809: The Easiest Online Course You Can Create TODAY with Amy Porterfield

25:40Because at the time I was like, why did I promise this? This is not what I wanted, but I can now see, and I can still remember some of those students and what they were going through and what transitions they were making, how this was helping. And so it was one of those things where it was just, okay, this can work for now, but we're not going to do this again. And I think that that is so much of what business is. Absolutely. I love that you're like, I'm going to get my lessons out of this and I'm not going to do this again. That's okay. But you would have never known that if you didn't do it.

26:11So there's such a theme in this episode. You have to get on the field. You have to get into action. You can't just keep watching all the masterclasses and watching things and not taking action afterwards, that's what's going to get you the results. Yes. Okay. You have this idea of first step transformation. Yeah. And I want to talk about it because I think it fits beautifully into this idea of a one hour workshop course. So let's talk about what that is. Okay. So when I say first step transformation, what I'm talking about is what is the first step your community, your potential student would need to take before they got the big results that you will eventually put, let's say, in a signature course.

26:54And so that example I gave earlier is a perfect example for this. I want to teach people how to land their dream job. What's one of the first things they need to do? They need to get that resume right. If they don't get that resume right, they're not even going to get looked at or through the door to get the interview. And once they get the interview, I could teach all of that. Once they get into negotiation, I can teach all that. But the first step would be that resume. And so that's what you would want to teach in a workshop course. So for those of you listening, think for a moment of a bigger course maybe you could create.

27:26Take all the judgment out. Don't let yourself say, no, that won't work because this or that. Just dream big. What's a course that you could create, maybe sell for a thousand dollars and think about 20 people buy, you just made$20 ,000. 20 people, that's all you would need. So I just want to put that in perspective, a little course math, but let's just think about that course, the big course. All right, get it in your head, think about it. And now I want you to think about what's the first step they would need to take in order to get the results that my course will offer. What's the first step they need to take?

28:02And if you start kind of mulling that over and thinking about, well, if they did this first, this would be great, or maybe it's this. That's the kind of conversation I want you to have in your head. When you get that idea, that is your workshop course. That's where you can start. So this first step transformation is the first step for your student to take before they go for the big steps. I love this too, because you're basically priming people to be ready for the next step, right? If they haven't taken the first step, they're likely not going to be ready to take the next step. And they're likely delaying taking any steps until this first one is done.

28:38So you're kind of crossing things off of their checklist, but also priming them to be in a position to make the next step, which I absolutely love. I also think there is something so huge for all of us as human beings that when we see that we are capable of following through on something, it builds up that momentum that is like unstoppable. And so with the one hour idea, again, you're not asking for a huge time commitment from your audience. You're likely teaching them that something that can be completed relatively quickly. And therefore they are going to get that like dopamine boost of like, Oh my gosh, I did this.

29:17This works. Like, I can't believe I did this. What's next. And so there's just so much to this. And you know, I, you and I have talked about this a lot because we've seen a lot in the online course world. And I think there are time and places for every single type of digital course out there. But one of the things that I've seen is this more shift to simplicity and making things easier. Like we want to make it the easiest path to success. We're going to include every step you need to be successful in whatever that end result is, but gone are the days where it felt really juicy to say, I have an 180 module program and a 200 page workbook, you know?

29:57And so what I love about this is like, this is the fastest route to success for somebody and you're getting them that first quick win, which means they're gonna be ready for the next step. What do you think about that? I absolutely agree. It just kickstarts you getting into action and kickstarts your audience to start moving down the right road to eventually something bigger that you want to create. And while you were talking, I was thinking, this also allows you, so let's say you take that first step transformation, put it into a workshop course, it allows you to attract a course aligned audience, meaning people that eventually are the right fit for your bigger course.

30:35Because a lot of people come into my world just getting started with courses and they don't have an audience yet that is perfect for their signature course. And so they start to really stress out like, who am I going to sell to? But if you allow yourself to do a workshop course first and then move to the bigger course, you're building an audience when you're selling it, when you're getting people interested in it, you're building the right audience right from the get go. So my brain is like going in a few different directions. And you can tell me if you would do this. But if I were brand new, I would start with step one, right?

31:06And I would do a one hour workshop and I would sell it. And if I were just getting started, I think I may be more a little hesitant. So I'd probably charge like$50. But let's say you had 20 people that signed up. That's chunk of change. So then I would either like the next week do what would become module two and try to get the people on the first one onto the next one and have them trail along. And you could basically build out your signature course week by week, either with the same group of people or with new groups of people who are interested in whatever that topic is. Because when I even think about the first course that I built, we talked about specific topics.

31:44So it was really for marketing for photographers is what it was, but it was branding and then pricing and then communication and then delivery. And people could benefit from each section of the course. And so I don't know, what would you do something like that? Or would you say this is probably not the best idea? I mean, I never have thought of it that way. And again, no wrong turns. I think that could absolutely work. One thing you want to think about is let's say you did that and you built it out to six modules, which would be six workshop courses. One of the things, beautiful things about that is at the end, now you have a full course that I would re-record it.

32:21I'd put it into a signature course. I'd probably tweak it to make it make sense. And the flow is really good, but now you've got this full course. That's a plus. The only thing that might be a negative is the people that you might want to pay the bigger price for the signature course. They're likely not going to be interested because if they got all six, but not everyone would likely even buy all six and you could give them a discount if they've already been in one of your workshop courses. So Jenna, you might've just created one more thing that I could teach in digital course Academy because it could work.

32:52I know. And I think too, it's like when you look at the beginning, you usually have that beta audience of people who have already been kind of noticing, like you are a genius in this. Maybe you don't see it yet, but I see this in you. And so usually it's like that small group of people who are like along for the ride and excited. I don't know. I kind of love it. Jenna always has good ideas just for the record, everyone. She's my favorite friend that like on the spot could come up with so many good ideas. So I am like a digital course savant. Like if somebody were to come to me and be like, okay, here's what I do.

33:24Here's what I like to do in my free time. And you can scroll my camera roll for two minutes. What would I create a digital course on? I could give you ideas. I love doing it because I can think of so many people in my life who have digital courses inside of them. And it feels like such a disservice to the world to not be able to harness the power of the gifts they have. Like there are just so many, I mean, every person in my family, I'm like, you have a digital course and you have like 10 digital courses in you. And I just see that in people because I have seen how success can multiply, how impact can multiply, how strategy can multiply.

34:04And like the thing that I just will never get tired of with digital courses is that you get to teach somebody something once and they get to reap the rewards of it over and over and over again for the rest of their days. And so when I look at it, it's just like so exciting to me that somebody gets to take a moment and invest in themselves. And as Tony Robbins has turned decades into days. And I just think that that will never get tiresome to me because we've seen it happen time and time again. I mean, I am living proof of this when it comes to what Amy Porter Phil teaches. It was actually really funny.

34:41We were just together in Tennessee at a mastermind and I was telling someone, I was like, Oh, Amy Porter Phil's my best friend, blah, blah, blah. And they were like, Oh, how did you guys connect? Did you connect at it? Like a mastermind? Like this. And I was like, well, funny story, but I was a student of hers and I was dead set on being the best student she's ever had. I wanted your attention. I wanted you to notice. And you did. And what's just so funny is like looking back at that is like, you have given me so many strategies, tools, ideas that I have been able to compound in my life and in my business.

35:16And I think people don't think about that enough. They look at the expense, whether it's time or money, but they don't recognize that like, I get this one time and now I get to make this work for me over and over and over again. But it was just cute. Cause they were like, Oh, how do you guys know each other? I was like, well, we go back, we go back. I forget that that's how that our, our love affair started, but I love that story. Isn't it so funny? Okay. We're winding down, but I want to know this because my team and I were talking and it's really easy for you and I to talk about the success we've had with digital courses.

35:48Cause we have massive audiences. a lot of people think that they have to have that audience. We said this earlier. A lot of people believe like I'll build the audience first and then I'll learn this or then I'll do this. How does focusing on the right people change this perspective? And like, how can people literally get started no matter what size audience they have today? Okay. So I am a firm believer that you do not need a huge audience in order to create and launch a successful course, whether it be a workshop course or a more robust course, which is of course what I teach in my programs as well.

36:21You do not. I could tell you story after story. I have tons of them, but Rob Green always comes up because he was a photographer. So it's perfect from your start, Jenna. But during COVID, he created his very first course, how to use flash photography and make it look like natural light. That was his course. That's all it was. One very specific topic. He had a hundred people on his list and made$12 ,000. He is proof that you do not need a big list. I could rattle off more and more stories like that. But what I want you really to know is that when you get into action, when you start to launch, when you start to put offers out there, you will start to grow your list.

37:00You have something valuable to offer. People start to pay attention. Our mutual friend, Don Miller, he always says one of the first things he'd do if you were starting a business is put an offer together. Get that offer together, one, to get a quick cash injection, but two, to learn what your audience really wants and needs. And the only way you do that is if you sell something, you'll know for sure. So you do not need a big list to get started. And again, the more you put out, let's say a workshop course or any kind of launch, your list starts to grow. Yes. A few months ago, I got my colors done and I learned that your girl is an autumn, which means out with the black and in with the brown.

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39:45That's shopify.com slash gold digger. Go to shopify.com slash gold digger and make this Black Friday one to remember. I am such a homebody at heart, but I love when travel reminds me just how beautiful it is to step outside of our routine. For the kids' fall break, we booked a stay on a small farm near Nashville through Airbnb, and it was one of the most memorable trips we've taken this year. We met donkeys, goats, and pigs, and the kids got to pick peppers in their greenhouse. Watching them run around the farm, getting their hands dirty, and laughing the whole time was such a joy. It was peaceful.

40:21It was full of those little moments that literally just make you pause and feel connected. That trip reminded me why I love using Airbnb. It connects you to places and experiences that really stay with you. If you've ever thought about hosting your home on Airbnb, it doesn't take much. Whether it's your entire house or just a spare room, your space could offer that same feeling to someone else and even earn you some extra income. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com forward slash host. Another reason why I love this one hour workshop course idea is if someone isn't comfortable with selling, which I think is most of us, selling something that is a lower ticket item and a lower ask from both the time and money perspective is going to be a beautiful place to get your boots wet when it comes to selling something versus thinking, I'm just going to build this course behind the scenes and someday I'll launch it for a thousand bucks.

41:21Like this is such a great way to, again, get comfortable in saying, I have something that's valuable and here's what it costs as an investment to take part of it. But I think a lot of people in our audiences hate the idea of selling. And so again, they'll overcomplicate the steps that will delay them ever having to do that thing. And so again, I just like love this idea. I'm like imagining if there was like a Netflix of digital courses that were an hour long that people could watch like that. I love it. Such a dream. I mean, I think masterclass already did that, but you know, I totally get it.

41:54Okay. So as we are kind of winding down, I want for you to make a case for online courses, because I feel like there are so many people who have listened to us year after year after year. They've heard my success. They've heard your beginnings of your tiny launch. They've heard all of these different things. And yet they still have not taken action. Why is now the perfect time for them to create a digital course? One thing that I've been hearing over and over again is that my community, they feel burned out. They're trying to do a million things at once. Nothing's really getting their full attention and nothing's really landing to make them the kind of revenue they want, but also give them the freedom.

42:37So a lot of us left a nine to five to have more freedom. Now we feel more overwhelmed than ever because we're not really sure where we should focus or what we should be doing. So the beauty of a digital course, when you learn from someone like me or an expert that knows how to create and launch courses and you get that step-by-step training, when you learn that, you can put together a beautiful course, a signature course, but here's the key. This is what I want you all to hear. The secret to how I teach courses and what I teach my students is that you only need one course to be insanely profitable and to give you more freedom in your life.

43:13One course. And why is that? Because I teach my students how to launch the course over and over again, whether it be through live launching or automated evergreen launching, but you're only creating it once. The problem with making money as an entrepreneur is when you don't make it, it's likely because you're always starting from scratch. You're always starting new. When you start new, it's money, time, and confusion, usually when you're starting anything new. So if you don't have to keep starting from scratch and you could use that one asset and launch it over and over again, you'll get really good at marketing, really good at launching, and you could tweak your course each time, but you never have to start from scratch again.

43:54I've been launching the same exact course since 2019. The version today is so much better than 2019, but it's still the same course in the sense of the bones of it. I've gotten really good at learning who my audience is, supporting them, showing up for them because I stay in my lane. One more thing. When you have a digital course that you launch over and over again, you become known for something. You become the name that people say when they say, I want to find out how to land my dream job. Boom, your name comes up because you've been doing it long enough. You've been the expert and you are the go-to person.

44:33And so if you were in a room of people that were building businesses and someone said, I want to start a digital course, but I don't know how. It's not my ego saying this. It's my experience in time. My name will always come up in that room. And it's because I stuck with this and continue to launch it over and over again. So if you want to cut through the noise online and be known for something, create a digital course. I mean, I was just thinking when you were speaking, like I haven't created a new offer in over five years. There you go. And I am re-recording all the time right now. I'm literally recreating my entire podcasting course.

45:10But what's amazing is, is I think about having children and the last five years of my life being dedicated to being a mom. And that would only be possible because I haven't created anything new. I've only made what I already have better. And it's been such a gift. And I've talked about the ability to have a business that is rinse and repeat in a beautiful way, because I know what to expect and I know how to do it and I know how to do it well. And that has been probably the greatest gift of my life. I couldn't be the type of mom that I want to be without having this type of business that has been afforded to not having shiny object syndrome and chasing a new idea every single year, but instead keeping my head down and making good, better and better best over and over and over again.

46:01Amen to that. You are such a great testament of it. I have so many students who actually have a masterclass coming up and on the masterclass, I'm going to share multiple stories of what it looked like from a student to launch in the very beginning and then launch over and over and over again, what they did and what their success looks like. I think it's really inspiring and it's freeing to know you don't have to always be creating and starting over. Yes. Yes. Amy, real quick. We got to hang out together. It was so fun. And you got to be with the kids. Oh my gosh. You have to tell them what you said at the end of the night, because it was like the best moment ever, but for anyone listening, cause a lot of my listeners can relate to this.

46:42Yes. Okay. So as some of, you know, I'm a step-mom, so I've never had a child of my own. And when Cade came into my life, he was four, but we also had three of us that were, you know, parenting Cade and he was just really easy. However, I haven't ever had the experience of having two little toddlers and building a business at once. So I got to play with Coco and Quinny for all day on Saturday. Hobie and I had so much fun. And I have to say, Jenna has very special daughters. They're so incredibly just special. And so we had a wonderful day, but we put the kids to sleep. I got to read them books.

47:16It was really fun. We sat down and I looked at Jenna and I thought, oh my gosh, you are building a business while you have two toddlers in your house. We were going, going, going all day long, you know, questions and playing and reading and all of that. If you can build a business and be a mom or dad at the same time, I salute you. I think that is the most honorable thing. And I just realized in person, holy cow, that's a lot of work. Yeah, it was. It was so sweet because, you know, I think that for so many of my listeners, too, it's like whether it's children or a full time job or a side hustle or different passions, we're all balancing so much.

47:58Right. And I think for so many people, a digital course sounds compelling and exciting, but they're like, where is there space for this? And what I will say is that the foundation that you can start laying today can reap you rewards for years to come. And I will never forget back when I was a wedding photographer and I was wanting to start a family thinking, this is not sustainable. Like I can't be gone every weekend and have children and be editing and planning my life two years in advance. Like this is not going to work. And I vowed to figure out a different way to do it. And I can now see that, yes, there is work required to get it going.

48:37but once you get it going, it is the most beautiful, life-giving, freedom-enriching journey. And you get to do what you love and watch it impact other people firsthand. I just, you and I are, yeah, I mean, we, we could do a PR campaign for online courses for how well they've affected us and our lives, but it was just cute at the end of the night. Amy was like, I don't know how you have the type of business you have. Plus you're dancing in the kitchen and doing aerial performances and reading Berenstain Bears and all these things. And it was just sweet to have that moment because it is a lot, but it is like the best kind of lot.

49:14And life is so full, but it's full in the best ways. And I think so many people can relate to that. So true. It was really fun to see. And it was a great reminder for me that I'm serving people that also have very full lives. And so if I can make it as easy as possible for them, I'm going to. Well, let's real quick talk about your masterclass experience. You do something unlike anyone else that I've ever seen. I'm tempted to fly in just so I can be backstage with you. But you, once a year, you host these live masterclass experiences where you are walking through all of the different ways that digital courses can work for somebody, can change their lives and sharing student success stories.

49:54Tell me just a little bit about what people can expect if they sign up for the masterclass experience, which you can do so at JennaPlusAmy.com. That's Jenna, P-L-U-S, Amy.com. What is going to be happening? Okay, I love that, JennaPlusAvy.com. That's fun. Okay, so every year, you're right. Once a year, I do this very special masterclass, totally free. And the goal is that I don't gatekeep what I know works. So there's no gatekeeping. I'm going to give you the creation and launching playbook. So you know exactly what it takes to get your course out into the world. whether you want a workshop course or a signature course or both, which I hope you want both, I'm going to dive into what it takes.

50:39I'm going to give you actual strategies. I'm going to show you behind the scenes, and I'm going to share some success stories of my students who might be in the exact same place you are right now. They were there as well. So you can see what's possible. It's my most favorite thing I do every year. And I would just love for you all to join me. Awesome. So go to Jenna plus Amy.com, save your seat. I am there in every single one in the chat cheering my girl on, but I just also love to see how diverse our communities are and how many different areas our communities represent of different courses that they can create.

51:16Like I can just see the world changing with all the people in the chat who are chiming in where they're from and what they do and what they're an expert in and imagining all the digital courses that can come out of it. So do not miss this masterclass experience. It is unlike anything else. And Amy over delivers. And you can also hear more about the digital course Academy, which we've been referencing throughout this episode. That course changed my life, changed my business. I will literally write the best testimony on the world every single year. I am the walking testimonial of Amy Porterfield and what she teaches.

51:47And so just don't miss this chance. If this is something that you're even curious about, sign up at Jenna plus Amy.com. Amy, I love you. Thanks for coming back on the show. This is so fun. And now I'm just thinking about all the one hour workshop courses that my audience is going to create. I want everyone to DM and let us know what topic their one hour workshop course could be on. That's fine. I want to know what that is or comment on today's post on gold digger podcast on Instagram. I want to know what we're going to be creating so that we can create our own little Netflix of digital courses online.

52:23So fun. Absolutely. Thank you, my friend, for having me. It's always a pleasure. This was such a fun episode and I love this idea so much. I can just imagine the plethora of topics my audience could cover and the way that you could really get your feet wet in the online course world without a lot of risk, without a lot of time and without a massive investment. I am obsessed. Amy is one of the best teachers I have ever encountered. She works tirelessly to make everything she puts out into the world actionable and tactical and filled with strategies that you can implement today. And the same goes for her masterclass experience.

53:05It is incredible. I literally watched every single one of them that she did last year. She has many different times you can sign up for. So go save your seat right now, I promise you this training could be that line in the sand where you look back and you say, this is where everything changed for me. Go to Jenna plus Amy.com. Again, that's Jenna P L U S Amy.com. Save your seats. I'll be hanging out in the chat, cheering you on and getting to know you guys. And I'm just so excited to see what you can create. Thank you so much for hanging out with me on another episode of the gold digger podcast.

53:39What a joy it is to talk to my best friend on this show. Until next time, gold diggers, keep on digging your biggest goals. Thanks for pulling up a seat for another episode of the gold digger podcast. I hope today's episode filled you with inspiration, gave you information that you can turn into action and realigned you with your true North in life and business. If you've enjoyed today's episode, head on over to gold digger podcast.com for today's show notes, discount codes for our sponsors, freebies to fuel your results and so much more. And if you haven't yet, make sure you're subscribed so that you never miss a future show.

54:15We'll see you next time, Gold Diggers. Please note, this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements, and individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in the episode. Your support through affiliate links or sponsored content helps us continue to bring you valuable content. Thank you for being a part of the Gold Digger community.