ENCORE: Real Advice To Therapists Launching An Online Course
Selling the Couch
Don't Pick an All Nine Course Platform Because It's Cheap or Free
Don't pick an all nine course platform because it's cheap or free. If you don't have a community for your all nine course, perhaps you build a community and offer something like coaching within the community. Don't try to focus on scaling before you've learned about the market place. This is just going to be a really hard journey.
This is the last episode until September while I take some time off to focus on self-care before the summer ends. Today’s episode is a valuable one if you are thinking about launching an online course sometime soon or in the future. My encouragement to you is to do it! Get started! Join me for this solo episode in which we discuss the basics.
You’ll Learn
● The most common reasons to launch an online course: to put your message out there to impact more people in different locations, to feel more fulfilled in your purpose, to diversify income streams, and to spark more creativity
● The highlights of my online course creation story that began in 2015---complete with all the doubts and fears
● How my first online course has surpassed my wildest dreams in passing the $200K mark in revenue
● What it means to me to build a successful online course:
○ I can build a life around my loved ones and self-care instead of fitting my loved ones and self-care around my career.
○ We as a family can contribute time and resources to organizations that make the world a better place.
○ I can create my ideal retirement schedule years before I actually retire.
● Why I want you to write down the completion to this statement: “A successful online course for me would mean . . .”
● Five pieces of advice to help you avoid the mistakes I made:
○ Online course creation is a long road---don’t rush it!
○ Don’t pick an online course platform because it’s cheap or free.
○ The first version of your online course will not be the final version.
○ See your online course as part of a larger value ladder rather than a one-off offering.
○ Build your course in community with others.
● Why you might want to join my newest online course that will launch soon!
Resources mentioned:
The online course platform that I use: www.sellingthecouch.com/cartra
Today's Sponsor: Online Course School
I know that many of us want to launch a successful online course, whether it's to share our message with a larger audience or to diversify our income beyond 1:1 work.
Speaking from personal experience, I also know that there are a ton of barriers to getting started: the tech, the mental hurdles, being unsure of whether our course will make money, or even how to market and grow our online course.
Online Course School is a live 8-week cohort-based experience where you'll gather with other therapist course creators to create your online course. It includes teaching workshops from Mel and the STC team, weekly assignments, and opportunities to work together to get things done.
By the end of our time together, you'll have your lessons and modules outlined, know what tech, software, and platform you need to record your online course, a working sales page, and have a concrete growth plan for your online course.
We'll be launching our first cohort in Sept 2021 with six members. If this sounds like something you'd love to be a part of, please check out my free A to Z Online Course Guide.
The guide will help you learn from my mistakes over the past 6+ years of being an online course creator and lessons I've learned from moving the Healthcasters podcasting course from a $297 first sale to over 275 students and passing the $200k revenue mark in 2021.
RESOURCES TO GUIDE YOUR BUSINESS JOURNEY
Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links where if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I use these funds to continue to create helpful content to serve our field. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
MY FREE ONLINE WORKSHOPS (These Can Be Watched At A Date/Time That Works For You):
MY FREE GUIDES:
🎤 Start your Podcast: The QuickStart Guide
MY COURSES:
🎧 The Healthcasters (A podcasting course + community for helpers/healers):
💻 Online Course School (A course to create, sell, and grow a successful online course): COMING IN 2022 (please feel free to download the online guide course above and I can keep you updated as I'm trying to build this with ample input and care including a chance to work 1 on 1 with me!):
MY FAVORITE SOFTWARE:
🧳 My Podcast Hosting Platform (Captivate-Includes 7 Day Free Trial):
🚀 My All In One Online Business Platform (Kartra-Includes 14 Day Free Trial):
🤖 What I Use For Evergreen Webinars (Easy Webinar)
🌐 My Website Host (SiteGround-Includes Discount)
🎨 My WebSite Theme (Divi)
MY FAVORITE GEAR:
📔 My Online Counseling + Coaching Gear
🎥 My YouTube + Live Streaming Camera Gear
SUBSCRIBE TO THE STC PODCAST:
Since 2015, I've hosted a weekly podcast where I interview successful therapists in private practice and other business owners to help us grow our impact + income in and beyond the therapy room.
The podcast has been downloaded over 1.2 million times and is heard in over 140 countries.
You can find also it by searching “Selling The Couch” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Selling The Couch" on your Amazon device. =
Or simply click below for ease =).
LET'S BE FRIENDS:
💌 Sign up to receive the free A To Z Online Course Guide + receive the weekly STC email newsletter (trusted by over 7k colleagues)
📸 Instagram (I mainly post "behind the scenes" stuff about my life and business)
WHO'S THIS GUY?
Hi. I'm Melvin. I'm a psychologist (PhD), entrepreneur, and online creator living in Philadelphia, PA.
In 2014, I began to think about how to use the therapy skills we learn in grad school, and in our clinical work into different realms (e.g., podcasting, consulting, online course creation, etc).
This allows us to serve others on larger scales while diversifying our income beyond 1 to 1 work.
I make podcasts and videos about business, tech, productivity, and lessons I'm learning from becoming the CEO of a lean, mean 5 person 100% remote team (we're not really mean..it just rhymed =P).
Mentioned in this episode:
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