The Online Course Show

Today’s interview was jam-packed with inspiration, so I’m glad you’re here! Mike Goncalves is a life coach, podcaster, and successful course creator who is all about helping people live their best life. He’s learned some fascinating lessons while growing his business, and shared a lot of insight that any new course creators can learn from. "Create something even if you think it’s ugly and dumb and no one’s going to buy it. Create it anyway, and put it out there." -Mike Goncalves I really appreciated Mike taking the time to share his perspective on evolving course offerings over time and leveling up in all sorts of ways when it comes to running an online business. Enjoy! In This Episode, We Talked About: (3:31) Mike’s online courses and where he is focusing his efforts these days (4:44) How he views his courses when looking at his business overall (6:10) His main website and how he funnels traffic towards his favorite aspect of teaching (8:16) Why he doesn’t market aggressively for his courses (at least for now) (9:56) The drive behind continuously improving course content (10:47) The positive and negative sides to feedback Mike received on one of his course’s names (12:28) How past hiccups have ultimately helped him improve his business - and why imperfect efforts are nothing to be ashamed of (13:38) The important steps Mike has taken to ensure the success of his newest course (18:39) Why he decided to partner with a fellow expert in the coaching space while working on his newest course offering (20:09) How past experience has shaped the way he’s set up his current partnership (22:37) Mike’s approach to launches and enrollments (24:33) The interactivity that really set’s Mike’s course apart (25:56) His course pricing strategy (27:46) How he handles the tech side of his business (29:28) Mike’s biggest struggle these days, and his counterintuitive response (32:02) His advice for aspiring and new course creators What was your favorite tip or insight from today’s interview? Please feel free to drop me a line via email and let me know – plus don’t forget to subscribe! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Mike’s Website Wordpress Wishlist Member Optimize Press Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

If the title of today’s episode has you worried, join the club! When I was researching my guest Mark Lassoff and his online courses, I came across a popular article he wrote last year that could seem pretty controversial for those of us who are online course creators. Fortunately, I had the chance to chat with him and hear firsthand more of his perspective on how to provide great content and succeed in the online course space. "You have to differentiate yourself through your personality, through what you teach, and what you actually give to your learners." -Mark Lassoff Mark is clearly passionate about what he does, and that carries over in the way that he gave such careful thought to my questions. I hope you enjoy our conversation! In This Episode, We Talked About: (2:52) An interesting article Mark wrote last year - and why he’s spreading a message of quality over quantity when it comes to online courses (4:41) Deconstructing a popular myth about course creation (6:55) The initial reason Mark believes he experienced a huge amount of success so quickly (7:57) His perspective on failure and following your passion (8:28) Some great food for thought for people who are really determined to succeed with their online course (10:52) How courses can play a part in transforming lives (12:34) The current role of SEO and rankings in Udemy courses (13:26) The story behind Mark’s transition from in-person teaching to creating online resources (14:32) His company’s transition into additional platforms while still incorporating Udemy (18:02) His perspective on continuing to teach many of his own courses as his business grows (18:32) Mark’s advice for course creators interested in expanding into the video streaming space and digital television (20:30) His biggest business struggles (21:12) What he would do differently if he was starting over today That wraps it up for today, but don’t forget to subscribe so you can keep up with all my latest episodes. Have a great weekend! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Framework TV Udemy Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

One of the things I love about doing this podcast has been learning from fellow course creators – some of whom are teaching topics that are super-different that mine and some who are actually my competitors. Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Zach Evans, a fellow course creator focusing on teaching piano online. Hearing where our businesses are similar and different provided some interesting food for thought. "Here’s a video. Watch the video, do exactly what I say, and see if it works. If it works, you can sign up for my course." -Zach Evans on his marketing approach It was awesome to have a chance to finally speak with Zach! I hope you enjoy listening in. In This Episode, We Talked About: 3:34) How Zach initially started building his piano resource business 6:35) The reason he set up so many websites and courses, plus his thoughts on the process today 9:22) Zach’s marketing approach and sales funnels 11:36) Where his traffic comes from 12:58) His target audience and ideal customer 14:07) The ROI he’s currently getting on different social platform ads 16:30) His thoughts on costs per lead in paid advertising 17:25) A surprising observation on who our courses tend to attract 18:18) Why Zach has set up his courses on a membership model 19:11) The online tool he relies on for his business 20:05) The amount of time Zach spends on his business each week, and what he’s using his free time for these days 21:11) How creating successful online courses has impacted his lifestyle and goal setting 22:13) Zach’s current biggest struggle in his business 23:23) His advice for new course creators We discuss all that and more, so don’t forget to drop me a line and let me know what you enjoyed about today’s episode! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Zach’s YouTube Channel Ontraport Leadpages Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Happy Monday! Continuing on the recent theme of online courses with a musical emphasis, my guest today is David Walliman, guitarist and course creator. But that’s not to say that only the musically-inclined will benefit from what he had to share – on this episode he shared how he’s created a highly successful YouTube funnel, with some great ideas for any course creator no matter what your topic of choice is. "The more specific you are with your audience, the less competition there is and the better quality product you can produce." -David Walliman David really honed in on some important info for anyone looking for practical ways to boost their traffic. It was awesome to hear his insights, so I hope you’ll like what you hear! In This Episode, We Talked About: (2:30) David’s guitar qualifications, and what led him to create a course (4:38) His transition process from teaching in person to offering content online (8:18) How his brand and sales focus have evolved over time (11:20) The how and why behind the way he defines his niche and target audience (13:04) The role YouTube plays in his business, and how he strategizes his traffic-building process (16:14) What David wishes he had started doing earlier as he developed his business (17:20) The evolution of his YouTube content - and how he keeps generating new video ideas (22:41) How he’s using specific language and marketing to really ensure he attracts the right students for his content (22:54) The initial distinction he drew between his own music and his learning resources, and how he’s rethought his perspective over time (25:43) How David figured out what would improve his branding and found a design agency to help (27:40) Some interesting results for his web traffic data (29:50) The impact email marketing has had on David’s business (32:12) His favorite tools and platforms (33:50) The biggest struggles he’s currently facing and how he hopes to address it in the future (38:25) His advice for aspiring course creators That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Guy. Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial David’s Website Teachable ConvertKit Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

This episode is a little different than ones I’ve done before. After the previous episode where I interviewed Rob Hampton, we got into a conversation on evergreen funnels that I thought was definitely worth sharing. Rob had some questions about how I set up my sales funnel – not only from a logistics side of things but also about the ethics of evergreen funnels.With Rob’s permission, I’m posting our talk here so anyone else who’s been thinking about this (or didn’t realize they should) can figure out their stance on certain marketing topics too. Feel free to drop me a line and let me know your thoughts! In This Episode, We Talked About: (2:10) The percentage of sales I get from people who sign up for my course through my email list (3:37) Where my traffic and email opt-ins typically come from (5:30) Rob’s concerns about marketing and specifically evergreen funnels (8:29) My perspective on funnels and marketing in general (13:23) My refund policy, the Golden Rule, and how that factors into student experience (15:56) Thoughts on how perceived scarcity can actually benefit consumers (17:32) How some evergreen webinars cross the line when it comes to integrity (20:35) Using Bonjoro to connect with customers (plus a live recording of me sending out one of the many Bonjoro videos I record each week) That wraps it up for this week, but don’t forget to subscribe! I’ll be back next week with some more great info on course creation. Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Rob’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

On today’s episode I brought on a guest who would have really come in handy about a year ago! Susie Parker is a sleep consultant and course creator who candidly shared with me what her course creation process has looked like, what she’s learned along the way, and what she’d do differently if she was just starting out today.   "You need to pre-sell. Don’t spend a ton of time creating until you know you’re going to be selling." -Susie Parker Susie really got me thinking about some of the intricacies of course creation and niche marketing. It was a pleasure to speak with her, and I hope you enjoy listening in! In This Episode, We Talked About: (3:00) Susie’s journey into sleep consultancy (5:25) How she got started in the course creation world (6:19) The early mistake she made, and what she learned as a result (7:15) What her early forays into building her website and sales funnel looked like (8:45) How she’s balanced her course sales with one-on-one consultation sales (11:02) Susie’s observations on the different demographics in her audience (11:43) The simple way she addresses her customers’ pain points (14:10) Her thoughts on the pros and cons of creating scarcity for her audience (15:24) Why she currently uses Teachable, and what she is transitioning into using for the future (21:16) Susie’s take on her sleep consultancy certification and its effects on her business (23:29) Where the majority of her traffic comes from, and how her SEO strategy has evolved over time (24:49) Her most recent business struggles (29:43) Her goals for future hiring/outsourcing and what she’s experienced during platform transitions (33:22) Susie’s advice for anyone interested in creating an online course Whew! That about does it for today – time for a quick nap. ???? Don’t forget to join me for the next episode of The Online Course Guy! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Susie’s Website Teachable Kartra Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m back with another interview, this time with Rob Hampton, an experienced guitar teacher and course creator. Rob’s course creation journey and unusual approach to his niche of choice provides a lot of food for thought and a lot of passion to be inspired by "Be nimble, be tough… Keep your list warm." -Rob Hampton It was great to hear what has (and hasn’t) worked for Rob as an online entrepreneur, as well as where he might be headed in the future. Thinking outside the box is definitely worthwhile, and I hope you’ll apply this idea to your own niche to see what interesting new ideas you come up with! In This Episode, We Talked About: (4:43) Rob’s guitar and guitar teaching journey - and what got him interested in teaching online (6:20) The steps he took to start building content, and what that looked like back in the early days of online tech (7:04) His explanation of chord charts as they relate to his guitar approach (a topic which is useful to know about for my piano course, too!) (8:55) What led Rob to transition his website from a “business card” to an online learning resource (10:23) The significance of his Alexa Rating, and where a lot of his traffic is coming from (12:38) The importance of lead magnets and attracting the right kind of student (14:03) What Rob would do differently if he was creating his first course now (15:16) The exciting new niche he is targeting with his new course (15:33) What he sees as the benefit of offering chord chart resources online, and what excites him the most about teaching guitar (18:13) How getting ahead of the curve with posting guitar resources helped him boost his SEO ratings very early on (19:29) The inspiration and steps behind his current and upcoming courses (20:39) A challenging aspect of finding the correct niche and converting traffic into sales - plus how he’s using what he’s learned to plan for future course offerings (22:40) The difficulties of engaging with his core course demographic based on his current subscription model (24:41) What seperating his online business into two segments looks like for him now as he launches his latest course (27:30) How Rob identified pain points and motivations for his second target demographic (31:15) The exciting ways that his new course will help aspiring musicians and performers (34:44) How he rates the current trajectory of his launch, and his biggest recent takeaway (39:58) The best mindset and strategy to have when developing online courses (40:40) How Rob was able to create his website, sales funnel, and lead magnets without outsourcing (43:18) The software and resources he’s used along the way (45:17) His top advice for new course creators We discuss all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you enjoyed what you heard! Feel free to drop me a line and let me know what you found most helpful about this interview – and make sure you subscribe! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Rob Hampton’s Website Thrive Themes ConvertKit Wishlist Member Plug-In Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I switched things up a bit for today’s episode, and in the process shared some valuable info that has really impacted the success of my course and many others. Instead of bringing on a guest, I’ve run through the 3 most effective sales funnels I’ve ever seen. Learning how they work and implementing some of them myself was a huge factor in kicking my business into gear "The insights I got by talking one-on-one with my customers has been completely invaluable." –Jacques Hopkins By using one or more the funnels I describe in the episode, you will be doing yourself a huge favor. So I hope you enjoy listening in! In This Episode, We Talked About: (2:15) What is a funnel? I explain the most basic form of a sales funnel - and why it’s not ideal (3:22) The goal of each step in your funnel (3:57) The types of traffic that could introduce potential customers into your sales funnel (4:35) Three main components I recommend for the middle of your sales funnel (5:12) Why I don’t recommend skipping certain funnel steps - even though I do know of success stories from people who do just that (7:09) How and why one of my personal favorite funnels works (11:12) Some examples of how the Product Launch Formula funnel has benefitted course creators (11:57) Another funnel type that is all the rage these days - and for good reason (13:50) My advice for anyone setting up an evergreen webinar (16:55) The absolute best resource I’ve found for webinar creators (18:05) A great example of a webinar that works (18:19) A less common funnel that has been making a comeback recently, and why you might want to consider using it (23:06) You’ve picked a sales funnel to use for your business - how do you turn that into sales? (23:51) An outside-the-box sales technique I recommend for new course creators (28:25) A quick recap, plus why you should consider using more than one funnel I enjoyed this special solo edition of my podcast, but I’ll be back soon with more interesting interviews with course creators. Have a great weekend, and don’t forget to subscribe! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Expert Secrets Nate Dodson’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m back with a very special episode of The Online Course Guy podcast! This was a first for me: I had the chance to talk with a course creator who, like me, has an online piano course! Steve Lungrin joined me to chat about the many fascinating lessons he’s learned with his course, and I really enjoyed hearing from someone in the same online space as me. "It’s less about making sales, and more about finding the right customers." -Steve Lungrin Steve was super-transparent about his journey both with the piano as an instrument and his course creation process. Even if you aren’t focused on music courses specifically, you’re going to hear lots of tips that could help you no matter what topic you’re teaching! In This Episode, We Talked About: (4:43) How Steve first got into playing piano (7:01) The seemingly-random scenario that luckily led him to a different approach (8:32) Why Steve was initially skeptical about turning his passion for piano into a career (9:55) What led him to take his know-how and turn it into an online course (12:40) How he started pulling in 4 figures monthly about 6 months after setting up his course (15:43) What’s changed in his business over the years, and some future changes he may make (18:05) Steve’s thoughts balancing a course structure with the actual lesson content (20:04) His advice for anyone looking to create their own course (21:27) What he would do differently if he was starting over today (21:50) How changing technology has impacted his business and led him to evolve over time (22:56) The most important lesson he’s been learning recently (25:12) What Steve’s sales funnel currently looks like, and his detailed plans for what he wants to add into his funnel (28:31) His plans for revamping his pricing structure (28:59) The platform he swears by for his online course (30:46) Steve’s biggest struggle over the years as an entrepreneur (31:28) His advice for anyone working on their business (35:47) What Steve hopes every entrepreneur will remember And stay tuned for next time – I’ll be doing a special solo show explaining the ultimate top three sales funnels! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Steve’s Website Kajabi Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Welcome to yet another TOCG podcast episode! Michelle Schroeder-Garner came on to tell me all about she snowballed her blog into an online course AND how she gets WIFI on her boat – plus shared some really helpful tips along the way "Unless you put yourself out there, you’ll never know how it will turn out." - Michelle Schroeder-Garner Michelle passed on some great info and insights, and as a result I’m already implementing some tweaks in my own business. Enjoy listening in! In This Episode, We Talked About: (4:04) The wide range of expertise Michelle brings to the table, and what her different income streams look like (4:56) What led her to develop an online course on affiliate marketing (5:48) How her passion for traveling factors into her business, and why she’s so motivated to develop passive income (6:50) How Michelle rates her different income streams (7:17) Her current sales funnel setup for her online course, and where most of her traffic comes from (8:51) How she decided her course price-point (10:18) The way that Michelle keeps her business expenses low (11:08) What affiliate marketing looks like for her course on affiliate marketing (pretty meta, I know) (11:45) Her advice for those of us who aren’t bloggers by trade but want to get started with affiliate marketing (12:53) Michelle’s recommendations for online course creators who are considering diversifying their business (14:38) Her important tips on how to disclose affiliate links in your web content (17:19) Her course development process, and how she responds to student requests for additional information (18:24) What Michelle would have done differently if she could go back in time (18:47) The top advice she has for anyone considering creating their own online course (19:43) What she sees ahead for her business and future goals That’s all for now, folks! See you on the other side of this weekend (and don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss the next episode of The Online Course Guy)! Links Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Michelle’s Website Teachable Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy