Selling the Couch

Today’s solo episode is the second in a two-part series about the lessons I’ve learned as a course creator. I launched The Healthcasters course back in 2015, and it recently passed the $300K revenue mark. Those results are far more than I could have ever imagined, and as I’ve reflected, I realize that I have learned a lot through this journey. I hope some of my lessons learned will be helpful for you! Join me for today’s session where I’ll cover #6-10 of my top ten lessons learned. 

Lessons learned as a course creator (#6-10)

• Social media marketing can be intimidating. Focusing on webinars makes more sense in many ways. 
• Webinars magnify your strengths as a teacher.
• Webinars make it easy for viewers to sign up for your course.
• Webinars can be evergreen, and you can sprinkle in live ones whenever you want. (EasyWebinar makes the process simple. Check it out at www.sellingthecouch.com/easywebinar.)
• In webinars, focus on sharing your story, your WHY, and your expertise.
• “Low prices attract tire-kickers.”
• A higher price will make you want to over-deliver to your students.
• A higher price limits impulse buyers and attracts more of the students you want.
• Charging a higher price allows you to reinvest more money into better quality gear for the future.
• Don’t compete on price.
• Offering discounts and lower prices will affect the quality of your students. 
• Consider offering time-limited bonuses, like a group coaching call, video series, etc., rather than offering discounts. 
• Have an easy way to gather testimonials. (Check out testimonial.to at www.sellingthecouch.com/testimonial.) 
• Students can choose a video or text testimonial about their experience.
• Separate your course success from your self-worth.
• Your course isn’t who you are, but it’s just one thing you do.
• Don’t compare your course success to someone else’s. “Comparison is poison.”

You can check out all of my 10 Lessons Learned (with video!) in my Twitter thread!

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

I’m the fortunate podcast host with two guests today, which is a first for me! They are long-time friends of mine from grad school who have taken a unique idea and brought it to fruition in starting their company and launching their first online course. If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to hear all about it, so join us to hear their story!

Our Featured Guests

Jordana Mortimer, PhD

Erin Avirett, PhD

Jordana Mortimer and Erin Avirett are both child neuropsychologists with independent private practices. They have been friends for 15 years since their days in grad school, and they always had the idea to start a business together. Even though they live in different cities in Texas (Jordana in Fort Worth/Erin in Amarillo), they made things happen this year in starting their company, Mind and Child. In addition, they developed and launched their first online course, Parenting 101, for parents with kiddos under the age of twelve. The course takes their experiential parenting lessons and merges it with solid research and data. In this session, Jordana and Erin share how this business idea originated, how they approached marketing, and how they are handling the practical challenges of working together. Even though close friends don’t always make good business partners, they share with us how they are navigating that intersection and overcoming the odds to make it work well for their families.  

Mind and Child Website

Erin’s practice Website

Jordana’s practice Website

You’ll Learn:

• How Jordana and Erin first developed the idea for Mind and Child with the overall goal to help parents and families on a larger scale 
• How their roles as testing psychologists helped Jordana and Erin to follow through on their dream of starting a business together
• The hardest parts of creating their online course
• How they promoted the course with social media, blogs, and ads
• How the course feels genuine and authentic with their mission and purpose
• Why they consulted with advertising experts to know which social media platforms were best for marketing their course
• How they have navigated challenges with marketing their business but setting boundaries to protect family time
• How Jordana and Erin coordinate their social media interactions by alternating weeks to handle posts and engagements
• Why Jordana and Erin hired a friend’s video production company to film their course, which was more complicated than they had envisioned
• Specifics of the filming process, set design, using a teleprompter, speaking succinctly, etc. 
• Why being close friends and business partners has been beneficial in every way without any real hardships or friendship-threatening challenges for Jordana and Erin
• A few details about their website, course, and private practices

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

Today’s solo episode is the first in a two-part series about the lessons I’ve learned as a course creator. I launched The Healthcasters course back in 2015, and it just passed the $300K revenue mark. Those results are far more than I could have ever imagined! Join me for today’s session where I’ll cover the first five of my ten lessons learned. 

• Lessons learned as a course creator:
• Decide between a skyscraper or a strip mall model for your online business.
• This concept comes from Nathan Barry, the CEO of ConvertKit. Find out more from his appearance on the Creative Elements podcast hosted by Jay Clouse. 
• A strip mall model offers multiple products that diversity your income, while a skyscraper model features a single, scalable flagship product.
• I started STC with a strip mall model, but I’ve decided to move to a skyscraper model and use my mastermind as my single product.
• Focus on one marketing channel instead of jumping around to several. 
• Find the sweet spot where you enjoy hanging out and where your ideal audience can be found. 
• Check out Infinite Dial for free analytics on social media trends. 
• Think about going from a “rented audience” to an “owned audience” as you seek to build your email list.
• Less is more when it comes to course content. 
• Teach content that gives a concrete roadmap to help your students get from point A to point B.
• Be a niche of one. 
• I definitely didn’t do this very well in trying to reach too wide of a variety of healthcare providers with my first course. I know better now!
• Don’t stress over your gear initially.
• Start simple. I recommend Loom for recording and the Rode VideoMic NTG, which is an affordable mic with quality sound. 
• You can save for future equipment upgrades by setting aside a small percentage of your income over time. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

Today’s session is special because our guest is a friend and colleague from our internship days at Vanderbilt. He has accomplished many things in his career, one of which is co-authoring a book to grow his group practice. It is an innovative endeavor that definitely qualifies as “outside-the-box” thinking. Tom’s insight will be helpful if writing a book is in your future! Join us to learn more!

Our Featured Guest:

Tom McDonagh, PsyD

Tom McDonagh is in group practice in San Francisco, where his work focuses on anxiety, stress, burnout, and other related issues that are common for many people. Tom went the traditional route to publish the book which he co-authored, 101 Ways to Conquer Teen Anxiety. In today’s session, he shares why he wrote the book as a co-author, along with the structure, format, and challenges of choosing that route. He also shares wisdom about the traditional publishing process as it relates to marketing a book.

www.goodtherapysf.com

101 Ways to Conquer Teen Anxiety by Dr. Tom McDonagh and Jon Patrick Hatcher

You’ll Learn:

• Why Tom wanted to write a book as a creative way to get his message out
• How Tom and Jon Patrick Hatcher decided to team up and co-author this book together (after shelving their original idea for a “break-up” book aimed at men)
• How co-authoring brings an opportunity to give a different, complementary perspective to your ideas
• The basics of the traditional publishing process
• How Tom and Jon divided up the tasks to produce the content for the book in a week-by-week process
• What Tom would change about the publishing process in hindsight, and why he would choose to self-publish if he could go back
• Why Tom wishes they had been given more time for editing and rewriting 
• How Tom’s practice has been thriving with a virtual therapy format since the beginning of the pandemic, helping people deal with anxiety and feelings of disconnection

Today’s topic is very specific, but it’s one that makes a big difference in your private practice and has a meaningful impact on your clients. We are talking about creating an epic welcome video for your practice website. If making a welcome video isn’t part of your website already, don’t miss today’s episode about showing up authentically in ways that connect you to your clients.

Our Featured Guest

Bryan Nixon, MA, LPC

Bryan Nixon is a group practice owner in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His welcome video on his website stands out in my mind as a beautiful and powerful example of what we’re bringing forward in today’s show. Bryan will break down the process of creating such a video, along with things a clinician might overlook when creating such a video. We will wrap up with helpful tips if creating an engaging welcome video is on your to-do list.

Website

You’ll Learn

●     How a video can bring intentionality to your sacred work of therapy in a visual experience

●     How Bryan identified the vibe he wanted to communicate about his practice

●     Why Bryan decided to feature an old, scarred dresser in his welcome video and the symbolism it presents to clients

●     What a client really wants to know about a therapist: Will you see me? Will you hear me? Will you connect with me?

●     Why Bryan felt the importance of “telling the story” through narration for his video

●     Three tips for creating an impactful welcome video:

○     Be willing to do your own work with authenticity before you think about a video

○     Connect to your purpose and your WHY in the world

○     Present your authenticity, but don’t be afraid to show your mistakes

●     Bryan’s continuing ed program, Relationally-Focused Psychodynamic Therapy

●     How restorative healing comes about as a result of the relationship between the client and the therapist

Tidemark VA Services provides billing, credentialing, client scheduling, and social media management services to therapists in private practice. The owner, Brittany, is a group practice owner who knows the ins and outs of our field.

Learn more about the services that Tidemark provides at https://sellingthecouch.com/tidemark.

Learn about Bryan’s two-year, post-grad program: The Seattle School 

Match Frame Creative (the company that created Bryan's video)

Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links where if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I use these funds to continue to create helpful content to serve our field. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business (Lessons Learned From 9 Downloads On Day 1 To 1.2 Million And a 7 Income Stream, 6-Figure Business)

How To Launch And Grow A Successful Online Course (Lessons Learned From A $297 First Sale To $150k Online Course)

Start your Podcast: The QuickStart Guide

The A To Z Online Course

The Healthcasters (A podcasting course + community for helpers/healers):

Online Course School (A course to create, sell, and grow a successful online course): COMING IN 2022 (please feel free to download the online guide course above and I can keep you updated as I'm trying to build this with ample input and care including a chance to work 1 on 1 with me!): 

My Podcast Hosting Platform (Captivate-Includes 7 Day Free Trial):

My All In One Online Business Platform (Kartra-Includes 14 Day Free Trial):

What I Use For Evergreen Webinars (Easy Webinar)

My Website Host (SiteGround-Includes Discount)

My WebSite Theme (Divi)

STC Home Office Tour!

My Online Counseling + Coaching Gear

My YouTube + Live Streaming Camera Gear

Since 2015, I've hosted a weekly podcast where I interview successful therapists in private practice and other business owners to help us grow our impact + income in and beyond the therapy room.

The podcast has been downloaded over 1.2 million times and is heard in over 140 countries.

You can find also it by searching “Selling The Couch” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Selling The Couch" on your Amazon device. =

Or simply click below for ease =).

SUBSCRIBE HERE

💌 Sign up to receive the free online course guide + receive weekly STC email newsletter (trusted by over 7k colleagues)

My website / blog

Instagram (I mainly post "behind the scenes" stuff about my life and business)

Hi. I'm Melvin. I'm a psychologist (PhD), entrepreneur, and online creator living in Philadelphia, PA.

In 2014, I began to think about how to use the therapy skills we learn in grad school, and in our clinical work into different realms (e.g., podcasting, consulting, online course creation, etc).

This allows us to serve others on larger scales while diversifying our income beyond 1 to 1 work.

I make podcasts and videos about business, tech, productivity, and lessons I'm learning from becoming the CEO of a lean, mean 5 person 100% remote team (we're not really mean..it just rhymed =P).

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

What if I told you that there is something simple and free that most of us can do daily for an hour or less that yields amazing physical and mental benefits? Would you want to know what it is? Since the pandemic has forced us to take a closer look at our habits and make some changes, I want to share this life-changing activity that has become an almost daily habit for me. It’s hiking! Incorporating a midday hike several times each week helps me sleep better at night and stay centered for daily tasks. My inner “research nerd” got curious and took a deeper look at the intersection of hiking, mental health, and entrepreneurship, and I want to share with you what I’ve found.

You’ll Learn

●     Why hike? What are the benefits?

○     Hiking helps keep our minds sharp and agile.

○     Hiking helps us to focus better.

○     HIking can spark serious creativity.

●     If you’re a hiker, please share with the STC Community what benefits you’re seeing in your personal and professional life. I’m very interested to hear about your results!

Show Sponsor: Headway

Headway is building a new mental healthcare system that’s rewired for access and affordability through innovative software. Patients are connected with therapists who accept their insurance, and providers can experience yet another way to expand their private practices. Headway helps patients find the therapist that they can afford, and they handle all the administrative paperwork for providers, making Headway the win-win choice for both patients and providers.

Find out more about Headway through this link: Headway 

Mel's Self Care Kit

Also mentioned:  Successful Aging by Daniel Levitin

Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links where if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I use these funds to continue to create helpful content to serve our field. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

🎙️ Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business (Lessons Learned From 9 Downloads On Day 1 To 1.2 Million And a 7 Income Stream Business)

💻 How To Launch And Grow A Successful Online Course (Lessons Learned From A $297 First Sale To $150k Online Course)

🎤 Start your Podcast: The QuickStart Guide

🖥️ The A To Z Online Course

🎧 The Healthcasters (A podcasting course + community for helpers/healers):

💻 Online Course School (A course to create, sell, and grow a successful online course): COMING IN 2022 (please feel free to download the online guide course above and I can keep you updated as I'm trying to build this with ample input and care including a chance to work 1 on 1 with me!): 

🧳 My Podcast Hosting Platform (Captivate-Includes 7 Day Free Trial):

🚀 My All In One Online Business Platform (Kartra-Includes 14 Day Free Trial):

🤖 What I Use For Evergreen Webinars (Easy Webinar)

🌐 My Website Host (SiteGround-Includes Discount)

🎨 My WebSite Theme (Divi)

❤️ STC Home Office Tour!

📔 My Online Counseling + Coaching Gear

🎥 My YouTube + Live Streaming Camera Gear

Since 2015, I've hosted a weekly podcast where I interview successful therapists in private practice and other business owners to help us grow our impact + income in and beyond the therapy room.

The podcast has been downloaded over 1.2 million times and is heard in over 140 countries.

You can find also it by searching “Selling The Couch” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Selling The Couch" on your Amazon device. =

Or simply click below for ease =).

SUBSCRIBE HERE

💌 Sign up to receive the free A To Z Online Course Guide + receive the weekly STC email newsletter (trusted by over 7k colleagues)

🌍 My website / blog

📸 Instagram (I mainly post "behind the scenes" stuff about my life and business)

Hi. I'm Melvin. I'm a Vanderbilt-trained psychologist, entrepreneur, and online creator living in Philadelphia, PA.

In 2014, I began to think about how to use the therapy skills we learn in grad school, and in our clinical work into different realms (e.g., podcasting, consulting, online course creation, etc).

This allows us to serve others on larger scales while diversifying our income beyond 1 to 1 work.

I make podcasts and videos about business, tech, productivity, and lessons I'm learning from becoming the CEO of a lean, mean 5 person 100% remote team (we're not really mean..it just rhymed =P).

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

Today’s show takes on a very niched perspective, but the information and wisdom are useful in many aspects of our work as clinicians and business owners. We are specifically discussing how to move from an online course to a membership model. Maybe you’ve wondered about these components of your practice and how to make the transition. Join us for expert advice!

Our Featured Guest

Jennifer McGurk, RDN, CDN, CEDRD-S

Jennifer McGurk is a registered dietitian in NY whose specialty is helping clients with eating disorders. She made the transition from an online course to a membership model, so she is sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of such a move. I hope our discussion will be helpful to you if you’re considering a similar transition.

Website

You’ll Learn:

●     How membership sites can help a clinician accomplish career goals

●     Details of Jennifer’s journey in private practice from an online course to a membership model

●     The benefits to therapist and client of a membership model over a one-time course model

●     How imposter syndrome can crop up when creating a membership site

●     How it’s helpful to see others reaching their goals in transitioning from an online course to a membership site

●     Common mistakes in this transition

●     What the business gurus DON’T tell you about your online course as a passive income stream

●     The components of Jennifer’s membership site: Dietitian Business School

●     Jennifer’s advice to a clinician either launching an online course or making the transition to a membership site

We do not have a sponsor this month.

Melvin:

Hi Jennifer,

welcome back to Selling the Couch.

Jennifer:

Hi, Melvin; thank

you for having me. I'm so excited to talk to you.

Melvin:

I really enjoyed

our last conversation. I'm so grateful that you reached out, you are doing just

so many neat things in the world, so many out of the box things. And I'm just

grateful when you reached out and then two, just to hear about the journey and

share all the lessons and all those things that you've learned.

Jennifer:

Yeah, thank you so

much. I'm so grateful for your work, too. We were talking before we hit record

about how mental health is so needed right now and therapists are doing such an

awesome job. So anyone out there listening, thank you for your work too. It's a

time where people really need mental health services.

Melvin:

Yeah, absolutely;

I do feel so grateful to be part of this profession. I don't know who could

have imagined something like this. But I think one of the things that's really

been on my mind, especially through this pandemic, I think it was there before

but it's kind of accelerated it is this question of like, what do I want my

career to look like? And where do I want to focus my energy?

And one of the

things that I've kind of realized is, I actually want to eventually just

completely pull back on one on one work or if I have to it's kind of more

higher-priced and it's very limited. And I think one of the ways that you can

do that is through online courses and membership sites. I think there's like a

lot of information online about how to do these, all of that kind of stuff. But

I wanted to hear from you, because you had an online course, you transitioned

into a membership site, you're actually doing it and yeah, I'm just so

grateful, I think for this conversation.

Jennifer:

Yeah, thank you so much for letting me to share my story. Yes, I did have a course and I was in

the same situation that you have just said, I was seeing clients and I had been

seeing clients at that point for probably seven years or so in private practice

and even more before that, before I started my private practice, and I did get

to the point where- I was going to say burnout, but I just wanted to do

something different because I specialize in eating disorders.

I felt like

everyone's story is very different in a way. But I was seeing the same thing

over and over again and I just thought to myself; I really want to work with Dietitians,

as well to teach them all of the knowledge that I've learned over the years, from

working with clients and my own supervision and just everything that I've

learned about business.

So that's when I

started my second company pursuing private practice. And pursuing private

practice really was for Dietitians to start and grow a business. So long story

short, it started out as a book series, it turned into a DIY course, and then

it kind of morphed itself into a group program/business coaching, hot seat,

stuff Facebook group, and it just got way too big for a one time purchase and I

felt like I was coaching forever.

So I turned it

into a membership and that membership Dietician Business School has really done

awesome in the past six months since it's been open, and I've been able to

bring on team members and really help Dietitians in a way that feels so good,

because I'm giving them so much support. And I'm not burnout, because it's a

membership versus a one-time course payment. So I'm happy to talk and elaborate

on that process, because it was a journey to transfer it from a course to an

actual membership.

Melvin:

Yeah, I know. It

is quite a bit of a journey. So for those of you guys are listening, I had a

very similar process, I guess back in like 2018, where I had my health casters

podcasting course and then it was a single payment. And then I got to this

point where for me I hated doing these launches, and I hated the like you said

the one off kind of payments. And then I just began to think about how I think

the question that you just or the statement that you said, of thinking about your

own personal health and how do you sort of scale this while preserving that

aspect, right?

Jennifer:

Yes, definitely. I

think courses are great, and for anyone out there interested in even doing a

course I think courses are really great for information, and really awesome to

start someone on a journey. But let's face it; a lot of times the business

gurus out there that are teaching people how to sell courses are basically

saying, “Oh, it's passive income, create once and sit on the beach and watch

your money roll in.” Which I absolutely hate; I feel like it's diet culture in what

I do, I'm an eating disorders dietician.

So I feel like

it's this false message of hope. But yet, the reality of it is that your people

are going to have questions, they are going to need to process and the

information, and they are going to want to bounce ideas off of somebody, and you

can provide more than just the information as a course. But if you do that

you're probably creating a Facebook group or you're having people come to group

calls. And that in my opinion, I have learned kind of the hard way like, that's

a membership, that's not a course.

So I was doing

this one time course all the way up until I probably knew I needed to change

January 2020, before the pandemic, but once March hit, what happened to me was

just, “Oh my Gosh, my people need help.” So I added extra group calls to my

course, I added more prompts in my Facebook group. I added so many different

workshops and things like that. And I saw that my Dietitians were getting so

many results from it, they were actually doing better.

And this was where

COVID was really starting to hit our at least in the United States, like in

March was starting to hit our country and people with eating disorders were

really struggling. So the Dietitians are really struggling and no one really

knew what was going on. So I felt like all the support that I gave my Dietitians

in my course, was so helpful and I could see the results happening I could see

people making better connections and I almost created a little bit of a mock

membership in that Facebook group and group calls. And then I decided like

okay, this is working, but I need to really officially change my business

model.

Melvin:

Yeah, that's cool.

So a lot of really great information, I want to like break it down here. So

practical kind of tools; the group was on what? Was it on Facebook? Or was it

on? Where was the group on?

Jennifer:

The course started

out as information in teachable. I use teachable and I really like teachable

although you can use whatever platform you want. I did information in teachable

and then we had a Facebook group and we had zoom group calls once a month just

as a quick QA and it was great. It was awesome to connect with people.

But I personally

don't feel like that's enough of a connection for a lot of people like people

need constant reminders, people need to feel supported, people need to process.

So once COVID hit, I really stepped up to the plate and I said my people need

me. And granted meanwhile, Melvin I know you know what it's like to have

children at home. My two kids were home. We lost our babysitting for a couple

months. But looking back, I don't even know how I did that. But I did it. But

yeah, we were meeting over zoom with a group call. So you would see in my old

course site, it was literally like 15 group calls just one after the other.

That's not a course that's a membership.

Melvin:

Yeah, it's such a

good way. So you notice, like you looked at the practical schedule, and you

were like, “Oh my Gosh, this isn't sustainable.” You said it so clearly,

though. But like, this is not a course this is a membership; was it as clear

cut in your mind? Or was this like, “Oh my Gosh, I'm going to betrayed my

members, or like all of that?

Jennifer:

It was clear cut

in my mind. But how do I say this, it was not clear cut in my heart, maybe in

my soul. My brain knew that I needed to switch. But my heart had a really hard

time with it. Because I felt like I was going betray the Dietitians that had

signed up for my course and I had a little bit of imposter syndrome, like “Who

am I to run a membership program for Dietitians in business?” Because I feel

like everyone has imposter syndrome when they start something new.

I really just felt

like, “Oh my Gosh, what if people don't like it,” that scary type of feeling.

But then I thought to myself, and there are so many parallels, in my opinion

with running a business and eating disorder recovery, which is what I focus on

in my practice. My clients do hard things all the time, they really battle

eating disorder thoughts, and behaviours and feelings every single day, like

sometimes even every single hour, and to think about all the clients that I have

helped and I've said to them, “You can do hard things.”

I kind of said to

myself, I can do hard things and I can make decisions from a place of where I

want to be, and almost by making that decision, I hope to inspire other people

and other business owners that they can make those hard decisions too. And not

everyone is going to like your decision and that just goes without saying even

if you were to stay in the same exact model, some people are not going to like

that decision. So you have to almost make a decision based on what's best for

you as an act of self-care.

Melvin:

How do you deal

with that part? Because that's the part I often struggle with, which is knowing

there's going to be a percentage of people that will be upset by this.

Jennifer:

Yes. Oh, my Gosh

yeah. And honestly, I don't know if I have a great answer with that, because I

feel like some people are more sensitive than others. Some people are more

empathetic than others. Some people just feel other people's energy. But I

think what I said to myself is, you are going to have some people that are not going

to like this decision, but you have to think about what's best for you because

if you burn out, there's going to be no online business. And you really want to

do this; this is your passion. This is your calling, I almost felt like I know

that it's a little Woo but I love it. Like this is my calling and his is what I

want to do. And I think also to seeing other people's memberships, and not in

like a comparison type of way. But seeing other people's memberships really

work and being a part of other people's memberships. It helps casters included

because I was a part of health casters for a long time; I saw that people were

doing it and I saw that other people are turning their models into memberships too.

So that was really helpful to see other people reaching goals that I wanted to

do as well.

Melvin:

I think that's a

really good point. And I would say for those of you guys are listening, one

thing that was really helpful for me, I don't know that I thought about it, and

it but I feel like there's a common overlap between our two courses in that I

think there's some wisdom, even if you want to start with an online course.

Initially, I think

there's some wisdom in just thinking like, is the content of this online

course? Is it possible to move it or scale it into a membership model? Like,

can you add things like, I don't know, I can't think of a tangible example of

him where that wouldn't be beneficial. But I don't know. Just asking that

simple question, I think was really helpful for me.

Jennifer:

Yeah, definitely, I

think it also depends on your content and your mission too. And for me, I teach

Dietitians, especially non-diet dietitians, which is like anti-diet, eating

disorder recovery, intuitive eating, and weight inclusive dietitians like I'm

in a very special, specific niche.

Jennifer:

I teach dietitians how to run a

business from that lens. Diet Culture is everywhere. There are mixed messages

with marketing everywhere my people need to process, they need to experiment,

they need to try, they have questions on not just business stuff, but clinical

cases. We all need a lot of support, especially my dietitians; we need a

community and a lot of support sometimes, because we're battling against diet

culture, which is so normal, especially if we're recording in January,

especially this time of year. 

So it's important for them to feel

supported. And I just felt like I couldn't give the amount of support that I

wanted to give in a onetime course. I almost needed to hold their hand with

more group calls and more accountability, more team members, more people other

than me, which I couldn't really afford to do when it was a onetime thing. Now

I can bring on a lot more people, which is really awesome.

Melvin:

That is really awesome. What are the

components now? What were the components when it was just a one off course?

Like it was the course the community and then a monthly coaching? What is it

now?

Jennifer:

Okay, so I'll tell you my mistake

with the course, which for anyone listening, you can totally learn from my

mistake. The mistake with the course was that it was just a course and people

were paying for a course. And then I added Facebook group, I added the group

calls. So they didn't expect it almost at first. And again, my course started

in 2017. Once it grew, and I was launching over and over again, I would talk to

you about these things, but that was my mistake to kind of just do that just,

here you go, which I love doing. Don't get me wrong, I don't regret anything

I've done. 

Now a Dietitian Business School is,

well, first of all, when I decided to revamp the course, I should say this is

important. I decided it was time for an update because that's another thing

that a lot of the business gurus don't tell you. They say make a course and

record once, and then you're going to be making money in your sleep and you can

go on vacation all the time, you don't have to work. And that's like totally

not true. So you have to really record your information in a course. I don't

know what you would say, Melvin every two, three years, maybe like things are

different, things are updated.

Melvin:

Yeah, it's a great point. So for me,

at least with health casters, and just being completely transparent, I don't

think I have done as good of a job as I could. Partly was related to having the

baby and just having such limited time. But now what I've started to do is

actually check in with the community twice a year, like January July ish,

saying, “Hey guys, what things need updating?” 

I think the general parameter that

I've been following, if it's like a course that's related to something that's

rapidly evolving, something like podcasting, you probably need to do it more

frequently. Whereas if it's like topics that have, I guess, some evergreen

potential, I think you can go through and tweak as needed.

Jennifer:

Yeah, it's a really good point that

there's obviously no right answer. But thinking about your niche and who you're

serving and the updated information and things like that is such a good point.

So I felt like it was time for an update from me for Dietitian Business School.

So I re-recorded all of the lessons. So basically, there's three parts, it's

the business education part. So it went from 10 to 20 lessons. I actually

added, I doubled the content there because there's just so much information

with business. 

I wanted to also expand away from

helping people just in one on one, to helping people especially Dietitians that

are in the non-diet space run group programs and maybe even for themselves

launch an online course. I have like amazing dietitians that are -- even it's

so interesting because intuitive eating and weight inclusive approach is a

niche in and of itself. But then I have some dietitians that are even sub

niching within that niche. So they have potential for amazing courses because

they're so specialized, like running an intuitive eating course is a great

idea, but there's so many of them out there. 

If you can take it a step further,

either intuitive eating for moms or intuitive eating for people that want...

This is the last episode until September while I take some time off to focus on self-care before the summer ends. Today’s episode is a valuable one if you are thinking about launching an online course sometime soon or in the future. My encouragement to you is to do it! Get started! Join me for this solo episode in which we discuss the basics.

You’ll Learn

● The most common reasons to launch an online course: to put your message out there to impact more people in different locations, to feel more fulfilled in your purpose, to diversify income streams, and to spark more creativity

● The highlights of my online course creation story that began in 2015---complete with all the doubts and fears

● How my first online course has surpassed my wildest dreams in passing the $200K mark in revenue

● What it means to me to build a successful online course:

○ I can build a life around my loved ones and self-care instead of fitting my loved ones and self-care around my career.

○ We as a family can contribute time and resources to organizations that make the world a better place.

○ I can create my ideal retirement schedule years before I actually retire.

● Why I want you to write down the completion to this statement: “A successful online course for me would mean . . .”

● Five pieces of advice to help you avoid the mistakes I made:

○ Online course creation is a long road---don’t rush it!

○ Don’t pick an online course platform because it’s cheap or free.

○ The first version of your online course will not be the final version.

○ See your online course as part of a larger value ladder rather than a one-off offering.

○ Build your course in community with others.

● Why you might want to join my newest online course that will launch soon!

Resources mentioned:

The online course platform that I use: www.sellingthecouch.com/cartra

Today's Sponsor: Online Course School

I know that many of us want to launch a successful online course, whether it's to share our message with a larger audience or to diversify our income beyond 1:1 work.

Speaking from personal experience, I also know that there are a ton of barriers to getting started: the tech, the mental hurdles, being unsure of whether our course will make money, or even how to market and grow our online course.

Online Course School is a live 8-week cohort-based experience where you'll gather with other therapist course creators to create your online course. It includes teaching workshops from Mel and the STC team, weekly assignments, and opportunities to work together to get things done.

By the end of our time together, you'll have your lessons and modules outlined, know what tech, software, and platform you need to record your online course, a working sales page, and have a concrete growth plan for your online course.

We'll be launching our first cohort in Sept 2021 with six members. If this sounds like something you'd love to be a part of, please check out my free A to Z Online Course Guide.

The guide will help you learn from my mistakes over the past 6+ years of being an online course creator and lessons I've learned from moving the Healthcasters podcasting course from a $297 first sale to over 275 students and passing the $200k revenue mark in 2021.

Disclosures: Please note that all opinions are my own and based on my personal experience. Sponsors are acknowledged. Some links in the description are affiliate links where if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission at no additional cost to you. I use these funds to continue to create helpful content to serve our field. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

🎙️ Using Podcasting To Grow Your Business (Lessons Learned From 9 Downloads On Day 1 To 1.2 Million And a 7 Income Stream Business)

💻 How To Launch And Grow A Successful Online Course (Lessons Learned From A $297 First Sale To $150k Online Course)

🎤 Start your Podcast: The QuickStart Guide

🖥️ The A To Z Online Course

🎧 The Healthcasters (A podcasting course + community for helpers/healers):

💻 Online Course School (A course to create, sell, and grow a successful online course): COMING IN 2022 (please feel free to download the online guide course above and I can keep you updated as I'm trying to build this with ample input and care including a chance to work 1 on 1 with me!): 

🧳 My Podcast Hosting Platform (Captivate-Includes 7 Day Free Trial):

🚀 My All In One Online Business Platform (Kartra-Includes 14 Day Free Trial):

🤖 What I Use For Evergreen Webinars (Easy Webinar)

🌐 My Website Host (SiteGround-Includes Discount)

🎨 My WebSite Theme (Divi)

❤️ STC Home Office Tour!

📔 My Online Counseling + Coaching Gear

🎥 My YouTube + Live Streaming Camera Gear

Since 2015, I've hosted a weekly podcast where I interview successful therapists in private practice and other business owners to help us grow our impact + income in and beyond the therapy room.

The podcast has been downloaded over 1.2 million times and is heard in over 140 countries.

You can find also it by searching “Selling The Couch” on any podcast app (eg: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc) or simply saying "Alexa, listen to Selling The Couch" on your Amazon device. =

Or simply click below for ease =).

SUBSCRIBE HERE

💌 Sign up to receive the free A To Z Online Course Guide + receive the weekly STC email newsletter (trusted by over 7k colleagues)

🌍 My website / blog

📸 Instagram (I mainly post "behind the scenes" stuff about my life and business)

Hi. I'm Melvin. I'm a psychologist (PhD), entrepreneur, and online creator living in Philadelphia, PA.

In 2014, I began to think about how to use the therapy skills we learn in grad school, and in our clinical work into different realms (e.g., podcasting, consulting, online course creation, etc).

This allows us to serve others on larger scales while diversifying our income beyond 1 to 1 work.

I make podcasts and videos about business, tech, productivity, and lessons I'm learning from becoming the CEO of a lean, mean 5 person 100% remote team (we're not really mean..it just rhymed =P).

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

At the beginning of this month, we reached our seven years of podcasting milestone here at Selling the Couch. That’s pretty crazy when statistics show that three out of every four new podcasts die after only seven episodes. Join us to learn what it takes to beat the odds and keep your podcast going.

When I started the show back in 2015, podcasts were new. I am naturally introverted, so podcasting does not come easily to me. I remember being fearful on multiple levels and wondering how long I would be able to maintain sustainability with the podcast. We experienced slow and steady growth over time, however, and we currently average anywhere between 21,000 and 26,000 downloads in a month. Today’s session is a solo episode in which I share five tips that have helped me keep the podcast going. Stay tuned to learn more!

You’ll Learn:

• You have to have done a decent amount of podcast episodes to hit hockey stick growth
• Tip #1: Focus on building systems initially rather than releasing a mass of episodes. 
• Notice your energy levels when you speak about certain topics. Hone in on topics that light you up.
• Set up a dedicated space to do your podcasting. It will make things a lot easier.
• Notice the formats of podcasting that energize you versus those that drain you. (You might start with one format and later move to a different one.)
• Tip # 2: Block out months in which you will not release any new podcasts. That means you won’t have to drop the podcast when other important things come up in your life.
• Tip #3: Think about monetizing your podcast before you launch it. (Brainstorm ways to make money besides having sponsors.)
• Tip # 4: Plan and employ good systems. (James Clear said: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”)
• Figure out the things you can delegate to create a model for long-term sustainability.
• I use one central subscribe page where everything is available. (www.sellingthecouch.com/listen )
• Tip # 5: Hire a podcast editor.

Links:

Pretty Links

A free podcasting workshop www.sellingthecouch.com/podcastingworkshop

The Healthcasters Podcasting Course www.sellingthecouch.com/jointhehealthcasters  

When you open a private practice you become an entrepreneur- but that doesn't mean you magically know how to run a successful, sustainable solo or group practice and still enjoy life. 

And the truth is, when your business isn't working properly it WILL impact your joy, energy, and your clinical outcomes. 

Therapists are among the world's paid master's degrees and it is time for it to stop. 

Kelly & Miranda at zynnyme are two therapists who care deeply about ensuring therapists can have sustainable incomes and practices that get exemplary outcomes. 

Check out their free Private Practice Masterclass where they'll be diving into the core issues that keep even full practice owners from being truly profitable and protected from burnout. 

While you are at it, get on the waitlist for their Business School for Therapists-your one-stop-shop for growing, revamping, or launching your sustainable, impactful solo or group practice. 

Business School for Therapists has the perfect blend of personalized support, ready to go content when you need it, and an amazing community all over the world. 

Mentioned in this episode:

Sign up for the new online course workshop of a small launch to a $300K course at https://sellingthecouch.com/onlinecourseworkshop

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.

Sign up for the new online course workshop of a small launch to a $300K course at https://sellingthecouch.com/onlinecourseworkshop

If there is one thing I’ve learned as a small business owner, it’s that it takes courage to show up imperfect. We want so badly to be perfect and put together in front of our audience, but perfectionism makes us less authentic and connected. Join us to learn more about being OK with being imperfect.

Samara Stone is a return guest to the podcast, and I’m thrilled to welcome her back! In addition to her work as a therapist, Samara is a branding expert who has a curated community, Be Full Grown, for black women over 40 who are ready to imagine, create, and live a life of their own design. Samara is in the process of launching a podcast, and she has already proven her courage in showing up imperfect through some major life difficulties. We will discuss how we, as clinicians, can show up imperfect when perfectionism always has a pull on us. Samara also shares helpful guidelines for sharing appropriately on social media, which is something we all need to keep in mind. 

Be Full Grown

You’ll Learn:

• How things have changed in our field in beautiful ways; “Your Saturday self CAN show up on Monday morning.”
• Why many therapists struggle with perfectionism and are afraid to show up as 100% human
• Why clients appreciate transparency because it conveys a non-judgmental attitude
• Why there is a huge shift happening in how we understand marketing and our personal brand
• How therapists need to share enough about the real dynamic  of themselves so clients can see the healing possibilities
• How Samara decided to share on social media the experience of her divorce a few years ago 
• Why we have to be polarizing at times in order to find our true audience–and that’s OK
• The importance of realizing that you can’t and won’t appeal to everyone
• How to use your clear purpose and intention to determine how much of your life to share on social media

Mentioned in this episode:

Try Alma!

Building and managing the practice you truly want can feel overwhelming. That’s why Alma is here—to help you create not just any practice, but your private practice.