The Online Course Show

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

This very special episode of my podcast, so I’m glad you’re here to check it out! Today’s interview is one I’ve been wanting to do for a while: a conversation someone who’s experienced my online piano course firsthand. "I’m so glad I did the whole course, because there’s so much there for me to dig through and refer to whenever needed." -David Gloyne David Gloyne was an early student of mine, and I was honored to have him join me to talk about his experience with my resources. I had a lot of fun speaking with David (and his wife), and I hope you enjoy taking a listen!   In This Episode, We Talked About: What David was looking for in a piano course and what brought him to my resources David’s “eureka moment” that opened his eyes to the value my course could provide to him The ways that David uses what he’s learned with me to express his own creativity in music My strategy behind giving away free material to prospective students, and David’s take on why this strategy helped him “click” with my resources The phone call I had with David before he enrolled - and the impact that had on our future interactions David’s perspective as a student on his preferences for course format, lesson pacing, and payment options You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And please remember to leave a comment and tell me your favorite anecdote from this episode! Links Piano in 21 Days The Online Course Guy

Hi there! It’s me, Jacques (a.k.a. The Online Course Guy), and it’s time for another podcast. This time around I spoke with Melissa Esplin from Calligraphy.org.Melissa’s been offering calligraphy classes since 2011, and has had some impressive success with her course so far. She had plenty of interesting tidbits to share, so don’t miss this episode! "Don’t quit. There’s a high cost to quitting." -Melissa Esplin   In This Episode, We Talked About: The life challenge Melissa’s family faced that helped jumpstart her course development The effect that teaching her course had on Melissa’s own calligraphy skills Melissa’s perspective on why it’s important not to give up if things start out slowly with your online course The interesting story behind Melissa’s website name and how she got it The routine Melissa follows to help her balance work and family time How Melissa’s husband’s role in her business has evolved during the last 6 years The way Melissa harnesses the power of her students in helping market her resources What Melissa believes are key pieces of advice for all new course creators That’s just a quick summary of today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And don’t forget to leave me a comment if you liked this episode! Links Melissa’s Calligraphy Website Melissa’s Blog The Online Course Guy

Hey! Jacques here, a.k.a. The Online Course Guy. Today I’m back with another podcast episode exploring the ins and outs of online course creation. And this time around, I spoke with Maui-based musician and ukulele teacher Mele Fong.Mele’s enthusiasm for all things ukulele made this conversation very fun. Not only that, the stories she told me in this episode illustrated several important points that course creators should understand. I hope you enjoy what you hear!   "I had to think about what I can add […], that people would want to pay for?" -Mele Fong   In This Episode, We Talked About: The realization Mele had about the difference between free resources in her niche and what she had to offer The important question Mele’s friend asked her when she first started The reason Mele changed her strategy about the kind of content she would offer How Mele structures her courses and segments lessons according to student needs The way that Mele navigates the challenging problem of copyrights - and the silver lining she’s found along the way The mistake Mele feels many new online course creators make - and a simple question that everyone interested in course creation should ask themselves The constant challenge that Mele sees as key to success with online courses You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And please remember to leave a comment and tell me your favorite tidbit from this episode! Links Mele’s Ukulele Website Mele’s YouTube Channel The Online Course Guy

Hi everyone! I’m Jacques, The Online Course Guy, and it’s time for another podcast. Recently I had the pleasure of hosting Krista King someone who I’ve spoken with long before my own course ever became what it is today.Krista and I first connected back in 2013 when we both took an internet marketing class. When I was thinking about who might be good to interview for my podcast, it seemed natural to reach out to her since I knew she was doing math courses online for a wide range of students. Krista had some great tips for course creators, so I hope you enjoy listening!   "Promise yourself you’re going to be consistent – and keep going!" -Krista King   In This Episode, We Talked About: How Krista made the leap from an interest in online businesses to diving into course creation The breakdown of labor between Krista and her husband for the site The evolution of the content Krista covers, and why she decided to expand her course offerings over time How Krista and her husband approach marketing, and the segmentation challenges they’re working on to reach different customer demographics The online platform that yields the most traffic to Krista’s website The hosting services Krista and her husband rely on for their website and courses The surprising component of online marketing that Krista successfully ignores for her business What Krista would do differently if she was starting over The advice she shares with people thinking of starting their own online course business You can hear all that and much more on today’s episode, so I hope you’ll give it a listen. And please remember to leave a comment and tell me your favorite tidbit from this episode! Links Krista King’s Math Course Website Squarespace Web Hosting Pathwright Course Hostin

Hey there! It’s me, Jacques (a.k.a. The Online Course Guy). I’ve got another great show for you today – this time with two guests you’ll already be somewhat familiar with if you’ve been listening for a while.Tim Geiss and Nate Dodson were with me talking about a book I just finished: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. It sparked a great discussion about handling some very important aspects of having your own business. Let’s jump in!   "Sales don’t mean anything unless you put them into context." -Tom Geiss   In This Episode, We Talked About: Why I think Profit First just might be the best business resource I’ve ever read How Tom overcame his initial concerns about the book and implemented its principles for his online course business Tom’s budget goals and how reorganizing his accounting process has improved his sales focus The Profit First mindset shift that happened for me that changed how I approach my business The daily process I am using to evaluate certain aspects of my business finances How the lessons I learned in the book reduced some of my expenses almost immediately - helping me save hundreds of dollars a month The potential tax advantage for business owners who apply the principles of the book How much money every business should aim to set aside in emergency funds The different ways that Tom and I are using the Profit First philosophy to benefit our families and plan for the future That’s just a small sampling of our discussion about Profit First principles, so don’t forget to take a listen and leave a comment! Links Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Tom Geiss’s Engineering Course Site Nate Dodson’s Website

Hi everyone! I’m Jacques, The Online Course Guy, and it’s time for another podcast. Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris and Julia Tunstall, creators of the A Bar Above mixology course.I had so much fun not only hearing about the Tunstalls’ course, but learning how they got started and (of course) getting a personalized drink recommendation. Chris and Julia had plenty of insights to share about what has worked for them, and also what they might have done differently if they were starting over. "Don’t be afraid to start creating content. […] Have a long-term goal in view." - Chris Tunstall   In This Episode, We Talked About: How Chris and Julia became a team, and the important roles they each play in their business The moment Chris knew that he needed to create a mixology resource (spoiler alert - Julia talked him out of his initial idea!) How they identified their sub-niche, and the surprising thing they learned about their typical customer just by asking questions How they use segmentation to identify their customers’ needs and personalize user experiences The evolution of Chris and Julia’s course content, and what they’ve learned along the way The process that Chris and Julia used to pre-launch their course and build their email list - and why there were some tears shed at a New Year’s Eve party Julia’s advice on how to get your feet wet with online course creation 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 check out the 10% discount link below for the A Bar Above mixology course! Links Chris and Julia Tunstalls’ Website 10% Discount Link to the A Bar Above Course

Hey! Jacques here, a.k.a. The Online Course Guy. Today I’m back with another podcast episode exploring the ins and outs of online course creation. It was a pleasure to speak with my latest guest: art instructor extraordinaire Carla Sonheim.Carla’s been offering online courses since 2010, so she has a wealth of experience for us to learn from. Her enthusiasm for her work and her students is clear, and the advice she shared was very inspiring. "This is your one precious life,and you want to do the best you can to make it as [painless] as possible" -Carla Sonheim   In This Episode, We Talked About: Why Carla created her very first course in 2010 How her lesson format and tech usage has evolved over time The marketing methods that Carla uses to find new students How Carla outsources most of her content but still maintains quality and brand consistency The way that Carla reimburses instructors who teach classes on her website Key resources Carla uses to run her business Ways she’s planning on streamlining her process in the future An important question that everyone interested in course creation should ask themselves You can hear all that much more on today’s episode. And please remember to leave a comment and tell me your favorite tidbit from this episode! Links Carla Sonheim’s website and online courses Sensei Plugin for WordPress Constant Contact Vimeo for Business