Happy Valentine’s Day! 💕 In this special episode of Unlock Course Creation, Cassandra Meszaros is putting your course through a relationship test. Just like a great partnership, a successful online course needs trust, commitment, and a strong foundation. But is your course truly “relationship-ready”?

Cassandra breaks it all down with five key questions every course creator should ask before diving into course development. Whether you're just getting started or refining an existing course, these questions will help you build a strong foundation, avoid common mistakes, and ensure your course is ready to make an impact.

And don’t worry—if you answer “no” to any of these, it doesn’t mean you’re not ready! Cassandra shares practical tips on how to refine your approach, so you can move forward with confidence. Plus, stay tuned for this episode’s Instructional Design in the Real World segment, where she explores how driver’s education is packed with powerful instructional design principles.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How well do you know your audience? Are you creating a course based on real needs or just guessing?
2. Can you describe what success looks like? For both you and your learners, a clear goal is essential.
3. Do you have a warm audience? Why an engaged following matters more than a massive email list.
4. Do you have the time to commit? Course creation isn’t a quick task—let’s set realistic expectations.
5. Are you ready to step outside your comfort zone? Course creation comes with visibility, tech, and sales—are you prepared?

Timestamps:

• [00:00] Valentine’s Day intro + celebrating the Unlock Course Creation community 💕
• [02:07] The “relationship test” for your online course—let’s play 5 Questions!
• [02:52] Question 1: Do you know your audience, or are you guessing?
• [05:57] Question 2: Can you describe what success looks like—for you and your learners?
• [08:06] Question 3: Do you have an email list or a warm audience? (Hint: engagement matters more than numbers!)
• [10:44] Question 4: Do you have the time to create a course, or is this a “nap-time dream”?
• [13:50] Question 5: Are you ready to step outside your comfort zone? (Perfectionists, take note!)
• [16:42] Recap of all five questions—how did you score?
• [18:13] Instructional Design in the Real World: What driver’s education teaches us about course creation. 🚗
• [26:14] Final thoughts + where to get support for your course creation journey.

Key Takeaways:

• Knowing your audience is non-negotiable. You don’t need months of research, but a little effort now prevents major misalignment later.
• Success isn’t just about money. Define what a thriving course looks like for you and your learners.
• Size doesn’t matter—engagement does. A small, loyal email list is far more valuable than a disengaged audience of thousands.
• Be realistic with your time. Break down your course creation into manageable milestones.
• Perfection isn’t the goal—progress is. If you wait to feel “ready,” you might never start!

Call to Action:

• 🎧 Subscribe to Unlock Course Creation on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or your favourite platform.
• 💌 Follow Cassandra on Instagram @cassandra.meszaros for behind-the-scenes content and course creation tips.
• ⭐ Leave a Review: Your feedback helps others discover the show!
• 📲 Work with Cassandra:
  • Need help refining your course strategy? Book a discovery call.
  • Have burning questions? Schedule an "Ask an Instructional Designer Anything" session.

This episode is your reality check—make sure your course is “relationship-ready” before you commit! Listen, reflect, and take action. 💕🚀