The Online Course Show

Today I have the pleasure of sitting down to chat with podcast listener and super-niche course creator Neil Benson. Neil shares about his corporate background, how he became a course creator, his experience with B2B marketing, and why he uses LEGO to explain very complex concepts within his niche. We also discuss how Neil measures success and what 2021 holds for his course. Enjoy! “First of all, go for it. A lot of the hang-ups that people have are just about getting started, getting that first course out there.” - Neil Benson In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:53) Good news and bad news (1:06) Recording courses (5:54) What’s going on with David? (6:36) Camera chat (9:50) What does David’s true crime story have to do with online courses? (12:16) More about today’s guest, Neil Benson (14:03) Welcoming Neil and talking about Neil’s niche (16:20) How did Neil end up with an online course? (20:30) Obstacles and Shiny Object Syndrome (23:44) Using LinkedIn as a traffic source (26:33) Where did the brand name Customery come from? (27:52) What’s the deal with the LEGOs? (31:47) Neil’s take on New Zenler (33:14) Using Bonjoro (37:07) Where does Deadline Funnel come in? (44:36) B2B or B2C (47:58) Neil’s student experience (50:42) How does Neil measure student success? (52:09) Neil’s Why (54:25) So, what’s the accent, Neil? (56:14) Neil’s podcast (58:28) Neil’s advice to new course creators (59:31) What does 2021 look like for Neil and his courses? (1:00:42) My advice for Neil (1:05:44) David breaks down SCRUM vs. Waterfall (1:10:00) My project manager past (1:11:28) David’s experience with Waterfall and what he plans to do going forward with his course (1:12:28) The benefit of using a beta group (1:13:20) Putting yourself out there (1:18:46) The big vein in David’s forehead (1:21:04) My favorite joke (1:22:22) Using Bonjoro as part of the sales funnel (1:25:48) Do couples talk to each other about buying decisions? (1:28:52) Gift giving as part of online courses (1:30:06) Wrapping up That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Guest Links: Neil’s website Resources and Recommendations: Parrot Padcaster Canon T6i Canon T7i Sigma Prime Lenses Nifty 50 Lens Sporty’s Private Pilot Learn To Fly Courses Outside Article on The Barefoot Bandit Barefoot Bandit: The True Story of Colton Harris-Moore, New American Outlaw Amy Porterfield’s Digital Marketing Academy Bryan Harris’s Growth University LinkedIn LEGO The 5 Love Languages New Zenler Zapier CovertKit Deadline Funnel Smart Passive Income Double Your Freelancing Amazing Apps Upwork Big Brothers Big Sisters of America Episode 110 Episode 111 Episode 152 Episode 161 The 4-Hour Work Week Jacques’ Courses: Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

Welcome back to The Online Course Show! Today, I’m chatting with Amanda Overs. Amanda has been teaching others to make their own shoes for over ten years and recently launched her first online course. We discuss the importance of community, overcoming barriers, and learning to pivot. Enjoy! “If an idea just doesn't work and I put heaps of energy into it... Okay, it doesn't work. On to the next.” - Amanda Overs In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:44) David is super chuffed about today’s interview (1:40) Revisiting the podcast format (2:57) Weekly update (4:41) The Clubhouse train (8:07) Another platform?! (10:26) About Amanda (11:30) Why shoes? (11:52) How the online course happened (14:02) But why would anyone want to make their own shoes? (16:30) Why has creating an online course been on the list? (17:10) Launch strategy and using existing curriculum (19:43) Evolving to simplify (21:42) Trial and error (24:15) Overcoming supplier issues and other barriers to entry (29:20) Community and platform chat (35:19) The importance of your community (38:23) One of my students made that? (41:40) Being okay with failure (44:00) What would Amanda have done differently? (45:31) Traffic sources (50:15) Is there anything I can help Amanda with? (52:51) Realizing the potential (59:24) Where to find Amanda (59:58) Welcome back/ David’s thoughts (1:02:09) Pivoting and addressing barriers (1:07:04) Online courses as a date night? That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Resources and Recommendations: Upwork Clubhouse OnZoom Episode 161 Teachable Kajabi BuddyBoss LearnDash Thinkific Mighty Networks Life As Paper Date Night in a Box Financial Peace University Melt: Massage for Couples Angela Fehr Michael O’Neal Annie’s course Liz’s course Jacques’ Courses: Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

On today’s episode, I’m sitting down to chat with Andrew Seguin about his online course success. Andrew is consistently making five-figures per month with his course. He shares his wisdom on using Facebook ads, fixing your mindset, and more. Did I mention that Andrew is only 18? There’s so much we can learn from this guy! Enjoy! “The truth is you can do it... you just have to fix your mindset.” - Andrew Seguin In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:40) David’s social media detox attempt (3:53) Water cooler talk (6:18) Piano In 21 Days milestone (9:14) Podcast growth for 2020 (11:48) Introducing Andrew Seguin (12:49) Andrew’s story (14:18) First glimpse into entrepreneurship (16:16) An epiphany moment (18:38) YouTube channel revisited (19:49) Building on past experience and finding motivation and inspiration (23:02) Andrew’s influences and the importance of mindset (25:26) Finding success (28:50) Another business low (30:03) I was funnel-hacked (32:00) Facebook ad strategy and testing ads (36:52) Andrew shares a student success story (37:26) So, what is fingerstyle guitar? (39:07) What’s next for Andrew? (42:20) Handling the haters (44:58) Andrew’s advice on imposter syndrome (48:04) Battling the time sucks (51:11) Where does Andrew want to be a year from now? (53:43) Tools and books Andrew recommends (58:49) A last piece of advice (1:03:00) What were David and I like at 18? (1:04:47) Will my daughters be entrepreneurs? (1:07:43) David shares his success with Facebook ads (1:14:52) Wrapping up That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Guest Links: Fingerstyle Guitar Academy Resources and Recommendations: Freedom App The Year of Less Nate Dodson’s Microgreens Course My interview with Smart Passive Income My interview with ChooseFI Episode 161 Episode 164 MailChimp TrustPilot Typeform Deadline Funnel Product Launch Formula ManyChat Deigo Davila’s Udemy Course ActiveCampaign LearnDash BuddyBoss Profit First Unshakable Expert Secrets Total Recall The Great Brain Expert Secrets Watermelon Explosion ad Show Her Off Bigspy Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

Today we are sitting down to chat with Austin Netzley, author of From 6 to 7 Figures! Austin shares with us about his journey into entrepreneurship, practical steps for growing your business exponentially, and how his book and coaching programs can help online course creators like you. Enjoy! “ We can only rely on hustle and muscle so much.” - Austin Netzley In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:34) A beard trim and a tidy office (2:57) Did David do his homework? (8:57) I share a student success story (10:26) Theresa and Billy Joel (13:42) Did I earn 7-figures in 2020? (14:49) How I linked up with today’s guest (16:34) Let’s meet Austin (17:00) Start with “the why” (20:27) Financial Perspective: Revenue vs. Profit (24:59) Austin’s story (28:45) Entrepreneurship journey (29:45) So, what is Austin’s book about? (32:28) Systems and teams (35:50) Who does Austin help? (40:10) The 72 Hour Rule (43:00) The power of the daily huddle (47:28) I asks the Office Space question: “What would you say you do here?” (51:00) Austin’s hiring method (53:22) Why write a book? (55:25) Should I write my own book? (56:47) The importance of assets (59:00) Discussing the book funnel (1:02:45) Austin shares two student success stories (1:06:11) Austin’s coaching programs (1:11:23) The coolest thing Austin’s been able to do (1:12:53) Where to find Austin and a giveaway (1:15:23) Discussing the interview and David’s thoughts (1:19:12) Michael Scott and the Peter Principle (1:21:25) The Howard Shultz story (1:23:23) XDS system (1:25:08) David’s take on Austin’s hiring method and a football tangent (1:30:43) Revisiting the topic of whether I will ever write a book (1:35:50) Wrapping up and teasing changes coming to Next Level Courses in 2021 That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Guest Links: From 6 to 7 Figures 2X Business Coaching Email Austin Resources and Recommendations: The 4-Hour Workweek Profit First EntreLeadership Episode 79 Episode 98 Episode 163 Episode 160 Leave a review on Apple Podcast Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days Email Me David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

In what is possibly the most requested interview in the history of this show, Phil Ebiner joins me today to chat about all things online course-related! Whether you’ve been looking forward to this for ages, or this is your first time hearing about how Phil is crushing it in the online course world, I think you’re going to find a lot of value in today’s episode. “Every little course is a different stream of income.” - Phil Ebiner In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:41) Catching up and thinking about pricing (5:00) The biggest ideas that affect my pricing strategy (12:02) Base-rate neglect (15:55) Order bumps vs. one-time offers (22:34) The importance of keeping your audience in mind (24:43) A good problem I’m currently having (26:25) Pros and cons to price raises (27:03) Setting the stage for today’s interview 29:30) Phil’s thoughts on managing family life and business ownership (36:42) The freedom of being your own boss (37:55) Debt, traditional education, and finding jobs (43:31) Phil’s online course journey (48:37) Platform choices (52:36) Thinking about the pros and cons of different platform structures (1:01:01) High ticket vs. low ticket (1:02:39) Thoughts on course that cost more than average (1:04:25) Passive income and urgency (1:06:12) The two paths to choose from (1:14:07) How Phil uses other instructors and shares profits (1:19:02) Making the transition to online courses (1:20:46) Deciding which content belongs in which part of Phil’s business (1:22:43) Answering questions about the online course world (1:25:15) Talking tools (1:30:19) Phil’s hardware recommendations (1:33:46) Webcam resources from Phil + an early pandemic giveaway (1:36:12) How 2020 impacted our businesses (1:40:01) Phil’s experience with obstacles (1:43:09) Why not just stop? (1:44:37) Where to find Phil online (1:47:00) David sends a bearhug + and we discuss our takeaways (1:50:23) Favorite questions and some family backstory (1:52:10) Online course alternatives to traditional problems (1:54:58) A $36,000 course? (1:58:28) My own course experiences with live components (2:00:13) Can a new instructor break into Udemy success? (2:05:29) Branching out and overcoming obstacles (2:11:02) Different strokes for different folks (2:14:49) Wrapping up and teasing next week’s episode That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Win of the Week Guest Links: Phil’s website Phil’s courses Phil’s Udemy page Online Course Masters podcast Books and Resources: Make Time Udemy Skillshare Career Quest Teachable ConvertKit ScreenFlow Canva HootSuite Buffer Edgar Brio webcam Sony A6000 Raycast lighting Aputure lights Evolved Finance course Consulting.com Dad is Fat From 6 to 7 Figures Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

I can vouch firsthand for the awesome course that today’s guest created: not because I took her course myself, but because of the impact her resources have had on my team! Natalie Gingrich has an inspiring story to share about her online course journey and why she is so passionate about all things operations. We’re talking legacy, certification, and so much more. Enjoy! “Knowing the transformation I was able to make… all came back to a skill set. And I knew I could apply that.” - Natalie Gingrich In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:39) David and I discuss our duo name and podcast roles (3:00) The theme of today’s episode (6:35) David’s business operations (7:47) An example of recent changes to my business workflow (10:15) Introducing Natalie and her take on operations (13:08) Thinking about systems and operations versus lead generation and funnels (15:26) Where Natalie focuses her business offerings and how she delivers her training (18:43) Trusting and hiring other people to teach (21:21) Thinking about how to bring in qualified trainers (24:51) How Natalie and her team have created growth while maintaining a personal feel (29:16) Why she offers certification (35:19) “How do I find somebody who does this?” (39:39) What I’m appreciating about having my own OBM (40:16) Why certification isn’t an issue for my courses (40:40) How Natalie facilitates her program (42:57) OBM vs. DOO (45:57) Natalie’s recommendations on structure (51:25) What if you don’t want to hire a long-term OBM? (53:44) Visionaries vs. implementers (55:55) My history with project management software (57:19) Full-time vs. part-time OBM’s (1:00:42) Natalie’s “why” story (1:09:18) Talking legacy (1:10:42) The difference between operations roles in business (1:13:30) Where to find Natalie’s resources online (1:14:33) Why David and I appreciate operations-minded people (1:16:00) Getting into the weeds on how Natalie runs her program (1:19:13) Bringing on more instructors and offering live training (1:22:02) High vs. low touch-point choices (1:23:58) The hiring process for virtual employees or contractors (1:29:31) Gauging people’s long-term compatibility with your business (1:30:59) The likeability factor (1:36:10) David’s story about personality types (1:39:52) The Wonderlic test and other types of verification (1:47:45) “Wounded boyfriend expectations” (1:50:44) The importance of documenting standard operating procedures (1:53:07) Wrapping up and teasing next week’s interview That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Active Campaign Free Trial Win of the Week Guest Links: Natalie’s website Resources and Recommendations: By the Book podcast Happier podcast Voxer Fix This First Loom Life as Paper “Favorite Things” printable Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

Welcome to the very first episode of the year! Here’s to hoping that 2021 is one where the days are a bit brighter. And I’m feeling great about starting off the year with today’s interview: Mike Greenfield and I had a great conversation about how he’s helping home cooks up their game at a time when more people than ever are making their meals at home. “Don’t listen to anyone who says there is one perfect way… Trust yourself. Do it.” - Mike Greenfield In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:39) Gearing up for the new year with a book recommendation I’m very excited about (9:05) Our take on New Year resolutions (10:26) Reading goals (12:16) David’s first virtual lunch-and-learn and the importance of live feedback (15:50) Setting the stage for today’s interview (17:21) Introducing Mike Greenfield and thinking about modern “celebrity” (21:22) When courses came into the picture for Mike (24:55) His business structure and timeline (27:45) Talking sponsorships (30:10) How Mike created his first course (33:09) Mindset and why his approach resonates with me (37:55) Cook vs. chef (38:59) Launching and learning lessons along the way (45:22) Where he crossed paths with people who could help (47:07) Pricing and revenue decisions (50:49) Thoughts on social media (51:55) Mike’s upcoming launch (54:14) Why I’m interested in his course offerings (57:12) What he’s doing differently this time (59:37) Funnels and email lists (1:02:46) Talking Active Campaign (1:03:53) Teams and evolving work responsibilities (1:08:43) Our roles as course creators (1:13:04) Risk and entrepreneurship (1:16:12) The one thing that made the biggest difference for my business (1:18:24) Talking parenting, balance, and creating space for breaks (1:21:47) Being in the right place at the right time (1:24:40) Mike’s advice for new and aspiring course creators (1:26:46) License to do things (1:28:11) Where to find Mike outside of YouTube (1:28:43) Why I appreciate hearing David’s perspective on interviews (1:29:22) Who gets a pass on marketing? (1:30:36) Building assets (1:32:26) Am I still doing personalized coaching? (1:34:14) YouTube revenue (1:35:51) The best way to contact celebrities (1:37:35) Takeaways from Social Dilemma (1:39:43) Transitioning a community from one platform to another (1:43:24) A rabbit hole that led David to my long-defunct music podcast (1:48:48) Our potluck dishes of choice (1:50:02) Why I now have a full-time transcriptionist (1:52:54) Email lists, funnels, and design inspiration (1:56:02) Enjoying different stages of life and business + teasing for an upcoming episode (1:58:57) Wrapping up with how you can help the podcast That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Active Campaign Free Trial Win of the Week Guest Links: Mike’s website Resources and Recommendations: From 6 to 7 Figures E-Myth Revisited 2X Business Coaching The 12-Week Year The 90-Day Life Think and Grow Rich Traction Clockwork 12 Rules for Life Love You Forever Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

Today, on our 49th episode of 2020, it’s finally time: I’m ready to reveal exactly what platform I’m moving my piano course to! This has been a topic of much debate and it definitely took me some time to sort through my options. So many course platforms exist, old and new, and there are pros and cons to each. But I’m happy with my choice, and had a great time discussing this journey with David on our final episode of the year. “It’s overwhelming, but I really wanted to find the best option for me and my students.” - Jacques Hopkins In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:39) Setting the stage for today’s topic and looking back on another year of podcasting (3:06) Why my platform switch is not a one-size-fits-all decision (4:52) My history (and beef) with course platforms so far (8:44) Talking pros and cons of ClickFunnels (13:42) The three types of online course platforms (17:04) Top features I was searching for (20:05) A few disclaimers (21:30) Some creative reveal ideas courtesy of David (24:31) The top two contenders and why I chose one over the other (29:29) Why I’m happy with my customization and community options for my new platform (31:52) The announcement that tipped the scales for me (33:54) Pros and cons of my choice (37:48) Apps, Apple, and transition (39:15) What I’ve said no to - and why (47:00) Does price reflect features? (48:08) Best choices for different categories (54:23) Disclaimers and slogans (1:02:15) Reviewing options and a recommendation (1:05:31) Wrapping up That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Active Campaign Trial Deadline Funnel Trial Thinkific Trial BossBuddy Trial LearnDash Trial Mighty Networks Trial MembersPro Trial Xperiencify Trial Win of the Week Resources and Recommendations: Expert Secrets Dotcom Secrets Sensei WooCommerce OptimizePress Wistia Udemy Skillshare Kajabi Thinkific LearnDash LifterLMS Circle Mighty Networks BuddyBoss Teachable New Zenler Podia Xperiencify EverWebinar Mastermind Kartra 10XPro Disciple MembersPRO Jumi The Social Dilemma Episode 145 Episode 146 Episode 154 Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

It’s time to catch up with another course creator friend! Abbey Ashley is no stranger to this show, but it’s been a while since we’ve heard what she’s up to. And she does not disappoint: Abbey’s been killing it this year! We chatted about how her business is evolving, where she sees herself focusing her energy in the future, and much more. Enjoy! “You will pivot. Things will shift, and that’s totally okay.” -Abbey Ashley In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:39) Why I’m excited about today’s episode + a teaser for next week! (3:07) Thoughts on lead magnets and “getting to know” course creators (5:18) Working out in 2020 (8:36) Talking Facebook ads and group interaction (10:03) Setting the stage for today’s interview (11:09) Welcoming Abbey back and hearing her online course business update (14:07) Keeping the train rolling in 2020 (16:33) Abbey’s growing team (18:24) How she’s making an impact on students’ lives (including my own team) (21:17) Charting metrics and looking for areas to improve (26:41) Project management tools (28:38) “Extreme ownership” and applying common leadership principles (30:12) What it takes to succeed (31:55) The evolution of Abbey’s funnel and how learning from others has influenced it (38:46) The importance of finding your audience (42:00) Abbey’s Facebook groups and the importance of honesty (44:44) Thoughts on leaving Facebook - or not (47:39) Course platform decisions (49:54) The importance of listening to your audience (52:49) Why Abbey’s enjoying learning from a new mentor (55:55) Hiring and running a team (58:53) Thinking about team culture and efficiency (1:03:36) Making the transition from contractors to employees (1:07:55) Surprise, delight, and… shots? (1:12:45) Handling hiring in the U.S. (1:13:44) Delegating and getting out of day-to-day operations (1:17:12) Lynch-pin redundancy (1:20:56) What’s next for Abbey (1:26:13) Is a podcast in the works for Abbey? (1:27:42) Where to find her online and why it’s okay to copy (1:30:23) How much fun it would be to be on Abbey’s team? + How we first connected (1:33:04) Emotions and shareable moments (1:34:52) Updates and differences in teams (1:37:48) How things are going with my OBM + David’s singing solo :P (1:39:02) Upsells vs. downsells, tortoises vs. hares (1:41:41) A high-ticket program without a sales call? (1:44:10) Funnel hacking and evolving with the times (1:46:40) “There is no secret sauce” + Pinterest myth-busting (1:49:00) The importance of a learning mindset (1:50:54) Wrapping up with a plug for next week’s episode That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Win of the Week Guest Links: The Virtual Savvy VA Checklist and Starter Kit Resources and Recommendations: Betty Rocker Dr. John Jaquish ClickUp Trello Asana Evolved Finance Extreme Ownership 2X Business Coaching Mariah Coz Teachable Kajabi SamCart Fix This Next The Pumpkin Plan Clockwork Good to Great Gusto Side Hustle Nation Consulting.com Episode 37 Episode 79 Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert

Thanksgiving is behind us and the end of the year approaching fast! Our guest today is Chris Liepe, who is all about helping people find their voice through his online singing course. Chris had some great insights on the legacy and long-term thinking that make so much sense to consider at this introspective time of year. He also has had some unique success with a very unusual approach to ads and marketing. We get into all that and much more in the interview, so buckle up and enjoy! “Find a mentor, and do it! Just go for it.” - Chris Liepe In This Episode, We Talked About: (0:39) Did David do his homework? (2:29) A post-mortem on some live piano webinars I recently did (8:23) Thoughts on pricing model experiments (10:09) An update on my new platform (12:22) Setting the stage for today’s interview (12:56) How Chris got into the online course world (25:00) An unusual strategy that yielded surprising results (29:34) Drilling down into different ads and outcomes (33:44) Active vs. passive interactions (35:12) How Chris’s strategy is evolving (39:27) Building a strong CTA and figuring out what to promote where (43:16) Walking through Chris’s funnel (47:30) Comparing scarcity and framing (55:05) What I love about Chris’s approach to value (59:16) Pricing considerations (1:01:26) Tools, teams, and content (1:07:46) The importance of mindset (1:15:52) Asking the right questions (1:17:17) Thinking about legacy (1:19:05) Hindsight on branding choices Chris made early on (1:23:53) Feedback from Chris’s students (1:27:23) Can anyone learn to sing? (1:34:24) Advice for new and aspiring course creators (1:37:40) Where to find Chris online (1:38:19) Thoughts on being willing to do something embarrassing (1:39:46) Mindset and marketing (1:41:48) Winning long-term customers (1:42:18) “Ring the bell” moments (1:47:19) Go-to karaoke songs (1:48:39) Learning from other course creators + leveraging YouTube (1:51:36) Wrapping up That’s all for now, folks! See you on the next episode of The Online Course Show.   Links Offers and Tools: Bonjoro Free Trial ClickFunnels Free Trial Win of the Week Guest Links: Chris’s website Discover Your Voice Resources and Recommendations Elementor Teachable JamPlay Fix This Next Episode 104 Granola Face Skincare Jacques’ Courses: The Online Course Accelerator Next Level Courses Piano in 21 Days David’s Courses: Wellness Program Expert