The Online Course Show

In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of talking with Abbey Ashley about the success of her virtual assistant courses and her best advice for aspiring course creators. Abbey shared a wealth of insight on how to approach setting up and launching courses, and it was very interesting to hear her perspective on what has (and hasn’t!) worked for her. I enjoyed our conversation and I think you will too! "Start building an audience right away… It really does start to compound over time." - Abbey Ashley   In This Episode, We Talked About: How Abbey broke into the online world, and what she loves about the virtual assistant side of entrepreneurship The big name in online courses who originally inspired Abbey to develop and her own course Why her first courses flopped, and what she learned as a result Abbey’s tips for managing time and distractions while working from home The strategy that Abbey recommends for getting your feet wet in the online world The main tools that Abbey uses to host and market her courses How Abbey structured her sales funnel and transitioned into an evergreen webinar pitch model Her advice for online course creators looking to hire virtual assistants themselves We discuss all that and much more, so don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you enjoyed about today’s episode! Links Abbey’s Website ConvertKit Loom Trello Slack Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m here with yet another podcast episode, and this time I got to speak with Beth Blackerby, who has been doing online courses since 2007. It was great to hear from another person in the music space of online learning!Beth first became interested in online courses through working with adult violin students, but no matter who your target audience is or what your teaching topic might be, there are lessons to be learned from her story. "It’s just a series of baby steps… Do one little thing and the next day do another little thing. It adds up quickly." -Beth Blackerby   In This Episode, We Talked About: The “light-bulb moment” that inspired Beth to branch out from in-person lessons to a different way of teaching violin The gap Beth saw in the online market for violin learners, and the way that she tailored her curriculum to the need she saw How things have changed over time for online learning, and what Beth had to do to make her vision for her courses a reality The marketing strategies that she used to eventually get her website out from the depths What it took for Beth to feel that her online courses were a success, and the growth she’s seen since then Her unusual membership model and the interesting reasoning behind her decision to not have auto-renew memberships What Beth would have done differently if she were setting up her online course today We discuss all that and much more in this episode, so I hope you enjoy listening. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment below on what you learned from today’s podcast! Links Beth’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m back with another podcast episode, this time someone who’s been doing online courses since all the way back in 2009! Leon Turetsky has seen a lot change and some things remain the same in the past 9 years of teaching dancing. It was great to hear how things have evolved for him over time and what has worked for him and his business. "Research and figure out what people are already looking for online. Then try to create a piece of content that is better than what’s already out there." -Leon Turetsky   In This Episode, We Talked About: How Leon first got the idea to start his own course, and the first steps he took to set up his very first website The way that identifying his target audience changed every aspect of Leon’s marketing The social platform Leon has doubled-down on for finding new students Leon’s marketing funnel and the main ways he gets people to his site The tips Leon has for course creators looking into membership-model sites Other entry points into online learning that Leon has and is developing How Leon juggles the wide range of entrepreneurial endeavors he’s involved in and what he is finding the most challenging Leon’s advice for people exploring the realm of online course creation We discuss all that and much more in this episode, so I hope you enjoy listening. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment below on what you learned from today’s podcast! Links Leon’s Websites Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Today’s podcast was fascinating! I had a very inspiring conversation with a fellow course creator today, and I’m glad you’re here to listen to it. Jessica Putnam Philips is a craftsperson who experienced rapid success with the launch of her course membership site. I know I’m super-motivated after talking with her, and I think you’re going to find there are lots of helpful tidbits for you to learn from! "Don’t let anyone hold you back or tell you that you can’t do it." -Jessica Putnam Philips   In This Episode, We Talked About: The negative experience that Jessica turned into a positive by letting it inspire to create her own ceramics course The unusual way that Jessica used live-streaming to find her audience Jessica’s membership setup and how she addresses different skill levels and needs The strategy behind Jessica’s course pricing structure Resistance she has met along the way and how she’s responded to her critics Some surprising similarities between the type of students Jessica’s resources attract and my own piano course students How Jessica keeps her students motivated and stays current with her audience What she would have done differently if she was just getting started with her course today We discuss all that and much more in this episode, so I hope you enjoy listening. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment below on what you learned from today’s podcast! Links Jessica’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Today I had the chance to talk with comedian Chuck Roy about his online comedy lessons, and he explained his journey into the world of teaching others what it takes to get into comedy, what he’s learning along the way, and his goals as he shares his expertise both in the classroom and online. "If you’re considering putting out an online course, get it out there, and consider [the needs of] a global audience." -Chuck Roy   In This Episode, We Talked About: How a lack of comedy career-relevant information online inspired Chuck to get started with his own online course The technology and marketing tools Chuck uses for his online comedy lessons Challenges that Chuck faces in his niche, and how he is balancing his efforts to overcome those challenges His thoughts on keeping course resources accessible for students around the globe What Chuck would have done differently if he was creating an online course today Chuck’s advice for new course creators You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And don’t forget to comment and tell me what part of Chuck’s story got you thinking! Links Chuck’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m back with another podcast episode, this time with Anthony Beeler from poolteacher.com. It was great to chat with Anthony about how he got started in the world of online course, what has worked for him so far, and how he’s able to provide a customized learning experience for the students of his course   "The more people you talk to, the more you can grow your business." -Anthony Beeler   In This Episode, We Talked About: How Anthony’s work expertise gave him a unique window into the potential for an online billiards course The compelling value proposition Anthony is able to offer his students through their online learning experience Ways that Anthony is considering updating certain course resources and increasing traffic for his website What Anthony does to earn free advertising for his niche, and how he uses online forums to share information and build rapport with potential students Anthony’s pricing philosophy and how he structures his different course options The key piece of advice Anthony believes all new course creators should implement before putting together any content We discuss all that and much more in this episode, so I hope you enjoy listening. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment below on what you learned from today’s podcast! Links Anthony’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

In this podcast episode, I got to chat with Kristi Dranginis about her online birding course – but the conversation didn’t stop there. Kristi had a really interesting journey that can apply to many course niches, as well some great insights that any new course creator would benefit from.   "I decided to write the course that I had always wanted." – Kristy Dranginis   It was a pleasure to talk to Kristi, and I hope you enjoy listening in on our chat! In This Episode, We Talked About: What sparked Kristi’s initial interest in creating her own online course, and how advice and mentorship from others helped as she took the first steps The goals and expectations she started out with, and how they evolved with time and more experience How Kristi expanded on previous freebies she offered to create additional course offerings What Kristi wishes was more widely known about the process of creating and marketing courses How Kristi merges evergreen courses and live events in her online and “real-world” teachings Kristi’s advice for new course creators You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And don’t forget to comment and tell me what you think about Kristi’s journey towards the creation of her courses! Links Kristi’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m in celebration mode over today’s episode – my 30th to-date! Nate Dodson joined me as we listened to some advice I’ve recently received from some big names in the world of online entrepreneurs.   "If you know that you’re providing what your audience wants, then you’re going to be successful." –Jacques Hopkins It was great to hear the different insights from so many individuals I respect and admire, and to chat with Nate about the evolution of both of our businesses since my very first podcast so long ago. I hope you enjoy listening in!   In This Episode, We Talked About: Pat Flynn’s advice for course creators, and a cool tool for connecting with students that I implemented after my experience with enrolling for one of his courses The steps Amy Porterfield thinks are key as you work towards developing your course content John Lee Dumas’ perspective on the importance of niche when planning your very first online course The mindset Phil Ebiner believes is the key to having your priorities in order for your business Isaac Rudansky’s advice for keeping your online course grounded in meeting students’ actual needs What Nate recommends you do before even thinking about the details of your course The most important social platform I think every new course creator should get started with I hope you enjoy this very special 30th-anniversary edition of the podcast! Feel free to chime in below with comments on which piece of advice got you thinking the most. Links Pat Flynn’s Website Amy Porterfield’s Website John Lee Dumas’ Website Phil Ebiner’s Website Isaac Rudansky’s Website Nate’s Microgreen Farming Course Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

I’m back with another podcast episode, this time with Helena Liu from exampm.com. After meeting at a recent conference, I knew she had valuable insights to share on course creation, and I was glad to have the chance to chat with her now.   "Be persistent. Mindset is the most important asset you can have as an entrepreneur." -Helena Liu Helena first got the idea to create an online project management course when she saw the inefficiency of existing programs on the topic. Today, she gave me a lot of insights into what’s worked for her so far.   In This Episode, We Talked About: The exciting step Helena recently took after developing her online course over the past few years The simple way Helena found mentors as she began working on her course How she set up her landing page in response to feedback from prospective students Who Helena targets with pay-per-click advertising The tools she uses for her sales funnel, and the effect that her recent use of Facebook advertising is having on her ROI The key advice she shared for starting out with webinars, and the way she has perfected her presentation over the years The things Helena would have done differently if she was starting all over again We discuss all that and much more in this episode, so I hope you enjoy listening. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a comment below on what you learned from today’s podcast! Links Helena Liu’s Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Today’s podcast was fascinating – we looked at a different model of online education that I’d never encountered before. Clay and Cindy Cooper have been providing online Spanish-learning opportunities since the 90’s, and they do it in a way that benefits Guatemalan teachers while helping students of Spanish all around the world. "There is no crystal ball. Try to stay nimble." -Cindy Cooper Just like anything else in life, one-size-fits-all isn’t always going to cut it, so it was great to hear about alternatives to the type of online course program that I’m familiar with.   In This Episode, We Talked About: What inspired Clay and Cindy to set up an online Spanish-language platform The goals that they started out with and how they have evolved over time Unique advantages that the Coopers’ discovered through focusing on working with Guatemalan tutors The necessary evolution that their website has gone through as technology and competition has changed What a typical student’s learning process looks like when learning with a Spanish tutor through the Coopers’ site The main marketing tools and keywords that Clay and Cindy use to promote their website How the Coopers decided to switch from a profit to non-profit model, and the challenges that they faced during the process The advice Clay and Cindy give to anyone interested in developing their own online learning platform You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And don’t forget to comment and tell me what you think about the Cooper’s unique online education model! Links The Coopers’ Website Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy