise and the 9-step method to re-align your life with the things that matters most. Charlie believes that we’re all meant to do our best work, and a core piece of that is finishing what we start. The strategies in his book help creatives work through three major emotions that hold them back (overwhelm, exasperation, and regret) so they can live the life they want, do the work they love, and start finishing.
Episode Quotes
“The main thing that we have to focus on as creatives is not tasks, but projects.”
"For me, planning is a creative process; strategy making is a creative process."
"In the entrepreneurial world, poorly using your creativity costs you money."
"There's this very close tie between your creativity, your productivity, your focus and your revenue."
Listen to Learn
01:31 - Getting to know Charlie Gilkey, Rapid 5 Questions
04:05 - Charlie's entrepreneurial journey
08:06 - Why 'Getting Things Done' doesn't work for creatives
12:23 - Logistics expert turned executive coach
15:47 - Start Finishing - What it's about and who it is for?
18:12 - Start Finishing - Genesis of the book
20:13 - Coaching vs. Teaching
24:56 - Awesome things coming up from Charlie
Connect with Charlie
Grab your copy of Start Finishing
ProductiveFlourishing.com
Follow Charlie on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 116
Grab the bonus segment!
Watch the complete workshop where Charlie lays out some actionable strategies from Start Finishing and shares exactly how to plan your next project.
Grab it here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/charlie-gilkey-janelle-allen/register
What’s up everybody! This week I’m joined by Gareth Pronovost, Airtable consultant, founder of GAP Consulting, and creator of Airtable Automation Machine. He’s here to share his course creation story and how Airtable Automation Machine helps businesses build databases and automate their workflows.
When we automate processes we can focus on doing the stuff that we love and work less.
Having been a financial analyst in a billion-dollar public company, Gareth knows the burden of spending countless hours doing reports manually on spreadsheets. This slow and inefficient process prevented him from doing the work he should have been focusing on. Then, Airtable came to his rescue.
With Airtable, Gareth was able to automate his workflow, organize data, and eliminate long hours of manual work. Now with GAP Consulting, he’s helped hundreds of business owners do the same. His course, Airtable Automation Machine, helps entrepreneurs optimize their Airtable setup, integrate business process, and train their team on Airtable on their own schedule.
Join us to hear how he turned his high-touch consulting process into a detailed course, and how he’s helping business owners focus on the work they love.
Episode Quotes
"Airtable is like a box of Legos. It is very modular application that allows you to craft your own database."
"It is important to boil things down into as few touch points as possible."
"If you provide value then there is invariably a large number of people that's going to hire you."
"This idea that I need to sit at a desk for 8 hours in order to provide value is fundamentally wrong."
Listen to Learn
00:51 - Getting to know Gareth Pronovost, Rapid 5 Questions
07:08 - How Gareth got into entrepreneurship
12:05 - The Airtable business idea
19:15 - Validation process and getting the first customers
25:40 - Why value driven courses?
28:13 - Airtable Automation Machine - What is it and who it's for?
34:24 - Airtable Automation Machine - Course structure
38:50 - Exciting things coming up from Gareth
Connect with Gareth
Airtable Automation Machine
GAP Consulting
Follow Gareth on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 115
Grab the bonus segment!
Get to know Airtable best practices, and why this database software is so much better than spreadsheets.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everybody? This week, I’m joined by Lydia Lee, founder of Screw the Cubicle and creator of 90 Day Launch. She’s here to share how she transitioned from the corporate world to living a life of purpose and doing work that matters, and how she’s helping her students do the same.
Stop trying to look good in your business, and start being good.
Six years ago, Lydia had hustled her way up the corporate ladder and landed a comfortable six-figure job. Despite her success, she knew she wasn’t happy. After a realization that this wasn’t the life she wanted -- and a bit of a breakdown, some therapy, and coaching -- she quit and started her own business.
Screw the Cubicle is all about helping people transition from corporate shackles to satisfying work, and the freedom to do it on their terms. Lydia’s course, 90 Day Launch, guides her learners to map out their processes, craft the framework of their offer, and launch their next big thing that matters.
Episode Quotes
"Remember not to burn bridges when transitioning from employee to entrepreneur."
"Sometimes staying small strategically, and making enough to afford the life you want, is enough."
"The future of work is in small business, is in everybody in their communities creating an impacting change through what they do best."
"The world is much bigger than our zip code... when you travel and are able to listen and learn from other cultures, you are a much better human."
Listen to Learn
00:53 - Getting to know Lydia Lee, Rapid 5 Questions
06:14 - Lydia's entrepreneurial journey
11:31 - How to safely transition from employee to entrepreneur
17:43 - How Screw the Cubicle started, and customer discovery
26:05 - 90 Day Launch - What it is and who it's for
30:27 - 90 Day Launch - How it started and transition process
42:08 - Scaling strategically
44:00 - Awesome things coming up from Lydia
Connect with Lydia
90 Day Launch
Sign Up for her Upcoming Webinar
Check out her Coaching Experience
Weekly #ScrewTheCubicleTV Episodes
ScrewTheCubicle.com
Follow Lydia on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 114
Grab the bonus segment!
Find out what it means to create a body of work, and how you can create a work vision that fulfills you.
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What’s up, family! In this week’s episode, I’m joined by Louise Henry, web designer and founder of Solopreneur Sidekick. She’s also the Squarespace specialist behind Website that Wows, a course that helps “non-techie” entrepreneurs build their own website in as little as one week.
Having a website is important because it is your digital home.
Being a digital nomad herself, Louise knows how important it is to have a digital home that represents who you are and what you do. In Website that Wows, Louise teaches entrepreneurs how to take ownership of their online presence through step-by-step tutorials, templates, and high-touch tech support.
Tune in to hear Louise and I talk about the digital nomad life, how she empowers business owners to build the website of their dreams, and some sales tips that drives results. Let’s do it!
Episode Quotes
"Having a professional website, and being clear about what you could offer, is an advantage."
"As an entrepreneur, I realized that mindset comes first."
"Sales is an exchange, and it's about delivering value."
Listen to Learn
00:54 - Getting to know Louise Henry, Rapid 5 Questions
05:28 - Life as a digital nomad, how Solopreneur Sidekick started
11:04 - Ways to find clients for your business
12:57 - Importance of having a website, Creating Solopreneur Sidekick
15:20 - Solopreneur Sidekick - Structure, modules, and learners’ outcomes
21:21 - Sales tips to drive effective results
28:40 - Exciting things coming up from Louise
Connect with Louise
Website that Wows
SolopreneurSidekick.com
Follow Louise on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 113
Grab the bonus segment!
Hear practical tips from Louise about claiming your corner of online space and building your own website that wows.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! Today I am joined by Alisha Robertson, founder of Living Over Existing and author of a book by the same title. She’s also the creator of Brand with Purpose, a ten-week mentorship program for women entrepreneurs.
Know what it is you want to do - passion, skills, and interest - then build your brand on that.
After all the pivots she made, Alisha finally said yes to her calling to write. For over 6 years, she has worked with women entrepreneurs teaching them how to gain clarity in their business. Her group program, Brand with Purpose, guides creatives to build their brand, create better content, and define their signature product.
Listen as Alisha talks about how she handled those big life decisions, how she committed to her mission to write, and how she helps creative women build their life and business on purpose. Let’s get into it!
Episode Quotes
"Some days are really bad, but you have to keep going because the next day could be the day that changes your entire life."
"People want accountability and structure and group programs are perfect for that."
"We are in a season now where people crave community over information."
"If what you are giving away for free doesn't make you want to slap a price on it, it is not good enough."
"Don't be afraid to change... dwelling too much on making decisions makes you stuck."
Listen to Learn
00:50 - Getting to know Alisha Robertson, Rapid 5 Questions
03:04 - Alisha's entrepreneurial journey
07:53 - One-on-one coaching to group programs
10:50 - The calling to write
19:26 - Brand with Purpose - How it started and who it's for
23:47 - Brand with Purpose - Program structure and learner's experience
30:47 - Brand with Purpose - Creating the program content
36:00 - Insights to achieve transformation
37:07 - Awesome things coming up from Alisha
Connect with Alisha
Brand with Purpose
LivingOverExisting.com
TheAlishaNicole.com
Join the Living Over Existing Community!
Follow Alisha on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 112
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Alisha shares how she consistently pushes through fear and into greatness, and stays true to her commitment to write.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, family? In this episode, we have David Charrier, multi-instrumentalist, handpan enthusiast, and founder of the online school, Master the Handpan.
I love watching my students blossom in their musical journey
As a musician, David has always been passionate about rhythms and melodies. In 2004, he discovered a unique-looking percussion instrument called the handpan. After traveling to host handpan masterclasses, David created Master the Handpan to bring the joys of the handpan right into students’ homes. He’s now taught more than 3,000 people with his online program. With easy-to-watch, easy-to-follow video lessons, students can now learn how to play the handpan in a simple and fun way. Tune in to hear how David created Master the Handpan, what he’s learned since its launch, and courses to check out to begin our own musical journey.
Episode Quotes
"The problem for learners is frustration."
"Having course levels give learners something to aspire to. It motivates them to keep going."
"Put yourself in your student's shoes."
"Students get stuck if you are not good... We are more than just teachers, we are also coaches."
"Time is something we cannot buy so we need to maximize the time we have.”
Listen to Learn
00:54 - Getting to know David, Rapid 5 Questions
02:59 - What is a handpan? How did Master the Handpan start?
13:32 - Pros of having course levels
17:19 - First steps in course creation
21:07 - Structuring the course content and David's teaching process
29:58 - What to include as YouTube video vs. course video
37:44 - Awesome things coming up from David
Connect with David
Master the Handpan
HandpanDavid.com
Follow David on Twitter!
Looking for the Transcript?
Episode 111
Grab the bonus segment!
We dig even further into Master the Handpan, and David graces us with with an incredible song on his handpan.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey everybody! Welcome back to our usual programming. I’m joined today by Tiago Forte, writer, productivity expert, and founder of Forte Labs. He’s here to share how he got into optimizing productivity and learning, and how he created his course, Building a Second Brain.
Expanding the number of things you can pay attention to and you can manage expands your capacity for life
Prior to creating online courses, Tiago has worked in microfinance, served in the Peace Corps, and consulted for large companies on product development. He has spent more than 10 years researching, developing, and teaching the practices of Idea Management to professionals. His online course, Building a Second Brain, is helping people around the world save their best ideas and organize their learning by providing the necessary system and approach to reliably produce creative outputs.
Stay tuned as Tiago shares his business journey, his course, and tips on how to productively manage information. Let’s get started!
Episode Quotes
"Information is the building blocks of reality for the modern world."
"It was the actual beliefs in myself and what I was doing that led me to create Building a Second Brain."
"Your brain is your bottleneck."
"Our work can’t be just a means of putting food on the table; it can be a journey of personal transformation."
Listen to Learn
0:56 - Getting to know Tiago Forte, Rapid 5 Questions
5:08 - Tiago's entrepreneurial journey
9:17 - Importance of capturing information and how to productively manage it
16:20 - What is a 'project'?
21:34 - Building a Second Brain - Who it’s for and learner’s outcome
24:30 - Building a Second Brain - Course structure
27:12 - How Tiago created and launched Building a Second Brain
33:49 - How to be resilient from failures
41:54 - Transformation stories of students taking the course
44:15 - Exciting things coming up from Tiago
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about information management, and the systems you need to skyrocket your productivity.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey everyone! It’s time to review Q3 and look ahead to the last quarter of the year. I’m excited to share what worked, what I plan on changing, and the awesome things you can expect before 2020.
Focus, take action that is intentional and effective, and keep doing it
If you tuned in to Episode 100, you know I had three focus areas for Q3: to double down on my group program, Finish Your Damn Course; to increase the top-of-funnel traffic on my site; and to finish setting up my email marketing systems.
Did I do everything I set out to last quarter? What pivots did I make in my strategy? What am I doing to wrap up 2019? Tune in to hear the highlights and big lessons of the last few months, and then join me to dig into my Big Three for Q4. Let’s do it!
Episode Quotes
"It is not about creating a course... it is about building a business."
"Focus on actions that are going to generate long term returns."
"Momentum matters."
"You got to have the systems in place to be able to scale."
"One of the key things that helped me grow is forming relationships."
Listen to Learn
0:55 Episode Intro, Recap on my three focus areas last Q3
3:00 #1 - Double down to my group program (Finish Your Damn Course)
7:29 #2 - Increase the top-of-funnel traffic
10:43 #3 - Dig deep on my email marketing systems
14:05 Wins and lessons learned in Q3
29:31 Exciting things coming up for Q4
Hey family! In this episode, I’m joined by Kim Doyal, content marketing strategist and creator of Content Marketing Secrets. She is here to talk about her course and how to develop a content strategy that drives growth.
You don’t get good at something by not doing it.
Five years after the death of her husband, Kim went all in on online business. Despite wanting to be an information marketer, she started out as The Wordpress Chick, building websites for clients. In 2018, she decided it was time to get back to what she loved and pivoted her focus to content marketing. She’s since launched her course, Content Marketing Secrets, which teaches online business owners how to develop and implement a customized content strategy.
Check out what Kim has to say about her course, the fundamentals of content strategy, and how to create content that drives traffic.
Episode Quotes
"Being able to let go of what it is supposed to look like is such FREEDOM."
"Nobody cares what you don't do."
"Go for it! Your dreams are worth pursuing. Know that you are going to get there."
"There is another way to live your life on your terms."
“Content strategy has to be being who you are and showing up genuinely and not needing everything you do to be attached to a conversion goal.”
Listen to Learn
1:03 Getting to know Kim Doyal, Rapid Five Questions
5:40 Kim's entrepreneurial journey
12:44 Overcoming the fear of pivoting
16:48 What is content strategy? Why is it important?
19:05 How to write content that drives traffic/leads
26:37 Content Marketing Secrets - course goal and who it’s for
36:10 How Content Marketing Secrets started
44:20 Memberships vs. Courses
51:19 Exciting things coming up from Kim, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about content strategy and some tips on how to consistently create great content. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
I’m joined today by Joe Williams, SEO expert, founder of Tribe SEO, and creator of Learn SEO Fast. He’s here to share his course and how it demystifies SEO to help small businesses make huge impacts online.
My goal is to make SEO easier, fun, and profitable for small businesses
Joe got into the world of SEO in 2004. After seeing business owners struggle to make sense of the hype surrounding optimization, and seeing that most agencies weren’t doing anything about it, he launched Tribe SEO. What started as an in-person training in and around London is now an online community with global reach. Joe’s online course, Learn SEO Fast, takes a common sense approach to ranking so that anyone can learn how to do it -- quickly!
Tune in to hear Joe’s straight forward perspective on SEO, why it’s important for every business, and how you can use it to make your business more profitable. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"Burn-out is simply from over committing and not knowing your capacity."
"Moments of uncertainty are normal in a business. It just means you need to grow."
"Business is about solving problems... so you need to know there are always problems to solve."
"My WHY really is that it frustrates me how most agencies don’t look after their client in SEO."
"When you train people in-person, you get to learn what has worked for them and what hasn't worked for them."
Listen to Learn
00:57 Getting to know Joe Williams, Rapid 5 Questions
07:34 Joe's entrepreneurial journey - "Joe the SEO"
10:36 What is SEO? Why it is important for business owners?
12:32 The impetus of creating Learn SEO Fast
15:33 From burnout to breakthrough
18:25 Teaching in person vs. teaching online
23:44 Learn SEO Fast - Who is it for?
24:24 Learn SEO Fast - Learning outcomes and stuck zone
29:31 Launching the beta course
32:41 Awesome things coming up from Joe, social media links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about ranking websites and some tips from Joe to progress your SEO strategy.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! In this episode, I am joined by Tanya Geisler, leadership coach, TEDx speaker, and the encouraging voice behind Starring Role Playbook. Tanya is here today to share her entrepreneurial journey and how she’s helping women bust out of their Impostor Complex with her course and coaching.
Don’t postpone joy. Do the thing you are called to do. Do it!
Tanya came to coaching after years in an outwardly successful but ultimately unsatisfying career in advertising. Her fascination about the Impostor Complex, and as someone who personally struggled with it, Tanya created Starring Role Playbook to help people claim the success that is rightfully theirs. Her course is a journey that allows her students to recognize their own potential, empower them to achieve it, and live life to the fullest.
Listen as Tanya shares her magnificent story, how she created Starring Role Playbook, and how her course is transforming the lives of her students. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"It was important for me to see in real time what was coming up for folks."
"Completion is not a requirement for transformation."
"Be supportive as possible without needing to have an outcome look at a very specific way."
“Life’s a grand production. Step into your starring role.”
Listen to Learn
00:55 Getting to know Tanya Geisler, Rapid 5 Questions
04:47 Tanya's entrepreneurial journey
07:29 What is Impostor Complex? - "Fake it 'till you make it"
14:47 Tanya's course (Starring Role Playbook) - who is it for?
19:26 Starring Role Playbook - creation and launching
20:36 Benefits of teaching the course live
22:51 Starring Role Playbook - course goal and student's journey
31:12 Where students get stuck and how Tanya supports them
33:01 Challenges and learning moments as a course creator
34:53 Exciting things coming up from Tanya, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! Tanya and I dig deep into the Impostor Complex and how you can combat it. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! Today’s episode is a little different. I’m joined by Philip VanDusen, designer, founder of Verhaal Brand Design, and host of brand•muse Interviews. He’s here to share his story and some awesome insight into using YouTube as a marketing channel to grow your business.
You have to very quickly start opening yourself up to the feedback of your viewers.
Philip came from the corporate world where he worked as the Head of Design for massive companies like PepsiCo. After building a business with a partner, he eventually dropped everything to pursue his passion for branding and design on his own terms. He has over 20 years’ experience in strategic branding, graphic design, and creative leadership for some of the world’s most successful businesses. He’s also an expert as using YouTube to build relationships and create valuable content for his audience.
Join us to hear how Philip transitioned into the entrepreneurial arena, how to use YouTube to grow your business, and some tips for course creators wanting to start a YouTube channel. Let’s get started!
Episode Quotes
"Fear is the enemy."
"The interesting thing about branding and design is it's only a matter of scale."
"A great career is more like a web than a ladder." - Paul Pressler
"Design is a visual medium you need to show it."
"You have to very quickly start opening yourself up to the feedback of your viewers."
“Design is a visual medium… if you can’t show it, it’s meaningless.”
Listen to Learn
00:59 Getting to know Philip VanDusen, Rapid 5 Questions
06:05 Philip's entrepreneurial journey
12:01 What did it feel like waking up and saying, "I don't want to do this anymore"?
15:01 How Philip translated his corporate experience to an entrepreneurial experience
18:09 Benefits of being in the corporate world before becoming an entrepreneur
19:23 Insights that Philip received from Paul Pressler
20:57 How Philip got into YouTube
27:57 How to overcome the challenges of starting a YouTube channel
30:48 The importance of listening to and building relationships with your audience
33:40 Pros of using YouTube in relationship building
35:00 How YouTube channel affected Philip's business
37:24 The power of consistency in your business
41:53 Pros of having different content formats for your channel
46:50 Philip's advice for course creators on how to use YouTube
50:03 Exciting things coming up from Philip, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about how to start a YouTube channel and some tips on how to use it for your business. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! In this episode, I talk with Kerri Twigg, career coach and job search strategist. Kerri is the founder of Career Stories, which helps people use their stories to land ideal work and grow their careers. She’s here today to share her own journey and how she’s impacting lives with her coaching and courses.
I am allergic to formulas that make you look like everyone else. You are more interesting than that.
Kerri started as a drama teacher, then moved into community art which fueled her love of helping people, building programs, and solving problems. She was a career transition coach for three years before starting her own business.
Listen as Kerri shares her interesting experience in this unique coaching field, how she built Career Stories and incorporated the teaching component, and how she generated 400 sign-ups for her course. We also dig into her Career Mapping Masterclass and how she manages to run her workshops monthly. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"Career coaching is like a big drama class."
"The consistency of giving a lot of resources and interacting with people on LinkedIn made my brand grow."
"Usually information is not the answer... it is just a very small part of learning."
"If everyone in the world is doing work that they love and use their own talents, I don't think we'll have any problems."
Listen to Learn
00:59 Getting to know Kerri Twigg, Rapid Five Questions
04:11 Kerri's career and business journey
15:41 How Kerri incorporated the teaching component to the course
17:59 Kerri's different class offers
19:09 The genesis of the Career Mapping Masterclass
21:55 How Kerri grew her business and made 400 sign ups
23:52 Building Career Mapping Masterclass and challenges Kerri faced
26:46 When and why did the monthly offer came about?
27:47 Course structure of Career Mapping Masterclass
30:06 The "Resume" program
35:11 Kerri's advice for course creators
36:48 Exciting things coming up from Kerri
37:26 Find out more about Kerri (website & social media links)
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about how Kerri leveraged LinkedIn as a marketing channel to grow her business, plus some practical tips to try it for yourself.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everyone! Today I’m speaking with Claire Pelletreau, Facebook ads strategist and course creator. Claire is a returning guest on the show and she’s here to share what’s happened in her business since we last spoke and her new program, Ad Consultant Incubator.
No matter how high I raised the price, the way I was running the program wasn't working
Seeing big opportunities in the world of Facebook ads, Claire transitioned from being a life coach to an ad strategist and eventually a course creator. Pricing her Ad Consultant Incubator has been a challenge, but with some tweaks, she was able to use the program to scale her business.
Join us in this episode to hear what Claire’s learned about effective pricing, how courses can help grow your business, and practical tips about Facebook ads. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"There are great benefits in setting a more accessible pricing and impacting more lives and still making a lot of money."
"You don't need to put people's finances in dire straights to help them get that transformation."
"If you have a program that really helped and changed people's lives then people will find the money to do it."
"I really like talking about the complexity of Facebook Ads and help people understood it a lot better."
Listen to Learn
00:55 Getting to know Claire Pelletreau, Rapid Five Questions
13:14 Pricing challenges, lessons learned and pricing changes made
21:42 The exclusivity of pricing, benefits of setting a more accessible/flexible pricing model
29:51 The filtering aspect of pricing: Does pricing really attracts your ideal client?
35:49 Why you need to define your core values to attract the right clients
38:41 Lessons learned and changes made to the course content and structure
46:48 Claire's support system for the course graduates
51:24 Claire's tips for online course creators
52:02 Awesome things coming up from Claire
53:00 Find out more about Claire (website link), End Notes
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about how to run Facebook Ads that actually convert. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! In this episode, I’m joined by Lisa Princic, a coach and business strategist who is here to share her business journey and her workshop, Position Your Mastery.
It takes courage to build a business you believe in ... and not just do what everyone else is doing.
Lisa believes in being true to yourself and building a profitable business that fulfills you. Her Position Your Mastery workshop helps business owners who are struggling to make consistent income, figuring out their ideal clients, and building a noticeable brand.
Tune in to hear Lisa and I discuss how to build a brand that matters, how to grow without feeling isolated, and the benefits of creating an active community. We also dig into how Position Your Mastery helps learners develop the business they want, and why workshops are a great precursor to courses. Enjoy!
Episode Quotes
"True purpose and joy is when you begin to do something that you love and also enjoy the journey and lessons."
"Just keep going. Don't focus on the end, just enjoy your day to day."
"Focus on the things that bring you joy."
"Creating a community is a strong way to create organic momentum."
"The key is figuring out the balance between presenting and implementation."
"My belief is that businesses are successful in the details and nuances."
Listen to Learn
01:01 Getting to know Lisa Princic, Rapid 5 Questions
06:11 Why you need to recognize your own pace - "Love the process instead of the end result"
10:58 Lisa's entrepreneurial journey
15:48 How Lisa transitioned from a life coach to a business strategist
23:09 Overview about Lisa's workshop (Position Your Mastery) - who is it for?
26:04 The impetus for creating Position Your Mastery, Benefits of having an active community
31:13 Position Your Mastery - workshop structure
36:12 Importance of finding a structure that works for you and your clients
38:06 Why do workshops first if you haven’t figured out your course yet
39:36 Exciting things coming up from Lisa, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Enjoy this episode? Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about positioning, branding tips, and how to market and brand on Facebook. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everyone! I am here today with Victoria Stith, a therapist, new course creator, and a recent graduate of my group program, Finish Your Damn Course! After many starts and stops on her own, Victoria joined Finish Your Damn Course to overcome her fears, get unstuck, and create her online course.
In this episode, Victoria shares her experience in the program, how she overcame resistance, and what it was like to finish--and teach--her damn course. Let’s dig in!
Creating the online course allowed me to be more accessible and help more people at once.
After experiencing the struggle of online course creation, Victoria was motivated to join Finish Your Damn Course to overcome her fears, identify her needs, and move forward from the stuck zone. In this episode, Victoria discusses her experience joining the program and the results it brought her. You’ll hear how FYDC helped her start her LIVE course that helps parents learn the techniques of healthy communication with children suffering from substance abuse disorders. Let’s dig in!
Episode Quotes
“Finish Your Damn Course helped me be less anxious and not be stuck in creating my online course.”
"Doing the LIVE course taught me that online projects can work."
"The program helped me be less anxious, have more playful attitude, and not be shy with my audience."
"It is important to identify what you need for yourself to keep you moving instead of staying stuck."
"Invest in what your needs are and fulfill those needs."
Listen to Learn
01:02 Getting to know Victoria Stith, Rapid Five Questions
05:17 Victoria's motivation in creating her online course
06:10 The challenges that motivated Victoria to join Finish Your Damn Course
10:21 Results after joining Finish Your Damn Course
13:04 Hardest part of the program and how Victoria pushed through it
15:43 Overview about Victoria's course - course goal and who it’s for
19:12 Importance of pre-validation with your audience
21:01 Victoria's experience in teaching the course LIVE
23:39 Benefits and insights from going through Finish Your Damn Course
26:35 Victoria's advice for those people stuck in creating online courses
27:41 Exciting things coming up from Victoria, website link and Facebook group
Ready to finish your damn course?
There are 8 spots left for my group program, Finish Your Damn Course. Early enrollment ends TOMORROW for those on the waitlist. Regular enrollment starts on August 21. Click here to learn more: https://get.zencourses.co/fydc-waitlist/
What’s up, everybody! It is great to be back! For those just tuning in, I’m back from a two-month summer break and I’m excited to be doing the show again. Before we start this episode, I want to thank my listeners. We’re on the 100th episode of Level Up Your Course! Thank you so much for being here and being part of the Zen Courses family.
Business is just about solving problems.
During my summer hiatus, I realized that I’m in a personal growth period. In this episode, I share the key things I’ve done to embrace this transition and my thoughts on why delegation is a vital part of the growth process. I also dig into how the course stratosphere is changing, too, and give you a sneak peek into next week’s episode. New things are coming up for Zen Courses, so get pumped!
Join the Zen Courses family here: https://www.zencourses.co/newsletter
Episode Quotes
"One of the key things that I did was automating a lot of repetitive tasks that I was doing, and it saved me so much time."
"Learning how to delegate is a big part of growth."
"There is an alternative to burning out and it is called delegation."
"Before you automate or delegate anything you need to be able to map out the process."
“I’m back, and I’ve learned a lot! Get ready for the exciting things coming up.”
Listen to Learn
00:56 I'm back! It was a great summer break!
02:18 Embracing the growth period - "I hired a business coach and had therapy"
06:42 Why and when to delegate? Importance of delegation/automation in the growth process
10:40 Exciting things coming up for Zen Courses
18:01 What is the state of online courses?
25:52 A peek about the next episode coming up next week
27:27 Happy 100th episode! My thank you message for you
What’s up, everybody! In this episode, I’m joined by Josh Doody, author and founder of Fearless Salary Negotiation. After successfully negotiating his own salary, Josh wrote a #1 bestselling book to help others learn his process. Soon after, he added video courses to help his students better implement the strategies. In this episode, Josh shares how he turned his book into an online course, why he still coaches clients, and what he's learned along the way.
Having a visual component helps people to see in action the things written in my book
Episode Quotes
"I knew that I could learn a lot of valuable skills if I started learning how business actually works."
"All I had to do was ask and they just gave me money for this job."
"Creating the online course was a way to augment the book, but also to teach people who kind of think like me."
"I definitely did design the book so that it's not necessarily meant to be completed."
"I do this because I like helping people and it’s the best way to make a good living without having to go to a day job."
Listen to Learn
01:17 Getting to know Josh Doody, Rapid 5 Questions
05:45 Josh's career and business journey
10:04 Overview of Josh's book (Fearless Salary Negotiation)
14:55 Augmenting the book with online courses
17:14 How Josh started the coaching component
21:33 A peek inside the course bundles
25:08 Creating actionable worksheets and templates
30:05 Gathering learners’ feedback and how to make use of it
35:33 Awesome things coming up from Josh, website links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! Josh and I discuss how he packages his courses, why he decided to offer coaching and how to resolve small pains in your business. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everybody? In this episode, I’m joined by Joel Hooks, co-founder of egghead.io. egghead is an education platform built for developers by developers. They specialize in no-fluff, just-in-time online lessons and courses for web developers. Joel and I chat about the importance of instructional design, why it’s often overlooked, and how egghead is using learning design to improve their product--in other words, we geek out. Enjoy!
I want to use these instructional design principles to help people reach their goals.
Episode Quotes
"I want to use these instructional design principles and wrap it in with our knowledge to help people reach their goals."
"Monetization isn't the point. The point is to get people where they want and need to be, and the rest follows."
"The nature of being helpful is profitable in my experience."
"I think there is a craving for community, connection, and a sense of belonging."
"Maximize the amount of free time you have available to you versus the amount of money that you have available to you."
Listen to Learn
00:54 Getting to know Joel Hooks, Rapid 5 Questions
03:57 Overview of egghead.io - how it started and who it’s for
06:56 Joel's teaching journey
08:17 Instructional design principles - improving the quality of learning
11:43 Overcoming the stuck zone, Amy Hoy's concept of "backwards planning"
13:00 Instructional design and the affective domain
16:08 egghead.io approach to teaching
20:35 Exciting things coming up from Joel Hooks, website links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! If you’re a designer, developer, or coder, this bonus is for you. We chat about building authority in your career and share some book recommendations to help you implement instructional design in your course. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey, everyone! Today, I am joined by Jacques Hopkins, founder of Piano in 21 Days. After years of piano lessons, Jacques realized that he could only play two songs no matter how much he practiced. Luckily, he soon learned a new approach that allowed him to play hit songs--in minutes.
Jacques decided to teach his piano playing method online. He joins me today to share his course, how he struggled with sales, and the system that eventually helped him generate $40k per month. Enjoy!
One of the biggest reasons that people don't succeed as an online course creator is they give up too easily.
Episode Quotes
“Learning piano doesn’t have to take years. It can be faster, more fun, and easier than you thought.”
"It wasn't until I created an online course based on something that I love that I found success with my own online business."
"With online courses, I’m having a direct impact on other people’s lives, and that’s been the biggest ‘why’ with what I’m doing today."
"Not only do I need to be good in responding to people's struggle, I need to find a better way to help them."
"We just have one life, why not make the most of it?"
Listen to Learn
01:44 Getting to know Jacque Hopkins, Rapid 5 Questions
05:10 Jacques business/online coaching journey
08:47 The impetus in creating "Piano in 21 Days"
10:24 Overview about Piano in 21 Days - who is it for?
12:15 Early stages of the course, challenges encountered
16:40 Course structure and goal - 80/20 principle
18:15 How to overcome the hurdles and stuck zones?
22:08 Pricing tier, course materials/resources included
27:19 Jacques insights for online course creators
30:13 Awesome things coming up from Jacques Hopkins, website links
Grab Your Bonus!
If you enjoyed the interview, join us in the bonus segment! You’ll learn Jacques’ approach to pricing and packaging. We also dig into his approach to evergreen sales funnels.
Click here to listen --> https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everybody! We’re changing things up this week with a solo episode. I’m excited to share this with you because I dig into some key things you need to be thinking about.
First: the state of online marketing. What’s going on, and how will it affect online courses? I’ll also share a bit about building community and making sales. You’ll hear some of the lessons I’ve learned and the tools I recommend for improving and growing your business. Lastly, you’ll get the scoop about what’s coming up for Zen Courses and the Level Up Your Course Podcast; I’ve got some fun and exciting things planned for this summer!
Make sure you are part of my email list to keep you updated. Sign up at https://www.zencourses.co/newsletter.
Episode Quotes
"Solopreneurs are realizing the importance of learning & engagement and sales & marketing."
"Improving learning and focusing on sales & marketing must go together. It is not an either/or game."
"A social component needs to be present in online courses."
"Having a self-paced course on its own is not enough; there needs to be a community."
"When it comes to education, people should be able to have that deep work or engagement that they need to get something done."
"It's not enough to just focus on instructional design, marketing is part of it."
Listen to Learn
01:09 What can you expect in this episode?
02:45 State of the online market - then and now
05:43 The resurgence of high ticket coaching programs
07:31 Overview of Bloom's 3 Domains of Learning and the importance of having a community
08:58 Why more people are out of Facebook? Where are they going?
13:19 Personalization and using videos in your content
15:21 What's happening with Zen Courses
17:14 Lessons I have learned from Q1 - things to change and improve
23:38 What's coming up for summer 2019 - updates, future interviews
Join my email list and get the latest updates about Zen courses. Sign up here: https://get.zencourses.co/newsletter
Hey, everyone! In this episode, I’m joined by Kristin Larsen: Pinterest expert, course creator, and founder of Believe In a Budget. Blogging wasn’t an easy journey for Kristin until she discovered the power of Pinterest as a search engine to drive traffic to her websites. Check out this episode to hear Kristin’s journey from blogger to VA to course creator, and how you can use her strategies to skyrocket your own traffic.
Pinterest virtual assistance turned into this new opportunity which I never thought -- in a million years -- would be a thing.
Episode Quotes
"Pinterest was my favorite thing, I love looking at Pins."
"I want to be able to give my clients something instead of saying, 'No, I can't help you.'"
"The main challenge was conveying my message in the easiest way possible."
"It's important to always update and let your audience know. The more you communicate the better."
"It just feels so good knowing that I am helping other people through the stories I shared."
Listen to Learn
01:05 Getting to know Kristin Larsen, Rapid 5 Questions
05:15 Kristin's entrepreneurial story
08:15 Overview of Pinterest Presence - who is it for?
11:50 Kristin's customer platform - one-on-one vs buying the course
13:50 Challenges faced creating the course
18:05 Course structure of Pinterest Presence
19:16 How Kristin supports her learners in the stuck zone
20:06 Lessons learned doing the course
21:47 A peek inside the course materials and students' results taking the course
23:30 Tips for online course creators and how the course impacted Kristin's business
25:44 Exciting things coming up from Kristin and website links
Check Out Kristin's Course!
If you’re on my list, you know that I’m testing out new marketing methods over the next 90 days. Well Pinterest is the first one up! I just signed up for Kristin’s course. If you want to give Pinterest a try, I highly recommend joining her course too. (Full disclosure: I also signed up to be an affiliate for Kristin’s course.)
Click here to join Pinterest Presence
Want more? Grab the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about why you should be marketing on Pinterest, and some tips to use it for leveling up your business. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everybody! In this episode, I’m joined by Gina Horkey: writer, marketing consultant, and founder of Horkey Handbook. After experiencing a cycle of ups-and-downs in her career, Gina transitioned to doing remote work and creating online courses. Her program, 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success, is for people ready to change their career, pursue their passion, and do something different. Gina believes that remote work is the future and her program gives students a complete roadmap to take advantage of this alternative, flexible industry. She’s here today to talk about her journey and the creation of 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success.
Remote work is totally the future, and you need to get onto that train.
Episode Quotes
"Perfection is the enemy."
"The program is for career changers, people who want to do something different and they're more passionate about."
"It is good to validate what you are offering first."
"If you are average at everything, you are great at nothing."
“I want to help open the window to people that there’s an alternative work and it can be enjoyable.”
Listen to Learn
01:10 Getting to know Gina, Rapid 5 Questions
04:12 Gina's career journey
09:07 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistant Success - who is it for?
11:32 When did the program start? What problem does it solve?
14:07 Overview of the program structure and modules
18:34 The "stuck zone" and overwhelming parts for students
20:07 Helpful resources inside the program, students' experiences
23:41 Gina's lessons and insights in teaching/creating online courses
28:18 Awesome things to look forward to from Gina
30:06 Gina's thoughts about being a Generalist vs. being a Specialist
32:40 Website and social media links****
What’s up, everyone? In this episode, I am joined by Jennifer Bourn, designer and owner of Bourn Creative Agency. Starting a business while pregnant was a challenge for Jennifer. Marketing automation was the key to the freedom and flexibility she wanted for her family, and it eventually paved the way for the client management system behind her business. While project management is important, Jennifer stresses that it can’t come at the expense of client management. Her course, Profitable Project Plan, is designed for developers and business owners to support the client-focused side of their business. It’s a 14-week program that explains Jennifer’s system in an easy-to-understand and interactive way. Listen as Jennifer and I talk about Profitable Project Plan, its development, and how it empowers business owners to create consistency and take control of their business.
Building a successful business requires hard work, but it doesn't have to be difficult work.
Episode Quotes
"Stand on your ground when you take a stand on your business, and do not give in when other people push."
"As I got older, I began thinking less about myself and more about the impact that I was having in the world."
"Everything that I've done in my business has always been what is sustainable and enjoyable for me."
"Success is not the same for every person."
"You can never over-communicate. The more you communicate the better."
Listen to Learn
01:00 Getting to know Jennifer Bourn, Rapid 5 Questions
04:30 Jennifer's career and business journey
06:34 How marketing automation impacted Jennifer's life and business
09:09 Jennifer's teaching journey and the transition to doing online courses
12:28 Scaling your business - "Success is not the same for every person"
15:13 Profitable Project Plan - course structure & who it’s for
17:05 How to manage the "stuck zone" and help students stay on track
23:07 What is Profitable Project Plan? Why client management is important?
26:51 Profitable Project Plan - selecting the course materials
31:31 The main purpose of tiered pricing
33:00 Jennifer's insights about creating online courses
35:34 Exciting things coming up from Jennifer, website and social media links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about Jennifer’s course and her pregnancy story. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey, everyone! I’m joined in this episode by Rachel Brenke: lawyer, MBA, and entrepreneur. Rachel knows the legal challenges that startups face and she’s dedicated to helping small businesses implement strategic legal plans. Her course, Blog Legally, equips bloggers and entrepreneurs with legal information in a budget-friendly medium. It doesn’t just save them time and money; it saves new business owners from being overwhelmed by big law firms or CPAs. Stay tuned as Rachel shares valuable information about protecting your rights, filing your taxes, and writing your disclaimers and disclosures.
As a course creator, the biggest thing is listening to your students.
Episode Quotes
"My whole entrepreneurship journey came out of a need to fulfill something for me and the people asking me."
“Blog Legally is completely different from what you get from a lawyer down the street.”
"Blogging is one of the top freemium-type content medium these days."
"Having a lawyer is great but there is great benefit and power into the CEO to understand why certain recommendations are made."
"Be very specific of what you are going to deliver."
Listen to Learn
00:16 Getting to know Rachel Brenke, Rapid 5 Questions
03:02 Rachel's journey into entrepreneurship
06:50 Blog Legally - motivation and who it’s for
11:02 Overview of the course structure
15:58 What did Rachel learn as a course creator?
20:02 Blog Legally - modules and lessons
26:51 Legal challenges in creating Blog Legally
28:19 Tip: Beware of over-information
33:08 Awesome things coming up from Rachel, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about Rachel’s course, Blog Legally, and how it helps the legal needs of bloggers and business owners. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everybody! Joining me on the show today is Michelle Ward: former actress, entrepreneur, and certified coach. After making the tough choice to leave the world of theatre, and after choosing her health over a stressful job, she decided to stop playing by other people’s rules. Now as a career coach, she uses her program, Discover Your Dream Business, to help creative people find a business idea they can be passionate about. Listen to find out more about her online course, her journey and her advice for discovering your dream business.
Your business shouldn’t just become another job; it needs to fulfill something in you
Episode Quotes
“I help my clients have their dream business that allows them to feel valued and fulfilled.”
"No matter how long you're in this game, you got to evolve and not rely on what's worked in the past."
"It was not acceptable for me to just find a job that was going to pay the bills and be a paycheck."
"I realized that I was not going to be happy unless I worked for myself."
"Pricing is a great way to make sure you attract committed people into your program."
Listen to Learn
01:10 Getting to know Michelle Ward, Rapid Five Questions
04:25 Michelle's business journey
10:35 90 Day Business Launch and overview of Discover Your Dream Business
16:19 Discover Your Dream Business - program structure
19:20 Discover Your Dream Business - who is it for?
19:56 Pricing and why it is important
22:43 Michelle's testimony about her client
25:11 Where are the suck and stuck zones in your program?
29:57 Your business shouldn't become just another job
33:25 Exciting things coming up from Michelle, website/social media links
Check out the show notes and more!
Find out what Michelle is up to over at http://zencourses.co/091
Welcome, everybody! I am joined today by Jennifer Lee, bestselling author, coach, and founder of Artizen Coaching®. Jennifer spent ten years in corporate America as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies before going full-time into coaching in 2006. Her first book, The Right-Brain Business Plan, paved the way for her Right-Brain Business Plan® Home Study program, a self-paced course that offers a creative and intuitive way to finish your business plan. She joins me today to share her business journey and a walk-through of the program. We discuss the early stages of her course, the home-study approach, and her powerful tips for those who want to adopt a similar model.
You can’t stay in planning-mode forever. It is the action that you take that’s going to make this real.
Episode Quotes
"I realize that I am my own boss, and I need to figure out the business plan."
"You are not just a coach; you are a business owner."
"It is best to start with live content since it is the quickest, and it shows in real-time what people struggle with."
"Most of us are focused on the big outcomes instead of the journey."
"The home study model is not something to just go into lightly if you want to do it right."
Listen to Learn
00:20 Getting to know Jennifer Lee, Rapid 5 Questions
04:49 Jennifer’s business journey
09:15 The mindset - "You're not just a coach, you're a business owner"
12:26 Overview of the book "The Right-Brain Business Plan"
14:29 The Right-Brain Plan® Home Study - how did it start?
18:38 Why start first with a live content?
19:42 The Right-Brain Plan® Home Study program - home study model & licensing facilitators
22:55 The Right-Brain Plan® Home Study program - course goal
25:09 Overcoming the "stuck zone" in business planning
28:19 Challenges in transitioning to a home study program
34:10 Why Jennifer adopted the licensing model - tips and advice
38:30 Awesome things to look forward from Jen, website link
Get the Bonus Episode!
Listen to the bonus segment to learn how to create a plan for your business and why you need to define your business’s ecosystem. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey, everyone! I’m joined today by Val Geisler, an email marketing conversion copywriter. Val, who has been called an “email savant”, got started in marketing but found her real passion in email-related projects. Her exclusive online course, the Email Masters Incubator, is for copywriters who are looking to leverage email marketing for better customer experiences and retention. She teaches her students how to strategically utilize different platforms, allowing them to work more efficiently with their clients. Val and I discuss her course modules, the challenges she faced when creating the program, and her tips to overcome the “stuck zone”.
We need to return to a human experience where people feel seen and heard; the best way to do that is email.
Episode Quotes
"As a business owner, how you treat people is vital."
"The best thing you can do as a business owner is being willing to learn from areas outside of your typical bubble."
“Listening is one of the most important things in any customer’s experience.”
"The scarcity mindset stops people from participating fully."
"Momentum is the biggest motivator."
Listen to Learn
01:19 Getting to know Val Geisler, Rapid 5 Questions
05:03 Val's business journey - copywriting and onboarding
10:05 The process of specialization in email - "Scary but validating"
17:05 How "Email Masters Incubator" started
27:31 The impact of listening to your audience, creating the paid workshop
25:05 What is the goal of the program?
29:43 Overview of the program structure and modules
28:30 Challenges in creating the program
33:00 Where people get stuck and how Val supports them
38:30 Exciting things coming up from Val, website and social media links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about email marketing and Val’s course Email Masters Incubator. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up, everyone! I am joined today by Sean McCabe aka Sean Wes: author of Overlap: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Your Side Passion into a Successful Business and creator of Supercharge Your Writing, a copywriting masterclass that aims to help you double your sales by fixing your messaging. We talk about his course and business model, and his journey from hand-lettering artist to business educator.
Everything in life is sales. If it doesn't cost them money, it costs them time.
Episode Quotes
"You have to earn the right to play the long game."
"Understand where your audience is at in the Buyer's Journey and deliver the right message."
"Deliver value to the people who already know you, and give an entrance point to your potential audience."
"The power in vulnerability is sharing things that will also help other people in their journey and adding value."
Listen to Learn
00:25 Getting to know Sean McCabe, Rapid Five Questions
04:22 Sean's business journey
09:30 The evolution from hand lettering to online course creation
16:07 Supercharge Your Writing - who is it for and what problem does it solve?
17:15 Is it okay to talk more about yourself?
22:08 Understanding the "open loop" strategy
24:12 Why is it important to learn/write to sell?
28:38 Sean's tips in creating effective messaging
36:51 Supercharge Your Writing - course structure and modules
38:05 Where students get stuck and how Sean supports them
40:10 Choosing your business model: access vs ownership
50:01 Exciting things coming up from Sean McCabe, website and social media links
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What’s up, everybody! I am joined today by Tiffany Han, founder of Say Yes Creative. Tiffany is a writer, teacher, and coach who believes that progress and success are made when we stop waiting for things to be perfect. Her course, Raise Your Hand Say Yes, is designed for smart, driven women who are tired of over-extending themselves in a life dictated by others. She’s here to chat about her journey, her program, and how she says yes to success.
We find success by saying yes to the things that we really want before we are ready.
Episode Quotes
"Not waiting for things to be perfect is how progress gets made and how success is created."
"Once you know what you don't know, the only way through that is to keep moving forward."
"An attitude of gratitude is the way to fulfillment."
"It is more about the energy that we are showing up with than it is about the external things."
"It's not about your course idea, it's about who you are serving and what problem you're solving."
Listen to Learn
00:20 Getting to know Tiffany Han, Rapid 5 Questions
04:08 Tiffany's business journey
06:47 Connection of psychology and art & expression - "My art is my writing"
12:20 How Tiffany got the name "Raise Your Hand Say Yes"
14:53 The "Raise Your Hand Say Yes" life
17:56 Raise Your Hand Say Yes - who is it for? what problem does it solve?
19:55 Course goal - what students need to accomplish
22:05 Tiffany's motivation in creating "Raise Your Hand Say Yes"
24:23 Course structure and online community
28:45 The "stuck zone" and how Tiffany keeps his students motivated
38:00 Tiffany's advice for course creators
39:41 Exciting things to look forward to from Tiffany, website and social media links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Join us in the bonus segment! It’s a great conversation about having that Raise Your Hand Say Yes life. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hello everybody! Joining me today is Jason Resnick – web developer, business coach and email marketing specialist. He is here with us to share his journey and his online course (Feast). Feast is a roadmap and a community for freelancers to niche down, specialize their business and build recurring revenue.
**If you keep the WHY in mind, all your decisions that you make on a daily basis will get you there.
**
Episode Quotes
"There is tomorrow. If you fail today, pick yourself up, learn from it."
"There is no secret sauce here. It's just a lot of discipline, dedication, hustle and persistence."
"Inject a little personality in your business. You have to be the face of your business."
"Find what your medium is. You have to be where your customers are going to be."
"Instead of saying I don't have time, say it's not a priority."
Listen to Learn
00:17 Getting to know Jason Resnick, Rapid Five Questions
04:00 Jason's career and business journey - web development, business coaching
07:31 Learning from failures
11:53 Feast - who is it for, what problem does it solve?
13:28 Jason's motivation in creating Feast; The early days of Feast
19:52 What is the program goal?
20:23 Feast - program structure and modules included
28:21 Where do people get stuck and how do you support them?
33:09 Jason's advice and insights for freelancers
35:37 Time management tips from Jason
39:32 Awesome things coming up from Jason
Check Out Jason’s Program
https://rezzz.com/feast/
Get the Bonus Episode!
In the bonus segment, Jason and I discussed common challenges freelancers face and whether you should be the face of your business. Grab the bonus episode here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hello everybody! Joining me today is Katelyn Bourgoin – growth strategist and consultant. She is here to share her journey and the story behind her Customer Discovery Training course. Customer discovery is figuring out if people want what you're building before building it. Her course helps content creators know their ideal customers and what to build to accelerate their growth. Enjoy!
If you try to market to everyone, you're going to end up marketing to no one. Episode Quotes
"Marketing is one way of thinking about growth but there are other channels that can help with growth."
"People don't believe advertising anymore, they are overwhelmed by content marketing."
"Being visible is important, but the proof is going to be in the quality of your product."
"At the end of the day the content (free or paid) needs to be valuable, and that goes back to knowing your audience."
"The idea of customer development is after launching your thing you want to make it better with the insights from your customers."
"The biggest problem for a lot of people is figuring out who to talk to."
Listen to Learn
00:13 Getting to know Katelyn Bourgoin, Rapid 5 Questions
06:38 What is a growth strategist? Katelyn's business journey
10:04 The future of growth in business - "People don't believe advertising anymore"
14:11 Overview of Katelyn's course (Customer Discovery), "Jobs to Be Done" framework
18:23 Example of JTBD - Infopreneurs vs Tech Startups
21:45 Difference between customer discovery and customer development
28:07 Various ways of getting customer feedbacks, product market fit
31:47 Customer Discovery Training Course - who is it for?
33:45 Katelyn's upcoming course for product marketers (Trigger Technique)
35:15 Customer Discovery Training Course - course goal, structure and modules
40:29 Where do people get stuck in the course? How do you support them through?
43:40 Targeting your ideal customers, why marketing to everyone won't work
47:26 Exciting things to look forward from Katelyn, website links
What’s up everyone! Today, I am joined by Dorie Clark, marketing strategy consultant, author and course creator. Dorie and I chat about her business journey, her course (Rapid Content Creation Masterclass) and strategies for content creation. Enjoy!
You don’t have to blog. What’s necessary is a consistent way that you’re committed in sharing your ideas. Content creation has always been the very big challenge for course creators. Dorie shares three key points where people get stuck: time management, what topic to write and what format to use.
Episode Quotes
"It is important to be really clear and precise about your personal brand."
"A lot of times listening to your audience is the key in coming up with ideas."
"One of the easiest ways to get started if you want to create something is to run it live."
"If you have expertise in a field, lean on that, use it to come up with ideas."
"Content creation should not be something that you view as separate, it should support the other work that you do."
Listen to Learn
01:41 Getting to know Dorie Clark, Rapid 5 Questions
05:58 Dorie's business journey - entrepreneur, marketing strategist
08:45 What it's like running your own organization/business?
12:14 Importance of consistent effort
15:25 The secret to consistency
19:53 Is blogging necessary to build your brand?
22:12 Time management in creating content
26:12 Rapid Content Creation Masterclass - who is it for?
27:47 Dorie's motivation in creating the course
29:14 The course goal - end results for students after completing the course
31:26 Course structure and content
35:47 Three key points where students get stuck in content creation
41:56 Dorie's tips about creating content
42:40 Awesome things coming up from Dorie, website links
Get the Bonus Episode!
Dorie and I recorded a bonus conversation about specific strategies for content creation. You can grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hello everybody! Joining us today is Andrea Jones. Andrea is a social media strategist and course creator. Being a social media enthusiast, she understood the power of social media in adding value to businesses. Her course Savvy Social School helps online course creators and entrepreneurs master different social media platforms, generate leads, build an audience and more.
Social media allows entrepreneurs to connect with people on an individual level. Episode Quotes
"As entrepreneurs we have to just learn to trust ourselves and trust our gut and go with that decision."
"You don't have to use all the tools all at once, use the tool that works for you in the moment."
"Use your personal life as a leverage point to share personalized stories."
"You have to be intentional about investing time into that platform in order to see a return."
"Social media is social, you are there to build connections with people."
Listen to Learn
00:15 Getting to know Andrea Jones, Rapid 5 Questions
05:15 How Andrea became a social media strategist
08:53 Importance of family support in starting a business
10:36 How can social media add value to your business
13:01 Managing the "overwhelm" of sharing personal content
15:30 Best practices for time management in using social media
19:23 How can course creators leverage social media
21:54 Overview of Savvy Social School
24:31 A peek inside the membership program
28:00 Knowing which social media platform to focus on
32:59 Andrea's thoughts about using Facebook
35:39 Tips on being more strategic with social media
36:53 Exciting things coming up from Andrea, course and social media links
Finish Your Damn Course!
My group program for course creators, Finish Your Damn Course!, is open for enrollment! Click here to learn more.
Show Notes
Click here to visit the show notes to learn more about Andrea's work and her free course.
What’s up everyone! Today my guest is Michael Knouse, a business coach and strategist. Having personally experienced the impact of coaching, Michael transitioned from a corporate career into becoming a business coach for visionary business builders. His program Growth Catalyst helps service entrepreneurs grow their business through mentorship and various coaching strategies. Listen as Michael shares his journey as a business coach, and how he structured Growth Catalyst to give his clients the best results.
Coaching has been a big part of my life in allowing me to succeed Episode Quotes
"I want to build it around from a place of integrity...what is going to give people the best results?"
"Representation is so important, when we can see and point to somebody, that's a huge catalyst."
"The business journey is hard, and helping people withstand that journey juices me up."
Listen to Learn
00:38 Getting to know Michael Knouse, Rapid 5 Questions
07:13 Michael's journey becoming a business coach
11:20 "My Big Wake Up Call" - rough experiences in the business
14:40 Recovering from burnout, moving forward and thriving
16:54 Overview about Growth Catalyst - who is it for?
25:22 Structure of Growth Catalyst program - what do participants get?
28:34 Strategy of grouping people by levels
31:08 How to get participants out from the "stuck zone"?
35:07 How do you solve for mindsets and habits? Importance of assessment/evaluation
40:45 Growth Catalyst and other service offerings
46:34 Awesome things to look forward from Michael, social media links
Want More?
Check out the bonus segment Michael and I recorded. It’s a great conversation around growth and scaling your business. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hello everybody! Joining us today is Ryan Clover-Owens – librarian, web designer and course creator. Ryan is a student in my new group program, Finish Your Damn Course. This episode was super fun to create. Ryan and I chat about his online course vision, the mental roadblocks he encountered, and his results from the program.
Education is the best way to get attention, to grow an audience, to make an impact. Episode Quotes
"Online courses is what propels me into my own learning and it has totally transformed my life."
"Doing services helps you define your process and get clear on who your course will be for."
"I started thinking about my clients as my students."
"Defining who the course is for opens up opportunities for you to create other products."
"My big win was serving my audience… it is an honor to be part of what they are creating."
Listen to Learn
01:00 Getting to know Ryan Clover-Owens
05:05 Ryan's web design business
08:53 Challenges and motivations to join "Finish Your Damn Course"
12:20 Overview of Ryan's web design course
22:15 Who is the course for?
28:00 Identifying your audience - interviews, sales page
34:18 Ryan's big wins from Janelle's program
38:40 A peak inside: course structure and modules
58:16 Insights and learnings creating the course
42:20 Exciting things coming from Ryan, links
50:50 How to Join Finish Your Damn Course!
Want to Join Finish Your Damn Course?
I’m opening the doors for 5 more students to join. Will you be one of them? Click here to learn more about the program and decide if it’s a good fit: https://www.zencourses.co/mentorship
What’s up everyone! Today, I am joined by Xayli Barclay, video content strategist and course creator. Xayli discovered the power of video through her work as clothing designer and beauty blogger. After getting many questions about creating videos, she pivoted to make video strategy her focus. In this episode you’ll learn about her journey, her course and her tips on creating awesome videos. If you’re thinking about getting started with video or want to know how to run a YouTube channel, this episode is for you. Enjoy!
Video takes away that barrier of being far. It is a great connector. Episode Quotes
"Failing is super essential and nothing can be done without you failing"
"You need to focus on your message - your goal for video and your message"
"Content is always at the forefront of my mind"
"Remember that your goal is to serve people through your content"
Listen to Learn
00:13 Getting to know Xayli Barclay, Rapid 5 Questions
04:40 The business journey - Xayli the video maven
07:38 Why video is so powerful? What is it that makes it magical?
11:34 What to focus on in making videos? Challenges etc.
14:38 The Ultimate Video Strategy, Planning and Execution System
22:23 Xayli's motivation in creating Start, Shoot, Grow Video Academy
24:27 More about Start, Shoot, Grow Video Academy
27:30 How to know how much content to create for your course?
29:55 The learners journey - how to help students not to get stuck
32:52 Milestones of students in their video journey
34:40 Exciting things coming up from Xayli
Want More?
Check out the bonus segment Xayli and I recorded. It’s a great conversation about the nitty gritty of video making and how to plan your videos. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey, hey! Joining us on the show today is Chris Do, an Emmy award-winning director, designer and educator. Chris is also the CEO of Blind, a design consultancy in Los Angeles. In this episode, Chris and I talk about The Futur, his online education platform for designers. We also get into a pretty intense discussion about democratizing education. Enjoy!
I want to make a difference on this planet. I'm on a mission to educate the world. Episode Quotes
"Education, like healthcare, should be a universal right and not a privilege."
"I believe that learning the tools and the techniques of design making is universal."
"Hardwire yourself not to look at what makes you less than, but focus on what makes you more than."
Listen to Learn
00:02 What is the ultimate goal of The Futur?
04:13 Challenges in Developing countries, thoughts on to solve them
12:23 Course creation process, how to make content more actionable
17:37 How do you figure out the learner's journey?
19:41 How teaching design differ from other courses?
25:13 Importance of community in education
27:26 Things to look forward to from Chris, links and announcements
Want More?
Chris and I couldn’t stop talking...so we recorded a bonus segment. In it, we talk learning business skills as a designer, how to get out of your comfort zone, the digital divide and more. It’s a great conversation! Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra/
Hello everyone! Today I am joined by Conni Biesalski. Conni is a photographer, digital filmmaker, entrepreneur and marketing mentor. Her course The Art of Vulnerability helps students connect with themselves and other people on a deeper level, develop personal growth, and overcome their struggles and fears.
When it comes to vulnerability I think it's about taking very small steps. Episode Quotes
"We think vulnerability in sharing our personal challenges is a weakness."
"The biggest surprise was that people loved me more and really appreciated that openness."
"You can give people all the information but if they don't take action then it's worthless."
Listen to Learn
00:23 Getting to know Conni, Rapid 5 Questions
04:28 Conni's business journey - travel blogging, course creator, helping people
08:38 Biggest surprise when Conni started being vulnerable in sharing
11:18 Overview of the online course “The Art of Vulnerability”
15:00 Validation process before starting the course
18:11 Who the course is for?
21:30 Designing the course curriculum and launching it
27:43 The course structure - modules and lessons
32:20 Where do students get stuck and how do you support them?
40:48 Exciting things coming up from Conni, links and announcements
Want to Hear More?
Check out the bonus segment Conni and I recorded about how you can use vulnerability to empower yourself as an entrepreneur. Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Hey everybody, welcome to the very first episode of 2019! In this episode, I’ll share the highlights of 2018, including the challenges, wins, and lessons learned. This is a follow-up from my Annual Review on the blog, which you can read here. And, of course, we’ll talk about the awesome things coming up in 2019!
Episode Quotes
"If you are going through challenges, I just want you to be encouraged that it's real life."
"Self paced courses are great but I realized I was missing that learner connection."
"Whenever I have challenges I always [try to] figure out what the lesson is."
"Mastery is all about progress. It's about committing for the long haul and mastering your craft."
Listen to Learn
00:05 Episode Intro
01:18 My 2018: Highlights, Challenges and Wins
11:40 Lessons learned from 2018
21:00 Exciting things coming up for 2019
26:15 My tips and recommendations for you
Want More?
You can read my full 2018 Annual Review here: https://www.zencourses.co/articles/2018
(Sometimes you get lucky and find a podcast episode you thought you lost. This is an episode from 2017, when the show was still called The Zen Course Show. Enjoy!)
What’s up everyone! Joining me today on the show is Daniel Lewis. He is an educator, podcast advocate and award-winning podcaster. He’s also the creator of The Audacity to Podcast course. In this episode, Daniel shares how podcasting benefits course creators and how to implement SEO in podcasts.
I believe podcasting is the best way to share your message. Episode Quotes
"I felt like there was a void in the space. There was a perspective that wasn't being shared."
"When you use a podcast to share your message, people will start to know, like and trust you."
"It's really about making amazing content because that's what makes the difference."
Listen to Learn
00:29 Getting to know Daniel
02:14 Rapid 5 Questions
03:40 Daniel's journey becoming The Audacity to Podcast guy
08:26 How podcasts can benefit course creators?
12:33 Overview of SEO for Podcasters
15:16 Why Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important?
17:26 How to implement SEO in your podcast?
19:04 Helpful tools in finding SEO keywords
20:09 The course development process and goal
22:56 Activities inside SEO for Podcasters
26:52 Exciting things coming up from Daniel, links and announcements
Want More?
Check out the podcast archive at http://zencourses.co/show
Hey everybody! We have Alex Hillman on the show today. Alex is the founder of Indy Hall, a coworking community in Philadelphia; he’s also the co-founder of StackingtheBricks.com, along with Amy Hoy. In this episode, Alex and I discuss the essence of trust in relationship building and community building, the story behind 30x500 (he and Amy’s flagship course), and how to identify and close the gap between what is obvious to you and what is obvious to your students.
There’s always going to be a gap, your job is to identify that gap and close it one step at a time Episode Quotes
"Relationship building and community building is all about trust."
"There is a range of what teaching really means but at the heart of it I think it's really understanding how to help people."
"We are so used to being self-focused and wanting to be seen as that creative inspired genius."
Listen to Learn
00:20 Getting to know Alex, Rapid 5 Questions
03:21 Alex's business journey: web development to co-working
09:47 The essence of TRUST in community and relationship building
15:32 Alex's teaching journey: HOW and WHY?
18:37 Overview of Alex and Amy’s flagship course, 30x500
22:53 Why people have the tendency to put the course before the audience?
25:15 Overhauling the bad habits, challenges faced, breaking down how to do things
32:09 A practical example: Sales Safari
35:12 Figuring out the "Stuck Zone"
39:15 Addressing the bad habits and changes that happened after
47:22 Alex's tips for course creators
51:50 Exciting things coming up from Alex, links and announcements
Want More?
Alex and I recorded a bonus segment on how to build community online, which tools work best, and more. You can grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
What’s up everybody! Joining us in this episode is Nathan Barry, the founder/CEO of ConvertKit, an email marketing company for creators. You might expect that Nathan is a huge proponent of using email to connect, grow, and sell. What you may not know is that BEFORE ConvertKit, he was using email as the main channel to grow his blog. In this episode, Nathan shares his story and how to use email courses to connect with your audience and sell products.
I realized the most successful marketing channel was email. Episode Quotes
"You go through problems so you can figure out how to solve them and grow" - Janelle
"Email would drive 16x engagements than Twitter would."
"If you teach and share that's the difference between people who are reading the blog from people writing them."
"You're not trying to get the highest number of people, but the most engaged people"
"My mission is to both educate and provide all the tools for other creators to be able to do the same thing"
Listen to Learn
00:33 Getting to know Nathan Barry, Rapid 5 Questions
06:16 Nathan's email courses journey (ConvertKit)
08:55 Pushing content through email - what makes it so powerful?
12:40 Nathan's core value - "Teach Everything"
15:46 Tips for starters and how to overcome resistance
19:12 Transitioning to email courses
26:05 Why email courses are more effective than a PDF download?
28:35 Tactics to make your emails more actionable and engaged
34:00 How to use email courses to pitch a product?
39:13 Industries where email courses isn't a good fit
40:46 Exciting things coming up from Nathan Barry, links and announcements
Want More?
Nathan and I recorded a bonus segment just for you. It’s full of practical tips on how to get subscribers and stay consistent with email.
Grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra
Welcome! Joining us on the show today is the fabulous Justin Jackson, founder of MegaMaker, Transistor.fm and the creator of the course, Marketing for Developers. In this episode, Justin and I chat about the importance of interaction with learners in online courses, the challenge of low completion rates of online courses, and how developers can implement strategies that push learners to be interested and complete the course. Oh, and we talked so much that we ran out of time. This is a good one, folks. Enjoy!
What online courses often lack is someone pushing them in real time with real consequences. Episode Quotes
"Your journey is your journey. You can't copy what everyone else is doing or done before."
"Every day you got to wake up and figure out how you're going to make it work for you and your customer."
"Don't try to buy somebody else's audience. Build your own audience."
"You're only going to accomplish something meaningful through a lot of discomfort."
"Nowadays, if you are not helping people make progress in their lives, it's not enough."
Listen to Learn
00:38 Getting to know Justin, Rapid 5 Questions
05:15 Justin's journey becoming an online entrepreneur
10:00 How to know when to build an email list and build an audience?
13:37 WHY? From book into an online course
17:49 Structure overview of Marketing for Developers
22:03 Challenges Justin experience as a course creator
25:44 Figuring out the learner journey, what online courses often lack
32:11 Tips in helping learners make progress
41:58 How do online courses fit in your business model?
45:15 How to keep people interested while creating the course?
48:56 Pricing tiers of Marketing for Developers
52:48 Awesome things to look forward to from Justin, links and announcements
Want More Podcast-goodness?
Listen to the bonus segment! Justin and I recorded a bonus conversation on vulnerability, mental health, and more rarely talked about topics in entrepreneurship. Sooooo good. Get access here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra/
Hello everybody! Marcus Blankenship joins us on the show today. Marcus helps coders become solid leaders and build high-performing teams; he’s also the author of Habits that Ruin Your Technical Team. We’re going to talk about his new course, Software Leader Seminar, and his insights on how to be an effective Tech Leader.
When you are leading experts: get out of the way and empower your team to make decisions Episode Quotes
"It's about creating a team and an environment that's safe enough where everyone can really contribute."
"My approach... I would start applying more individual human personal touches."
"That was sort of a big realization that if there's demand, there's probably money here."
"With courses for entrepreneurs or consultants you do have to figure out how to navigate around life so that people stay on track."
Listen to Learn
00:36 Getting to know Marcus Blankenship, Rapid 5 Questions
02:35 Marcus' business journey (Tech Leadership Guy)
08:42 Pivoting to the right audience
11:23 Leadership skills that tech leaders should have
15:46 Overview of Software Leader Seminar, course objectives
21:21 Methodology of creating Software Leader Seminar
29:51 How to manage the learner's journey?
33:56 Upcoming updates for the course
38:20 Tips in creating learning programs
43:48 Exciting things coming up from Marcus, links and announcements
Get the Bonus Segment!
Like bonuses? Marcus and I recorded a bonus segment where we went deeper into how to be an effective leader...and more.
You can grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra/
Welcome to another episode of Level Up Your Course! Really excited about today’s guest, Brian Casel. Brian is the founder of Productize and Scale and Audience Ops. He’s a master at productizing services.
In this episode, we chat about how to leverage the Productized Service model. He also guides us through his course, Productize and Scale, and how he’s built a thriving community. Let’s go!
Use customer feedback as your direction Episode Quotes
"I usually start with a very big outline to get the main chapters down just to have a roadmap."
"A lot of people get stuck on the idea like is this a good idea to productize?"
"The main thing that I try to encourage people to do is just get something out there"
"When you're doing that transition, start by doing the service first so you can hone in on your processes, strategies, and methodologies"
Listen to Learn
00:25 Getting to know Brian Casel
03:24 Brian's journey from music production to freelancing
07:04 Rapid Five Questions
13:03 Brian's journey from freelancing to productizing
17:50 What is Productizing? Overview about Audio Ops
20:13 About Brian's Productize and Scale course
26:56 How Brian created the course curriculum
29:20 What is the end goal of Productize and Scale?
31:30 The learner journey, where do people get stuck in the course
35:00 More about Productize and Scale - lessons, modules and community
38:01 Brian's tips about productizing or creating a course
42:00 Awesome things coming up from Brian, links and announcements
Bonus Segment
Like bonuses? Brian and I recorded a bonus segment where we went deeper into how to scale your business, price your services, and more.
You can grab it here: https://get.zencourses.co/extra/
Welcome everybody! Joining us today is Anton Kraly, the founder and CEO of Drop Ship Lifestyle. Anton helps people learn how to start a successful drop shipping business. Today, he’s here to share his eCommerce journey, the challenges he has faced starting out and how he has helped over 10,000 students to implement drop shipping profitably.
The first thing I thought about if someone wants to learn from me is what do they want to get out of this? Episode Quotes
"Always trust your intuition or gut instinct"
"We redesign everything once a year just to keep it up to date, but right now it's all focused on simplicity"
"People were looking for guidance... what I do now when people sign up is they get put into an email automation sequence"
"This isn't a paid by the hour job. You got to put in the work to reap the benefits long term"
Listen to Learn
00:13 Getting to know Anton Kraly
0:55 Rapid 5 Questions
02:21 What is drop shipping? Benefit of drop shipping
03:58 Anton's e-commerce and drop shipping journey
07:47 Anton's motivation of creating Drop Ship Lifestyle
10:40 The 3 pricing packages of Drop Ship Lifestyle
12:42 Walkthrough about Drop Ship Lifestyle
15:41 Forums and creating engagement
19:20 How to design a drop shipping curriculum
21:04 Challenges in running a learning platform
22:35 Success stories of students doing the course
23:55 Overcoming the stage of being "stuck" in the business
27:31 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Anton, links and announcements
Check out the show notes for links, works and more info about Anton and his course, Drop Ship Lifestyle: https://www.zencourses.co/070
Hey everyone! Today, I’m chatting with Travis Northcutt. Travis is a membership site consultant, co-founder of MemberUp and Member Score.
Community is very important in a membership site. In this episode, Travis shares practical steps on how to effectively build the community, how to reduce churn and increase membership engagement.
Come for the content, stay for the community. Episode Quotes
"You just keep on keeping on. It doesn't come overnight."
"One of the strengths of a membership site is the ability to have that community component"
"Come for the content, stay for the community"
"That initial on-boarding experience is really important"
"I caution people not to plan too much, not to try to have everything perfectly nailed down"
Listen to Learn
00:48 Getting to know Travis Northcutt, Rapid 5 Questions
03:05 How Travis' become a membership site consultant
04:07 Challenges that Travis' faced starting out
05:53 The story behind creating "Member Up"
07:48 Membership Sites vs. Courses
11:42 Challenges of having a membership site
13:41 Best ways in building community in a membership site
17:18 More about Member Up and Member Score
20:33 What is churning? How to reduce it?
25:16 Exciting things coming up from Travis
Next Steps
Check out the show notes for links, works and more info about Travis and MemberScore: https://www.zencourses.co/069
Also, don’t forget to grab the bonus segment that Travis and I recorded. We talk about the best practices for site growth and member engagement, plus the different pitfalls of running a membership site.
You can grab that bonus content at http://get.zencourses.co/extra
Welcome to Level Up Your Course! Today’s guest is Aaron Hultquist. Aaron and his wife Ivy are the founders of Massage Exam Academy. Aaron works on the technical side while Ivy focuses on the course curriculum. In today’s episode, Aaron shares how he and Ivy found a business model by accident and used just-in-time learning to build Massage Exam Academy. We also discuss the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship. Enjoy!
Our site is a tool; it's not a magic wand...If you buy it and don’t use it, it's not going to help you. Episode Quotes "It is natural to have ups and downs of entrepreneurship"
"It is more about getting a baseline of what your strengths and weaknesses are and then focusing on those weaknesses"
"Use customer feedback to drive everything that you build"
"Put it out there before it is ready"
"Take some time to know your business and think about whether or not this approach is going to work for you"
Listen to Learn 00:42 Rapid 5 Questions
04:50 How to deal with the ups and downs of entrepreneurship?
09:17 Aaron's business journey (Massage Exam Academy)
17:11 Challenges that came up in building the course
19:25 Technical side of the course - tools and software used
25:57 How the course helps students taking the massage exam
31:35 Getting traffic for the course, SEO
33:38 Massage Exam Academy's pricing model and subscription rates
37:47 Resources that helped Aaron in his entrepreneurship journey
41:16 Aaron's tips for entrepreneurs
44:39 Awesome things to look forward to from Aaron and Ivy, links and announcements
For more info on Aaron and Ivy’s business, check out the show notes at https://www.zencourses.co/068
Hello everybody! I am with Michael Zipursky on the show today. Michael is the CEO of Consulting Success, where he helps consultants attract more clients, increase their fees, win more proposals and grow their business. In this episode, he shares insightful advice and tips about the consulting business as well as how he turned his coaching into a successful group program. Enjoy!
One of the biggest mistakes that people make is that they don't take action, they don't put up stuff out there. Episode Quotes "Rather than just sitting on ideas, and planning and thinking, take what you believe and put it out into the marketplace."
"Client achievement is worth more to me than just seeing the bank account grow."
"What consultants are missing is a good marketing plan and a strategy to generate consistent lead flow"
"We treat all our members like family and when they need support we're there for them"
"Don't just build everything first. Have an outline, a rough skeleton of what you believe is important and then sell it"
Listen to Learn 00:53 Getting to know Michael Zipursky
06:40 Rapid Five Questions
08:36 Michael's consulting/business journey
18:41 What were the challenges you experience first time?
19:49 The reason in creating Consulting Success System 2.0
21:16 Lessons and strategies that Michael learned in creating a self paced course
26:06 Details about Michael's coaching program for consultants
36:20 How did you get to that point to where the coaching program is now?
39:00 Improvements, updates and results of the coaching program
43:26 Michael's advice for people who want to transition into consulting
51:45 Tips for consultants struggling in generating leads
55:35 Exciting things coming up for Michael, links and announcements
Check out the show notes for links to Michael’s work and info on his new book: http://zencourses.co/067
This is it! The Zen Courses Show is now Level Up Your Course. For the very first episode of Level Up Your Course, I’m honored to have Amy Hoy as our guest. Amy is a software developer, writer, co-founder of Stacking the Bricks along with Alex Hillman, and a course creator. She is here today to share her story and everything about her online course ‘Sales Safari’. Most importantly, we’re going to talk about the V word: validating your idea and why you should pre-sell.
Don’t spend a year making something. Do a tiny product first. Episode Quotes "A good business doesn't mean it is a good business for you"
"Just because people pay money for your thing doesn't necessarily mean it solves their problem"
"You need to have a really clear vision of what the product is going to be"
"It is better to sell a smaller product for less money than to sell nothing"
"People buy when they are confronted with a reason to take time to read the details and make a decision"
“The big thing I want people to avoid is to spend a year making something and then [get] no sales...do a tiny product first.”
Listen to Learn 00:29 Getting to know Amy Hoy
03:26 Rapid 5 Questions
07:13 Amy's journey as an entrepreneur
11:44 Do's and don’ts whenever you have an idea in mind
14:37 All about validation, Why validation is backwards?
20:27 Pre-selling: Is it good or not?
24:22 Amy's pre-selling process
32:25 Is there an X-factor in this online business?
34:08 Steps to do your first pre-sell
40:28 About Sales Safari and how to find out what people want
43:49 Concepts about events, marketing and launches
47:21 Amy's tips for online entrepreneurs about pre-selling
51:34 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Amy, links and announcements
54:50 What's your why? Why do you do this work?
Check out the show notes for links to Amy’s work and to subscribe to the newsletter: http://zencourses.co/066
Hello everybody! If you’re a long-time listener of The Zen Courses Show you may have noticed that I took a hiatus for a bit. Almost a year to be exact. In this episode, you’ll find out why I took a break, what I learned during my time away, and what’s coming up next.
Lessons I learned out of the break It’s ok to stop. I know that’s not the message you hear. Everyone else tells you to hustle till you drop. During my break, I learned that it’s not about working non-stop but instead working strategically.
The big reveal! There’s a big change coming to the show--starting with the next episode. I am re-branding the podcast, with a new name, new artwork, and a stronger focus. Listen to find out more!
Episode Quotes "I don't believe that you have to work non-stop. I do believe in working hard and smart."
"While technology is super important and valuable it can be a distraction."
"You have to go all in if you are thinking about doing something."
"Business problems are usually connected to personal resistance in a particular area."
Listen to Learn 00:45 Why I took a break with the Zen Courses Show?
02:31 Re-evaluation and what I learned
06:49 Upcoming changes and new stuffs with the podcast
11:24 Re-launch Date
15:22 The biggest lessons I learned out of the break
19:41 Announcements and Links
Hey everyone, welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show. I’m so excited to have Ben and Marie Borowski on the show today, they complement each other so well when talking about skill sets! Ben, being a software developer, is more on the technical side while Marie is into course design and marketing. I know you will love this episode!
It came out of the success of Marie's program Before collaborating with each other, Ben and Marie were doing their own things: Marie was working on her online course ‘Digital School Strategy’ and Ben was into software development. When Ben noticed Marie’s success, that’s when he started to focus on online courses. The story of a collaborative work began.
We always tell people “start with the problem, start with the audience” Start with the problem. In other words, it’s about understanding the audience and knowing what they need. Marie emphasizes: content creators do not need to figure out everything before they start. It is just starting small and putting out the “rough and ready” version of your course. To grow with a blog or a YouTube channel toward a successful course, you need to spend time knowing yourself, your business and your goals. It is a collaborative work between you and your audience.
Want more info on Ben and Marie’s course and business? Head over to zencourses.co/064 to read the full show notes and check out what Ben and Marie are up to now.
Episode Quotes "Failure is inevitable... the only way to learn is to fail"
"Start small and start with the rough and ready version of your course"
"Getting to know your audience is what helps you become a better course creator"
"Spending time to get to know yourself and your business, and your goals is so important"
Listen to Learn 00:36 Getting to know Ben and Marie
02:53 Rapid 5 Questions
04:29 How Ben and Marie started working collaboratively?
06:35 Why did you focus your energy in creating online courses?
07:47 Challenges and lessons learned when starting the online course
14:20 Debunking the biggest myths about being an online course creator
18:14 Course development process
21:02 Strategies in growing your audience
25:48 Knowing whether or not a course make sense for your business
27:00 Tips in marketing online courses
32:19 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Ben and Marie, links and announcements
Hi everyone, welcome to another episode of the Zen Courses Show! Today, we are joined by the talented Jen Hewett. Jen is a self-taught printmaker, illustrator, and a teacher. In this episode, Jen and I talk about her online course “Design, Carve, Print”, her experience being an online course teacher and some tips for artists who want to follow her footsteps.
I guide people from the very beginning to printing to the fabric Jen’s journey is an interesting one. After “running her stationary business into the ground” in her twenties, she returned to corporate life--and thought she would stay there until retirement. But life had other plans. After the economy tanked, Jen took a screenprinting class that changed her life. Jen pursued her passion for art and eventually created “Design, Carve, Print,” which focuses around block printing on fabric and caters to not only artists but hobbyists as well.
Design, Carve, Print is a 6-week online class with a combination of videos and blog posts, starting from introduction to block printing, materials and tools used, to the practical things like how to draw the design, carving it and printing it on fabric.
Episode Quotes "I realized that I wasn't going to be everything to everyone."
"I guide people from the very beginning of even just coming up with ideas."
"The nice thing about an online class is it's evergreen. Once you've done it you can repurpose it forever if you want."
"It's flexible enough that I do change things as I go."
"It comes from letting go of ego when you teach…"
"Make sure people want to learn what you want to teach."
Listen to Learn 00:43 Getting to know Jen Hewett
03:30 Rapid 5 Questions
05:36 Jen's journey in becoming a printmaker, textile artist and online class creator
11:25 Design, Carve, Print - Who is it for? What problem does it solve?
13:05 Teaching in Person vs. Teaching Online
19:45 Course Overview: Launching, Structure and Activities
25:00 Is there anything you would have changed when you started teaching it online?
27:50 Why do you think that skill level doesn't matter in the course?
31:00 Jen's tips for artists who want to start teaching online
33:00 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Jen, links and announcements
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! I am thrilled to have Alyson Stanfield joining us today. Alyson has been working with artists for many years. Today, she’s here to share a behind the scenes look at Art Biz Coach and her Art Career Success System (ACSS), which has helped many of her clients grow their careers. Alyson has a lot to share about building an art career, the challenges she faced in her business journey, and some tips as a coach working with artists.
A quick note from Alyson: Since this interview, Art Biz Coach has become Art Biz Success.
I believe that artists are so valuable to the world; I will do everything I can to help them After teaching artists for a while, Alyson developed a framework called Art Career Success System.
ACSS is composed of 4 programs. One is the Creative Content Camp, which helps artists create their contents. Another component is the Fan Boosting Formula, which teaches artists about cultivating relationships in your art career. Thirdly, Art Biz Accelerator, which is about the places where you show and sell your art. Lastly, we have the Magnetic You which is all about presentation, speaking and branding as an artist.
Episode Quotes "In order to succeed as a solo entrepreneur you got to have some kind of framework."
"I never publish the same thing twice, it always changes."
"The big lesson I learned is that I don’t want to record... I like to do it live."
"We learn better from mistakes than we do from the good stuff."
"I believe that artists are so valuable to the world... they have a really special place."
Listen to Learn 00:03 Episode Intro, Getting to know the speaker (Alyson Stanfield)
01:08 Rapid 5
04:32 Alyson's journey into Art Biz Coach
08:40 The Art Career Success System (ACSS), How Alyson's online courses started?
11:56 Who is this for and what problem does it solve?
13:06 The structure of ACSS and its four programs
15:33 Challenges that came in making ACSS
19:28 The activities included in each program
22:13 Is there anything you would have done differently?
26:33 Working through some of the mental blocks of clients towards success?
30:53 What's next for Alyson - updates and events, end notes
Full Show Notes
Visit the full show notes to find links to Alyson's site and course: http://zencourses.co/062
Hey, hey! I am excited to have Matt Ragland on the show today. Matt is the creator of the Sketchnote Starter Course. He’s also a member of ConvertKit’s team. In this interview, Matt and I talk about his work, how he created his sketchnote course, and what it’s like being part of ConvertKit. I know you’ll love this episode!
A quick note:
- Matt references the course platform Coach, which is now Podia
- Listen to the end to get access to the video walkthrough of Matt’s course!
Ideas not art… It’s really about connecting with people and solving problems To start off with, Matt discusses how he got started with sketchnotes and the three books that helped him create his first sketchnotes. He also shares his vision of connecting people over big ideas, and solving problems.
I want students to feel comfortable putting their ideas down on paper Matt and I talk about his launch of ‘Sketchnote Starter Course’ which helps people who think they can’t draw at all realize their potential. The course starts with simple lessons on basic concepts about shapes, then explores deeper topics like how to put your creation into production, social media, and visual libraries, etc.
When asked “What is the goal of your course?”, Matt simply said, “I want the students to feel comfortable putting their ideas on paper.” He believes that his students are on a journey in doing sketchnotes. It’s about what makes the most sense to students, putting their creations down without shame or hindrance, remembering more ideas and, as a result, solving more problems.
Want learn more about Matt’s course? Head over to zencourses.co/061 to read the full show notes and check out the video of this interview.
Episode Quotes "Sketchnotes has been a great connector for me with different types of work."
"Just give yourself some grace and stop comparing yourself"
"The only person that you need to sketchnote for is yourself"
Listen to Learn 00:19 Getting to know Matt
02:23 Rapid 5 Questions
05:13 How did Matt get into teaching Sketchnotes?
08:00 Balancing work, sketchnotes and family
12:14 Overview about the Sketchnote Starter Course
16:34 What were some things that happened that you didn't plan on?
22:00 Where did the idea for the course come from?
28:20 What is the goal for your learners after completing the course?
29:58 A peek inside the Sketchnote Starter Course
35:36 What are the things that you would do differently or adjust and tweak?
39:09 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Matt, plus final announcements
Hi everyone! I am excited to have Dominique Broadway on the show today. Dominique is an award winning Personal Finance Coach, Speaker, Finance Expert and the Founder of Finances Demystified & The Social Money Tour. In this episode, we discuss her course, Finances Demystified Bootcamp. I absolutely love this episode and cannot wait for you to hear it!
***Quitting was not a financial worry, I was just over it. I needed a
change.***
Before quitting her job and jumping into entrepreneurship, Dominique was into banking and finance. After quitting her job, she was able to start fresh, focus on personal finance and educate people about their finances.
The Finances Demystified Bootcamp
Dominique’s online course is a 5-week program which helps entrepreneurs learn more about personal finance. It’s ideal for learners who are looking for an affordableself study program. Topics covered in the course include: budgeting, saving, investing, shifting one’s money mindset, stocks, bonds, and more.
Want to learn more about Dominique’s story and her course? Head over to http://zencourses.co/060 to read the full show notes.
Episode Quotes "Being an entrepreneur is not cute, it's not sexy. It is a lot of hard work."
"Make sure you have a self realization moment. Are you willing to lose everything to get something bigger?"
"If there is something that you want to do, do it. Don't wait because there's never going to be a perfect time."
“Money isn’t everything but at the end of the day it’s something that we all need.”
Listen to Learn 00:38 Getting to know Dominique Broadway
01:07 Rapid 5 Questions
04:08 Dominique's "Money Therapist" journey
10:13 Money tips for people who want to jump into entrepreneurship
14:12 Overview about the Finances Demystified Bootcamp course
16:55 What was your motivation in creating the course?
17:32 What are the challenges that you faced creating the course?
19:48 Going deeper into the activities included in the course
25:51 Tips about creating courses and managing money
26:55 Coming up: Exciting things to look forward to from Dominique, links, and final announcements
Welcome to episode 059 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Lisa Congdon, fine artist, author, illustrator, and online instructor.
In this interview, Lisa shares her journey as a teacher turned artist turned artist who teaches. Enjoy!
In This Episode You'll Learn:
- What motivated Lisa to switch careers later in life
- Why you're never too old to begin something new (and how it works in your favor)
- How she overcame her resistance to teaching online
- The pros and cons of partnering with platforms like Skillshare and CreativeBug
- Self-paced courses versus blended-learning: from an instructor's perspective
- Why you should delegate and outsource
Sites & Tools Mentioned
- Lisa's website - http://lisacongdon.com/
- Lisa is @lisacongdon on Instagram
Lastly, I want to give a big THANK YOU to Lisa for sharing her story with us!
Welcome to episode 058 of The Zen Courses Show!
This is part two of my interview with Jane Hamill, former fashion designer, business consultant, and online course creator. (Check out episode 57 for part 1.)
In this part, Jane shares how she structures her courses and motivates her students. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How to get your content done
- Why your students need more structure than you think
- How to support your students when life happens
- The secret for staying in your zone and not comparing yourself to others
- How to balance between imagining and doing the work
References Mentioned:
Jane's website
Zen Courses on Patreon
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Jane for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 057 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Jane Hamill, former fashion designer, business consultant, and online course creator.
In this interview, Jane shares how she transitioned from running her clothing line to teaching online. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why you shouldn’t ask your students what they want
- Why you should start with one course, even if your vision is bigger
- How to start your course with a limited budget
- How she tackles talking about money
- The framework Jane uses to design her courses
- Ways to build structure into your course so students do the work
References and Tools Mentioned:
Jane's website - http://fashionbrainacademy.com/
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Jane for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 056 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Jarrod Drysdale, visual designer and new course creator.
In this interview, Jarrod shares how he launched his first course and what he's learned from ten years of designing and entrepreneur-ing. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- What he learned from his first failed business
- Why he launched his course on a weekend—when everyone says not to!
- The incentives that motivated Jarrod’s audience to buy his course
- How he balances consulting with creating products
- How consulting and design have made him a better course creator
- The three teaching components he uses in his course
- Why you don’t need to focus on web design when you’re starting out
References and Tools Mentioned:
Show notes - http://zencourses.co/056
Zen Courses on Patreon! - https://www.patreon.com/zencourses
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Jarrod for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 055 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Meighan O'Toole, digital strategist and online course creator.
In this interview Meighan shares how she left Corporate America to grow her own business and the story behind her course, Anatomy of a Newsletter. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why social media is not where you will make sales
- How to overcome your resistance to starting a newsletter
- Why you should validate your course before you create it
- Why you should offer services if you’re a course creator
- Strategies for planning and publishing your newsletter
- Why unsubscribes are a good thing
- Why she chose Coach for her course platform
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Meighan’s website
- Anatomy of a Newsletter
- Coach (aff link)
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Welcome to episode 054 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Rachel Shillcock, an award-winning designer, author, and online course creator.
In this interview Rachel shares her story and why she decided to create an online course when she already had a couple products. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why Rachel decided to create digital products when she already had a successful design career
- Why Rachel believes YOU are your brand
- How to use your values to help you build your brand and products
- Why it’s okay to evolve your products and processes
- How she decides what course content to keep and what to leave out
- Why you should always overdeliver
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Coach (partner link) - the course platform Rachel uses
- Rachel's website - rachilli.com
- Rachel's products - rachilli.com/shop
- Rachel on Twitter - twitter.com/missrachilli
- Rachel on Instagram - instagram.com/rachilli
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Rachel for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 053 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Tiffany Mikell, CEO of Aerial Spaces, an immersive learning platform. In this interview Tiffany shares how she transitioned from being a corporate software developer to dropping everything and creating an education platform. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How growing up in on two different Chicago neighborhoods opened Tiffany’s eyes to disparities in education
- Why creating inclusive and accessible spaces of learning is important to Tiffany
- How Aerial Spaces is working to close the digital divide in education
- Why it’s important to think about obstacles your learners may have
- How immersive learning increases engagement in your online course or workshop
- Why you should think about results before you begin teaching
- How Aerial Spaces provides global access in countries where other tools don’t
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Aerial Spaces
- Experience Institute
- Dev Bootcamp
- TransHack
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Tiffany for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Hey, it's episode 052 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Halley Gray, Founder of Evolve + Succeed. She’s also the creator of Be Booked Out, an online program for coaches, designer and VAs.
In this interview Halley shares how she transitioned from consulting to creating her flagship course. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why you shouldn’t start with courses if you’re a new business owner
- How to use momentum and deal with emotions to structure your course
- How Halley adjusted her services to a course format
- The power of using worksheets
- Why no-one wants to know your background information
- Why your students need to trust the method to do the work
- The three emotional obstacles that keep your students from taking action
- Why Halley teaches the hard information first
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Be Booked Out
- Thinkific (partner link)
- Click Funnels
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Halley for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 051 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Len Markidan, Director of Marketing over at Groove, a help desk SaaS.
Groove recently created their first online course and sold out in 5 days! In this interview Len shares why a help desk company decided to create an online course and what it took to make it happen. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why content marketing is important…and how Groove rebooted their content marketing strategy
- Why you should focus on helping your customers grow
- Why it makes sense for SaaS companies to create online courses
- How to get past your fear of marketing
- Tips for staying productive so you can get your course done even with a day job
- How to know how much content to include in the course
- The #1 marketing channel Groove used to sell their course
- Strategies to keep your email list engaged
- Why you should create obstacles for people to sign up for your course
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Groove’s case study for their course launch
- Coach - an online course platform (aff link)
- Price It Perfect - An online course to help you create the perfect pricing strategy for your courses
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Len and everyone at Groove for sharing their story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 050 of The Zen Courses Show. I can’t believe it’s been 50 episodes already!
In this episode we're going to take a trip down memory lane. You’ll hear the highlights from a year of interviewing online course creators, including my top takeaways and snippets from the most popular shows over the past year. I'll also share what I've been up to with Zen Courses. Ready?
References and Episodes Mentioned:
- Jumpstart Your Course - A live program to help you get started with your online course
- ZCS 011 - Sarah Selecky of SarahSelecky.com
- ZCS 047 - Bob Reynolds of BobReynoldsMusic.com
- ZCS 044 - Caleb Pike of DSLRVideoShooter.com
- ZCS 043 - Courtney Sanders of ThinkAndGrowChick.com
- ZCS 003 - Darlene Hildebrandt of DigitalPhotoMentor.com
- ZCS 007 - Emma Holmes of SchoolofScratch.com
- ZCS 025 - Brent Weaver of uGurus.com
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone featured in this episode for sharing their story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 049 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the Krystal Wascher, a freelance audiobooks producer and online course creator.
In this interview Krystal shares how she left her dream law career and overcame cancer to build a successful audiobook business. Oh yeah, we chat about her course too. Check it out!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How Krystal used Udemy to validate her online course
- How her dream job as an attorney led her to audiobooks
- Why she thinks 'find your passion' is bad advice
- How she decides what to include and what to leave out of her course
- The tools Krystal uses to create community in her courses
- How Krystal uses workshops to make sure that the right students buy her course
Read the full show notes: http://zencourses.co/049
Enjoy This Episode?
If so, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews help the show's rankings. Plus, they help me improve the show so I can bring you more value.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Krystal for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 048 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the talented Yann Ilunga, a podcast strategist and online course creator.
In this interview he shares his story and how he uses the power of sales funnels to sell online courses. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- What a sales funnel is and why you need one
- Ways to validate your online course
- Why you should get validation from people who don’t know you well
- How community helps you improve your online course
- The 3 key elements of a sales funnel
- How to identify problems in your funnel
- Tools to setup your sales funnel
Click here to see the full show notes!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Yann for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to Episode 047 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is the talented, Grammy award-winning tenor saxophonist Bob Reynolds.
When he's not winning Grammys, Bob is also a songwriter and online teacher. He and I have been circling each other online for years and finally had a chance to chat. In this interview he shares his story and how he started teaching music online. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why a successful working musician started an online school
- Bob's biggest fears when he first started
- The turning point that made him commit to creating a full-blown school versus working on a single course
- How he teaches different learning levels in his school
- Why he focuses on process instead of outcomes
- Tips for teaching yourself how to play an instrument
References and Tools Mentioned:
- BobReynoldsMusic.com
- Bob's Virtual Studio
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Bob for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to Episode 046 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the wonderful Holly Wren Spaulding poet, teacher, and activist. Holly has been a long time supporter of Zen Courses. I asked her to join us to share her online course journey, especially how she balances creating online programs with making art. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Why it’s good to disconnect from the online world to create
- What an immersive course / program looks like
- Why Holly Wren uses a seasonal structure for her program
- How she balances teaching online with her need to create art
- How she transitioned her in-person teaching to an online business
- Why pricing is something you have to test
- How she teaches transformation through poetry in an online program
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Poetry Immersion Program
- Holly's upcoming course, A Body of Work
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Holly for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 045 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is the amazing Paul Jarvis, designer, course creator, and founder of ofCourseBooks.
Paul was one of the first guests on the show. He’s back this week to share what he’s been working on and his Mailchimp course, Chimp Essentials.
If you want to take Mailchimp to the next level while saving money and learn about marketing automation, this episode is for you. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- What Paul’s been up to as a course creator for the past year
- Why he created a course on Mailchimp when there are other email solutions out there
- How to make Mailchimp work like ConvertKit…and save money
- Why Paul chose an open and close cart structure for his course launch
- Why short videos work great for technical topics
- What marketing automation is and how it works in Mailchimp
- How Paul uses drip content in his course to increase activity
- The 3 ways Paul uses student feedback
- How to beta test your course: content, testimonials, support requests
References and Tools Mentioned:
- Chimp Essentials Learn how to make Mailchimp do everything ConvertKit does and more
- WP Complete - WordPress Plugin to track student progress in your course
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Paul for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 044 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is none other than Caleb Pike, founder of DSLR Video Shooter.
I’ve been following Caleb’s videos for a while and am excited to have him on the show to share his experience using YouTube to market to his audience, plus his take on camera gear for online course videos. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Caleb got his start in video after quitting college • How YouTube has changed his business • Why he stopped writing blog posts • How to skyrocket your email list subscribers using YouTube • Editing secrets to make your videos more engaging • How to streamline your video production process • How he decides what to create for free versus what should be a paid product • What camera, microphone and lens to buy if you’re starting out with video
References and Tools Mentioned:
- DSLR Video Shooter on YouTube
- DSLRVideoShooter.com
- VimeoPro
- Thinkific
- http://first500subs.com
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Caleb for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to episode 043 of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Courtney Sanders, founder of ThinkandGrowChick.com.
Courtney has a fantastic story. In this episode you’ll hear how she went from losing her scholarship in college and drowning in debt to turning her blog into a five figure business that allowed her to quit her job.
Of course, we’ll also talk about her workshop turned online course, The Escape Plan too. Ready?
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Courtney got her start as an entrepreneur in college…and lost her scholarship • The escape plan she used to turn Think and Grow Chick into a profitable brand • Why she uses live workshops to test drive new courses • Why you need be willing to invest in your business to grow • How she structures her course, The Escape Plan, for learning.
References and Tools Mentioned: • Think and Grow Chick • Courtney's course, The Escape Plan • WooCommerce • Sensei • First 500 Subscribers
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Courtney for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Mackenzie Child, designer and creator of Design for Developers.
In this interview we talk about his course-building process, how he uses YouTube for marketing and why he uses Coach to deliver his online course.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- Who Mackenzie is and why he started teaching design online
- The big mistake that delayed his course launch (and how he recovered from it)
- Why he does things before he's any good at them
- Why Mackenzie uses Coach for his online course; plus, what he likes & where there's room for improvement
- How to streamline your video production
- How to use YouTube to build your brand
- What equipment he recommends for quality videos
Sites Mentioned:
- Mackenzie's course, Design for Developers
- Mackenzie's YouTube channel
Video Equipment Mackenzie Uses:
- Shure KM32
- Focusrite USB interface
- Canon 80D DSLR camera
- Blue Yeti Microphone
- Final Cut Pro
*The links above are affiliate links. If you choose to purchase these items, you'll help Zen Courses continue to create awesome content like this podcast.
Thanks For Listening!
Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it.
Also, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews help the show's rankings. Plus, they help me improve the show so I can bring you more value.
If you have any questions, shoot me an email at hello@zencourses.co. I read every email and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Huge thanks to Mackenzie for sharing his story on the The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Dave Graham, musician and founder of Music Theory is Your Friend.
Dave just had his first successful launch for his newest course, The Music Creator’s Toolkit—after many failed course launches. Today, he shares what he did differently to succeed.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How Dave got started teaching music theory
- The secret mindset you need as an entrepreneur to keep going
- The one thing he changed that led to a successful course launch
- How to keep going even if you think you’re doing everything wrong
- Alternatives to having an email list
References and Tools Mentioned:
- The Music Creator’s Toolkit
- Fizzle - Online Training for Business Builders
- Teachable
- Thinkific
- Coach
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Dave for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Spencer Fry, serial entrepreneur and founder of Coach, a new platform to help you create and sell your products and courses.
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • Who Spencer Fry is and why he created Coach • How Coach is different from other online course platforms • The features and benefits of Coach • Why you should sign up for Coach before December 5, 2016 • How to get help creating your online course
References and Tools Mentioned: • Coach - https://www.withcoach.com/ • Work with Me - http://zencourses.co/workwithme
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Spencer for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another fabulous episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest for this episode is Shauna Lynn Simon, award-winning home stager and founder of Styled, Listed, Sold Academy.
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Shauna Lynn left a career in mathematics to become a home stager • How she tested the market before creating her online course • The steps and tools she used to run her webinars • Why she thinks webinars are a great marketing tool for selling your online course • How she stopped using “research” and “tools” to procrastinate • Her biggest lesson as an entrepreneur
References and Tools Mentioned: • Shauna Lynn's website - http://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/ • Styled, Listed, Sold - http://www.styledlistedsold.com/ • Thinkific’s article on Shauna Lynn’s webinar success - http://blog.thinkific.com/power-good-live-webinar-case-study/
• Zoom (webinar platform) • Crowdcast (another great webinar platform; aff link)
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Shauna Lynn for sharing her story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to Season 2 of The Zen Courses Show. In this episode you’ll learn how to create a more transformative course. Plus, how your course is ultimately a vehicle for happiness. Enjoy!
Resources Mentioned: • Bloom's Taxonomy • Backwards Design
Creating your first course?
Check out Jumpstart, my latest course designed to guide you through picking a topic, making sure your customers want to buy your course, and planning your content.
Click here to check it out: jumpstartyourcourse.com
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to all new and long time listeners. Thanks for rockin' with The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to Season 2 of The Zen Courses Show! In this episode you’ll learn what’s coming up this season, plus check out a new segment. Enjoy.
References and Tools Mentioned: • Handbrake - handbrake.fr • Wistia • Vimeo • Product Hunt
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to all new and long time listeners. Thanks for rockin' with The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Alan Bondy, the husband of Dianne Bondy from Dianne Bondy Yoga. Alan is the technician behind Dianne's recent course launch. He’s here to share the details and process behind their five figure sales success. Heads up: we dig deep with this one. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How Alan prepares for a course launch
- Why he chose to do a limited enrollment
- How he uses psychology to improve his launches
- The specific channels Alan used to drive his launch
- How to setup an email funnel for your course launch
- The tools Alan used to run his course launch
- The books and resources that helped Alan create his launch strategy
- Why video was such a key in the success of their launch
SPECIAL OFFER FOR ZEN COURSES LISTENERS: Click here to get 50% off Dianne's Yoga Training!
References and Tools Alan Mentions:
- Yoga For All Training
- Copyhackers
- Fizzle.co
- Launch by Jeff Walker
Thanks for Listening!
If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Alan for sharing his launch experience with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Esteban Martinez, calligrapher, martial artist and founder of LearnShodo.com.
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How he started teaching calligraphy online • How he overcame many challenges and positioned his style of calligraphy to stand out • The marketing channels he used to launch his first workshop without an email list • What motivated him to go from teaching in-person to teaching online • How he overcame his fear of technology to create his first online course • How he determined what to put into his intro course versus his advanced course • How he priced his first online course
References and Tools Mentioned: • Esteban’s website • Esteban’s Introductory Shodo course • Esteban’s Advanced Shodo course • Teachery.co
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Esteban for sharing his story and experience with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today my guest is Trevor Turnbull, founder of LinkedInfluence and many other products.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about using LinkedIn to market and sell online course and other products. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Trevor got his start in sports and social media • How LinkedIn can help you build your brand, business and sell products • Tips for getting your students to complete long videos • How Trevor plans his online courses • How to get started with Joint Webinars • The tools Trevor uses to deliver, manage and sell his course • Why starting is the most important thing you can do for your success
References and Tools Mentioned: • Trevor’s Personal Website • LinkedInfluence • 30 Day Sales Machine
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Trevor for sharing his story and experience with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Philip Morgan, founder of PhilipMorganConsulting.com and author of The Positioning Manual.
In this episode, you'll discover the game-changer for effective marketing. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • What positioning is and how it can help you sell more courses and other products • The cold, hard truth about self-paced courses and completion rates • How the live bootcamp model is differs from self-paced online courses • Why learners need more structure than we think • The pros and cons of hybrid courses • Non-salesy marketing strategies for introverts • Why you should build a minimum viable course (MVC) instead of focusing on perfection • Unconventional non-LMS ways to run your online course
Resources that Philip Mentions: • PhilipMorganConsulting.com • The Positioning Crash Course • Prison Break Bootcamp
• Free workshops Philip and I are hosting on positioning and marketing your course
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Philip for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Claire Pelletreau, founder of ClairePells.com and host of The Get Paid Podcast.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about using Facebook to market your online course. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Claire made the transition from employee to online entrepreneur while living abroad • What Facebook ads are and how they help you sell your course • Why you should create products at different price points • How to deal with low attendance and lack of participation in your course • Why access is the key to value and success for your learners • Why it’s important to set boundaries for your availability • How to run your online business while living abroad • Why Facebook ads are ridiculously powerful for your product launches
References Mentioned: • clairepells.com • The Get Paid Podcast • Claire's Free guide to list building • Absolute FB Ads self-study course
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Claire for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Greg Smith, co-founder of Thinkific, a platform to host and deliver your online course.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about Thinkific, marketing online courses, and pricing. Enjoy!
Free Workshop! Greg and I are Hosting a Free Workshop to Help You Create Your Course! Click here to register: http://get.thinkific.com/zencourses/
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • Greg's story: how law school helped him start teaching online courses • How Thinkific is different from every other online course platform out there • Why self-paced courses have low completion rates—and what to do about it • Direct integrations that will help you run your online business • How to get started with Thinkific if you’re considering it for your online course • Two features on Thinkific that you can’t find anywhere else • 3 ways to improve your odds of success with your online course • 3 marketing strategies to spread the word about your online course • The future of online courses and LMS platforms, according to Greg
References and Tools that Greg Mentions: • Thinkific • Quora (great way to research customer needs) • @thinkific on Twitter
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and would love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Greg for sharing his story with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Susan Stripling, award-winning wedding photographer and co-founder of The Wedding School, an online business school for wedding photographers.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who is curious about workshops, CreativeLive and how to build an online school—not just a course. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • Susan's story: how she became a photographer on a whim • How Susan transitioned from live workshops to online courses (PLUS, what she was super afraid of) • Why Susan chose CreativeLive to get her start with online courses (and why she eventually went out on her own) • Just-in-Time Learning: what it is and why it works for The Wedding School • How knowing your learner’s journey affects your course content • How Susan marketed and launched The Wedding School, from soft launch to live event • Why you should launch to your loyal fans first • Why you shouldn’t ask your customers how much they’ll pay for your online course • Strategies to help you overcome the mental blocks of pricing your online course
References that Susan Mentions: • The Wedding School • Susan’s personal website • Like The Wedding School on Facebook
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Susan for sharing her story with us here on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Joshua Millage, co-founder of LifterLMS.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who wants to learn more about Wordpress LMS plugins. It's also great if you're having a hard time choosing between an LMS plugin or an LMS platform like Teachable. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Joshua got his start in online education • What an LMS plugin is (and the top 2 reasons to use one) • The pros and cons of using an LMS plugin for your online course • The differences between Wordpress LMS plugins, LMS themes, and LMS platforms • Membership plugins vs online course plugins • How LifterLMS simplifies your LMS plugin options • The mission behind LifterLMS’s decision to go open source • Why pen and paper is the best technology
References and Tools that Joshua Mentions: • LifterLMS• Codeable• WPCurve• Twitter handle: @lifterlms
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Joshua for sharing his expertise with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Caitlin Pyle of ProofreadAnywhere.com.
Caitlin is a professional transcript proofreader and blogger who teaches people how to escape the 9 to 5 and start a career proofreading anywhere.
In this episode, Caitlin shares her tumultuous journey from being a bad employee to working as a personal trainer to FINALLY becoming an entrepreneur and launching her successful online course, Transcript Proofreading.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who has struggled with limiting beliefs. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn: • How Caitlin got her start as a transcript proofreader • How getting fired helped her gain the courage to be an entrepreneur • How her ebook helped her decide to create an online course • How she created Transcript Proofreading • Why she has five pricing tiers (and the reason someone would buy each tier) • Her strategy for testing students to make sure they’re actually learning • Why she believes a course should be treated like a course—not a product • Why she doesn’t offer refunds • How she motivates her students by hiring them—and why you should too
Where You Can Find Caitlin: • Proofread Anywhere • Twitter handle: @caitlinpyle
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes!
Ratings and reviews boost the show's rankings and new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
Finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Caitlin for sharing her success with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Alison Crosthwait. Ali is a psychotherapist and the founder of The Good Therapists, a therapy blog.
Later this month (April), Ali's launching her first online course, The Therapy School, a course to help people in therapy deepen their practice & understand how therapy works.
This episode is a special one because Ali is also a former client. She hired me to help her create her first online course. In this episode, she shares what she thought she knew and what she learned along the way. Enjoy!
"I was so naive. I didn’t think [creating a course] was going to be that hard. I knew it would be a lot of work […] but I can handle that. But I really had no idea of everything involved in creating an online course." --Ali
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Why she left a corporate career in finance to become a therapist• Why she decided to create a new model for how we understand therapy• How she designed her course to deal with boundaries, privacy and other sensitive topics• How Ali is marketing her first online course• Why revenue isn't her biggest focus (and what is instead)• Her process for creating a course that’s focused more on emotional transformation than practical skills• Why she engaged her audience before she built her course (and how it changed her plans)• The advantage of starting with a beta or pilot course• Her experience using Thinkific and her thoughts on the future of LMS platforms
References and Tools that Ali Mentions:• The Good Therapists (Ali's blog)• Therapy School • Thinkific
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Alison for sharing her story and experience with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! Today’s guest is Tara Gentile. Tara is the founder of Quiet Power Strategy and taragentile.com.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone who struggles with building and audience and knowing what their audience wants to learn. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How getting turned down for a promotion fueled her start as an entrepreneur• Why she shut down her niche site to create a personal brand• Why she pivoted from 1-on-1 consulting to create her first course• The changes and trends in online courses since 2010, when Tara started teaching online• How offering services can set your online course up for success• Her experience teaching online courses via Creative Live• Strategies Tara uses to understand her audience at a deep level, so she can create better solutions for them• Why you should stop making ideal client profiles (and what to do instead)• How to use social media to research your audience’s problems
References and Tools that Tara Mentions:• Quiet Power Strategy • Tara’s personal site: taragentile.com• CreativeLive• Twitter handle: @taragentile
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show.
I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Tara for sharing her story and insights with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Brent Weaver from uGurus.com.
Brent is the co-founder of uGurus, an online business school for web professionals. They create online courses, mentor programs and other online learning products to help web professionals lead better lives.
In this episode, Brent shares the story behind uGurus and how they created their flagship online learning program, $10k Bootcamp.
This episode is especially valuable for anyone with expertise in an area who wants to transition from services to products. It’s also perfect for small business owners with a team who want to add online courses to their business model. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Chickens, side-hustles and why you shouldn't play Monopoly with Brent• How uGurus went from a side project to a full-time business• Why self-paced courses are limiting• The one metric that matters (hint: it’s not just sales)• Why you should do customer development before you teach• How he created $10k Bootcamp• Why you should vet customers for high-cost, high-value programs• The key differences between creating a hybrid, instructor-led program versus a self-paced course• Why you should invest in the strategy behind your course before you create it• The waterfall approach versus the spiral approach to learning• The #1 marketing tactic to use before you launch your course
References and Tools that Brent Mentions:• uGurus • $10k Bootcamp • Zoom (for video conferencing)• YouTube Live Streaming• Understanding By Design (Classic book on course design (aff link))• Twitter handle: @u_gurus / @brentweaver
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show.
I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Welcome to another episode of The Zen Courses Show! My guest today is Emmy Wu from emmywu.com. Emmy is a videographer and editor who helps online entrepreneurs create amazing, heart-centered launch videos that get results.
In this interview, you’ll learn how she successfully launched her course, Craft to Camera—even with a small list, the wrong price and stage fright. Plus, she shares some tips for making stellar launch videos. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• What kept her going after she quit her job to become an entrepreneur• Why it’s so important to tell your story• Why video should be part of your launch strategy• How her course, Craft to Camera, helps you tell your story on camera• Why you don’t need a huge list to launch your online course• The pros and cons of using Google Hangouts in your course• How pivoting and re-pricing helped her overcome an unsuccessful launch• What positioning is and how it helps your course launch• Tips for improving your launch videos
Links and Resources Mentioned:• Emmy’s website• Craft to Camera• OptimizePress• Emmy's favorite video gear• Twitter handle: @emmywumedia
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Emmy for sharing her experience and expertise with us on The Zen Courses Show!
My guest on this episode is Rob Walling. Rob is the founder of Drip, an Email Service Provider that specializes in marketing automation. He's also a pioneer in the online course world, having built his first course, The Micropreneur Academy, in 2009.
In this episode, you'll learn Rob’s story and how Drip can help you create email courses, grow your list and improve your marketing.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Why he waited to launch his first course, The Micropreneur Academy• If working as a consultant prepared him to create products• The approach Rob took to launch his course during a time when online courses weren’t popular• The top 3 things Rob learned about creating online courses• Why you may not need to build your whole course all at once• Why building an email list is critical to your sales and success• How his frustration with Mailchimp led to creating Drip• How Drip is different from Mailchimp and ConvertKit• Why Drip thinks email courses are so valuable (and helps you set one up)• How Drip helps you build your audience• How conversion rates help you optimize your marketing efforts
References and Tools that Rob Mentioned:• Drip • Rob’s Blog • Rob’s Podcast: Startups for the Rest of Us• The Micropreneur Academy • Twitter handle: @robwalling
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Rob for sharing his experience and expertise with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Have you ever done something so well that people start asking you to teach them? My guest today has.
Jim Breese started off as an AirBnB host and did so well that he began teaching others. At LearnAirBnB.com, he and his team teach AirBnB hosts how to be successful in an ever-competitive market.
In this episode, Jim shares his entrepreneurial beginnings and how LearnAirbnb came to be, plus all the things he’s learned along the way that can help you with your course. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How Jim transitioned from being an Airbnb host to teaching other hosts online• Why not to wait until you feel like you’re an expert to teach• How the team validated the need for their course before they made it• The strategies they used to grow their audience• The pros and cons of using Udemy for your course• How to discover the real reason customers want to take your course, so you know how to market it• The essential tools to learn when you’re bootstrapping development of your course• Why they use WP Courseware to run their online course• The pros and cons of using WP Courseware• Jim’s top 5 tips for creating an online course
References and Tools that Jim Mentioned:• LearnAirbnb.com Homepage
• The LearnAirbnb Course• WPCourseware• PaidMembershipsPro• S3 Media Maestro• LearnAirbnb on Facebook• Twitter handle: @learnairbnb
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Jim for sharing his story and expertise with us on The Zen Courses Show!
Thinking about launching a membership site?
It can be a lot of work. And Steph Crowder knows all about it. Steph manages the membership community of Fizzle, a training site for online entrepreneurs.
In this episode, we discuss strategies for managing members, motivation and growth in your membership site. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• The pros and cons of having a membership site.• Why Steph left her great job at Groupon to become an entrepreneur• How she managed the fear and challenges of running a side-hustle while working full-time• The one shift in perspective that will help you succeed in your side-hustle• How much work it takes to run a membership site.• What Steph's average day of member support looks like• How to approach hiring moderators for your community• Strategies to help motivate members• The key to getting past fear• The tools the Fizzle team uses to manage their community• How to emphasize action in your membership community
Links to References and Tools that Steph Mentioned:• Fizzle.co• The Fizzle Show• Intercom (for customer management & support email)• Slack (for team communication)• Trello (for project & goal tracking)• Asana (for task management)• GoToMeeting (for group coaching & webinars)• Twitter & Instagram handle: @stephcrowder_
(Full disclosure: Starred items are affiliate links. If you click and purchase, you'll be supporting the The Zen Courses Show. Thanks!)
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Steph for sharing her insight with us on The Zen Courses Show!
My guest today is Jody Padar from NewVision CPA Group. She’s here to talk about pricing, because it’s a hot button topic for a lot of people.
If you sell online courses, you have a business. In this episode, we discuss how important pricing is for your business, how to price based on your costs, and how to use value-based pricing to take it to the next level.
And we promise not to get too geeky. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Why she’s known as The Radical CPA• How pricing can help you have a more profitable AND less-stressful business.• The key numbers every business owner should know about their business…and how to calculate them• Four steps to figuring out your pricing, based on cost• What the heck a gross margin is! (Hint: it’s tied to your profits.)• Two ways to build profit into your course pricing.• How to figure out how many sales you need to make to recoup your costs• Why trading time for money is limiting you. (And what to do instead.)• Why flat-rate pricing means you could charge more.• What value-based pricing is and how to figure it out.• How the Fist-Bump Pricing experiment helps you determine if you’re pricing too low
References Mentioned in This Episode:• NewVision CPA Group• Jody's book for CPAs, The Radical CPA• Twitter handle: @JodyPadarCPA
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes!
Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Jody for sharing her pricing expertise on The Zen Courses Show!
My guest today is Caleb Wojcik from DIY Video Guy. If you’ve ever struggled to make videos by yourself, Caleb is your guy.
In this episode, we chat about his journey from employee to entrepreneur. We also dig into his process for making videos for his two courses.
Plus, you know I had to ask Caleb to share some equipment tips. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• Why Caleb decided to leave his personal finance career to become an online entrepreneur.• How to relax on camera• Essential questions to ask before shooting a video for your course• How to make more engaging talking head videos• Why you should make shorter videos for your course• Strategies for staying on topic in your videos• What he does before he creates any course content• How to make better screen recordings• Where to start if you’ve never recorded videos before• Microphone recommendations for great audio• Why he believes in feedback and course updates
References Mentioned in This Episode:• DIYVideoGuy website • Course #1: DIY Video Production Guide• Course #2: DIY Premier Pro Guide• Fizzle.co*• Twitter handle: @calebwojcik
BONUS: Links to Pro-Level Microphones
Here are four microphones that you can buy to get great audio. There are two USB mics listed and two XLR mics. If you go the XLR route, you'll also need a mixer and pre-amp.
• Audio Technica ATR-2100 USB Mic ($52)*
• Blue Yeti Microphone USB Mic ($100)* - The mic I'm using in the episode
• Audio Technica AT875R XLR Mic ($170)*
• Shure SM7B XLR Mic ($349)* - The mic Caleb is using
*Full disclosure: These are Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase a mic using them, you'll be supporting The Zen Courses Show. Thanks!
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, I'd LOVE it if you'd leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes!
Your review will help boost the ratings, so new listeners find out about The Zen Courses Show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
Click here to leave a review on iTunes.
Last but not least, I want to say THANK YOU to Caleb for sharing his expertise on The Zen Courses Show!
My guest today is Brennan Dunn from doubleyourfreelancing.com. Brennan teaches freelancers how to get more clients, grow their business and develop systems.
His two signature courses are Double Your Freelancing Rate and Double You Freelancing Clients. Today, we’ll dive in to his story and why he created his online courses. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• His scariest moment of entrepreneurship• Star Wars vs Star Trek: where Brennan stands• How his childhood influenced his decision to become an entrepreneur• How listening to people’s questions influenced every product he’s ever made• Why courses are more transformative than ebooks• Why he converted his first digital product into a course (and what he added to make it actionable)• His struggle with doubt and how he overcame it• The worst thing you can do when you create your online course• Mistakes he made with his first launch of Double Your Freelancing Clients wasn’t successful—and how he fixed them• Why content and access are not enough• Strategies for validating whether your audience needs your course• The two big Whys for everything Brennan does
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• Double Your Freelancing• Planscope• Brennan’s courses, Double Your Freelancing Rate and Double Your Freelancing Clients• FreePricingCourse.com• Twitter handle: @brennandunn
Thanks for Listening!Enjoy this episode? I'd love it if you'd leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Brennan for hanging out and sharing his expertise on The Zen Courses Show!
My guest today is Carmen Spagnola from carmenspagnola.com. Carmen is a clinical hypnotherapist and entrepreneur who has two online courses, The Numinous School and True Prosperity. In this episode, Carmen shares how she bounced back from bankruptcy and depression to create a successful online business. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How bankruptcy inspired her to change her approach to entrepreneurship• How she merged her spiritual and working self online• How a shift in perspective allowed her to follow her intuition and quit her job• How she merged her spiritual and working self online• Why it’s important to ask your fans what they want• How she’s working to eliminate anxiety around money• The two launch approaches she used with each course• Why she decided to use Teachery for her course instead of Wordpress LMS plugins• The first thing to think about before you create your course• How the Critical Impact Rating helps you organize your course content• The Five Moments in your online course and what they mean for your content• Two aspects of learning that most people never consider
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• Carmen's website• Carmen’s two online courses, The Numinous School and True Prosperity• Teachery • The Numinous Podcast
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Carmen for sharing her spirit and expertise on The Zen Courses Show!
Today’s guest is Breanne Dyck from mynameisbreanne.com. Breanne is an expert in using psychology and adult learning principles to craft remarkable learning experiences. In this episode she shares a ton of valuable info on how to create remarkable online courses and why they're the key to growing your product-based business. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• What it takes to make a remarkable online course• The next level of online courses, according to Breanne• Why technology is not the problem with your course• How to use adult learning strategies to make better online courses• Why it’s critical to define your course participant before you make your course• The problem with creating customer avatars• How to clearly define your perfect participant• Why your learner’s journey is so important to structuring your course• The one question you should ask yourself about your customer before you create a course• The three R’s for your business and why they’re the key to growth
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• Breanne’s Perfect Participant Guide• Tara Gentile's Quiet Power Strategy MasterClass with Breanne Dyck• mynameisbreanne.com
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
To leave a review on iTunes:
- search for the The Zen Courses Show in the Podcast app,
- select it,
- tap "Reviews," then
- tap "Write Review."
Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to Breanne for sharing her expertise on The Zen Courses Show!
It's the last episode of 2015! In this episode, I share the exciting things coming up in 2016 and a look back at some of the personal things that were going on behind the scenes in 2015. Plus, a few surprises, including an ending full of highlights from this year. Enjoy!
To stay up to date with the new things coming in 2016, get on The Zen Courses mailing list. You'll also get free updates, plus my email series, 5 Types of Online Courses. Just head over to zencourses.co/newsletter to sign up!
It's the holidays! Time for food, family and Netflix! In this episode, you'll hear a recap of popular episodes and some of the interviews you can expect for 2016.
And...if you need help planning your online course, listen until the end to find out how to let me know what you're struggling with.
Today’s guest is Brendan Hufford from hustleheart.co. Brendan is father, husband, full-time teacher, entrepreneur, podcaster AND online course creator. Whew!
In this episode, Brendan shares his entrepreneurial journey as a side-project specialist and why he decided to create online courses. Enjoy!
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How Brendan formed a Jiu-Jitsu e-commerce company• Why he loves being an entrepreneur on the side• His inexcusable reason for drinking crappy coffee• Why he thinks work-life balance is BS• How he created a profitable course without having a blog• The pricing strategy he used to launch his course• Why he loves creating Minimal Viable Products (MVPs) and believes business is about experimentation• How he used surveys to pick his next course topic• The wins and challenges of running a live course versus a self-paced course (he’s done both)• Why he doesn’t like drip content in his courses• Why you should iterate and update your course over time
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• OK Kimonos• The Hustle&Heart Blog• The Entrepreneur Dad Manifesto• The Productivity Fundamentals Course• Teachery.co• Steal Like an Artist• Entrepreneurs and Coffee Podcast
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, I want to send a big thank you to Brendan for sharing his story and insights on The Zen Courses Show!
Today’s guest is Maya Gaddie from mayagaddie.com. Maya is a fellow online course creator who helps entrepreneurs launch their online classes.
In this episode, Maya shares how getting laid off and taking a sabbatical kickstarted her entrepreneurial life. Plus, we dig into her online course and learn her tips for course creators.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How Maya transitioned from corporate sales to online entrepreneurship• Why she left fancy cars, a high salary and her PhD program and leapt into entrepreneurship.• How living and teaching in Ghana changed her perspective on life and entrepreneurship• Why it’s never too early to start creating revenue• Why starting small actually gives you more power and freedom• How Maya started selling courses with only 50 people on her list• What key marketing strategies Maya used to get her first customers• How you can test your audience’s engagement with your ideas• Why launching is so challenging for us…and what to do about it• The learning elements that are essential for your online course
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• MayaGaddie.com• This is How to Tech• Paid Membership Pro • Camtasia• Thrive Themes • Vimeo Pro• Slack • HelpScout • ActiveCampaign • ConvertKit
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
Lastly, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Maya for sharing her story on The Zen Courses Show!
Today’s guest is Sarah Selecky, an author and entrepreneur. In this episode, Sarah gives us a peek insider her course, Story is a State of Mind. Plus, she shares strategies for teaching a creative process.
If you want to create a course focused on creativity, process and transformation this episode is for you.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- What the heck sprezzatura means!
- Sarah’s first business (hint: Nancy Drew)
- The adjustments Sarah made to her in-person course to teach it online
- How she uses themes and colors to organize her course
- How she uses linear thinking and creative loops to encourage progress
- How she pushed through the frustration of not knowing anything about technology (or how to use her camera!) to create her first course.
- How to guide your students through their struggle and fear (and why struggle is good)
- How she got prize winning author Margaret Atwood to be a guest teacher in her course
- Her tips on writing for instruction and engagement
- The secret to balancing the need for creative space with the pull of entrepreneurship
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- SarahSelecky.com
- Story is a State of Mind
- Typeform
- Little Bird Writing Contest
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews boost ratings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours. Click here to leave a review.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Lastly, a special THANK YOU to Sarah for sharing her story on The Zen Courses Show!
Today’s guest is Abe Crystal from Ruzuku.com, an online course platform designed to help you publish and launch your course.
In this episode, Abe shares his background, philosophy about online courses and why Ruzuku is the best platform for you.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:• How Ruzuku started• How online course platforms (or an LMS) helps course creators• Who Ruzuku is for• What an online course is…according to Abe• What sets Ruzuku apart from other online course platforms• The tools that Ruzuku offers to help you create your course, engage with your learners and track progress• How Ruzuku’s direct integration boosts engagement• How Ruzuku protects your course content• The types of online courses you can create in Ruzuku• New, game-changing things coming up for Ruzuku courses
Links Mentioned in This Episode:• Ruzuku.com• Mailchimp• Infusionsoft• 1ShoppingCart• PollDaddy
Thanks for Listening!If you enjoyed this episode, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Why? Because ratings and reviews boost rankings & help new listeners find the show. I read every review and I'd love to read yours.
To stay up to date, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
A big thank you to Abe for sharing Ruzuku with The Zen Courses Show!
Today’s guest is Callie Willows, half of TheMembershipGuys.com, where she helps entrepreneurs create membership communities. In this episode, Callie shares how she got her entrepreneurial start, transitioning from nutrition consulting to building courses and membership sites…and why she and her partner started The Membership Guys and launched their newest course & community, Member Site Academy.
Today’s guest is Corbett Barr from Fizzle.co, an online community and training platform for entrepreneurs. In this episode, Corbett shares his entrepreneurial journey, how he got started making online courses and why he shut it all down to make Fizzle.
Note: Visit zencourses.co/007 to access these notes on the site.
Today’s guest is Emma Holmes aka DJ ShortE from studioscratches.com, where she helps new and experienced DJs learn how to scratch on vinyl records. In this episode, Emma shares her journey into entrepreneurship, including all the starts and stops. She also shares how she built her online school, School of Scratch and how going all-in changed her life.
In This Episode, You'll Learn:
- How Emma turned a lifelong dream into an online school
- The gradual steps she took to teach her online courses full time
- The tools and tactics she used to build her online courses
- The methods she uses to teach a hands-on subject like DJing
- The methods she uses to build community and engagement
- How she killed the negative thoughts that tried to stop her
Links Mentioned in This Episode:
- Memberful
- BB Press
- DIY Video Guy
- StudioScratches.com
- School of Scratch.com
Thanks for Listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it.
Also, please leave an honest review for The Zen Courses Show on iTunes! Ratings and reviews help the show's rankings. Plus, they help me improve the show so I can bring you more value.
And, finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe on Stitcher.
Big thanks to Emma for hanging out with me on The Zen Courses Show!
In this episode, entrepreneur, writer and designer Paul Jarvis from pjrvs.com shares how and why he went big and created his premier course and community, The Creative Class. Learn about his process, challenges and online course journey.
In this episode, Carol Winegeart from MadeVibrant.com shares her journey from burnt out advertising exec to lifestyle entrepreneur, the power of mini online courses and using Squarespace for your online business.
In this episode of The Zen Courses Show, Ankur Nagpal from Teachable.com (formerly Fedora) shares his entrepreneurial journey, plus strategies for growing and marketing your online course.
In this episode, Darlene Hildebrandt from DigitalPhotoMentor.com shares how she creates online photography courses that enable her to travel the world. She also shares strategies that grew her audience to over 20k and the tools she uses for her courses.
Jason Zook is best known for iwearyourshirt.com, where he made seven figures wearing t-shirts. Yep. Now he shares his expertise via online courses and helps others do the same. Learn about his platform Teachery.co and his newest project, BuyMyFuture.com.
In this episode of The Zen Courses Show, I share what the show is about, my background with online courses, and what you can expect to learn about online courses by listening.