Digital Course Creator Podcast

Everything these days is about customization. It sounds great, right? Customization is better than getting some item that doesn’t really fit anyone perfectly.The digital course industry is just one industry that has seen a big push for customization, and it is certainly not the last.With all of the innovations and technologies available, customization is a hot topic, but sometimes it can be too hot to handle.So the question is, should we be customizing your course for our online students? What are our students expecting?As an entrepreneur and consumer, you’ve probably had expectations of digital learning experiences in the past. As a digital course creator you are probably asking what pieces need to be customized and which can be mass produced.We definitely want our digital course students to be successful, but customization can get us into trouble. We can make some big mistakes with customizing our courses that end up being detrimental to our student’s progress and success. Now, if you haven’t ever thought about customizing your course and are now panicked that you have to customize it, please don’t panic. Listen to this episode and then consider your options. Just know that there are options for best serving your digital course students without overly complicating things on your end of things.So let’s talk about the dangers of over-customizing online courses and how to customize an online course effectively.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

Your phone chimes with an email from your digital course student at 11pm on Friday night. They are going through Module 2 and are stuck. There is a typo in the worksheet and it doesn’t match up with what you are saying in the video. The student says that they want to make it through your online course, but this is creating a roadblock.Immediately you regret picking up your phone to browse funny cat videos as you unwind from the week, and the second feeling is one of dread and worry. You’ve already shut down your computer for the day, but you don’t want a student to get frustrated with you. You are wondering what that issue between the worksheet and video is, because as much as you wrack your brain you can’t quite figure out what could have happened. As you start to go through the scenarios in your head, you notice that your heart starts to speed up a little as you wonder if this student will go to the community and complain and get everyone riled up or if they will ask for a refund. We’ve all had those moments of panic where a student needs support, but we are not available. Whether it is because we are tending to a medical appointment or have shut down for the day. As small business owners, as creators of online courses, what is the right answer here? I can tell you right now, it isn’t to jump up at 11pm on a Friday night to figure out what is going on. That is the fastest way to entrepreneur burnout.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

You want your students to be successful, but so often they drop off the face of the earth after they’ve entered their credit card number or maybe they make it through Module 1 and then suddenly it is crickets.Why does this happen with alarming frequency?A lot of reasons, but one big one is that your students aren’t ready for your digital course, become overwhelmed, lost, and frozen.This is NOT what we want for our students. We want them to be successful, first and foremost, because we have entered the digital course realm to make a difference. If our students don’t finish our course, then we aren’t having the impact that we hoped to have. Secondly, we want to be able to feature our students, celebrate their wins, and learn from their struggles in the course so that we can make it better.Neither of these things happen if our students don’t make it through the course. And this brings me to the question of whether you should consider prerequisites for your course and how that works when anyone can get to your sales page and enter their credit card number.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

How many $2000 courses have you purchased as an entrepreneur? The more entrepreneurs that I talk to, the more I hear that they have purchased 2, 3, 4, and even 5 different $2000 (or more) courses. So many have shared that they’ve invested over $40,000 in their business before selling anything.Your first thought might be wow! That is a LOT of money. Followed closely by did they finish all of those courses, implement everything, and get a good ROI?These are fair questions and one of the reasons that I’ve stopped buying $2000 courses over the last 2 years and one of the biggest reasons that I’ve been implementing more cost effective services and options in my own business and I’m going to share with you my reasoning so that you can decide if the hype of continually raising your prices is worth it for your business.You might decide that there is absolutely no reason to ever charge less than $2000 for your digital course and that is completely fine, but you might also discover that there is a place for inexpensive services, workshops, and even courses in your business. I’m going to challenge you to think about what would happen if you priced your services, courses, workshops, and memberships at something that was doable for most people.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

Not for the first time I heard an entrepreneur sharing that something was hard for them and the other person said that they thought it was easy.That kind of comparison makes entrepreneurship hard because we start to wonder what we are missing, if we aren’t cut out for the path we’ve chosen, or even if we are smart enough to make a go of our business. We’ve all heard the saying, “Comparison is the thief of joy.”The truth is that when we compare ourselves to others it can steal our joy faster than a toddler can grab a fourth cupcake off the party table. Mindset is one of the biggest factors in entrepreneurial success, in fact at one point this podcast was called the Entrepreneur Mindset Podcast. That is how important mindset is to being a successful digital course creator, but it is a lifelong journey. Today we are going to spend time going through 3 activities that you can do each week to bolster, reset, and strengthen your mindset so that you can move toward success as a course creator and limit the comparison thief.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

One of the most asked questions I receive when I’m coaching my digital course creator clients is how can I make money fast?Often when we are at the beginning of a new piece of business or are flat out new to business there is a very real need to earn some money.But how do we do that? The answer isn’t what you’d expect here on the Digital Course Creator Podcast, but it is the answer I give to 90% of my clients when we work together. I’ve seen it work time and again for not just adding to a bank account and creating a little buffer, but also creating so much clarity for where the business should go and where you want it to go in the future.It will save you mis-steps and hopefully a lot of heartache as you realize what you thought you wanted and what you thought others needed wasn’t really the answer.You have the added bonus of putting money in the bank to be able to invest in your business with subscriptions like Zoom and Canva as well as coaches who can help you build your email list so that you have someone to sell your course to when it is ready. So what do you do when you don’t have a course, a workshop, or any assets in your business and you don’t have a following? We are going to talk about that today as I share the 3 steps to take when you are getting started.

A lot of times we talk about having to troubleshoot a failed launch, a course that flops, or the tech issues that seem to follow us around like a pesky sibling who swears they aren’t touching us.But what about the times when things are quite literally out of our control? What do we do then to set ourselves apart as course creators committed to our audience and our own well-being?In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, this has been on my mind a lot and today we are going to talk about the mindset that we need during the times when we don’t have control over what happens.I will say that this episode might be hard to listen to, I’m going to try my best to keep it focused on mindset, but I will talk about the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and how our family handled the situation to not only serve clients, but also to maintain our well-being.I know that this is a difficult topic and might not be for you. If you are looking for mindset episodes that do not reference hurricanes, check out episodes 192, 166 with Guest Kelli Risse, and 152.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

We are told to build our list every day. That without consistent list growth our digital course business will not thrive and in fact, it will likely do a face plant. But almost no one talks about how to build your list in a way that works and doesn’t require you to waste thousands of dollars on ads and an exorbitant marketing agency fee.Today, I invited guest, Tracy Beavers, to share her top tips with you on evergreening your list growth efforts. And guess what? She doesn’t used paid ads!You might recognize Tracy’s name because she was on the podcast last fall in Episode 155. And everything she shares is absolute gold. That might be because as the CEO and Founder of Tracy Beavers Coaching, Tracy has a proven track record in marketing, sales, and business growth. With an award winning career spanning 20 years and a multi-six figure business, Tracy has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs with everything from overcoming the fear of sales to growing their business visibility through organic marketing strategies. She has been honored nationally by Vanity Fair Lingerie as a Support Award winner for Women in Entrepreneurship. Pretty amazing, right?She is a public speaker, and a published author. She has been featured on top business podcasts, and has been a regular contributor on one of her hometown’s premier tv shows. Kajabi looks to her as one of their expert coaches for small business owners. She is the creator of two online programs: “Business Visibility Made Easy” and “Be A Confident Entrepreneur”. She also has a top ranked business podcast “Create Online Business Success!”I’m thrilled to have Tracy back on the podcast and without further ado, let’s talk with Tracy about all things strategy and list building.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasSign up for Tracy's Masterclass: https://digitalcourse.pro/growthJoin Tracy's Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beaconfidententrepreneurListen to Tracy's Podcast: https://www.tracybeavers.com/podcast

There are so many ways to learn these days and as a course creator you know that we have to constantly keep up with new ideas, technologies, and trends (even if it is to avoid a pointless trend) that is tough to figure out the best use of our time. After all, we only have a finite amount of time in a day, week, month, and year and we just want to make the most of that time without experiencing burnout.But most of us, myself included, don’t have enough time to dig into everything that comes across our paths. What are your favorite ways to learn?Today I’m going to share with you 3 reasons why you should be listening to podcasts as a digital course creator as a way to learn and grow your business. Now I know that you are already listening to a podcast so you might be thinking, well yea. I don’t need to listen to this episode, but here’s why I’m going to suggest you stick around. Are you making the most of your time with the podcasts that you are listening to? Could you be getting even more out of them?If you have even the slightest nudge or feeling that you could be making more out of your podcast time, stick around.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasFrom Sticky Notes to Impact (Dr. Moira featured as a guest on Tracy Beaver's Podcast)

Fall is the time of year when many entrepreneurs find themselves checking their checking account balance, their running credit card balance and trying to figure out what to invest in for their business. This is especially true because so many amazing things launch in the fall months and there are some spectacular Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that will pop up.Unless you are one of the entrepreneurs with endless pots of money, these are things that need to be planned out. And you know from Episode 208 that I think every course creator should be buying and learning from other course creators. This brings the inevitable question of what courses to invest in. After all, we can’t go into endless debt nor can we just continue to figure things out on our own year after year.Today I’m going to share some insights that I’ve had over the past few years of being immersed in the entrepreneurial online course space that will help you avoid some of the same mistakes that I’ve made and instead use your money and time in a way that leads to success.After all, it is nearly impossible to build a successful and profitable business if we are stuck in a vacuum without outside ideas, teachings, and input.And be sure to stick around to today’s Sixty-Second Solution where I’ll share the number one thing I look for in digital courses and experiences that are over $500 because it means the difference between success and stagnation.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasHop onto Tracy's Waitlist so that you can learn from her brilliance

You are an expert in what you do, so why would you buy courses that are related to your course topic? There are 3 reasons you should be buying online courses as a Digital Course Creator.The reality is that we all have our own perspectives, our own perspectives, and our own preferences, but our students might benefit from a wider range of approaches than we feel comfortable with.This is where buying online courses can help immensely. Now, you don't have to spend thousands of dollars checking out other courses, but you do need to include research and development in your business budget.Without this line item in your business strategy and budget you will fall behind in what is working, and you might miss out on some really great approaches.Today I'm going to highlight for you the 3 top reasons I still invest in courses as an expert in digital course creation and why you should do the same.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasWorld of Shortcuts

Should you include bonuses with your digital or online course? So often we get the advice that bonuses should be even better than your course, they should make people buy your course just to get the bonus, and they should overcome objections.But do they really help? Yes and no. But the real question is should you include them for your online course when you launch?Today we are going to talk about the pros and cons of including bonuses with your digital course launch and 3 things to consider as you make your decision.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

What is one thing that you didn’t necessarily think about when you decided to become an entrepreneur, when you decided that you’d like to have a digital course? What is one thing that you rarely hear people talking about out in the open?Money and the debt that being an entrepreneur can bring with it. That debt adds up fast, but still it is something that we keep hidden, kind of like that chocolate bar you have secreted away in a cabinet away from your kids and spouse. Just like it isn’t healthy to hide food away and sneak it, neither is it healthy to hide talk about money as an entrepreneur.Today I’m going to talk candidly about money, entrepreneurship, and the risk of debt. I feel strongly that everyone should be fully informed. If this is not something that you want to acknowledge in your business yet or with your entrepreneur friends, that's ok. This episode will be here when you are ready. If you are ready to talk about money, then stick around.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

I've noticed a trend in course creation groups: asking for instructions on how to do a tech task. Sure you pay to be in these groups, they are filled with people who are on the same pathway you are, creating, launching, and serving a digital course, but the big, important questions can sometimes get buried under the smaller, simpler questions that can be searched on Google in 10 seconds or less.This makes the groups less valuable. Hard stop.You know I’m a big fan of being active in social media groups because you are building connections, trust, authority, and even gaining referrals.So I understand the temptation to ask questions in the group when you get stuck. But that clogs up the groups and keeps your important questions hidden away. It is frustrating when you have a question about where a funnel isn't working inside your business only to be drowned out by the mundane tech questions like how do I save as a PDF from a word document.To get the most out of the paid and free groups that you are in, let's talk about best practices and, of course, feel free to share this episode with your friends so that they too can become better members of those same groups you are in.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

The best way to build demand for your online course is with weekly content, or is it?So often we are told that we need to build an audience so that when we launch a course, there will be eager buyers ready with their credit cards. To build an audience the direction often given is to create weekly content.Why then, after creating and sharing weekly content for months and even years do course creators not have an audience primed for buying when they launch their course. It's frustrating to spend hours each week crafting new and original content only for it to fall flat and get hidden in a crowded inbox or busy social media scroll faster than you can snap your fingers.How are we supposed to build that audience when the advice doesn't seem to work?Today I'm going to walk you through why weekly content doesn't build demand for your audience and what it actually does for you and your business.With this simple shift you'll finally start to see your weekly content gaining traction.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasConnect with Paul Pruitt with his Ads Challenge or with his Adaptive Marketing Program (I’ve been a student inside this program and it is top notch!)

When is the right time to launch your digital course? Is it in the summer, the fall, January 1, or April 28?This is a reasonable question. You put so much effort into the creation of a truly fantastic and meaningful course that the last thing you want is to scuttle your efforts with a poorly chosen course launch date.Why, then, if this is something that is so important, can you not find a clear answer anywhere? Search Google you get answers that tell you to analyze your course, your audience, and a list of other things. In other words, no straight guidance here.You have two choices to make, you can simply draw a date out of the hat and hope for the best OR you can follow the same guidance that I give my digital course clients when they are wrestling with the question of when to launch.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

What is your business making?Should you be measuring your revenue or your profit when launching the online course you painstakingly created?A lot of times you’ll see people talking about how they had a 5 figure launch or a 6 figure launch, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.It’s frustrating because when someone lists a number, you don’t know if they are talking about revenue or profit. And as we look for role models, strategies, and ideas to emulate in our own course launches, how do you know what to pay attention to and what to ignore?You could end up choosing a strategy that has you losing money if you aren’t careful. Today I’m going to share with you how to think about the numbers you see being reported on social media, in podcasts, on YouTube so that you can make decisions for your business and digital course that will lead to more profit, more reliably.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasWill Entrepreneurship Make You Rich? A Realistic Perspective

Course creation is a marathon not a sprint. Course creation is a long game.We can apply any number of inspirational quotes or mantras to our digital course creation business, but that isn’t going to keep you warm at night.The reality is that knowing course creation and the subsequent success will take time doesn’t protect us from the challenges that will pop up, the exhaustion and frustration that inevitably send us for the Ben and Jerry’s ice cream section at the store, or the bank account that doesn’t seem to have enough to cover our business expenses.So what do we do to get through these times when we are busily working without seeing tangible proof of our progress? We have to develop a mindset that is realistic, rooted in the truth, and ultimately helps us to stay focused and taking the process step by step.Today I’m going to walk you through those concepts that will actually help you to stay mentally tough, but don’t worry, you can still indulge in a case of wallowing when needed. Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideasMatt Gray: 10 Secrets to Become Mentally Unbreakable

“State of running a business with considerable initiative and risk”. That is the definition of entrepreneurship (dictionary.com). This definition is accurate. You have to show initiative, you have to assume the risk of creating something new, finding an audience who wants to purchase what you’ve created, and then deliver on what you’ve promised.What I don’t see in this definition is the word persistence. And the truth is that persistence is at the foundation of every entrepreneur's journey. It takes persistence to create something new, find the right audience, and then deliver on what you’ve promised.Today, in the 200th episode of the Digital Course Creator Podcast, we are going to talk about the realities of persistence, the actions that can help you generate persistence even when you don’t think you have anything left, and also when it might be time to step away from something because the risk or cost is too high.And, because it can be hard to keep going when it feels like nothing is working or moving fast enough, in today’s Sixty-Second Solution I’m going to share what I do in those moments to pick myself up, dust myself off, and start moving forward again.Show Resources: Check out all podcast episodes and full transcripts (www.digitalcoursecreatorguide.com/podcast)Follow me on Facebook (facebook.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) and on Instagram (instagram.com/digitalcoursecreatorguide) for daily tips and ideas

You have carefully planned out your digital course. You’ve mapped out the modules, the outcomes, the examples, and the resources. Which leaves you with the actual recording of your online course. All too often this is where the dramatic music that you hear in horror films starts to play because course creators want their course to have an impact. But it feels impossible to know what to do when hitting record.You can choose to stress over the best way to record your course, or re-record your course OR you can follow the three steps that I’m going to share with you today so that you can just get those recordings done and out where your students can learn from your wisdom.And, if tech is something that gets you tangled up when thinking about recording, stick around for today’s Sixty-Second Solution and I’ll share with you the easy solution that most people overlook for creating their digital course recordings.Show Resources: Book a CallJoin the WaitlistCheck out all podcast episodes and full transcriptsFollow me on Facebook and Instagram for daily tips and ideas-----------------Please Note: Dr. Moira was a Certified StoryBrand Guide from May 15, 2022 until July 15, 2024. Any episodes mentioning StoryBrand were recorded during a time when she was certified as a Guide. If you would like to be connected with an active StoryBrand Guide, feel free to reach out as she still maintains contacts within the Guide community.